SUFI MUHAMMAD'S ISLAM,SUFISM AND AGHA SUFI

By Dr Agha Inamullah Khan
November 17th 2013

Last year in July I went along with my family for a holiday trip to northern Pakistan. I drove from Shikarpur(Sindh), and after one day transit stop in Lahore(Punjab), and on invitation by a friend from school days in Shikarpur, Brigadier Tariq, we went to stay with him in Sialkot cantonment. I told Tariq that I did not have any pre-set schedule of the trip; however I wished to go to Chitral, Swat Valley, Kaghan and Kashmir. He advised me to avoid, Chitral; the upper and lower Dir area due to bad weather and the type of vehicle I was driving; it was not an easy journey by a car. But I guess it could have been security concerns as well and he did not want to scare me may be, as the very same month latter I realized after we had returned home, a bus was stopped by Taliban who after checking the identity cards of the passengers, killed all those who belonged to shia sect of Islam in Chitral area. Although I do not belong to Shia sect, however the title Agha with my name was enough justification to be beheaded. Tariq drew the whole map for me and important tourist spots and even got the booking done for us in a hotel in Swat Valley and insisted that we must go to post-Taliban Swat. I had been to swat back in 1989, then in 1996, 1999 and this time again after thirteen years.

Swat is one of the most beautiful valleys of the world with tall deodar and cedar trees, orchids with plums, peaches, almonds, walnuts, apples, pistachios, and even crops from rice and potatoes to chilies, corn and sorghum. Lush green meadows; with scattered; from huge to small size rocks. Peeping from the green carpet grew variety of wild flowers fluttering and dancing with the cold breeze that swept from the glaciers. Gazing lambs, goats, cows and buffaloes. Gushing and roaring river from underneath various melting glaciers which in the end contribute to mighty Indus, changing its tone from muddy to turquoise as it travels many mountain ranges and valleys; crystal clear shinning and glistening pebbles of variety of rocks being polished under its flow with jumping and splashing trout fish that jerked from one end to another in swarm like purplish black cloud against the flow. Springs falling from steep mountains beside houses, small walk tracks zigzagging up hills of various heights. Simple people, their business mainly revenue they collect from tourism.

On way to Kalam town in Swat Valley, Pakistan July 2012

Hanaker Valley , Swat, Pakistan July 2012

Thousands of people head northern areas of Pakistan during their summer holidays. After two days stay in Sialkot, a visit to residence of national poet Alama Iqbal, and then few hours of boating in Mangla Dam, we drove to Islamabad and after staying a night there; headed up to Nathiagali hills. Spent a night there drove down to Abbottabad, from there up to Kaghan valley, stayed a couple of days there to be finally driving to Swat. In Kaghan I was told to drive through Kohistan and that it is much shorter route instead of going back to Abbotabad and head motorway via Hassan Abdal. But the guy in the end also said if someone waves at you to stop, don’t, they could be Taliban.

 Now why would I risk that route anyway? Still I called up Major Nadeem in Sialkot cantonment, who was guiding me on instructions of Brigadier Tariq. Major Nadeem told me to strictly follow the route and time, CO Tariq had instructed. Hence we drove back crossing Balakot, snake turning, driving down round the mountain, reached Mansehra and Abbottabad again and via Hassan Abdal to motorway to take Mardan interchange.  From Durgai to Malakand mountains and all the way up till we reached Kalam town in Swat Valley ,we were stopped at countless army check posts, for luggage check, registration of our names, and our national identity card numbers, car registration number, purpose of visit, number of days of stay, any one's guest, bla bla. At one such check post I was frustrated after a long drive, when a soldier asked." do you have any explosives with you", I said yes; his pupils dilated, and with a quick smile I said I have Mortein insecticide spray with me, you don’t get them here in Swat do you. He said ok go. Yet at another check post another soldier asked if I was carrying any weapons? I said no, not today. Do you think I would tell you if I was! And why would I carry weapons travelling with my wife and children. But before starting the exotic Swat mountainous journey we were tired enough and spent the night in Swat Serena in Mingora town, the hometown of Mullah Radio, Mullah Fazalullah the current deputed head of TTP (Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan) and where Sufi Muhammad taught militancy in Islam making their own choice of interpretations from Koran. It’s the town where few months later most popular international figure today, Malala Yousufzai was shot.

With Brigadier Tariq Qadir

It was heartbreaking to see Swat the way its roads and towns were devastated by Super Floods 2010 and Taliban bombing of schools and infrastructure, however twin towns of Mingora and Saidu Sharif had flourished since we last visited here. Swat valley in most of areas was without electricity, landline phone and roads since 2010. Taliban fear, hence no schools, no offices, no tourists, just you locked up in your houses and if forced you had to give a safe accommodation to Taliban if there was any army raid. And on refusal you were dead meat. It was your duty to dig trenches and tunnels for their safe exit if the need may arise and they have to hide in your house. It was part of their Jihad; else you are friend of the infidel. Not just that, if Taliban thought the girls in your homes have reached puberty; say about eleven or tweleve as per their doctrine they would not ask you; they would one day barge in your house make the mullah sit, bring in a Mujahid with them, to be married to the girl and would simply tell the father she is married to this person.. Bye Bye. No education for girls, woman's place they believe is at home, cook, and give their men good sex.

Tourism was dying due to sense of insecurity that was being generated due to presence of heavy deployment of Army but Swat had no choice. Army was the only solution. However I did not like the idea that Army should be occupying all best of best hotels in Swat. The famous Greens Hotel looked more like a mini garrison with helipad on its lush green garden and parked armored vehicles with fixed anti air craft war machines, where once you enjoyed the cool breeze and the fragrance from mist in air that mixed from variety of wild vegetation in the evening as you sat in the garden sipping from your evening cup of coffee, listening to popular music of Pashtu singer Sardar Ali Khan Takar.

Our room was booked at bit higher altitude from Greens, in Sangum hotel; most of its rooms were again occupied by families visiting from Army. I guess the main idea behind bringing in families and specifically from army was to reinforce the idea among rest of world that things have normalized in Swat, and tourists are back, as swat was dying due to dying tourism. Now I realize why Tariq wanted us to go to Swat, specially also to attend a spectacular festival that was arranged by Armed forces at lake Mahodand in Swat, to promote tourism again in the area.

Within first 35 minutes of our stay a powerful earthquake jolted us with the intensity of 7.6 on Richter's scale. Troops ran in to call us out, for our safety and I could feel the jolts while leaning beside my car which was shaking. There was no escape. I was worried about my mother, if she reads the news on Tele, back in Sindh and my U-Fon cell was not working, as only Chinese Zong is popular for its service there, hence I had to borrow a waiter's cell phone who was already scared and busy calling his family in Kashmir to check if everything was ok, especially after 2005 earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands in Kashmir.

In Pakistan routine chats in all circles of life cannot be complete without discussing current politics, and these days specially Taliban. And I have the habit of talking to people from taxi drivers to shopkeepers and whoever I meet at local restaurants over a cup of tea, to learn what they feel and how they see life in general. One evening in the hotel where we stayed, couple of bearded guys met me in the manager's lobby. They wore their shalwars (lower baggy wear) held up on ankles, long hair with dripping hair tonic on their shirt collars, their eyes lined with lead powder, shirts smelling nonalcoholic local perfumes and twigs of tree branch chewed at one end that is used for brushing teeth standing at ease peeping from front pockets in their shirts. They wore white round hats. They told me how Taliban took over the valley. They said, Mulla Radio (Mulla Fazlullah) was no body. He used to run a manually operated lift chair sliding over a metal rope from one mountain to the other to transport goods and people for Rs.50/ trip. (US$ 0.5/trip). He had studied in the madrassa run by Sufi Muhammad and latter got married to Sufi Muhammad's daughter. When Taliban began to strengthen them and after seeding in the idea of creating Pakistani Taliban on the same pattern as Afghan Taliban, Mullah Fazlullah gained strength with support from Sufi Muhammad. They waged war on peace loving citizens of Swat; specially Kalam, bombing schools, hospitals and police stations. More than one hundred policemen in Kalam alone became the victims of Taliban. They said the script of the whole drama was actually pre written in Army Headquarters to keep Americans away as Uncle Sam wanted base in plains of Swat, with its ultimate desire to keep an eye on China. I was told the same story by another guy who I met at partridge rest house in F-sector Islamabad on my return from Swat. The guy worked for USAID. In addition to that he said Pakistan and China are jointly going to construct a double lane road from Kalam in Swat all the way to China. So I said that is brilliant.

At the end of discussion with apparent Taliban like resemblance of those two men I met in hotel lobby in Swat, they by now knew I was a medical practicing doctor. One of them said," Dr Sahib, I loose erection at the verge of entering inside her "I took a deep breath and looked at their noble faces and smiled. Now the other one spoke, Dr Sahib I discharge sperms when I am urinating". Well I tried to give them different explanations and also advised them that if they ever take a trip to Karachi or Islamabad they must see specialist in venereal diseases and that I had no idea about sex related problems. But very recently when I read an article on Malala's identity, I laughed at myself for advising them to doctors in Karachi or Islamabad, as even doctors in Mingora are brilliant and I had no idea until I learnt the news that Malala Yousufzai is actually a Christian, polish, and her name is Jane, and not Malala from Yousufzai clan or Muslim. This has been disclosed in Pakistani papers and on social media, repeatedly that a doctor who Malala visited in Mingora for her ear infection once, is actually a researcher as well, and somehow he had kept Malala's ear wax in bottle somewhere, which he used latter to read her genome. Wow!! Well could be possible, if talented girl like Malala can write about Global politics, which actually takes years of experience and again either by a politician or some news anchor who has seen the matters staying close to the circle, and at this age Malala writing about world politics and publishing a book, then I presume there is equal chance of another brilliant person there working as researcher and is specialist in DNA mapping. May be the area is full of talented people, it's just that world did not know and thanks to Taliban this time for creating that cruel opportunity, that pain in reward  and for that sort of talent to be highlighted internationally.

Sindh has one of the most ancient civilization tracing back to five thousand years, as studied from ruins of Moen Jo Daro discovered back in 1920, and has remained secular. However it has seen many warriors, taking over from Aryans, Brahaman Rajas, Arabs, Iranians, Afghans, Alexander the great, Portuguese, Mongols, local sultanates of Samas, Soomros, Kalhoras, Talpurs and British. During passage of Ahmed Shah Abdali of Durrani Dynasty in Afghanistan, Shikarpur had status of gateway city in Sindh and most of the forces marched through this area from North, while the others from Arabian Sea. It was used as dry port where merchants from Russia, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey came with their goods. The city was erected and populated mainly by Daoodpota clan, and had historical fort. The area was thickly populated with wild bushes and trees and was inhabited by unique animals from ibex to lions, Black Deer, Reindeers and Tigers, and many well-known kings from past and British came here to hunt. The last tiger seen and killed between Shikarpur and Sultankot (an ancient village founded by Amir Sultan Khan Ghora Khel Babar) was seen and hunted in 1954.

Sultan khan of Sultankot erected fort of Sultan at about 15km north of fort of Shikarpur back in 1792 AD. He was married to daughter of King Zaman Shah of Afghanistan and his aunt was married to that King. His grandfather Ameen ul Mulk Noor Muhammad Khan (Father in law of King Zaman Shah) was minister for finance for King Zaman Shah and also before him to Zaman Shah's father King Taimur Shah. Sultan's great grandfather Gul Muhammad Khan was minister for finance of King Ahmed Shah Abdali Sultanate of Afghanistan. Abdalis trusted Babars more hence preferred them over people from their own clan. These Ghora Khel Babars unlike Babars of Mughal Empire were Pashtuns and not Mongols. They are descendants of Sarban, the first son of Kesh ,a jew and 37^th in the progeny of King Saul of Israel who were forced to exile from Mesopotamia back in 571 before Christ and settled in mountain terrains which is now part of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and latter accepted Islam at the hands of prophet Muhammad. The Pashtuns of Sultankot, do not speak Pushtu anymore and have merged themselves in Sindhi culture, speak Sindhi and Sindhi is their mother tongue now and are pretty much secular, free of religious extremism, and have friends from all faiths. However outskirts of Sultankot and nearby are heavily populated by Brohi tribes and their Madrassas where they are teaching the same fanatic doctrine, replica of Taliban, especially the madrassa of Mulla Baari. Brohi tribe's inflation continues from mainly Noshki area of Baluchistan bordering town to Iran and Afghanistan thin strip of demarcation. They have a strong network of organized crime and are more influential at many Police stations in Sindh including Sultankot, and are much stronger than even a local Feudal lord or Beurocrates. It is on to this strip of National highway stretching between Shikarpur and Jacobabad, where most of NATO tankers in past were set ablaze, and it is popularly believed that Mulla Omar of Afghanistan received his primary religious education in Madrassas of Shikarpur before joining the US sponsored Jihad against Russians in Afghanistan. Mulla Baari and Bakhtullah Pahore are supposed to be the strongest in most districts of North Sindh now and most influential, with Mullah Baari being more vocal and threatening people claiming to have bulk of suicide bombers army. Mullah Baari has a madrassa at a distance of one Kilometer east of Sultankot. Few months before the fall of Twin Towers of Manhattan in New York, I met Mullah Baree at a local mosque along National Highway in Sultankot, when I was campaigning for my brother's elections for city Mayor Seat of Shikarpur to cling few votes from him of religious parties. He promised of his help provided if they were heard equally at the Mayor's house latter and their needs to be fulfilled. It is during this meeting that he told me that he paid a visit to Afghanistan and even met Mullah Omar and Usama Bin Laden. I told him about my desire to visit Afghanistan with his help to walk in the streets of Kandhar , Kabul and Jalalabad, and kiss the soil of my ancestors. He agreed. But after the fall of twin towers and learning about the monster side of Mullah Baari, I did not want to see him again, and also I am not in his good books anymore as I did not keep to promise of their voice in the Mayor's House, and recently he attacked the polling station along with his Mullah army where I was supporting a Pakistan People's Party candidate in last elections on May 11^th 2013.

The secular Sindh is yet to see its fate like that of total fanatic version of Islam  being fed by Wahhabi masters in Saudi Arabia, like in Pakistani province Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa and partially in Punjab, but if these elements were not touched , the province could be sieged in their hands, and the true spirit of Islam hijacked.

Khwarij literally means "those who went out ;"( singular Khwariji) is a general term describing various Muslims who, while initially supporting the authority of final Rashidun Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law and cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him), then later rejected his leadership. The first emerged in the late 7^th Century, concentrated in today's Iraq, and are distinct from Sunni Muslims and Shi'a Muslims. With the passage of time, the Khwarijite groups fell greatly in their numbers and their beliefs did not continue to gain any traction in future generations. From their essentially political position, the Khwarijites developed extreme doctrines that further set them apart from both mainstream Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. The Khwarijites were particularly noted for adopting a radical approach to Takfir, whereby they declared other Muslims to be unbelievers and therefore deemed them worthy of death.

It is this very school of thought and followers of which attacked a joint procession of Shi'a and Sunni Muslims on 10^th of Moharam, "youm e Ashur", to commemorate the great sacrifice by Imam Hussain and his family (grand children of prophet Muhammad at battle of Karballa some 1400 years ago), in Rawalpindi Pakistan that resulted in sectarian violence two days ago resulting in 11 dead and dozens injured, after which curfew was imposed.

Sunni Muslims accept Ali as the fourth rightly guided Caliph, and also accept the three Caliphs before him, who were elected by their community, whereas Shi'a Muslims believe that the Imaamate (leadership) was the right of Ali, and the rule of the first three Rushideen Caliphs(Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Omar bin al-Khattab, and Uthman ibn Affan) was unlawful.

Khwarijites insist that any Muslim could be a leader of the Muslim community and had the right to revolt against any ruler who deviated from their interpretation of Islam. More especially to say now after all the bloodshed they have caused in Muslim World, their specific interpretation of Islam. Anyone who walks out against (seeking to overthrow) the true appointed Imaam(leader) upon whose leadership the majority is in agreement is called a Khwarij.

The ibadis, a group who stemmed from the same mother group as the Khwarijites, have survived into present day, though they do not directly descend from the Khwarijites. They form a significant part of the population of Oman (where they settled in 686 Hijra) and there are smaller conentrations of them in the M'zab of Algeria, Jerba in Tunisia, Jebel Nafusa in Libya and Zanzibar.

The Wahhabi kings "Saud's" of Saudi Arabia support Wahhabi movement, and have funded Saudi Riyals and US dollars in propagating their school of thought and hundreds of thousands of mosques and madrassas  have been constructed in Pakistan since late General Zia-ul-Huq took over, and USA sponsored Jihad to kick Russians out of Afghanistan.

And now in Syria, there are 290 Jihadist groups representing over 29 countries including Pakistan pouring in to Syria to wage Jihad.

In May 2013, Syrian Rebel Alliance backed by United States, France and Great Briton openly threatened of Ethnic Cleansing of minorities. A total of 29 opposition groups, including fighting Brigades and civilians committees have signed a petition calling for mass demonstrations in support of Jabhat al –Nusra.

They openly question the US policy that would have them believe a secular, elected president that enjoys tribal loyalty, with opposition seats in parliament, needs to be replaced by a western-backed, "Wahhabi-funded Gulf State Monarchs".

The White House endorsed Syrian "Rebels" and the rebels have endorsed Al-Qaeda-backed Al-Nusra. Al Nusra has stated that they received a "Fatwa" or religious permission to use chemical weapons and commit acts of rape and murder in their Jihad.

The concept of Jihad is indeed a Quranic one, but sadly, a false and twisted version of this Quranic concept has been used by terrorists funded by corporate Giants for their regional interests, acting in the name of Islam to commit various terror acts, indiscriminately killing innocent people. They are being undertaken in the name of Jihad. These non-Islamic acts have gone a long way towards distorting the image of Islam, by a well-planned hand of devil behind the scene.

The literal definition of the word Jihad in Quran is about striving to achieve a goal, striving with one's self and one's money in the cause of God.

Quran reads," You shall not kill any person, for God has made life scared, except in the course of justice (17:33)

"Do not aggress, God dislikes the aggressors"(5:87)

"There shall be no compulsion in religion"(2:256)

"You have your religion and I have mine"(109:6)

"Had your lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Do you want to force people to become believers"(10:99)

"You shall resort to pardon, advocate tolerance, and disregard the ignorant (7:199)

"Tell those who believe to forgive those who do not long for the day of (meeting) God. He will fully pay everyone for whatever they have earned"(45:14)

The Wahhabi doctrine of all rest being disbelievers is agenda of the invisible government of which victims are also people of west especially United States itself, the message of humanity hijacked.

Their previous chief here in Pakistan Baitullah  Mehsud was involved in the murder of first Muslim woman prime minister in the Muslim world and ex-prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto during the regime of Army General Pervez Musharraf, who is facing trial under many cases against him, and is enjoying luxurious life in his home. And before that her father, an elected Prime Minister first sacked as a result of anti-democracy agitation by Mullahs from nine different parties under a joint rostrum titles Tehrik e Istaklal  to impose Sharia law, and then hanged by the Army dictator General Zia-ul- Huq. After Baituallh Mehsud's death Hakimullah Mehsud was deputed new chief who was involved in the cold blooded murder of Colonel Imam Veteran from Pak Army who was behind the very genesis of Afghan Taliban, to suppress growing communism in Afghanistan by KGB to get to warm waters. Hakimullah Mehsud was recently killed in a Drone strike. After him the very same Mullah Fazullah, Mullah Radio as they call him in Swat Valley has been appointed the new chief, who is involved in killing of scores of peace loving citizens of Swat Valley, bombing of schools, hospitals, police Headquarters and Army Headquarters, but surprisingly no member of International staff or any building with western franchise was ever attacked elsewhere in Pakistan.

Sufi Muhammad Alhazrat Hassan is far from Sufism and is bitter enemy of Sufi version of Islam. He was born in Maidan Dir. He received his religious education at Panj Pir, Swabi and is the founder of 'Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi(TNSM). TNSM is a Pakistani militant organization declared a terrorist outfit and banned in 2002. It mainly operates in Dir, Swat and Malakand districts of KPK. Sufi Muhammad was jailed for sending thousands of volunteers to Afghanistan to fight the US armed intervention in 2001 post collapse of WTC, in which US has killed more than five million Afghan civilians and called it collateral damage. Sufi Muhammad was later freed in 2008 after he renounced violence.

Mullah Radio (Mullah Fazlullah) did not seek Sufi Muhammad's permission to marry his daughter, and his daughter ran away with him. Many say Mullah Radio kidnapped his daughter, and as a result was hiding in Bajur agency for many years.

During 1980s Sufi Muhammad actively participated in Jamat e Islami, an Islamic political party of Pakistan.

In 1992, he split to form separate group as TNSM, which was then heavily backed by the government through Habibullah.

On April 19^th, 2009, Sufi Muhammad declared that, "democracy was un-Islamic" and those decisions made in the qazi courts could not be appealed in Pakistan's central Judicial Systems. He ordered the Central government to withdraw all judges from Malakand within four days ad to set up a Darul Qaza, an Islamic supreme court to hear appeals from local Sharia Courts. But what about his daughter running away with Mullah Radio?. Does the punishment not imply to his daughter or Mullah Radio as per Islamic law for committing Zinnah (adultery).

On 26^th July 2009, government announced Sufi Muhammad's arrest for encouraging violence and terrorism.

On 2^nd August 2009, police announced he had been charged with sedition, aiding terrorism and conspiracy.

In January 2011, Sufi Muhammad denied any links with Tehrik-e-Taliban of Pakistan ad that he only sought enforcement of Sharia in Malakand.

Sufi Muhammad's son in law Radio Mullah or Mullah Radio (Mullah Fazlullah) was deputed as chief of TTP on 7^th of November 2013, after death of Hakimullah Mehsud in Drone strike.

Mullah Radio was born in 1974 to Biladar Khan, a Pukhtun of Babukarkhel clan of the Yousufzai tribe of Swat district. Yosufzai clan has received global attention after Mullah Radio and Malala Yousufzai tribe of Swat Valley. With support of more than 4500 armed militants by late October 2007, Fazlullah had established a parallel government in 59 villages inn Swat valley by starting Islamic courts to enforce Sharia. He developed a Madrassa with the cost of US $2.5 million with assistance from Taliban which was used as his base for operations, funded by JEI faction led by Maulana Sami-ul-Huq.

Benazir Bhutto's assisnation was said to be plot by both Mullah Radio and Baitullah Mehsud as put by then President of Pakistan General Musharraf, but only Baitullah was targeted.

In October 2011, Major General Athar Abbas complained to Reuters that Pakistan had urged Afghanistan and the US to take action against Fazlullah in response to cross-border raids in Dir, Bajur and Mohammand from April 2011 to August 2011, but that no efforts had been made.

Mullah Fazlullah started illegal local FM channel in KPK's Swat Valley in 2006, for this he is known as Mullah Radio. Although he considers most communication electronic gadgets to be "major sources of sin" but he continued operating his FM Radio. His FM signals were relayed from mobile transmitters mounted on motorcycles and trucks. Prohibited activities were routinely declared on air and violators names announced for assassination which often included beheading. Music, dancing,TV,CDs and computers were banned. Barbers who shaved their customer's beards were beheaded, and girls' schools were bombed. Anti-Polio vaccine campaigns he claimed were a conspiracy of the Jews and Christians to keep Muslims impotent. Many of the immunization staff from WHO, were beaten up. Women taking part in elections were banned and termed un-Islamic. However he has nothing to say I am sure if asked as to how Bibi Ayesha, daughter of first Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakar Sidiq lead a war "Jang e Jaml".

Flogging in Public by Taliban,Swat Pakistan

Beheading ,Swat Pakistan

 Beheaded Pakistani soldiers by Taliban in Swat.

During the transit of Abdali king in Shikarpur Sindh, to conquer Dehli in the famous war of Pani Pat a furious war with Marhatas fought in 1761AD, many Afghans settled here in Shikarpur, and the others when Ahmed Shah's son King Taimur Shah had sent army to fight Talpurs at the battle of lakhi in Shikarpur in which Abdalis were defeated bitterly. Among the old settlers, was one noble family of Durrani clan of Shahbudin Khan.  Shabudin Khan had son called Gul Hassan Khan, who latter was appointed as Deputy Minister of Khairpur state, during reign of Talpur sultanate in Sindh. Gul Hassan Khan Durani had two sons and a daughter. His daughter was married to great grandson Ghous Bux Khan of Amir Sultan khan of Sultankot. Gul Hassan Khan had two sons named Abdul Nabi and Ghulam Nabi, who latter used title Agha with their names. Ghulam Nabi; although son of a powerful minister of the state, but he preferred simple life and dwelled among the company of commoners and poor. He loved music and art and literature. He used to write poetry and songs and compose music himself and then sing them at evening gatherings of friends who loved mysticism at his Otak in Shikarpur. He was a renowned homeopath of his times and a Sufi. He took the hand of Agha Hassan Jan Sarhandi to be his religious guide. Unlike today's version of Taliban's Islam, back then it was seen and interpreted as religion of peace, love and harmony. It was because of Hassan Jan that Ghulam Nabi began to use title Agha with his name and later adopted Agha Sufi as his poetic title. Following him, his brother Abdul Nabi used the same title Agha with his name, and was highly educated and served as Collector when Sindh was run under collect-orate system of administration.

Mullah Fazlullah (Mullah Radio)

Although Arabs conquer of Sindh, by Muhammad Bin Qasim, a young General sent by his uncle Hijaj Bin Yousuf in 711 AD, over a quarrel that involved looting of ships by pirates, carrying goods and mistresses to Basra for pleasures of Arabs, is seen as curse in Sindhi literature; however many learned people, holy men and Saints and lovers of Sufism and Mystic Islam came thereafter.

Sufi Muhammad of TNSM

However Agha Sufi mentions in his book 'Sachal Jo Risalo', that Sufism ( Tasawwuf) was not mere invention of Arabs, and that flowers of mysticism bloomed much earlier. He quotes at one point; example of Jesus ( Eesa,may peace be upon him) being the humble Sufi, for saying if one slaps on your right cheek, offer him your left as well. And that mysticism was followed in ancient Hindu religion as well. That Moses(Musa may peace be upon him) during his wilderness was stunned on listening to tunes of birds, sound of sprouting streams, winds rattling leaves, echoing back to him, when he heard the voice (موسيٰ قي) Moses listen! And it is from that word (موسيقي) music was derived, meaning listen. Agha Sufi writes that many of followers of Moses adapted to Music, and that Sufism like Sufi cannot be restricted to particular region of the globe or particular group of people, rather anyone anywhere from any religion can attain to the hidden wealth of Mysticism. Mysticism is free of all religious obligations and is not chained by any set laws; it’s the very core of eternal God, love and love only. Agha Sufi further writes, that Abu Naeem Isphani was the first one to write the principles of Sufism, in which he has proved Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) and his four caliphs after him to be Sufis.

Sindh is traditionally famous for religious harmony and has accepted people from all religions and casts with a big heart. It has always propagated message of love and peace, and Muslim clergy in past here believed in mystic Islam, love for all.

Sufism or Tasawwuf (Arabic الصوفيته) is defined by some as the inner mystical dimension of Islam, yet others content that it is persistent philosophy of existence that pre-dates religion; the expression of which flowered within Islam. Its essence has also been expressed via other religions and meta-religious marvels. A Practioner of this tradition is generally known as a Sufi (صوفي).

Sufis belong to different congregations formed around a master; which meet for spiritual sessions ( Majlis مجلس) in meeting places known as khanqah (خانقاه). Sufi congregations trace many of their original percepts from the Islamic prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) and through his cousin and son in law Ali (A.S), with the exception of the 'Naqshbandi' who trace their origins through the first caliph, Abu Bakar (RA). Prominent orders include Ba'Alawiyya, Chishti (چشتي), Rifai, Khalwati (خلوتي), Mevlevi, Naqshbandi (نقشبندي), Nematullahi نعمتلاهي)), Oveyssi (اويسي), Qadriyah (قادري), Qalandariya (قلندري), Sarwari Qadiri (سروري قادري), and Suhrawardiya (سهروردي).

Sufis believe they practice perfection of worship as revealed by Gabriel (جبرائيل عليه السلام); to Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him). Worship, obey and serve Allah as you are seeing Him and while you see Him not yet truly, He sees you. Sufis consider themselves as the original true proponents of this pure original form of Islam unlike today's Taliban who are nurtured and sponsored by Wahhabi and Salafist Muslim. Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as a "science through which one can know how to travel in to the presence of the Divine, purify one's inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praise worthy traits."

Author Idris Shah States," Sufi philosophy is universal in nature, its roots predating the rise of Islam and Christianity." Some schools of Sufism in western countries allow non-Muslims to receive "instructions on following the Sufi path". Some Muslim opponents of Sufism consider it outside the sphere of Islam.

Sufism gained followers among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldly Umayyad Caliphate (661-750CE).

Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, originally expressing their beliefs in Arabic, before spreading in to Persian, Turkish, Indian languages and other languages specially Sindhi. Among prominent Sufis were Abu Hassan al- Shadhili, Bayazid Bastami, Ibn Arabi, Junayd Baghdadi, Mansur –al –Hilaj, Rumi, Shams Tabrez, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Laal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sachal Sarmast, Sufi Shah Inayt,Baba Bullay Shah, Saami, Bedal, Bhudhal Faqeer, and many more.

Sufi practices involve Dhikr (ذڪر), Muraqaba (مراقبه) and visitation of holy shrines.

Dhikr involves the remembrance of God commanded in the Quran for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and ophorisons from Hadith literature and the Quran. Any activity which involves or maintains awareness of God is Dhikr and practicing consciousness of divine presence, and love, or to seek state of God wariness. However skillful practices are required in order to learn the purity of contact that could be admixed cleverly by devil guiding you to deceptive light in the end to mislead you.

The practice of Muraqaba can be linked to the practices of meditation attested in many faith communities. Through Muraqaba, a person watches over or takes care of the spiritual heart, acquires knowledge about it and becomes attuned to the Divine presence, which is ever vigilant. Collecting all of one's bodily senses in concentration, and to cut himself off from all pre-occupations and notions that inflict themselves upon one's heart.

Visitation is devotional practice, to visit or make pilgrimages to the tombs of Saints, great scholars and righteous people. This practice is particularly common in South

Asia (Pakistan and India)

Ghulam Nabi Agha Sufi (1889-1938)

Before the First World War, there were about 100,000 disciples of Mevlvi order throughout the Ottomon Empire. In 1925, as part of his desire to create modern, western oriented, secular state, Ataturk banned all the different Sufi orders and closed their Tekkes. Pious Foundations were suspended. All religious titles were abolished and Dervesh clothes outlawed.

In 1937, Ataturk went even further, prohibiting by law any form of traditional music, especially the playing of Ney, the Sufi's reed flute.

In recent years many Shrines have been targets of Rocket attacks by Taliban and radical Islamist groups, who are being financed and sponsored for someone else's agenda. Since March 2005, in Pakistan alone, thousands of people were killed and many thousand injured in various terrorist attacks targeting Shrines devoted to Sufi Saints in Pakistan and these attacks have been increasing in Indian Kashmir, Somalia, Mali, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Russia and Iran.

Agha Sufi's ancestors like Sufi Muhammad of today were also people who descended from mountains, but Agha Sufi had more to do with poetry, romance and musical instruments singing songs of eternal love, peace and brotherhood than Sufi Muhammad's rocket propelling grenades and war machines seeding hatred, learned from madrassas financed by foreigners whose agents, holy clerks misguided them quoting from script written at the hands of devil in the name of Islam. Even prophet during his life time warned of such holy men who even know Quran by heart, but could mislead you, such people were called Khwarjis.

Ghulam Nabi Agha Sufi was born in Shikarpur in 1889. He received his primary education in Shikarpur and for secondary grades went to Sindh Madrastul Islam in Karachi, then completed his specialization in homeopathy. He also remained attached to education department of Khairpur state and worked with them. Wrote many books on poetry, script writing, history of art, language and grammar, music, and his best publication was on life and Sufi poetry of Sachal Sarmast, the great Saint of Sindh. He translated many verses from Koran, in poetic dialect. With the magic of his music tunes on harmonium and his humble voice, he was famous for treating children affected with chickenpox with the magic of tunes of his music. Many of his songs to this day are played on All India Radio. He had space for people from all faith and could not imagine violence unlike today's Mullah's version. After initial religious lessons from Agha Hassan Jan Sarhandi he soon joined the company of famous saint Ali Muhammad Luqmani, and lastly came to Daraza town in the circle of Sufi followers of Sachal Sarmast. Sakhi Qabool Muhammad the second in the progeny of Saint Sachal was fond of his music and Agha Sufi was one of his favorite and noble followers. He used to call him, his Nanak, as Joseph (Yousuf) Nanak was favorite of followers of Sachal Sarmast. Hence the room allotted to Joseph (Yousuf) Nanak was then gifted to Agha Sufi, for as long as he lived. Agha spent his remaining years in the company of yogis and Sufi singers, lost in the eternity of mysticism. His message was love and love only. His popular written Bhajan sang by him in sweet simple voice,'Thaar maata thaar'(Cool it mother goddess cool) is still played on All India Radio. Agha Sufi's ashes were laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in the historical city of Shikarpur, in 1938. Agha Sufi's nephew Agha Gull was a research scientist and a Lecturer from September 1983 to August 1987 in Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then from September 1987 to August 1989 at Yale University and since August 1989 to this date he is teaching as Professor of Computer Science in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America.                                                        

You know they say," if the label shows your intent; wear it", and if history makes one feel proud, please allow me to introduce my link. Agha Sufi's sister was my grandmother, who carried on his work of medicine and treated thousands of poor for free, serving the ultimate goal of humanity. I must have his genes shared in my otherwise naughty DNA, and I am proud of that. God bless his soul.

A Sufi is not slave to greed, pomp and show, but his soul finds that divine light and flies with wings of wisdom bestowed by the divine, suppressing his Ego, with ultimate desire to be slave to eternal love of Almighty and all His creations.

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