Nadir Ali Shah

He was born in Village Gandaf, District Swabi in 1897. He received his early education from his father Ghulam Shah.

In his early youth, he with the permission of his parents, embarked on the journey of finding his spiritual guide (Murshid). He stayed in different cities of the then Indian subcontinent, of which Lahore, Sirhind Sharif, Delhi, Ajmer and Quetta are worth mentioning. At last he saw a dream in which he was instructed by Lal Shahbaz Qalandar[2] to come to Sehwan Sharif.

It was in the dervish lodge, called Kafi Sakhi Sarwar, near the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, that he met his Murshid, who he was searching for and who was to have the greatest influence on his life, Deedar Ali Shah.[3] Murshid Deedar Ali Shah, who was the then successor and custodian of Kafi Sakhi Sarwar, became his spiritual teacher, and appointed him as his successor. After Deedar Ali Shah's death in 1931, Nadir Ali Shah became the custodian, taking the name of Murshid Nadir Ali Shah.[3]

Inspired by love for The Divine, he lived an extremely ascetic life. He gave up solid food altogether, early in his life. In 1946 Indian mystic Meher Baba went Sehwan Sharif to meet him. He called him an advanced pilgrim. According to him Nadir Ali Shah stood in a ditch for a period of two years.[4][5] He would take only liquid food.[1][6] He would wear faqirs' clothes and a Qalandari cap (a cotton cap with flaps over the ears).[1] Nadir Ali Shah kept fasting for fifty consecutive years. During all these years, he fasted all the day and prayed all the night. He would hold his both hands joined together, with palms upward, for hours at night, the way Muslims make dua or supplication to God.[7]

Nadir Ali Shah was the most distinguished disciple of Murshid Deedar Ali Shah, who belonged to the Qalandariyya Sufi Order of Islam, founded by Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Deedar Ali Shah was custodian of Kafi Sakhi Sarwar in Sehwan Sharif. After Deedar Ali Shah's death in 1931, Nadir Ali Shah became the spiritual leader (Murshid) of this Sufi Order.[3][8] He held this position for 43 years until his death in 1974. As a Murshid, he inspired a large number of people to reform their lives and many of them gained eminence for their devotion to God and service to humanity, which included feeding the poor and hungry.[9] Murshid Nadir Ali Shah was called as Ruler or Governor of The Brotherhood.[10] He was succeeded after his death by Murshid Arif Ali Shah in 1974.[3][8][11] British author and Literature Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul, during his travel to Pakistan in 1979, visited the Sufi Centre of Nadir Ali Shah in Sehwan Sharif and recognised the community of his disciples as a group of friendly, delighted people with brightness in their eyes, who "knew they served the poor and God".[9] They had chosen a "life of sacrifice and service".[12] Many of his disciples attained spiritual height.[11]

Nadir Ali Shah was also custodian of the shrine of the two grandsons of Abdul Qadir Gilani. The shrine of Muhammad ibn Abdul Razzaq Gilani and Ahmed ibn Abdul Razzaq Gilani is located in the west of the Sehwan city, also called as Pir Pota Mazar or Dargah Masoom Pak.[3] Thousands of people participate in their Urs or annual death anniversary, which is celebrated every year on 10th of Rabi' al-Thani.[3][13]

Nadir Ali Shah was also custodian of the shrine of the Sufi saint Abdullah Shah Ghazi, located in Karachi.[8][14] The Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi was built, expanded and beautified during his era in mid 1950s.[8][11][14][15] He built a Mosque, a Langar Khana, a Qawwali Hall and a Guest House in its premises as well as the lengthy stairway leading up to the shrine, which is situated on the top of a sandy hill.[11][14][16] A devotional connection has always been observed between the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi and the Nadir Ali Shah's dervish lodge, Pathan Kafi in Sehwan Sharif.[11][17]

Murshid Nadir Ali Shah was known for his generosity and hospitality.[7][11] In 1930s, he laid the foundation of a volunteer organisation for the alleviation of hunger and malnutrition.[11] For this purpose, he started a Free Meal Service Program (Langar Khana) in Sehwan Sharif, for the general public and the travellers. This Langar Khana, regularly serves thousands of people daily.[18][19][20]

He also started a similar Free Meal Service Program in the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi.[11]

Nadir Ali Shah was an expert physician in Herbal Medicine. People from far away places would come and seek treatment from him.

As with any other major Sufi order, the Qalandariyya proposes an unbroken spiritual chain (Silsila) of transmitted knowledge, going back to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through one of his companions, which in the Qalandariyya case is Ali (d. 661).

Thus Nadir Ali Shah's spiritual lineage is traditionally given as follow:

1. Murshid Nadir Ali Shah (d. 1974), "taught by"
2. Murshid Deedar Ali Shah (d. 1931), "taught by"[3]
3. Murshid Shamsher Ali Shah (d.1926), "taught by"
4. Murshid Qutub Ali Shah (d. 1914), "taught by"
5. Murshid Mehboob Ali Shah (d. 1900), "taught by"
6. Murshid Khaki Shah (d. 1869), "taught by"
7. Murshid Aman Ali Shah (d. 1853), "taught by"
8. Murshid Darbar Ali Shah (d. 1841), "taught by"
9. Murshid Roshan Ali Shah (d. 1826).

This uninterrupted chain is traced back to Prophet Muhammad via Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and Ali.

Nadir Ali Shah died in the early hours of Tuesday, 8 October 1974 (21st Ramadan 1394 AH) at the age of 77 years. His funeral prayer was held in the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and was attended by large number of people. The funeral prayer was led by Qazi Muhammad Murad. He was laid to rest alongside his spiritual master Murshid Deedar Ali Shah in Sehwan Sharif.[3]

Murshid Nadir Ali Shah was succeeded after his death by Murshid Arif Ali Shah in 1974.[3][11]

He left behind hundreds of thousands of followers in Pakistan and across the world, who are known for their devotion to God and service to humanity.[7]

The Langar Khana (Free Kitchen) of Nadir Ali Shah is located in the dervish lodge of Nadir Ali Shah, also called Pathan Kafi in Sehwan Sharif.[11][21][19] This charity center provides meal to thousands of people daily and virtually feeds the entire poor population of the town as well as the travelers.[19][20][22][23][24][25] Apart from this, the centre also provides free accommodation to the travelers, who wish to stay in one of the many guest rooms.[19][20][22] Dozens of devotees (Malangs) participate in preparing and distributing the food on regular basis.[11] Several free drinking water Sebils have been set up in Sehwan Sharif by the devotees of Nadir Ali Shah, where cold water is freely dispensed to thousands of people daily.[3]

Famous poets of Pakistan, in different periods, have paid homage and expressed their love to Murshid Nadir Ali Shah by writing and saying numerous panegyrics (Qasidas) and devotional poems (Manqabats) in national and regional languages such as Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi and Pashto. Noor Jehan, Shaukat Ali, Ahmed Khan, Khyal Muhammad are among the singers who have commemorated and paid tribute to him in their Qawwalis.

The shrine of Nadir Ali Shah is located in the dervish lodge of Nadir Ali Shah which is situated in southeast of the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. The iconic white and green dome is made of ceramic tiles.[26] The hemispherical dome rests on the square building, the corners of which are decorated with four minarets, made of mosaic ceramic tilework resembling traditional patchwork of ralli. The walls of the shrine are also covered from outside by the same mosaic tilework, making horizontal lines of white, red, green, yellow, blue and black ceramic tiles, from top to bottom, giving an expression of pure delight.[10] On the interior delicate glasswork adorns the lofty ceiling and the dome. The walls are decorated from inside with the turquoise ceramic tiles and delicate glass work. Quranic verses have been carved in the glasswork on the northern wall. Large number of people visit the shrine daily and pay tribute to Nadir Ali Shah.[9]

Before his demise in 1974, Nadir Ali Shah appointed his nephew Dr Syed Muhammad Arif Shah as his successor.[3][11]