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[[Category: India |B]]
[[Category: Places |B]]
[[Category: Religion|B]]
[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]

=Bihar Sharif=

By Kulsoom Noor Saifullah

''' Walking with the Sufis '''

'' India Harmony '' VOLUME - 1 : ISSUE - 6 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2012

“One day I will have to go and leave this burden
behind, except for your name, nothing will be
found in my record”

[[File: Arriving from Central Asia.png|Arriving from Central Asia|frame|500px]]

So wrote Sharafuddin Maneri, the much revered
medieval saint of Bihar in Maktubat-e-Sadi or
“Hundred letters of the century”. So rich was this
collection of letters in philosophy and wisdom,
that over the centuries they have been preserved,
read, discussed and
taught at diverse
spiritual centres
across the world.

[[File: Badi Dargah.png|Badi Dargah|frame|500px]]

Sufism came early to
Bihar, as early as the
twelfth century, in the
wake of the Afghan
incursions into North
India. One of the
earliest Sufis to settle
in India was the great
Sufi saint Moinuddin
Chishty of Ajmer. His
followers, at his behest, fanned out all over the
country to spread the message of peace and
brotherhood. These were highly enlightened,
scholarly men with only one mission-the
propagation of divine love. Their creed was the
universality of religion and they came to India to
escape from the religious orthodoxy whose writ
ran large over the lands of Central Asia. Indeed,
the word “sufi” or “wool” stands for the rough
sheep's wool cloaks that these monks wore and the
uniformity of their dress gave them the common
name of Sufis. They were ascetics and wandered
across northern India
contemplating
learning, teaching.
The Bihari Sufis came
to believe that
“Everything is He”
and reconciled
religion with
philosophy. This was
welcomed by the local
populace who
understood the
doctrine of respect for
all faiths only too
well. After all, they
belonged to the land
of Mahavira, Buddha and Ashoka, besides being
deeply rooted in the Vedantic philosophy of the
early Aryans.
[[File: Scholarly pursuits.png|Scholarly pursuits|frame|500px]]
In 1202 AD, when the dashing Turk Bakhtiar
Khilji swept through Bihar establishing the rule of
the Delhi Sultans, he brought in his entourage his
spiritual advisors, the Sufis, who put down their
roots here. Persian then became the preferred
language of the court, the administration, the
Khanqahs and the Madrassas that came up across
territory that was once the ancient Magadh
Empire (322-185 Bc). Persian influence was not
new to Bihar The Influence of earlier Iranic
empires could be seen in the palace ruins of
Patliputra which exhibited the “conscious
adoption of the Iranian palace plan by the
Mauryas as also distinct influences of the art of
the Archemedial Empire”. Throughout the Delhi
Sultanate period (1206-1526) and throughout
Mughal rule (1526-1857), the Persian language
reigned supreme. It became the preferred
language of the sufis too and this gave rise to the
most
outstanding
works of
literature,
history and
spirituality
during that
period.

[[File: Tomb of Makdoom Shah at Maner, Patna.png|Tomb of Makdoom Shah at Maner, Patna|frame|500px]]

One of the
earliest and
most revered
of the sufis
to put down
roots here
was Sheikh Kamaaluddin Yahya Maneri who
established a centre of learning visited by many
scholars from distant lands. He was the grandson
of Hazrat Imam Taj Faquih Hashmi (who also
came to be known as Sheikh al Hind) who had
settled in Maner, a small settlement 29 km from
Patna. The family, originally from Palestine, were
disciples of Sheikh Umar-al-Suhrawardi of Iraq,
founder of the Suhrawardiyya sufi order. Sheikh
Yahya Maneri was sent to study theology at
Baghdad
Academy
and on his
return to
Maner
married the
daughter of
another
great
spiritual
saint and
Prince of
Kashghar
region
Makhdoom
Pir Jagjot. He together with Sheikh Yahya Maneri
and other Sufi scholars established Maner or
Phulwari Sharif as it is also known, as a centre of
religious learning unparalleled at that time. Over
the centuries the social and cultural developments
that emanated from the message of love and
tolerance preached by the Sufis became a way of
life for the people of Bihar.

The spiritual centre at Maner Sharif attracted
kings and commoners, Hindus and Muslims alike.
It's renown brought royal visitors such as Sikandar
Lodi and Babur, the great Moghul himself, to their
dargahs to seek the blessings of these highly
enlightened souls. It's rich architectural past is
evident today in the red sandstone Shah Sangi
Masjid built by the Emperor Humayun in honour
of the spiritual masters. Also still standing in
modern times are the Khanqah Mujeebia, Sheesh
Mahal and Imarate Sharia, memorials to the birth
and development of the sufi culture in India.

[[File: Choti Dargah.png|Choti Dargah|frame|500px]]

In 1263 AD a son was born to Sheikh Yahya
Maneri, a child who was to grow up to be one of
Bihar's most revered and beloved of sufi saints,
Sheikh Sharafuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri. He
exhibited an interest in spirituality and scholarly
pursuits from his early childhood. It is said that
his mother saw a divine presence bending over the
baby's cradle. She reported the matter to her father
who himself was an evolved soul. Her father was
overwhelmed by the news of the visitor and told
her that her baby was greatly blessed and would
one day be a man of great spiritual powers. This
soon became evident as the boy became proficient
in Arabic, Persian, logic, philosophy and religion
under a renowned teacher in Sonargaon near
Dacca. He married his teacher's daughter and a
son was born to them. However, soon after the
birth, he left home to pursue his thirst for spiritual
knowledge and in search of a spiritual mentor. His
search took him all over the country including the
Khanqah (seminary) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia
at Delhi. He finally found his mentor in
Najamuddin Firdausi (near Delhi) who initiated
him into the sufi order and declared him his
successor on earth. Sharafuddin Maneri
established the Firdausi order in his mentor’s
name. His mentor instructed him to return to
Bihar. Sheikh Maneri retreated to the Rajgir hills
and spent long years in contemplation, near a hot
spring which is now called Makhdoom Kund in
his memory. Having spent thirty years in the
woods near Rajgir, where Buddhist monks and
Hindu sages had also sought enlightenment in
ancient times, he returned to Bihar Sharif where
he devoted the rest of his life to teaching and
writing. These teachings are embodied in several
collections of letters to his disciples, state
dignitaries and also to Sultan Firoz Tughlaq. His
books Maktoobate Sadi (hundred letters of a
century) and Maktoobate do Sadi (two hundred
letters of a century) are renowned collections of
spiritual writings in the Persian language. They
have since been translated into English by P.
Jackson and are appreciated by an international
readership. The original manuscripts are preserved
in the Khuda Baksh library at Patna.

[[File: chotu.png||frame|500px]]

In his writings and discourses, he discussed the
spiritual duties of Islam and the moral, social and
ethical responsibilities of Muslims. He believed
that mystical knowledge was the seed of love and
exhorted his followers to surrender to the divine
fire which consumed despondency and
desperation. He lit the lamp of hope and love in
his believers. He was well-versed in teachings of
all faiths and was a repository of esoteric
knowledge and was known to possess
supernatural powers. Just before his death, he
chose his successor, bestowed his patched sufi
cloak on him, and dictated his funeral prayer and
then passed on to another realm. His shrine
became a place of sanctity and prayer for all time
to come drawing believers of all faiths who visit
to this day asking for boons and blessings. Seven
hundred years later he is still known as
Makhdoom-ul-Mulk (Master of the world)
Makhdoom-e-Jahan (Master of the Universe) and
most eardearingly by the Bihari people, as their
very own beloved Sharfa Bihari.

''' The Khuda Baksh Library '''

[[File: Khuda Baksh.png|Khuda Baksh|frame|500px]]

[[File: Raja Ram Mohan Roy.png|Raja Ram Mohan Roy|frame|left|500px]]

Patna was a famous centre for Persian and Arabic
studies so much so that in 1772 Raja Ram Mohan
Roy was sent there to acquire proficiency in the
language. Having mastered the language he
composed the “Tohfat–al–mowabedin” in Persian
with a foreword in Arabic. The all pervading
influence of the language attracted both hindu and
muslim scholars. Many Hindu authors attained
eminence with their literary works such as Raja
Ram Narayan “Mauzoon” whose correspondence
with his tutor Sheikh Ali Hazin is notable. Raja
Peare Lal ‘Olfati’ was a famous ghazal singer also
known for his matnavi and neyrang-e-taqdeer. His
maternal grandfather Raja Ojagarchand “Olfat”
has left two of the finest collections of ornately
written letters in addition to his Diwan. Patna was
a renowned center for ivory painting with
rendering of birds, animals and human figures
showing persian influence. Persian Calligraphy
was highly prized and Iza-al-din, a great
calligrapher of that time produced specimens of
various forms of scripts. Buchanan’s map of Patna
dated 1812 is in Persian showing the use of
Persian even under British rule. In the early 20th
century, a Hindu lawyer, Baijnath Singh translated
some of Maneris’s writings from Persian to
English. In the twenty first century too Patna is
home to renowned scholars of Urdu and Persian
who have benefitted from a vast collection of
documents, scripts, paintings etc. that have been
lovingly displayed by the great collector Khuda
Baksh whose priceless gift to the nation is the
Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library at Patna.

''' Principles of Sufism '''

Zekhr - to remember - remembering
God at all times
Fekr - to think, meditate - being in the
state of awareness and wondering
Sahar - to awaken - awakening of soul
and body
Jui’ - to hunger - having exterior hunger
(mind) and interior hunger (heart) to
obtain the truth and to persist in the search
Somt - to observe silence - ceasing to
think and talk about worthless things
Saom - to fast - fasting of body from
food, mind from attachments, and soul
from desires
Khalvat - to observe solitude - praying
in solitude, externally and internally
Khedmat - to serve - dissolving in the
Truth of the master and dissolving in the
Truth of existence, God.

''' Principles of Vedanta '''

In the highest sense, Vedanta means knowledge
of God or the Absolute Reality, as recorded in
the Upanishads, the final section of the Vedas.
This knowledge is not acquired by education,
nor by adherence to scripture. Instead, Vedanta
declares that it is the goal and birthright of
every individual to obtain this knowledge
through direct experience. To reach this goal,
Vedanta gives us principles which can guide us
in our approach to life, in affirming that the
universe is a manifestation of one Spiritual
Reality.
Within each person this Divine Essence is at
the core of his or her innermost being. Thus
human life becomes an opportunity to unfold
and manifest this Divinity from within. All
religions are valid paths which can lead one to
the realization of these truths.

''' Principles of Buddhism '''

The Noble Eightfold Path
Right Understanding
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration

Bihar Sharif - Revision history

Pdewan: Created page with "{| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"| This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.You can help by converting..."

Pdewan: Created page with "{| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"|
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.
You can help by converting..."