An ode to my grandfather

by Syed Majid Gilani

My maternal grandfather, Marhoom Nizam ud Din Chishti, was born in 1916 near Sona Masjid, Fateh Kadal, Srinagar. He belonged to the first generation of educated people in Kashmir and worked in Central Excise and Customs, retiring as a Sectional Officer in 1974. Throughout his life, he exuded modesty, humility, and simplicity.
During his service, he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his job. His dedication, integrity, and honesty earned him various appreciation letters and testimonials from his department. Despite being the first person in his family to have a government job, my maternal grandfather always followed in the footsteps of his paternal grandfather, Hazrat Sheikh Mohammad Radhu Chishti RA. He delved deep into religion and spirituality, immersing himself in the recitation of the Quran, Wazaif, Zikr O Azkaar, and steadfastly embarked on spiritual practices under the guidance of his learned Mashaikh Peer O Murshid. Through hard work and dedication, he ascended to higher realms of spirituality and gained significant knowledge in this field.
Hazrat Sheikh Mohammad Radhu Chishti RA, a spiritual and religious personality of his time, was chosen by the people to lead a group of Sufis, Ulemas, and lovers of Prophet Mohammad PBUH to welcome and receive the holy relic of Prophet Mohammad PBUH at Hiripora, Shopian. He walked barefoot to receive the holy relic, which had arrived in Kashmir from Lahore via Mughal Road. The holy relic was first placed in the shrine of Hazrat Naqshband Sahib RA, Khwaja Bazar, Srinagar. Hazrat Sheikh Mohammad Radhu Chishti RA exhibited the relic to the public, but due to the huge crowd, a stampede occurred, resulting in some people losing their lives. After the incident, the holy relic was shifted to Hazratbal. Later, after the departure of Hazrat Sheikh Mohammad Radhu Chishti RA, the custody and responsibilities shifted to the Banday family, who were related to the famous Kashmiri businessperson Khwaja Noor ud Din Ashawari RA.
History reveals that it was Hazrat Syed Hameed, son of Hazrat Syed Abdullah, who presented the holy relic along with its caretaker servant, Maidanish, to Khwaja Noor ud Din Ashawari RA. While on his way to Kashmir with the holy relic and its caretaker Maidanish, he was arrested in Lahore in 1692 A.D., based on secret information from spies. The holy relic and its caretaker Maidanish were produced before King Aurangzeb in Delhi. The king kept the sacred relic in the shrine of Hazrat Syed Khwaja Moin ud Din Chishti RA in Ajmer Sharif. It remained there for only nine days before King Aurangzeb had a dream in which Prophet Mohammad PBUH directed him to send the relic to Kashmir. The king followed the Prophet’s instructions and sent Maidanish, the caretaker of the relic, to Kashmir. Unfortunately, upon reaching Lahore, Maidanish found that Khwaja Noor ud Din Ashawari RA had just passed away. Maidanish then took the holy relic along with the corpse of Khwaja Noor ud Din Ashawari RA and reached the Kashmir valley via Mughal Road.
After retiring from government service in 1974, my maternal grandfather moved from Shehri Khas to the city outskirts at Botshah Mohalla, Lalbazar. There, he served countless people with love, compassion, and empathy. He was a selfless person with little inclination towards materialism. He was the sole custodian of his great grandfather’s shrine and some holy scriptures and relics related to Hazrat Sheikh Mohammad Radhu Chishti RA, located at Chishtia Shrine, Chishti Kocha, Fateh Kadal, Srinagar.
Despite receiving a handsome salary and pension from Central Services, my grandfather never sought to make a fortune from his spiritual skills and knowledge or from being the custodian of holy scriptures or relics. He lived modestly on his pension money. His disciples and followers still visit his grave out of love and affection, remembering his selfless services.
He passed away peacefully at the age of eighty after a brief illness on the night of January 25-26, 1996, at his home, Botshah Mohalla, Lalbazar. May Almighty Allah bless his pious soul in heaven. He is buried in Makbare Chishtiyah, Chishti Kocha, Fateh Kadal, Srinagar.

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