by Abualy A. Aziz, Upanga (Tanzania)

Hazrat Pir Hasan Kabiruddin bin Hazrat Pir Sadruddin bin Hazrat Pir Sahibuddin bin Hazrat Pir Naseeruddin bin Hazrat Pir Shamsuddin Sabzwari was a famous holy man of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismailis. His ancestry goes back to Hazrat Mowlana Imam Jafar as-Sadiq, and, therefore, known as al-Husayn. His other names: Sayyid Hasan Shah, Pir Hasan Shah, Makhdoom Sayyid Kabiruddin Shah, (Gur Hasan Shah, Gur Pir Hasan al-Husayn, Anant Jo Dhani, etc.

According to a popular version he was born in 742 A.H. at Uchh (Pakistan) but he himself has written that he was just five years and five days old when his father, after six months and six days, got his "iron curtain" removed and the Batuni Deedar mainfestation resumed by the grace of the Lord. The story goes like this: Hazrat Pir Sadruddin was the Holy Pir of the Age, a Qutube'Azam as the Sufies say, and received Allah's favour with inner-vision - Batuni Deedar. Once he was going to Iran, his son Pir Hasan, four and a half years old at that time, wanted to go with him. He explained to the son that he was too small to go through all those hazards of travelling. The child disappointed and brokenhearted withdrew. The Divine favour stopped and Hazrat Pir Sadruddin went blank as if an iron-curtain was drawn between him and the Lord. This shows that Hazrat Pir Hasan, though a child, was a favoured servant of God and exalted spiritually. The "iron curtain" was drawn on the 17th day of Asadh month in the Vikram year 1452, and it was removed after 6 months and 6 days, on the 23rd day of Poss month in the same year. Gur Pir Hasan writes that he was five years and five days old on the day of resumption of the Batuni Deedar to his father. This means that he was born on the 18th day of Poss month in the Vikram year 1447. that is 1391 C.E. or 792 A.H.

This article is not meant for such a discussion, but I have mentioned it here to open a door for a research in this direction. According to Gulzar-e-Shams and Noorum Mubin (Urdu Edition) Hazrat Pir Hasan Kabiruddin died in the month of Safar in the year 853 A.H. at Uchh during the reign of Husein Langa (1469-1499 C.E.) the ruler of Multan. Another Husayn Langa (son of Mahmood Langa) who ruled

the same territory between 1525 and 1533 C.E. was

a different person of the same dynasty.

With tall and lean frame, Gur Pir Hasan was extremely -handsome and attractive. His countenance was the manifestation of peace and divinity. He was very sensitive and emotional but extremely kind, patient and humble. He was soft-spoken and talked little. His large half opened eyes -always cast downward, remained full of tears. His hair on the head was short, but the beard was long and well-kept. Always clad in white dress (he occasionally wore saffron colour) he looked like an angel. Like his father, he used wooden sandals mostly, but while travelling, he wore leather footwear. His diet was simple and little. Gradually he became a strict vegetarian and preached against eating meat.

From his early childhood, he took a great interest in prayers and religious activities; and started thinking about the Creator and His creation, and meditated for hours. He was a born poet and a good debater. He travelled widely in the western, central and northern India, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Iraq and Arabia; but spent most of his life in the Punjab and Gujrat. He earned his livelihood from writing copies of the Holy Quran, sewing caps and weaving. He was highly respected among the poor and in all communities. Thousands followed his Faith with a change of heart and conviction.

He was married seven times and had eighteen sons

and a daughter Bai Budhai.

One of the most important events of his life is the

weaving of 500 yards long and 9 inches wide cloth

from the cotton-like substance from the pods of a wild plant known as aak, he himself, cultivated the plant, plucked its pods, prepared the yarn and wove it into a piece of cloth 500 yards long on handlooms. The product was finer than muslin. Using saffron, dissolved in water, for ink, he wrote a lamentation and praise in poetry, to the Holy Imam-e-Zaman Mowlana Islam Shah. In each yardspace he wrote each of the 500 stanzas in Khojki character - an invention of his father. This work is known as Anat Akhado. He went to see the Holy Imam in Iran and presented the cloth which the Imam wore as a turban.

Like his great great grand father Hazrat Pir Shamsuddin and his father Hazrat Pir Sadruddin, he also, warned the followers to be careful and cautious about their Faith and the responsibilities in the time to come, during which a gradual deterioration would take place in all walks of life and the society. He predicted a great war of wars between the believers and the non-believing people. The believers are the Rikhisar (used as singular as well as plural) who have strong faith in God and practise religion as a way of life dutifully. They fear Allah and depend on Him. They are always in defensive position against the aggressive Da-yeen't (singular and plural), the non-believers. He warned them to guard their Imam and chastity, and not to be tempted by the dazzling miracles of science and the tactics of the Da-yeen't.

The mass of Da-yeen't, and their leader Kalinga, he writes, are cruel, ruthless, pretentious, extremely anti-God and provocative people. Among them there is a milder element called the Da-nav. The difference of opinion between the Da-yeen't and the Da-nav would increase and they will fight for their respective ideology. The Da-nav will lose. They will either merge with the enemy or be killed or take refuge among the believers. The leader, Kalinga, would originally come from the Da-nav. After the great revolution, he would re-organize the whole system to become the most supreme power among the nations.

Unrest and frustration will prevail all over the world. Military conflicts will start among many nations developing into bloody and costly wars which will, ultimately, ignite the greatest of all the wars that mankind has ever seen. The Pir has called this war as Anat Akhado. According to the Holy Bible it is Armageddon (Rev: XVI-16); and our Holy Prophet called it as the Fitinatud-Dajjal, which would be finally settled by Imam Mahdi (this will be his title and not the name) meaning Redeemer and Guide. The Holy Quran has mentioned it as "the coming of God and Magog" (21 : 96). He has given much detail about this great horror of horrors in his various Ginans and in the book Anat Akhado.

He composed over a thousand Ginans and wrote many books in poetry, according to Missionary Bhagat Kara Ruda. His well known works are:

(a) Gayantri.

(b) Brahma Gayantri.

(c) Hasanapuri with a vel

(d) Hasan Kabiruddin ane Kanipa no Samvad.

(e) Anat Akhado

(f) Anat na nav Chhugh.

(g) Satgurnur na Viva

(h) Anant na Viva.

(i) 79 Gnans.

For the more serious thinker his Ginans of 'Abdu' contain suitable guidance in the language of the mystics' and the sufis, to elevate the feelings. For example:

"There is whole world with all its nine continents

inside thee",

"And there are the mountains";

"And there are the seven oceans in thy self";

"But thou wouldst remain dry without the

Teacher"; (Ginan 64 v. 20)

"When the Beloved of thy Soul cometh near thee, thou becometh pure".

"Think about Him constantly with devotion";

"As, no one, wouldst know about thy mysterious pleasure".

(64 v. 1 6)

Some of his sayings:

1. "A lie may sometime ruin the whole life of the

liar". (1/19)

2. "Always think about the right and the wrong

before you do anything." (1/39).

3. "He will not be purified who keeps malice

inside and bathes his body.' (8/1).

4. "There is no better friend than God." (8/1)

5. "Humility enables You to win God's favour." (10/2)

6. "The face of the humble is divine." (10/5)

7. "The world cannot tempt him who is worried

about hereafter." (13/14).

8. "Bickering and gossiping would ruin your

faith" (15/61).

9. "God does not like the vain glorious and the

proud,'. (1 5/144).

10. "There is a devil after every righteous person"

(15/166).

BOOKS REFFERED:

Anat Akhado (in Khojki)-Pir Hasan Kabiruddin

A Collection of Ginans (Kh)-Pir Hasan Kabiruddin

A Dialogue with Kanipa Jogi (Kh) Pir Hasan Kabiruddin

A Collection of Ginans (Kh)-Pir Sadruddin

A Collection of Ginans (Guj)-Sayyid Imam Shah

Noorum Mubin (Urdu)-A. J. Chunara

Tawraikh-e-Pir (Guj)-Sadruddin Dharghawala

An advance History of India-R.C. Maiumdar and other

two

Auliya-e-Multan (UR)-Sayeed Mohammed Gilani.

Sufiya-e-Sindh (Ur)-Aejazul Haq Qudsi

Tarikh-e-Sindh (Ur)-Mir Masoom Bakhri

Tohfatul Kerm (Pr)-Mir Ali Sher Qane'

The Holy Quran (Ar)

Mishkawt Sherif (Ur)

Encyclopadia Britainnica (Eng)

A guide to Ismaili Literature (Eng) W. Ivanow.

A Translation of Girbhawalli (Guj) missionary Bhagat Kara Ruda.