Syed Nadir Ali Shah, (1897 - 8 October 1974) ( Sindhi: سيد نادر علي شاهه,

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Gandaf Gandaf is a town and Union Council of Swabi District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°7'0N 72°41'0E with an altitude of 538 metres (1768 feet). Gandaf is surrounded by a mountain range, and is very close to t ...

in the north-west of the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

and eventually ended up settling in

Sehwan Sharif Sehwan ( sd, سيوهڻ شريف, ur, ; also commonly referred to as Sehwan Sharif or ''Noble Sehwan'') is a historic city located in Jamshoro District of Sindh province in Pakistan and on the west bank of the Indus River, Indus north-west of H ...

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

. He was a spiritual descendant of the famous Sufi saint

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Hazrat Sayyid Usman Marwandi, (1177 - 19 February 1274) popularly known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (), was a Sufi saint and poet of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was born in Marwand, Sistan to a family from Baghdad ...

, in

. Nadir Ali Shah's legacy rests primarily on his having been one of the most notable figures among saints of Qalandariyya Sufi order with regard to the Islamic preaching, mysticism and asceticism. Additionally he is believed to have contributed significantly to the promotion of human welfare and social uplift of the underprivileged as one of the essential features of the teachings of Qalandariyya sufi order of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. He was also custodian of the shrine of the Sufi saint

Abdullah Shah Ghazi :''See also Ghazi and Gazi (disambiguation)'' Abdullah Shah Ghazi ( ar, عبد الله شاه غازي, ʿAbd Allāh Shāh Ghāzī) (c. 720 - c. 768) was a Muslim Sufism, mystic and Sufism, Sufi whose shrine is located in Clifton, Karachi, C ...

in Karachi.

Early life

He was born in

, District

Swabi Swabi ( ps, صوابۍ; ur, ) is a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, He received his early education from his father Syed Ghulam Shah. He was young when his father died.

Quest for a ''murshid''

In his early youth, he obtained permission from his mother and embarked on a long journey of finding a ''

murshid ''Murshid'' ( ar, مرشد) is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher", derived from the root ''r-sh-d'', with the basic meaning of having integrity, being sensible, mature. Particularly in Sufism it refers to a spiritual guide. The term is frequently use ...

'' (spiritual guide) for himself. He travelled for years and covered the whole Indian subcontinent, seeking knowledge from saints and scholars in

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. ...

, Sirhind Sharif,

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 w ...

Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...

and

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in Geography of Pakistan, south-west of the country close to the ...

before finally settling in

. During his stay in

, he had recurring dreams of seeing

, directing him to reach

as early as possible. And then it was in

, at the sufi centre, near the Shrine of

, that he finally met his ''

'' (spiritual mentor), who he had been searching for and who was to have the greatest influence on his life, Deedar Ali Shah. Murshid Deedar Ali Shah, who was the then successor of the Qalandariyya sufi order and custodian of the Sufi centre named ''Kafi Sakhi Sarwar,'' greeted him warmly, since the former was already anticipating and eagerly awaiting his arrival that day. Nadir Ali Shah then formally pledged his allegiance to his spiritual teacher, who later on appointed him as his successor. Hence, after Deedar Ali Shah's death in 1931, Nadir Ali Shah became the custodian, taking the name of Murshid Nadir Ali Shah.

Self-restraint

He chose an extremely ascetic life, spending much of his time meditating, praying and remembering God. He gave up solid food altogether, early in his life. In 1946, Indian mystic

Meher Baba Meher Baba (born Merwan Sheriar Irani; 25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969) was an Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, or God in human form, of the age. A major spiritual figure of the 20th century, he had a following of ...

went to

to meet him. He called him "an advanced pilgrim". According to him Nadir Ali Shah stood in a ditch for a period of two years. He would take only liquid diet. He would wear faqirs' clothes and a Qalandari cap (a cotton cap with flaps over the ears). Nadir Ali Shah kept fasting for fifty consecutive years. During all these years, he fasted all day and prayed all night. He would sit for hours at night with raised hands in

dua In Islam, ( ar, دعاء , plural: ' ) is a prayer of invocation, supplication or request, even asking help or assistance from God. Role in Islam Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. Muhammad is reported to have said ...

, or

supplication Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someon ...

to God.

As a Sufi Master

Nadir Ali Shah was the most distinguished disciple of Murshid Deedar Ali Shah, who belonged to the Qalandariyya sufi order of Islam, attributed to

. Deedar Ali Shah was the then custodian of the sufi

khanqah A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...

, named ''Kafi Sakhi Sarwar,'' in

. After Deedar Ali Shah's death in 1931, Nadir Ali Shah became the ''

'' (spiritual leader) of this Sufi order. He held this position for 43 years until his death in 1974. His life was described as one of service to mankind through ethical, spiritual, and practical physical philosophy in action. As a ''murshid'', he inspired a large number of people to reform their lives, and many of them gained eminence for their devotion to God and service to humanity, which included feeding the poor and hungry. Like his predecessors, Murshid Nadir Ali Shah was called the Ruler of The Brotherhood. He was succeeded after his death by Murshid Arif Ali Shah in 1974. British author and Literature Nobel Laureate

V. S. Naipaul Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (; 17 August 1932 – 11 August 2018) was a Trinidadian-born British writer of works of fiction and nonfiction in English. He is known for his comic early novels set in Trinidad, his bleaker novels of alienati ...

, during his trip to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

in 1979, visited the Sufi centre of Nadir Ali Shah in

and recognised the community of his disciples as a group of friendly, delighted people with brightness in their eyes, who "knew they served the poor and God". They had chosen a "life of sacrifice and service". Many of his disciples attained spiritual heights. Syed Nadir Ali Shah was also custodian of the shrine of the two grandsons of

Abdul Qadir Gilani ʿAbdul Qādir Gīlānī, ( ar, عبدالقادر الجيلاني, ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī; fa, ) known by admirers as Muḥyī l-Dīn Abū Muḥammad b. Abū Sāliḥ ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī al-Baḡdādī al-Ḥasanī al-Ḥusayn ...

. The shrine of Mahmood ibn

Abdul Razzaq Gilani ʿAbd al-Razzāq b. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (c. Dhu al-Qi'dah 528 AH – 6 Shawwal 603 AH/9 September 1134 – 7 May 1207),''The works of Shaykh Umar Eli of Somalia of al-Tariqat al-Qadiriyyah.'' also known as Abū Bakr al-Jīlī or ʿAbd ...

and Ahmed ibn

is located in the west of the

Sehwan Sehwan ( sd, سيوهڻ شريف, ur, ; also commonly referred to as Sehwan Sharif or ''Noble Sehwan'') is a historic city located in Jamshoro District of Sindh province in Pakistan and on the west bank of the Indus north-west of Hyderabad. The ...

city, also called Pir Pota Mazar or Dargah Masoom Pak. A large number of people attend the annual congregation, or

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 ...

, which is held every year in their remembrance on the 10th of

Rabi' al-Thani Rabiʽ al-Thani ( ar, رَبِيع ٱلثَّانِي, Rabīʿ ath-Thānī, lit=The second Rabi, also known as Rabi' al-Akhirah ( ar, رَبِيع ٱلْآخِرَة, link=no, Rabi' al-ʾĀkhirah, lit=The final Rabi), Rabi al-Akhir (), or Rabi' I ...

. Nadir Ali Shah was also custodian of the shrine of the 8th-century sufi saint

, located in Karachi. The shrine of

was built, expanded, and beautified during his era in the mid-20th century. He built the iconic green and white striped dome of the shrine (used to be visible from miles away and became the emblem of the city), and the windowed ambulatory, the

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

, the free kitchens or

langar khana Langar (Persian: لنگر) is an institution among Sufi Muslims in South Asia whereby food and drink are given to the needy regardless of social or religious background. Its origins in Sufism are tied to the Chishti Order. Etymology ''Langar'' ...

, the

qawwali Qawwali ( Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing, originating from the Indian subcontinent ...

hall or court, and the

guest house A guest house (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use o ...

on its premises as well as the long stairway leading to the shrine, which was located on the top of a sandy hill. A devotional connection has always been observed between the shrine of

in Karachi and Syed Nadir Ali Shah's Sufi order in

The Dervish Lodge

Location Located just a short walk from the

Qalandar Qalandar may refer to: * Qalandariyya, a Sufi mystic order * Qalandar (title), a title for Sufi saints * Qalandar (clan), a Muslim community found in North India and Pakistan * Qalandar (tribe), a Hazara tribe found in Afghanistan Places in Ir ...

's shrine in

, it is an ancient spiritual institution and abode for the dervishes of the Qalandariyya sufi order of Islam. It is commonly called as ''Kafi.'' Etymology ''Kafi'' is referred to as a ''

Khanqah A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...

,'' or a teaching and dwelling place for the dervishes of the Qalandariyya sufi order. Other names of this dervish lodge are ''Kafi'' of Murshid Nadir Ali Shah and ''Kafi Sakhi Sarwar'' (due to the vicinal worship place of 12th-century sufi saint Sultan Sakhi Sarwar). History The ''Kafi'' is as old as the era of

. The custodian of ''Kafi'' is called ''murshid'' (spiritual guide) and the disciples are called ''malangs'' (dervishes) and ''sawalis'' (aspirants). The ''murshid'' traces his spiritual descent from

. The ''malangs'' are well organised and devoted to their cause. As of the1980s, their number was over two hundred and fifty, some of whom were in the service of the shrine of

and some of the other shrines as well. Among them were highly educated and well-to-do people, who had chosen a "life of sacrifice and service". Hundreds of thousands of followers are affiliated with the sufi order across the globe. The shrines of the previous ten ''murshids'' are inside the premises. They are held in high regard for their services and hence "became rulers or governors of the brotherhood". Murshid Nadir Ali Shah died in 1974, at the age of seventy-seven. He was succeeded by Murshid Arif Ali Shah, a certified MBBS doctor. He was the most distinguished disciple of Nadir Ali Shah, so the throne and the crown were handed over to him shortly after the death of his predecessor. Murshid Arif Ali Shah died in 2022, at the age of seventy-nine. Teachings The Qalandari ''

Tariqa A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth". ...

,'' or sufi order, proposes struggle with the self, purification of the heart and feeding of the soul. This is accomplished with prayers and remembrance, along with ''khidmat'' (service to humanity). Services The ''Kafi'' works as a spiritual institution, where spiritual education and training of

's devotees have been going on for more than seven hundred years. For centuries, the ''Kafi'' had the honor of caretaking of the sacred shrine of

, which also included keeping the shrine in good repair. It also had the privilege of supplying free food and water to the pilgrims and visitors who came to

. After Murshid Deedar Ali Shah's death in 1931, his spiritual successor, Murshid Nadir Ali Shah assumed the charge of the ''Kafi,'' as well as the privilege and right of the repair of the sacred Shrine of

and the provision of food and water to the pilgrims. He held this prestigious office for forty three years. He was known for his wisdom, simplicity, patience, compassion, generosity and hospitality. He worked throughout his life for the alleviation of hunger and started the "free food and water program". He then expanded it, first to all the poor population of the town and its suburbs, and then to Karachi and other cities. His successor, Murshid Arif Ali Shah, not only continued his charitable work, but also significantly developed and expanded it. For decades, the ''Kafi'' has been serving a nutritional meal thrice a day to thousands of people daily. Among the daily routine work of the dervishes, besides observing prayers and the all-night remembrance of God, was the hard work and toil with which they managed the ''Kafi'' and arranged the food and water for the pilgrims and the poor population of the town and its suburbs. According to Ali Ahmed Brohi, a notable writer and scholar, this service continued throughout the year. According to him, in the deadly heat of Sehwan, kneading thirty maunds (1200 kilograms) of flour and feeding bread to a large number of people daily was such a difficult task, that only the Qalandar's devoted ''malangs'' had the courage to undertake it. Provision of water was no easy task at that time, as it involved drawing water from the river

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

, a few miles away from the centre of the town, filling it in large leather bags, loading it onto bullocks, trekking it back, through some of the hottest weathers in the world, and then filling the leather cisterns and earthenware vessels in the sacred Shrine of

and the Dervish Lodge. Nadir Ali Shah also built a pilgrim hostel for the travellers. He was honoured and held in high esteem by the people. To the north of the dervish lodge is ''Kafi Sakhi Sarwar'', named after the 12th-century sufi saint Sultan Sakhi Sarwar, who worshipped here for forty days and pleaded in the Divine Court for a perpetual ''

langar Langar may refer to: Community eating *Langar (Sikhism) * Langar (Sufism) Places Afghanistan *Langar, Badakhshan, Afghanistan * Langar, Bamyan, Afghanistan * Langar, Faryab, Afghanistan * Langar, Herat, Afghanistan * Langar, Wardak, Afghanis ...

'' (free food service), which was approved. Once, a well-wisher drew the attention of Murshid Nadir Ali Shah to the rising cost of wheat, reaching above fifty rupees a maund, and gave a suggestion for its early purchase that year. Murshid beamed a smiled and replied that "this free food service is for the sake of Allah, hence He shall provide means for it. Rest assured that this service shall continue till the Day of Judgment, even if a grain of wheat costs as much as fifty rupees,".

Teachings and Impact

Being a ''murshid'' of the Qalandariyya sufi order of

, Nadir Ali Shah emphasized devotion to God, seeking of knowledge,

tawakkul Tawakkul ( ar, تَوَكُّل) in the Arabic language, is the word for the Islamic concept of the reliance on God or "trusting in God's plan". It is seen as "perfect trust in God and reliance on Him alone." It can also be referred to as God-con ...

sabr The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...

, purity, humility, brotherhood, forgiveness, and k''hidmat'' (service to humanity). He called for fulfilling the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of people in crisis. His teachings influenced a large number of people across the globe.

Philanthropy

Murshid Nadir Ali Shah remarkably expanded the volunteer work of his dervish lodge. He gave the vision of free access for all the underprivileged sections of society to quality food, healthcare, education, shelter, safe water, and sanitation to ensure their social and economic uplift. He emphasized feeding the hungry to help people's lives for the better. He underscored that the guarantee of a nutritious meal twice a day will give the children and youth a chance to get education and will give them hope for a better, brighter future. Similarly, food security will help the labourers and other low to middle income families, save their money for health and other needs, hence their improved spiritual, social, and emotional well being. In the 1930s, he laid the foundation of a volunteer organisation for the alleviation of hunger and malnutrition. For this purpose, he started a ''

'' (free meal service program) in

, for the pilgrims as well as the general public. In addition to fighting against

malnutrition Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues a ...

and hunger, the programme was also intended to combat age,

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...

, and socioeconomic inequalities in access to food. This ''

'' continues to serve free food to thousands of men, women, and children daily. He also expanded the free meal service program to the shrine of

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

Herbal Medicine

Nadir Ali Shah was an expert physician in herbal medicine. People from faraway places would come and seek treatment from him.

Spiritual Lineage

As with any other major sufi order, the Qalandariyya proposes a ''

silsila Silsila ( ar, سِلْسِلَة) is an Arabic word meaning ''chain'', ''link'', ''connection'' often used in various senses of lineage. In particular, it may be translated as "spiritual genealogy" where one Sufi Master transfers his ''khil ...

'' (an unbroken spiritual chain) of transmitted knowledge, going back to the Islamic Prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

through one of his companions, who in the Qalandariyya case is

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

(d. 661). Thus, Nadir Ali Shah's spiritual lineage is traditionally given as follow: # Murshid Nadir Ali Shah (d. 1974), "taught by" # Murshid Deedar Ali Shah (d. 1931), "taught by" # Murshid Shamsher Ali Shah (d.1926), "taught by" # Murshid Qutub Ali Shah (d. 1914), "taught by" # Murshid Mehboob Ali Shah (d. 1900), "taught by" # Murshid Khaki Shah (d. 1869), "taught by" # Murshid Aman Ali Shah (d. 1853), "taught by" # Murshid Darbar Ali Shah (d. 1841), "taught by" # Murshid Roshan Ali Shah (d. 1826). This uninterrupted chain is traced back to Prophet

via

and

Death and Burial

Nadir Ali Shah died in the early hours of Tuesday, October 8, 1974 (21st

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

1394 AH) at the age of 77 years. His funeral prayer was held in the

Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar The Shrine of Lal Shabaz Qalandar ( ur, ; sd, لال شهباز قلندر جي مزار) is a shrine and mausoleum dedicated to the 13th century Muslim and Sufi saint, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. The shrine is located in Sehwan Sharif, in the Pakista ...

and was attended by a large number of people. The funeral prayer was led by Qazi Muhammad Murad. He was laid to rest alongside his spiritual mentor, Murshid Deedar Ali Shah in

Legacy

Murshid Nadir Ali Shah was succeeded after his death by Murshid Arif Ali Shah in 1974. Murshid Arif Ali Shah died in 2022, at the age of seventy-nine. He left behind hundreds of thousands of followers in Pakistan and across the world, who are known for their devotion to God and service to humanity. The ''

Langar khana Langar (Persian: لنگر) is an institution among Sufi Muslims in South Asia whereby food and drink are given to the needy regardless of social or religious background. Its origins in Sufism are tied to the Chishti Order. Etymology ''Langar'' ...

'' (free food facility) of Nadir Ali Shah is located in the dervish lodge of Nadir Ali Shah, also called ''Kafi'' in

. This charity center, provides meal to thousands of men, women, and children daily and virtually feeds the entire poor population of the town as well as the travelers. Dozens of ''malangs'' (devotees) participate in preparing and distributing the food on a regular basis. Several free drinking water ''Sebils'' have been set up in

by the devotees of Nadir Ali Shah, where cold water is freely dispensed to thousands of people daily. Apart from this, the centre also provides free accommodation to travellers in the travellers' lodge.

In Poetry and Prose

Famous poets of

, in different periods, have paid homage and expressed their love for Murshid Nadir Ali Shah by writing and saying numerous ''

qasida The qaṣīda (also spelled ''qaṣīdah''; is originally an Arabic word , plural ''qaṣā’id'', ; that was passed to some other languages such as fa, قصیده or , ''chakameh'', and tr, kaside) is an ancient Arabic word and form of writin ...

s'' (panegyrics) and '' manqabats (''devotional poems) in national and regional languages such as

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi, and

Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan ( Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Pres ...

Shaukat Ali Shaukat Ali, also known as Shaukat Ali Khan, (3 May 1944 – 2 April 2021) was a Pakistani folk singer. Early life and career Born on 3 May 1944, into a family of artists in Malakwal, a town in District Gujrat (now falls in new District Mandi ...

, Ahmed Khan, and

Khyal Muhammad Ustad Khyal Muhammad (, born 1946) is a Pashtun singer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. He has appeared regularly on television, usually singing ghazals and in movies. Career Khyal Mohammad belongs to the Afridi tribe of Pushtuns. He is orig ...

are among the singers who have commemorated and paid tribute to him in their Qawwalis. EMI Pakistan released an album of devotional songs in his remembrance, titled "Qawwali Hazrat Syed Nadir Ali Shah" on his 40th death anniversary.

Shrine

The ''

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 ...

'' (shrine) of Nadir Ali Shah is located in the dervish lodge of Nadir Ali Shah, which is situated southeast of the

. The iconic white and green dome is made of ceramic tiles. The hemispherical dome rests on the square building, the corners of which are decorated with four minarets, made of mosaic ceramic tilework. The walls of the shrine are also covered from outside by the same mosaic tilework, making horizontal lines of white, red, green, yellow, blue, and black ceramic tiles, from top to bottom, giving an expression of pure delight. In the interior delicate glasswork adorns the lofty ceiling and the dome. The walls are decorated from the inside with turquoise ceramic tiles and delicate glass work. Quranic verses have been carved in the glasswork on the northern wall. A large number of people visit the shrine daily and pay tribute to Nadir Ali Shah. Before his death in 1974, Nadir Ali Shah appointed his disciple and nephew, Dr Syed Muhammad Arif Shah, as his successor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Nadir Ali 1897 births 1974 deaths Indian Muslims 20th-century Islamic religious leaders Indian Islamic religious leaders Pakistani Islamic religious leaders Sufism in Asia Sufism in India Sufism in Pakistan Indian Sufi saints Pakistani Sufi saints Pashtun Sufi saints Sindhi Sufi saints Sufi mystics Sufi shrines in Pakistan Pakistani social workers Pakistani humanitarians Pakistani philanthropists