Amir-ul-Mashaiq

Amir-ul-Mashaiq : “The Apostle of Sufism”

Amir-ul-Mashaiq Syed Shah Ghulam-e-Mustafa Ahmed Chishti Munami was a sufi and spiritual leader of extraordinary proportions. He has been one of the most famous and spiritually enlighted Sajjadanahin of the Khanqah which was founded at Delhi in 7th century Hijri by his great ancestor Syed Shah Tajuddin Dehlavi(d.691A.H), a disciple of Khwaja Gharibnawaz. Counting from Tajuddin Dehlavi , Amir-ul-Mashaiq was the 18th Sajjadanashin of the Khanqah.

He was born on 14 December 1936 which coincides with 29th of Ramzan 1355 hijri in his ancestral Khanqah at Gaya. Before his birth the Khadim(caretaker) of the Dargah of the great sufi of Chishti Order,Noor Qutb-e-Aalam Pandwi, Pandua, West Bengal, Hafiz Peer Muhammad Munami saw in dreams that Shah Noor Qutb-e-Aalam is saying “Inform Shah Hussainuddin Ahmed that he will be bestowed with a son, he should name him Ghulam-e-Mustafa”. When Amir-ul-Mashaiq was born his father named him Ghulam-e-Mustafa Ahmed.

When Amir-ul-Mashaiq was only two and a half years old his father died. Before leaving for the heavenly abode his father,Shah Hussainuddin Safi put the ancestral Cap of Sajjadanashin on his head on the eve of 6 Rajab 1356 A.H during the programme of Ziyarat(display) of the Tabarrukat(sacred belongings of great people like the Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) and great sufi of any order) and announced Amir-ul-Mashaiq as his successor and the heir of all his personal and ancestral belongings of the Khanqah.

Amir-ul-Mashaiq learnt Quran under the guidance of his maternal uncle, Maulana Abu Suleman Abdul Mannan Qadri Abulolai Munami who was the then principal of Madrasa Muhammadijan. He completed the traditional studies of Persian and Arabic under the tutelage of his maternal uncle Syed Shah Sabih-ul-Haq Emadi and various teachers at Madrasa Shamsh-ul-Huda, Patna. Moreover, he studied in Hadi Hashmi School,Gaya and Gaya College, Gaya.

Amir-ul-Mashaiq had a unique childhood. He was never seen playing games with his agemates or in any playground. He either used to study his lessons or do Zikr and read wazifa or Recite Quran. When Amir-ul-Mashaiq was a kid Shah Hussainuddin Safi made him his Murid(disciple) in the ancestral Chishti order and had left Khilafatnama(certificate of Ijazah) for him. When Amir-ul-Mashaiq grew up he was directed spiritually in dreams by Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) to accept baith (oath) on the hands of his paternal uncle Syed Shah Hesamuddin Chishti.As directed by Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W), Amir-ul-Mashaiq accepted the baith(oath) on the hands of his paternal uncle Shah Hesamuddin Chsihti and Hazrat awarded him the Khilafat and told him “You are already a murid and have Khilafat from your father.It’s now upon you , you can use either my Khilafat or your fathers’”. Amir-ul-Mashaiq as a respect always used the Khilafat of his uncle which sequentially included the name of his father.

Amir-ul-Mashaiq started serving as the Sajjadanashin since 1958C.E/1377A.H. It has been a tradition in this Khanqah since beginning that after being throned as the Sajjadanashin, he has to visit the shrine of Khwaja Gharibnawaz to pay his homage and seek the blessings.Following this tradition, when Amir-ul-Mashaiq visited Ajmersharif, a sufi came to meet him from Al-Medina al-Munawwara and addressed him as a “Shaykh” which meant that Amir-ul-Mashaiq had been accepted as a Sajjadanashin and spiritual leader in the spiritual sphere.

Amir-ul-Mashaiq was a very magnanimous and peaceful person. Moreover,he had a great grip on the masses because of his helpful and generous nature. These qualities of Amir-ul-Mashaiq helped in controlling the unrest in Gaya which arose on 30th of January 2003 when an armed mob of non-muslims attacked on the Khanqah causing damage to the property. When the muslims of Gaya came to know about the attack on Khanqah, they went berserk and were ready to take revenge at any cost. But Amir-ul-Mashaiq stood to control their anger and send the message of Islam i.e Peace. Thousands of Muslims gathered in and around Khanqah just within an hour after the attack and the overwhelming crowd went on increasing by leaps and bounds. Muslims wanted to take a ‘go ahead’ order from Amir-ul-Mashaiq to take revenge , but he stood firmly on his decision to control violence and maintain an environment of communal harmony in the city. This endeavour of Amir-ul-Mashaiq stunned the administrative officers and the police to such an extent that the then District Magistrate, Barjesh Marhotra and the then Superintendent of Police , Ravindran Shankaran always came to pay their homage until they were posted at Gaya. Moreover, many MPs and MLAs of different political parties such as Surinder Yadav, Rajendar Yadav, Shakil Khan(the then law minister of Bihar), Dr. Shakil Ahmed, Anwar-ul-Haq, Ejaz-ul-Haq, Mahesh Singh Yadav and the Chief of the then ruling party of Bihar,Lalu Yadav came to meet Amir-ul-Mashaiq and expressed regret at the unfortunate incident.

Amir-ul-Mashaiq went on Hajj in December 2003.During his stay in the Holy city of Mecca, he was bestowed with the Ziyarat(to see a sufi or any great spiritual personality) of Maqdum Munampak R.A in corporeality inside the boundaries of Masjid al-Haram. When he went to Al Medina al-Munnawara, he reached to his spiritual excellence as he was bestowed with the Ziyarat of Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) in corporeality(i.e being awaken and not in dreams). As told to me, when he returned from the Hajj, he was amongst one of the Abdals in the world.

Amir-ul-Mashaiq suffered a dysfunction in the Kidney in February 2011 followed by a severe heart attack in April and his health went on deteriorating thereafter. He remained the Sajjadanashin of the Khanqah for 56 years from 1377 A.H / 1958 C.E to 1433 A.H/2012 C.E and left for the heavenly abode at 4:45 P.M on 30th of January 2012 which coincides with 6th of Rabi-ul-Awwal 1433 hijri. Aproximately one lakh people, both muslims and non-muslims attended his funeral. His funeral rites took place on the following day after the nemaz of Asr. He was buried adjacent to his ancestor Shah-e-Ata in a separate chamber, as the place of tomb was revealed to me five months before his sad demise. On the 3rd of February 2012 his eldest son, Faqr-e-Ulema Alhaaj Maulana Syed Shah Muhammad Sabahuddin Chishti Munami was throned to the seat of Sajjadanashin in a very elegant and traditional way amid a strong assemblage of various Sajjadanashins and representatives of Khanqahs of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Mainly associated with the Chishti and Abulolai order, Amir-ul-Mashaiq had Ijazah of most of the leading spiritual orders of the world including all the famous orders of eastern India. He was also awarded the Khilafat from Maqdum Sabir Kalyari and Maqdum Munampak in the state of Owaisiat(a state in Sufism in which a living sufi is granted Ijazah of an order from the soul of a sufi master in which he can take baith but can not give the Khilafat to anyone). He used to take baith mainly in the following orders: Chishtia Khizria Munamia, Chishtia Serajia Faridia, Qadria Qutbia Munamia, Qadria Mannania, Abulolaiya Munamia and Firdausia. He had thousands of disciples all over India. He also had many Khalifas viz. Faqr-e-ulema Syed Shah Muhammad Sabahuddin Chishti Munami(eldest son and successor), Syed Hakeem Sabeehuddin Chishti Sheikhpurvi, Syed Shah Tajuddin Danapuri and Syed Shah Qazi Najam Imam Munami among others.

He was married to a descendant of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, the eldest daughter of Hakeem Abdur Raheem Qadri, Amjharsharif, Aurangabad, Bihar. He had three sons viz.Faqr-e-Ulema Alhaaj Maulana Syed Shah Muhammad Sabahuddin Chishti Munami,Syed Ata Ahmed Fuzail,Hafiz Syed Ata Faisal and eight daughters. I, being his eldest grandson (eldest son of his eldest daughter) feel very blessed to have grown up and lived an important part,the decisive period of my life under his spiritual guidance. He was so loving and caring in nature that all his children and disciples including me used to think that ‘he love me the most’. I would like to quote few of his sayings overhere:-

• Recite Quran as much as you can,that is the best means for purifying yourheart, achieving spiritual excellence and getting close to the almighty.
• Laconicness saves from thousands of sins.
• Following the Sharia’h with continuity is a miracle in itself.
• Learn goodness from evils of others.
• Speaking a lot makes the heart dead.
• Answer your critics through your deeds.
• Whoever thanks Allah for his gifts, Allah gives him much and more.
• Ill-will destroys the Imaan.
• Be generous to the needy, however rich he may be.
• Beware of backbiting, it is the food of evil.

Each and every Sufi of Gaya has learnt spiritual lessons from him. This is why he is known as Amir-ul-Mashaiq(the master of all masters). Sufis of all the order felt extremely impressed from his spirituality after meeting him.His personality was unparalleled all over Bihar.Ulema and Sufi loved his company and he loved to impart spiritual lessons to everyone. There have been many converts to Islam on his hands. Even Wahabis and Deobandis used to accept him as the true leader of the muslim community. He was very soft spoken and no any seeker of anything, Knowledge, Spirituality, Tranquility, Wealth or a Child had returned empty handed from his doors.The doors of his shrine and the Khanqah are still open for all of humanity. He is no more with us but his spiritual blessings will always be there with us.