ʿAlā ul-Ḥaq wa ad-Dīn ʿUmar ibn As`ad al-Khālidī al-Bangālī ( ar, علاء الحق والدين عمر بن أسعد الخالدي البنغالي), commonly known as Alaul Haq ( bn, আলাউল হক) or reverentially by the
sobriquet
A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...
Ganj-e-Nābāt ( fa, , bn, গঞ্জে নাবাত), was a 14th-century
Islamic scholar
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
of
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. Posted in
Hazrat Pandua
Pandua ( bn, পাণ্ডুয়া), also historically known as Hazrat Pandua ( bn, হজরত পাণ্ডুয়া) and later Firuzabad ( bn, ফিরোজাবাদ), is a ruined city in the Malda district of the Indian sta ...
, he was the senior disciple and successor of
Akhi Siraj, and a
Bengal Sultanate government official.
[
]
Early life and education
Alaul Haq Umar was born in 1301, in the city of Hazrat Pandua
Pandua ( bn, পাণ্ডুয়া), also historically known as Hazrat Pandua ( bn, হজরত পাণ্ডুয়া) and later Firuzabad ( bn, ফিরোজাবাদ), is a ruined city in the Malda district of the Indian sta ...
to a Muslim family descended from Khalid ibn al-Walid, an Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
commander and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
, who belonged to the Banu Makhzum
The Banu Makhzum () was one of the wealthy clans of the Quraysh. They are regarded as being among the three most powerful and influential clans in Mecca before the advent of Islam, the other two being the Banu Hashim (the tribe of the Islamic proph ...
clan of Quraysh. His father, Shaykh As`ad Khālidī, migrated from Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
to Pandua where he served as the Finance Minister of the Sultanate of Bengal
The Sultanate of Bengal ( Middle Bengali: শাহী বাঙ্গালা ''Shahī Baṅgala'', Classical Persian: ''Saltanat-e-Bangālah'') was an empire based in Bengal for much of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It was the domina ...
. His uncles, cousins and brothers also held high ranks in the Sultanate court. Some sources claim that Haq was first taught by Nizamul Haq Sarfi, who was a senior scholar of Bengal based in Lakhnauti and teacher of Nasiruddin Bahath. This claim however, has been doubted by others due to issues relating to time periods. After the death of his father, Haq was meant to have inherited two gardens worth 8000 taka
The Bangladeshi taka ( bn, টাকা, sign: , code: BDT, short form: Tk) is the currency of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. In Unicode, it is encoded at .
Issuance of bank notes 10 and larger is controlled by Bangladesh Bank, whil ...
s though someone else had taken possession of it. Haq never attempted to regain the inherited property.[
Excelling in his studies, Alaul Haq began calling himself ''Ganj-e-Nābāt'' and gained popularity in Bengal. This act was criticised by ]Nizamuddin Auliya
Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (sometimes spelled Awliya; 1238 – 3 April 1325), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Mahbub-e-Ilahi () was an Sunni Muslim scholar, Sufi saint of the Chishti Order, and is one of the most famous Sufis from the India ...
of Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
, as his teacher was Ganj-e-Shakar (store of sugar), and the title of ''Ganj-e-Nabat'' (store of fine sugar) was a sign of arrogance and superiority. Akhi Siraj of the Chishti Order
The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Chisht, a ...
returned to Bengal on the advice of his teacher, Nizamuddin Auliya, where he was appointed as the country's court scholar. Alaul Haq became his student and dropped the ''Ganj-e-Nabat'' title. There are many stories relating to Haq's relationship with his mentor Siraj. It is said that Haq would accompany his teacher with a cauldron on his head, and carrying an oven whilst barefooted so that he could his teacher could have hot meals, and would often have to walk in such a state in front of the homes of his relatives. This eventually led to Alaul Haq suffering from alopecia
Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scar ...
.[ This supposedly even took place during Siraj's numerous Hajj visits.]
Alaul Haq was admired by his teacher Siraj to such an extent that he was made his successor and the husband of Siraj's daughter.
Career
Following the death of Siraj, Haq served as the court scholar; setting up a khanqah in Hazrat Pandua
Pandua ( bn, পাণ্ডুয়া), also historically known as Hazrat Pandua ( bn, হজরত পাণ্ডুয়া) and later Firuzabad ( bn, ফিরোজাবাদ), is a ruined city in the Malda district of the Indian sta ...
and becoming an elite member of the Sultan of Bengal
The Sultanate of Bengal ( Middle Bengali: শাহী বাঙ্গালা ''Shahī Baṅgala'', Classical Persian: ''Saltanat-e-Bangālah'') was an empire based in Bengal for much of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It was the domina ...
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah's government. During the reign of Sultan Sikandar Shah
Abul Mujāhid Sikandar Shāh ( bn, আবুল মুজাহিদ সিকান্দর শাহ, fa, ), commonly known as Sikandar Shah; was the second Sultan of Bengal and the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. He was the son of Shamsuddin Ilyas S ...
, Haq was put in charge of the royal treasury of the Bengal Sultanate.[
It is said that Alaul Haq was so generous to his students and the needy that his generosity outweighed that of the Sultan. As a result, he was banished to ]Sonargaon
Sonargaon ( bn, সোনারগাঁও; pronounced as ''Show-naar-gaa''; lit. ''Golden Hamlet'') is a historic city in central Bangladesh. It corresponds to the Sonargaon Upazila of Narayanganj District in Dhaka Division.
Sonargaon is on ...
for two years before being allowed to return to his Khanqah.[ ]Ashraf Jahangir Semnani
Sultan Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani ( ur, ; (1285–1386) was an Iranian Sufi saint from Semnan, Iran. He was the founder of the Ashrafi Sufi order. He is India's third most influential Sufi Saint after Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer ...
, a former ruler of Semnan in modern-day Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, had abdicated his throne to become a student of Alaul Haq in Pandua. His journey took two years and upon meeting Haq and his disciples in the outskirts of Pandua, Semnani was carried by doli to Haq's khanqah where he was fed four handfuls of rice and paan
Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts (also called "betel nuts") are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects. The practice ...
by Alaul Haq. Semnani studied under Alaul Haq for 12 years, before being instructed by him to go and propagate in Jaunpur.
Death
It is suggested by 'Abd al-Haqq al-Dehlawi
Abd al-Haqq al-Dehlawi ( fa, شیخ عبدالحق محدث دهلوی) was an Islamic scholar.
Biography
He was born in 1551 (958 AH) in Delhi, hence the suffix '' Dehlavi'' to his name. In 1587 (996 AH), he made the pilgrimage to Mecca, wh ...
, in his ''Akhbar al Akhyar'', that Alaul Haq died in the year 800 AH (1398 AD). On the other hand, the guardians of Haq's shrine possess a book which cites his death in 786 AH (1384 AD). It has also been said that Alaul Haq's janaza
Funerals and funeral prayers in Islam ( ar, جنازة, Janazah) follow fairly specific rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom. In all cases, however, sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for burial o ...
was performed by Jahaniyan Jahangasht
Mīr Sayyid Jalāl ad-Dīn an-Naqwī al-Bukhārī ( fa, ; 1308-1384), better known as Jahāniyān Jahāngasht ( fa, ), was a Sufi saint from South Asia.
Biography
Mir Sayyid Jalaluddin Bukhari was born into a Muslim family on 8th Februar ...
. His shrine, the Chhoti Dargah, is one of the major dargah
A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...
s of Bengal; located in the ruined city of Hazrat Pandua
Pandua ( bn, পাণ্ডুয়া), also historically known as Hazrat Pandua ( bn, হজরত পাণ্ডুয়া) and later Firuzabad ( bn, ফিরোজাবাদ), is a ruined city in the Malda district of the Indian sta ...
in Malda and adjacent to the other contemporary scholars of Bengal such as Jalaluddin Tabrizi
Abū al-Qāsim Jalāl ad-Dīn Tabrīzī ( fa, ) was a celebrated Sufi saint of South Asia. He arrived in Bengal shortly after the start of its Muslim rule, where he propagated Islam to the local populace and spent the rest of his life. The Jalili ...
. Haq's disciples included his son Nur Qutb Alam
Nūr Quṭb ʿĀlam ( ar, , bn, নূর কুতুব আলম) was a 14th-century Bengali Islamic scholar, author and poet. Based in the erstwhile Bengali capital Hazrat Pandua, he was the son and successor of Alaul Haq, a senior scholar ...
(who was his successor), as well as the Sufi saints Ashraf Jahangir Semnani
Sultan Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani ( ur, ; (1285–1386) was an Iranian Sufi saint from Semnan, Iran. He was the founder of the Ashrafi Sufi order. He is India's third most influential Sufi Saint after Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer ...
and Husayn Dhukkarposh. His urs
Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc ...
is commemorated from 23-25 Rajab
Rajab ( ar, رَجَب) is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of the classical Arabic verb ''rajaba'' is "to respect" which could also mean "be awe or be in fear", of which Rajab is a derivative.
This month is re ...
in Chhoti Dargah, presently in West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.[ Alaul Haq's grandson, Badr Islam, and his great grandson, Shaykh Zahid, were prominent scholars in ]Sonargaon
Sonargaon ( bn, সোনারগাঁও; pronounced as ''Show-naar-gaa''; lit. ''Golden Hamlet'') is a historic city in central Bangladesh. It corresponds to the Sonargaon Upazila of Narayanganj District in Dhaka Division.
Sonargaon is on ...
.
See also
* Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani ( fa, میر سید علی همدانی; CE) was a Persian scholar, poet and a Sufi Muslim saint of the Kubrawiya order. He was born in Hamadan, Iran and preached Islam in Central Asia and Kashmir as he travelled to p ...
References
Bibliography
*: A short biography of the prominent Sufis of India have been mentioned in this book including that of Alaul Haq Pandavi
* 'Mir'at-ul-Israr' by Syed Abdur Rahman Chisti
* 'Lataife-Ashrafi' (Discourses of Ashraf Jahangir Semnani) Compiled by Nizam Yemeni, Edited and annotated by Syed Waheed Ashraf
Syed Waheed Ashraf is an Indian Sufi scholar and poet in Persian and Urdu. Ashraf received his B.A., M.A. and PhD (1965) degrees from Aligarh Muslim University. The title of his doctoral dissertation was ''A Critical Edition of Lataife Ashraf ...
, published in 2010
* 'Ma'arijul-Wilayat'
* 'Hayate Makhdoom Syed Ashraf Jahangir Semnani
Sultan Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani ( ur, ; (1285–1386) was an Iranian Sufi saint from Semnan, Iran. He was the founder of the Ashrafi Sufi order. He is India's third most influential Sufi Saint after Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer ...
(1975), Second Edition(2017) , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandavi, Alaul Haq
Bengali Sufi saints
Chishtis
People from Malda district
14th-century Bengalis
Sufi writers
Sufi mystics
Sufi teachers
Bengal Sultanate officers
14th-century Muslim scholars of Islam
Banu Makhzum
Bengali Muslim scholars of Islam