ABOUT BARKATI SILSILA | By Mansoor Noori

Barkati Silsila, a silsila of Sufism, has its roots originating from Bilgram, a small town of United Provinces, India. The barkati Silsila is a sub-branch of the Qadri Sufi Silsila of Baghdad.

This silsila is named after the saint of Marehra, Shah Barkatullah, who was the great grandson of Mir Abdul Jaleel Wasiti Bilgrami (Born 13th Shawwal 1071 Hijri). In the beginning, Shah Barkatullah followed the Chishti Order of Sunni Mysticism in India. Later he went to Kalpi where Syed Shah Fadhlullah initiated him into the Qadri order. From then on, Shah Barkatullah adopted the Qadiri Silsila as his medium of initiation. [bay'ah, or taking allegiance is the sufi initiation]

Works of Founder of Silsila

He was a versatile poet in both the Braj and Persian languages.[citation needed] His collective works in Braj entitled "Pem Prakaas" have been an inspiration to many Hindu and Muslim scholars, for obtaining their doctorate on Shah Barkatullah. The Diwan-e-Ishqui is the collective work of Shah Barkatullah alias Ishqui Marehravi in Persian. He was the principal link in the chain of Sufism in India. He ruled the spiritual horizon at a time when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir was ruling the country from Delhi.[citation needed]

[edit]Legacy of Barkati Silsila

He was a true secular seer having disciples both among Hindus and Muslims. His spiritual lineage became known as Barkaati Silsila. Shah Barkatullah’s legacy was carried out by his noble son Shah Aley Muhammad. Since he was the eldest son of Shah Barkatullah, he was known as Sarkar-e-Kalan. Shah Aley Muhammad dedicated himself to meditation and Dhikr. His son, the third Qutub of Marehra, namely Syed Shah Hamza was a remarkable author who wrote many treatises on various Islamic Mystical subjects. His famous works are Kaashiful Astaar and Fassul Kalimaat. Shah Hamza’s son Syed Shah Aley Ahmad Achchey Miyan possessed a miraculous personality. He cured the ailing masses through his spiritual powers and became so popular that the town of Marehra came to be known as the Marehra of Achchey Miyan. The eldest brother of Shah Amir-e-Alam, namely Syed Shah Aley Rasool Ahmadi, was a spiritual doyen of high caliber. He embodied the dynamics of Chishti and Qadri order.

He was followed by Hazrat Shah Abul Hussain Ahmad-e-Noori (alias Miyan Sahab) who was the last Qutub of Marehra dynasty. Thus the Dargah of Shah Barkatullah is a unique monastery where seven saints in the category of Qutub lay under one dome. The seat of Hazrat Noori Miyan was inherited by his cousin Syed Shah Mehdi Hasan Sahab who was very much revered by the rulers of princely states like theNizam of Hyderabad, the Nawab of Farkhabad, and the Nawab of Rampur State.

The Syed Miyan of Marehra was also an established Aalim and Mufti of his time. He obtained his post graduation degree in Islamic Studies from Ajmer and Lahore. His Fatwas were produced in the High Court of Bombay to settle the property disputes or Talaq issues. He was the community Qazi of the Bakr Qassab Jama’t in Mumbai and was their Imam as well.

He was the Sajjadah-Nasheen and Mutawalli of Dargah Shah Barkatullah in Marehra. He toured almost every part of the country and communicated to the masses the message of oneness and brotherhood. He wrote three books namely, Muqaddas Khatoon, Nai Roshni and Faiz-e-tambih. The Syed Miyan was a versatile Urdu poet of high standard. He belonged to the famous lineage of Dagh Dehlavi through his poet uncle and the most favorite disciple of Dagh, named Hazrat Ahsan Marehravi. The younger brother of Hazrat syedul ulema was Hazrat Syed Shah Mustafa Haider Hasan Miya Marehrwi. He was the direct successor of Hazrat Syed shah Ismail Hasan Sahib Marehrwi and Hazrat Syed shah Mohammad miya marehrwi.

Ahsanul ulema hazrat Hasan Miyan Qadri

Ahsanul ulema hazrat Hasan Miyan Qadri was the Sajjadanasheen before Hazrat Ameen Mian Qadri. He had four sons: first, Syed mohd amin miyan qadri (profeesser amu aligarh); Second, Syed mohd ashraf miyan qadri (commisner of income tex in dehli); third, Syed mohd afzal miyan qadri (D.I.G. GWALIOER M.P.)and fourth, Syed mohd najeev haider qadri (sajjada nashish khankahe barkatiya of NOORI GADDI).

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