Written by: Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
Posted on: May 20, 2024 | 
| 中文
Shrine of Syed Abdullah Shah Ashabi (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Thatta was once the centre of Islamic learning that attracted saints and scholars from across the Islamic world. Syed Abdullah Shah alias Ashabi Baba or Sahabi Baba, whose shrine is located among the historical structures, came from Gujarat to Thatta. His shrine is one of the most revered places at Thatta’s Makli. Some scholars believe that he came directly from Baghdad to Sindh, while others state that he arrived at Thatta from Gujarat. He was a descendant of Abdul Qadir Gilani (1088-1166), the founder of Qadiriyya Silsila. The earliest Persian sources of Sindh, later translated into Sindhi, describe that Syed Abdullah Shah arrived in Sindh in about 927 AH/1520-21.
According to Tuhfat-ul Kiram, written in 1181 AH (1767 AD) by Mir Ali Sher Qani Thattvi, Syed Abdullah Shah arrived with his three friends during the reign of Shah Beg Arghun (d.1524): Syed Munba, Syed Kamal and Qazi Shukrullah Shah Shirazi. They settled where Syed Abdullah Shah's tomb is now situated. The shrines of two of his friends who accompanied him to Thatta are located in Makli and Thatta town, respectively. The shrine of Shah Munba (Syed Mubinuddin Jilani) is located adjacent to Doctor Street in Thatta town. The shrine of Qazi Syed Shukrullah Shirazi is located at Makli. Some writers believe that he came to Thatta at the invitation of Shah Beg Arghun, while Shah Kamal, Syed Abdullah Shah's third travelling companion, stayed in Thatta for about two years. According to Muhammad Din Kaleem Qadiri, the author of Tazkira Mashaikh Qadiriyya (1975), several individuals became his deputies during his two-year stay in Thatta, including Mulla Muhammad Mudaris Sindhi, Shaikh Bilal Sindhi, and many others. Muhammad Din Kaleem Qadiri retold almost the same information provided by Mir Ali Sher Qani, Shaikh Muhammad Azam, and other historians of Sindh, stating that Syed Kamal travelled with Syed Abdullah Shah, Shah Mubin, and Shukrullah Shah Shirazi from Baghdad via Iran, visiting Najaf, Tabriz, Isfahan and finally reaching Thatta in 927 AH/520-21 AD. However, Sindhi historians believe that he travelled from Baghdad to Gujarat and then to Sindh.
A devotee at the shrine complex of Syed Abdullah Shah (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
After a short stay in Thatta, Shah Kamal embarked on a journey that took him to various parts of Punjab. He first travelled to Multan, then continued to Lahore, and finally reached Ludhiana. He went to Sirhind from Ludhiana and eventually settled in Kaithal, where he earned the name Shah Kamal Kaithali. He died in 981 AH/1573 AD and was buried in Haryana’s Kaithal Sharif. There is also a shrine of Shah Kamal on the roadside in Thatta town, but it is wrongly associated with Shah Kamal Kaithali.
Mir Ali Sher Qani writes that Syed Abdullah Shah never married. He died and was buried at Makli. After several years had passed, the grave of Syed Abdullah Shah deteriorated and eventually disappeared. Later, three Sufis from Gujarat, Syed Hafizullah Gujarati and Syed Abdullah Shah’s disciples Shaikh Yaqub Gujarati and Khalifo Abu al-Barkat travelled to Makli from Gujarat, and met with Syed Ali Sani Shirazi to get his help in revealing the grave of Syed Abdullah Shah. They informed him about the disappearance of the remains of Syed Abdullah Shah's grave. It is believed that Syed Ali Sani Shirazi, with the power of Kashf (uncovering or revelation), identified the grave of Syed Abdullah Shah. Afterwards, Mir Ali Sher Qani writes that the burial place of Syed Abdullah Shah became the most blessed place for visitors at Makli.
Wooden canopy over the grave of Syed Abdullah Shah Ashabi (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The biographers often emphasize his unmarried status. Tuhfat-ul-Tahirin, written in 1190 AH/1776-77 AD by Shaikh Muhammad Azam, also states that Syed Abdullah Shah lived in seclusion and never married. Takira-e-Sufia-e-Sindh by Ijazul-ul Haq Quddusi (1959) also recounts that Syed Abdullah Shah remained celibate. However, the story of Syed Abdullah Shah takes a twist when one considers the perspective of Muhammad Amir Shah Qadiri Gilani (1991), the author of Tazkira Mashaikh Qadiriyya Hassniyya. He presents a different narrative, suggesting that Syed Abdullah Shah married into the Sadat family of Thatta and had two sons, Syed Hasan and Syed Muhammad Fazil, who played significant roles in continuing his legacy. This divergence in historical accounts adds a layer of intrigue to the story of Syed Abdullah Shah. To substantiate his claim, he references the manuscript by Syed Muhammad Ghaus, son of Syed Hasan Peshwari and grandson of Syed Abdullah Shah Ashabi. Muhammad Amir Shah Qadiri Gilani (1991) continued to argue that Syed Hasan was his father's deputy, Syed Abdullah Shah. After his father's death, he left Thatta and, after travelling and visiting many places, he finally settled in Peshawar, where he died on 21 Dhul Qadah 1115/ 26 March 1704. Muhammad Amir Shah Gilani writes that Sakhi Shah Muhammad Ghaus Lahori, whose shrine is located on Circular Road beyond Delhi Gate in Lahore, was Syed Hasan Peshawari's son and Syed Abdullah Shah's grandson. He died on 17th Rabi-Al-awwal, 1152/ 11 June, 1740. Muhammad Amir Shah Qadiri Gilani (1991) believes that Syed Muhammad Fazil, son of Syed Abdullah Shah, preached in Kashmir, where he died and was laid to rest in Khanyar in Srinagar in Jammu Kashmir.
Shrine of Syed Abdullah Shah Ashabi (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Syed Abdullah Shah's marital status is a topic for scholarly investigation rather than accepting the accounts of Syed Muhammad Amir Shah Gilani. Likewise, the date of Syed Abdullah Shah's death remains a subject of uncertainty. While the earliest sources are silent on this matter, Syed Muhammad Amir Shah Gilani (1991) posits that he died in 1060 AH/1650 AD. This discrepancy raises intriguing questions about Syed Abdullah Shah's age at the time of his arrival. It underscores the need for further research and the challenges of studying hagiographical accounts, particularly those concerning birth and death dates.
A general view of Syed Abdullah Shah's shrine (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
As per the inscription on the facade of the tomb of Syed Abdullah Shah, it was built in 1949. It is a modern tomb compared to historical surrounding structures, which were mainly built in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The old tomb was likely built over his grave, but such information is missing from the written accounts. However, when Abdul Rasul Qadiri Baloch translated "Tuhfat ul- Tahirin" by Shaikh Muhammad Azam into Sindhi, he also provided footnotes. In one of the footnotes, he mentioned that the tomb of Syed Abdullah Shah was rebuilt in 1931. Additionally, he noted that there is an old mosque in the shrine complex of Abdullah Shah that dates back to 1093 AH/ 1682-83 AD.
The green-coloured dargah of Syed Abdullah Shah is now under the Auqaf Department, Government of Sindh that manages and maintains it. There are many graves of the devotees of Syed Abdullah in his shrine complex. A wooden canopy is built over the grave of Syed Abdullah Shah. Inside the tomb of Syed Abdullah is located the grave of his follower, Shaikh Yaqub Gujarati, who had come to Thatta from Gujarat to reveal, with the help of Syed Ali Sani Shirazi, the grave of his spiritual master Syed Abdullah Shah, which had vanished into the vast Makli necropolis. The graves of Siraj Baba, Syed Yousaf Shah Jalali, and many others are also located in the shrine complex. The tomb of Siraj Baba is located adjacent to the mosque of Syed Abdullah Shah Ashabi, which was built in 1093 AH/1682-83. As per the inscription on the façade of the tomb of Siraj Baba, he died in 988 AH/ 1580 AD. The real name of Siraj Baba was Syed Salamullah Shah Shirazi.
Shrine of Siraj Baba at shrine complex of Syed Abdullah Shah (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Sufi dargahs hold great significance in Sindhi society. The dargah (shrine) of Syed Abdullah Shah retains cultural importance, and many devotees flock to the shrine on special occasions. This is one of the few shrines at Makli that attracts thousands of devotees. However, people from Karachi outnumber other devotees on special occasions.
The writer is an anthropologist. He has authored 15 books on Pakistan's cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar
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