Hussaini Sufi Shah Yusuf Gardezi of Multan

Beautiful Exterior of Shah Gardez Shrine-Multan

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi 

Multan is a historic city of Pakistan. It is also last resting place of many a Sufis. The shrine of  Muhammad Shah Yusuf Gardezi, commonly known as Shah Gardez, holds a special place in the heart of Imamis, for he is believed to have brought with him teachings of Masoomeen from Gardez in Afghanistan to Multan. He travelled  from Gardez to Multan on a lion and preached true teachings of Islam.

A large number of people embraced Islam under the  influence of his teachings based on the sayings of Aale-Muhammad (Progeny of the Holy Prophet).A number of miracles are also attributed to him and they find place in the contemporary historical accounts.

The legend reveals that Shah Gardez arrived in Multan  over nine hundred years ago, riding on a lion with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. Since then, his descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. Saint’s descendants are known as Gardezis and considered to be one of the few noble families of Indo-Pak sub-continent.

The shrine of Shah Gardezi is situated inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular dome less building decorated with glazed tiles. The historian Arnold J.Toynbee in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna"has written about the beautiful shrine, saying “ the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ... is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints’ descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for 'Shah' signifies a Syed: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.”

The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saint's body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for the entire world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits. The pigeons flutter here below. The shrine complex becomes a hub of Muharram related rituals during Ayam-e-Aza. Most of Muharram processions either originate or culminate from Gardezi complex. People throughout the year throng the complex to see the shrine of Shah Gardez who was not just a descendant of the Holy Prophet but also a man blessed with an exemplary desire to convey the message of Karbala revolution to people at large.(References available on request.Photo courtesy Google Images)