1

Introduction

Human beings have been divided into many races,

tribes and colors, so it is natural to have a curiosity to

find out, who I am and where I come from. In other

words you try to discover your roots. Growing up in

Bihar, India I was always reminded by my parents

about our heritage and our root. Since we have migrated

to USA the heritage and root has taken a very special

meaning for our children. People of my generation

know their root to some extent; it is the coming

generation who will feel the urge to know about their

ancestors. So I feel strongly to leave some written

information in English for the future generations. It is

not my intention to write this book to show a sense of

superiority over others by establishing my genealogy to

Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). Every soul is equal before

God. It is your deed and action which make you

honorable or dishonorable.

White people in this country know their roots and

heritage to some extent. It is African American who

feel a sense of frustration not knowing their roots. The

famous black writer Alex Haley spent ten years and

traveled half a million miles across the three continent

to find his roots. One can understand the sense of

excitement he must have felt to find his roots in a

village Juffure in Gambia from where his ancestor

Kunta Kinte was kidnapped into slavery and brought to

the United States of America.

Keeping the genealogical record is as old as the

civilization itself. Where there was no writing the

ancient elders used to depend on their memories to pass

on the genealogical information to the new generation.

Of all the races Arabs were famous in preserving and

maintaining the family tree. They even used to keep the

genealogical records of their horses and camels. Like

any other people our ancestors moved form place to

place in search of better life, to escape persecution or to

2

preach the Deen of Islam to people throughout the

world. It is due to the effort of these great men that

Islam flourished in the Indian subcontinent and

elsewhere in the world.

I shall try my best to give the reader a glimpse where

our forefathers lived, what they did, when and where

they died. In other words just a short account of their

lives. Naturally I do not have the information of all of

our ancestors in the family tree, so I have gathered the

information of only the famous members of my

ancestors. Luckily that information is available on

internet, reference books and history books. Another

important thing I like to write about is the place where

our forefather lived starting from Mecca all the way to

Patna, Bihar, India.

Though I believe our family tree or Shijrah is

authentic, nonetheless I have tried my best to verify its

authenticity. People of my father’s generation and

generations before that were strong believers of

retaining the purity of the family, in other words they

would not even think of marrying out side a Syed

family. I guess this kind of thinking was enforced by

the rigid cast system of Hindus of India. This was the

reason that every Syed family used to preserve the

Shijrah with great care and pass it on to the next

generation as Arabs did.

Luckily in our Shijrah we have some famous people

whose history is available on internet and reference

books. To my surprise I could verify our Shijrah up to

tenth generation from prophet Mohammad (pbuh).

Then in eighteenth generation I found a famous Sufi

Syed Jalaluddin Surkh Bukhari who migrated from

Bukhara to Multan Pakistan in 1242 AD. There is

plenty of information about him and his three

descendents in the internet and reference books, thus I

could verify from 18th to 20th generations.

Syed Shah Minhajuddin, alias Manjhan Shah the 26th

generation descendant came from Multan area to Bihar

3

sometime in 1527 AD and settled in village

Miranbigha, District Gaya. It is known that the Mughal

Emperor Babur granted him a Jageer (real state) in that

area. The Mughal period in the history of India was a

time of peace and prosperity, so our forefather lived in

the same village from 1527 to 1890 till my grand father

Syed Azhar Hussian moved to Shahobigha the village

of my grandmother. It is important to mention here that

recently I made a trip to Karachi Pakistan where I found

our Shijrah embedded in the Shijrah of thousands Syed

families of Bihar. The Shijrah is written on a big sheet

of paper two feet wide and thirty to forty feet long with

all the references and explanations. According to Mr.

Mahboob(1) his father Syed Mahbubul Haq who

migrated to Pakistan from Bihar India, spent thirty

years to complete it, which is unquestionably a

marvelous piece of work. My cousin Syed Zafar Sultan

sent me a book named Sharfa-ke-Nagree written by

Syed Qiamuddin Nizami in which I found our Shijrah

and other valuable information about our ancestors.

Now our Shijrah has been verified by two different

sources. Thus it seems that there is very little doubt in

its authenticity.

One thing that I noticed while writing this book was

that right after the death of third Khalifa Hazrat Usman

and starting with Hazrat Ali, all the Imams were

harassed and suffered at the hands of so called Khalifas

of the day. The person who was responsible for this

trend was Muawiyah. Most of the Imams who were the

descendents of the Prophet (pbuh) were killed by

poison. Even the Abbasid ruler did not spare them. The

rulers loved their throne so much that they did not

tolerate the popularity of these noble men and

eliminated them, before they might become dangerous

for their kin

4

CHAPTER ONE

TheMakkans

Quraish

A tiny spot in the Arabian peninsula became the focal

point for all the pagan Bedouins of the desert, because

of the presence of the House of God also known as the

Kaba. The pagans were deeply religious people, they

held the view that there is a God to cover each aspect of

their lives. There was a tribe called Quraish, among the

pagans who were both intelligent and enterprising. The

Quraish preferred a sedentary life over a nomadic one,

so they capitalized on the Bedouin religious devotion

and their preference for a nomadic life. The tribe of

Quraish installed themselves in Makkah around the

House of God (Kaba) and the well of Zumzum. The

Quraish and some of its powerful members controlled

the supervision and the religious rituals of the House of

Gods.

The members of Quraish tribe consisted of three

groups, one was the priestly group, which controlled the

house of God and sustained itself on the income that it

generated from the pilgrims. The second group of

Quraish were engaged in trade and business. These

people were responsible to convert Makkah the center

of commerce and trade and took their goods to various

destination on their trading mission. The third group of

Quraish consisted of people who earned their living by

providing other services to the pilgrims and other

people. Makkah was also a trade route of Arabian

peninsula so the tribe of Quraish were rather well off

economically. They were very happy to maintain their

way of life and they were always ready to defend it at

any cost. We shall see later on that the little known tribe

5

of Quraish produced great leaders and generals that

changed the history of the world for ever.

Hashemite

The term Hashemite refers to those who belonged to

Banu Hashim, a clan within larger Quraish tribe. The

Hashemite trace their ancestry from Hashim ibn Abdal

Manaf the great grand father of the Prophet (pbuh). In

the early days the Hashemites were engaged in a

continuous struggle against the Umayyads for the

control of Khelafat.

After the over throw of the Umayyad dynasty from

power the Abbasids presented themselves as

Hashemite, as they claimed to be the descendent of

Abbas ibn Abdal Muttalib an uncle of Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh)

Muhammd Sallalaho-Alaihe-Wassallam

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born in 570 AD in

Makkah. His Father, Abdullah, died several weeks

before his birth in Yathrib (Medinah) where he went to

visit his father's maternal relatives. His mother died

while on the return journey from Medinah at a place

called ‘Abwa’ when he was only six years old. He was

raised by his paternal grandfather Abd al Muttalib until

the age of eight, and after his grandfather’s death by

Abu Talib, his paternal uncle. Abd al Muttalib's mother,

Salma, was a native of Medinah and he was born and

raised as a young boy in Medinah before his uncle

brought him to Makkah to succeed him. Many years

before Muhammad's birth, Abd al Muttalib had

established himself as an influential leader of the Arab

tribe of Quraish in Makkah and took care of the Holy

6

sanctuary Kabah. Makkah was a city state well

connected to the caravan routes to Syria and Egypt in

the north and northwest and Yemen in the south.

Under the guardianship of Abu Talib, Muhammad

(pbuh) began to earn a living as a businessman and a

trader. At the age of twelve, he accompanied Abu Talib

with a merchant caravan as far as Bostra in Syria.

Muhammad(pbuh) was popularly known as ‘al-Ameen’

for his unimpeachable character by the Makkans and

visitors alike. The title Al-Ameen means the Honest,

the Reliable and the Trustworthy, and it signified the

highest standard of moral in public life.

Upon hearing of Muhammad’s impressive credentials,

Khadijah, a rich merchant widow, asked Muhammad

(pbuh) to take some merchandise for trade to Syria.

Soon after this trip when he was twenty-five years old

Khadijah proposed to Muhammad (pbuh) through a

relative. Muhammad(pbuh) accepted the proposal and

married Khadija (ra). At that time, she was twice

widowed and forty years old. Khadijah (ra) and

Muhammad (pbuh) were the parents of six children four

daughters and two sons. His first son Qasim died at the

age of two. He was nicknamed Abul Qasim, meaning

the father of Qasim. His second son Abdullah died in

infancy. Abdullah was also called affectionately as

‘Tayyab’ and ‘Tahir’ because he was born after

Muhammad’s prophet hood. The four daughters were:

Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah.

The Holy sanctuary Kabah at that time contained three

hundred sixty idols. The original, pristine message of

Prophet Ibrahim was lost, and it was mixed with

superstitions and traditions of pilgrims and visitors

from distant places, who were used to idol worship.

Muhammad (pbuh) was forty when, during his one of

many retreats to Mount Hira for meditation in the

month of Ramadan, he received the first revelation

from the Angel Jibril (Gabriel). On this first

7

appearance, Gabriel (as) said to Muhammad(pbuh)

"Iqraa," meaning Read or Recite. Muhammad replied,

"I cannot read," as he had not received any formal

education and did not know how to read or write. The

Angel Gabriel then embraced him until he reached the

limit of his endurance and after releasing said: "Iqraa."

Muhammad’s answer was the same as before. Gabriel

repeated the embrace for the third time, asked him to

repeat after him and said:

"Recite in the name of your Lord who created man

from that which clings. Recite; and thy Lord is most

Bountiful, He who has taught by the pen, taught man

what he knew not”. Thus it was in the year 610 AD the

revelation began.

Muhammad (pbuh) was terrified by the whole

experience of the revelation and fled the cave of Mt.

Hira. When he reached his home, tired and frightened,

he asked his wife: ‘cover me, cover me,’ in a blanket.

After his awe had somewhat abated, his wife Khadijah

asked him about the reason of his great anxiety and

fear. She then assured him by saying: "Allah (The One

God) will not let you down because you are kind to

relatives, you speak only the truth, you help the poor,

the orphan and the needy, and you are an honest man.

Khadijah then consulted her cousin Waraqa who was

an old saintly man possessing knowledge of previous

revelations and scriptures. Waraqa confirmed to her that

the visitor was none other than the Angel Gabriel who

had come to Moses. He then added that

Muhammad(pbuh) is the expected Prophet. Khadijah

(ra) accepted the revelation as truth and was the first

person to accept Islam. She supported her husband in

every hardship, most notably during the three year

boycott of the Prophet’s clan, the pagan Quraish.

Gabriel (as) visited the Prophet as commanded by Allah

revealing Ayat (meaning signs, loosely referred to as

verses) in Arabic over a period of twenty-three years.

The revelations that he received were sometimes a few

verses, a part of a chapter or the whole chapter. Some

8

revelations came down in response to an inquiry by the

nonbelievers. The revealed verses were recorded on a

variety of available materials (leather, palm leaves,

bark, shoulder bones of animals), memorized as soon as

they were revealed, and were recited in daily prayers by

Muslims. All the revealed verses (over a period of 23

years and ending in 632 AD) were compiled in the book

known as Qur’an. Prophet’s sayings, actions, and

approvals are recorded separately in collections known

as a Hadith.

The mission of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was to

restore the worship of the One True God, the creator

and sustainer of the universe, as taught by Prophet

Ibrahim (pbuh) and all Prophets of God. To

demonstrate and complete the laws of moral, ethical,

legal, and social conduct and all other matters of

significance for the humanity at large.

The first few people who followed this message were:

his cousin Ali, his servant Zayd ibn Harithah, his friend

Abu Bakr and his wife and daughters.

In the first three years of his mission forty people (men

and women) accepted Islam. This small group

comprised youth as well as older people from a wide

range of economic and social background. The

Prophet(pbuh) was directed by a recent revelation to

start preaching Islam to everyone. He then began to

recite revelations to people in public and invite them to

Islam. The Quraish, leaders of Makkah, took his

preaching with hostility. The most hostile and closest to

the prophet was his uncle Abu Lahab and his wife.

Initially, they and other leaders of Quraish tried to bribe

him with money and power including an offer to make

him king if he were to abandon his message. When this

did not work, they tried to convince his uncle Abu Talib

to accept the best young man of Makkah in place of

Muhammad(pbuh) and to allow them to kill

Muhammad(pbuh). His uncle tried to persuade the

Prophet to stop preaching but the Prophet said: "O

9

uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and

the moon in my left hand to stop me from preaching

Islam, I would never stop. I will keep preaching until

Allah makes Islam prevail or I die.”

The Quraish began to persecute Muslims by beating,

torturing and boycotting their businesses. Prophet was

publicly ridiculed and humiliated including frequent

throwing of filth on him in the street and also while he

prayed in the Kabah. In spite of great hardships and no

apparent support, the message of Islam kept all

Muslims firm in their belief. The Prophet was asked by

God to be patient and to preach the message of Quran.

He advised Muslims to remain patient because he did

not receive any revelation yet to retaliate against their

persecutors.

When the persecution became unbearable for most

Muslims, the Prophet advised them in the fifth year of

his mission (615 AD) to emigrate to Abyssinia (modern

Ethiopia) where Ashabah a Christian was the ruler.

Eighty people, not counting the small children,

emigrated in small groups to avoid detection.

The Quraish then made life even more difficult for the

Prophet by implementing total ban on contact with the

Prophet’s family (Bani Hashim and Muttalib). The ban

lasted for three years.

In 622 AD, the leaders of the Quraish decided to kill the

Prophet and they developed a plan in which one man

was chosen from each of the Quraish tribes and they

were to attack the Prophet simultaneously. His well

wisher informed the Prophet of the plan and instructed

him to leave Makkah immediately. The Prophet, after

making arrangements to return the properties entrusted

to him by several nonbelievers, left with Abu Bakr in

the night he was to be assassinated. They went south of

Makkah to a mountain cave of Thawr and after staying

three nights they traveled north to Yathrib (Medinah)

about two hundred fifty miles from Makkah. Upon

10

discovery of his escape, the leaders of Quraish put up a

reward of one hundred camels on him, dead or alive. In

spite of all their best scouts and search parties, Allah

protected the Prophet and he arrived safely in Quba, a

suburb of Medinah . This event is known as the ‘Hijra’

(migration) and the Islamic calendar begins with this

event. The people of Aws and Khazraj in Medinah

greeted him with great enthusiasm in accordance with

their pledge made at Aqaba less than a year ago during

the annual pilgrimage. One by one those Muslims (men

and women) of Makkah who were not physically

restrained, and who could make a secret exit, left for

Medinah leaving behind their properties and homes.

To insure the peace and tranquility, the Prophet

proposed a treaty defining terms of conduct for all

inhabitants of Medinah. It was ratified by all Muslims,

non-Muslim Arabs and Jews. After his emigration to

Medinah, the enemies of Islam increased their assault

from all sides. The Battles of Badr, Uhud and Allies

(Trench) were fought near or around Medinah. In these

battles until the year 627 AD, the nonbelievers with

encouragement from Jews and other Arabian tribes

attacked the Prophet and Muslim community. The

Muslims while defending their city and religion lost

many men, which resulted in many widowed Muslim

women and numerous orphaned children. In these

circumstances, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married

several women during fifty-sixth year up to the sixtieth

year of his life. He did not contract any marriage in the

last three years of his life, following the revelation

limiting the number of wives up to a maximum of four.

The Prophet was instructed not to divorce any of his

wives after this revelation . All of the ladies he took as

wives were either widowed or divorced, except Aishah.

A year after the Battle of Trench, the Prophet and

fifteen hundred of his companions left for Makkah to

perform the annual pilgrimage (628 AD). They were

barred from approaching the city at Hudaybiyah, where

after some negotiations a treaty was signed allowing

11

them to come next year. This treaty facilitated exchange

of ideas among the people of the whole region without

interference. Many delegations from all regions of

Arabia came to the Prophet to investigate the teachings

of Islam, and a large number of people accepted Islam

within a couple of years. The Prophet sent many of his

companions (who memorized the Quran by heart) to

new communities to instruct them about the practice of

Islam. More than fifty of them were murdered by non-

believers.

About two years later at the end of 629 AD, the Quraish

violated the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah by

helping Banu Bakr in the surprise attack on Bani

Khuza’ah who were allied with the Prophet. Some of

Bani Khuzah’s men escaped and took shelter in

Makkah and they sought redress. However, the leaders

of Quraish did nothing. They then sent a message to the

Prophet for help.

The Prophet, after confirming all the reports of the

attack and subsequent events, marched to Makkah with

an army consisting of three thousand Muslims of

Medinah and Muslims from other Arab communities

that joined him on the way totaling ten thousand

Muslims. Before entering the city he sent word to

citizens of Makkah that anyone who remained in his

home, or in Abu Sufyan’s home, or in the Kabah would

be safe. The army entered Makkah without fighting and

the Prophet went directly to the Kabah. He magnified

Allah for the triumphant entry in the Holy city. The

Prophet pointed at each idol with a stick he had in his

hand and said, "Truth has come and Falsehood will

neither start nor will it reappear". And one by one the

idols fell down. The Kabah was then cleansed by the

removal of all three hundred sixty idols, and it was

restored to its pristine status for the worship of One

True God (as built by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail).

The people of the city expected general slaughter in

view of their persecution and torture of Muslims for the

12

past twenty years. While standing by the Kabah, the

Prophet (pbuh) promised clemency for the Makkans,

stating: "O Quraish, what do you think that I am about

to do with you?" They replied, "Good. You are a noble

brother, son of a noble man." The Prophet forgave them

all saying: "I will treat you as Prophet Yousuf (Joseph)

treated his brothers. There is no reproach against you.

Go to your homes, and you are all free."

The people of Makkah then accepted Islam including

the staunch enemies of the Prophet. A few of the

staunchest enemies and military commanders had fled

Makkah after his entry. However, when they received

the Prophet’s assurance of no retaliation and no

compulsion in religion, they came back and gradually

the message of Islam won their hearts. Within a year

(630 AD), almost all Arabia accepted Islam. Among the

Prophet’s close companions were Muslims from such

diverse background as Persia, Abyssinia, Syria and

Rome. Several prominent Jewish Rabbis, Christian

bishop and clergymen accepted Islam after discussions

with the Prophet. He performed his first and last

pilgrimage (Haj) in 632 AD. One hundred twenty-

thousand men and women performed Haj that year with

him. The Prophet gave the last sermon during that

time.. Two months later, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

fell ill and after several days died on Monday, 12 Rabi

al-Awwal, the eleventh year after Hijra (June 8, 632

AD) in Medinah. He is buried in the city of Madina

where magnificent Masjid called Masji e Nubvi has

been built.

Hazrat Khadija

Hazrat Khadija was born in 565 AD at the holy city of

Makkah. Her father Khuwaylid who died in 585 AD

belonged to Abdal Uzza clan of the tribe of Quraysh .

He was a very successful business man whose vast

wealth was inherited by Khadija, Though the society at

13

that time was male chauvinistic, she earned two titles:

Ameeral Quraysh “ Princess of Quraysh” and Al Tahira

“ The pure one” all because of personality and virtuous

character. She was married twice and lost her husband

twice to ravaging war with which Arebia was afflicted

at that time. Khadija needed an agent to trade her

merchandise to Syria. Abu Talib suggested to her to

employ Muhammad (pbuh). She decided to give him a

chance. The profit she received from that trip were

twice as much as she had expected. She became so

impressed by his honesty and sincerity that she offered

her hand in marriage. In 610 AD at the age of forty

Mohammed (pbuh) received the first revelation from

the Angle Gabriel in the cave of Mt. Hira. His wife

Khadija was the first person to convert to Islam. She

was the love of Prophet Mohammad’s life and his

strongest supporter and confidante. After 24 years of

marriage Khadijah died at the age of sixty five in the

year 619 AD. She was laid to rest by non other than the

Prophet himself. The Nemaze Janaza was not

performed because it was not instituted in the burial

ritual at that time(2) She is buried at Hajum in the

outskirt of Makkah.

FATIMA AZ ZAHRA

Fatima (ra) was born in Makkah in the year 606 AD.

She was the last daughter of Prophet Muhammad

(pbuh) and Hazrat Khadijha. Fatima (ra) married

Hazrat Ali and the tree of Prophethood bore fruit.

Fatima gave birth to Imam Hassan and then to Imam

Hussein, The Prophet welcomed them and named them.

Fatima the noblest of all women , married Ali for his

faith, piety trustworthiness and high principles. She

accepted the holy bond with a simple modest mahr

(dowery). She did not live long after the death of her

father (pbuh). She was the first from among his family

to join him in the afterlife. Fatima az Zahra (ra) left this

world in 632 AD at the young age of 24 years. leaving

14

both sons and daughters to be brought up by their father

Hzrat Ali. She is buried in Madinah at Jannatul Baqi.

Fatima(ra) is considered an example of a Muslim

woman’s adherence to noble traits. She is a perfect

example of how a daughter, a wife, and a mother should

act while keeping her decency and pure character. She

also shows us the Muslim women’s role in social fields

within the limits of religion and virtue. Her life

confirms that Islam does not deprive women of

acquiring scientific, cultural and literary knowledge.

She is held in great reverence both by Sunny and Shiite

Muslims.

Hazrat Ali Al Murtaza

Hazrat Ali was born at Makkah in the year 598 AD. His

father Abu Talib was an uncle of Prophet Muhammad

(pbuh). His mother Fatima was daughter of Asad bin

Hashim and was a very respected lady among the

Qurash. From the very binging Hzrat Ali was a trusted

warrior of the Prophet. In the year 622 AD when

Prophet departed for Madinah, Hazrat Ali risked his life

by sleeping in the bed to impersonate the Prophet,so he

could migrate in safety. He was a great warrior and

from 622 AD till the Prophet’s death in 632 AD he

actively took part in military campaigns in all the

battles against the infidels. His intimate relationship and

long experience with the Prophet had transformed him

into a perfect Muslim. His level of spirituality and

knowledge of the Quran and the Sunnah was vast. The

sons Ali and Fatima, Hasan and Hussain were deeply

loved by their noble grandfather (pbuh) and came to be

known as the Ahl al Bait the house of Prophet.

In the year the when the third Khalifa Uthman bin

Affan was assassinated followed by a great unruly

situation in the city of Madinah, he was reluctant to

accept the responsibility of Khalifa, but he changed his

mind to save the nascent nation of Islam from

15

disintegration. His first job was to diffuse the rebellion

of Talha, Zubayr and Aisha the widow of Prophet. The

rebel army was defeated at the battle of Basra, the two

generals were killed and Hazrat Aisha was captured and

escorted back to Madinah with all respect.

Muawiyah who was governor Syria raised an army

launched a second rebellion against Hazrat Ali. A

prolonged battle took place in 657 AD in the plain of

Suffein near Euphrates. The battle seemed to be turning

in favor Hazrat Ali, when a member of opposing army

raised the copy of Quran and demanded that the matter

ought to be settled by reference to this book, which

forbids Muslims to shed each others blood. At this point

some of the soldiers of Hazrat Ali refused to fight and

demanded that the issue be referred to arbitration.

Hazrat Ali hesitantly accepted the call for armistice.

The two side put forward their Arbitrators and the

negotiation went on for weeks. In the end the final

judgment was that Hazrat Ali give up his claim to

become the Khalifa leaving Muawiyah in the field and

a Shura council to nominate a replacement. Needless to

say Hazrat Ali refused to accept this, stating that he will

not allow Muawiyah to seize the position by other

means. He decided that the only way to bring the

stability to Ummah was to force Muawiyah out of

power.

Some of the supporters of Hazrat Ali changed their

position and started campaign against him. They called

them self as Khawarij. Though the Khawarij were badly

crushed by Hazrat Ali, but some of the ring leaders

escaped and started a plot to avenge their defeat. Some

Arab historians believe that the Khawarij plotted the

assassination of Hazrat Ali, Muawiya and Amr bin Aas

but succeeded only in killing Hazrat Ali. While others

argue that it was Muawiyah himself who took

advantage of the situation and plotted so that the

assassination of Hazrat Ali would look like spontaneous

and convincing by making himself and his crony Amr

16

bin Aas an intended victim of the conspiracy of the

Khawarj. So by the rare stroke of good luck both of

them escaped assassination. One Amr bin Aas fell ill

and could not go to the Masjid that day, other the

Muawiyah went in the Masjid wearing his armor under

his cloak, thus illness and the Armor saved both of

them from the sword the Khawarj and the retribution of

the historians. Hazrat Ali was not so lucky, he did not

fall ill and he did not wear his armor, so the assassin

Ibn Mujan who was waiting with a poisoned sword

struck him on fore head while going to the Masjid for

the morning prayer. He survived a few days, till the

poison did its work and he left this world on 21st of

Ramazan 40 AH (661 AD) at the age of 63. He is

buried near the city of Najaf . A splendid Masjid was

erected at that sight.

He left a legacy which far out weighed the impact he

displayed during his short period of his Khelafat. Had

he succeeded in defeating the cunning Muawiyah the

fate of Islam would have been much brighter than what

Muawiyah shaped during his reign. Ali has many critics

and enemies but they cannot point out a single instance

when he deviated from Islamic principles and laws. No

one can find out any conflict between his thought and

speech, his sense of justice and inflexible integrity. His

greatest legacy to the world of Islam will remain

forever, his sublime character.

17

CHAPTER TWO

The Cities

Makkah al Mukarramah

The city of Makkah lies inland, some fifty miles east of

red sea in the region of Hejaz. The land consists of

rugged rocky terrain with mountain ranges on three

sides and an arid valley with hardly any agricultural

land, but blessed by a fresh water well called Zamzam.

By the sixth century this small town had acquired a

great importance for two reasons. It became an

important center of idol worship, to which many of the

nomadic tribes of Arabia made pilgrimage on a regular

basis. In addition to its religious prestige, however

Makkah also became an active center for trade and

commerce, from here caravans departed on their trading

missions to various destinations on regular basis. Most

of the inhabitants of this township belonged to the

Quraish tribe. These people were responsible for the

upkeep of the house of God also known as Kaba which

housed as many as 365 idols.

This is the town where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was

born and spent most of his adult life. North east of this

town mount Hira is located where Prophet (pbuh)

sought peace contemplation and received the first

verses of the holy Quran. In 612 AD Prophet (pbuh)

launched his Jihad against polytheism and idolatry. This

action threatened the way of life of the Quraish tribe, so

they started a campaign of terror against the early

Muslims. Even the life of Prophet (pbuh) was not safe,

which led to his migration to Madinah in the year 622

AD. After fighting several wars against the Quraish of

Makkah he and his fellow believers entered the city

18

triumphantly in the year 630 AD. The idols were

destroyed, God’s house was purified and Makkah

became the holy city of Muslims all over the world.

Makkah re-entered Islamic history briefly when it was

held by Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, who opposed Yazid.

He besieged Mecca in 683 AD and did a lot of damage

to the city. Thereafter the city figured little in politics, it

became a city of devotion and scholarship. For

centuries it was governed by the Hashemite Sharifs of

Makkah, descendants of Prophet (pbuh).The Sharifs

ruled on behalf of Khalifa or the Sultan of the Ottoman

Empire. Makkah was attacked and sacked by Ismaili in

930 AD and by Wahhabi Muslims in 1803. In 1926, the

Sharifs of Mecca were overthrown by the Saudis and

Makkah was incorporated into Saudi Arabia.

Madina Al Munawwara

Madia Al Munawwara came to prominence with the

introduction of Islam, but its root date back to hundreds

of years of pre Islamic era when it was known as

Yathrib. The city had abundant water supply that fed

the vast date palm and vegetable gardens. The

availability of food and water made Madina an

important center for the caravans going to Syria and

Egypt along the red sea. Its inhabitants sold food to

those passing Caravans and over the time became

involved in trade.

In Makkah the Prophet (pbuh) launched the jihad

against polytheism and idolatry and Islam was gaining

ground. The ruling tribe of Makkah viewed Islam a

threat to their way of life and power base. So they

started to harass and persecute the growing number of

19

the followers this new religion. During this period the

leaders of Yathrib familiar with the Prophet’s

reputation of honesty and sincerity sent a delegation

and asked him to mediate a dispute between the

powerful tribes. Impressed by the Prophet’s character

and teachings the members of the delegation soon

accepted Islam followed buy many other converts.

These new converts, called Ansars, invited the

Muslims of Makkah so as to escape persecution. The

Prophet (pbuh) himself had to leave Makkah for Ythrib

to escape a death plot against him. The arrival of the

Prophet (pbuh) in the year 622 AD in Yathrib was a

turning point in world history. It marked the

establishment of the first Islamic state in Ythrib and the

rapid growth of the new faith. Now the city of Ythrib

became Madinat Al Nabe (The city of the Prophet) The

date of his arrival there marked the first year of the

Islamic calendar called Hijrah.

With the emigration of the Prophet (pbuh) to Madina it

became the center of activity. The Prophet (pbuh)

established the first Masjid at Quba a village on the

outskirts of Madina. Once settled here he built another

Masjid close to his house called Masjid Al Nabawi. It

was this Masjid where Prophet (pbuh) and his

companions prayed every day. This Masjid soon

became the center of social and economic activity of

the Islamic state. With the growth of Islam, Madina

became the administrative hub of the new Islamic state.

This is the city where the Prophet and many of his

descendents are buried, who are our ancestors.

Kufa

Kufa is a small city in central Iraq lying on the western

bank of the Euphrates river about eighty miles south of

Baghdad . The city was founded as a garrison town by

Khalifa Umar in 638 AD. Soon the city began to

expand with the people from Iran and Arabia. Kufa at

times served as capital of Iraq. In 656 AD Hazrat Ali

20

chose Kufa as his capital during the short period of his

Khelafat. It was here in one of the main Masjid Hazrat

Ali was martyred while offering the morning prayer.

The people of Kufa extended support to Hazrat Husain

but when Azid army surrounded him the people of Kufa

abandoned him.

21

CHAPTER THREE

Why Muawiyah

Muawiyah is not the member of our family tree, yet I

am compelled to write about him. He was directly or

indirectly responsible for the massacre of the Prophet’s

family, which included our forefathers.

Muawiyah violated each and every principle of Islam

and the sprit of Khelafat, which the four Khulfae-

Rashadin had developed. It is sad to say that Muawiyah

single handedly destroyed the fledgling Islamic

democratic system based on honesty and justice which

was introduced for the first time in the history of human

civilization. He turned the direction of Islam by

hundred and eighty degree and ruled the Ummah by

iron fist. Thus he was responsible for creating a system

of unjust rule which affected our forefathers and the

Muslim Ummah. Some people argue that we should not

criticize him because he was a Sahabee of the Prophet

(pbuh). But being a Sahabee does not give one the

license to commit murder, break the laws of Islam,

violate human rights, steal the public treasury, and

oppress the Ummah . On the contrary it will be quite

unislamic to bury the fact under the rug and ignore the

misdeeds . A Sahabee should be judged with a much

higher standard than an ordinary person, because he

must have learned noble things directly from the

Prophet (pbuh). Some say that he brought the piece

and stability to the Ummah, and extended the boundary

of Islamic land. But at what cost? Does the end justify

the means? That peace and stability evaporated right

after the death of Muawiyah.

Muawiyah had agreed in the treaty with Hazrat Hasan

that there will be a council (Shura) to decide the

succession after him. But he reneged on his agreement,

22

knowing well that such a Shura would never select

Yazid, a man famous for wild party, drinking wine in

public and a womanizer. He summoned the people in

his palace to give an oath of allegiance to him to accept

Yazid as next Khalifa after his death, knowing very

well the evil character of his son. Yazid committed the

ultimate crime and his successor harassed and even

killed the descendents of Prophet (pbuh), as we shall

see later on. So to write something about Muawiyah in

the book of our family tree from my point of view is

quite relevant. Discussing the misdeeds of Muawiyah is

out of scope of this book.

Muawiyah

Muawiyah was born (602 AD) into a clan (Banu Abd

Shams), many of whom opposed the Prophet

Muhammad in his city, Mekkah, and continued to

oppose him on the battlefield after he had emigrated to

Madina. Muawiyah's father was Abu Sufiyan ibn Harb

who was initially a bitter opponent of Muhammad

(pbuh). His mother name was Hind, who is said to have

eaten the raw liver of Hzrat Hamza, uncle of Prophet

Mohammad (pbuh) in the battle of Uhud(3)

Muawiyah became Muslim only after the conquest of

Makkah . He is mostly remembered for his career in

Syria which began shortly after the death of the

Prophet, when he, along with his brother Yazid, served

in the tribal armies sent from Madina to Syria. Upon the

death of Yazid in 640 AD Muawiyah was appointed

governor of Syria (area around Damascas) by the

Khalifah Umar. He gradually gained mastery over the

other areas of Syria, instilling remarkable personal

loyalty among the troops and common people of the

region. By 647 Muawiyah had built a Syrian tribal army

strong enough to repel a Byzantine attack. When Hazrat

Ali became Khalifa, he openly undermined his

23

authority and led a army to fight with him. Hazrat Ali

had no choice but to put down this open revolt. The two

army engaged near river Euphrates at the famous battle

of Siffin.

There Muawiyah’s guile turned near defeat into a truce.

Resorting to a strategy that played upon the religious

sensibilities of Ali's forces, he ordered his troops to

hoist copies of the Qur'an on their lances, as a request

for religious arbitration. He thus persuaded the enemy

to enter into negotiations that ultimately cast doubt on

the legitimacy of Hzrat Ali's Khelafat and alienated a

sizable number of his supporters. When these former

supporters the Khawarij rose in rebellion against Hazrat

Ali, Muawiyah took advantage of Hazrat Ali's

difficulties in Iraq to send a force to seize control of

Egypt. Thus, when Hzrat Ali was assassinated in 661

AD, Muawiyah held both Syria and Egypt and as

commander of the largest force in the Muslim Empire,

he declared himself Khalifa. Hazrat Ali's son Hasan,

after initial defiance of Muawiyah, ceased hostilities

and retired to Madina on the promise of Muawiyah that

the Khelafat will return to the house of Hazrat Ali or a

Shura shall nominate Khalifa after his death, which he

did not honor.

CHAPTER FOUR

24

The Imams

Imam Hussain Ibn Ali

Immam Hussain the second son of Fatima (ra) was

born in Madinah on third of Shaban, fourth year of Hijri

(626 AD). He lost his mother when he was

six. Both Hazrat Hasan and Hussain were the center of

attraction for our Prophet (pbuh). He grew to adulthood

in the city of Madina under the care of his father Hazrat

Ali Al Murtaza (ra).

After the death of his father in 661 AD the succession

to the Khelafat was undetermined and the conflict

started between Muawiyah and sons of Hazrat Ali.

Hazrat Hasan did not pursue the issue on the promise

of Muawiyah that a Shurah will chose a Khalifa after

his death. When Hazrat Hasan died in 669 AD Hazrat

Hussain took up the cause of Khelafat though he did not

press this issue while Muawiyah was alive.

Muawiyah died in 680 AD and named Yazid his son as

his successor. Hazrat Hussain did not accept him as a

Khalifa on the ground that he was corrupt and should

not lead the Muslim Ummah. He led an insurrection

and received support from the people of Kufa a city of

present day Iraq. He left Madina for Makkah and then

for Kufa. However, his people met the army of Yazid at

Karbala a small town close to Kufa. The people of Kufa

betrayed him and Hazrat Hussain his family members

and some fighters numbering not more than seventy

two were surrounded by the Yazid’s army of three

thousand. Hazrat Hussain and his supporters fought

bravely for ten days under the extreme condition and

finally the tenth day of the month of Muharrum, 680

AD, he and his men were martyred. Yazid’s general

25

mistreated Hazrat Huassain’s body, amputated his head

and sent it to Damascus, where it was displayed in

Yazid’s palace. It was the same head which our beloved

Prophet(pbuh) use to kiss out of affection. Some ladies

and one of his sons who was sick at that time, escaped

the massacre.

Yazid demanded allegiance from Hazrat Hussain, who

could not accept this at any cost. Paying allegiance to

Yazid was nothing short of acknowledging the devil as

ruler. The people fearing death and destruction at the

hands of the tyrant had yielded to him out of fear.

Hazrat Hussain fought this war for a very high principle

and gave away his life for the cause.

Ali Zayn al Abdeen

Ali Zayn al-Abideen, was born in Medina in 658AD.

His mother Shahr Banu,was the daughter of the last

Sassanid emperor, Yazdegerd III. She is said to have

died shortly after giving birth to her only son, Ali. He

was about two years old when his grandfather, Hazrat

Ali ibn Abi Talib, was martyred. Zayn al-Abideen

fathered fifteen children, eleven boys and four girls. He

dedicated his life to learning and became an authority

on prophetic traditions and law. He was known mostly

for his nobility of character and his piety, which earned

him his title (Zayn al-Abideen) within his lifetime. It is

said that he would pray one thousand units (rakaahs) of

prayer in every twenty-four hour period.

At the famous Battle of Karbala on the day of Ashurah,

Hazrat Husain and most of his family were martyred.

Zayn al-Abideen survived because he was too sick to

fight, and was bedridden. Afterwards, he was taken

prisoner by the Umayyad forces and transported to

Damascus where he was made a prisoner of Yazid I.

Eventually, he was freed, and returned to Medina where

he generally lived a quiet life, engaging in teaching the

tenets of Islam. Several accounts are related concerning

26

his grief over the tragedy of Karbala. It is said that for

twenty years, whenever food was placed before him, he

would weep. He was the object of great sympathy

because of the massacre of his family and of veneration

as the great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad

(pbuh).

Zayn al-Abideen resided in Medina until his death in

714 AD Some claim that he was poisoned by the Caliph

of the day, Waleed bin Abdul Malik Marwan. He was

buried in Jannat al-Baqi, the cemetery in Medina where

other important figures of Islamic history are buried.

Imam Muhammad Al Baqir

Muhammad al-Baqir was born in Medina in 676 AD.

His father Ali Zayn al Abdin was the sole male survivor

of Krbala. His mother’s name was Fatima who was the

desendent of Hzrat Hasan ibn Ali..

He was the greatest scholar of his time, so much so that

he was called with title Baqir al-Aloom, which means

revealer or splitter of knowledge and wisdom due to his

ample knowledge of religion and his enthusiasm to

teach other people. Many historians assert that he split

open a piece of knowledge, and examined the depths of

it so that it can be spread to all people truly and

correctly. Muhammad al-Baqir's knowledge allowed

him to become a teacher, and he is well remembered for

his knowledge in both religious and judicial matters.

His son, Jafar al-Sadiq was a student of his, and no

doubt he benefited greatly from his father's knowledge.

Despite his aversion to politics, he was harassed

continually by the Umayyad rulers. They were afraid of

his popularity and the influence his scholarly works . In

addition, the actions of his brother and other kinsmen

made them distrustful of him.

He died on January 31, 743 AD, possibly due to

poisoning. He is buried in Medina, in the Jannat al-Baqi

cemetery.

27

Imam Jafer As Sadiq

Jafar as-Sadiq was born as Ja'far ibn Muhammad in

Medina on April 20, 702 AD He was the son of

Muhammad al-Baqir and the grandson of Ali Zayn Al

Abdeen. His mother Farwah bint al-Qasim was the

great granddaughter of Abu Bakr the first Kalefa of the

early Islamic State.

As a child, Jafar studied under his grandfather, Ali ibn

Husayn. After his grandfather's death, he studied under

and accompanied his father, Muhammad al-Baqir. He

become well versed in Islamic knowledge including

Hadith, Sunnah, and the Qur'an. In addition to his

knowledge of Islamic laws he was well educated in

natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy,

anatomy and chemistry (alchemy) etc.

The foremost Islamic alchemist Jabir Ibn Hayyan

(known in Europe as Geber) was his most prominent

student. Other famous students of his were Abu Hanifa,

Imam Shafi and Malik Ibn Anas, the founders of the

Sunni schools of jurisprudence, and Wasil ibn Ata, the

founder of the Mutazilite school of Islamic thought.

Jafar was known for his liberal views on learning, and

was keen to debate with scholars of different faiths and

of different beliefs. Abu Hanifa is quoted by many

sources as having said "My knowledge extends to only

two years. The two I spent with Jafar al-Sadiq". Some

Islamic scholars have gone so far as to call Jafar as-

Sadiq as the root of most of Islamic jurisprudence,

having a massive influence on Hanafi, Maliki and Shia

schools of thought extending well into mainstream

Hanbali and Shafi'i schools..

Shortly after his father's death, Jafar's uncle, Zaid bin

Ali led a rebellion against the Umayyads. Jafar did not

participate, but many of his kinsmen, including his

uncle were killed, and others were punished. Many

other rebellions took place as the Umayyad dynasty

28

began to fall, eventually giving rise to the successful

challenge of the Abbasid dynasty.

Despite Jafar's abstention from politics, he was often

harassed by the new Abbasid rulers and he was even

imprisoned a few times. The reason for this persecution

was his popularity, and his standing as a descendant of

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The rulers feared that he

could mobilize against them, and as such they thought it

wise to keep him in check. He died on December 4, 765

AD, possibly from poisoning. He is buried in Medina,

in the famous Jannat al-Baqi cemetery.

Imam Musa Al- Kazim

Musa Al-Kazim was born at Abwa a place between

Makkah and Madina in 128 AH ( 744 AD) He was the

son of Hazrat Jafar as-Sadiq and Hamida Khatoon.

Musa al-Kazim(r) passed twenty years of his sacred life

under the gracious patronage of his father . His inherent

genius and gifted virtues combined with the enlightened

guidance and education from Hzrat Jafar as-Sadiq(r),

was very obvious in his personality.

Imam Musa al-Kazim(r) lived under the most crucial

times in the regimes of the despotic `Abbasid kings

who were marked for their tyrannical and cruel

administration . He witnessed the reigns of Al-Mansur

ad-Dawaniqi, Al-Mahdi and Harun Rashid. Al-Mansur

and Harun Rashid were the despotic khalefas who put

to death multitude of innocent descendants of the Holy

Prophet (pbuh). After Al-Mansur, his son Al-Mahdi

ascended on the throne. For a few years he remained

indifferent towards Musa al-Kazim. In 781 AD he came

to Medina and heard about the great reputation, which

sparked the jealousy against him. He somehow

29

managed to take him to Baghdad and got him

imprisoned there. But after a year he realized his

mistake and released him from jail. Al-Mahdi was

succeeded by Al-Hadi who lived only for a yaer . In

170 AH, the most cruel and tyrannical khalifa Harun

Rashid appeared at the head of the Abbasid Empire. It

was during his reign that Musa Al Kazim passed the

greater part of his life in a miserable prison till he was

poisoned.

As regards his morality and ethical excellence , Ibn

Hajar al-Haytami remarks The patience and forbearance

of Imam Musa al-Kazim(r) was such that he was given

the title of al-Kazim ( one who swallows down his

anger ). He was the embodiment of virtue and

generosity . He devoted his nights to the prayers of God

and his days to fasting. He always forgave those who

did wrong to him.

Time and circumstances did not premit Imam Musa al-

Kazim(r) to establish institutions to impart religious

knowledge to his followers as his father, Imam Jafar as-

Sadiq(r) and his grandfather , Imam Muhammad al-

Baqir(r) had done. He was never allowed to address a

congregation. He carried on his mission of preaching

and guiding people quietly. He died at the age of fifty

five in 183 HA (799AD) in the prison of Baghdad and

he is buried there. A magnificent Shrine has been built

at his grave.

Imam Ali al Reza

Ali al-Reza was born at Madina in the year 766 AD to

Musa al Kazim and Ummul Baneen Najma. He was

born one month after the death of his grandfather, Jafar

al-Sadiq. Like his father and grandfather, he received

his education from his parent.

His father died in 799, when Ali was 35, and he was

given the responsibility of the Imamate. Ali Reza was

30

not looked upon favorably by Khalifa Harun Rashid,

and the people of Medina were not allowed to visit him

and learn from him. After the death of Harun Rashid,

his two sons began fighting for control of the Abbasid

empire. One son, Al-Amin, had an Arab mother and

thus had the support of Arabs, while his half-brother

Al-Ma'mun had a Persian mother and thus had the

support of Persia. Al Ma'mun believed that Persia was

sympathetic to the Hashemites and asked Ali Reza to

meet him in Persia. Ali Reza left his only son,

Muhammad al-Taqi and his wife, and set out for Persia.

After defeating his brother, Al Ma'mun named Ali Reza

his successor. He hoped to win Shia support through

this move, but the passage of caliphate would only

occur if Ali Reza outlived Al Ma'mun. Al Ma'mun even

changed the black Abbasid flags to green, the

traditional color of the house of Ali.

Ali Reza would not outlive Al Ma'mun, and he died on

May 26, 818 in Iran while accompanying Al Ma'mun at

Tus. Some believe that he was poisoned by Al Ma'mun,

but whether or not this is true is hard to determine. Ali

Reza is buried in Mashhad, and the city grew up around

his shrine. It is one of the most important shrines of

Iran.

Imam Muhammed Taqi

Muhammad al-Taqi was born in Medina to Ali Reza

and a Nubian slave girl named Khaizuran in the year

811 AD. He was only nine year old when his father

died, and as such, many people had the doubt on his

ability to carry the Imamah. However, he held on to his

position with the help of Al Ma'mun the Khalifa, whose

patronage proved valuable to the young Imam. He

brought him to live in Baghdad and eventually got

married to his daughter, Umm al Fadl.

31

During his time in Baghdad, he was well known for

possessing an amazing amount of knowledge,

especially when considering his young age. After living

in Baghdad for a few years, Muhammad al-Taqi

returned to Medina. Here, he found his relationship

with his wife strained, and after the death of his father-

in-law he lost a big support. The successor to his father-

in-law was Al Ma'mun's half brother, Al-Mu'tasim.

With the new Abbasid ruler in power, Muhammad al-

Taqi was no longer protected, and his relationship with

the new ruler further deteriorated.

Al Mu'tasm wanted Muhammad al-Taqi back to

Baghdad where he hoped to give him the lavish

lifestyle of the palace. Muhammad left his son Ali al-

Naqi with his mother in Medina and set out for

Baghdad. He lived there for one year, and died

suddenly at a very young age of 24 in the year 835 AD

most probably by poisoning. He is buried alongside his

grandfather, Imam Musa al Kazim in Baghdad.

Imam Ali Naqi

Imam Ali un-Naqi also known as Hazrat Hadi was

born in the year 212 AH (842 AD) in the vicinity of

Madina, at a place known as Surya. His father is Imam

Muhammad Taqi and his mother Samana was a lady

with excellence, virtue and piety. He got the post of

Imamate after the martyrdom of his father in the year

220 AH(850 AD) Although he was not more than 8

years of age, yet he was the focus of the attention of

Shias and the Abbasade Khalipha. The Khalifa

Mutawakkil brought the Imam from Madina to

Samarra and he stayed there till the end of his life.

He had a great love for the study of the holy Quran.

Whenever he was free from the service of the people he

would recite Quran. He treated people with a smiling

and blooming face to help the afflicted ones. Imam Ali

Naqi’s conduct and moral excellence were the same as

those displayed by each and every member of this

32

sacred house. Whether in imprisonment, confinement or

freedom, in every situation these sacred souls were

engaged in worship and in helping the poor and the

needy. Totally refraining from desire, greed and

worldly ambitions, they lived with dignity in

misfortune, dealt fairly even with their foes.

After the death of Khalifa Mutawakkil the subsequent

ruler did not treat him well and put him under house

arrest. During imprisonment, the Imam had a grave dug

up by the side of his prayer mat. Some visitors

expressed concern or surprise. The Imam explained, “In

order to remember my end I keep the grave before my

eyes.” The Imam died in Samara in year 868 AD and is

buried there. Imam Ali Naqi eldest son Hasan Askari

became the Imam and his brother Syed Murtaza Jafer is

our forefather. In one of the Shijrah of a famous Sufi

named Syed Muhammad Allauddin Bukhari,who had a

common ancestors as ours, I saw “Bukhari” added to

the name of Syed Murtaza Jafer. It is just possible that

he is the person who migrated to Bukhara from the

Middle-east. The information about him is not available

on internet or in any book I can find so this is the end of

the information regarding our forefathers on my

father’s side till the 19th generation.

33

CHAPTER FIVE

The Sufis

Sufism

After the Imams most of our forefathers were Sufis, so

it will be appropriate to say a few words about it.

Practitioners of Sufism, known as Sufis, engaged in the

pursuit of a direct perception of spiritual truth of God,

through mystic practices based on divine love and

technical vocabulary that came directly from the Quran.

34

According to the history of Sufism as told by Sufi

masters themselves, Sufism originates in the esoteric

teaching of the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) during his

life time. Almost all traditional Sufi schools or orders

trace their origins or "chains of transmission" back to

Prophet Muhammad, either through his cousin and son-

in-law Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) or through Khalifa

Abu Bakr (ra). From their point of view, since the

esoteric teaching was only given to those of his

immediate companions who had the capacity to contain

the indirect experiences of God through the Prophet.

The teaching then passed on from the teacher the Sufi

(Descendents of Prophet) to the student through the

centuries from the school called Khankah Madrasa

complex. Tradition includes among these early Sufis a

group known as Ahl as-Suffa ("People of the Shed")

who lived lives of poverty and piety and wore simple

woolen robs as token of their piety.

Sufism differs from regular practice of Islam, in its

esoteric rather than exoteric focus. Sufi thought

emerged from the Middle East in the eighth century, but

adherents are now found around the world. In

particular, Indonesia, the most populous Islamic nation

in the world. Islam was introduced to Indonesia through

Sufism, and Sufi practices and beliefs are evident in

mainstream religious life across the country.

Sufism has produced a large body of poetry in Arabic,

Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi which

notably include the works of Jalal al-Din Muhammad

Rumi, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusro, Shah Abdul Latif

Bhittai and Sachal Sarmast. At a time when Iraq was

the center of the Muslim Khelafat and an intellectual

crucible of various influences, there were mystical

circles in cities such as Basra and Baghdad, and Sufism

appears in the historical record as a discipline and

school bearing this name. The Sufis dispersed

throughout the Middle East, particularly in the areas

previously under Byzantine influence and control. This

period was characterized by the practice of an

35

apprentice (murid) placing himself under the spiritual

direction of a Master ( Pir), as exemplified in the

original Prophetic model. Schools started to form

around some famous masters, such as Junayd in

Baghdad and Al-Tustari in Basra. These were

developed in a very open and public way, and treatises

were written concerning such topics as: mystical

experience, education of the heart to rid itself of baser

instincts, the love of God, and especially the approach

towards God through a series of progressive stages

(maqaam) and states (haal). These schools were formed

by reformers in reaction to the disappearance of values

and manners in the society of the time, which was

marked by a material prosperity that was seen as

eroding the spiritual life.

Starting in the eleventh century a number of pan-

Islamic Sufi named the Sufi order after their name, for

example, Qadiriya named after Abdul Qadir Jilani,

Shrawardiyya named after Abu Hafz Suhrawardi,

Naqshbandiyya named after Bahauddin Naqshbbndi,

and Chishtiyya named after Khwaja Muinuddin Hasan

Chishti and so on.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jelani

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jelani was a noted Hanbali

preacher, and founder of the Qadiriya Sufi order. He

was born in 470 A.H or 1077 AD in the Persian

province of Jelan (Iran) south of the Caspian sea. His

contribution to the sciences of Sufism and Sharia was

so immense, that he became known as the spiritual pole

of his time, Gauth al Azam "Supreme Helper". His

writings were similar to those of al-Ghazali in that they

dealt with both the fundamentals of Islam and the

mystical experience of Sufism. Abdul Qadir Jelani was

a Sufi master and descendant of the Prophet

Muhammad(pbuh). His father Syed Abu Saleh was a

God-fearing man.

36

At the age of 18 he went to Baghdad where he pursued

the study of Hanbalite law under several teachers. His

mother sewed 40 gold coins in his quilt for his use. The

dacoits struck the caravan on the way, and looted all the

travelers of their belongings. They asked him what he

had. He replied that he had 40 gold coins. The dacoits

took his reply for a joke and took him to their chief,

who asked him the same question and his answer was

the same. On demand he produced those coins by

tearing his coat. The chief was surprised and asked him

why he had given the hidden gold coins when he could

have kept them hidden. Young Abdul Qadir Jelani

replied that he was traveling to Baghdad to receive

education and his mother had instructed him to speak

the truth. The chief was impressed so much at the

honesty of the young man that he gave up the bad

profession of looting and plundering.

After completion of education, Hazrat Abdul Qadir

Jelani abandoned the city of Baghdad, and spent

twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert regions of

Iraq. He was over fifty years old by the time he returned

to Baghdad, and began to preach in public. He very

much impressed his audience by his learned speech,

and every section of the society took advantage of his

sermon. He moved into the school belonging to his old

teacher al-Mukharrimii, there he engaged himself in

teaching. Soon he became popular with his pupils. The

number of students increased so much, that he decided

to extend the premises of the seminary. The students

and the public willingly came forward with their

contributions and the campus buildings were completed

in no time, which came to be known as Madars-e-

Qadriya.

He served the people for forty years, and convinced

thousands of people to accept Islam. During this period

he organized several teams to go abroad to preach the

deen of Islam . He came to Indian sub-continent in

1128 A.D and spend some time at Uch Sharif, Multan,

Pakistan and established a Khanqah of Qadriya order.

37

This is the reason a portion of Uch Sharif is known as

Uch Jilai. He went back to Baghdad and died in 561

A.H. (1166 A.D.) at the age of 91 years, and is buried

there. Some of his descendants migrated to India and

established themselves at Kachucha Sharif Utter

Pradesh, from there, Makhdoom Syed Shah Mubarak

Ashraf came to settle at Sheikhpura District Jehanabad.

My maternal grandfather (Nana) is one of his

descendent.

Some of Abdul Qadirs major literary works include;

Al-Ghunya li-talibi tariq al-haqq (Sufficient Provision

for Seekers of the Path of Truth), Al-Fath ar-Rabbani

(The Sublime Revelation), Malfuzat (Utterances),

Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen), and Jala'

al-Khatir (The Removal of Care)

CHAPTER SIX

Darul Aman

Baghdad

The city of Baghdad was founded in 762 AD by Abu

Jafar Al Mansur, the second Abbasid Kalifa. It was

originally built on the west bank of the Tigris river. The

original name of Baghdad was Madinal as Salam (City

of Peace) . The city expanded very rapidly and the

Khalifa built magnificent Masjid and palaces at the

center of the city. The city was surrounded by a circular

38

wall, but the rapid growth of the population expanded

the city beyond the original wall. The city spread across

the river so its two half were joined by a bridge of boats

During the eighth and ninth century Baghdad was at

the height of its commercial prosperity. During the rule

Khalifa Mahdi and Harun it became the center many

important trade routes between the east and the west. Its

many impressive building and magnificent gardens

gave it the reputation of the richest and the most

beautiful city in the world. During this period it also

became the center of learning. Scholars around the

world used to flock there to receive higher education in

philosophy and science while Europe was in dark age.

In the later half of the ninth century the Abbasids power

was weakened due to internal strife leading to civil war,

which resulted in some decline of the city. The grand

son of Changese Khan, Halako Khan invaded Baghdad

in 1258 AD and turned the city in to complete ruin. As

usual they committed genocide , killed the ruling

Khalifa, destroyed the famous library and the irrigation

system. Baghdad never recovered from this carnage and

vandalism.

Baghdad is the city where two of our famous ancestors

Imam Musa Al Kazim and Imam Muhammad Taqi are

buried. A beautiful shrine has been built at the sight of

their grave. Millions of people visit every year to pay

respect to these great men.

Mashhad

The capital of Khorasan province in northeast Iran and

the second largest city in the country, Mashhad is best

known for its beautiful pilgrimage shrine of Imam

Reza. The shrine was built on the site of the village of

Sanabad, where Imam Reza died in 818 AD. Imam

Reza, the eighth Imam, was born in Medina At the age

of 51 he was surprisingly appointed by the Abbasid

39

Caliph Mamun (a Sunni Muslim) to become his

successor as the next caliph. Mamun summoned Imam

Reza to Sanabad, publicly proclaimed him his

successor, and gave him his daughter in marriage.

Mamun's actions, while welcomed by members of the

Shi'ite sect, deeply disturbed the rival Sunnis, with the

result that several violent uprisings ensued. After

staying for a while in Sanabad, Caliph Mamun and

Imam Reza departed for Baghdad (to retake the city

from political rivals) but during the journey Reza fell ill

rapidly and died. The suddenness of the Imam's death

aroused suspicions among Shi'ite believers who

believed Mamun had poisoned him in order to quell the

political unrest resulting from a Shi'ite Imam being

proclaimed Khalifa-to-be of the vastly more numerous

Sunni believers.

The Khalifa, however, showed sings of deep mourning

and built a mausoleum over the Imam's grave in 818

AD, adjacent to his own father's tomb. The tomb of the

Imam became a holy place of pilgrimage to which

people thronged from all over Persia.

The original mausoleum over Imam Reza's tomb was

destroyed by Sabuktagin, the Ghaznevid sultan in 993

AD but was rebuilt and extensively enlarged by his son

Mahmud of Ghazni in 1009 AD. During this time the

shrine was ornamented with tiles, some of which are

still visible in the innermost dome chamber. In 1220

AD, the Mongols plundered the city and shrine. A

century later the Mongol ruler of Iran, Sultan

Muhammad Khudabandeh converted to Shi'ism, and

during his reign (1304-1316 AD) again renovated the

shrine on a grand scale. The celebrated Moorish

traveler Ibn Battuta visited Mashhad in 1333 and

reported that it was "a large town with abundant fruit

trees, streams and mills. A great dome of elegant

construction surmounts the noble mausoleum, the walls

being decorated with colored tiles. It is estimated that

20 million pilgrims visit the tomb of Imam Reza each

year

40

Samara

Samara is located about sixty miles north of Baghdad

and is one of the four holy cities of Iraq. It was built by

Kalifa Al- Mutasim in 836 AD to replace Baghdad as

the capital of the Abbasid Khelafat, and abandoned by

Khalifa Al-Mu'tamid in 892 AD. Despite the short

sojourn of the Abbasid Khalifa in Samara, the city's

artistic, literary, and scientific splendors have remained

a legend in Arab history. A dominating, magnificent

structure that was once the largest mosque in the

Islamic world built by Khalifa Al-Mutawakkil in 852

AD using bricks and clay. The Mosque's minaret is

famous for its spiral structure. This is the city where

our ancestor Imam Ali Naqi Al Hadi who died in 668

AD is buried. His son Imam Hasssan Al Askari is also

buried here and the beautiful Al Askareyya Shrine

houses the grave of both Imams.

41

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Bukharis

Syed Jalaluddin Surkh Bukhari

Syed Jalaludin was born at Bukhara on the first of

Ramazan, 595 HA or 1199 AD. He is also known as

Syed Jalal or Sher Shah Sayyid Jalal. His history and

genealogical records are written in books like,

Mazher-i-Jalali, the Akber-ul-Akhyar, the Rauzat-ul-

42

Ahbab, Maraij-ul-Walayat, Manaqabi Qutbi, the Siyar-

ul-Aqtar, the Siyar-ul-Arifeen, the Manaqib-ul-Asifya

etc. These books only exist in manuscript. He married

Fatima, the daughter of Sayyid Qasim Hussein Bukhari.

He had two sons from her Syed Ali and Syed Jaffar,

whose tombs are at Bukhara.

In 642 AH or 1245 AD Syed Jalaluddin Bukhari came

to Uch Shareef from Bukhara when Nassir-u-Din

Mahmud, son's of Shams-u-Din Altamash, was ruler of

Delhi. The name of Uch Shareef was Deogarh at that

time after Raja Deo Singh the ruler of that area.

In Uch Shareef he married Zohra, the daughter of Syed

Badur-u-Din Bukhari, She died after giving birth to

Syed Mohammad Ghaus. He again married the second

daughter of Syed Badur-u-Din, who give birth to Syed

Ahmed Kabir, the father of Makhdoom Jahania

Jhangusht. He attracted the attention of local population

and huge number of people embraced Islam because of

him. He became the famous Sufi of that area and the

ruling king of Delhi used to visit him in Uch Shareef.

He was associated with the famous sufi Bahauddin

Zakarya of the Suhrawardi order. The Jalali section of

the Suharwadi order is named after him. Some of his

descendents became very famous sufis and poets there

which include Syed Bulleh Shah. Syed Shah Jalaluddin

died in 690 AH or 1291 AD, and was buried at Sonak

Bela three miles from Uch Shareef. His descendants

removed his remains to Uch Shareef and buried him

near the Shrine of Hazrat Sadaruddin Rajin Qattal

because the river Ghaghra was reaching quite close to

his grave. Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan III made

some additions to his shrine.

Syed Makhdom Jalaluddin Jahania Jhangusht

Syed Makhdom Jehania Jhangusht was born in Uch

Shareef in the year 706 AH or 1303 AD. His real name

was Syed Jalaluddin, but he became famous by the

43

name of Makhdom Jehania Jahangusht. His father’s

name was Syed Ahmad Kabir who was the son Syed

Jalaluddin Bukhari the famous Sufi. He was a well

traveled man and after traveling to Makkah, Madina,

Syria, Egypt and Khurasan he settled down at Uch

Shareef. Because of his travel, he earned the title of

Jehania Jhangusht. Like his grand father he was also an

influential and famous man of his area. He spent some

time in the service of Hazrat Nazeeruddin Dehlvi. He

died in 1384 AD at Uch Shareef and is buried there.

This concludes the information available about our fore

fathers out side the state of Bihar. Makhdom Jehania

Jhangusht was the 20th generation descendents of the

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).

CHAPTER EIGHT

Khorasan

Bukhara

Bukhara is one of the most ancient cities of Uzbekistan,

situated on a hill at the lower reaches of the river

Zarafshan. During the middle ages, it was the trading

and administrative center of the ancient silk route which

linked India and China to the middle east. Throughout

history Bukhara was periodically invaded, plundered

and terrorized. Despite this it became the primary

44

center of science, philosophy and Islamic learning. It

produced great Islamic philosophers like Ismail

Bukhari, Abu Hanifa and Bahauddin Nakshbandi and

many other creative minds.

The Muslim invasion of Bukhara took place during the

Umayed dynasty in 674 AD and by the year 712 AD

the whole area broadly known as Khorasan was in full

control of Arab Khelafat. During the Muslim rule

Bukhara became the center of Islamic learning and

flourished economically. This is the time our forefather

came to this area from middle east.

In 1220 AD Chengaze Khan sacked Bukhara and

captured the city. Consistent with Mongolian tradition

all citizen were forced to leave the city and Bukhara

underwent cruel plunder and systematic destruction.

Imam, Noble men and Ulema were forced to work in

the stable of Chengeze Khan. Libraries were burnt,

Masjids and public buildings were razed to the ground.

The destruction of Bukhara was so complete that

according to one historian it looked as if the city never

existed before. As a result of genocidal and barbaric act

which the city had never seen before, the population

decreased, the social structure and the economy

collapsed completely. It looks as if under this

background our fore father Syed Jalaluddin Surkh

Bukhari left the area and migrated to Multan in the year

1241 AD at age of thirty one. Bukhara is city where

quite a few of our ancestors are buried but I do not

know them, also I can not tell with certainty when and

which of our ancestors in my family tree migrated to

Bukhara from Arabia.

Uch Sharif

Uch Sharif is a small town about fourty mile from

Bahawalpur in the state of Punjab, Pakistan. It is a

beautiful town perched upon the plateau near the

45

confluence of the Chenab and Ravi rivers. This town is

famous for beautiful shrines which include the shrine of

our ancestors Syed Jalaluddin Surkh Bukhari and

Makhdoom Jahania Jahangasht. The town is divided in

three quarters, known as Uch Bukhari after Syed

Jalaluddin Bukhari, Uch Jilani after Shaikh Mohammad

Ghous Qadir Jilani and Uch Mughal after the Mughal

rulers..

The historian say that Alexander the great came to Uch

after conquering northern India and spent a fortnight in

the town and named it Alexandria but the new name did

not last.

This is the town where our forefather Syed Jalauddin

Bukhari came to from Bukhara and settled . He spent

rest of his life in this area and preached the deen of

Islam to local people. His grandson Makhdoom Jahania

Jahangasht also lived in this area and both are buried

here. It is important to note here that Shaikh

Mohammad Ghous Qadir Jilani the famous Sufi was the

ancestor of my maternal grandfather (Nana) Syed

Sharafat Karim who came to Uch Sharif and established

a Khankah and went back to Baghdad.

Multan

Multan is a city in Pakistan and capital of Multan

District in the Punjab Province. It is located in the

southern part of the province, and is a very historic city.

Multan is an extremely old city, which has seen a lot of

warfare, because of its location on a major invasion

route of India from Central Asia. In the mid 5th

century, the city was attacked by a group of nomads led

by Torman. These nomads were successful in taking the

city, but did not stay, and the long-standing Hindu rule

over the city was reestablished.

In the 7th century, Multan had its first experience with

Muslim armies. Armies led by Muhalib launched

46

numerous raids from Persia into India. However, they

did not come to conquer, and seemed only to be

exploring the area. However, only a few decades later,

Muhammad bin Qasim would come on behalf of the

Arabs, and take Multan along with Sindh. The city at

that time was known as the "city of gold" and numerous

historians have written about an extremely large Hindu

temple that housed over 6,000 people within it, known

as the Sun Mandir. Following bin Qasim's conquest, the

city was secured under Muslim rule, although it was in

effect an independent state.

With the turn of the millennium, the city was attacked

twice by Mahmud of Ghazni who destroyed the Sun

Mandir, but he did not stay. After Muhammad Ghuri's

victories in India, and his establishment of a capital in

Delhi, Multan was made a part of his empire. Under the

Mughal Empire, Multan enjoyed over 200 years of

peace, and became known as Dar al-Aman (Abode of

Peace). It was at this time that Multan was ruled by

Nawab Ali Mohammad Khan Khakwani. As governor

of Multan, he built the famous Mosque Wali

Mohammad Khan in 1757 which remains to this day.

Many buildings were constructed during this time, and

agricultural production grew rapidly. The decline of the

Mughal Empire was not as devastating for Multan as it

was for other cities. The city escaped the destruction

brought upon India by the armies of Nadir Shah, but it

was ruled from Kabul by numerous Afghan dynasties

for a while.

In the 19th century, the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh

conquered Multan. Sikh rule would not last long, as the

British were eventually provoked into checking the

Sikh strength in Punjab. After a long and bloody battle,

Multan was made part of the British Raj. The British

built some railways to the city, but its industrial

capacity was never developed. The area around the city

is a flat plain and is ideal for agriculture. There are

many canals that cut across the Multan district that

47

provide water from nearby rivers. It is extremely hot in

the summer.

Our forefather Syed Shah Minhajuddin alias Shah

Manjhan was born in Multan and migrated from there

to Miran Bigha, Bihar in 1527AD. I am sure his father

and grand father are buried there.

CHAPTER NINE

The Biharis

Syed Shah Minhajuddin

Makhdum Syed Shah Minhajuddin alias Manjhan Shah

was born at Uch Shareef Multan. He is also known as

Makhdum Manjhan Qattal Bukhari Suharverdi. He

48

migrated to Miran Bigha from Multan during the reign

of King Babur sometime in 1527 AD at a young age.

He was also a Sufi like his forefathers and established

a Khanqah of Chishtia Suharwerdi order. The name of

the village in Uch Shareef Multan where he came from

was Taslimpur Hujra, so when he migrated to Bihar he

named the new place Saleempur Hujra which later on

became Miranbigha.

It is said that he instructed his descendents not to build

the roof of the made of brick and mortar, and according

to his wish no house in Miranbigha has been built that

way. Most probably he might have experienced the

earthquake and the death it causes due to heavy roof.

There are some legends about him that he used to go

Shaikhpura Pinjora which is about three miles from

Miranbigha to meet another Sufi Makhdum Syed Shah

Mubarak and cross the river Jamna without getting wet

even in the rainy season. This might not be true but this

much is certain that he must have reverence for

Makhdum Syed Shah Mubarak who happened to be the

forefather of my meternal grand father (Nana) Syed

Sharafat Karim of Shaikhpura Pinjora.

It is said that he was man of very strong character and

did everything for the sake of God. His presence in that

area convinced many non-Muslims to accept Islam. He

died in Miranbigha and his grave can be found in an

open field of the grave yard of the village. Every year

people of all faith commemorate the anniversary of his

death and pay homage to this noble man by placing a

cover (Chader) on his grave. After his death his son

Syed Hafiz Maqbul became the Sajjadah of the

Khankah and he continued the tradition of his father.

He is also buried by the side of his father.

Syed Azhar Husain

49

My grand father Syed Azhar Husain was born in the

village of Miranbigha sometime in 1868. He got

married to Bibi Aliman Khatoon in 1890. After his

marriage he moved to Shahobigha. He received his

formal education at home, which was the tradition in

those days. He was not a rich man but when his

nephews asked him to give his share of the property at

Miranbigha, he gladly gave it to them. He thought that

his sons were all educated, so they did not need his

property. This shows how generous and simple a man

he was. He lived for a while in Patna, but he moved

back to Shahobigha. He died sometime in the year 1927

AD and is buried there at Shahobigha, in Jehanabad

district of Bihar

Bibi Aliman Khatoon

Bibi Aliman Khatoon my grand mother was born in

Shahobigha. She was a lady of vision, she knew the

value and importance of education. She left the village

and rented a house in Patna so that my father and his

two brothers could receive proper education. It was her

vision that my father finished the M.A and Law degree,

and my uncle finished his Ph.D from London. I respect

her from the core of my heart. She died in 1924 and is

buried at Shahobigha.

Syed Sharaft Karim

My maternal grand father (Nana) was born in

Sheikhpura a village about three miles from

Miranbigha. He got his education in the city of Patna

and earned a degree in the field of Medicine. He moved

from place to place to pursue his carrier in his field.

He married Quraisha khatoon my maternal grand

mother (Nani) some time in the year 1903. She died at a

very early age when my mother was just an infant and

50

her elder sister was about two years old. He married

again after a while with Raufa khatoon. My grand

father brought back his two daughters from Arwal

including my mother when they were eight to ten years

old. He had no issue with the second marriage. My

grand mother Raufa Khatoon had a long life and she

died in 1984 at Karachi Pakistan. After his retirement

my Nana went to Makkah for Haj and after coming

back from Haj, he settled at Sheikhpura. He did not

survive long and died some time in 1929, he is buried

here at Sheikhpura, Pinjora district Jehanabad.

Syed Abdul Aziz

My father Syed Abdul Aziz was born in Shahobigha in

the year 1900. After completing his high school in

Patna he went to Calcutta and received his Bachelor of

Arts degree from the University of Calcutta. He

finished his Master of Arts and Law degree from Patna

University.

He married Bibi Rakeya Khatoon my mother in the

year 1926 and started his Law practice in the city of

Gaya. Apparently he did not like it, so he found a job at

Patna High Court and moved to the city of Patna. He

worked at Patna High Court in several capacities and

eventually retired from there in 1960. After his

retirement he started the Law practice at Patna High

court.

Like my grand father he was also very simple, honest,

religious man. He strongly believed in maintaining the

purity of the family, in other words he would not

approve the marriage of his children except in the Syed

family. I use to argue with him all the time on this

subject and to some extent he was convinced that it is

not a good practice . I would not blame him for his

conservative views because he inherited this from his

forefathers. He liked sports and hunting very much.

Every winter we used to hunt together in the river

51

Ganges. He also liked flower and vegetable gardening, I

learned gardening from him at an early age.

In the summer 1973 my wife came here to join me. My

parent also came with her up to England. They followed

her and came here in fall and spent two months with me

here in US and with my sister in Toronto, Canada.

Though my father was not feeling well, he still insisted

to make a trip to Makkah for Haj. We all respected his

wish and according to plan he left Toronto for Cardiff,

England and then to Makkah. By the grace of God he

performed the Haj successfully. One night he fell down

in the bathroom and broke his hip bone. He got

admitted to the hospital in Makkah but survived only

five to six days and left this world in the year 1974(AD)

at the age of seventy four before any of us could reach

there. My mother with the help of my wife’s grand

father (Nana) Syed Muhammad managed to perform

the last rites. In a sense I was glad that he could fulfill

his last and important wish and returned to the place

from where our forefathers started their journey. He

will always be remembered for his honesty, sincerity

and simplicity.

Bibi Rakeya Khatoon

My mother Bibi Rakeya Khatoon was born at Arwal.

Her mother died when she was just an infant, so her

grand mother raised her till she was eight years old and

then she moved to live with her father. She received the

formal education of Arabic and Urdu at home which

was the usual practice in those days. She got married to

my father sometime in 1926 and moved to Shahobigha.

She moved to Shaikhpura for a while to live with her

only sister while my father was trying to establish

himself in the city of Gaya for the practice of law.

My mother and her sister were close to each other as

she was the only close relative she had besides her

father. Sometime in 1932 her sister came down with a

52

deadly infection of Cholera and she passed away in

matter of hours. This loss was the biggest shock of her

life which took many years to recover. My mother and

her sister both had infant daughter at the time of her

death so my mother had to take care of both of them.

After sometime when my mother moved to Patna, my

Grand mother took the responsibility of taking care of

my Aunt’s daughter. Though my mother did not

adopted her sister’s daughter, she treated her like her

own daughter.

After the death of my father in 1974 my mother went

back to Patna and lived there till 1982. I visited her

several times while she was there. She came here in

1982 and staying about a year went to Patna and finally

came back to USA in 1984 to live here on permanent

basis. We were fortunate to live with her all these years

till the fall of 2001 when she passed away very

peacefully on November 19th 2001. She is buried here

in Canton, Michigan.

My mother was a lady of very strong character with

open mind. She never hesitated to speak out the truth

under any circumstances. She had a very good

management skill both in dealing with people and

money. She had a magnanimous heart and ready to help

any body in need. She used to spend all the money she

received from Social Security on charity. She always

invited the relatives both from my father side and

mother side to came and live in Patna with us and

received proper education and many of them took

advantage of her generosity. She had keen interest in

politics. I remember one day when I informed her that

President Clinton needs money to defend himself from

the right winger politicians, she at once told me without

hesitation to send $100 on her behalf.

She was a very hard working skilful lady both in the art

of cooking and otherwise. She had a special technique

to cook the game birds, the rare taste is still fresh in my

53

memory. I will never forget her sincerity, love and

devotion for all of us. She will stay in my heart as long

as I live.

My Close relatives

Syed Abdul Hafeez

Syed Abdul Hafeez was my father’s elder brother. He

was born at Shahobigha in the year 1895. After

finishing his education he entered into a Government

service and retired in 1946. In the same year Bihar was

engulfed in Hindu Muslim riot, so he left his village of

Shahobigha and came to live with us in Patna. In 1947

his only daughter Saleha Khatoon had to go through C

section to deliver the baby. The baby survived but she

died of infection. I was nine years old at that time but I

remember vividly every thing. This tragedy was

extremely hard for my uncle to bear and, he could not

survive too long after this and died of heart attack in

1951. He is buried in a graveyard in the city of Patna.

Dr Syed Abdul Majid

Syed Abdul Majid was the younger brother of my

father. After the death of my uncle Syed Abdul Hafiz

he was the only close relative I had. He was born in

1905 at Shahobigha. He received his education at Patna

and Aligarh and after finishing his MA degree in he

joined Patna University as a lecturer in Geography. In

1946 he went to England and earned Ph.D in

Geography from University of London. He returned to

Patna and resumed his teaching carrier till he retired in

1960.

After his retirement he joined College of Commerce

Patna, as a Principal. Here he worked very hard and

transformed a small college into a big institution

offering Bachelor of Arts, Science, Commerce and

Law degrees. He worked there for about eight years. I

54

was lucky enough to work there with him as a lecturer

in Chemistry. In 1968 he came to USA as a visiting

Professor at the University of Kentucky and worked

there for two years and returned to Patna in summer of

1970.

He started writing poetry in 1964 to reliev himself from

the pressure of work which he had given up to pursue

his carrier. In a matter of one year he completed his first

Masnavi (narrative poem) called Heyatokaenat (

Evolution of Universe). I consider this work as unique

in Urdu poetry because for the first time a scientific

fact was written in poetry. After returning to Patna

from USA he had plenty of time and so he devoted his

time to writing poetry and published a couple of books.

He died in 1983 and is buried at Shahganj graveyard

in Patna.

My uncle was not a religious man but was very honest,

sincere and courageous. He did not care what people

thought, he always did the right thing. I have great

respect for his honesty, integrity and sincerity.

CHAPTER TEN

End of journey in the old world

55

Bihar

Bihar is mainly a vast stretch of very fertile flat land.

Several big rivers pass through the state like Ganga,

Sone and Gandak, to name a few. Central parts of Bihar

has some small hills. The Himalayan mountains are to

the north in Nepal. To the south is the Chota Nagpur

plateau which was part of Bihar till 2000, but is now

part of a separate state called Jharkhand.

Bihar has a very rich history. It was called Magadha in

ancient days. Its capital Patna, known as Pataliputra

during the old days, was the center of the Mauryan

empire, which dominated the Indian subcontinent

between 325 BC-185 BC. Emperor Ashoka was the

most famous ruler of this dynasty. Bihar remained an

important place of power, culture and education during

the next one thousand years. Nalanda and Vikramshila

Universities were the world class learning centers at

one time. Bihar is also the birthplace of many religions,

including Buddhism and Jainism. Buddha attained the

Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, a town located in the

modern day district of Gaya. Buddha started spreading

his teaching after attaining the Enlightenment at Bodh

Gaya. Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, was born in

Vaishali Bihar. When we speak of Bihar it conjures up

memories of ancient India when Buddhism was

evolving into what is now a universal religion.

With the advent of the foreign invasion and eventual

subjugation of India, the position of Bihar was also

adversely affected. Muhammad Bin Bakhtiar Khilji, a

General of Muhammad Ghori captured Bihar in 12th

century. In between, Bihar saw a brief period of glory

for six years during the rule of Sher Shah Suri, who was

from Sasaram Bihar and built the longest road of the

Indian subcontinent, the Grand Trunk Road, which

starts from Calcutta and ends at Peshawar, Pakistan.

Akbar, the Mughal emperor, annexed Bihar and Bengal

to his empire and made Bihar a part of Bengal. With the

56

decline of Mughals, Bihar passed under the control of

the Nawabs of Bengal and finally it became a part of

British India.

Islam was introduced in Bihar by Imam Mohammed

Taj Zubairy in 1178 AD. After that many learned Sufis

migrated to Bihar and established the Khanqah.

Phulwari Shareef, Bihar Shareef and Maner Sharif

became the learning center of Islam. Of all the places

Bihar is the one where my forefathers lived the longest,

which is about 450 years. I am the 15th generation from

Syed Shah Minhajuddin who migrated from Multan to

Bihar.

Miran Bigha

The original name of Miran Bigha was Saleempur

Hujra which later on became Miran Bigha. It is a small

village situated thirty five miles south from the city of

Patna the capital of Bihar on Patna Gaya railway line.

The nearest railway station is Tehta which is about a

mile from the village. This is the place our forefather

Syed Shah Minhajuddin alias Shah Manjhan came form

Multan to settle here sometime in 1527 AD where the

Moghal king Babur allotted him some real state. There

are many villages in this area where the learned Sufis

came from west and established the Khanqah. Our

forefather Syed Shah Minhajuddin also established a

Khanqah which lasted for a few generations.

Things have not changed much here for the last four

hundred years since our forefathers came to settle here

except the railway line built by the British Raj in

eighteenth century. This area is a part of fertile

Gangetic plane so the main subsistence is agriculture,

producing rice, wheat, lintels and fruits especially

mango.

It is amazing that twelve generation of our forefather

lived in the same village till my Grand father Syed

Azhar Hussain moved to Shahobigha the village of my

grand mother some time in 1890 AD. He gave his share

57

of property to his nephew, so this was the reason my

father lost the connection with this village, though we

use to visit this village once in a while to see our

relatives specially Sultan Chacha.

Syed Shah Minhajuddin alias Shah Manjhan is buried

here and his marked grave can still be seen in the

village graveyard. Everyone in the village claims to be

his descendent.

Shahobigha

Shahobigha is a midsize village about ten miles east of

Jahanabad which happens to be the nearest railway

station. A small river named Phalgun flows about half a

mile from the village. This is the village where my

grandmother, my father and my uncles were born and

brought up. My grandfather also moved to this place

after his marriage sometime in 1890.

In 1946 Hindu Muslim riot broke out in Bihar which

engulfed the whole area around Shahobigha and other

places. Our village was not attacked directly but a lot of

Muslim villages in that area became victims of death

and destruction. After the riot the people of the village

felt unsafe , so they deserted the village and moved to

safer place in different cities. A good number of people

migrated to Karachi Pakistan after the partition of India

in 1947. Shahobigha became history for us, a village so

dear to my father and uncle. One of my father’s

maternal uncle (Mamu) moved with us in Patna and he

died two years after leaving the village. The other uncle

went to Calcutta to live with his daughter and he met

the same fate in a matter of one year. My father’s elder

sister and her widowed daughter migrated to Karachi

Pakistan with her son and they survived for a while but

paid a terrible price, a life of an unfamiliar and

inhospitable place. This is the story of many Muslim

families of Bihar.

I was seven to eight year old at the time when the

village was abandoned, but the sweet memory of my

58

visit to the village once a year is still fresh in my mind

after elapse of sixty years. It was the tradition of the

village that every body used to go back to the village in

the month of Muharram to commemorate the

martyrdom of Imam Husain. Ten to fifteen days before

the commemoration (Ashura) the village people used to

build Tazia* and Sipper* for the tenth of Muharram

procession. Every day in the evening the male members

of the village would gather near the Imambara* to

practice the art of using the sword and other weapons

specially Lathi*. Some people use to be very skilled in

the use of those weapons and Muharram was the time

to display their skill in public. A little late in the

evening both young and old people of the village used

to sit-down under the banyan tree and recite Mersia*

for two to three hours, after that we used to do Matam

by beating our chests . I guess the people of this village

had some influence of Shiaizm .

The day of Ashura the tenth day of Muharram used to

be the most exciting day. The people would assemble

at the Imambara in the morning with all the decorated

Tazia, Sippers and all sorts of weapons. Then people

would start the march at the beat of the drum and go

from village to village displaying their skill and mastery

of each weapon.

In those days Muharram used to fall in winter so the

only memory of Shahobigha I have is associated with

winter and Muharram. My father and my uncle both

were avid hunters and winter was a good time to do

that. I was too young to accompany them for hunting

blue bulls which were numerous in that area, but I do

remember the year my father brought back this big

game which brought festivity for the whole village.

Bird hunting was also very good in that area specially

green pigeons which used to flock on big banyan tree in

huge numbers and it was easy to drop a dozen of such

birds in a couple of shots.

59

Shahobigha was known for its literary activity. Fazle

Haq Azad was one of the famous Urdu poets and writer

of Bihar who was born and brought up here. My uncle

Syed Abdul Majid “Shams” who was also a good Urdu

poet of Bihar was his disciple.

My last visit to Shahobigha when the village was intact,

hustling and bustling with life was in the year 1945.

Since then I visited the village once in 1964. Me, my

elder brother and my friend Mr. Omair walked a

distance of about eight miles from Sheikhpura to

Shahobigha hunting along the way. It was a remarkable

and shocking visit. Except a few house most of the

houses were at different stages of ruins. My father’s

Mamus house was completely on the ground, our own

house which my father was building had turned in to a

ruin and my uncle’s house was barely standing. It was

sorry sight to see the destruction of the village which in

my childhood memory was so full of life.

Arwal

Arwal is midsize village situated on the bank of river

Sone. The nearest railway station Jehanabad is twenty

miles away. The canal built during the British Raj

passes through the village which assures the production

of crops by providing reliable source of water. This is

the reason this area is very good for producing different

varieties of rice and other crops. Arwal is situated on

the bank river Sone which is a very wide river but

remains dry most of the year, except the rainy season

when it carries huge amount of water to the river

Ganges. During the spring and early summer time when

the river bed is dry the framers produce excellent

varities of water melons and long cucumbers called

Kackri. It sweet taste and crunch is still fresh in my

memory.

This is the village where my mother Rakeya Khatoon

and my Grand mother (Nani) Quraisha Khatoon was

born and brought up. My grand mother died here of

60

Bubonic Plague at a very young age when my mother

was just an infant. So my grand father (Nana) left my

mother and elder sister with my great grand mother. My

mother grew up here with her grand mother up to age of

eight or ten, then she moved to her father and step

mother. This was the reason my mother was very much

attached to this place. We used to visit this place very

often. I remember when I was very young, I was

visiting this place with my mother and younger sister

whose name was Sabiha, she fell ill and died in a very

short time. I use to play and fight with her all the time

like any other kid. Her loss was associated in my

memory for a long time with this village.

I was not lucky enough to see any of my grand fathers

or grand mothers. My father’s Mamu who used to treat

us so affectionately whenever we visited Shahobigha,

passed away soon after they left the village in 1946. So

the only place to look for a grand fatherly figure was

Arwal, where my mother’s two maternal uncles

(Mamu) were permanently residing. I visited Arwal at

every stage of my life and they always treated us with

love and affection. My mother’s maternal uncle Syed

Shah Muhammad Umair launched the India’s

independent movement from here. His elder brother

Syed Shah Muhammad Zubair (Bar at Law) who was

born here at Arwal was one of the famous leader of

independent movement of India. He died at an early

age in the year 1930. My mother’s third Mamu Syed

Shah Humair, was born here but he lived all his life

outside this village to pursue his carrier. My mother’s

youngest Mamu Syed Shah Zuhair lived all his life at

Arwal and pursued a political carrier in this area. He

was elected several times as Member of Legislative

Assembly of Bihar.

The person who came to Arwal some time in 14th

century was Syed Shah Khalil-Uddin Ahmad a 19th

generation decedent. He established a Khankah (an

institution of learning and preaching Islam ) here. He is

buried in Arwal close to the river Sone. All of his

61

decedents are also buried there including the two uncles

(Mamu) of my mother Syed Shah Umair and Syed Shah

Zuhair.

Sheikhpura

Sheikhpura is a tiny village thirty two miles south of

the city of Patna the capital of the state of Bihar. A

midsize city Jehanabad is four miles away which

happen to be the nearest railway station. A small river

Jamuna snakes through the village which is a good

source of irrigation and fish all year round. Pinjora a

midsize village which has mixed population of both

Hindus and Muslims is just half a mile away. This

village has a post office, some sort of medical facility

and some shopping area. A wealthy landlord

Mr.Mahbob Alam used to live in this village. During

the Hindu Muslim riot which preceded the partition of

India his family moved to Pakistan and his palace like

house became Government property.

My maternal grandfather (Nana) Syed Sharafat Karim

was born and brought up here in Sheikhpura, though he

spent most of his adult life outside this village to peruse

his medical carrier. He build a big house and planted a

mango orchard of rare and finest variety. After his

retirement he came back to his village and died

sometime in 1928. There is a Dargah which has the

grave of Makhdum Syed Shah Mubarak Ashrafi and

every year people of all faiths commemorate his death

by placing a cover on his grave. My maternal

grandfather (Nana) and other Syed families of the

village claim to be his decedents.

We used to visit this village every year during the

summer vacation, in the months of June and July and a

short visit in December during Christmas time. Both

summer and winter had its own charm. Summer is very

hot specially up to second week of June. By the middle

June most of the mangoes used to get ready for picking

62

and by that time the monsoon would break with a big

thunder declaring the beginning of the rainy season.

The first rain of the season had a magical effect on

every thing specially on mango by increasing its flavor

and taste. Enjoying these rare varieties of mango was

out of this world, the sweet memory will stay fresh for

ever in my mind.

Summer was not a good time for hunting, except for

the hunting of a especial kind of fish weighing ten to

fifteen pounds with a shot gun. This was possible

because on hot summer days these fish would come on

the surface to breath air because of the lower level

dissolved oxygen in the warm water. It was really a fun

to shoot the fish with shot gun. In a good season it was

easy to get a dozen of such fish in a month.

During the first two weeks of June we used to spend

much of the day time inside hall of the outer house,

playing chess, ludo or reading books. By four in the

evening the grip of heat would come down to allow us

to move around. Taking advantage of this we would go

to the mango orchard to take cold shower under the

shade of the mango tree. Though the days were very

hot the evenings were relatively pleasant. We spent

early part of the night in an open air and my father used

to talk to village folks on just about any subject. By the

third week of June when the huge Biju mango tree was

full of ripe fruits the thunder storm would bring them

down by the thousands. We used to pick them up and

put in a bucket of cold water and eat to our heart’s

content. These Biju mangoes are small but tasty and

easy on stomach.

By the first week of July all the mangoes are picked

from the trees and now it was the time for us to leave

the village and head for the city of Patna. The most

appropriate transportation from the village to the

railway station was bullock cart because only those

poor bulls could negotiate those muddy roads at the rate

of one mile per hour. Thus a distance 32 miles from the

63

village to our house in Patna use to take six to seven

hours.

My father and I used to make a short visit in winter

which had its own charm. You could see the green

paddy fields as far as your eyes could see. Winter was a

good time for bird hunting specially green pigeons,

wild ducks and partridges.

I migrated to USA in 1970, but whenever I visited India

I paid a visit to this village. We have given the main

house to the local people and converted the outer house

(the Bangla) into a school. I visited this village in year

2000 when I saw all the big mango trees and the mango

orchard gone. This is not the same village I had in my

memory, but you can not help it, the change has to

come and you have accept it.

Patna

Patna is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and

one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the

world. It lies on the southern bank of the Ganges as it

flows by with the combined waters of the rivers

Ganges, Sone and Gandak. At the point where the city

is located, the sacred Ganges looks more like a sea than

river, mighty, wide and never ending especially during

the rainy season. A bustling city of 1,200,000 people,

the city is approximately 10 miles long and 5 miles

wide.

Apart from being the administrative centre of the state

it has its historic importance. The city is also a major

educational and medical centre one of the oldest and

prestigious in the country. The history of Patna started

around the year 490 BC when Ajatashatru, the king of

Magadh, wanted to shift his capital from the hilly

Rajgriha to a more strategically located place. He chose

the site on the bank of Ganges and fortified the area.

From that time, the city has had a continuous history, a

record claimed by few cities in the world. Gautam

64

Buddha passed through the city in the last year of his

life.

With the rise of the Mauryan empire, the place became

the seat of power and nerve centre of the sub-continent.

From Pataliputra, the famed emperor Chandragupta

Maurya (a contemporary of Alexander) ruled a vast

empire, stretching from the Bay of Bengal to

Afghanistan. Early Mauryan Patliputra was mostly built

with wooden structures. Emperor Ashoka, the grandson

of Chandragupta Maurya, transformed the wooden

capital into a stone construction.

With the disintegration of the Gupta empire, and

continuous invasions of the Indian subcontinent by

foreign armies, Patna passed through uncertain times.

Bakhtiar Khilji captured Bihar in the 12th century AD

and Patna lost its prestige as the political and cultural

center of India.

Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb acceded to the request of

his favourite grandson Prince Muhammad Azeem to

rename Patna as Azeemabad, in 1704 while Azeem was

in Patna as the subedar (Governer). However, very little

changed during this period other than the name.

With the decline of Mughal empire, Patna moved into

the hands of the Nawabs of Bengal. After the decisive

Battle of Buxar (1765), Patna fell in the hands of the

East India Company. A number of imposing structures

were constructed by the British such as Patna Museum,

State Assembly and Raj Bhaven to name a few. Patna

has a world famous library, called Kudabuksh Khan

Oriental Library which has a collection of rare books

not found any where else. Patna continued to be the

capital of the state of Bihar after independence in 1947.

Patna is the city where I was born and received my

education. I spent thirty two years of my life here

before migrating to USA in 1970. I graduated From

Miller English High School and finished BSc Honors

and MSc in Chemistry from Patna University. After

65

graduation I joined Patna College of Commerce as a

lecturer in chemistry and stayed here till 1969 a period

of eight years. Though I enjoyed life in Patna during

my student days, the last eight years were really

terrific. First of all I felt free from the pressure of study

and exams and had money in the pocket to spend.

Teaching Chemistry in the college was fun. You spent

four hours at the collage come back home, take some

rest and in the evening go to the famous restaurant of

Patna (Soda Fountain) with friends and spent a few

hours talking and having fun.

Winter days in Patna were very enjoyable. You have

bright sunshine everyday and lots of other activities

specially gardening, hunting and playing Badminton in

the evening. Late November to March every weekend

was reserved for hunting. We had two favorite places to

hunt one was the river Ganges and the other was

Katauna, the village of my friend Mr. Omair. Katauna

was just a couple of railway stations away from Patna.

So it was very convenient for the weekend retreat. Here

we hunted blue bulls, wild ducks and other game birds.

I really enjoyed this place very much till my friend Mr.

Omair moved to Katmandu Nepal in 1966.

Hunting in the mighty river Ganges was both

adventure and fun. I hunted in river Ganges with my

father and uncle from my very childhood but it was not

that frequent and was limited to birds hunting only.

After moving to Sultangang where our house was only

two hundred yards away from the river and the arrival

of my elder brother Syed Abdul Ahad Ahmed from

Dhaka Bangladesh, we ventured into hunting blue bulls

in the island of the river Ganges. In the winter time

with lots of crop vegetation and very few people

around this island use to become the haven for these big

animals. It was easy to find couple of dozens of them

grazing on the planted crop, and dropping down two or

three of them was not very difficult. The real challenge

was to transport this six to seven hundred pound animal

to the boat which we use to do with the help of local

66

people. It was even a bigger challenge to move the boat

up stream eight to ten miles with no power. The only

way to move the boat up stream was to pull it with the

help of a strong rope and the boat man use to do it on

regular basis. One time I remember we shot two male

blue bulls and by the time we loaded them on the boat it

was late afternoon. We knew that puling boat in the

dark was dangerous specially when the big chunks of

dirt were falling from above due to combined current of

river Gandak and Ganges, but we had no choice. It so

happened that the river had a slight bend where the

current was very strong. When we reached that point

the boat man could not pull the boat, the rope snapped

and in a matter of minute we were thrown back two

hundred yards down stream. We were scared to death

but the boat man on board somehow managed to stop

the boat and reattached the rope. When we reached

that point again we all (Me my elder brother, my

brother-in-law Wasim, my cousin Husain Majid and

my friend Omair) pushed the boat with bamboo stick

with all our might and pulled it out from the danger

zone. With no life jacket or any other thing to float it

was really a close call that night, which I cannot forget.

Patna had some famous literary figure like Dr.

Kalimuddin, Dr. Jameel Mazhari, Dr. Akhtar Uranwe,

Dr. Kaleem Ajiz, Dr Syed Hasan, Dr. Hasan Askari and

my uncle Dr. Syed Abdul Majid to name a few. They

all use to meet once a month under the auspices of

Buzme Adab and recite Urdu poetry. It was really a rare

privilege to enjoyed their company, their poetry, and

their wit and wisdom. Patna will never be same

without them. My last visit to Patna was in the year

2000. As expected the population has exploded and the

city is bursting with people. The mighty river Ganges is

losing its ground, shirking, stinking and dying with

pollution. It is not the same Patna I had left thirty years

ago.

67

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Family Tree

Qusai

King of Makkah.

|

Abd Manaf

|

Hashem Ancestor of Hashemites

|

Abd al- Mutalib

|

Abdullah

|

Mohammad Sallallaho Alahe Wasallam

|

Fatima az Zahra

Ali Al Murtaza

|

Imam Husain (Shahide Karbala)

|

Imam Zainal Abdin

|

Imam Mohammad Al Baqir

|

68

Imam Jafar Sadiq

|

Imam Moosa Kazim

|

Imam Ali Reza

|

Imam Mohammad Taqi

|

Imam Ali Naqi Hadi

|

Syed Murtaza Jafar Sani

|

Syed Ali Kabir

|

Syed Abdullah Alias Ali Asghar

|

Syed Ahmad Buzurg

|

Syed Mukhtar

|

Syed Sami Saifullah

|

Syed Jafar Shah Khurasani

|

Syed Abul Ala Moid Ali

|

Syed Jalaluddin Surkh Bukhari

|

Syed Ahmad Kabir

|

Syed Makhdoom Jalal Jahania Jahangasht

|

Syed Nasiruddin Mahmood (Alias Nasir Shah)

|

Syed Shah Zakiuddin Buzurg

|

Syed Shah Nizamuddin

|

Syed Shah Zakiuddin Sani

|

69

Syed Shah Minhajuddin Alias Manjhan Shah

|

Syed Shah Hafiz Maqbool

|

Syed Shah Baday Danishmand

|

Syed Burhanuddin

|

Syed Shah Umer

|

Syed Farid

|

Syed Shah Waliullah

|

Syed Abdullah

|

Syed Fahimullah

|

Syed Ahmadullah

|

Syed Barkat Hussain

|

Syed Hidayet Hussain

|

Syed Anwar Hussain

|

Syed Azhar Hussain, Bibi Aliman

|

Fatima, Abdul Hafeez,Abdul Aziz,Abdul Majid

Bibi Anis Fatma Syed Fazl Karim

|

Ali Imam , Hasan Imam , Waris Imam , Bandi

Syed Abdul Hafeez Bibi Zainab

|

Saleha Khatoon

70

Syed Abdul Aziz Bibi Rakeya Khatoon

| Ahad Ahmed, Asma, Masood, Aslam, Tayiaba, Sofia

Syed Abdul Majid Zaibun Nisa

| Hasan, Husain, Hasnain, Shahar Bano, Mehar, Qamer

Syed Waris Imam, Asfa Imam

|

Amman , Haydher, Anjum , Arjaman , Baby Imam

Saleha Khatoon Syed Salahuddin

|

Sultana Khatoon

Syed Abdul Ahad Ahmad Masoma Khatoon

|

Arshi Ahmad, Najmee Ahmad, Shariq Ahmad

Asma Aziz Syed Serajul Hoda

|

Munawarul Hoda, Romana, Rukhsana, Tanveerul Hoda

Syed Masood Shahin Masood

|

Samina, Anila, Nusheen , Saqib Masood

71

Syed Aslam Shahnaz Aslam

|

Faiz Aslam, Amir Aslam , Shazia Aslam

Taiyba Aziz Jafry Syed Wasim Sajjad Jafry

| Syed Rezwan Jafry , Syed Irfan Jafry

Sofia Aziz Taj Syed Sabauddin Taj

| Syed Asad Taj

Syed Hasan Majid Roohi Majid

| Shahnawaz Majid Sema Majid Sara Majid

Syed Husain Majid Nelofar Majid

| Raina Majid, Sofia Majid, Samia Majid, Ejaz Majid

Syed Hasnain Majid Elizabeth Majid

| Nesar Majid, Arshad Majid, Naheed Majid

Shahar Bano Syed Shahabuddin

| Parveen, Nasreen, Syed Pervez, Sara, Johra, Babay

72

Mehar Bano Wasi Ahmad

| Afshan Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad, Mustaq Ahmad

Qamar Bano Nayer Ahmad

|

Tawish Ahmad, Sheren Ahmad

Sultana Alam Syed Mazahir Alam

|

Faisal Alam, Qadafi Alam,Yasir Alam, Zabee

Arshi Ahmed Syed Rashid Ali

|

Syed Heyat Ali Syed Umar Ali

Najme Ahmad Arshad Ahmad

| Amina Ahmed

Syed Munawar ul Hoda Anjum Hoda

|

Fauzia , Saira , Naveed Hoda, Shan Hoda

Kishver Rumana Muhammad Ali Anwar

|

Faraz Anwar

Talat Rukhsana Athar Haleem

|

Saema Haleem Lina Haleem Ayesha Haleem

73

Syed Tanveer ul Hoda Shahla Hoda

|

Zaeem ul Hoda, Raneem , Fatma, Rameez ul Hoda

Samina Masood Zahoor Murtaza Zahoor

|

Musa Zahoor, Haroon Zahoor, Jibreel Zahoor

Anila Masood Baig Mirza Imran Baig

|

Nabeel Baig, Najeeb Baig

Saqib Syed Masood Afroze Masood

|

Nazneen Mirza Masood

Faiz Syed Aslam Samira Nasim Aslam

|

Aakif S. Aslam, Salik S. Aslam, Hafsa Aslam

Amir Syed Aslam Ayesha Khan Aslam

|

Hania Aslam

Syed Rizwan Jafry alias Shad Ruquiya Jafry

|

Kamran Jafry, Suleman Jafry, Osman Jafry

Syed Irfan Jafry alias Urfi Shazia Jafry

|

74

Rumsha Jafry, Zaiyan Syed Jafry

Shahnawaz Majid bin Hasan

Connie Majid

|

Julia Majid

Raina Majid bint Husain Zahid Karim

|

Fadil Karim Sulman Karim

Sofia Majid Khan Bint Hussain Mahtab Ahmed Khan

|

Samir Khan, Imran Khan, Nabel Khan

Samia Majid Hasan bint Hussain Syed Neaz Hasan

| Zainab Hasan, Umer Hasan

Syed Ejaz Majid bin Hussain Samia Majid

| Sana Majid, Sulma Majid

Parveen Shahabuddin Afzal Amanullah

|

Rahmat Amanullah, Azmat Amanullah

Nasreen Shahbuddin Mansoor Alam

|

Jafar Alam, Umar Alam

Syed Perveez Shahabuddin

75

Soophia Shahabuddin

|

Zoha Shahabuddin, Zain Shahabuddin

Syed Sultan Ahmad of Miranbigha Bihar

Sultan Chacha was second cousin of my farther, his son

Syed Zafar Sultan provided a lot of information in

writing this book. He was the only relative in

Miranbigha I visited with my father on regular basis.

He was born in Miranbigha District Gaya in 1891.

Married Mehmooda Begum daughter of Moulvi

Hashim Saheb of Barh District Patna in the year 1920

and had seven children with her. She died at an early

age in the year 1936.

He received his edutation at home which included Urdu

, Persian and Arabic according to tradition of the time.

His father who was a landlord thought that modern

education was not necessary. But Sultan Chacha was

not satisfied with the education he was receiving at

home. He managed to find an English man who was the

Stationmaster of Makhdoompur on Patna Gaya railway

line. He walked every day five miles to learn English,

French and Math from this kind hearted man. This man

also convinced his father that his son is a bright student

and should receive the modern education in a proper

school. As a result of the discussion he was sent to

Gaya Town School, where he always excelled in his

class.

After graduating from High School he joined the

famous Presidency college of Calcutta. During the stay

here in Calcutta he took keen interest in politics and

met Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and became the

76

secretary of Mohammad Ali Jauhar a famous politician.

He continued his education and completed his masters

in mathematics from Calcutta University. He started his

teaching carrier at Arrah Zila school, but managed to

find a job of lecturer at Patna Teacher Training Collage.

There he got a scholarship to study at Leeds England

where he received a Diploma in Education. After

coming from England he worked as Principal at several

big school of Bihar and received many awards from the

Government of Bihar for excellent work. He finally

retired as Divisional Inspector of Schools in 1948.

After the retirement he moved back to Miranbigha and

planted a mango orchard. I use to visit him with my

father in the summer time and enjoyed eating mango

with him. At the request of his son he migrated to

Pakistan in 1966. He survived for another five years

and died at the age of eighty in Rawalpindy on October

12, 1971. He is buried in the graveyard at Harley Street

in Rawalpindy.

The Shijrah of my father and that of Sultan Chacha is

common up to thirty fourth generation. Syed Hedayet

Hussain had three sons, Syed Amanat Hussain, Syed

Rahat Hussain and Syed Anwar Hussain, he is the

descendent of Syed Rahat Hussain.

Syed Rahat Husain

|

Syed Mir Asif Husain alias Iqbal Sharifan (First wife)

|

Asiya, Syed Fazal Haq, Syed Jamal Haq

Saliha, Zobaida

Syed Mir Asif Hussain alias Iqbal Kaniz Fatima (second wife)

|

77

Azimuddi , Kalimuddin , Sultan Ahmad, Hanifan,

Fatima,

Syed Mir Asif Hussain alias Iqbal Maryum (Third wife)

|

Sultan Mahmood , Sultan Masood, Maimoona.

Syed Sultan Ahmad Mehmooda Begum

|

Zafir , Aziz Sultan, Jamila, Bilquis, Zafar Sultan,

Kaniz Fatima, Moiz Sultan

Asiya Begum bint Asif Hussain Syed Athar Hussain,

|

Moinuddin, Afeefa, Rehman, Aqeela, Yehia,

Mohammad

Syed Aziz Sultan Afeefa Begum

|

Fareena Sultan, Fauzia Sultan, Faheena Sultan

Syed Mois Sultan Moeeda Rizvi

|

Madiha Sultan, Rahma Sultan, Uzma Sultan, Yasir

Sultan

Kaniz Fatima bint Sultan Ahmad Syed Azhar

|

Wapas Azher, Shazli , Sadia , Asiya

Syed Zafar Sultan Nilofer Najmuddin

|

Shabana Sultan, Naushaba Sultan

78

Jamila Sultan bint Sultan Ahmad Syed Mohammad

|

Ather Syed , Rumana, Ejaz Syed, Shahina

Rehma bint Moiz Sultan Syed Waqas Azher

|

Fatima Azhar, Khadija Azhar

Syed Yasir Sultan bin Moiz Rabia

|

Noor, Syed Ibrahim Sultan, Zahra

Uzma Sultan bint Moiz Syed Minhajuddin

|

Marium, Ariba, Osama, Tahaa

Sadia Azhar bint Kaniz Fatima Syed Arif Ali Rizvi

|

Aamina , Abid Rizvi, Asim Rizvi, Hajra Rizvi

Shazli Azhar bint Kaniz Fatima Nazish Karim

|

Saem Karim, Saima Karim, Rida , Bassam Karim

Asiya Azhar bint Kaniz Fatima Syed Ahmad Imam

|

Fahad Imam, Saad Imam, Babur Imam

Shabana Sultan bint Zafar Syed Aftab Kazim

|

Anjum Kazim, Maha Kazim, Sarah Kazim

79

Naushaba Sultan bint Zafar S T H Gilani

|

Zan Gilani, Asher Gilani, Shariq Hussain Gilani

Rummana bint Jamila Sultan Syed Mazhar Hussain

|

Nausheen, Syed Wali Ahmad, Sofeen

Fahmeena Sultan bint Aziz Sultan Niaz Shirazi

|

Arsalan Shirazi, Nadir Shirazi, Bilal Shirazi

Fauzia Sultan bint Aziz Sultan Ishrat Ansari

|

Salmeen Ansari, Samun Ansari

Fareena Sultan bint Aziz Sultan

Nisar Ahmad

|

Najla Nisar Ahmad

Fareena Sultan bint Aziz Sultan 2nd marriage

Khalil Khatri

|

Beejul Khatri

Shijrah of my mother

My maternal grandfather (Nana) Syed Sharafat Karim

was the descendent of Makhdum Syed Shah Mubark

80

Ashraf. Makhdum Saheb was the resident of Kachucha

Shareef, Uttar Pradesh and was the descendent of

Hazrat Ghous Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jelani. He was

married to Bibi Khass daughter of Shah Burhanullah

Jonpuri and had three sons from her. He moved to

Bihar near the end of fourteenth century and chose

Sheikhpura as his new home. There he established a

Khankah of Chishtia order and spend rest of his life

spreading the deen of Islam. His eldest son Syed Shah

Durvesh Chishti was also a famous Sufi who moved to

Bitho Shareef near the city of Gaya. We do not have

the Shijrah of my grand father connecting to Makhdum

Syed Shah Mubarak but according to reference book his

Shijrah going through Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir

Jelani is like this.

Syed Shah Mubarak bin Syed Abu Saeed Jafar bin Syed

Hussain Qattal Chishti bin Syed Shah Abdul Raziq bin

Syed Hasan Abdul Ghafoor bin Syed Hussain Sharif

bin Syed Musa Sharif bin Syed Abu Ali Sharif bin Syed

Muhammad Sharif bin Syed Hussain Sharif bin Syed

Ahmad Sharif bin Syed Naseer Muhiuddin bin Syed

Abi Salah Nasar bin Syed Abdul Raziq Jilani bin

Hazrat Ghus ul Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani bin

Abi Salah Jilani ben Syed Musa Jangee bin Syed

Abullah bin Syed Muhammad Muris bin Syed Daud bin

Syed Ehya Zahid bin Syed Musa bin Syed Abdullah

Sani bin Syed Abu Musa Aljun bin Syed Abdullah

Mahaz bin Syed Hasan Sani bin Hazrat Imam Hasan

(ra)bin Hazrat Ali Murtaza(ra)and Fatima (ra).

Shijrah of Syed Shah Muhammad Zubair

Syed Shah Zubair was the maternal uncle (Mamu) of

my mother. The family Shijrah given to me by Syed

Shah Sultan Ahmad son of Shah Zubair, always seamed

incomplete to me because of the fact that it consisted

only thirty three generation from the Prophet (pbuh) to

81

the present generation. According my study of many

Shijrahs, you have to have at least thirty eight

generations plus minus two or three. I found the same

mistake in the Shijrah written in the book Ashraful

Nesab published at Karachi Pakistan. This book has

some extra information which stated that Syed Shah

Karimuddin had only one daughter who was married to

Syed Shah Gulam Imam Ali alias Shah Badlu. That was

true but she gave birth to only one daughter . The

family tree of Shah Zubair started with the second

marriage of Shah Badlu, so I had to find his

genealogical record to correct the Shijrah. Recently I

made a trip to Karachi Pakistan in search of my root

and thanks to my cousin Syed Zafer Sultan, I found

many information and a book named Sharfa ke Nagree

written by Syed Qeamuddin Nezami Qadri which had

all the information I was looking for. In that book I

found the genealogy of Shah Badlu which ultimately

connected to Syed Shah Khaliluddin Kanturi the

Buzurg who migrated to Arwal from village of Kantur,

Uttar Pradesh. The information corrected the Shijrah

and the generation gap I was searching for.

The forefather of Syed Shah Gulam Imam Ali alias

Shah Badlu was Syed Ashraf Abi Talib. He was the

Imam and respected leader of Neshapur in Iraq. He

migrated to India with his family when Halaku Khan

attacked Iraq in 1258 AD and settled in village Kantur

district Bara Bunki Uttar Pradesh. He built a house a

little away from Kantuur and it is said that the house

still exist and that place is now known as Rasulpure.

One of his decedent Syed Shah Khaliluddin Kanturi

migrated to Bihar with his elder brother Syed Shah

Shamshuddin Ahmad Kanturi and selected Arwal his

new home. They established a Khankah of Chishtia

order and served the local population.

82

Shah Gulam Imam Ali Alias Shah Badlu

Shah Badlu was the grate grand father of Shah

Muhammad Zubair. His was first married to the

daughter of Syed Karimuddin who was the Sajjadah of

Arwal Khanqah and from her he had one daughter

named Bibi Qadiran. She was married to descendent of

Makhdum Shaik Shamshuddin of Kako. The Shamshi

family of Kako and Prof. Akhtar Urenwi are her

descendents. His second marrage took place with Bibi

Waziran daughter of Syed Khairullah son of Syed

Fatahullah of Maner. From her he had five sons namely

Shah Amjad Hussain Shah, Murad Hussain, Shah

Imdad Hussain, Shah Huzber Hussain and Shah Rahmat

Hussain. After the death of Syed Karimuddin he

became the Sajjadah of Arwal Khanqah.

Syed Shah Muhammad Zubair

Syed Shah Muhammad Zubair was born in 1884 at

Arwal. His father Shah Ishfaq Hussain was a very

enlightened man, he understood the importance of

modern education and sent all his children to proper

school. He received his education in Patna and after

graduation he left for London in 1908. He successfully

completed his Law degree and returned to India in

1911. Though his father Shah Ishfaq Hussain was

working for British government as Honorary Magistrate

he hated the British Raj and never even thought of

working for the government. Respecting the wish of his

father he started the law practice at Patna High Court.

He had keen interest in politics and after returning

from London he joined the Congress Party of India and

became very active like many intellectuals of the time.

In 1912 Congress Party was holding annual convention

in Patna in which the young and bright Barrister Shah

Zubair was selected as the chief organizer. Here he got

83

the opportunity to show his talent and meet the upper

echelon of the Congress party. In 1914 he married the

daughter of Shah Muhammad Aub of Munghair. At the

request of his father-in-law he left Patna and moved to

Munghair a district town of Bihar and started his law

practice. There he met Shri Krishen Sinha who later

became the chief minister of Bihar after the

independence of India. They both worked together and

Shri Babu use to respect Shah Zubair as his mentor.

In 1920 Mahatma Gandhi started the non-cooperative

movement and also supported the Khelafat movement.

Shah Zubair supported this movement wholeheartedly

and gave up his law practice to work full time in

politics. In the same year Mahatma Gandhi, Mulana

Azad, Shukat Ali and Lala Lajpat Rai came to

Mungghair and they were guests of Shah Zubair for

one week. Gandhi jee met Shah Zubair for the first and

he was greatly impressed by him. The non-cooperation

movement was in full sewing in 1921 when the British

Government decided to arrest all the Congress leaders

including Gandhi jee, Mulana Azad. Pundit Jawaher

Lal Nehru and Shah Zubair. Most of the leaders were

released within a year but Shah Zubair served two years

in Jail, which adversely affected his health.

In 1925 the state Bihar and Orissa held the joint annual

conference of the Congress party at Purulia. Gandhi Jee

Dr. Rajedar Parsad ( The first President Of India) and

many Congress leaders came to attend the conference

which was presided over by Shah Zubair. He delivered

a brilliant speech which impressed every one at the

conference.

In 1926 British Government decided to form a Council

of State to pacify the mood of the people. Four leaders

from Bihar and Orissa state were elected which

included Shah Zubair. He had to move to Delhi and

served as a member for three years. In 1929 the

Congress party launched a vigorous independence

84

movement and instructed every elected Congress

member either in Assembly or Council of State to

resign. He respected the party policy and resigned,

though he was a very valuable member of that body

where he made many great contributions. He did not

survive too long after coming back from Delhi, and fell

ill seriously and left this world on September fourteen

1930 at a young age of forty six. The whole country

mourned his death and all the big leaders of the

Congress party including Mahatma Gandhi send the

letter of condolence to his family.

The Family Tree

Abd al- Mutalib

|

Abdullah

|

Mohammad Sallallaho Alehe Wasalam

|

Fatima az Zahra ( ra)

Ali Al Murtaza( ra )

|

Imam Husain (Shahide Karbala)

|

Imam Zainal Abdin

|

Imam Mohammad Al Baqir

|

Imam Jafar Sadiq

|

Imam Moosa Kazim

|

Syed Qasim Hamza

|

Syed Ali Reza

|

Syed Mehndi

85

Syed Muhammad Jafar

|

Syed Abu Muhammad

|

Syed Ali Askari

|

Syed Abul Qasim

|

Syed Mahroq

|

Syed Ashraf Abi Talib Kanturi

|

Syed Shah Azizuddin Kanturi

|

Syed Shah Alauddin Ali Buzurg Kanturi

|

Syed Shah Khaliluddin Kanturi Arwali

|

Syed Shah Haji Mir Hussain

|

Syed Shah Yusuf

|

Syed Shah Jiwan

|

Syed Shah Qutuddin

|

Syed Shah Abu Bakr

|

Syed Shah Muhammad

|

Syed Shah Bhika

|

Syed Shah Amanullah

|

Syed Shah Deen Mohammad

|

Syed Shah Jahangeer

|

Syed Shah Raham Ali

86

|

Shah Ghulam Imam Ali Alias Shah Badlu

Bibi Waziran

|

Amjad Husain, Imdad Hussain, Huzber Husain

|

Syed Shah Ashfaq Hussain

|

Shah Zubair, Umair, Humair, Shah Zuhair ,

Quraisha Khatoon, Wasia, Majdah Khatoon

Syed Shah Muhammad Zubair Bibi Saddiqa

|

Mustaq Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad, Sultan Ahmad

Aqila Khatoon, Shakila Khatoon,Zakia Khatoon

Shah Muhammad Humair Nasema Khatoon

|

Ishtiaq Ahmad, Imtiaz Ahmad,Niaz ,Shahina

Quraisha Khatoon Syed Sharafat Karim

|

Bibi Hajra Khatoon Bibi Rakeya Khatoon

Bibi Hajra Khatoon Syed Abul Hai

|

Hamida Khatoon

Syed Shah Mushtaq Ahmad Bilqis Khatoon

|

Ekhlaq Ahmad, Nehal Ahmad, Tirq Anwar

87

Syed Shah Aftab Ahmad Shahda Khatoon

|

Jamal Ahmed, Mahtab Ahmed, Yasmin Ahmed

Syed Shah Sultan Ahmad Mueza Khatoon

|

Nazish, Rubina , Shabana, Irfan, Imran, Kamran

Nazish Ahmad bint Sultan Ahmad Syed Abrar Ahmad

|

Shahnila , Ahrar Ahmad, Adib Ahmad, Amar Ahmad

Aqila Khatoon bint Shah Zubair Zafar Zain

|

Hamayun, Shukat , Perveen , Nasreen Zafar

Shakila Khatoon bint Shah Zubair Qaisar Imam

|

Seema Imam

Zakia Khatoon bint Shah Zubair Syed Sajjad Husain

|

Jawwad ,Imdad ,Irshad ,Talat Qamar, Abad

Syed Shah Ishtiaq Ahmad Nelufer Ahmed

|

Syed Tanveer Ahmed, Rubina Ahmed

Syed Shah Imtiz Ahmad Talat Ahmed

|

88

Nadeem Ahmed, Nadia Ahmed, Yasir Ahmed

Syed Shah Niaz Ahmad bin Shah Humair

Rehana Khatoon

|

Sheraz Ahmad, Fariha Shah, Asia Shah

Shahina bint Shah Humair

Syed Hasimul Haq

|

Sadia Haq, Sharmeen Haq, Syed Saful Haq

Hamida Khatoon bint Abdul Hai Syed Muidul Haq Tamanna

|

Musarrat, Nikhat , Asfar Moid, Afaq Moid, Farrah

Syed Shah Ikhlaq Ahmed bin Shah Mushtaq

Imrana

|

Rashid Ahmed, Adil Ahmed, Ariz Ahmed

Syed Shah Nehal Ahmed bin Shah Mushtaq

Surria

|

Sadaf Ahmed, Sarah Ahmed

Tariq Anwar bin Shah Mushtaq. Yasmin Ahmed

|

Shiba Anwar

Tariq Anwar bin Shah Mushtaq.

Hena

|

Arib Anwar, Alyza Anwar

89

Syed Shah Tawuheed of Arwal

The Shijrah Shah Tawheed and that of Shah Syed

Zubair is common up to 31stgeneration from the

Prophet(pbuh). Shah Gulam Imam Ali Alias Shah

Badlu married twice. From the first marriage he had

only one daughter, but from the second marriage he had

five sons namly Amjad Hussain, Murad Hussain, Imdad

Hussain, Hazber Hussain, Rahmat Hussain.

ShahTawheed was the grandson of Shah Hazber

Hussain. He had a nice house a little away from village

Arwal. I used to visit him with my father whenever I

went to Arwal to spend part of my summar vacation.

He died in Arwal and his graveyard is very close to the

rever Sone.

Syed Shah Gulam Imam Ali Alias Shah Badlu Daughter of Shah Kareemuddin Sajjada Arwal

|

Bibi Qadiran Married At Kako

|

Muhammad Yusuf, Abdul Aziz,

Syed Abdul Aziz

|

Mahmood Shamshi, Bibi Saliman

Bibi Saliman bint Abdul Aziz Wazarat Hussain Urainve

|

Prof. Akhtar Urainve

Syed Shah Gulam Imam Ali Alias Shah Badlu

Bibi Waziran

|

90

Amjad Hussain, Murad Hussain, Imdad Hussain

Shah Hazber Hussain, Shah Rahmat Hussain.

Shah Amjad Hussain

|

Shah Shujat Hussain

|

Shah Muhammad Qasim

|

Shah Muhammad Arshad Sajjada Arwal

Shah Murad Hussain Bibi Amamin

|

Sakhafat Hussain, Bibi Wahidan

Shah Hazber Hussain Jamelun-nisa

|

Shah Wahid, Shah Athar , Saliman, Tharan

Shah Muhammad Wahid

|

Shah Rashid, Shah Tawheed, Shah Majid

Shah Tawheed Ahmad

|

Khurshid, Aziz, Aftab Ahmad, Shakila Akhtar

Soofia, Azra, Roohi

Shah Majid Ahmad bin Shah Waheed

|

Shamshul Hoda, Qamrul Hoda, Sadrul Hoda

Zahda, Ayesha, Aziza, Khudaija, Nasima.

Shah Shmshul Hoda bin Shah Majid

91

|

Masooma, Sadia, Shamima, Ahmad K Hoda

Masooma Ashraf Shamshad Ashraf

|

Huma, Farah, Sadia, Zeshan Ashraf

Shah Athar Hussain Bibi Qasiman

|

Shah Manzer Imam

|

Shah Akbar Imam, Shah Afzal Imam

Bibi Saliman bint Hazber Hussain Muhammad Yheya

|

Moin Ashraf, Moiz Ashraf

Moin Ashraf

|

Amin Ashraf, Matin Ashraf, Shakila Khatoon

Amin Ashfar

|

Shahin, Semeen, Zareen, Tazeen, Shazi, Tarrunum

Matin Ashraf Farida

|

Sabina Ashraf, Qudsia Ashraf, Kashif Ashraf,

Sabina bint Matin Ashraf

Asghar Hasan

|

Asfar Hasan, Samah Hasan, Nyals Hasan

Shakila Khatoon bint Moin Ashraf

92

|

Noorul Huda, Mahjabeen, Yasmin, Qamruddoja, Parvin

Parvin bint Shakila Waris Shere

|

Sahba Shere, Sheraz Shere, Feraz Shere

Shijrah of my grandmother(Dadi)

My grandmother Bibi Aliman was born at Shahobigha

where my grandfather moved after his marriage. My

uncle Dr. Syed Abdul Majid tried to find her Shijrah

but could not succeed, so he had to publish an

incomplete Shijrah in his book Yade Watan. I am

borrowing some of the names from that book.

According to my uncle some four hundred year ago a

Sufi Hazrat Shah Fazlullah Bokhari came to the

Shahobigha area and settled there, my grandmother is

his descendent. The Shijrah given bellow is incomplete,

but at least it shows the relationship of last two

hundred years

Syed Shah Fazlullah Bokhari

|

Syed Muhammad Amin

|

Syed Rohul Amin.

|

Farzand Ali, Peer Ali, Kalab Ali, Bibi Saema

Syed Farzand Ali

|

Syed Salamat Ali, Bibi Amiran, Bibi Budsan

Syed Salamat Ali bin Farzand Ali

|

Tasdiq Hussain, Bibi Hafiazn, Bibi Taheran

93

Tasdiq Hussain

|

Syed Muhammad Raza, Bibi Bhagan

Syed Peer Ali ben Rohul Amin

|

Wazir Buqsh, Nabi Buqsh, Faqir Buqsh

Wazir Buqsh bin Pir Ali

|

Abdul Ali, Kzim Husain, Abdul Wahab, Mujibun,

Nabi Buqsh bin Pir Ali

Bibi Tamizan

|

Mir Maqbul Hussain

|

Fazand Ahmed, Shahar Banu, Shamsha , Abda

Shahar Banu bint Maqbool Hussai

Zafar Alam

|

Khurshid Alam, Razia, Uroosa, Zakya, Ashraf Alam

Iffat Ara, Zinat Ara

Abda Khatoon bint Maqbool Hussain Zafirul Hasan Hashmi

Azizul Hasan , Yasmin, Hasan Perwez , Nuzhat

Sarwat, Hasan Hashmi, Hasan Asad Hashmi

Faqir Buqsh bin Pir Ali

|

Muhammad Saddiq, Umar Daraz, Alimun Nesa

Umar Daraz bin Faqir Buqsh

|

Abu Zaffar, Amna ,Saera Khatoon, Husna Khatoon

Bibi Alimun-Nesa bint Faqir Buqsh

94

Syed Azhar Hussain

| Anis Fatima, Abdul Hafiz, Abdul Aziz, Abdul Majid

Mir Kalab Ali bin Ruhul Amin

|

Hedaet Hussain , Amiruddin Hussain, Bahadur

Hussain, Darban Hussain,Aliman, Qasiman

Hedaet Hussain bin Kalab Ali

|

Feda Hussain, Ltif Hussain, Imdad Hussain, Bibi

Marem, Bibi Kabiran

Syed Feda Hussain bin Hedaet Hussain

|

Fazle-Haq Azad, Muhibul Haq, Bibi Kulsum, Ummat

Rasul, Bibi Zahra

Alama Fazle-Haq Azad bin Feda Hussain

|

Nurul Haq, Shamshul Haq, Abdul Haq, Azizul Haq,

Haliman, Amna Khadija

Noorul Haq bin Fazle- Haq Azad

|

Alia Khatoon, Syed Eqbal

Azizul Haq bin Fazle-Haq

|

Razia, Saeda, Muhammad, Zakya, Banu, Fazal Ali

Hafiz Syed Muhibul Haq bin Fida Hussain

|

Syed Muhammad, Syed Mahmood, Syed Hamid,

Syed Habibul Haq, Bibi Sakina.

Ummat Rasul bint Feda Hussain bin Kalb Ali Justice Syed Sharfuddin

95

|

Syed Ahmad Sharfuddin, Ruquia Khatoon

Syed Ahmad Sharfuddin

|

Syed Hasan Sharfuddin, Syed Ashraf Shurfuddin

Ruquia Khatoon bint Syed Sharfuddin Syed Zafar Nawab(Gaya)

|

Bibi Sakina Bibi Fatima

Bibi Sakina bint Zafar Nawab Syed Hussain Imam

|

Mazhar Imam , Fazal Imam, Amir Imam, , Asghar

Imam, Hasina

Mazhar Imam Noor Afsha

|

Ali Imam, Mehar

Amir Imam bin Hussain Imam Saleha Khatoon

|

Rizwana, Rana, Aishha

Asghar Imam bin Hussain Imam Nikhat Perveen

|

Roquia, Zafar Imam, Hasan Imam.

Shijrah of Syed Majid Sajjad Jafry

96

Syed Majid Sajjad Jafry is the father-in-law of my elder

brother and my sister. He was born at Mahalper Bihar

Sharif in the year 1908. He graduated from Darbhanga

University with a degree in the field of Medicine and

joined Bihar state health department. He retired in the

year 1967 from the state service and spent some time at

Bihar Sharif, and finally moved to live with his son

who was working with the Indian Forest Service. He

lived a long life after the retirement and died at the age

of ninety seven in the year 2004 in Erode Tamil Nadu,

India and is buried there.

Dr. Majid Jafry is the descendent of Syed Ibrahim

Zinda Dil Kakovi, who came to Kako from Barahia,

Uttar Pradesh. The king Sher Shah Suri had given him

some realstate (Jageer) in that area which is still known

as Khadija Chack after his wife’s name Khadija. He

established a Khankah of Chishtia order and built a

Masjid, which is considered as one of the oldest Masjid

of Kako. The exact year of his death is not available, it

is known that he died in the month of Ramadan and he

is buried very close to the Masjid he built. From his

first wife Khadija he had only one son named Syed

Muhammad Baqi Jafry who became Sajjadh after his

death. The fourth descendent of Makhdum Ibrahim

Zinda Dil, Syed Muhammad Jafer moved to Patna by

the instruction of his Pir and settled in old Patna called

Patna city. He was married to the daughter of Syed

Nooruddin and served as a Sajjadah of the Khanqah of

Patna city till he died in the year 1693. He is buried at

Shaistabad Patna. Some time in 1840 Syed Hussain Ali

Jafry who was Sajjaddh at Patna city Khanqah moved

to Bihar Sharif after his marriage and settled at Mohalla

Mahal Per.

The family Tree

Muhammad Sallallaho Alehe Wassallm

97

|

Fatema Az Zahra

Hazrat Ali

|

Imam Hussain Shahid Karbala

|

Imam Ali Zainul Abdin

|

Imam Mohammad Al Baqir

|

Imam Jafar Sadiq

|

Imam Musa Kazim

|

Imam Ali Reza

||

Imam Muhammad Taqi

|

Syed Ibrahim

|

Syed Abu Al Moid

|

Syed Ziauddin

|

Syed Hussain Jang Sawar

|

Syed Abdul Aziz

|

Syed Abdul Rehman

|

Syed Abdul Razzaq

|

Syed Shahabuddin

|

Syed Ahmed

|

Syed Ziauddin

|

Syed Muhammad

|

98

Syed Akbar Ali

|

Syed Mahmood Alias Piare

|

Syed Muhammad Hamid

|

Syed Ibrahim Zinda Dil Kakovi

|

Syed Abdul Baqi Jafry

|

Syed Mubariz Jafry

|

Syed Abul Hasan Jafry

|

Ameer Kabir Syed Mohammad Jafry

|

Syed Mohammad Aslam Jafry

|

Syed Gulam Jafar Jafry

|

Syed Ali Ibrahim Jafry

|

Syed Inayet Karim Jafry

|

Syed Jafer Ali Jafry

|

Syed Hussain Ali Jafry

|

Syed Ahmed Sajjad Jafry, Syed Fazal Sajjad Jafry

Syed Ahmed Sajjad Jafry

|

Muhammad Sajjad, Ameer Sajjad, Waheed Sajjad,

Ali Sajjad Jafry, Ahsan Sajjad

Syed Fazal Sajjad Jafry

|

Subhan Ahmad Jafry, Muhammad Yaseen Sajjad

99

Syed Muhammad Sajjad Jafry bin Ahmed Sajjad

|

Ibrahim, Ashraf, Hasan, Hussain, Jafar, Baqar,

Moinuddin

Syed Ibrahim Sajjad Jafry bin Muhammad Sajjad

|

Asia, Barka, Azzizul Fatima, Ismaeel Sajjad

Syed Hasan sajjad Jafry bin Muhammad Sajjad

|

Hashim Sajjad, Alia Bibi, Ahmed Sajjad Jafry

Hussain Sajjad Jafry bin Muhammad Sajjad

|

Abid Sajjad , Zahid Sajjad Jafry, Bibi Mahmooda

Syed Jafar Sajjad Jafry bin Muhammad Sajjad

|

Taqi Sajjad, Naqi Sajjad, Bibi Madina, Zaibunnisa

Syed Wahid Sajjad Jafry bin Ahmad Sajjad.

Umma Kulsum

|

Rasheed, Hamid, Majid, Saleha, Ummat, Asghar, Bano

Rasheed Sajjad Jafry bin Waheed sajjad

|

Afzal Sajjad Jafry, Bibi Husna

Hameed Sajjad Jafry bin Waheed Sajjad Zaheda Khatoon

|

Masood, Maimoona, Ruquya, Mahmood, Wallan,

Mobina Iffat, Ishrat, Anwar

Ruquya Khatoon bint Hamid Sajjad Syed Karim Raza

|

100

Munawar, Nayar, Sohail Raza, Khalid Raza, Amir

Raza,Shabnum

Nayar bint Ruquya Khatoon Syed Shahab Salam

Syed Majid Sajjad Jafry bin Waheed Sajjad Abda Khatoon

|

Wasi, Wasim, Masooma, Nishat, Aslam, Moazzam,

Farhan, Arshad

Syed Wasi Sajjad Jafry

Jahan Arra

|

Amir Jafry, Nusrat, Sarwat, Shariq Jafry

Syed Wasim Sajjad Jafry Tayaba Aziz

|

Syed Rizwan Jafry, Syed Irfan Jafry

Nishat Jafry Muhammad Ali

|

Shabbir Ali, Faiz Ali, Danish Ali, Shazia Ali

Syed Aslam Sajjad Jafry Shakila Khatoon

|

Ayesha Jafry, Najam Jafry

Syed Moazzam Sajjad Jafry Fatima Khatoon

|

Ayesha Jafry, Imran Jafry, Adnan Jafry

Syed Farhan Sajjad Jafry Sabiha Khatoon

|

101

Syed Asad Jafry, Erum Jafry

Syed Arshad Sajjad Jafry Rubina Khatoon

|

Syed Wajid Jafry, Syed Waris Jafry.

Ali Sajjad Jafry bin Ahmad Sajjad Kaniz Fatima

|

Wali Sajjad, Anis Fatima, Naseem Fatima

Anis Fatima bint Ali Sajjad Rafeeuddin Ali Rizvi

|

Alimuddin Rizvi, Sadruddin Rizvi, Salauddin Rizvi,

Munamm, Rais Fatima, Jamal Fatima, Zeenat,Zainab

Alimuddin Ali Rizvi bin Anis Fatima Bibi Akhtari

|

Rashiduzzaman Rizvi, Samina Fatima

Sadruddin Ali Rizvi Bin Anis Fatima Bibi Amina

|

Nafisa Fatima

Salauddin Ali Rizvi bin Anis Fatima Bilquis Khatoon

|

Arshad Rizvi, Farah Rizvi

Munamm Fatima bint Anis Fatima Sami Ahmad

|

Wasim Ahmed, Nadeem Ahmed, Fahim Ahmed

Rais Fatima bint Anis Fatima

102

Tahir Hasan

|

Kaiser Hasan, Hyder Hasan, Ghazala Hasan

Kaiser Mahmood Hasan Moina Hasan

|

Taimur Hasan, Ehmer Hasan

Jamal Fatima bint Anis Fatima Masihuzzama

|

Ashraf, Fauzia

Zeenat Fatima bint Anis Fatima Syed Latafat Kareem

|

Ayesha, Iqbal Kareem, Muhammad Ali Kareem

Saleha Khatoon bint, Waheed Sajjad Syed Yusufuddin Balkhi

|

Bibi Razia

Bibi Ummat bint Waheed Sajjad Syed Anwarul Hoda

|

Najmul Hoda, Qamrul Hoda, Enamul Hoda

Munnawarul Hoda, Anjum, Najma

Syed Najmul Hoda bin Bibi Ummat

Asghar Sajjad Jafry bin Waheed Sajjad Sajida Khatoon

|

Muzzafar, Zaffar, Munawar, Shahid, Azhar,

Javed, Faiz, Mussarrat,Seema, Fauzia,

Muzzafar Sajjad Jafry Zenat

103

|

Iram Jafry, Kusar Jafry

Zaffar Sajjad Jafry Raesa Khatoon

|

Zubna, Farah, Tanweer Jafry, Vajeha

Munawwar Sajjad Jafry Seema

|

Asif Jafry, Ayasha Jafry

Shahid Sajjad Jafry Qutsia

|

Hira Jafry, Hiba Jafry, Neda Jafry, Ali Jafry

Syed Faiz Sajjad Jafry

Nazish

|

Syed Yusuf Sajjad Jafry

Musarrat bint Asghar Sajjad

Syed Ehsan Shareef

|

Yasir Shareef, Hayder Shareef, Asma Shareef

Seema Jafry bint Asghar Sajjad

Farruhk Ahmad

|

Salman Ahmad

Fauzia Jafry bint Asghar Sajjad

|

Mashal, Osama

104

Bano bint Waheed Sajjad Syed Mohammad Shamim

|

Qaiser Shamim, Anwar Shamim, Ruqsana.

Syed Qaiser Shamim Tasneem

|

S. Reham Shamim, Ruhi Firdaus, S. Arif Shamim

Syed Anwar Shamim Zarina Khan

|

Amir Shamim, Asif Shamim

Rukhsana bint Bano Shahid Siddiqi

|

Faez Siddiqi.

Shijrah of Syed Mazahir Yunus

Syed Mazahir Younus is the brother-in-law of my wife

Shahnaz Aslam and his brothers are good friend of

mine. They are the descendents of one of the famous

Sufi of Bihar named Makhdum Syed Ahmad

Charamposh. His father Syed Sultan Mohammad Musa

was a well off resident of the city of Hamdan, Iran. He

left the life of luxury and came to Bihar to serve the

people. Here he met a famous Sufi, Makhdum Syed

Shahabuddin Peer Jugjot and became his Murid. Peer

Jugjot liked the young man and he became his son-in-

law.

105

Syed Ahmad Charamposh was born in the year 657 HA

or 1260 AD. He grew up in village Jethlee Sharif

which is located about fifteen miles east of Patna and

enjoyed the company his famous grandfather. He was

also the first cousin of another famous Sufi of Bihar

named Sheikh Sherfuddin Yhya Maneri. He went back

to Hamdan with his father, who thought he might be

interested to manage the estate he had left behind. He

lived there for while and like his father left the estate

for a simple life of a Sufi and came to Multan. Here he

met Makhdum Syed Allauddin and became his disciple

(Murid). After staying there for a while his Peer

requested him to head for Nepal to preach the Deen of

Islam. He gladly accepted the request and came to

Nepal, established a Khanqah and convinced a large

number of people to accept Islam.

There are many legends about him, according one

legend when he reached Nepal and started his mission

the king of that area did not like it and send a bunch of

soldiers to evict him. As soon as the soldiers reached

near his tent a necked sword came down from the sky

and he defeated the army of the king alone. After

spending a good part of his life he reached Siwan a

district town of Bihar. Here he met Hzrat Piare Hasan

who became his disciple and gave him the leather

which was supposed to be the hide of the sacrificial

lamb of Hazrat Ibraham Alehis-Salam. He started to

wear that leather around his neck and that was the

reason, why the people gave him the title

“Charamposh” (a person who wears leather). He finally

moved to Ambare Sharif a village close to the present

day Bihar Sharif. He died in year 776 H or 1374 AD at

a very old age of 114 years. He is buried at Amber

Sharif along with his father and other close relatives.

His descendents kept the Khanqah going for hundreds

of years helping and teaching the local population till

1947 when the father of Syed Mazahir Younus

migrated to Karachi Pakistan after the partition of

India in 1947. Syed Mazahir Younus migrated to USA

106

in 1972 and settled at Chicago. He sponsored all his

brothers and sisters and in the next fifteen all of them

migrated to USA.

The grave site ( Dargah ) of Syed Ahmad Charmpos

and other holy men are still there and each year huge

number of people both Hindu and Muslim

commemorate his death anniversary called “Urs” (An

age old tradition of remembering the holy men and

placing a decorated piece of fabric on the grave, most

of the time it becomes a festive occasion ).

The Shijrah

Syed Ahmed Chramposh ben Syed Sultan Musa

Hamdani ben Syed Sultan Mubarak Hamdani ben Syed

Sultan Khzir Hamdani ben Syed Sultan Ibrahim

Hamdani ben Syed Sultan Suleman Hamdani ben Syed

Abdul Karim Hamdani ben Syed Abdul Hakim

Hamdani ben Syed Abdul Shakoor Hamdani ben Syed

Nematullah Madni ben Syed Abdul Majid Madni ben

Syed Abdul Rahim Madni ben Syed Abdul Isahaq

Madni ben Syed Abdul Rahman Madni ben Syed Abdul

Qasim Madni ben Syed Nooruddin Madni ben Syed

Yousuf Madni ben Syed Rukundin Madni ben Syed

Allauddin Madni ben Syed Yhya Madni ben Syed

Zakerya Madni ben Syed Hasan Madni ben Syed Shah

Qoraishi Madni ben Mohammed Umar Madni ben Syed

Abdullah Madni ben Imam Musa Kazim ben Imam

Jafer Sadiq ben Imam Muhammad Baqar ben Imam

Zanul Abdin ben Imam Hussain Shahid Karbala ben

Hazrat Ali Al Murtaza and Fatima Az Zahra

Syed Ahmad Chramposh

|

Syed Serajuddin Ahmad

|

Syed Abdul Rahman

107

|

Syed Shah Ali

|

Syed Shah Rukunuddin alias Shah Manjhan

|

Syed Shah Mahmood

|

Syed Shah Nasruddin

|

Syed Shah Habibullah

|

Syed Shah Mahbobullah

|

Syed Shah Mahmod Sani

|

Syed Shah Muhammad

|

Syed Shah Serajuddin Sani

|

Syed Shah Noor Allah

|

Syed Shah Mohib Allah

|

Syed Raziuddin alias Rajab Ali

|

Haji Syed Altaf Ali

|

Syed Shah Muhammad Noor

|

Syed Shah Enaet Karim

|

Syed Shah Ismail

|

Syed Shah Abulhasnat Muhammad Younus

|

Mazahir, Aqila, Nesar, Saman, Muzaffer, Athar,

Munawar, Ghazala

Syed Muhammad Mazahir Younus

Khalda Ahmad

108

|

Kiran , Roohi , Danish Younus, Omar Younus

Raia Khatoon Syed Hasan

|

Najam, Farhan, Faisal, Zia, Ahmer, Atif, Saima, Uroj,

Kamran

Syed Nesar Akhtar

Nilofer

|

Komal Akhtar, Shafaq Akhtar, Zara Akhtar

Saman Younus

Syed Kamal Ahmad

|

Asim Ahmed, Adil Ahmed, Sabeena

Syed Muzaffer Younus Shazia Muzaffer

|

Fatima Younus

Syed Athar Younus Ghazala

|

Usman Younus, Sara Younus, Siddiq Younus

Syed Munawar Younus Shaheen

|

Mariam Younus, Tooba Younus, Isra Younus

Ghazala Younus Rashid Pervez

|

Ali Pervez, Imad Pervez, Neda Pervez.

109

Shijrah of Hakim Syed Shah Gerami

Hakim Gerami was the brother of my Step grand

mother, we use to call him Gerami Nana. I had close

relationship with his sons. Gerami Nana was the

resident of village Kako district Jahanabnad but

migrated to Karachi Pakistan after his retirement along

with his children in 1955. He died in Karachi in the

year 1986.

Shijrah

Hakim Syed Shah Gerami bven Syed Shah Nezami ben

Syed Shah Ghazali Syed Shah Muhammad Ali ben

Syed Shah Marwan Ali ben Syed Shah Muhammad

Shah ben Syed Shah Muhammad Dervesh ben Syed

Shah Muhh=ammad Aulia ben Syed Shah Abdul

Ghaffar ben syed Shah Abdul Sulemani ben Syed Bare

ben Syed Habibuddin ben Syed Hasibuddin ben Syed

Abdul Aziz ben Syed Abdul Hamid ben Syed

Serajuddin ben Syed Mazruddin ben Sye Muhammad

Harve ben Syed Hasan Haje ben Syed Abul Hasan ben

Syed Muhammad Raza ben Syed Muhammad Yahya

Sufi ben Muhammad Sufyan ben Syed Muhammad

Raza ben Syed Muhammad ben Syed Ismaeel ben Syed

Muhammad Jafar ben Imam Muhammad Taqe ben

Imam Muhammad Naqi ben Imam Ali Musa ben Imam

Musa Kazim ben Imam Jafer Sadiq ben Imam

Muhammad Baqar ben Imam Ali Zainul Abdin ben

Imam Hussain Shahed Karbal ben Hazrat Ali Al

Murtaza and Fatima az Zahra.

Hakim Syed Shah Herami

Bibi Arzo

|

Zahid, Abid, Sajid, Rashid, Khalid, Hamid, Wajid,

110

Shahwar, Zarren, Mojahid

Syed Zahid Gerami

|

Shams, Saad, Salman, Tasnin, Mehna, Ambarin

Mohammad Yusuf Gerami Alias Abid

|

Ashar, Nayer, Shamaiha, Shahla

Syed Sajid Gerami

|

Usaid, Masab

Syed Rashid Gerami

|

Zohair Gerami, Sammn

Syed Khalid Gerami

|

Saifur-Rahman Gerami, Ariba

Syed Wajid Gerami

Syed Mojahid Gerami

|

Amad, Ubed, Anna

Shijrah of Syed Khurshid Alam

Khrurshid Alam is the uncle (Khalu) of my wife. He is

the descendents Hazrat Syed Ahmad Janjeri. He came

to India from Jurjain a town in present day Iran during

the reign of Sultan Shabuddin Ghauri. Sultan Ghauri

send Syed Ibrahim Malik Baia with an army of sixty

thousand solders to pacify the Raja of Bihar. Syed

Ahmad Janjeri was one of the general who came to

Bihar with him. After the war he was awarded twelve

111

villages and area became famous as Baragavan (Twelve

villages). Mane the original name Madampur is one of

the village where the forefather of Khurshid Alam

settled. Syed Ahmad Janjeri is buried at village

Nadiavan which is close to the railway station Sarari.

The village has been abandoned by the Muslims during

Hindu Muslim riot of 1946, but Hindus still respect

grave site and pay homage during their festival. Syed

Ahmad Janjeri had five sons and his descendents can be

found at Biharsharif, Rajgir and Khusropure besides

Baraganvna. His genealogy is like this.

Syed Ahmad Janjeri bin Syed Badruddin bin Syed Ali

Masood Madni bin Syed Abul Fathah Ibrahim ben Syed

Abul Sani bin Syed Mohammad Faras bin Syed Daud

bin Syed Muhammad bin Syed Isa ben syed Daud

Bzurg bin Syed Hasan bin Syed Hussain Zaid bin Syed

Abul Hasan bin Syed Muhammad Akber Mansur bin

Mir Syed Muhammad Mansur bin Mir Syed Umar Ali

bin Mir Syed Ashrafuddin Yhya bin Syed Hasan Zaidi

bin Syed Abul Hasan Zaid Shahid ben Imam Ali Zanul

Abdin bin Imam Hussain Shahide Karbala bin Hazrat

Ali Al Murtaza (ra) and Fatima Az Zahra (ra).

Syed Ahmad Sani of village Mane is the forefather of

Syed Khurshid Alam. The genealogical record from

Syed Ahmad Sani to Syed Ahmad Janjeri is not

available at present, but the genealogical record from

Syed Ahmad Sani to Syed Khurshid alam is like this

according to the book “Sadat Janjeri” written by Syed

Abdul Qaium Chowari of Karachi.

Syed Ahmad Sani

|

Syed Muhammad Sadiq

|

Syed Ishiq Allah

|

Syed Masih Allah

|

112

Syed Enaet Hussain

|

Syed Sahamat Ali

|

Syed Khairat Ali

|

Syed Fazlehaq

|

|Syed Ali Hasan

|

Abdul Salam, Habibul Hasan, Mahmood Alam

Syed Abdul Salam ben Ali Hasan

|

Kalam, Akram, Nezam, Imam, Asmat, Shaukat,Rushan

Syed Habibul Hasan ben Ali Hasan

Bibi

|

Khurshid Alam, Quraish Alam, Jamala, Nushaba,

Syed Khurshid Alam Sufia Khatoon

|

Syed Hadi Munawwar, Syed Bilal Alam, Samina

Syed Hadi Munawwer Alam Sabiha

|

Hiba Alam, Hamza Alam

Syed Bilal Alam Yasmin

|

Syed Ammar Alam

Samina bint Khurshid Alam Syed Javed Bari

|

Sohab Syed, Mussab Syed, Khobab Syed, Kaab

113

Jamala bint Syed Habibul Hasan. Bashir Hyder

|

Jamal Hyder, Afshan, Rubina

Jamal Hyder Eram

|

Mahin, Zain Hyder, Nida,

Afshan bint Bashir Hyder Muhammad Ali Qadri

|

Ayesha, Omar, Misha, Asjeel

Robina bint Bashir Hyder Liaqat Ali Qadri

|

Masood Ali Qadri

Nushaba bint Syed Habibul Hasan. Syed Ghasuddin

|

Faisal Syed, Fahad Syed, Fawaz Syed, Fakiha Sultana

Faisal J. Syed Sabiha Sultana

|

Noreen F. Syed, Omar F. Syed, Heba M. Syed

Fahad M. Syed Ayesha

|

Afreen Fahad, Fiza Fhad

Fawaz I.Syed Tasneem Mirza

|

Rayan Syed

114

Rakeha Sultana Farah Faisal Amanullah

|

Ahmad Amanullah, Anam Amanullah

Shijrah of Syed Mehdi Ali

Syed Mehdi Ali was one of the well known person of

Patna and he happened to be the father of my brother’s

best friend. I knew him from my school days when I

was very young. He was born in the city of Patna in the

year 1905. After graduating from the University of

Patna with B.A. Honors, he joined the state civil

service as Deputy Magistrate and retired as Director of

Industries, Government of Bihar. He died in the year

1975 in Patna.

Syed Nooh Musawi the forefather of Syed Mehdi Ali

migrated from Baghdad to Delhi some time in the

middle of sixteenth century during the reign of Akbar.

He was very learned man and was serving as a judge of

the city of Baghdad. One day the son of the ruler of

Baghdad was brought before him for some crime.

Being an honest man he announced the appropriate

punishment after confirming the fact. The ruler of the

city did not like the judgment of the Qazi (Judge) and

became mad at him. Syed Nooh thought that the ruler

might take revenge for that, so he decided to migrate

with his family and came to Delhi. Because of his

exceptional ability he had no problem in finding a

suitable job for himself. The king of the time

recognized his ability and offered him and his son Syed

Abu Bakr a Jagir (Real Estate) in the state of Bihar near

the town of Bihar Sharif. Syed Nooh Musawi moved to

Bihar with his family and established a Khankah. This

information has been obtained from Amir Nama written

in 1833 by Khan Bahadur Syed Amiruddin alias Amir

Ali one of the descent of Syed Nooh Musavi. The

family tree from Syed Nooh to Hazrat Ali(ra) is not

115

available at present, but the Shijrah from Syed Nooh to

Syed Mehdi Ali is like this.

Syed Muhammad Nooh Musawi.

|

Syed Abu Bakr alias Qazi

|

Syed Noor Muhammad

|

Syed Ahmad

|

Syed Atta Muhiuddin alias Atta Ali

|

Syed Rafiuddin Muhammad

|

Syed Warisuddin Muhammad alias Waris Ali

|

Syed Asaduddin Ahmad alias Ahmad Ali

|

Syed Muhammad Ali

|

Munshi Ibrahim Hussain

|

Syed Muhammad Suhail

|

Syed Muhammad Ishaq

|

Musamat Sughra

|

Syed Muhammad Rafi

|

Syed Mehdi Ali Husne-Ara Begum *

|

Muhammad Ali, Haider Ali, Salamat Ali

Syed Muhammad Ali

116

Yasmin

|

Faisal S. Ali, Imteaz S. Ali, Samrina Ali

Syed Haider Ali Ishrat

|

Pervez S. Ali, Anwar S. Ali

Syed Salamat Ali Muazzaz

|

Manar, Einas, Nebras, Abdullah Ali

Imtiaz S. Ali ben Muhammad Ali Kathryn

|

Jamal Ali, Sarah Ali, Malik Ali

Pervez S. Ali ben Haider Ali Fiona Begam

|

Zakariya S. Ali, Adam S. Ali

* Daughter of Muhammad Yunus of Arrah G.D. of Syed Zainul Abdin,Neora