THE FIRST WORD
By Syeda Reaz Khanum, (MAs in English & Political Science)
When I wrote
this blog, many family members argued me that our ladies are not allowed
going on showbiz, print, electronic or social media because we belonged
to the holiest family. I think as a teacher and a learning woman who
has a lot of knowledge should share this wealth of intellectualism with
others. I am teaching higher classes since 33 years and never close doors of knowledge to my female students and always preach enlightened thoughts. Mumtaz Shah Ji, my life partner is a very dignified SOFI personality with high metaphysical knowledge and practice but his some relatives especially Ghazanfoor is a cunning person who want to stop me write any thing on soft or hard paper. I sprayed a sense of depression on nerves and expectations of his chiefdom because my spouse Mumtaz Shah Ji is chief of Syed Fazal Husain Shah existing family.
Why I am writing.........?
I belonged to Bokhari Syed family of Jalinder (United India), migrated to Lahore in 1948. My father Col. Syed Ghulam Rasool Shah was an Army Officer and a friend of Mumtaz Shah Ji mataernal uncle Molanana Abdul Majid Qureshi.
Qureshi sb requested to my father about a blood relationship with Shah
Ji and then we tied up in a immortal relationship. We have four sons and
all are well established in Rawalpindi.
Our third generation
They had left Birote forever, their contract with this place with our (me & my spouse) life
MASHADI SADAT OF BIROTE
A brief historical background
Each and every person in globe is an unfold book, it is witness of tidings and circumstances that a person faced during different times in past. My story started when Islam came in to being from Cave of Hira in Mecca. It is not a story of an individual but a nation, a civilization and a doctrine of a socio political system. Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) arose with bacon of light called Qurran, Sunnah and Ahl e Bait. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) preached Islam 2.3 decades of his life and produced a nation that is witnessed of all nations in rest of the World. There was 7.8 million miles territory was under his political government when he breathed his last at Madina.
Introduction
Emergence of Islam is a
unique and immortal event in World History during Medieval ages when Roman
Empire and Persian civilization were in process of declination. Human being was
in a critical position as cried and weeped over socio political anarchy by
anarchist all over the World. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was a light of hope for
those who were oppressed, as a result his Divinely Movement ruled over not only
bodies but also on spirits of humanity. He completed his holiest mission and
delivered his last message to his nation at Mercy Mountain than met with his
Rafiq ul Aala. A tragedy had started and Political Islam became a circus in
hand of those who were opportunists and enemies of Ahl e Bait (Massinger of Al
mighty Allah family). First they cornered Immam e Ali (AS), than Hasan Mujtaba
(AS) and finally Imam Husain (AS) at Kerbala, in Iraq.
Tragedy
of Kerbala and afterword
Ahl e Bait e Rasool was
in a defensive position after Imam Husain martyrdom at kerbala. They came at
Madina with a solo man of carriage Imam Sajjad (Zain ul Abedin) where his
family care and safeguarded them but the situation of that time was not
satisfactory nether no guaranty of future safety of honor. They were angry over
negative attitudes of Iraqians who committed wickedness with Ahl e Bait e
Rasool. All classical historian as Tibri, Ibn e Hussham, Ibn e Khildon and
others agreed that Ahl e Bait e Rasool participated in Alvi Movement under
leadership of Mukhtar Seqfi with favor of Mohammed Bin Hanfia, step brother of
Imam Hussain (AS) and guardian of Ahl e Bait e Rasool of that time. Mukhtar
Seqfi beheaded all those who participated in Kerbala Tragedy as companion of
Caliph Yazid bin Moawea. Marvan who became new caliph of Umayyad dynasty was
also a secret enemy of Ahl e Bait e Rasool. They finally thought that it was
not a way of survive lance for them than they went to Egypt and then Persia
after one century. (Khaitabat
e Sadat, Written by Al-Sayyid Sadiq Al- Hossaini
Al- Eshkevari and Translated by Mehdi sajjadi)
Word
Syed and its background
Syed is a title; it denotes males accepted as
descendants of the Ahl e Bait e Rasool. In the Arab world, it is the equivalent of the English
word "liege-lord" or "master" when referring to a
descendant of Muhammad, as in Sayyid
John Smith. This is the
reason the word sidi (from the contracted form sayyidī, 'my liege') is used in
the Arabic. All Muslim communities recognized that Syed is
holiest tribe among Muslims and if a Syed committed crime of adultery, he will
never punish with Islamic Law for crime. (Book Yad e Baiza by Sahibzada Pir Mohammed
Azher Bakoti) In some Syed communities
believed that it is not necessary for a Syed to obtain prayers or fasting
because God promised to Syeds tribe for life forgiveness. (Punjab Casts by Abbbbotsons, translated
by Yasir Jawad Lahore)
Syeds in
India and Pakistan Sub Continent
The Syed population in India and Pakistan
is distributed. The total population of Syeds in India is 7,017,000, the
largest populations being those of Uttar Pradesh (1,493,000), Maharashtra
(1,108,000), Karnataka (766,000), Andhra Pradesh (727,000), Rajasthan
(497,000), Bihar (419,000), West Bengal (372,000), Madhya Pradesh (307,000),
Gujarat (245,000), and Tamil Nadu/Kerala (286,000). There is numerous numbers of Syeds in Pakistan. Some of these Syeds
first migrated from Central Asia and
then to the South Asia. Others reportedly settled in Sindh to protect their lives against the
atrocities of the Omayyad and Abbasid caliphs. The Sadat of Pakistan is figured
as the holiest and most religious people of the country, with a number of them
having become popular and well-known religious icons and mushaekhs. (Punjab
Casts by Abbbbotsons, translated by Yasir Jawad Lahore)
Genetically
origins of my Syed family
My brother in law Khurshid H Shah, who is country manager of Comatso Inc. Japan in Saudi Arabia
contacted to Genome Project of US Government. They get his blood samples and
wrote after a half month to him “A study of your “Y” chromosomes by Elise M. S.
Belle, Saima Shah, Tudor Parfitt & Mark G. Thomas showed that
"self-identified Syeds had no less genetic diversity than those non-Syeds
from the same regions, suggesting that there is no biological basis to the
belief that self-identified Syeds in this part of the world share a recent
common ancestry. However, self-identified men belonging to the ‘Islamic
honorific lineages’(Syeds, Elavi, Hashemites, Quraysh and Ansari) show a
greater genetic affinity to Arab populations—despite the geographic distance—than
do their neighboring populations from India and Pakistan”. (This report is in
possession of Syed Khurshid Shah and I studied it carefully.)
Our Syed family arrival in India
Our forefather Syer Baqir
Husain Shah arrived India from Mashed Shareef, Iran soon after the arrival of
Hazrat Amir Kabir Shah Ali Hamdan, a great Sufi of Persia and Kashmir. His
preaching movement compelled all non Mulims to embrace Islam; as a result
Gakhers of Potohar and Kethwal of Lora and Murree Hills translated them as most
influential tribes of Muslim Ummah. Syed Baqir Husain Shah invited by Hathi
Khan, a feudal lord and chief of Gakher Tribe at Pherwala Fort in Kahuta
because his scholarly position attracted him and he believed that he (Syer
Baqir Husain Shah) would calm and control angry Kethwals of area by his
preaching. Gakher Chief Hathi Khan gifted him a large agri fields, constructed
a large house with all facilities as well as safeguard at village Rahi in Union
Council Lora. He visited all disturbed areas and his speeches warmed up local
people spiritual thirstiness. He established Husaini Masque at Potha Shareef,
Murree in 1581 first time. He also established a university at Lora named as
Jamea Al Kosar with sponsorship of Pherwala Fort. Scholars of Fiqh Jafrea were
busy day and night in this university. (Narrated by Syed Husnain Shah Jafri,
Chairman Sadat Welfare Trust, Wadi e Lora, Gulistan Colony, Karachi)
Emergence of Lahor Derbar and decline of Gakhers
Gakher Tribe ruled over
land of Potohar and Hazara more than eight centuries. Raja Haider Zaman Keani
wrote in his book Tareekh e Gakhran that mentioned area was gifted to Kabul
Shah (later he won title of Gakher Shah) by Mehmod of Ghazni in 1017. Hathi
Khan was a ruler of this tribe who invited and setteled our ancestor Syer Baqir
Husain Shah at Rahi, Lora. He also appointed his nephew Nawais Khan for
protection and other necessities fulfillment of Syer Baqir Husain Shah family
but his grand son Lahiq migrated to Ponch and satteled at a calm and very rich
natural beauty land of Narhwal. Syer Baqir Husain Shah grand grand son Syed
Mohammed Ali Shah maintained close relationship with him. Ranjeet Sing, a sikh
ruler of Punjab got control of five rivers land and this situation produced a
very disturbance atmosphere. Gakhers rulers were arrested, beheaded, buried and
burned alive. Shadman Khan was the last Gakher ruler who buried alive in Lahor.
Nawais Khan was also tortured by a Sikh General Hari Sing Nalwa and burned alive
in Jammu, winter capital of Kashmir. Sikh forces established a fort in Dannah,
Dewal, Sahlian and Bakote and any body who resisted, they laid down them in
foundations alive and constructed walls on their bodies as accured in Dewal
Fort. Syed Mohammed Ali Shah stood with decendants of Nawais Khan in this
critical time and he gave asylum to his three sons Qaem Khan, Raeb Khan and
minor ejaeb Khan in his house at Lora. They returned back to Narhwal safely
when Nalwa blood typhoon stopped after 45 months. (Tareekh e Ponch by Syed
Mehmood Azad)
Whey Syed Mohammed Ali Shah adopted title Jewan Shah?
Syed Mohammed Ali Shah
was a high educated and Asna Ashari celebrity of his age, traveled many time to
Delhi, Dakkan, Tehran, Qum, Asfahan, Ghazni, Kabul and Heart on invitation of
Ulma (Islamic Scholars). He was a handsome, young, energetic and a socially
powerful personality, who proposed by many Sadat chiefs as their son in law but
his parents denied. They want to adopt a lady of his tribe in Lora as daughter
in law, unfortunately a jealous but influential man of his tribe Rahman Shah
was apposed this wedding. Syed Mohammed Ali Shah also against his parent
decision about his life but he accepted their demand unwillingly and couple
tied up. I am a Muslim Shuman and I think that couple was victimized by a
spiritual conspiracy and any shaman (Muslim or Hindu) of that time had done
Satanic practice against him. He was enrooting to Delhi and he received a bad news,
he took about turn, came Lora, slaughtered Rahman Shah and escaped to Kashmir at
mid night. Some people of my tribe believed in a tradition that he killed his
wife but it is not true because first of all we are Husaini Syeds who are
guardian of ladies, secondly he was a scholar of Islam and believed that women
were not guilty of any sin. His wife was a solo daughter of his parents and she
was also an educated lady followed with strict Islamic principals. Couple
reached second day at Narhwal and seek asylum to elder son of Nawais Khan who
welcomed and promised to guard him in any circumstances but they imposed a
condition if he practiced religious matters according to Hanfi Maslik. He
wanted some time to council with his spouse and next day he announced that he
was follower of Noman Bin Sabit (Imam Abu Hanifa) and he strictly followed his promise
of noble cause since his last moment of life. He gave up his real name Syed
Mohammed Ali Shah on security reasons and adopted new title of Sufi Syed Jewan Shah. Couple suspended all contact inside
and outside Kashmir where they were living in a simple way. They also adopted loneliness and served local
people religiously and spiritually day and night without any break. His wife
died two years after gave birth of Sawan Shah in Narhwal and buried there. He remarried with
grand daughter of Nawais Khan after a short time and decided to leave his in
laws family. (This narration told me my elder brother late Syed Muzaffer Husain
Shah)
Sawan Shah, elder son of Jewan Shah at Narhwal, AJK
Syed Mohammed Ali Shah (Jewan Shah now) arrival in Birote
All people who lived in
Birote, their ancestors migrated from Kashmir in old days. The did not
disconnect themselves from their ethnological roots and they always went to
prey on graveyards of forefathers. They also continued trade and merchandized
relationships with their tribal brethrens. Some buffalo traders were in Nerhwal
when Syed Mohammed Ali Shah expressed his will to leave his in laws family, his
father in law invited Birote traders to his house and told them the issue.
Lalli Khan, the head of traders welcomed his proposal and said that it was a
mercy of God if Syed Mohammed Ali Shah embraced Imamatship of them in their
masque in Baglotian, Birote. Syed Mohammed Ali Shah said that he and his family
required safeguard from his foes of Lora because they were in his search and if
they traced him, they would kill him. Lalli Khan answered to Syed Mohammed Ali
Shah father in law Nawais Khan that we should sign an agreement and then he (Syed
Mohammed Ali Shah) came to Birote. He also commented that we were also Ahl e
Bait e Rasool and we would never allow any one inside or outside Birote to interfere
our Imam Syed Mohammed Ali Shah domestic or religio social matters. We were his
brothers in any capacity and would granted him an agri land against his
religious services as imamat in prayers, Khatams (Deceased anniversary
prayers), Isqat (Alms that distributed on grave of deceased before his burial),
recitation of Holly Quran in their forefathers memorial, Janaza Prayers and
Nikah. Both parties agreed on terms and conditions of a MOU that signed next
month. Syed Mohammed Ali Shah signed agreement as Jewan Shah and wrote his
caste as Gondal. Ex Genral Councilor Zoaq Akhter Abbasi showed me the original document
of agreement in Birote and I witnessed the writing in which Gondal cast of
Jewan Shah mentioned. Any one can imagined that whey he preferred going to mention
the Gondal cast because there were an other influential religious family was
existed in Birote that called himself as Alvi Awan, Gondal clane. Jewan Shah needed
social as well as ethnological help and Alvi Awan of Birote assured him that
you will treat as their family member. Molana Mian Abdul Aziz Alvi also signed
on agreement as witness and as a brother of Jewan Shah. He came with his family
in Birote in start of summer, 1831 and first settled in Khoas, Birote with
Molana Alvi and then shifted to Chaprhan. Old house in Chaprhan had built up by
Marawat Khan and granted him forever. Syed Mohammed Ali Shah (Jewan Shah)
authored a three dimensional future strategy at that time crucial circumstances.
He decided that his sons might be cemented their social relationship with
Narhwal Gakherh family of Nawais Khan so they might be helped them when they
need. His three sons including Ghulam Mohammed Shah married with ladies of
Gakhers, Mughal and Khakha ladies and gained full social support of mentioned
tribes but they could not gained any knowledge and this negative harmed two generations
since Noor Husain Shah who was a Dra
Expert (A live stock expert who melted a chili and salt mixture inside buffalo
vagina) instead of a scholar of Islam but I think it was a necessity of hour
and interrogation mark about their survival.
Syed Fazal Husain Shah, a Legend of Mashadi Syeds
Syed Fazal Husain Shah
was nether a wrestler nor a Sheve god but he is a enlighten man of courage with
a thick a weak physique. He gifted his tribe a ethnological status and paradise
lost that they have never won since trgedy with Syed Mohammed Ali Shah (Jewan
Shah). He had breathed his last in age of only 58 years of his life but his
shining works are brighter as brightness of Sun.
Spouse of Syed Fazal Husain Shah
Died on 27th May, 1987
Syed Fazal Husain Shah (31 December 1901 – 28 September 1958) was a notable character of Sufism.[1] He was also a pioneering educator in his field and a highly popular religious personality within his tribe.[2]
Early age
Syed Fazal Husain Shah was born in a religious Sadat Mashadi family[3] in Birote. He received an education on the holy book Quran [4]
from his father Syed Noor Husain Shah and a traditional education from
the Mobile Educational Academy of Syed Massom Shah in Juleal and Birote.
He was an intelligent fellow with great knowledge of the rational
sciences. He attended the Government Vernacular Primary School Reala and
then moved to a village school in Malkot [now(Union Councils of
Pakistan|Union Council)] Malkot)
in 1907, where he received the highest possible award, granted to the
best students. He also passed the middle examination administered by Punjab University in 1916 and was appointed as a teacher at the age of 18 by the district educational authorities.
Descendants & Spouse
Fazal Husain Shah had become the son-in-law of Hazrat Molana Mian Pir Fakir-u-llah Bakoti in 1921, but she unfortunately tortured by his elder step brother Mir Ji Shah and her brothers got divorce forcibly. He remarried Hanifa Jan, the solo daughter of Molana Mian Mir Aalam Qureshi, in Birote Khurd. The couple had six sons and five daughters by 1952.
My mother in law Hanifa Jan Qureshi (in center),
Syed Fazal H Shah second elder daughter
- Elder son was Syed Muzafer Husain Shah, spent his life as a Islamic Scholar and a Sufi of his time. He was Inspector of Schools in Northern Areas of newly established Gilgit Beltistan province. He died in 2003 and laid to rest at Kirpa, Rural Islamabad. He had three sons and four daughters. His son Mohammed Ali Shah is civil engineer by profession and the Holy Quraan scholar.
Late Syed Muzafer Husain Shah
- My spouse Syed Mumtaz Husain Shah is his second son, having four sons and no daughter.
Syed Mumtaz Husain Shah, my spouse
He is Saint of Astana Aliya Mumtazia Birote now
- Third, fourth and fifth sons are Ghazanfer, Iqbal H Shah and Khurshid. Ibal H Shah is an educationist and running a public school in Mansehra. He is also an Urdu poet. Ibal H Shah have three sons Khalid H. Shah and others, all are engaged in NGO's social work.
Iqbal H Shah
My younger brother in law Ghazanfer
- Sajad H. Shah was his younger son who got Accountant post in Auditor General of Pakistan[8] office with his long study and hard working in departmental examinations. He embraced orphonhood at age of only five years and survived with help of his elder brother Syed Muzafer Husain Shah. He died in 2012 by brain tumor and laid to rest in Kirpa, Rural Islamabad. He had four sons and a daughter, all are civil engineers.
Death and burial
Fazal Husain Shah retired from the Education Department in Hazara in 1956 and was prescribed bed rest due to illness and asthma. He constructed a separate house, made it into a boarding house, and spent his time there. He died on 28 September 1958 and was buried at the Phawarhi na Bagla graveyard in Birote.[14]
Syed Fazal H Shah son in law
Qazi Zafeer ul Haq Alvi Chishti
who built his grave and install epitaph on it
Mumtaz Shah Sb Third Generation
Some Notables of his Tribe
- Dr. Syed Ilyas H Shah is the first highly qualified specialist medical practitioner in a local basic health unit (BHU).
Dr. Syed Ilyas H Shah
First MBBS Doctor of our tribe, serving in Birote
- Syed Mohsin Shah is a mechanical engineer from the University of Engineering and Technology (Peshawar)">University of Engineering and TechnologyPeshawar in 2011. He is in the USA on official training sponsored by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. He is a grandson of Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah.
A tale of an other orphan nephew
Khushnood Ali Shah (Thillah)was also Syed Fazal H. Shah real maternal nephew but he spent all his life as a slave and unpaid laborer for his descendants. He belonged to village of Malaal Bagla, Sahlian, Azad kashmir and first cousin of Molvi Bashir Mughal.
His maternal uncle never encouraged him to be educated or a skilled
person. He passed his primary examination and some knowledge of religion in Tharparker, Sindh with family of Molana Mian Mohammed Ayoub Alvi (step father). He died in 1973 and burried in Upper Basian, Union Council Birote. <See More>
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