Who is Sajjadanashin ?

Sajjadanashin:

 According to the Mohammadan Law a Sajjadanashin is the one who sits on the “Sajjadah” or Musalla (prayer carpet). Musalla” or “Sajjada”, both words having the same meaning. He who is granted these  two things, in the terminology of Sufism, is called Sajjadanashin. Therefore the words, ‘Musalladar’, ‘Sajjadadar’ or ‘Sahib-e-Sajjada’ are actually used for “Sajjadanashin”.

  A Sjjadanashin is the Spiritual Head and Spiritual Preceptor who conducts the mission of his Pir (Spritual Master) at his Shrine or Khanqah.  He discharges certain important duties like religious, spiritual and customary ceremonies and also presides the Mehfil-e-Sama and Fatiha at the Dargah. He also discharges the duties of Mutawalli (Manager) if there is no specific Mutawalli for the job.

 For example, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia’s Spiritual Successor was Hazrat Nasiruddin  Chiragh Dehlavi whose Sajjadanashin or Nasabi Janashin was Hazrat Abu Bakar Chishty Musalladar-e-Khaas. His grave is situated on the eastern side of the tomb of Hazrat Amir Khusro in New Delhi. 

 It is clearly mentioned in Siarul Aulia and Tuhfatul Abrar that after the demise of Hzt. Baba Farid, his son Hzt. Maulana Badruddin Suleman became the Sajjadanashin of his Dargah.  And afterward his son Shaikh Alauddin and then his son Hzt. Moizul-Haq-Waddin became the Sajjdanashin of the Dargah.  The same legal procedure for the succession of Sajjadanashin is still continuing at all the famous Dargahs in India and Pakistan such as Ajmer Sharif, Radauli Sharif, Bareilly Sharif, Rampur, Gulbarga Sharif, Hyderabad, Nagore, Gwalior etc. in India and Tonsa, Multan Pakpattan, Golra etc in Pakistan.   

Who is khalifa

Khalifa:

There are so many people who do not know about the difference between a Khalifa and a Sajjadanashin.  The basic difference between these two is that ‘khalifa’ is a spiritual post while ‘Sajjdanashin’ is an ancestral as well as spiritual title.

 A saint or master may have so many Khalifas but he cannot appoint more than one Sajjadanashin.  The sajjadanashin of any Dargah must be only one.  In other words, we can say that every Sajjadanashin is a Khalifa but every Khalifa can not be Sajjdanashin.

First sajjadanahin of dargah

The first Sajjadanashin

Hazrat Abu Bakar Chishty

  As Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia remained unmarried so after his demise Hazrat Abu Bakar Chishty Musalladar-e-Khas occupied his seat at his Shrine and thus succeeded him as his first Sajjadanashin.    

 Hazrat Abu Bakar Chishty was the great grandson of Hzt. Nizamuddin Aulia’s grandfather’s younger brother Hzt. Syed Moosa Bokhari on one hand and son of Hzt. Nizamuddin Aulia’s real sister Hzt. Bibi Zainab on the other.

 Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia had bestowed him with his Special ‘Musalla’ (prayer carpet) that he use to love more than his own life.  He would Sit on it and would absorb himself in meditation and the remembrance of God.  As we have mentioned it before that the person who is granted these things i.e.“Musalla” and “Sajjadah”, is called “Sajjdanashin” (Successor to the Shrine).

 Some people have misinterpreted the word “Musalladar” as “Musallabardar” and wrote that Hzt Abu Bakar Chishty was Musallabardar. It must be noted that both words are different in meanings.  Musalladar is one who sits on prayer carpet and Musallabardar, on the other hand is one who carries the prayer carpet with him.  We find not even at a single place in Siarul Aulia and Matloob-ut-talibain, where the author had reffered Hzt. Abu Bakar Chishty as Musallabardar.

Therefore because of the blood relation with the Saint, Hazrat Abu Bakar Chishty Musalladar had not only gained authority of Legal Genealogical Succession but this endowment proved his spiritual succession also. 

 Hazrat Abu Bakar Chishty and his brother Hzt. Umar were also the Khwaharzadas (sister’s sons) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia. Hzt. Ameer Khurd Kirmani quoted in Siarul Aulia, Page No 205 that Maulana Qasim, author of “Lataif-ut-Tafseer” introduced himself in its preface, as the son of Hzt. Umar and Hzt Umar (real brother of Hzt. Abu Bakar Chishty) is introduced as “Khwaharzada Haqeeqi” (real sister’s son) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia.  Therefore it shows that Hzt. Abu Bakar Chishty Musalladar and Hzt. Khwaja Umar, both were the sons of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia’s real sister Hzt. Bibi Zainab. Unfortunately most of the translations in respect of  the Chapter of Sultanul Mahshaikh’s Aqurba (relatives) are wrong as they advertently or inadvertently removed the word “haqeeqi” (real) from it.   

A Shijra-e-nasab of Hazrat Sultanul Mashaikh has been published in the first editon of Siarul Aulia i.e Chirangilal Edition,1302 Hijri, (1885 AD) where Hazrat Abu Bakar Chisti is introduced as “Bilawasta hamsheerazada haqeeqi Sultanul Mashaikh” (real sister’s son of Sultanul Mashaikh), but in all the later editions of Siarul Aulia, the said Shijra-e-nasab is missing for unknown reason.

In a manuscript of Siarul Aulia written by Syed Obaidullah in 1177 Hijri (1764 AD) the same Shijra (Genealogy) has been given and name of Hazrat Abu Bakar is mentioned as “son of the real sister of Hazrat Sulatanul Mashaikh Nizamul Haq Waddin”.

 Few years back this issue was raised that who was the first Janashin (Successor) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia after his demise.  A deep research was conducted on this matter and many certificates and opinions of different Mufti’s Ulemas and Sajjadanashins were obtained. They all gave their verdict in the favour of Hazrat Abu Bakar Chisti. Few names of these Ulemas are mentioned below:

1. Imam us Sultan Hazrat Syed Hamid Bukhari

Shahi Imam Jama Masjid Delhi.

2. Mujahid-e-Millat Hazrat Maulana Hifzur Rehman

General Secretary: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

3. Nawab Khusro Mirza Loharu

Sunni Majlis Auqaf Delhi.

4. Mufti-e-Azam Hazrat Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Sahib

Qazi-e-Delhi.

5. Hazrat Maulana Zaid ul Hasan Farooqui

Sajjdanashin Hazrat Shah Abul Khair

6. Hazrat Saulat Hussain Ali Khan

Ex: Diwan of Dargah Hazrat Khwaja Sahib, Ajmer.

7. Hazrat Maulana Qari Mohd Idrees

Sajjdanashin Dargah Shah Waliullah Mohaddis Dehlavi

8. Mufti-e-Azam Maulana Mohammad Kifayatullah Sahib

Shajra Nasab

The Genealogy up to Date

Source: Siarul Aulia (Chirangi Lal Edition)

2.     Hazrat Ali.

3.     Hazrat Imam Hussain.

4.     Hazrat Imam Zainul Abedin.

5.     Hazrat Imam Baqar.

6.     Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq.

7.     Hazrat Imam Moosa Kazim.

8.     Hazrat Imam Moosa Raza.

9.     Hazrat Imam Mohd. Jawad Taqi.

10.  Hazrat Imam Ali Hadi Naqi.

11.  Hazrat Syed Jafar Sani.

12.  Hazrat Syed Ali Asghar.

13.  Hazrat Syed Abdullah.

14.  Hazrat Syed Ahmed.

15.  Hazrat Syed Ali.

16.  Hazrat Syed Hassan Khullami.

17.  Hazrat Syed Abdullah Khullami.

                   ----------------------------------I---------------------------------                  .

                   I                                                                  I

18. Hazrat Syed Moosa Bokhari                   18. Hazrat Syed Ali Bokhari

19. Hazrat Syed Abdur Rehman                   19. Hazrat Syed Ahmed.

                     I                                            20. (I) Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia

20. Hazrat Syed Abdullah (married with) ------ 20. (II)Hazrat Bibi Zainab.

21. Hazrat Syed Abu Bakar Chishty----- (First Sajjadanshin of Dargah Hzt. Nizamuddin)

22. Hazrat Syed Azizuddin.                    

23. Hazrat Syed Kamaluddin.

24. Hazrat Syed Abdul Rashid.                  

25. Hazrat Syed Ahmed.                      

26. Hazrat Syed Daulat.

27. Hazrat Syed Fazlullah.

28. Hazrat Syed Hassan.

29. Hazrat Syed Abdul Sami.

30. Hazrat Syed Mehmood.

31. Hazrat Syed Niamatullah.

32. Hazrat Syed Khairullah.

33. Hazrat Syed Ubaidullah.

34. Hazrat Syed Mujibuddin.

35. Hazrat Syed Rasool Bakhsh.

36. Hazrat Syed Sirajuddin.

37. Hazrat Syed Sharfuddin.

38. Hazrat Syed Ghulam Moinuddin.

39. Hazrat Pir Zamin Nizami Syed Bokhari.

40. Hazrat Pir Khawaja Ahmed Nizami Syed Bokhari.

      (Present Successor and Sole Sajjadanashin of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia)

41. Syed Farid Ahmed Nizami, Naib Sajjadanashin

Mutawalli

A Mutawalli is a person who look after the day to day affairs of Dargah or any other wakf property. He is a manager of the shrine.  The office of Mutawalli can be hereditary by custom or it can be appointed by State Wakf Board.  There are no any other posts except Sajjadanashin, Naib Sajjadanashin, Mutawalli and Naib Mutawalli in any Dargah or Khanqah. 

Hazrat Pir Zamin Nizami