I am not so sure whether Hazarat Shah Jalal was a politician or if he were alive today, he would have been practicing and promoting Bangladeshi politics like BNP, JAMAT, Awami League or JP! And yet, our “National Airport” after his name has at least frozen down all the Airport politics, if not has stopped. Being infected by political anti-matters, I have a cool allergic symptom towards politics and therefore, prefer not digging into and exploring the political minds of this revered foreign born Saint. More importantly, any careless comment on Hazarat Shah Jalal could end up being incendiary remarks [Like Syed Mujtoba Ali did satirically in his several articles, say "Deshe –Bideshe"]. More importantly, Hazarat Shah Jalal’s glorious history shall not generate any news of ebullience to the “modern minorities” in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, the “absolute theory & Practice” of Islam is that Muslims must not worship any Prophet, Caliph, Saint, Pir, Aowlia but to honor and recognize all their uncommon precepts innervated into the regional civilization from time to time.
So who was Hazarat Shah Jalal anyway? What were then exigent missions during his extra-ordinary challenging journey to Indian sub-continent and more precisely, in East Bengal (Bangladesh)? Hazarat Shah Jalal “Orofe” (a.k.a.) Makhdum Jalal Uddin bin Mohammad’s exact biographic details had many clouds over & around and thus the historical documents on him differ from each other. Some scholars claim that he was born in Konya, Turkey in 1271AD and then moved to Yemen during his childhood while majority historians conferred to believe that he was born in Quni, Hadramout in Yemen .
Shah Jalal was the son of a Muslim cleric and his father was an erudite contemporary of the eminent Persian poet and Sufi saint “Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi”. Shah Jalal lost both his parents probably during his childhood and was raised by his maternal uncle Syed Ahmed Kabir. In Medina, Hazarat Shah Jalal successfully ascended to the highest step of academic excellence with his spiritual devotion, hard works and an exceptional academic brilliance those decorated him as a HAFIZ (the Qur’an into memory), a Islamic theologian and Kamaliyat (spiritual perfection) after many years of study and meditation.
Journey to Indian sub-continent:
It is said that his uncle, Sheikh Kabir one day gave him (Shah Jalal) a handful of soils and asked him to go to India with the “instruction” that he should only settle at a place where the soil in hand would match the soil there in smell and color and that, he should devote his life in preaching Islam and promoting the teachings of Islam at his new “home”. Uncle’s “command” prompted him to begin the Odyssey of a challenging journey to the East around 1300AD where Hazarat Shah Jalal came across many great scholars and mystics. He met the great Sufi mystic and scholar like Pir Khawaja Gharib-Nawaz Muinuddin Hasan Chisty in Ajmir, Nizam Uddin in Delhi who were the leading pioneers along the road to establishing Islam in India.
Conquest of Sylhet!
Hindu king, Gaur Govinda (non-Bengali) was the ruler of then predominantly Hindu Sylhet area and it is said that a Muslim subject (Sheikh Burhanuddin) who lived in the territory under the King Govinda’s control, once sacrificed a cow during his son’s birthday celebration. During the birthday event, a stupid crow (all crows are stupid anyway) snatched a piece of “cow meat” away that fell on the temple of the king what he called a great offence! At the order of the King, Burhanuddin's hands were said to have been cut off and his son got killed (not beheaded as in the Holy Saudi Arabia). So, Burhanuddin went to Shamsuddin Firuz Shah , the Sultan of Gaur and submitted a petition against King Govinda for justice. The Sultan accordingly sent an army under the command of his nephew Sikandar Khan Ghazi who was defeated twice by the King Govinda. The Sultan then ordered his Sipah-salar (Army Chief) Nasiruddin to lead the war.
At the behest of Sultan Firoz Shah, Nizam Uddin (Delhi) requested Hazarat Shah Jalal to travel to Sylhet along with “Sikander Khan Gazi” t and rescue Sheikh Burhan Uddin. Hazarat Shah Jalal with his platoons of about 360 followers, some of whom were from Yemen, Tuzikistan, Al Rum,Turfan, Bukhara, Tirmiz, Arabia, Herat and Delhi along with his nephew Shah Paran reached Bengal and joined the Muslim army in the “Sylhet Campaign”. Knowing that Shah Jalal was advancing towards Sylhet, King Govinda removed all the ferry boats from the river Surma that cut off source of crossing over to Sylhet. It is said that Shah Jalal crossed the river Surma riding on a Jai-Namaz (Prayer Rug!)! Upon stepping in the ground of Sylhet, he ordered for and established the “Azan”. With Hazarat Shah Jalal's intelligent logistic initiatives and after fierce battles, King Govinda had to embraced defeat and flee.
At the last leg of his life, an intrepid Shah Jalal devoted himself in preaching the beauties of Islam to the masses. Under his guidance, many thousands Hindus and Buddhists converted into Islamic faith (Probably my forefather too!). It was said that Shah Jalal later found a match in the soil his uncle once gave him to the soil in Sylhet and also that according to his uncle's wish, he decided to settle in Sylhet near Chouki-dhiki. Shah Jalal's fame traveled real fast across the Muslim world. Then Persian explorer, Ibn Battuta came to Sylhet and met Shah Jalal who later described Shah Jalal a tall and lean, fair in complexion person who lived by the “Masjed” in a cave. Another great Mughal poet, Amir Khusrau gave an account of Shah Jalal's conquest of Sylhet in his book "Afdalul Hawaade". Hazarat Shah Jalal himself was both the guide and the lead in preaching Islam throughout the North East India including Assam.
The exact date of Hazarat Shah Jalal’s death is unclear. However, according to Ibn Batuta, he died in 1347 at Sylhet at the age of 150. His disciples mentioned to Ibn Batuta that Hazarat Shah Jalal used to fast in almost all the days of the year. He also performed prayers throughout the nights. He left behind no descendant as he remained unmarried during his entire life. Hazarat Shah Jalal was buried in Sylhet in his Dargah (tomb) which is located in a neighborhood, now known as Dargah Mohalla, named after his name. Shah Jalal is regarded as a national hero by the majority people of Bangladesh. His name is associated with the Muslim conquering Sylhet and considered to be one of the powerful regional war fighter.
By: Mohammad Gani (USA). |
