Suharwardia Sufi Order
The Spiritual Legacy, Influence, Contributions & Connections of Shaikh Rukn-e-Alam in South Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58329/criss.v3i3.181Abstract
Abstract Views: 18
Hazrat Shaikh Rukn-e-Alam was an admired Sufi saint belonging to the Suhrawardia order who was born in Multan in 1251 AD. He was the descendant of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya who was educated in the city of Baghdad & later started following Sheikh Shahab-ud-Din Sahurwardi. Sheikh Bahauddin was sent to Multan by his master for the spiritual guidance of the people. Shaikh Rukn-e-Alam carried on the legacy of his grandfather as an esteemed Sufi saint, known for his spiritual teachings and literary works. Shaikh Rukn-e-Alam was widely renowned for his kind-heartedness and empathy, miraculous healings and charitable deeds. After his death in 1334 AD, his disciples continued to promote his spiritual guidance marking a significant era in Sufi history in India. Shaikh Rukn-e-Alam, a respected Sufi saint significantly influenced his era by advocating for inclusiveness and compassion to foster unity among diverse groups of people. His close relationships with rulers (governors, kings, Sultans) like Alauddin Khilji, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq & Muhammad bin Tughlaq showcased a reciprocal bond of respect and influence as he assisted the underprivileged and settled conflicts. Despite engaging in political scheming, his relationship with Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya prioritized spiritual unity over rivalry among the saints. The shrine of Shaikh remains a purposeful destination for pilgrims in Multan demonstrating the enduring impact of his legacy of compassion over the years. This research focuses on the lineage/ancestry, political involvement of this saint, connections with other saints and religious duties of the Suharwardia order specifically Shaikh Rukn-e-Alam.
Keywords:
Suharwardia, Sufi Saint, Legacy, Pilgrimage, Multan
References
The Qureshis, though often mystified with the Sayyads. They belong to the family of the Prophet, but are not his lineal descendants. Hashaam, the great grandfather of Muhammad was the head of tribe and most of the present Qureshis descend from him, the Mooltan families of Bahawal Hak being his representatives in the direct male line. Various accounts are given of the derivation Kureshi. One is that Qureshis a mountain of Arabia and that the tribe took its name from it. Another is that some of the tribe slew a fabulous monster called Kursh. The present position of the family is due to the fame of Baha-uddin Zikriya, alias Bahawal Hak. It is stated that Sultan Husen, ninth in descent from Hashim, accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni to India and settled at Kot Karor in Leiah but other accounts say that the first to leave Mecca was Kamal-ud-din the fifth in descent from Sultan Husein and that he went first to Khorasan then to Mooltan and then settled at Karor. It is most probable that Sultan Husen stayed temporarily at Karor and then returned to Arabia for his son Shams-ud-din was called Karori. Baha-ud-din alias Bahawal Hak was born at Karor on 28th Ramazan A.H 566(A.D.1149). His father died when he was a child. He developed wisdom and studied in Turan and Iran. He received his Doctrine from Shaykh Shihab-ud-din Suhrawardi at Baghdad and reached the degree of vice gerent. He was on terms of great friendship with Shaikh Farid Shakkarganj and lived with for him considerable time. After travelling over the greater part of Muhammadan Asia, he settled at Mooltan where he died at the age of 100 years) {Griffin’s Punjab Chiefs, pp 490-94.} {Gazetteer of the Mooltan District 1883-84. p.56} {Gazetteer of the Mooltan Distict 1883-84. p.56} {Gazetteer of District 1883-84. p.56} {Gazetteer of Mooltan 1883-84, p.56}
Gazetteer of Multan. 1923-24. P. 310
The year of his birth is 565 AH in Ain Akbari and “Safinat-ul-Aulia” while it is 587 AH in “Akhbar Suharwadia” and “Tarikh Farishta”. {Shakir Hussain Shakir, Multan Aks o Tehreer. Multan. 2012. P.55}
Ibid. Gazetteer of Multan. pp. 310-11 {Khalil Ahmed. “Multan, Tassawuf, Addab aur Saqafat k Ainy me” 2021. PP. 27-28. {Fouzia Hussain. Multan, A Spiritual Legacy. P. 10}
Ibid. Gazetteer of Multan. P. 311 {There is a difference in his death. According to Akhbar-Al-Akhyar and Akhbar-i-Suhrawardiya, the year of his death is 661 AH, while in Ain-i-Akbar, it is 665 AD and in Miraj Al-Wilayat and Massalik-Ul-Salikeen, it is 666 AH.}
{Local hhistorians of Multan such as Author of the book “Multan, Tassawuf, Addab aur Saqafat k Ainy me”, Khalil Ahmed and author of “Multan, A Spiritual Legacy,” Fouzia Hussain, has different opinions about the Saint’s date of death}
Sheikh Ikram ul Haq, Aab-i-Kousar, 2015. P.268. {Connection between Afghans & Suharwardia order has been discussed in the ancient history named “Makhzan-i-Afghani”. This source of information was written during the reign of Jahangir under the desire of Khan Jahan Lodhi. This information has been taken from the hand written scripts. Now these hand written scripts have been published by the name “History of Afghans”}
Syed Suleman Nadvi. Arab o Hind k Ta’aluqat. P. 189.
Ibid. Syed Suleman Nadvi. Pp. 189-90.
Ibid. Sheikh Ikram ul Haq. Pp. 268-73.
Aulad Ali Gillani, Muraaqa-i-Multan, 1995, p.247 {Shaikh Muhammad Ikram, Aab-i-Kousar,2015, p.262}
Shaikh Muhammad Ikram, Aab Kousar, 2015, p .262.
Ibid, Murraqa-i-Multan,1995, p. 247. {Rasti Bibi died in lifetime of her husband Hazrat Sadruddin Arif in 1296A.D. Her was buried in the garden yard as per her will. When Mubarak Shah became the governor of Multan during the Sadat Era, he had her tomb built which was completed during the reign of Shaik Yusuf governor of Multan. The most famous graveyard of Multan is Pak Mai or Bibi Pak-Daman, Pak Mai later on became famous with this name. it is also located near the railway station of Multan city} see, Daikh lia Multan, Zahid Ali Wasti, 2002.pp. 233-34.
Ibid, Murraqa-i-Multan, 1995, pp. 247-48.
Ibid, Aab-i-Kosar, 2015, p. 262.
Gazetteer Of the Multan District 1901-02, P. 341.{Abul Faza(Jarret,3,p. 365)}, {Shaikh Ikram Ul Hak, Arz-e-Pakistan, 2011. p. 160. {Naveed Shahzada, History, Culture and Literature, 2001, p.128},{Fauzia Hussain, Multan: A Spiritual Lagacy,p.28},{Aaulad Ali Gillani, Murraqa Multan, 1995.p. 248},{Syed Imtiaz Hussain, Tazkira Aauliye Multan. Pp. 46-47}, {Zahid Ali Wasti, Daikh Lia Multan, 2002, p. 237}.
Rukn-i-Alam means “Pillar of the world”.
{Zahid Ali Wasti, Daikh Lia Multan, 2002. p. 232}
"The Biographical Encyclopedia of Sufis: South Asia" edited by N. Hani: This reference book contains biographical entries of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, providing detailed information about his life, teachings and contributions.
Sultana, K., & Ahmad, R. Shah Rukne Alam (1251-1335 AD)-A Great Sufi Saint of South Asia. Journal of Asian Civilizations, 2015. 38(2). pp. 83-102
Imtiaz Hussain, Tazkra Aauliye Multan, p. 46.{Ibid, Murraqa-i-Multan, p. 247}.
Shaikh Muhammad Ikram Al Hak, Arz e Pakistan, 2011, p. 160.
Gazetteer of Multan 1923-24. Punjab, Lahore. 1926, Pp. 281-82. {Alexander Cunningham. Cunningham Report. 1872-73. Pp. 133-34}
Analyzing the given information of different local sources, we have come to the conclusion that Shah Rukn Alam refused to be buried in the present mausoleum because this mausoleum was built with government money, while on the return of Feroz Shah Tughlaq from his visit to Sindh, Rukn Uddin Muhammad mentioned the dream to Firoz Shah that according to his dream, Shah Rukn Alam should be removed from Bahauddin's tomb and shifted to the present tomb and also told that Shah Rukn Alam had ordered that I should be buried in my grandfather's tomb because the present tomb was built with government money, so on this order by Rukn Alam, Firoz Shah Tughlug conducted an investigation and found that this tomb was not built with government money but by Ghiyyas-Uddin. It was built by Ghayyas-Uddin Tughluq with his personal money. So after this investigation Shah Rukn Alam was removed from the tomb of Bahawal Haq and shifted to the present tomb and Feroz Shah Tughlaq also attended the funeral of Shah Rukn-e-Alam on this occasion. Shah Rukn-e-Alam had ordered that I should be buried in my grandfather's tomb because the present tomb was built with government money, so Firoz Shah Tughlug conducted an investigation on this occasion and found that this tomb was not built with government money but by Ghiyassuddin. It was built by Ghiyassudin Tulak with his personal money, so body of Shah Rukn Alam was removed from the tomb of Bahawal Haq and shifted to the present tomb. Feroz Shah Tughlaq also attended the funeral of Shah Rukn-e-Alam on this occasion. Feroze Shah Tughlaq also shouldered Shah Rukn Alam's body when he was shifted to the tomb. {Local historians such as Zahid Ali Wasti in his book “Daikh Lia Multan”, Shakir Hussain Shakir in his book “Multan Aks o Tehreer” mentioned this argument}, {See also, Alexander Cunningham, Report for the year 1872-1873}
According to Cunningham report, gazetteer of Multan & local historians, Ibn Batuta wrote in his travel account when I came to Multan, I met Shah Rukn-e-Alam directly and he told me that I was there Muhammad Tughluq father died due to the palace falling on him. Ibn Batuta said that according to the belief of people of Multan, Muhammad Tughluq gave this tomb to Shah Rukn-e-Alam as a kind of Bribe so that he would not reveal his secret}, {see Alexander Cunningham report 1872-73}. {See, Gazetteer of Multan 1923-24. Punjab, Lahore. 1926. Pp. 281-82} {See, Aulad Ali Geelani. Muraqqa-e-Multan. 1995. P. 205}, {see, Zahid Ali Wasti, Daikh Lia Multan. 2002. Pp. 243-44} {See, Ikram ul Haq. Bazm Saqafat Multan. 2011. P. 163}
{See, shams Siraj Afif. Tareekh-i-Feroz Shahi. Translated by Fidda Hussain. 1980. Pp. 23-25.}
Hameed Ullah Shah Hashmi, Hazrat Bahauddin Zakriya Multani, p.16.
Munshi Hukm Chand, Tawareekh e Zilla Multan. 1884.
Allama Alam Fiqri, Tazkara Auliya Pakistan, Volum, Awwal, p.71.
Sindhi, M. A. Pakistan men Sufiyana Tehrikeen. Sang-e-Meel Publication. Lahore. 2000. Pp.13-24.
Muzammil Saeed, Expansion and existence of Sufi orders in South Punjab, Pakistan, AL-ASR Research Journal (Vol.3, Issue 2, 2023: April-June). Pp. 41-44.
Aslam Rasool Puri. The Life and Times of Shah Rukn-e-Alam. 2011. Pp. 57-86.
Ali Usman Qasmi. Sufism in South Asia: Impact on Fourteenth Century Society. 2001. Pp. 51-97.
Sheikh Muhammad Ikram, Aab e Kausar. Idara Saqafat Islamia. 2015. P.265.
Khalil Ahmed, Multan, Tasawuf o Addab Saqafat k Ainy Mein. 2021. P.113
Ibid. p.114
Sheikh Ikram ul Haq, Arz Pakistan, Bazm Saqafat Multan. 2011. P.162 {Abul Qasim Farishta. Tarikh Farishta. P. 771}
Alama Alam Fiqri, Tazkara Auliya Pakistan, vol 1, pp 99-104.
Gazetteer of Multan. 1923-24. P. 313. {Sheikh Muhammad Ikram, Aab e Kausar. Idara Saqafat Islamia. 2015. P.263}, {Aulad Ali Geelani, Muraqqa e Multan, 1995. P. 204}, {Abul Fazal, Ain Akbari. Vol. III. P. 365}
Ibid. Ikram Ul Haq. 2011. P.163
Ibid. Aulad Ali Geelani, 1995. P. 205.
Ibn Batuta, Safr Nama Ibn Batuta, p. 410. {Gazetteer of Multan. 1901-02. P. 143}, {Sheikh Ikram ul Haq, Arz Pakistan, Bazm Saqafat Multan. 2011. P. 163}, {Khalil Ahmed, Multan, Tasawuf o Addab Saqafat k Ainy mein. 2021. P.112}, {See Also Sair ul Arifeen by Zia ud Din Barni}
(Ibid. Sheikh Ikram ul Haq, p. 163 {Gazetteer of Multan. 1901-02. P. 143}, {Gazetteer of Multan. 1923-24. P. 314}
(According to historians, it appears that if Muhammad bin Tughlaq knew that the palace would fall due to the elephant’s parade that is why he asked Shah Rukn-e-Alam to come out and offer prayers. It also appears that Muhammad Bin Tughlaq also had respect for Shah Rukn Alam and did not want to make him a victim of this accident and if he did not know that the palace would fall, then in both cases devotion with Shah Rukn Alam is obvious by Muhammad Tughluq. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq was also very convinced of Shah Rukn-e-Alam) {Ibid. Sheikh Ikram ul Haq. P.163} {See also Travelogue of Ibn Batuta}, {Gazetteer of Multan 1923-24. P. 315}, {See also Aab Kousar by Sheikh Muhammad Ikram}, {Gazetteer of Multan 1901-02. P. 144}
Ibid. Khalil Ahmed. P. 112
Munshi Hukm Chand, Tawareekh-e-Zilla Multan. 1884.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
