Thursday, June 5, 2025

Between Persian Grace and Urdu Roots: The Spiritual World of Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali Sheikhpurvi of Bihar

By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam 4 June 2025 Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Hasan Ali Sheikhpurvi, a revered 18th-century Sufi and Urdu prose pioneer from Bihar, bridged Persian scholarship with early Urdu, leaving behind a rich, underexplored spiritual and literary legacy. Main Points: 1. Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali belonged to a noble Firdausi Sufi lineage rooted in present Sheikhpura district of Bihar. 2. He played a pioneering role in shaping early Urdu prose in Bihar. 3. A disciple of Hazrat Shah Muhammad Munim Pak Pachnavi Summa Azeemabadi, he spread Firdausi teachings. 4. He lived a balanced spiritual life. 5. His manuscripts deserve renewed scholarly attention. ---- The Dargah of Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Muhammad Munim Pak Pachnavi Summa Azeemabadi at Mitan Ghat, Patna. ------ Introduction In Bihar's vibrant cultural and religious fabric, few names occupy as prominent a position as that of Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Hasan Ali Sheikhpurvi, a saintly scholar whose work bridges the boundaries of mysticism and literature, notably in the Firdausi Sufi order and early Urdu prose in Eastern India. Born in Sheikhpura, which was then in the district of Munger, he became a colossus of the 18th century whose life and work continue to inspire awe in Sufi circles and literary historians as well. His resting place is near the Patna's Khwaja Kalan Ghat, a city that was once the centre of Eastern Indian intellectualism. A Descendant of Firdausi Saints Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Hasan Ali traced his spiritual and ancestral lineage to the great Firdausi sufi tradition. He is known as the descendant of Hazrat Makhdoom Shaykh Shah Shuaib Firdausi Sheikhpurvi (buried in Badi Dargah, Sheikhpura) whose ancestors came from Jerusalem to Maner Sharif. His pedigree betrays an unbroken link of Islamic scholarship and spirituality: Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Hassan Ali bin Hazrat Makhdoom Shaykh Shah Shuaib Firdausi bin Hazrat Shah Jalal Maneri bin Hazrat Makhdoom Shaykh Shah Abdul Aziz bin Hazrat Imam Taj Faqih Hashmi. (Tazkira al-Karaam: Tareekh Khulafaa-e-Arab Wa Islam. pp. 190, 291, 700) While oral traditions, manuscripts and the age gap between Hazrat Makhdoom Shaykh Shah Shuaib and Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali Sheikhpurvi suggests that Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali was a descendant of Hazrat Shaykh Shah Shuaib. This lineage positions him firmly within the devotional tradition identified with Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Shuaib Firdausi Sheikhpurvi, a great Firdausi mystic in his own right. It also points to his family connections with Hazrat Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri, the celebrated 13th-century saint whose teachings left their mark upon the Sufi circles of Eastern India. A Scholar of High Esteem and the Torchbearer of Urdu Prose Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Hasan Ali’s contribution to Urdu prose literature in Bihar is both historic and foundational. In the Sheikhpura region and Eastern Magadh, the emergence of Urdu prose finds its earliest manifestation in his writings. Though trained in Persian, like most scholars of his time, fragments and complete passages of Urdu prose, phrases, and poems are found within his literary corpus. This infrequent bilingual work places him as a connector between Persian literary heritage and the vernacular style of Urdu, which was still developing in Bihar. This vital literary dimension of Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali’s life was first comprehensively documented by Rakhshan Abdali in a three-part series titled “Urdu Nasar Ke Irtaqa Mein Arbaab-e-Bihar Ka Hissa” published in Nadeem (Gaya) in 1935, 1944, and 1947. Another monumental research was later consolidated by Dr. Ali Abdali Islampuri in 1985, further ensuring that Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali’s role as a literary pioneer was preserved for future scholarship. A Firdausi-Oriented Sufi, Munim Pak's Disciple The spiritual life of Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali is no less extraordinary. Even while in Sheikhpura, he received spiritual guidance in dreams from no less a person than Makhdoom-e-Jahaan Hazrat Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri, who was his most revered personality. For still greater spiritual learning, he went to Azeemabad (Patna), which was then a thriving Sufi and intellectual centre. Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali had originally set his mind to become an affiliate of the Qadiriyya Silsila, but a dream vision of Hazrat Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri advising him to take Baya’h (spiritual allegiance) in the Firdausi Silsila altered his course. This moment of spiritual guidance is important in pointing out the interconnectedness of tariqa choice and dream visions in Indo-Islamic mysticism. It was in Patna, which made him to be a disciple and later a spiritual caliph (khalifa) of Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Muhammad Munim Pak Pachnavi Summa Azeemabadi, a Qutub (spiritual axis) of his time. Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Muhammad Munim Pak, whose shrine is at Mitan Ghat, Patna, bestowed Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali with complete permission and spiritual inheritance. It was under this relationship that the Abulolaiyya branch of Naqshbandi Sufism proliferated far and wide over monasteries in Bihar. A Life of Balance: Neither Recluse nor Recliner While most mystics preferred seclusion, Hazrat Shah Hassan Ali adopted a balanced approach to life, interacting with the world while maintaining spiritual austerity. He married Hazrat Bibi Jain, daughter of Hazrat Shah Muhammad Agha, and thus strengthened his connection with a family of scholars and mystics. His service (Khidmat) to mankind, though humble in hagiographies, lasted long enough to leave a lasting legacy in the form of his teachings, letters, and spiritual lineage (Silsila) that lived on through his caliphs and followers. Letters and Literary Manuscripts: The Need for Further Discovery A unique collection of letters of Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali exists in the Qadiriyya Khanqah of Islampur. While recent in its physical existence, the material gives invaluable insight into the cultural and spiritual vocabulary of the era. Scholars and Custodians of Khanqahs assume that there are more manuscripts to be discovered in Patna's Khanqahs and libraries, which remain to be catalogued and analysed. This makes him a prospective candidate for further archival work in Urdu literature and Bihar's Sufi tradition. His syncretism of Persian literary conventions and emerging Urdu idioms might provide vital information regarding the period of transition from language and intellect in 18th-century Bihar. Chronology and Death Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali passed away in 1224 AH (1809) in Patna, and his shrine near the Khwaja Kalan Ghat remains a draw for believers as well as historians. His passing brought an end to an era, but his literary and spiritual work lives on through word-of-mouth traditions, manuscripts, and the continued impact of the Firdausiyya Silsila in Bihar. Concluding Thoughts Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Hasan Ali Sheikhpurvi was no ordinary Sufi saint; he was a cultural nexus of language, literature, and faith. His role in the history of early Urdu prose is worthy of greater accolade. As the academic community revisits the evolution of regional Urdu prose and Sufi orders in Bihar, Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali’s life stands as a beacon of continuity between the classical Persianate tradition and the emerging Urdu vernacular, a journey mirroring the evolution of India’s own linguistic and spiritual soul. The call for archival investigation and philological examination of his work is now immediate and holds out the promise of opening up a more profound insight into 18th-century Eastern India. It is to be hoped that contemporary institutions and scholars will now pick up this incomplete task, restoring Makhdoom Shah Hassan Ali to his proper place in India's intellectual and spiritual past. References 1. Tazkira al-Karaam Tareekh Khulafaa-e-Arab Wa Islam, pp. 190, 291, 700. 2. Rakhshan Abdali “Arbab Bahar aur Urdu Nasr ki Irtiqa Mein Unka Kirdar” Nadeem (Gaya). 1935, 1944, 1947. 3. Dr Ali Abdali Islampuri (1985). “Majmua-e-Maqalat” 4. Archives of Qadiriyya Khanqah, Islampur Library. 5. Abul Kalaam Rahmani (2005) “Tazkira-e-Mashaheer-e-Adab Shekhpura” Zainab Naunarvi 6. Oral traditions and unpublished manuscripts consulted in Patna and Sheikhpura. ----- 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 about Hazrat Shah Hasan Ali Sheikhpurvi. URl: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/persian-grace-urdu-spiritual-roots-hazrat-shah/d/135768 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

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