EJI TAMAKU’N SADHAR’E SO DIN BAHOTAJ By: Mumtaz Tali Tajddin S. Ali mumtaztajddin@yahoo.
After the fall of the Alamut in 1256, Imam Shamsuddin Muhammad (d. 1310) went to Azerbaijan, where he and his successor, Imam Kassim Shah (d. 1370) passed normal lives in simplicity. Imam Islam Shah (d. 1423), the next Imam was first to be born in Azerbaijan.
The Ismailis had hardly set up their livelihood and social condition that the awe of Taymur (d. 1405) began to loom large on the Iranian horizon. After a long series of bloody operations in Iran, Taymur had gone to Samarkand on 18th July, 1396, thus the people of Iran breathed in peace. Imam Islam Shah arrived in Kahek, Iran almost in the beginning of 1396.
Pir Sadruddin (d. 1416) is reported to have visited Kahek two times in the beginning and end of 1396. For having the first didar, he trekked down from Sind to Iran and came in the northern region of Ispahan.
He reached as far as the mountanous region of Baba Kuhi, a place famous after the name of a Sufi Saint, Baba Kuhi (948-1037). Shaikh Abu Abdullah Mohammed, known as Ibn Bakuya, retreated to a cave in the mountain of Baba Kuhi. Its first mention was made by the Sufi saint Shaikh Sa’di Shirazi (1213-1291) in 5th chapter of his Bustan.
There Pir Sadruddin is said to have come into contact of the local darwish. The darwish asked him, “Where do you hail from and what is your intention?” Pir Sadruddin said, “I came from India. My intention is to get the didar of Islam Shah, the Imam of the Time.” The darwish did not talk and concealed their identity. Soon afterward, they moved from Baba Kuhi, and the Pir followed them. Among them, one person with his followers went to Kahek. On other side, the leader of the darwish ultimately was convinced that Pir Sadruddin was an Ismaili with implicit faith, he sent his nephew, Sheikh Mohammad with Pir Sadruddin toward Kahek. Both passed tedious journey in forest for three days and alighted at a safe place and cooked food.
In the meantime, Imam Islam Shah launched his hunting spree in this forest, and galloped on his horse, came beside Pir Sadruddin and Sheikh Mohammad.
Both of them were blessed with didar and lowered their heads in reverance and performed dastbosi (kissing hand). The Imam blessed them and joined in the their lunch.
Before departure, the Imam told Pir Sadruddin, “You stay and I will come back after three days.” Pir waited anxiously for three days, but the Imam didn’t return. Being become forlorn, he engrossed in longing and imploring when three days elasped. The critical condition of Pir Sadruddin, which he composed his hymn (ginan) in India is sounded in following couplets:-
Eji tamaku’n sadhar’e so din bahotaj hua re’piya,
me’n dekhu’n tumari va’t re’ (1)
“O’ Beloved! Many days have passed since your departure. I watch in waiting for your return. Saheb mer’e daya’vant mere’ maherba’n mere’,
Asha tuj bina so din jave’n gay kaisa piyaji ? (Refrain)
“O’Lord, my Merciful, my Benignant! O’Beloved! How these days would pass without you?”
Na’m nirinjan ke do bhati, ek ja’ti, ek bha’i sifati,
Utam kahiye’ ja’ti, aur bhay sab na’m sifati. (ginan)
“There are two kinds of Divine Name. One is personal, another is attributive. The personal name is excellent, while all remaining are the attributive names.”
Sura Fatiha, the first chapter of the Koran contains: Bi-smillahi l-rahmani l-rahim (In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate). It occurs 114 times in the Koran at the head of every sura (chapter) except ninth Sura Tauba.
This Koranic formula contains the Personal Name (ism-i Dhat) for Allah, occurring 2702 times in Koran), and two Attributive Names (ism-i Sifat) i.e., al-Rahman occurs 57 times and al-Rahim occurs 114 times.
Bismillah ka bhed jo niyara, tis mahe’n chhupia pargat kiltara,
Surijan te mahe’n esa janno, chhana nahi so pargat mano (ginan)
“The secret of the Bismillah is peerless, wherein the apparent Creator is hidden. Known the Lord therein; don’t hidden, but apparent.”
Both Rahman and Rahim (Beneficient and Merciful), the attributes of God (Ism-i Sifat) are derived from rahmat, signifying tenderness requiring exercise of beneficence, thus comprising ideas of love and mercy. Both Rehman and Rahim are active participle nouns of different measures denoting intensiveness of significance, the former being of the measure. The Prophet is reported to have said, “Al-Rehman is the Beneficent God, Whose love and mercy are manifested in creation of this world, and al-Rahim is the Merciful God, Whose love and mercy are manifested in the state that comes after.”
Thus, Rehman (Beneficial) qualified for the Prophethood and Rahim (Merciful) for the Imam. After the Prophet, the quality of Rehman came to the Imam, and as such the Imam is Rahman and Rahim.
Rab tu’n rehman tun’n (ginan)
Awal zikar Allah’ka, jo hai Rahim Rehman (Kalam-e-Mawla, 1)
The Persian word for Rehman is Karim, Karam, while for Rahim is Fazal.
Ya rab tu’n karimi, O’ karimi karam ast (Nasir Khusaro)
“O’God! You are Beneficient and Merciful, therefore be benigh for us.”
Saheb tera karamj hove’ shah fazalj hove’ (ginan)
Eji vacha dai’nay Shah moro ga’m sadhariya piya,
so dedhi vacha prite’ paro’re (2)
“Havng bound by a promise, my Lord went off to his town. O’Lord! Honor the words being pledged lovingly.”
Eji esa me’n janati to chalrann’e na deti piya,
may bi chalati tumare’ sa’tha’re (3)
“O’Beloved! Had I known (that this situation would arise), I would have not let you go (alone). I would have joined along with you.”
Farid Shakar Ganj (1180-1266) says:-
“Had I known my ties would be broken loose, I would have tightened the knots. For, like Thee, O’Love! There is no another I have searched the whole world through.”
Eji jisaka’re mai ba’p ga’m sadhariya piya,
usaka farzand kiyu’n kar rahev’e’re? (4)
“O’Beloved! how can (their) son remain behind, whose parents have left the town?”
Here, Pir gives and example of a son, whose mother and father have gone without taking their son along. The Pir gives its reply in the following couplets.
Eji usaka’re farzand iyu’n pukar’e re piya,
jiyu’n tha’n vichhuta vachha’re (5)
“Their son would cry as if the calf is parted from its mother’s teat.”
Ehi jal vichhuti jem ma’chhali re piya,
So jivengi ketalik va’r re (6)
“O’Beloved! It is like a fish parted from water. How long can it survive?”
On other side, Imam Islam Shah deputed one person with two horses towards Baba Kuhi to bring Pir Sadruddin in Kahek. Both Pir Sadruddin and Sheikh Mohammad delighted and went Kahek. Imam Islam Shah revealed them reason of not coming back.
Eji pa’ni ki bhirmandal phulo’n ki chhayare’ piya,
So varanna varann pind nipaya re (7)
“O’Beloved! (When there was) water on earth, the flowers (vegetations) made the shadow, and in like manner, the (human) body originated in different stages.”
It refers to the theory of evolution. After describing coolness of the earth, the Pir proceeds in the following couplet.
Eji haide’ bhitar agan jalati re piya,
So tuhin bujavannha’r re (8)
“O’Beloved! The fire (of love) burns within body. You alone can extinguish it.”
Eji dukh ne sukh doi hazrat likhiyare’ piya,
So dosh kisiku’n na dijere’ re (9)
“O’Beloved! Both woe and weal are preordained by the Hazrat (the Lord), therefore, don’t blame to anyone (for misfortune).”
Dukh sukh pindine’ avanna hoji, virabhai javanna hoji;
pann radhai thaki sat dharam na chhodie’(ginan)
“Woe and weal are coming in the body, and so are going, O’courageous brother! But don’t abjure faith in the heart.”
Sukh dukh beu bani awashe’, pann radaithi dharam na chhodie’ (ginan)
The Persian word, hazrat, hadrat, hadhrat and the Arabic, hadrah is a honorific word for persons of distinction. It literally means presence or appearance. It is used to honour a person, such as the Prophets, Imams or the distinguished persons. Its connotations in English is Your Honour for judges, His Majesty for royalty, Your Holiness for religious clergies. Its equivalent Sanskrit word is Shri, Shree or Sree – a polite form of address.
Eji charann bheta’do a’sha najar milavo piya,
Haida mahe’n maheraj a’anno re’ (10)
“O’Beloved! Let me embrace (your) feet. O’Lord! Let us have at personal sight. Bring compassion in the heart.”
Before departure from Kahek, Imam Islam Shah invested him the office of Piratan, assuring that he would come in India.
Eji shri Islam Shah amane’ malia, ane’ didha te din’na ra’j,
Alakh rupe’ orakhia, tenne’ sa’ria amara ka’j (ginan)
“I found Hazrat Imam Islam Shah, and invested the religious authority (Piratan). I recognized him as an Enffable Lord, who fulfilled my desires.”
Eji esso ginan Pir bhannav’e Sadardin,
Sami Rajo Jampu deep mahe’n avengo nirvann (11)
“Pir Sadruddin teaches this ginan: Verily, the Royal Lord shall come in sub-continent.”
In some other ginans, the Pir predicted that the Imam would fulfilled his promise in 12th century (of Islamic era). Who was the first Imam who came firstly in Indian Sub-continent? He was Imam Abul Hasan Ali (1143-1206/1730-1792) of 12th century.
“Both happiness and sorrow will come, but don’t abjure faith from heart.”
Nadir Shah (1102-1688-1160/1688), the last great Asiatic campaigner established the Afsharid empire in 1148/1736 in Iran whe Imam Abul Hasan Ali was the governor of Kirman. The Imam had maintained his best of ties with Nadir, who dominated Iran, Iraq and Azerbaijan. His next operation was against India in 1150/1738. The tradition relates that Imam Abul Hasan Ali also accompanied Nadir Shah. It seems that the Imam would have joined the regiment of Nasarullah Mirza in the operation of Kernal.
The Khokar tribe in Punjab was originally the Shamsi Ismailis, who thickily resided in Hazara, Rawalpindi, Attock and Jhelum districts at that time. The main foothold of the Khokar was Marikala. Modern Marigala, lying between Attock and Rawalpindi. Mukarrab Khan, the chief of the Khokar tribe did not fight with the regiment of Nasrullah Mirza, but joined him in the battle of Karnal in 1152/1739.
Nadir Shah finally entered Delhi without opposition in 1151/1739. In short, Nadir Shah left Sind after one year for Iran.
To this, we must add liklihood that Imam Abul Hasan Ali had availed chance to see his followers privily in Sind. The Imam’s arrival in India for the first time needs further research. And thereafter, Imam Hasan Ali Shah entered India via Quetta on October 5, 1842.
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Karachi, November, 2021
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