Bu Ali Shah Qalandar- Fragrance of Maula Ali
By Prof.Mazhar Naqvi
“Haiderium Qalandram Mastam Banda e Murtaza Ali Hastam Peshwa e tamam Rindanam Ke Sag e Koo e Sher e Yazdanam! “
(I am Haideri (a second name for Maula Ali), Qalandar and Mast (intoxicated with inspiration) I am a slave of Ali Murtaza, I am leader of all saints Because I am a dog of the lane of "Allah's Lion" (The title of Hazrat Ali)
These are the famous words of one of the most venerated Sufi of India popularly known as Bu Ali Shah Qalandar. His real name was Sheikh Sharfuddin. His father, Sheikh Fakhar Uddin was also a great scholar and saint of his time. Mystery shrouds place and date of his birth. One account says that he was born in early 1400 in Panipat in Haryana state of India. But an epitaph on his tomb in Persian gives his birthplace as Ganja in present-day Azerbaijan. It traces his descent from Numan Ibn Thabit Hazrat Abu Hanifa. Another narrative of his order gives his year of birth as 1206 Ad or 606 hijra. There is however no doubt that he was a brilliant scholar. He completed his studies at an early age and began teaching near Mehrauli in Delhi for 20 years. Two popular legends of Qalandari Sufi order shed light on his conversion from a teacher to a mystic with the title of Bu Ali ( fragrance of Ali). One legend reveals that once Sharfuddin was delivering a lecture. Suddenly a Fakir appeared and said “ O Sharfuddin, for how long you will do such disputations, for you were not born for this. Fakir’s word prompted him to forsake his office and look for solitude. Eventually he threw all his books into a river. As an act of penance for having wasted so many years on worldly affairs, he decided to stand in knee deep water for several years. Then one day he heard a divine voice saying “O Seeker, your austerity has been accepted, ask whatsoever you like." He answered, "Nothing but you and you alone." He was then assured of his prayer having been heard and instructed to come out of the water. The Sufi replied "If this is your desire then take me out from the water yourself as I have no desire to shun this Sea of love." The next moment he found some one lifting him up and then placing him on the ground. Thinking it as an act of a stranger, Sufi cried in exasperation “Whoever you are? You should be ashamed of yourself. You spoiled my hard labor of many years when I was just a few moments away from realizing my goal”. The stranger with a gentle smile on his lips replied, "I am All, son-in-law of the Prophet; are you not aware that I am also known as ‘Yad Allah’- the hand of God?" ".Maula Ali then blessed him with his fragrance, declared him as Bu Ali , imparted spiritual Training and disappeared. Another legend gives a different account. It says that once Prophet Muhammad appeared in his dream and blessed him with a wish. The qalandar asked for prophet hood. When Prophet expressed his inability to grant the wish being the last one himself, Sufi asked for the position of Hazrat Ali. When it was also declined on the ground that it was already filled, he left home and jumped into a river, saying “What is the use of life, if I can’t be Ali”. He did not drown miraculously and continued to remain in water in a state of ecstasy. After 12 years, a divine voice once again offered him a wish and he gave the same reply. When told once again “you can't be Ali”, he plunged into ecstasy. After a gap of 12 years, the divine voice again asked the Sufi what do you wish to be ? The qalandar again said ‘Ali’. The reply came instantly not possible there is already an Ali. If I grant your wish a New Kaba will have to be erected for your birth, A new Panjatan( Pious five) with you as one of its parts, a new world would also be required with you as its Maula. Hearing again that he can’t be Ali, he lost in ecstasy to be asked once again after 12 years. The Sufi too came up with the same reply and then the divine called Hazrat Ali and asked him to convince the Qalandar for asking something else. Legends associated with qalandari order claim that Hazrat Ali came to Qalandar and asked him to hide himself if he wanted to be Ali. Qalandar tried to hide himself in deep water only to find an old man offering prayers in deep meditation. He looked at the man closely to discover it was Ali lost in ecstasy. Then, he emerged from water and strived to hide himself amidst thick clouds only to find Maula Ali absorbed in ‘Ibadat’(prayer) and lost in ecstasy. The Sufi ran from pillar to post but found Hazrat Ali offering prayers everywhere in the same posture. It then suddenly dawned to him that he could not compete Maula Ali simply by standing in water for 36 years, for Ali has been praying from eternity. After this realization, he accepted that he can’t be Ali. As an award for his prayers, Maula Ali then offered him his fragrance and conferred upon him the title of Bu Ali. Excited over his exalted status as Bu Ali, the Sufi immediately composed a beautiful poem in Persian, described himself as the dog of Hazrat Ali’s lane. Bu Ali spent his remaining life as a true devotee of Maula Ali and composed several poems in his praise. His literary works and teachings are contained in a series of letters addressed by him to his disciple Iftikharuddin. Bu Ali died in 1324 A. D. and was buried at first in Karnal. But people of Panipat, claiming him to be a native of their city, disinterred his body and re-buried it in their own city. His shrine at Panipat is a popular place of pilgrimage. Built in 1356, the shrine offers a dazzling look with its Sindhi Kashi tiles, mirror work and two gold-plated doors - donated by Shah of Iran and Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The inner sanctum is about 100 yards square with the silver canopied grave in the middle. (Authored by Prof.Mazhar Naqvi)
By Prof.Mazhar Naqvi
“Haiderium Qalandram Mastam Banda e Murtaza Ali Hastam Peshwa e tamam Rindanam Ke Sag e Koo e Sher e Yazdanam! “
(I am Haideri (a second name for Maula Ali), Qalandar and Mast (intoxicated with inspiration) I am a slave of Ali Murtaza, I am leader of all saints Because I am a dog of the lane of "Allah's Lion" (The title of Hazrat Ali)
These are the famous words of one of the most venerated Sufi of India popularly known as Bu Ali Shah Qalandar. His real name was Sheikh Sharfuddin. His father, Sheikh Fakhar Uddin was also a great scholar and saint of his time. Mystery shrouds place and date of his birth. One account says that he was born in early 1400 in Panipat in Haryana state of India. But an epitaph on his tomb in Persian gives his birthplace as Ganja in present-day Azerbaijan. It traces his descent from Numan Ibn Thabit Hazrat Abu Hanifa. Another narrative of his order gives his year of birth as 1206 Ad or 606 hijra. There is however no doubt that he was a brilliant scholar. He completed his studies at an early age and began teaching near Mehrauli in Delhi for 20 years. Two popular legends of Qalandari Sufi order shed light on his conversion from a teacher to a mystic with the title of Bu Ali ( fragrance of Ali). One legend reveals that once Sharfuddin was delivering a lecture. Suddenly a Fakir appeared and said “ O Sharfuddin, for how long you will do such disputations, for you were not born for this. Fakir’s word prompted him to forsake his office and look for solitude. Eventually he threw all his books into a river. As an act of penance for having wasted so many years on worldly affairs, he decided to stand in knee deep water for several years. Then one day he heard a divine voice saying “O Seeker, your austerity has been accepted, ask whatsoever you like." He answered, "Nothing but you and you alone." He was then assured of his prayer having been heard and instructed to come out of the water. The Sufi replied "If this is your desire then take me out from the water yourself as I have no desire to shun this Sea of love." The next moment he found some one lifting him up and then placing him on the ground. Thinking it as an act of a stranger, Sufi cried in exasperation “Whoever you are? You should be ashamed of yourself. You spoiled my hard labor of many years when I was just a few moments away from realizing my goal”. The stranger with a gentle smile on his lips replied, "I am All, son-in-law of the Prophet; are you not aware that I am also known as ‘Yad Allah’- the hand of God?" ".Maula Ali then blessed him with his fragrance, declared him as Bu Ali , imparted spiritual Training and disappeared. Another legend gives a different account. It says that once Prophet Muhammad appeared in his dream and blessed him with a wish. The qalandar asked for prophet hood. When Prophet expressed his inability to grant the wish being the last one himself, Sufi asked for the position of Hazrat Ali. When it was also declined on the ground that it was already filled, he left home and jumped into a river, saying “What is the use of life, if I can’t be Ali”. He did not drown miraculously and continued to remain in water in a state of ecstasy. After 12 years, a divine voice once again offered him a wish and he gave the same reply. When told once again “you can't be Ali”, he plunged into ecstasy. After a gap of 12 years, the divine voice again asked the Sufi what do you wish to be ? The qalandar again said ‘Ali’. The reply came instantly not possible there is already an Ali. If I grant your wish a New Kaba will have to be erected for your birth, A new Panjatan( Pious five) with you as one of its parts, a new world would also be required with you as its Maula. Hearing again that he can’t be Ali, he lost in ecstasy to be asked once again after 12 years. The Sufi too came up with the same reply and then the divine called Hazrat Ali and asked him to convince the Qalandar for asking something else. Legends associated with qalandari order claim that Hazrat Ali came to Qalandar and asked him to hide himself if he wanted to be Ali. Qalandar tried to hide himself in deep water only to find an old man offering prayers in deep meditation. He looked at the man closely to discover it was Ali lost in ecstasy. Then, he emerged from water and strived to hide himself amidst thick clouds only to find Maula Ali absorbed in ‘Ibadat’(prayer) and lost in ecstasy. The Sufi ran from pillar to post but found Hazrat Ali offering prayers everywhere in the same posture. It then suddenly dawned to him that he could not compete Maula Ali simply by standing in water for 36 years, for Ali has been praying from eternity. After this realization, he accepted that he can’t be Ali. As an award for his prayers, Maula Ali then offered him his fragrance and conferred upon him the title of Bu Ali. Excited over his exalted status as Bu Ali, the Sufi immediately composed a beautiful poem in Persian, described himself as the dog of Hazrat Ali’s lane. Bu Ali spent his remaining life as a true devotee of Maula Ali and composed several poems in his praise. His literary works and teachings are contained in a series of letters addressed by him to his disciple Iftikharuddin. Bu Ali died in 1324 A. D. and was buried at first in Karnal. But people of Panipat, claiming him to be a native of their city, disinterred his body and re-buried it in their own city. His shrine at Panipat is a popular place of pilgrimage. Built in 1356, the shrine offers a dazzling look with its Sindhi Kashi tiles, mirror work and two gold-plated doors - donated by Shah of Iran and Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The inner sanctum is about 100 yards square with the silver canopied grave in the middle. (Authored by Prof.Mazhar Naqvi)
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