Saint Syed Waris Ali Shah (R.A.)

First Safar Urdu Month, Friday 1228 Hijrah. English Date (1819) at Dewa Sheriff which is 13 Km from Barabanki and 28 to 30 Km from Lucknow.

Belongings:

Our Saint Belongs to a family of learned and distinguish Syed of NISHAPUR (IRAN),

Syed Ashraf Abi Talib Migrated to India with his family. He settled in the out skirts of Kuntur. Town of Barabanki District. He built a home there now known as Rasoolpur.

Miran Syed Ahmed Ali was born at Dewa Sheriff in 1141 Hijrah. Syed Karmallah was his son. Whose sons were Syed Salamath Ali, Syed Bisharat Ali, and Syed Sher Ali. Syed Salamath Ali has two sons, one was Syed Qurram Ali and other was (Syed Qurban Ali Father of our Saint Waris Ali Shah.). For more details open the Genealogical Table of Sarkar Waris.

Syed Qurban Ali married his uncles Syed Sher Ali’s Daughter Syeda Bibi Sakina alias

Chandan Bibi. On Whom God had bestowed the honor of being the mother of such an Inimitable personality as our Saint.

One day Miran Syed Ahmed was sitting on the tank, an unknown Dervish Approached and announced in Arabic the glad tidings of the birth of spiritual mentor of world Wide fame and a prodigy of divine favor who would lead the astray to the right path of love of God and humanity. And he will take Birth after Five Generations. The Dervish said, “My greeting to you and the same to him who will take birth in your family. Undoubtedly the glorified God has illuminated your Forehead. By his light and manifestation has lightened the world. Oh my Chief I offer to you my Hearty Congratulations. His name will be one of the beautiful ninety-nine Epithets of Gods Almighty. His qualities will spill over the boundaries of two Worlds. His behaviors and kindness will resemble the light of Mustapha’s (Chosen holy Prophet’s title). In this tavern the secret of the creation’s day is

Hidden. He is the crown head of continent good office and patience. He will Popular from east to west, in youths, in Christians and they will acknowledge him as there leader and he will be the guide of every religion. He will fulfill. The aspirations and hopes of every one.

Dewa Sheriff earned the proud name of being the birthplace of such an earnest Personality as our holy saint Waris Ali Shah. It has also been historical as well as Laudable land of illustrious, intellectual luminaries, religious learned personalities

And men of intellect who took birth there. It is also a place higher university education from whose portals came out savants of universal fame.

Many aged and specially venerated persons of Dewa sheriff have declared when the time for the birth of our saint was nearing his mother at different times.

Our Saint lost his father’s protecting hand at the age of two years and the solacing care of his mother at the age of three. His grand mother Janaba Hayathunissa Saheba Under took the duty of carefully bringing him up. And the strange fact is that unlike other children he would not drink his milk hurriedly but gradually and slowly, moreover his thirst would be quenched with just a few Gulps, which reflected the future qualities of patience and contentment.

The ladies of Dewa Sheriff were also surprised at the noble behavior of the child and expressed that such a marvelous child is rarely to be seen; unlike other children his sleeping bed was clean, free from filth. Unlike other children he never cried but was mostly silent. Whenever he felt urge to answer the calls of nature he made strange signs and the nurse promptly attended to easy himself. During nights he was seen gazing at the moon and stars as if to appreciate the artistry of the Creator. He used to sleep very little; he would always awaken with the smiling face.

Witnessing the same and Serene activity of the precocious child, elder people of Dewa Sheriff begin to respect and hold him in high estimation. As the child begin to grow his habits assumed dignity and a sprit of independence. At the age of five his grandmother engaged a fit instructor to begin his education

The aim of his plays and games was to display the quality of Devine truth, Dignity, generosity and kindness. In the grab of games he was distributing sweets purchased from a sweet meat seller name Lukai Halwai. Even through games one can discern his aversion towards worldly life and glorification of divine love. His most delightful pastime was to distribute clothes and coverings to the poor and needy. He would even distribute home utensils of value. These innocent acts of charity are signs of revulsion towards mundane life.

Instead of enjoying the fruits of his inherited property he lavishly spent it out for the benefit of poor. In short this was an essential and inherits quality of our saints full and genuine love, which appears to us as children’s play.

He learned Qraran-e-Sherif from his uncle Hazrat Ameer Ali, on returning home he would not open his book to revise his lessons. Later seated in the lap of nature, in the quiet stillness, would be immersed in deep meditation.

With the aid of God given intellect, within two years he memorized the whole Quran and become a Hafiz (One who learns the Quran by heart). And Maulvi Imam Ali Shah imparts to him secular education. Though the teacher was venerable yet he treated our saint with great respect. The reason for respecting a young was that he was himself a saint and could make out a man’s urgings for acquiring a Divine love. Our saint teaches men such lessons that are acquired without learning and without any teacher’s aid thus our saint was in not need of worldly education. He wanted to teach such lessons to others which were beyond the compression of laymen. He never forgets whatever was taught to him.

And at the age of eight he was deprived of his grand mother and there was none except the lord of the universe to look after him. There after his brother in law Hazrat Haji Syed Khadim Ali Shah Sahib a resident of Lucknow took him under his supervision and continued his education where he learnt under renowned savants.

From his sayings and particular circumstances it is quite clear that he was proficient scholar of literature and have a perfect knowledge of Quranic exegesis, one such incident was that when our saint was the guest of justice at Maulvi Syed Sharfuddin, he was a well known literary expert of literature and philosophy. He recited to our saint Waris-e-Pak a lengthy encomium Ode Couched in high flown Arabic Language decked with metaphors and similes. Hardly he finished reciting two of three couplets when our saint took it from his hand and read it fluently, explain the difficult words and figures. From this one can estimate our Saint’s literary, ability of Arabic Language. Our Saint had perfect knowledge of recitation of Quran and its Verses exegeses. The power of his memory was so sharp that what was taught to him at the age of 12 or 14 he would recollect at the age of eighty. It has also been noticed that our Saint conversed fluently with the Arabs and Persians in there respective languages. Such people do not need acquisition of worldly Knowledge but they are fit to answer any question as if they are experts of art and sciences.

In 1838 A.D. Sarkar Waris Pak decided to visit holy places to perform Haj. His devotees and disciples insisted to take some one as his companion but refusing all worldly arrangements for his journey, started on foot towards the holy shrine. Then Sarkar Waris Pak reached Unnao, Shikohabad, Ferozabad, Agra, Jaipur Ajmer, Nagore, and they’re after a voyage from Bombay to Jeddah. And Sarkar Waris got down at Jeddah and continue his journey to the holy shrine on foot.

MECCA on the night of 29th Shaban our saint sat his foot in to Mecca, and saw the reality of holy Kaaba. He beheld with what his heart was aspiring without any veil draping it. There after he spent the whole day in visiting historical and sacred places, there also many prominent persons joined his cult and became his disciples. And during the pilgrimage season every year he performs the holy Haj.

Sarkar Waris also visited Egypt and returned to Medina passing though Palestine and from there went to Mecca to perform Haj rites. There after a while he went to Aden and again returned to Medina to participate in Haj ceremony. There he remained two weeks in Medina and after Friday prayers visit the tombs of high spiritual leaders.

From Bombay via Ajmer Sarkar Waris reached Dewa Sheriff in 1266 Hijrah 1853 (A.D.)

IN SHORT OUR SAINT SPENT FOURTEEN YEARS COMPLETELY, TRAVELING TO THE HOLY SHRINE OF KAABA AND PERFORMED SEVEN OR ACCORDING TO TRADITION ELEVEN HAJ.

More important and significant is the devotional sprit, purity of heart with which it is performed rather than the mere display of adding the application of Haj with ones name.

Friday 6th April 1905

It was nearing four ‘O’ Clock Hakim Mirza Yaqub Baig was feeling the pulse and Our Saint was awaiting the approaching time to join his beloved. All of a sudden the Hakim Sahib withdrew his hand and began to weep profusely and the duration of separation of eighty six or eighty eight years came to an end and Our Saint’s Soul flew to Heaven to merge with the Infinite Beloved.

For more details open page (Last days of Sarkar Waris)

Now every year at Dewa Sheriff Karthic Mela will be held after Dusshera accordingly. Every year this Mela will be organized to pay respect and Homage to Syed Haji Qurban Ali Shah, Father of Our Saint Al Haj Hafiz Syed Sarkar Waris Ali Shah. Sarkar Waris himself had fixed the date of the URS (yearly Ceremony) of his Father after Karvachauth.