Revival in Silence: How Syed Shah Ji Miyan Reawakened Barakatiya Sufism of Marehra Sharif

By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam 15 May 2025 This article explores the quiet yet profound legacy of Hazrat Syed Shah Abul Qasim Ismail Hasan of Marehra Sharif, a spiritual revivalist of the Barkaatiyya Sufi silsila in colonial India. Main Points: 1. Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan (15 September 1855–19 July 1928) of Marehra Sharif revived the Barkaatiyya Sufi tradition. 2. He was deeply rooted in both paternal and maternal spiritual lineages. 3. His education included Quranic sciences and rational Islamic disciplines. 4. He practised silent, profound revivalism. 5. His legacy continues through disciples and successors. ----- Introduction Deep within India's spiritual tradition lies a town named Marehra Sharif, the abode of a luminous spiritual heritage, the Barakatiya Silsila, a Shaakh (sub-order) of the renowned Qadiriyya order. Among its venerated torchbearers stands a figure far less frequently invoked within the broader narrative of South Asian Sufi historiography, yet monumental in influence and legacy, Hazrat Syed Shah Abul Qasim Ismail Hasan, affectionately referred to as Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan. Revered by scholars and saints alike, he is remembered as the Hujjat al-Khalaf (proof among successors) and the reviver of the Barkaatiyya Sufi order during the post-classical era. Spiritual Lineage and Early Life Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan was born on the 3rd of Muharram 1272 Hijri (15 September 1855). He was brought up in an environment steeped in divine enlightenment and intellectual profundity. His birth in the sacred town of Marehra Sharif, a centre of Sufi learning and piety in the United Provinces (present-day Etah district of Uttar Pradesh), was regarded by the spiritual brotherhood as a continuation of divine grace, a golden link in the sacred chain of saints descending from the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam through Hazrat Imam Maula Ali, Hazrat Zaid ibn Ali al-Sajjad and Hazrat Syed Abul Farah Wasti. Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan was the son of Hazrat Syed Shah Muhammad Sadiq Marehrawi summa Sitapuri, a spiritual master of considerable repute. However, it was his maternal grandfather, the legendary Hazrat Syed Shah Ghulam Mohiyuddin Ameer Alam, who undertook the responsibility of guiding the young Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan along the austere and illuminating path of Sufism. Through him, Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan received both Bay‘ah (spiritual pledge) and the honoured Khilafah, affirming his spiritual succession in the blessed Sufi lineage. This double lineage, both paternal and maternal, solidified his spiritual authority and established him as a reviver of the Barkaatiyya legacy. Education and Intellectual Formation One of the most significant events of his early life was his Bismillahkhaani ceremony, the formal initiation into recitation of the Qur’an. This sacred rite was performed by none other than Peer-e-Aala Hazrat, Khatim al-Akabir, Hazrat Syed Shah Aal-e-Rasool Ahmadi, a towering figure in the spiritual realm and a direct descendant of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam. The significance of this act underscored the spiritual promise and innate piety observed in Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan from a tender age. His early education was overseen by his noble father, who introduced him to an environment brimming with scholars, jurists, theologians, grammarians, and Qur’anic exegetes. Among his Qur’an Sharif teachers were Hazrat Hafiz Walidaad Khan Marahrawi, Hazrat Hafiz Qadir Ali Lakhnavi, and Hazrat Hafiz Abdul Karim Malakpuri, all renowned for their command over Tajweed and Qur’anic sciences. His formal instruction in rational disciplines and Islamic jurisprudence was under the guidance of noted scholars such as Hazrat Maulvi Abdush Shakoor, Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Ghani, and Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Ali Lakhnavi, each celebrated for their erudition in Mantiq (logic), Fiqh (jurisprudence), and Balagha (rhetoric). Revivalist Role and Quiet Influence Taj al-Ulama, another stalwart of the Barkaatiyya Silsila, recorded with awe Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan’s vast intellectual reach and extraordinary memory. His ability to grasp, retain, and impart complex knowledge was only equalled by his humility and spiritual discipline. Unlike the popular reformers of his age who preferred public debates and fiery discourses, Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan’s method of revivalism was quiet, deliberate, and profound. Through inner purification, intellectual depth, and spiritual mentorship, he revitalised the Barkaatiyya Sufi order at a time when colonial modernity and sectarian fragmentation threatened to erode its sacred core. His approach was rooted in the timeless Sufi methodologies of Tazkiyah (purification of the soul), Muraqabah (spiritual mindfulness), and Suhbah (righteous companionship). Under his guidance, the spiritual climate of Marehra Sharif flourished anew. Devotees, students, and seekers journeyed from across the subcontinent to benefit from his company. They returned transformed, not by flamboyant miracles or public declarations, but by the quiet brilliance of his being and the purity of his teachings. Unlike several of his contemporaries who either indulged in polemics or gravitated towards formal religious authority, Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan upheld Sufism as a lived, vibrant practice of divine remembrance, love, and humanitarian service. His khanqah remained open to all, regardless of caste, class, or creed, embodying the Prophetic ethos of inclusion, simplicity, and compassion. Though he authored no grand theological treatises nor issued political edicts, his life itself became a living manuscript, narrating a tale of devotion, discipline, humility, and spiritual transmission. The impact of his teachings endures through the generations of murids (disciples) and Khulafaa (spiritual deputies) he nurtured, many of whom became luminous guides in their own right, carrying the Barakatiya flame well into the twentieth century. Legacy and Continuing Inspiration Hazrat Abul Qasim Syed Shah Muhammad Ismail Hasan Qasmi Barkati passed away on 1st Safar 1347 Hijri (19th July 1928) in Marehra Sharif. During his own lifetime, he appointed Ahsanul Ulama Hazrat Syed Shah Mustafa Haider Hasan Miyan, as his spiritual heir by conferring upon him the mantle of Sajjadanashin of his family. Today, Ameen-e-Millat Hazrat Syed Shah Ameen Miyan Quadri Barkaati is resplendently seated upon that revered throne, and the grandeur of Urs-e-Qasmi continues as a luminous testimony to his spiritual grace and leadership. Among his distinguished Khulafa (spiritual successors) were Hazrat Syed Shah Ghulam Mohiyuddin Fakir Alam, Hazrat Syed Shah Aulad-e-Rasul Muhammad Miyan (founder of Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat), Hazrat Syed Shah Aal-e-Mustafa Syed Miyan, and Ahsanul Ulama Hazrat Syed Shah Mustafa Haider Hasan Miyan, among others. Conclusion Today, Huzoor Shah Ji Miyan’s legacy transcends the precincts of Marehra. His spiritual imprint resides in the hearts of his followers, the instructions of successive teachers, and in the ceaseless dhikr (remembrance of God) that echoes in Barkaati Khanqahs across India and beyond. In an age marked by distractions and disconnection, the existence of Hazrat Syed Shah Abul Qasim Ismail Hasan serves as a luminous reminder that true revival does not always announce itself with noise; sometimes, a quiet saint rekindles a sleeping tradition with nothing but the light of his presence. ---- 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. 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