Syed Shah Afzal Biabani
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Syed Shah Afzal Biabani (1795 – 1856 A.D / 1210 – 26
Safar Ṣafar ( ar, صَفَر) also spelt as Safer in Turkish, is the second month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The Arabic word ''ṣafar'' means "travel, migration", corresponding to the pre-Islamic Arabian time period when muslims flee the oppr ...
, 1272 AH) was a
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
from
Warangal Warangal () is a city in the Indian state of Telangana and the district headquarters of Warangal district. It is the second largest city in Telangana with a population of 704,570 per 2011 Census of India, and spreading over an . Warangal ser ...
,
Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...
(now Kazipet 132 km from
Hyderabad, India Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the '' de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern In ...
). He was appointed as Kazi of Warangal during the reign of Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II). His dargah is among the pilgrimage centers of Warangal,
Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...
. The word "Biabani" is a plural of Urdu and Persian word "Biaban" which means soonsan (in Urdu) and uninhabited place in English. He received this nickname because he spent 12 years in Tasawwuf (a form of Sufi meditation) in the caves located in the forest of Battupalli near Kazipet.


Early life

Afzal Biabani was a saint (Vali Allah) by birth. His mother said that there was something extraordinary in him right from the childhood. Some miraculous incidents were manifested even in his childhood. Once at the residence of his brother, Syed Murtuza Hussaini at Qutb guda, Hyderabad, playing with children of his age (four to five years old) in the courtyard, he dug a small pit (well), like the other children. But to their astonishment water was found in the pit dug by him, whereas the other pits were dry. His maternal uncle said that Afzal Biabani would become a saint and a man of miracles in future by the grace of Allah.


Sainthood

Although he was the Qazi of Warangal district and Jagirdar of Kazipet village, he was averse to the life of a feudal Lord and refused to live in the
Haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...
. He preferred to live in a hut like any other poor man. His mother objected to it. She was of the opinion that he had to maintain the dignity of his social position. He politely convinced her and made the way clear to reside in a hut. This reflected his desire to break the barriers between the life of the master and a servant. He willingly opted for the dress, the food and lifestyle of a poor man.


Soldiers as disciples

Haji Mohibullah Khan Saheb from Delhi and Namdar Khan Saheb, a servant in the army at
Bolaram Bolaram is a locality in Secunderabad Cantonment in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region. The distance from Bolaram to Secunderabad is 10 km. Demographics As per the Census 2001, Bolaram had a populati ...
in
Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It ...
, wished to join the circle Afzal Biabani as disciples. When they went to his hut at Kazipet, they were informed that he was in the hut of a Hindu weaver ( Padmashali) who was his immediate neighbour and friend, when they found the great Sufi resting his head on a stone and sleeping on the ground. The eagerness of the Sufi-saint to live closer to the hearts of the people shows nothing except his willingness to share their joys and sorrows as members of one family and thus strengthen the integrated setting of the society.


Serving as an Imam

Some members of the army contingent stationed at
Hanamakonda Hanumakonda is a major city and the district headquarters of Hanumakonda district in the Indian state of Telangana. Earlier Hanumakonda was a separate city, then merged in Greater Warangal now. The three urban cities Kazipet, Hanumakonda and ...
waited upon the Qazi Saheb Afzal Biabani and requested him to lead them in
Eid prayer Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid ( ar, صلاة العيد), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate wit ...
at Hanamakonda. They brought a horse for his ride. He asked for two more horses for his friends. People were taken aback to see that those friends were the Hindu weavers riding along with him. He wanted to share the joys of Eid with his Hindu neighbours.


Teachings

Afzal Biabani used to teach his disciples high morals like simplicity, social equality and to serve people irrespective of their caste, creed, language, religion and region. For this reason many people belonging to different religions are devotees and followers. Thus he proved himself to be a symbol of national integration, communal harmony, social justice and protector of human rights. Even today, his shrine (Dargah) at Kazipet is much thronged and revered by Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Sikhs alike. It is observed that most of the Hindu families of Kazipet and neighbouring villages bring the bride and bride-groom to this shrine (Dargah) immediately after the marriage to get the blessings for the newly married couple before they get to their homes.


Family

His father was Syed Shah Ghulam Mohiuddin Biabani and mother Qasim Bibi Saheba. Mir Qurban Ali, the then Collector of Warangal suba was his father-in-law.


Family Tree of Sufi Masters

An indispensable element in Sufi organization is the spiritual master or Murshid, around whom disciples gather and from whom disciples receive the initiation (baiat) which, through a long chain (silsila), is ultimately derived from Mohammad himself. The family tree of Sufi masters, from the earliest times to the present day, is replete with examples of outstanding holiness. The names of these saints have been given to those ‘branches’ of the tree over which their particular radiance shines. These branches are known as turuq (singular tariqa = path), and are indeed so many paths to haqiqa, the inward, divine reality or in other words, to Allah himself. The first great Sufi order to appear in the form in which turuq are now known was the Qadiri tariqa, which took its name from its illustrious founder, the Shaikh Abdal Qadir al Jilani (1078–1166 A.D.).


Education

Shaha Afzal received primary education from his father, he learned
Marifat Maʿrifa (Arabic: “interior knowledge”) is the mystical knowledge of God or the “higher realities” that is the ultimate goal of followers of Sufism. Sufi mystics came to maʿrifa by following a spiritual path that later Sufi thinkers categ ...
, Tariqat and Zikar-e-Qalbi from his father and received
khilafat A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
(spiritual succession) from him. He learned
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and
Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
from the Sufi of Fort Warangal Ht Faqirullah Shah.


Dargah

His shrine (Dargah) at Kazipet is 2 km from Kazipet Railway Station in Warangal District, which is famous worldwide. People come from all parts of the world and from all religions to attend the
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. t ...
celebrations every year. These celebrations are held for 3 days beginning on 26,
Safar Ṣafar ( ar, صَفَر) also spelt as Safer in Turkish, is the second month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The Arabic word ''ṣafar'' means "travel, migration", corresponding to the pre-Islamic Arabian time period when muslims flee the oppr ...
(second month of the
Islamic calendar The Hijri calendar ( ar, ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ, translit=al-taqwīm al-hijrī), also known in English as the Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or ...
), every year. they are attended by the large masses from
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 ...
as well from abroad.


References


External links


Dargah Location
{{authority control Sufi mystics Indian Sufi saints 1795 births 1856 deaths