LAHORE

Hazrat Syed Hafiz Haji Abu’l Hasan Bin Usman Bin Ali Al-Jalabi Al-Hujwiri (ra) (also spelled Hujweri, Hajweri, Hajveri, Hajvery) also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh (the master who bestows treasures) or Data Sahib was a great Persian Sufi scholar, writer and poet who lived during the 5th Century AH (11th Century AD). He significantly contributed to the spreading of Islam in South Asia.

Hazrat Ali Hujwiri (ra) was born in the city of Ghazni during the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni where his family had settled. He was known as Ali Al-Jalabi Al-Hujwiri (ra), as he had lived in Jalab and Hujwir, two different quarters (Mohallas) within the city of Ghazni.

The exact date of Hazrat Ali Hujwiri's (ra) birth is not known, with estimates ranging from 400 AH to 406AH. Little is known of his early life or his education.

One night Hazrat Ali Hujwiri (ra) saw his spiritual guide and teacher Hazrat Sheikh Abu’l Fadl Al-Khuttali in a dream saying to him: "O, my son! we have appointed you as the qutb of Lahore. Be prepared and start forthwith for Lahore." He replied, "Your Holiness has already appointed Khwaja Hasan Zanjani as the qutb of Lahore. What is the need for this humble being in his presence there? What is the importance, significance, and implication of the order of your holiness?" Thereupon his spiritual guide and teacher said: "O my son! Do not argue with me and leave for Lahore without loss of time."

Around 431 AH, in the reign of Mahmud Ghaznavi, he left Ghazni for Lahore along with Hazrat Abu Saeed Hujwiri (ra) and Hazrat Ahmad Hammadi Sarkhasi (ra). Hazrat Abu Saeed Hujwiri (ra) was a fellow townsman of Hazrat Ali Hujwiri (ra) and the book Kashf-ul-Mahjoob was written in accordance to his request. Hazrat Ali Hujwiri (ra) says regarding Hazrat Ahmad Hammadi Sarkhasi (ra):

Khwaja Ahmad Hammadi Sarkhasi was the falcon of his time. For some time we remained together and I witnessed many wondrous experiences from him. He was a man of the path of the Shariat.

When he had reached the outskirts of the city, it had grown dark. He stayed outside the city and entered it in the morning. To his great surprise, he saw a funeral. On his inquiring, he learnt that it was the funeral of Hazrat Sheikh Khwaja Hasan Zanjani (ra), who had passed away the previous night. He led the funeral prayers.

After he had permanently settled in Lahore, he constructed a monastery for himself and also a mosque. When the mosque was under construction, the Ulama of the city raised a storm of opposition to the effect that the mosque was not exactly aligned towards the Qibla. He remained unconcerned about this opposition and objection. When the mosque was complete he invited the Ulama, Sufis, saints, and leading citizens to it and they all offered prayers behind him. After the prayers were over, he addressed all those present, saying: "People have expressed doubt concerning the alignment of the mosque. I request you to close your eyes and meditate and then decide whether it is correct or not." Thereafter he meditated and the curtains were removed from the eyes of the people. All of them saw that the sacred Ka'ba was before their eyes and that the mosque direction had been correctly aligned.

He spent the rest of his days there guiding, teaching, and inspiring the people and preaching and propagating the doctrine of truth. Thousands of unlettered persons became alims, hoards of people accepted Islam, the misguided began to follow the Path, the insane recovered reason and sanity, the imperfect became perfect (in knowledge) and the sinners became virtuous under the influence of Hazrat Ali Hujwiri (ra).

One of the earlier converts was one Rai Raju, the Naib (Viceroy) of Lahore during the time of Sultan Maudood. On conversion to Islam he was named Sheikh Hindi. His descendants have been since that time the custodians of the mausoleum.