Hadhrat Mawlānā Shaykh Abd as-Sattār Naqshbandī Mujaddidī Fazalī quddisa sirruhū (may his secret be sanctified) was one of the deputies of Hadhrat Shaykh Fazal Alī Qureshī Naqshbandī (1854-1935) quddisa sirruhū. He was younger brother of Hadhrat Shaykh Abd al-Ghaffār Naqshbandī Fazalī (1880-1964) quddisa sirruhū, the chief deputy and spiritual successor of Shaykh Fazal Alī.
He was the forth and youngest son of Hadhrat Mawlānā Yār Muhammad, a great scholar and author of multiple books. He was born in a village called Langar, near Jalālpur Pīrwālā, Punjab (Pakistan). His family tree is as follows:
- Hazrat Mawlānā Shaykh Abd as-Sattār, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Yār Muhammad, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Khair Muhammad, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Abdur-Rahmān, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Khalīl Ahmad, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Hāfiz Khān Muhammad, son of
- Hazrat Khwāja Muhammad Panāh, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Hāfiz Muhammad, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Ghulām Rasool, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Noor Muhammad, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Ghulām Hasan, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Ahmad Alī, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Ghulām Rasool, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Noor Muhammad, son of
- Hazrat Mawlānā Muhammad Ishāq, son of
- Hazrat Khwāja Muhammad Zakariyā, son of
- Hazrat Khwāja Muhammad Awais, who was brother and spiritual successor of Hazrat Khwāja Imād ad-Dīn alias Pīr Channar a famous Sufi saint of Punjab
His greatgrandfather Khwāja Muhammad Awais was brother and successor of a great Sufi saint of Punjab called Pīr Channar quddisa sirruhū. Pīr Channar, who was also called Imāduddīn (the pillar of religion), was born in 638 AH. He was a great saint with many miracles, and was associated with the Suhrawardi Sufi order. His shaykh was Shaykh Sailoon, whose spiritual lineage goes to the great Suhrawardī master Khwāja Bahā ad-Dīn Zakariyā Multānī qaddas-Allāhu sirrahū. Pīr Channar received martyrdom in a fight against a Hindu Raja who was angered by their efforts of converting large numbers of Hindus to Islam and attacked their town. Today, the shrine of Pīr Channar, located in Rohī (Cholistān desert), is a place of pilgrimage by the people of southern Punjab, including Muslims as well as Hindus.
The greatgrandfathers of Shaykh Abd as-Sattār were all scholars and Sufi masters in the Qādrī order and had large numbers of followers. His father Hadhrat Mawlānā Yār Muhammad quddisa sirruhū was a great Islamic scholar, follower of the Hanafī Fiqh, author of multiple books, and owned a large personal library of Islamic books. When he passed away, each of his four sons inherited a large number of books sufficient for an average madrasah library.
He received traditional Islamic education and reached the status of Mawlawi (scholar). He studied initially from his father and elder brother, and later graduated from Mawlānā Azīz-Allāh.
He took allegiance with Hadhrat Pīr Fazal Alī Qureshī Naqshbandī along with his brother Shaykh Abd al-Ghaffār alias Pīr Mitthā. His father and the eldest brother were also disciples of Pīr Fazal Alī. After traversing the spiritual stations of sainthood, he was awarded deputyship from his shaykh. His brother Hadhrat Pīr Mitthā writes:
“He is honored with authorization (to teach the Sufi path) from Hadhrat Qibla-i Ālam, may my heart and soul be sacrificed for him, and he is engaged in teaching, and also visits Lyallpur (Faisalabad) for preaching.”
When he was awarded with deputyship, Hadhrat Shaykh Fazal Alī told him and his brother Pīr Mitthā:
“I have never before given deputyship to two brothers together, and you are fortunate to have been authorized. Looking at your family, I wish I could give deputyship to your father and elder brother, if they were they alive.”
Mawlānā Abd as-Sattār highly resembled his brother Hadhrat Pīr Mitthā. He was a true preacher and had prophetic character and morality. He had beautiful handwriting. He loved his shaykh extremely, and also loved his brother Pīr Mitthā. During the last years, he lived with his brother at Rahmatpur, Lārkānā, Sindh.
He married and had two daughters and many grandchildren.
As all the four brothers were Islamic scholars, they would often sit together besides a fireplace during winter and discuss religious issues. Sometimes, they would start at night and would continue the discussion and debate until morning. Their father would often listen to their discussions and get pleased.
Hadhrat Shaykh Fazal Alī constructed a room for his own burial, and once called Pīr Mitthā and Mawlānā Abd as-Sattār and told them that he wished to be buried in that room. When he passed away, Mawlānā Abd as-Sattār was present at the khāniqāh Miskīnpur sharīf and disclosed the wish of the shaykh to the people, who buried him in that room.
References
- Sawāneh Hadhrat Pīr Mitthā (Sindhi), by Pīr Karam-Allāh Ilāhī Naqshbandī Ghaffārī
- Malfūzāt Ghaffāriya (Sindhi), by Muftī Abd ar-Rahmān Ghaffārī Allāhābādī, 2010.