Syed Ali Bin Usman Ali Al-Hajweri Data Ganj Bakhsh
"The Bestower Of Spiritual Light"
1010-1071

The mausoleum of the great patron saint of Lahore, which is situated near the Bhaati Gate, was built by the Ghaznavid King, Sultan Zakiruddin Ibrahim. It is today, the most popular shrine in Lahore, and people from far and wide come to pay regular homage to this illustrious spiritual preceptor.

Hazrat Ali Bin Usman was born at a village near Ghazni, Afghanistan. Since Hajwer was a principality of Ghazni, his name carries Hajweri with it. Of his life, little is known excepting for what he has related in his compilation, the "Kashf al Mahjub".

It is narrated that after having attained mystical training under the tutelage of Hazrat Abu Fazl Khatli, he was ordered to proceed to Lahore to provide guidance to the masses there.
At that time Lahore was under the spiritual control of Hazrat Shah Hussain Zinjani. According to tradition, two realized masters cannot have simultaneous control of one given region, just as two kings cannot rule one kingdom. Hazrat Hajweri drew the attention of his murshid to Zinjani’s prior presence in Lahore. The murshid, however, asked him to proceed and as Hajweri entered the city he saw the bier of Hazrat Zinjani being carried away.
Data Sahib’s arrival in Lahore in 1041, had been preceded by significant spiritual ground work by Hazrat Zinjani. Data Sahib’s timely presence galvanized the movement and the light of Islam spread in Lahore and it’s adjacent areas.

Data Sahib had studied Sufism from two great masters of the time, namely, Abul Fazl Khatli and Abul Abbas Al Shaqani. Apart from these two there were a great number of Sheikhs who contributed towards his spiritual development in the course of his seeking travels. He journeyed extensively to satiate his spiritual longing, traversing land and sea, from Syria to Turkistan, across the Indus and the Caspian. According to his writings in the Kashf al Mahjub, he seems to have settled for a time in Iraq, where he ran deep into debt. About this occasion he says, "Once, in the territories of Iraq I was restlessly occupied in seeking wealth and squandering it, and I had run greatly into debt." At this time a spiritual mentor wrote to him saying "Beware, lest you distract your mind from God by satisfying the wishes of those whose minds are engrossed in vanity. If you find anyone whose mind is nobler than your own, you may justly distract your mind to give peace to his. Otherwise do not distract yourself, since God is Sufficient for His servants."

These words are said to have brought instant release to him from his spiritual malaise.
Inferring from another passage in his writings, it is learnt that he had a short and unpleasant experience of married life. Expounding on rules in marriage and celibacy, he concludes "A man is not ruined by marriage or celibacy, but the mischief consists in asserting one’s will and in yielding to one’s desires."
After his arrival in Lahore, he resided there till the end of his days when he passed on in the year 1071 A.D.

He was a prolific writer and wrote widely on religious matters. In the introduction of the Kashf al Mahjub, he complains of his former works having been hijacked by false writers, who having erased his Name inserted their own claiming authorship to his works.
Some of his other writings which were subsequently lost and sabotaged, have been referred to in the Kashf al Mahjub. They are by name, a diwan and Minhajaldin. The Minhajaldin is a treatise on the method of Sufism, giving a detailed account of the Ahli-Suffa. Another work that is mentioned is the "Bahr al Qulub". The Kashf al Mahjub itself belongs to the later years of the author’s life. It was written as a response to certain questions put to him by a fellow-citizen, Abu Said al Hajweri. It’s object was to discuss and expound the doctrines and practices of the Sufis. Mystical problems and controversies are dealt by drawing inferences from the saint’s life experiences. It is considered one of the oldest living treatises on Sufism, a work par excellence as in the words of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya "the one who has no murshid will get one by the blessings of reading this book".

Being a Hanafite Sunni himself, Hajweri managed to reconcile his theology with an advanced mysticism. The theory of annihilation or "fana" holds a dominant place in his spiritual philosophy. At the same time he puts up strict resistance to all pantheistic tendencies. He has likened fana to the burning by fire, which transmutes the quality of all things to it’s own quality, yet leaves the essence unchanged. He gives preference to sobriety in spiritual states rather than intoxication, keeping the observance of Shariah sacrosanct over all else. Sufism for him is the true interpretation of Islam.

Knowledge, according to him is divided into two basic forms: Divine and Human.
The object of human knowledge should be to know God and His commandments. A truth seeker attains to his goal only after acquiring knowledge and then putting into action. The inward and outward aspects of Truth cannot be divorced for the exoteric without the esoteric is hypocrisy and the esoteric without the exoteric is heresy.
Speaking on wealth and poverty, he says "They are both Divine gifts: wealth is corrupted by forgetfulness and poverty by covetousness."

On Sufism, referring to sayings of other sufi masters, he says "Sufism is goodness of disposition, and goodness of disposition is of two types; towards God and towards men. The former is acquiescence in the Divine Decree, the latter is endurance of the burden of men’s society for the sake of Allah."

Concerning the gnosis of God, he quotes the saying of the Prophet s.w "If you knew God as He ought to be known, you would walk on the seas, and the mountains would move at your call." He explains further that "knowledge of Allah depends on His Will, for without His favour reason is blind. Reason does not know itself: how then can it know another? In reality Man’s only guide and enlightener is God. Reason, a proof begotten by reason is unable to direct anyone into the right way. When reason has gone as far as possible, and the soul of His lovers must still search for Him, they rest helplessly without their faculties, and while they so rest they grow restless and stretch their hands in supplication, seeking relief for their souls, and when they have exhausted every manner of search in their power, the Power of God becomes theirs, that is the find the way to Him from Him."

About faith he says, "faith has a principle and a derivative. The principle being verification in the heart and derivative being observance of the commands. The interiority of faith is the heart holding firmly to unification {Oneness of Allah}, the eye refraining from forbidden sights and being heedful of the signs of God, the ear listening to His Word, the belly being empty of all that is unlawful and the tongue being veracious.

After faith comes the principle of purity. He speaks of two kinds of purification, inward and outward. Prayer requires purification of the body and gnosis requires purification of the heart. The interior significance of wudu or the ritual ablution is explained thus by Data Sahib, "when you wash your hands you must wash your heart clean of worldliness, when you rinse your mouth you must purify it from the mention of other than Allah, when you wash your face you must turn away from all and towards God, when you wipe your head you must resign your affairs to Him, and while washing your feet you must form the intention of standing firm on His commands."

Discoursing further, he speaks of repentance being the first station of pilgrims on the Way of Truth, just as purification is the first step of those who desire to serve God. Repentance is of three kinds, from what is wrong to what is right, from what is right to what is more right and finally from selfhood to God.
Thus the Kashf al Mahjub remains an excellent exposition of sufi doctrine. Hundreds of thousands of people embraced Islam at the hands of Data Sahib, including a Hindu Raja of Lahore. Eminent saints like Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti and Hazrat Fariduddin Ganje Shakar, carried out spiritual retreats at his Darbar. His shrine remains a place of spiritual karamat even after many centuries of his passing away.

The urs of the great saint is celebrated each year on the 19th of Safar. The shrine and the newly built grand mosque in it’s compound are lavishly decked out and illuminated.
Elaborate arrangements are made by the Auqaf department to celebrate the life of Lahore’s patron saint. A large number of devotees from different parts of the country as well as abroad visit the darbar to pay homage to the saint. The Quran is recited and Fatiha is offered at the shrine. A round-the-clock Qawwali session begins with the commencement of the urs celebration. A three day session of speeches by ulema and scholars is also held, in which they seek to highlight the life and teachings of Data Sahib. The "milk sabeel" and "the langerkhana" attract people in multitudes. Hundreds of "degs" of rice, pulses and meat are cooked daily and distributed among the people.
Daily, too, hundreds of devotees throng to the mazaar for receiving blessings and benediction.


Written by Naila Amat-un-Nur. The author is a Sufi Salika [a student on the sufi path] and writer/researcher of spirituality and current Islamic issues.