Shah Mustafa

Shah Mustafa was present during the Siege of Baghdad (1258).

Shah Mustafa was born and raised in a traditional Islamic home in Baghdad, Iraq.[3] His father was Syed Sultan who was a descendant of the Islamic scholar Abdul Qadir Gilani.[4] Some sources also mention that his forefathers migrated to Baghdad from Makkah.[5] Mustafa married a Syeda lady and had a son named Syed Ismail. Although he was educated by the Qadiri order, it is said he followed the tariqah of Suhrawardiyya in his later life.

During Shah Jalal's expedition towards the Indian subcontinent from Hadhramaut in Yemen, Shah Jalal passed through the city of Baghdad, which was under occupation by the Ilkhanate, the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire ruled by Hulagu Khan. Here, Shah Mustafa and his son, Ismail, met Jalal and decided to accompany him in his expedition following the murder of the last Abbassid caliph Al-Musta'sim in 1258.[6] In 1303, Mustafa and Ismail took part in the third battle of the Conquest of Sylhet under Shah Jalal's leadership.

Following the victory, Shah Jalal ordered Shah Mustafa, Nur Ali Shah, Syed Ismail and others to migrate to Chandrapur (modern-day Moulvibazar) to preach the religion of Islam.[7] Here, Mostafa built a small cottage on top a little hill to live in which was located in a village in close proximity to Borshijura.[2] This area would later become known as Mostafapur, named after himself. The area at this time was governed by Raja Chandra Narayan Singh, who is said to have been a member of the Ita royal family or locally governing under the greater Tripura Kingdom. Mustafa requested permission to live in his kingdom but the Raja did not accept it. Ismail passed away during this period. It is said that from his small cottage, Mustafa would host a hujra and preach to the local people as many people would visit him. Singh was angered after hearing that many people are converting to Islam after attending Shah Mustafa's hujra. He issued a formal directive to Shah Mustafa to vacate from his domain.[4]

One day, a poisonous snake sat itself onto the Raja's throne and none of the Raja's men could get rid of it.[7] Meetings were held in the Raja's palace on top of Satpabiya Hill in Borshijura pondering on how to address this incident. At the same time, as the royal men were busy in the palace, a tiger had entered the marketplaces and was causing havoc across Singh's domain.[8] The news of these incidents reached Shah Mustafa. Mustafa finally departed from his cottage and decided to go to the palace. On the way, he came across the tiger in Borshijura and tamed it in such a way that he rode it as he continued his journey. He then arrived at the palace in Satpabiya and used his chabuk to defeat the snake.[9] The Raja became impressed with Shah Mustafa's courage and then permitted him to remain in his domain. The Raja also let his only child, Salma Khatun, marry Shah Mustafa although it is debated whether the Raja himself accepted Islam.[2] The couple had a son, Syed Shah Nasrullah, who was also seen as a notable religious figure.[4] Shah Mustafa also succeeded Chandra Singh in ruling over Chandrapur.[2] Raja Chandra Singh built a new palace for himself, north of Deorachhara Tea Estate, in Kamalganj. The ruins of this new palace, just west of the Samerkona village, as well as a large pond known as the Rajar Dighi remains today.[10]

Shah Mustafa also married Bibi Hamira, the daughter of Shah Abd Al-Malik of Kanihati, another companion of Shah Jalal, and they had a child called Syed Shah Hasan.

• Dargah-e-Shah Mustafa, Dorgah Road
• Mostafapur Union in Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila is named after the village in which Shah Mustafa lived in and preached.
• Shah Mostafa Road, Moulvibazar
• Shah Mustafa Square, opposite Collectorate House
• Shah Mustafa Academy, K B Alauddin Road
• Shah Mustafa Jame Masjid, Rajnagar
• Syed Shah Mustafa College, Shamsher Nagar Road
• Syed Shah Mustafa Hafizia Madrasa, Dorgah Road
• Syed Shah Mustafa Jame Masjid, 16 Crown Terrace, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB11 6HD

Most of his descendants reside across the historic Chowallish Pargana in the areas of Mostafapur, Dargah Mahalla, Gavindasri, Dhorkapon, Kazirgaon, Kholapara and Hilalpur, and carry the name of Syed.[8][5]

Moulvibazar District is named after Moulvi Syed Qudratullah, the son of Syed Hurmotullah who was the descendant of Shah Mustafa's nephew, Shah Yasin.

Another descendant of Shah Mustafa is Syed Muhibullah who was also a notable 'alim during his time who lived in Kazi Elias Para, Sylhet with his son Syed Abdul Jalil. Abdul Jalil's son was Syed Abdul Majid (Kaptan Miah) who was a famous politician born in 1872. Abdul Majid was an elite who was invited to attend the Delhi Durbar of 1911 during Emperor George V's visit to the subcontinent as well as the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference and given titles such as Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire and Khan Bahadur by the British Empire.[15]