Hazrat Syed Farid Uddin Qadri

Hazrat Syed Farid Uddin Qadri

All the chroniclers including Ghulam Mohi-Uddin Sufi or Zia Uddin Zia relate about him in brief. Some don't mention his date of birth whereas others the revelation and miracles. His biographical sketch, under the circumstances, is difficult to draw. With limited resources on our hands, we make an endeavor:

Parentage

Syed Muhammad Farid Uddin Alias Shah Saheb, was born to Syed Mustafa, a descendant of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani of Baghdad, in the 1000 Hijri (i.e. 1551 AD).

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Sufi Mohi-uddin Sufi, compiler of Kaiser, draws his biographical in the following words:

Syed Muhammad Farid Uddin son of Syed Mustafa, a descendant of Sheikh Abdul Qadir of Baghdad, was born in 1000 Hijri (1551 AD) After completion of his studies he set out on an extensive tour, offered the Haj at Mecca. Saw Sheikh Jalal Uddin Al-Maghribi in Mecca and Sheikh Mohi Uddin Qadri in Egypt reached the Sindh from Baghdad and from thence to Agra towards the close of Shah Jehan's reign. Raja Jai Singh ascended the throne, in 1674, was the ruler of Kishtwar. Farid Uddin with his followers: Dervish Muhammad, Shah Abdal, Syed Baha Uddin Sa'ani and Yar Muhammad reached Kishtwar for the propagation of Islam in 1075 Hijri corresponding to 1664 AD. He was seventy-five at the time.

Propagation of Islam

He offered Islam to the Raja but failed to impress him, built a monastery and busied whole heartily in the service and propagation of the Faith. After the death of Raja Jai Singh his son Kirat Singh, succeeded him, who embraced Islam under assumed name of 'Sa'adat-yar Khan and a large number of his subjects followed their King and turned to Islam.

Arrival in Kishtwar

From Delhi, he reached Kishtwar via Deeng-batal. The daughter of the landlord of Deeng-batal was greatly impressed by the piety of the sage and married him and assumed the name Roshan-dil. He stayed there for seven days. He consummated his marriage for the second time with the daughter of Shah Noor Ali, the lumberdar of village Nagori of Doda town and gave her name, Malahat Beg.

From there he traveled via Bhandar-kot to Kishtwar. Raja Jai Singh was highly impressed with his character and pious life and had a house built for him near his palace.

His off springs

He had three sons: Syed Anwar Uddin died at an age of two and a half years; Syed Akhyar Uddin and Syed Ansar Uddin were saints bestowed with revelations and miracles. Syed Asrar Uddin, real brother of Syed Anwar Uddin, was a born saint and exhibited wondrous revelations at an early age. Shah Sahib did not approve of him and prayed to God for his demise.

One day he gave him bowls full of water and asked him to drink water form it. The son declined. He reiterated: "This is your father's order." Asrar Uddin held the cup, covered his head with a sheet and drank it. He died soon after.

His other son, Akhyar Uddin, proceeded to Gurdaspur, under the orders of his father to be admitted as a follower by Syed Badar-Uddin Sa'mani; returned to Kashmir after the death of his father stayed at the Shrine of Sultan-Ul-Arifeen Sheikh Hamza for seven years and died there.

Revelations and Miracles

Hazrat Farid Uddin exhibited numerous miracles:

1. The Raja approached him with the request to stop the earthquake. He prayed and the earthquake subsided.

2. A blind man came and prayed for the eyesight. He said, "It is nice to pray both for eye-sight and subjugation," and touched his face with his hand. The man not only received the eyesight but the insight also.

Quotes

The true seeker should tread the highway of love fearlessly and patiently.
The Sheikh is one who observes the Shairah and his inner self is exposed to the Divine.

Death

He is said to have died in the year 1733 AD but we think 1710 AD is more probable. His tomb stands in the center of Kishtwar town, and his infant son Syed Anwar Uddin, lies buried by his side. Syed Asrar Uddin's tomb is on the other side of the town facing Chogan. He died at the age of eighteen, on the prayer of his father. Syed Akhyar Uddin lies interned in the outer adjoining room of the Shrine.