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5. Mian Mir - Mir Mohammed Muayyinul Islam, (c. 1550-August 11, 1635) popularly
known as Mian Mir is a famous Sufi saint who resided in Lahore, specifically in
the town of Begampura (in present-day Pakistan). He belonged to the Qadiri
order of Sufism. He is famous for being a spiritual instructor of Dara Shikoh,
the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He is identified as the founder of
the Main Khail branch of the Qadiri order.
Mian Mir and Emperor Jahangir Mian Mir was a friend of God-loving people and he
would shun worldly, selfish men, covetous Emirs and ambitious Nawabs who ran
after faqirs to get their blessings. To stop such people from coming to see
him, Mian Mir posted his mureeds (disciples) at the gate of his house.
Once, Jahangir, the Mughal emperor, with all his retinue came to pay homage to
the great faqir. He came with all the pomp and show that befitted an emperor.
Mian Mir's sentinels however, stopped the emperor at the gate and requested him
to wait until their master had given permission to enter. Jahangir felt
slighted. No one had ever dared delay or question his entry to any place in his
kingdom. Yet he controlled his temper and composed himself. He waited for
permission. After a while, he was ushered into Mian Mir's presence. Unable to
hide his wounded vainity, Jahangir, as soon as he entered, told Mian Mir in
Persian: Ba dar-e-darvis darbane naa-bayd ("On the doorstep of a faqir, there
should be no sentry").
Pir Mian Mir, whose mind and soul were one with the Lord, caring little for the
emperor's angst, replied in Persian: Babayd keh sag-e-dunia na ayad ("They are
there so that the dogs of the world/selfish men may not
enter").[citation needed]
The emperor was ashamed and asked for forgiveness. Then, with folded hands,
Jahangir requested Mian Mir to pray for the success of the campaign which he
intended to launch for the conquest of the Deccan. Meanwhile, a poor man
entered and, bowing his head to Mian Mir, made an offering of a rupee before
him. The Pir asked the devotee to pick up the rupee and give it to the poorest,
most needy person in the audience. The devotee went from one dervish to another
but none accepted the rupee. The devotee returned to Mian Mir with the rupee
saying: "Master, none of the dervishes will accept the rupee. None is in need,
it seems."
"Go and give this rupee to him," said the faqir, pointing to Jahangir. "He is
the poorest and most needy of the lot. Not content with a big kingdom, he
covets the kingdom of the Deccan. For that, he has come all the way from Delhi
to beg. His hunger is like a fire that burns all the more furiously with more
wood. It has made him needy, greedy and grim. Go and give the rupee to him."
Mian Mir and Guru Arjan meet Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, often visited
Lahore, the birth-place of his father (the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das) to meet
his relatives. On the occasion of one of such visit, he called on Mian Mir. The
two men of God met and became life-long friends. Mian Mir was thirteen years
older than Guru Arjan.
The foundation-stone of the Harimandir Sahib Guru Arjan was responsible for the
construction of many tanks and buildings. In 1588, he planned to build a temple
in the centre of the holy tank called Amritsar or the pool of nectar. As the
temple was to be thrown open to people of all castes, creeds and climes, he
invited Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib. He came to
the city of Amritsar wearing a religious mendicant's long cloak made up of
patches of coarse wool and a cone-shaped cap, with a rose flower on top.
Mian Mir was given one of the warmest welcomes for which Guru Arjan was famous.
The two holy men embraced each other in sincere love and regard. The purpose of
the temple was disclosed to the Sufi saint. Mian Mir was delighted at the fine
objectives the Guru had in mind. The foundation-stone was laid. Hymns were sung
in praise of God and sweets were distributed among the audience.
Guru Arjan's death In 1606, Guru Arjan was implicated in the affair of Prince
Khusraw, who had rebelled against his father, Jahangir. He was imprisoned in
the Lahore fort and tortured. When Mian Mir heard about it, he came to see the
Guru. He found Guru Arjan calm and serene, having completely resigned himself
to the will of God. Mian Mir suggested to the Guru whether he should intercede
with Emperor Jahangir on his behalf. The Guru forbade him saying that God's
will must have its course unchecked, as it was not proper to interfere with its
working. He only asked for the saint's blessings for his son, Har Gobind.
Guru Har Gobind A couple of years after the death of Guru Arjan, his son and
successor Guru Har Gobind, a lad of thirteen, called on Mian Mir at Lahore.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Tegh Bahadur, the son of Guru Har Gobind and the ninth
Guru, as a child met Mian Mir who blessed him.
Death After having lived a long life of piety and virtuosity, Mian Mir passed
away on 11 August, 1635 (7 Rabi’ al-awwal, 1045 according to the Islamic
Calendar), after having suffered from severe dysentery for some time. He was
eighty-eight years old. He was buried at a place which was about a mile from
Lahore near Alamganj, that is at the south-east of the city. Mian Mir's
spiritual successor was Mullah Shah Badakhshi.
Mian Mir's Mazar (Mausoleum) still attracts hundreds of devotees each day.
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6. Golra Sharif isa shrine of the Sufi Saint Pir Meher Ali Shah in Islamabad,
Pakistan. Shrine of Pir Meher Ali Shah of Golra Sharif is located 18 km from
Rawalpindi, in sector E-11 of Islamabad.
He was born in 1859, preached and spread the message of Islam during the
turbulent times in South Asia. He also wrote beautiful prose and poetry in
Persian, Arabic and Punjabi languages. His mausoleum was recently reconstructed
comprising of a dome, and a high minaret built with marble.
7. Sultan Bahu (ca 1628 - 1691) was a Muslim Sufi and saint, who founded the
Sarwari Qadiri sufi order.
Like many other sufi saints of the Indian subcontinent, Sultan Bahu was also a
prolific writer, with more than forty books on Sufism attributed to him.
However, as the majority of his books deal with specialised subjects related to
Islam and islamic mysticism, it is his Punjabi poetry that has generated
popular appeal and made him a household name in the region. His poetic verses
are sung in many genres of sufi music, including qawaalis and kaafis. Tradition
has established a particular style of singing his couplets, which is not used
in any other genre of sufi music. (Please see the External Links section for
audio resources.)
The Mausoleum of Sultan Bahu is located in Garh Maharaja, Punjab, Pakistan. It
is a popular and frequently-visited sufi shrine, and the annual festival is
celebrated with the usual fervour, which is now a distinguishing feature of
what is being called a 'shrine culture' of the Indian subcontinent.
http://asia. groups.yahoo. com/group/ warsishah1/
