Where Faith Meets History: The Living Legacy of Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi of Sheikhpura, Bihar

By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam 12 August 2025 For over 654 years, Matokhar Sharif, Sheikhpura has honoured Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi, whose journey from Hamadan to Bihar left a legacy of faith, love, and grace uniting hearts across generations. Main Points: 1. The 654th Urs of Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi was celebrated with deep devotion at Matokhar Sharif on 9th and 10th August 2025. 2. His spiritual journey began in Hamadan, Iran, leading to Bihar under Makhdoom-e-Jahan’s guidance. 3. The shrine holds personal significance for the author’s family. 4. Legends recall a vast pond dug by jinn. 5. The Bihar government recently allotted nearly ₹50 crore for beautification of Shrine and Pond. ----- Introduction In the quiet heart of rural Bihar, where the fragrance of the soil mingles with the whispers of centuries-old devotion, the 654th Urs of Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi (Hamadani, Irani) was marked this year with the same heartfelt reverence that has kept his shrine alive for over six and a half centuries. Matokhar Sharif is not just a village with a Dargah, it is a heartbeat in the spiritual life of Bihar. For centuries, this sacred place has welcomed everyone who came with love in their hearts, from humble villagers to nobles of great rank. Old records from Syed Akhtar Ahmed Orenvi's book even recall a time when Prince Azim-us-Shan, Mughal governor of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, was approached to extend patronage to this revered centre. This ancient bond between shrine and people took on new life in February 2025, when the Government of Bihar announced an allocation of nearly ₹50 crore for the beautification of the dargah complex and its great pond. For devotees and historians alike, it was not merely a development project, it was a long-overdue honour for a spiritual heritage site of rare value. From Hamadan to Bihar: The Call of Renunciation Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi’s story begins far away, in Hamadan, Iran, a city famed for its scholars, poets, and saints. His father Hazrat Abu Ishaque was a local King who owned a lush garden there, and it was in this very garden that a small dispute between workers changed the course of his life forever. Surely it was a misunderstanding, but perhaps divine destiny at Bihar, but it moved the young Hazrat Ishaq to leave behind his homeland, his family, and every worldly comfort. His steps eventually led him to the spiritual city Bihar Sharif, drawn by the spiritual light of Makhdoom-e-Jahan Hazrat Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmad bin Yahya Maneri, a grandson of Hazrat Imam Muhammad Taj Faqih Hashmi, one of the greatest Sufi saints of the Indian subcontinent. Under Makhdoom-e-Jahan’s guidance, Hazrat Ishaq immersed himself in the discipline of the Khanqah. When the time came, his master instructed him to settle in Matokhar, a place that would become both his home in life and his resting place after death. Though history has not preserved the details of his spiritual chain (Silsila-e-Bayat), his formal succession (Khilafat), his exact birthplace, or his parents’ names, his intellectual and spiritual fragrance lingers. Scholars like Prof. Dr. Syed Shah Shamimuddin Ahmad Munemi of Khanqah Munemiya Qamariya, Patna have pointed out that beautiful Persian verses attributed to Hazrat Ishaq survive in scattered manuscripts at many libraries, treasures still waiting to be edited and brought into the light. A Saint in My Life’s Story My bond with Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi is not only as a researcher, it is as someone whose life has been personally touched by him. As a child, I had a slight difficulty in speaking, not silence, but a hesitation in pronouncing certain words. My father, Syed Ahmad Hussain Azizi bin Hafiz Dr. Syed Aashique Hussain bin Hafiz Meer Syed Abdul Aziz Jajneri bin Maulvi Meer Syed Abdullah Jajneri bin Meer Syed Amjad Ali Jajneri bin Meer Syed Niyaaz Ali Jajneri, prayed to Allah through the Waseela (intercession) of Hazrat Ishaq. By the grace of Allah, my speech became clear. That moment etched his spiritual influence deep into my heart. As the couplet says: Nigah-e-Wali Mein Wo Ta’sir Dekhi Hai Badalti Laakhon Ki Taqdeer Dekhi Hai (In the gaze of a saint, I have seen such power, that it can transform the destinies of millions.) Sufism teaches that blessings (Barakah) come from Allah alone, yet the gaze of His friends (Awliya) can be the means by which His mercy flows into the world. The Sacred Thursdays Since my earliest days, Thursdays (Jumerat) often meant one thing, going to the dargah. Sometimes it was with my father, sometimes during Urs with friends, and often in the company of my mother's spiritual teacher Hazrat Syed Muhammad Ejaz Akhtar Qadri, who for years has recited Fatiha at the shrine every Thursday. The journey itself became a ritual, an act of love and belonging. Outside the Dargah complex, on the mountain, lies a small enclosed space where Hazrat Ishaq is believed to have offered his prayers. It remains protected by a boundary, guarding it against those who, in earlier times, sought to erase such signs. In moments like this, I recall the words of Imam-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Fazil-e-Bareilly: Kya Dabe Jispe Himayat Ka Ho Panja Tera Sher Ko Khatre Mein Laata Nahin Kutta Tera (How can they crushed someone who have the sacred hands of you on them, No dog can endanger the Lion you guard.) The Pond Dug by Jinn Before the shrine stretches an immense pond which, as caretaker Janab Shah Muhammad Shakir tells, once covered nearly 380 Bighas. Maybe this is the longest Pond of Bihar. Local tradition says it was dug by jinn who lived nearby, constantly engaged in the saint’s remembrance. Literal truth or poetic metaphor, the story reflects the widespread belief that Hazrat Ishaq’s spiritual presence touched both the seen and the unseen worlds. I once captured the thought in verse: Suboot-e-Faiz Dekho Talibo! Talab Ki Soorat Jino Ne Khod Dala, Wo Bhi Uske Zikr Wala Ho (O seekers, behold the proof of grace, see the pond, the jinn themselves dug it, all the while remembering him.) A Light That Still Shines Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi was a Wali (saint), an Aashiq-e-Rasool (lover of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam), and a mujahid (spiritual warrior), a guide whose light still warms the hearts of seekers. I once expressed this in my own couplet: Khuda Ki Raah Ke Rahi, Wali, Aashiq, Mujahid The Ki Har Aalam Mein Unke Faiz Ka Ab Tak Ujala Ho (A traveller in God’s path, a saint, a lover, a warrior, Whose grace still illuminates the worlds.) My dear brother in faith, the disciple of former Grand Mufti of India, Huzoor Tajush Shariah Allamah Akhtar Raza Khan Qadri Razvi Barelvi alias Azhari Miyan, Janab Muhammad Nazir Raza Qadri, lovingly added: Khuda Aabaad Rakhe Hazrat-E-Amjad Ka Kaashana Ki Inke Ilm Se Sairaab Ye Saara Zamaana Ho (May Allah keep Hazrat Amjad’s knowledge ever blessed, that the whole world may be happy from his knowledge.) And in humility, I can only say: Ye “Amjad” Hai Bashar Kya, Khaak Bhi Qabil Nahin Uske Magar Taufiq Ho Itni, Ki Dar Par Aashiyana Ho (What is this “Amjad” but dust, unworthy of him, Yet may I be granted the grace to dwell at his door.) A Shrine Without Boundaries The Urs at Matokhar Sharif is more than a commemoration; it is a living tradition. People from all walks of life gather — Naats sing verses of longing, langar feeds the hungry, and the atmosphere hums with prayer. Even in today’s hurried world, the Dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi stands as an oasis, a place where history, faith, and love for the Divine meet. For anyone who steps into its courtyard, it is not simply a historical site. It is to step into a river of spiritual grace that has flowed, unbroken, for more than six centuries. ----- Syed Amjad Hussain is an author and Independent research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is the author of 'Bihar Aur Sufivad', a research book based on the history of Sufism in Bihar. Note: This is the first-ever article available related to Khwaja Ishaq Maghribi on the Internet. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/faith-history-legacy-khwaja-maghribi/d/136466 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism