Al-Mahmoud Russell of Jubayr: Hazrat Shahjalal, the famous Sufi saint of the Indian subcontinent, was born in Turkey in 61 AH and 1261 AD. His full name is Shaikh Shahjalal Kuniyat Mujarrad. According to 603 AH, in 1303 AD, at the age of 32, it is believed that he came to Sylhet region of present day Bangladesh to spread Islam. Although there are different opinions about the time of arrival in Sylhet; Moreover, the date mentioned in a Persian inscription obtained by the servants of Shahjalal's tomb is considered to be correct. The inscription in Persian is now preserved in the Dhaka Museum. Islam was widely propagated in Sylhet through him. After the conquest of Sylhet, many of the companions and followers of Shah Jalal were saints and after them their descendants moved to different parts of Bangladesh including Sylhet. The arrival of Shahjalal and his 360 Auliyas in Sylhet is a significant event in history. After his death he was buried in Sylhet. Hazrat Shahjalal (Rah.) Was martyred in 640 AH and 1341 AD.
Early life:
In the late 6th century AH, a branch of the Quraysh dynasty of Makkah migrated from Makkah to the province of Yemen on the southwestern border of the Hejaz lands. Father of that branch Mohammad or Mahmud Shahjalal. Mahmud's father's name was Ibrahim.
According to the Suheli Yamni inscription found in Hazrat Shah Jalal's Rawza, Shah Jalal arrived in Sylhet in 1303 AD at the age of 32 according to 603 AH. It is known from the information mentioned in Suheli Yamni that Shahjalal was born in the year 61 AH - 1281 AD. His birthplace was Kunia, a city in the then province of Yaman in the Hejaz land of Azam in ancient Arabia. Shah Jalal's mother died when he was three months old.
Shah Jalal became motherless as a child and lost his father at the age of five. Mama Ahmad Kabir took care of him. Ahmad Kabir emphasized the importance of getting acquainted with the basics of Islam (prayer, fasting), including teaching the Qur'an and Hadith in Arabic. Ahmad Kabir later took Shah Jalal from Yemen to Mecca. Ahmed Kabir had a dormitory (hojra) in the city of Mecca. It is said that Shah Jalal along with other disciples were also trying to develop him with proper education.
Guru contact:
Shah Jalal's uncle and teacher Syed Shaikh Ahmad Kabir Suhrawardy, usually; He is popularly known as Ahmad Kabir. Syed Ahmad Kabir's father's name was Syed Jalal Surukh Bokhari. Before the birth of Syed Jalal Surukh Bukhari Shah Jalal, he came to Auche near Multan to spread Islam in India and breathed his last there. Syed Ahmad Kabir Suhrawardy's father Syed Jalal Surukh Bokhari was his murshid. The following is a list of Shahjalal's eminent Muslim scholars:
1. Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH)
2. Hazrat Ali (R)
3. Sheikh Hasan Basri (Rah)
4. Sheikh Habib Azmi (Rah)
5. Sheikh Maruf Karkhi (Rah)
. Sheikh Singri Sukti (Rah)
. Sheikh Mamshad Sikandari (Rah)
. Sheikh Ahmad Dinnuri (Rah)
9. Sheikh Amubia (Rah)
10. Sheikh Aji Uddin Suhrawardy (Rah)
11. Sheikh Abu Najib Ziauddin (Rah)
12. Sheikh Hisab Uddin (Rah)
13. Sheikh Makhdum (Rah)
14. Sheikh Bahauddin Zakaria (Rah)
15. Syed Jalal Surukh Bukhari (Rah)
16. Syed Shaikh Ahmad Kabir Suhrawardy (Rah)
16. Hazrat Shahjalal (Rah)
Spirituality:
It is known that the main purpose of Ahmad Kabir was to convert Shah Jalal to Sufism. That is why Ahmad Kabir came to Mecca with Shah Jalal. Ahmad Kabir was then the chief caretaker of the khanqah (mystic school) established by Sihabuddin, the founder of the Suhrawardy sect in Mecca. Ahmad Kabir initiated Shah Jalal in teaching both Shariat and Marifat of Islam.
The life of a saint:
Born Shah Jalal was born in a saintly family. It is known that his father was a devout mujahid, he was killed in a religious war in Yemen and he was the grandson of Syed Jalal Surukh Bokhari, a famous saint of the Syed dynasty. Moreover, it is mentioned that Darbesh Ahmad Kabir, his uncle, who is found as the education guru of Shah Jalal, was also a famous saint of that time. It is said that Ahmad Kabir taught Shah Jalal how to lead a pious life from an early age when he took charge of his upbringing.
Arrival in Sylhet:
Shah Jalal Muzarrad was in Arabia in the dormitory of his uncle and guru Syed Ahmad Kabir. After Shahjalal dreamed of preaching in India, Syed Ahmad Kabir expressed it to him. Mama and Murshid informed Syed Ahmad Kabir about it. Explaining this dream, the poet advised Shahjalal to go to India. During the journey, Kabir Shah handed over a handful of soil to Jalal and said: Wherever the "taste", "smell" and "color" of this soil will be one, there will be a dormitory for the propagation of religion. With the prayers of Murshid Syed Ahmad Kabir (RA), Shah Jalal (RA) started his journey alone from Makkah Sharif in Arabia.
Entering Hindustan:
Haji Yusuf, Haji Khalil, Haji Dariya and another companion named Chashni Pir, the chief of the few companions who accompanied Shah Jalal on his departure from Makkah, was a clay fundraiser. Before coming to Hindustan, Syed Omar from Samarband, Karimdad from Rome, Nizam Uddin from Baghdad, Iran, Zakaria and Shah Dawood and Syed Muhammad were his followers. He entered Hindustan with them. Then Arif from Sultan, Junaid from Gujarat, Muhammad Sharif from Ajmer Sharif, Syed Qasim from Deccan, Helim Uddin from Madhya Pradesh became his disciples and followed him. Thus, when he reached Delhi, the number of disciples was estimated to be 240.
Meeting with Nizamuddin Auliya:
After coming to Delhi, Nizamuddin Auliya's Jain disciple preached Shah Jalal's slander to the Guru. Nizamuddin immediately expelled the slanderer from the court as a suitable punishment and summoned the other two disciples and sent salutations to Shah Jalal through them. In reply to Shah Jalal Salam, Nizamuddin sent some cotton in a small box filled with burning embers to Auliya. Nizamuddin Auliya, realizing the spiritual power of Hazrat Shah Jalal, invited him to meet him. As a token of affection, Nizamuddin Aulia presented him with a pair of surma-colored pigeons. The surma-colored pigeon seen in the area adjacent to the shrine is a descendant of that pigeon. Which is known as Jalali Kabutar.
Sheikh Burhan Uddin's visit and condolences:
It is to be noted that, according to various historical texts, including Islam Jyoti in Srihatta, Muslim settlements were established in Srihatta through the Turkish conquest. At that time Muslims were settling in the Tultikar mahalla of Sylhet and on the side of Habiganj. At that time there was an oppressive king named Gaur-Govinda in the Gaur kingdom of Srihatta. Burhan Uddin, a Jain Muslim from Gaur, slaughtered a cow on the occasion of his son's birth and was found guilty by the Hindu king of Gaur, Govinda Govinda. As a result, Govinda grabbed Burhan Uddin's infant son and killed him. Burhan Uddin went to the then king of Bengal Shams Uddin Firuz Shah and complained about this brutal murder. When the royal army tried to cross the Brahmaputra river, King Govinda thwarted all attempts by firing arrows at the Muslim army with the help of ghostly forces. The emperor was shocked when the news of Sikandar Gazi's resistance and failed intent reached Alauddin Khilji, the emperor of Delhi, under the influence of Govinda's magical power.
Later, the emperor, in discussions with astrologers including his courtiers and ulama, came to know that there was a man of spiritual strength in the Sultan's army. The astrologers also said that as a means of identifying the person with spiritual power, in the next two / one nights, the whole city will be swept away in a heavy rainstorm in Delhi, every house will be severely damaged, where there will be no lamp except a tent. The emperor searched for astrologers and on that stormy night he saw a common soldier reciting the Qur'an in a tent. The emperor came there and informed him of all his matters and requested him to lead the Sylhet expedition. When he agreed to the order of the emperor Syed Nasir Uddin, the emperor sent him to Sikandar Ghazi with the certificate of Sipahsala. Gazi Burhan Uddin was staying in Delhi at that time. At this time Shah Jalal also came to Delhi with his companions. Shah Jalal met Burhan Uddin in Delhi on the idea of the historian Azhar Uddin and it was here that Burhan Uddin narrated his tragic story to him.
See Nasir Uddin of Sipahshala:
Shah Jalal left Delhi for Sylhet with 240 companions, including Burhan Uddin. Shah Jalal came to Satgaon and met Syed Nasir Uddin of Sipahsala, an army sent by the emperor of Delhi near Tribeni. Syed Nasir Uddin Shah became aware of Jalal and expressed his intention to become his disciple. Along the way, Shah Jalal's disciples began to grow. From Tribeni to Bihar province a few more religions actually joined the war. Among them Hisam Uddin and Abu Muzaffar are notable. From here Shah Jalal, accompanied by a thousand cavalry and three thousand infantry brought by Syed Nasir Uddin of Sipahsala, set out for Sonar Gaon with his companions to meet Sikandar Ghazi.
See Sikandar Gazi and cross the Brahmaputra:
As soon as Shah Jalal came to Sonar Gaon, he met Shah Sikandar Ghazi. Sikandar Ghazi Shah received Jalal with respect. Shah Jalal, along with his companions and soldiers, gathered at the camp of Shah Sikandar and learned all the details of the battle from Sikandar. Inspired by the ideals of Sikandar Shah Jalal, he took discipleship and set out for Sylhet. Thus the number of disciples of Shah Jalal reached 360. On the other hand, Gaur Gaubinda, on receiving the news of Shah Jalal's gathering through his own char, stopped all navigation of the river in accordance with the arrangement so that the new party could not cross the Brahmaputra river. Shahjalal's devotees believe that he and his disciples crossed the Brahmaputra river without hindrance with the help of Jainamaz.
Entering Sylhet:
In the 10th century AD, the land of Srihatta was divided into three independent kingdoms called Laud, Jayantiya and Gaur. Gaur was considered as one of the states. As the ancient boundary line of this state extended to present Moulvibazar district and part of Habiganj district, Raja Gobind's outpost was near Dinarpur Pargana of Nabiganj, the southern boundary of Gaur state. Shah Jalal crossed the Brahmaputra river with his companions and stayed there for the first time. Here the border guards of Gaur want to resist them by firing. But the Muslim army could do no harm. Govinda was not aware of all the issues and issued a declaration that boating on the Barak River was prohibited. Shah Jalal crossed the river Barak with the help of Jainamaz as before. He spent the night at Fatehpur in the present day Balaganj upazila of Sylhet district across the Barak river. The above mentioned information is mentioned in the ancient book Twarikh Jalali
The pargana was called Dinarpur
The lentils were former lentils
When he arrived there
King Govinda got the news then.
On this side Hazrat with his army
He came to the bank of a river
There was a river called Barak that lentils
Whose village name is Bahadurpur.
When he arrived he bought the river
He crossed the river without a boat.
When King Gaur-Govinda saw that all attempts were failing by all means, he sent a huge iron dhunuk with magic mantra to Shah Jalal to make a last attempt. The condition was that if one could cut the strings of the bow alone, then Govinda would leave the kingdom. Shah Jalal called the people of his party and said; Only a person who has never performed the Fajr prayer in his entire life or has not missed it will be able to "yawn" Govinda's iron bow. After searching the Muslim army, Syed Nasir Uddin of Sipahsala was found suitable and he was the one who drew the bow.
Surma River Crossing:
When the Barak River enters Bangladesh from northeastern India, it splits into the Surma and Kushiyara rivers. Considered as the enclosure of Sylhet division, these rivers used to flow in strong currents in ancient times. The view of the rainy season looked almost like the sea. The historical traveler Ibn Battuta calls the Surma river Nahri Azraf. Shah Jalal set out from Fatehpur when Surma took up position on the shore. After crossing this river, the capital of Gaur. King Govinda was disgusted with the miracles and miracles of Shah Jalal Auliya. Govinda banned boating on the Surma river to stop the enemy for some time. Despite this Shah Jalal crossed the river.
Shah Jalal Bismillah prays with all the disciples,
He went to the other side of the river effortlessly.
Govinda left his palace at Garaduara and took refuge in the Gupta Giri fort at Pechagarh. Since then, no other hadith has matched his. After Shah Jalal's stay in Sylhet for three days, he first occupied the palace at Tila of Minar.