Dargah Hazrat Khawaja Mohkam Din Serani

 

 

میں تیرے در تے آئی آں

 (Listen Sirani beloved, I have come to your door)

Soothing Saraiki dialect voice notes have the amazing healing effect on Bibi Sugra performing the devotional dance called as the “Dhammal”. Soon her family members were very happy to see their mother, grandmother was talking normal and she was enough able to walk on her feet. Another devotee from District Muzafargarh was paying his tributes by serving the poor’s with meal in accordance to the wish he presented to “Khawaji G “.  “I first came to Khwaji G when I was 10 years old with my father, after this I never missed the Jummah prayers on his shrine and never returned empty handed to my home “these are the words of a devotee Muhammed Nazar aged 60. 

This is the shrine of Khwajah Mukhum U Din Sirani located 12 kilometers from the Bahawalpur City.  According to the historian “this was the home of Bibi haleema a devotional devotee to the Khwaja G. Bibi Haleema served Khawaja G and said him you travelled from one place to another place providing the light of islam and boosting Sufism but never stayed there. You must promised me that you will stay at once when you passed through this passage.” Sirani Sayen also known as “Khwaji Ji “fulfilled his promise, he stayed forever there.

The leafs of history begin with the great follower of Muhammed (PBUH) , Hazrat Awais Qarni (R.A) who never seen Muhammed but was a great lover and follower of him. He was the lucky enough to get the gift of cloak by Muhammed (P.B.U.H). Hazrat awais Qarni belongs to the tribe of Qarni. He served his mother and her mother was too old. He get permission from her mother and travelled to Makkah to meet Muhammed (PBUH), but he was not home. When Muhammed came to home he said Awais was there and present his cloak to Hazrat ummar Farooq(RA) and Hazarat Ali(RA) to present my Gift to Hazrat Awais Qarni(RA). That was the place he get by serving her mother. Syed Mukham u din sirani also said as Silani in Karachi was the chapter of this family and also called as the “ Silsila Awaisia”.

He was a great Sufi saint ,teacher and a writer. His original name was Haji Hafiz Muhammed Abdullah Mukhum u din Awasi Sirani also known as Khawaja G, Qutab UL Kitab , Siraj Ul Ulliyha and sultan Altarkeen. He was the son of Muhammed Arif and his grandfather name was Hafiz Mehmood U Din. His family was famous for the strict compliance of core teachings of Islam. He was born in 1137 in Basti Fateh Pura Goghira Currently Tehsil Okara. You was the follower of Imam Abu Haneefa and followed the Hanfi School of thought. After getting the basic education of Islam and doing Hifz You become the Disciple of Allama Maulana Fakhur Din Delhvi also known as Fakhar U jahan. You have lot of miracles like the healing of patients, helping to the helpless and the most famous is the existence of shrines at two places. He travelled from place to place to spread the teachings of Islam. He died at the age of 60 in 1197 in Kathiya war hira Jee bandar currently Province Gujrat India. He was the writer of so many books most famous is “Talkeen E Ludni “. His URS is celebrated from 1^st to the 5^th of Rabbi Ul Sani of each Islamic Year. He has the chain of followers in Pakistan and India. The devotees from Sindh comprises of Memon Family travelled bare footed from Karachi to Bakshy Di goth (Khanqah Shareef). The Langar is distributed both in India and Pakistan. The Silani welfare trust is working in Karachi on the name of Syed Mukham U Din Sirani.

He has miracle of having the shrines at two places at Kathiawar (India) and in Bakshay Di Goth Bahawalpur also known as Khanqeeh Shareef. The reason of this miracle is the love of devotee towards him. He visited his devotee at Kathiawar who poisoned him to keep with him always. He was died and buried at kathiwar. A devotee from Bahawalpur got a dream and a message from Khawaja G to please take him from Kathiawar. The devotees travelled to Bombay India and demanded for the dead body of Sirani . But the devotee from Bombay refused to present him. The negotiations continued for the 21 days. Soon again the devotee from Bahawalpur got him in his dream to ask him to offer him terms of Lottery and made two coffins. Next morning the terms were presented to him and he was agreed. The lottery was begin with the opening of coffin of devote from India and found Sirani in him. On their way the devotees from Bahawalpur open their coffin and they were astonished that Khawajah G was lying in it also. Soon the coffin become so heavy and unable to lift. Another dream they got that his body should be carried on a funeral stretcher not in the coffin. And his body was lifted on the funeral stretcher rather than in coffin and passed through India. Soon the dead body reached the house of bibi Haleema as quoted above. After taking some rest they try to lift the body but his body again got so much weight. Again it was a clear direction to buried his body at the house of Bibi Haleema and that was the promised he fulfilled he has taken to bibi Haleema. So this this is love of the Haleemi that every person belonging to different sects and even religions are there to pay their devotions at his shrine.

The entrance to his town started from the gate named as Bab e Sirani . The path followed to his shrine having the small market of flowers, cloth vendors and iron box makers. The people here seemed are so simple having the simple standard of living wearing simple traditional clothes.   Soon I entered his shrine. What a beautiful site it was, the shrine was adjacent to the mosque. It was really the wave of cool breeze in the hot summer of Cholistan. The shrine was filled by the devotees all around. Everyone was paying his devotions in his own way. A Sufi Qawal was sitting in front gate of shrine and bibi Sugra was doing devotional dance and soon she get up and all her family members were happy to see her healthy. Every person was there with his family shows it is not the single man loved though it is transition of love from family to family. I asked a devotee about his basic teachings “he said he was the fountain of love and peace “.  Now I come to know why the Bahawalpur is called the city of love and peace , because this the land of khawjah fareed and Khwajah Muhukum u din Sirani, who devote in their life in spreading Islam in concept of love , peace and Muslim brotherhood.

The shrine was beautified with the work of Kashi Gari.  It is said that Kashigar’s were called from UCH Sharif and Multan to renovate the shrine. The red brick tile is used to make the mausoleum.  The exterior is renovated & ornamented with the glazed tile panels and string courses. The colors used are dark blue azure and white in contrast. The outer walls of the mausoleum are painted with sky blue color. There were Arabic and Persian transcripts on the minarets and face of shrine. The mausoleum have two minarets also beautified with the motifs of kashigari work around the clockwise manner. There are green windows fixed with the outer walls. On the back side of the main mausoleum a building is attached which is commonly used by the Sijjada Nasheen(care takers) resident places. The shrine have five doors fixed with net iron net doors and are adjacent to each other only two doors are opened , one for women and one for men. The interior of the resting place of great Sufi saint is ornamented with the brick wooden structure with Persian scripts at the top roof great and in the middle of the shrine the great Sufi saint and the spreader of love and peace was lying. The walls are decorated with silver mirrored work . On the top left his history has been written on a green board placed by aquaf department. There are also the graves of his followers near him. The women are not allowed to enter the main grave area. They are standing at the shrine gate paved towards the grave and sowing their devotions. I myself feels the waves of cool breeze inside my body. I myself feel that my spiritual healing is ongoing and I am getting the purification of my soul. Soon I make my way to a mosque nearby. It was a marble made mosque having the two minarets. The built of mosque is almost closest to the patterns of Jammia Masjid Alsadiq located in the heart of Bahawalpur city. Behind the shrine was the graveyard and having the Astana’s of “Gaddi Nisheens” care takers of Shrine. At beginning of shrine there was a water pound for the devotees to do wazu for Prayer. The eye catching scene was, devotees Muslims from all sects are praying in the mosque. Here I see the pure form of Islam. Then I came to know that this is really the place of love and peace. I have thoughts in my mind that if this Sufi saint from the city of love and peace can be the cause to unite the Muslims at one place then why not our religious clerics are unable to do that.