Miracles of Pir Shams

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star_munir
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Miracles of Pir Shams

Post by star_munir »

This section for sharing the miracles of Pir Shams as they are found in ginans, granths, history and legends.

Miracles:

a) Conversion of Pilgrims:
http://www.ismaili.net/Source/0723/07232b1.html

b) Conversions of Pigeons and tiger:
http://www.ismaili.net/Source/0723/07232b2.html

c) Miracle at Bhot:
http://www.ismaili.net/Source/0723/07232b4.html

d) Bringing a dead body to life:
http://www.ismaili.net/Source/0723/07232b5.html

e) Miracle of Sun:
http://www.ismaili.net/Source/0723/07232b6.html
kmaherali
Posts: 25105
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

Post by kmaherali »

From the book: Songs of Wisdom and Circles of Dance Hymns of the Satpanthi Ismaili Muslim Saint, Pir Shams by Tazim R. Kassam

Appendix B: Translation of "A Short Life-History of
Our Twenty-Third Pir—Hadrat Pir Shams al-Din
Sabzawari"1 in the Anthology

1. This is a translation of the introduction to Pir Shams that is given in the Gujarati edition of the Anthology. The title of the Gujarati version is apana trevisama pir hazarat pir shamsudin sabzawdrinun funk jivan vrattdht. The author of this piece is not stated in the Sangraha. The translation given here is mine (author of the book)


Hadrat Pir Shams al-Din was born in the town of Sabzawar. His father's name was Hadrat Pir Salah al-Din, and his mother's name was Fatimah bin Sayyid Abd al-Hadl.

Our twenty-ninth Imam, Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Qasim Shah, appointed Pir Shams al-Din as pir and ordered him to preach wisdom and spread the Isma'ill faith in lands outside Iran. Kissing the hand of the Imam, he left with his blessings and arrived at Badakhshan where he began his duty to preach. Revealing the Imam of the time (zamana na imam) to the people, he accepted their allegiance to Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Qasim Shah on his behalf and initiated them into the religion of Isma'llism.

From Badakhshan he passed through Ghazni, Cinab, and other towns, and, trekking through the Hindukush and Pamir mountain ranges, he reached Kashmir. At every town that he passed through, he kept up his duty of preaching. During his journey, he endured many troubles and afflictions. Suffering hunger and thirst, he arrived in India (Hindustan) where, in order to teach and preach, he had to learn and master many different Indian dialects.

One day, he came to a town called Anal where he found Hindus singing garbis on the occasion of Dasera. Pir Shams al-Din mixed in with them and began to sing his own garbis. These garbis were filled to the brim with the philosophy of Isma'Ilism and the revelation of the Imam of the time. Over ten days, he sang twenty-eight garbis. Their effect was so profound that the local pandits hurriedly wrote them down, and countless Hindus discarded their sacred threads (janoi) which piled up into a huge mound at the feet of Pir Shams al-Din. [Then], accepting the faith of Islam, they all gave allegiance to the Imam of the time, Imam Qasim Shah.

In the same village, there lived a pious woman by the name of Emnabai. She, too, was inspired with feelings of devotion for the pir and invited him to dine at her home. The master, Pir Shams al-Din, accepted her request and entered her house to eat. When the meal was laid before Pir Shams al-Din, however, he refused to eat the food. To test Emnabai, he said, "We do not want this cooking! We shall eat only if you cook a meal with water that has been fetched in an unbaked pot drawn up from the water-well with a rope made of raw cotton." Emnabai was faithful (imam), and she followed Pir Shams al-Din's instructions. She fetched water from the well and then cooked and fed him. Pir Shams al-Din was greatly pleased with this [proof of] devotion and gave Emnabai many blessings. Thus, Emnabai passed the test.

In the year 715 A.H., Pir Shams al-Din went to the delightful land of Kashmir to preach when a band of ruffians belonging to a tribe called Carigad captured him with ropes (made of cactus). Pir Shams al-Din, however, showed no fear toward these people and prayed before the presence of God Almighty. Immediately, a change came over them, and they all sought Pir Shams al-Din's protection. The Carigad tribe numbered some two lakh strong, and they all became followers of Pir Shams al-Din. Thereafter, other citizens of Kashmir also became followers in great numbers, among whom could also be found [some of] its kings.

In this way, Pir Shams al-Din spread the teachings of the dawah in Tibet, Kashmir, Gilan, Yarkand, Askard, Punjab, Multan, and other countries and showed the people the true path of the Isma'llI faith; to a few special individuals, he also gave guidance about the "divine secret" or the "divine essence."

However, the major portion of Pir Shams al-Din's followers were the Hindus, especially the people known as Cakkas who were famous for their heroism and splendor, and whose chiefs had reigned over Kashmir and the Punjab for about 280 years.
In those times, as a result of the king's oppressive orders to his provincial governors, Pir Shams al-Din and his Isma'Ili followers suffered endless hardships. To safeguard their lives and possessions, Pir Shams al-Din had to change his method of spreading the dawah and, instead, preached his message in disguise. The Hindus called this path the Shamsi sect (samsi mat), and its followers believed Hadrat 'Ali to be the epiphany (mazhar) of God Almighty.

Giving [religious] guidance to this region in such manner, Pir Shams al-DIn eventually reached Karachi, and from there he proceeded to Multan.

In Multan, he took up residence in an ancient mosque where a group of people had gathered to pray. He joined the group for prayer, and the imam leading the prayer began. In the middle of the prayer, Pir Shams al-Din suddenly sat down. Once the prayer was over, people rushed to the Pir demanding an explanation for his irreverent attitude. Pir Shams al-DIn gestured to them to sit down and said that, "As long as the imam who led the prayer was remembering Allah, I performed the prayer with him, but I sat down in the middle of the prayer when his attention strayed from Allah's recollection and idly wandered to other places." Everyone was astonished by this answer. They urged him, "Please stand forward as the imam who leads the prayer and make us pray." The Pir consented to their request. As the prayer commenced, lights came alive in all their hearts, and, when those in prayer bowed, the minarets of the mosque began to bow, too. Witnessing this, the people became frightened and midway through the prayer fled outside the mosque. When Pir Shams al-DIn completed his prayer and came out, the people asked, "What happened?" In reply, Pir Shams al-Din recited the following verse of a ginan:

My mind is the prayer mat and the judge;
and my body is my mosque;
Sitting in it, I perform the namaz;
indeed, [is there one] who knows my submission?

After hearing the above words, their hearts became filled with respect for Pir Shams al-Din. But when the Sufi of Multan, Baha' al-Din Zakariyya, heard about this incident, he began to fear for his fame. Thus, he ordered his staunch disciple Khan Muhammad Seyyid Hakim Shahid to make sure that Pir Shams al-Din would not be able to enter Multan by hauling in all the rafts and boats onto the city's shore. And thus it was done. When Pir Shams al-DIn arrived at the river bank and did not see any boats, he constructed one from a piece of paper. Sitting in it, he asked his companions to hold on to his fingers, and the boat began to move; but it unsteadily lurched to and fro. Seeing this, he asked: "Is there anyone who carries material possessions?" Shahzadah Muhammad presented him his mother's jewelry which she had given him for his journey. The Pir threw it into the water, and the boat began to glide forward smoothly. Baha' al-Din Zakariyya was sitting in the balcony of his palace when his eyes fell upon a boat that was halfway across the river. He promptly swore for it to stop dead in its tracks, and the boat abruptly came to a halt. Pir Shams al-Din peered in all four directions to search for the cause of this event, and then he saw Baha' al-DIn Zakariyya sitting in his balcony. Immediately, he understood the gist of the situation and cast a glance towards Baha' al-Din. When this divine glance fell upon him, two horns burst forth from Baha' al-Din Zakariyya's temple, and his head got stuck in the balcony. The boat began to move forward at full speed. Baha' al-Din was petrified by this miraculous feat and dispatched his sons Sadr al-Din and Shaykh al-Din to Pir Shams al-Din to ask for forgiveness. Pir Shams al-Din arrived at the ancient mosque before the two got there. They prostrated at his feet and pleaded for mercy. Accepting their imploring pleas, Pir Shams al-Din recited a prayer on behalf of their father, and the horns on Baha' al-Din Zakariyya's head disappeared. However, the marks left by the horns have remained imprinted upon the foreheads of his progeny. The balcony where Baha' al-Din sat still exists in Multan.

During the time that Pir Shams al-Din resided in Multan, it so happened that, one by one, the sons of its ruler began to die. The king could not control his grief. He summoned all the saints, sufis, and learned men, and said: "It is your calling that you are close to God Almighty, and thus have I showered you with many priceless favors and gifts. So today, in return I wish you to revive my son. If you are truly near God, you will be able to accomplish this task. If you fail in it, surely I will crush you up in the oil-mill."

Hearing this, they could not contain their fears, and they rushed to Pir Shams al-DIn, pleading him to rescue them from the jaw of death. Pir Shams al-DIn felt pity on them and, consenting to their request, arrived by the side of the dead prince. Gazing at the corpse, he said: "hum be-idhan allah!" which means "By the command of Allah, Rise!" But this had no effect, so the Pir said again, "hum be-idhani!" which means "Rise by my command!" Immediately the prince came alive.

The king was supremely delighted by this miracle. However, since the learned men had been forced to look down in shame, they issued an order (fatwa) charging that Pir Shams al-Din was sinful for having accomplished this feat by his own command and not by the will of God. They decreed that by religious law, the punishment for this sin was to be as follows: to strip off the Pir's skin while he was still alive. This injunction turned the people against the Pir, but, as Pir Shams al-Din was a divine personage capable of miracles, he promptly covered his body with a black blanket and, by his own hand, peeled the skin off his body and threw it before the learned men. Seeing this, everyone was stunned and began to tremble. Yet, even after this scene, since he had been branded a sinner by the fatwa, and due to the religious command against having any relations or contact with him, people did not associate with the Pir.

After a great deal of time had elapsed, Pir Shams al-Din, suffering from hunger, begged the people for some food. However, nobody paid any attention to him. A butcher took heart and gave him a piece of meat. Pir Shams al-Din began to ponder on how he would cook the meat. Taking it along with him, he went outside the city of Multan and, by his own powers, brought the sun down to cook it. The people of Multan began to sizzle under the sun's unbearable heat, and many of them scurried to the Pir, fell at his feet, and begged for forgiveness. The Pir was merciful, and, since by this time the piece of meat had been cooked, he ordered the sun to go back to its original place, which it did. The site at which the sun descended was henceforth called Suryakand. It exists even now, and each year a huge festival is celebrated there.

Pir Shams al-Din then arrived in Kashmir where there was a large sect that worshipped the sun. As long as the sun shone, they were absorbed in prayer and other religious ceremonies, but, once the sun had set, they were not afraid of committing sinful deeds. For, these people believed that, when it was dark, the sun was asleep and could not see their sins, and, therefore, sins committed in darkness were not to be counted as sins. The Pir enlightened these deluded people and showed them the true path of the Isma'llI faith. They came to be known as the Shamsis.

At present, the Shamsis in the Punjab, who are very great in number, [are descendants of those who] were originally enlightened by Pir Shams al-Din, and [now] they openly practice the Isma'llI faith. In order to spread the Isma'ili faith, the master, Pir Shams al-Din, endured all kinds of obstacles. In India, wherever he went to give wisdom, he composed ginans and garbis in beautiful language to disclose the true religion, thus winning many followers.

Pir Shams al-Din was married to Bibi Hafizah Jamal, the daughter of his uncle, Sayyid Jalal al-Dm. She bore him two sons: Hadrat Naslr al-Din and Hadrat Sayyid Ahmad Zindapir. When Pir Shams al-Din departed this temporal world, the Imam of the time entrusted the title and position of pir upon his son, Nasir al-Din, who is our twenty-fourth pir. His name is cited in the genealogy of the pirs as Pir Nasir al-Din.

During his service of Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Qasim Shah, Pir Shams al-Din lived for a long time in the town called Tabriz. This is why he is often known as Pir Shams al-Din Tabriz!. Moreover, as he was born in the town Sabzawar, he is also known as Pir Shams al-Din Sabzawarl. The people of Egypt and Syria know him as Shams Maghribi. After he had lived in Kashmir, he was also called Shams al-Din Iraqi. In the dua, he is addressed as Pir Shams Chot.

Here, it is extremely important to clarify that the great Sufi saint Hadrat Shams Tabriz who was Jalal al-Din Ruml's spiritual guide, and who lived during the time of our twenty-eighth Imam, Hadrat Mawlana Imam Shah Shams al-Din Muhammad, was not the same person who was our twenty-third pir, Pir Shams al-Din Sabzawarl, who was also called Pir Shams Tabrizi. These were two different individuals. Pir Shams al-Din died in Multan in the year 757 A.H.

Even today, we still sing the ginans and garbis composed by Pir Shams al-Din with great devotional fervor. In addition to their insightful verses and their lofty philosophy of the Isma'llI faith, these ginans and garbis are saturated with the complete and clear-cut teachings on the obedience to and recognition of the Imam of the time. After reading this short life-history of Pir Shams al-Din and studying his ginans, it is essential that the teachings expressed in them be put into practice in life so that our faith remains strong and firm. [We pray] that we should be able to gain a true understanding of the Isma'llI faith; that we should have no hesitation in obeying the orders of the Imam of the time; and that the living Imam, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah Datar, should perpetually keep alive in each one of us feelings of loyalty. May Mawla bless every Isma'lli with true guidance. Ameen. Salawat.
kmaherali
Posts: 25105
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

Re: Miracles of Pir Shams

Post by kmaherali »

SAT-VARANNEE VADDEE - BY SAYYID NAR MUHAMMAD SHAH 57

The Greater Account of the Truth (Selected verses only)

peer shamash kaa mojeejaa
sat-gur jee taare nagar maa(n) pheere, har koe sakas ku(n) em jo kahe.
ham ku(n) khaane ku(n) deeo koe saar, paeesaa leo us kaa heesaab vevaar.
toe bhee koe nav aape taam, sarave dusamann thaeaa chhe gaam.
tiran divas gur jee phireaa teeaa(n), paannee bhee nav mileaa keeaa(n).
tab to uch maa(n)ek kasaaee hotaa, us kane gur jee-e taam maa(n)geaa.

re tu(n)hee
tenne gur kaa parataa sunneaa hataa, ane jaannee sabh peer kee bhaau re;
tenne gur ke aage em kaheaa(n), tame saa(n)bhaddo gur jee dev re..1

The miracle of Peer Shams

Then the True Guide went around the city, making this request of every person. 'Give me a piece of something to eat, and take money for it, as in a regular transaction.' But no one at all gave him food, and all the people in the town were hostile. There for three days the Guide went around, unable even to get water anywhere. Now in Uchh there was a butcher, whom the Guide asked for food.

O you!
He had heard about the Guide's powers, and fully understood the Peer's desire. He spoke to the Guide, saying: 'Listen, o holy Guide!'

maas kaa ttukaddaa peer ku(n) kasaaee ne deeaa
taam taeeaar ham rakhate naa(n)hee, ttukaddaa maas kaa le jaao aa(n)hee.
taa(n) ku(n) pakaao jaa or jo tthaam, kasaaee boleo te eso kalaam.
gur jee-e us ku(n) aasees jo deeaa, kasaaee-e maas le gur ku(n) deeaa.
maas do ser hotaa mulataanee, gur us ku(n) le gaeaa(n) niravaannee.
phir aatas ku(n) ddhu(n)ddheaa(n) niradhaar, koe nav deve gur ku(n) a(n)gaar.

re tu(n)hee
teen din agan kere kaarane, gur jee phireaa chhe tenne tthaam re;
tab to gur jee em kaheaa(n), ane phirataa maa(n)he jo gaam re.....2

How the butcher gave the Peer a piece of meat

'I do not have any cooked food prepared, but here is a piece of meat for you to take away. Go and cook it somewhere else.' These were the words of the butcher. The Guide gave his blessings to the butcher, who took the meat and gave it to the Guide. The meat weighed two Multani seers, and the Guide straightaway took it with him. Then he immediately looked for some fire, but no one would give the Guide any burning coal.

O you!

For three days in quest of fire the Guide went around that place. Then the Guide spoke as follows, as he went around the town.

peer samash suraj ku(n) bulaayaa
teesaraa deen jaare gur jee ku(n) thaeaa, tab to suraj ku(n) gure saad jo keeaa(n).
boleaa(n) gur jee suraj ke saath, maas pakaavee deo haatho haath.
tam bhee samash ne me(n) bhee sohee, hukam khudaa ke tame aavo aa(n)hee.
tab to suraj aavee utareaa, chaalees gaj par te khaddaa ho raheaa.
phir neje par aavee raheaa soee, maas pakaaveaa gur jee ko soee.

re tu(n)hee
maas pakaavee gur jee ku(n) deeaa, tab to jaleaa sarave su(n)saar re;
suraj pirathamee-e aaveaa(n), sabh taddaaphaddeaa chhe apaar re...3

How Peer Shams summoned the sun

Then it was the Guide's third day, he called upon the sun. The Guide spoke with the sun, saying: 'Cook the meat forthwith. You are the sun, and that is my name too, so come down here at God's command.' Then the sun came down, until it stood forty yards away. Then it came and stopped a spear's length away, and cooked the Guide's meat.

O you!

After cooking the meat, it gave it to the Guide. Then the whole world was burning. When the sun came down to the earth, all writhed in boundless agony.

peer shamash kaa mojeejaa
hukam khudaa kaa esaa huaa, garamee su(n)saar sarave paaeaa.
jaleaa taap thakee koe naa(n)hee, a(n)g jalaaveaa so tapataa sahee.
baakee avar sarave jaalee gaeaa, pathar ddu(n)gar sabh raakh jo thaeaa.
darakhat jhaadd sau jaleaa saaraa, sukeaa garamee su(n) nadeeu(n) naaddaa.
taddaphaddavaa laagaa te pa(n)khee jaat, koe nav jaleaa te maanav jaat.

re tu(n)hee

ja(n)gal tannaa(n) sarave jaanavar, tenne taddaphadd kareaa apaar re;
esaa to sarave jalee gaeaa, jenu(n) kuchh nahee(n) a(n)t na paar re...................4

The miracle of Peer Shams

It was God's command that the whole world was filled with heat. No one was burnt up with the heat, although their bodies became hot with the burning. Everything else was burnt up, and the stones and rocks were turned to ashes. The trees and plants were all burnt, and the rivers and streams dried up in the heat. The birds began to thresh about, but no human was burnt.

O you!

All the animals of the forest writhed in boundless agony. Thus all were burnt, without end or limit.

peer shamash kaa mojeejaa
sabh doddee gur paase aave, aavee kareene sarave sees namaave.
kaheve peer ku(n) sau esaa kalaam, peer saaheb tame thaao maher-baan.
kirapaa hamere upar karajo saar, suraj ucho karee deo niradhaar.
nahee(n) to raakh sarave thaaese baree, esee per to hae nisattejo kharee.
maatte mer karajo gur daataar, sau nee laaj tame raakhann-haar.

re tu(n)hee
kaajee tab aavee paae(n) paddeaa, tame kirapaa karajo niradhaar re;
suraj ku(n) u(n)chaa tame kar leeo, esee mer te karajo muraar re..5

The miracle of Peer Shams

Everyone came running to the Guide, and all came and bowed their heads before him. Then they uttered these words to the Peer: 'Lord Peer, be merciful! Have pity on us, and make the sun high again forthwith. Otherwise everything will be burnt to ashes, if it remains hovering near like this. So be merciful, o generous Guide, for the honour of all is in your hands.'

O you!

The Qazis then came and fell at his feet: 'Show your mercy forthwith! Make the sun high again! Show this much compassion, o Lord!'

raajaa or parajaa kaa sat-pa(n)th me(n) daakhal honaa
tab to maeaa te gur jee keedhee, suraj ku(n) peere seekh jo deedhee.
te to chaddeene aakaase gaeaa(n), raae jee-e gur jee ku(n) vachan kaheaa(n).
tame chaalo gher amaare peer, ham ku(n) dharam thakee aalo dheer.
un ke saathe gure esaa kaheaa, chal-kar raae jee ke gher jo gaeaa.
raajaae raannee-e tab leedhaa dharam, chhuteaa paap jugaa jug naa karam.

re tu(n)hee
nagar kaa lok sarave mileaa, tab bhaaudee paddeaa paa(n)e re;
ham par maher saaheb tame karo, bakasee deo sarave gunaahe re.....6

How the king and his people joined the True Path

Then the Guide was merciful, and the Peer issued his instructions to the sun. It arose and went up into the sky: and the ruler addressed the Guide. 'O Peer, come to my abode, and grant us the fortitude that comes from faith.' Then the Guide spoke to them accordingly, and went off to the ruler's abode. The king and queen adopted the faith, and were freed from sin and the consequences of their deeds of births through the ages.

O you!

All the people of the city joined too, then Bahauddin fell at his feet. 'O Master, be gracious to us, and forgive us all our sins.'

https://www.ismaili.net/granths/k57.html
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