Hazrat Shahjalal, the Sufi saint
Friday, 12 March 2010
Iftu Ahmed
SUFISM is not a sect of Islam. It is a spiritual line which values mysticism. In the 14th century, Islamic influence began in Bangladesh with the arrival of Sufi saints. Hazrat Shajalal (1197-1347) was among the great Sufis who spread Islam in Bangladesh.
His father Muhammad was a Sufi of Yemen and a contemporary of Jalauddin Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273), the great Persian poet and Sufi mystic. Shahjalal lost his parents in his childhood and was raised by his maternal uncle Syed Ahmed Kabir in Mecca who was also a great Sufi saint. Obviously, Shahjalal was influenced by Sufism at the very beginning of his life.
He momorised the Holy Quran and became a Hafiz. He received spiritual lessons from his uncle. The story goes, his uncle gave him a handful of soil and instructed him to travel to a land in India where the soil would match its colour and smell. He should settle down there and establish the religion of Islam.
On his way to India from Mecca, Shahjalal met Moinuddin Chisti (1141-1230) in Ajmer and Nizamuddin Aulia (1238-1325) in Delhi. Both were famous Sufi saints.
In 1303, Shahjalal arrived in Sylhet from Delhi with his 360 disciples. The legend says that some of his disciples followed him from Delhi and some joined later on the way to Sylhet.
At that time, a Hindu king named Gaur Govinda used to rule Sylhet. Burhanuddin lived in that territory. To celebrate his son's birth (Akika), Burhanuddin secretly slaughtered a cow. Suddenly a crow snatched a piece of meat and dropped it in the king's yard. He took offence and ordered the hands of Burhanuddin be cut off and his son killed.
At this time, Shahjalal was urgently requested by Nizamuddin Aulia and Shamsuddin Firoz Shah (1301-1322), the Sultan of Gaur to rescue Burhanuddin. Shajalal joined the Muslim army to liberate Sylhet.
Govinda removed all ferry boats from the river Surma to prevent the Muslim army from crossing in to Sylhet. But Shahjalal crossed the Surma by sitting on a prayer rug (Jainamaz). Upon arrival on the opposite bank, Shajalal asked to call for prayer (Azan) The palace of Govinda was shattered by the sound of Azan. Govinda fled. Sylhet came under Muslim rule with the help of Shahjalal.
Shahjalal found the soil of Sylhet matched the soil his uncle had given to him. And he settled in Sylhet, preached Islam and remained there until his death as a bachelor.
The celebrated Moroccan scholar and traveler Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) met Shahjalal in Sylhet. He wrote: "Shahjalal was a great saint and a Dervish with exceptional spiritual power. The saint died at the age of 150 and observed fasting almost throughout the year. He also performed namaz throughout the night. He was thin and tall."
Hazrat Shajalal has a special place in the hearts of all Bangladeshis.
The writer lives in Aurora, IL USA. E-mail : saidur08@gmail.com
SUFISM is not a sect of Islam. It is a spiritual line which values mysticism. In the 14th century, Islamic influence began in Bangladesh with the arrival of Sufi saints. Hazrat Shajalal (1197-1347) was among the great Sufis who spread Islam in Bangladesh.
His father Muhammad was a Sufi of Yemen and a contemporary of Jalauddin Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273), the great Persian poet and Sufi mystic. Shahjalal lost his parents in his childhood and was raised by his maternal uncle Syed Ahmed Kabir in Mecca who was also a great Sufi saint. Obviously, Shahjalal was influenced by Sufism at the very beginning of his life.
He momorised the Holy Quran and became a Hafiz. He received spiritual lessons from his uncle. The story goes, his uncle gave him a handful of soil and instructed him to travel to a land in India where the soil would match its colour and smell. He should settle down there and establish the religion of Islam.
On his way to India from Mecca, Shahjalal met Moinuddin Chisti (1141-1230) in Ajmer and Nizamuddin Aulia (1238-1325) in Delhi. Both were famous Sufi saints.
In 1303, Shahjalal arrived in Sylhet from Delhi with his 360 disciples. The legend says that some of his disciples followed him from Delhi and some joined later on the way to Sylhet.
At that time, a Hindu king named Gaur Govinda used to rule Sylhet. Burhanuddin lived in that territory. To celebrate his son's birth (Akika), Burhanuddin secretly slaughtered a cow. Suddenly a crow snatched a piece of meat and dropped it in the king's yard. He took offence and ordered the hands of Burhanuddin be cut off and his son killed.
At this time, Shahjalal was urgently requested by Nizamuddin Aulia and Shamsuddin Firoz Shah (1301-1322), the Sultan of Gaur to rescue Burhanuddin. Shajalal joined the Muslim army to liberate Sylhet.
Govinda removed all ferry boats from the river Surma to prevent the Muslim army from crossing in to Sylhet. But Shahjalal crossed the Surma by sitting on a prayer rug (Jainamaz). Upon arrival on the opposite bank, Shajalal asked to call for prayer (Azan) The palace of Govinda was shattered by the sound of Azan. Govinda fled. Sylhet came under Muslim rule with the help of Shahjalal.
Shahjalal found the soil of Sylhet matched the soil his uncle had given to him. And he settled in Sylhet, preached Islam and remained there until his death as a bachelor.
The celebrated Moroccan scholar and traveler Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) met Shahjalal in Sylhet. He wrote: "Shahjalal was a great saint and a Dervish with exceptional spiritual power. The saint died at the age of 150 and observed fasting almost throughout the year. He also performed namaz throughout the night. He was thin and tall."
Hazrat Shajalal has a special place in the hearts of all Bangladeshis.
The writer lives in Aurora, IL USA. E-mail : saidur08@gmail.com