URS Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri RA, 18th-19th Safar – 12th Sep 2022
URS Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri R.A
Shrine of Hazret Data Gunj Bakhsh Ali Hajveri R.A … حضرت سید علی ہجویری داتا گنج بخش رحمت اللہ علیہ
URS Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri R.A
Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri R.A, was born in 400 A.H. in Ghazni (Afghanistan). He belonged to a Syed family (descendant of the Holy Prophet SWS). He completed his earlier education in Ghazni by memorizing the Holy Quran. Then he studied Arabic, Farsi, Hadith, Fiqh, Philosophy and spiritual sciences. At that time Ghazni was the centre of education in Central Asia, and it was the realm of the famous Afghan ruler Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi.
After completing his worldy education, he searched for the spiritual education. He travelled to many places for this purpose, and finally became spiritual disciple of Hazrat Abul Fazal Mohammad bin Khatli RA, in Junaidiya Sufi Order, who lived in Syria.
In Syria, Hazret Ali Hajveri RA started his spiritual education under the guidance of Hazret Abul Fazal RA, he slept less, ate less, performed strenuous meditations and seclusions. Then he travelled to many countries & places like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Arabia, Azerbaijan etc. There he met many Sufi Saints & Dervishes.
Once he was entangled in a spiritual mystery, and wasn’t able to solve it, so then he went to the tomb of Hazret Bayazid Bistami QS, where he meditated for many days, and eventually he finally solved that spiritual mystery. On another occasion he was again suspended within a spiritual mystery and went again to the tomb of Hazret Bayazid Bistami QS but this time he did not find any clues or an answer. So then he left for Khurasan (A Province in Iran), where he stayed in a village and found a group of Sufi dervishes. Because Hazret Ali Hajveri RA always wore simple and modest dress, the Sufis said to each other that this person (Hz Ali Hajveri RA) doesn’t belong to their group, (As they all were wearing specific dervish dress). Hazret Ali Hajveri RA stayed with them, the Sufi dervishes ate delicious foods but gave him a dry bread to eat. They also mocked Hazret Ali Hajveri RA, threw him the cores of fruits. Hazret Ali Hajveri RA addressed God: “O God! if these people wouldn’t be wearing the clothes of your friends (dervishes), then I wouldn’t tolerate their insulting behaviour.”
During the journey of Syria, he visited the tomb of the great Companion of the Holy Prophet, Hazret Bilal RA. There he slept for a while and found himself in Makka where he saw the Holy Prophet (SWS) with an old man. He didn’t recognize him & thought who could he be? Then Hazret Ali Hajveri RA fell on the feet of the Holy Prophet (SWS) & kissed them. The Holy Prophet (SWS) knew what Hazret Ali Hajveri RA had in his mind, so he told Ali Hajveri: “This old man is Abu Hanifa RA, your Imam.”
Later his spiritual teacher Hazret Abul Fazal RA ordered him to go to Lahore to preach the spiritual teachings of Islam. He said: “Hazret Shah Hussain Zanjani is already there for this purpose, so then why should I go to there? Hazret Abul Fazal said: “It’s none of your business, just go to Lahore.” So he left Syria & went to Ghazni. From Ghazni he went to Peshawar & then to Lahore, in 1041 A.D (431 A.H). When he reached to Lahore, he saw that people are taking a coffin towards the graveyard for burial. He asked “Who is he?” People replied that it is the dead body of Hazret Shah Hussain Zanjani RA. After hearing that, he understood why his teacher Hazret Abul Fazal sent him to Lahore. After reaching to Lahore, he started to preach Islam & built a mosque there.
At that time, Lahore was included in the Ghazni Kingdom, whose ruler was Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi. And the governor of Lahore was Ra’e Raju, who was a Hindu & had many great mystical abilities. People of Lahore used to supply milk to Ra’e Raju in large quantities, as a tax. Once an old woman was on her way to pass before Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri RA, holding a water-pot filled with milk. Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri RA asked her to give him some milk from that. The woman refused & said that she has to give it to Ra’e Raju. Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri R.A said: “Give some milk to me, by the grace of God, your cow will produce much more milk than usual”. The woman gave him the pot, Hazret Ali Hajveri drank some milk, and then threw the remaining into the river. The old woman when went to her home, she was surprised to see the breasts of her cow who were full of milk. She poured all of her pots with milk, but still the cow’s breasts were full. Soon this news spread all around the Lahore, and people started to visit Hazret Ali Hajveri RA, and all people brought milk for him, and he also drank some milk from their pots & then threw the remaining into the river, and all of their cows started to produce more milk. So they stopped to supply milk to Ra’e Raju.
Later Ra’e Raju sent one of his disciples to Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri R.A, as his disciples also had mystical abilities. That disciple didn’t come back, so Ra’e Raju sent another disciple, who also didn’t come back. In that way, he sent all of his disciples, but no one came back at all. Finally he himself went to Hazret Ali Hajveri RA in anger. Ra’e Raju challenged Hazret Ali Hajveri RA to show him any miracle. Hazrat Ali Hajveri replied: “I’m not a juggler.” But Ra’e Raju tried to impress him with his miracles, and started flying in the air, Hazret Ali Hajveri ordered his shoes to bring him down. So the shoes of Hazret Ali Hajveri RA went to the flying Ra’e Raju & started to strike on his head & brought him down. Ra’e Raju was inspired & embraced Islam on his hands. After accepting Islam he changed his name as Sheikh Ahmed Hindi.
When Hazret Ali Hajveri RA built a mosque in Lahore, that mosque’s front was towards south, and differed from all other mosques of Lahore. So there became a doubt that this mosque’s front isn’t towards Kaaba. The Scholars of Lahore objected over that mosque, but Hazret Ali Hajveri RA didn’t reply them. When the mosque was built completely, he invited all scholars of Lahore & said to them: “You objected over this mosque’s Kaaba direction, now look by yourself in which direction Kaaba actually is!” When they looked at the front, they saw the holy Kaaba, as they are sitting right before the Kaaba in Makka. All the scholars felt ashamed after seeing this and apologised.
Hazret Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri RA also built a room adjacent to that mosque, and used that room as Khanaqa (Spiritual School). Many unbelievers accepted Islam on his hands, many people touched the higher stages of spirituality under his guidance. He married twice, but both of his wives died soon after marriage. He had a son, named “Hasan”.
He lived in Lahore for 21 years, and then went to Syria to meet his spiritual teacher Hazret Abul Fazal RA. And after the death of Hazrat Abul Fazal RA in 453 A.H, he again came to Lahore.
Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri RA wrote many books, some of his books are:
Diwan-e-She’r; Minhajuddin;
Al-Bayan Lahal- Al-Ayan;
Israrul Kharq Wal-Mauniyat;
Behrul Quloob; Kitab Fana Wa Baqa;
Birri’ayat Be-Huqooq-Ullah; Kashful Israr;
Sharah-e-Kalam; and Kashful Mahjub.
He passed away at the age of 65 in 465 AH in Lahore.
When Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti RA came to Lahore in 561 AH (1165 AD), he stayed at the tomb of Hazret Ali Hajveri RA for two weeks, where he meditated. And when he finished his meditation, he expressed a couplet in Farsi:
” Ganj Bukhsh Faiz-e-Alam; Mazhar-e-Noor-e-Khuda
Naqisa-ra Pir-e-Kamil; Kamila-ra Rahnuma. “
Meaning:
Ganj Baksh (Bestower of Spiritual Treasures) is a grace to the world; a manifester of God’s light.
A perfect spiritual teacher for the beginners; a guide for perfected.
Bir hurmati Habib bir hurmati Habib Anzalta Surat al-Fatiha.
