The Spiritual Saint Hazrat Abul Hossain Shah (R.): A Bright Star in Preaching Truth

Among the many auliyas of Bangladesh, the spiritual and Sufi saint Hazrat Maulana Abul Hossain Shah (R.) is a bright star in human welfare and in the preaching of truth. He, along with propagating the word of the Great Creator and adopting the ideals and virtues of Rasul (S.A.W.), worked as a guide on the true path of the wali-auliyas for the liberation of mankind. Known as a Kamil Murshid, Imam and wali of Allah, this great spiritual saint was proficient in five languages: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi and Bengali. To mankind he passed a long life of over 102 years. This man of thought spent his whole life in worship and meditation, always devoted to the preaching of the true religion of humanity.

As long as Allah sends His wali-auliyas to the world for the welfare of all His creation, the existence of the earth will remain stable. By the grace of Ahle Bayet (A.) Pak Panchatan, that is, the auliyas of Allah, like the great men and saints residing openly and in secret in different places of the country, he too propagated the truth of religion and the mysteries of the unseen. Through the nectar of his long life's meditation and devotion, with sweetness, humility, gentleness and a noble touch, many a directionless man has found the path of peace.

Being guided by Allah, this great man was born on 11 April 1917 in a devout Muslim family in the village named Bhadlapur of Hugli district of the Bardhaman division, within the then British India, that is, the West Bengal state of the subcontinent. His father was Maulana Syed Mohammad Hossain and his mother was Mohisina Janatul Fardaus. At the age of 3 in childhood his mother and at the age of 12 his father passed away. Thereafter the language pandit grew up in the care of his own maternal uncle Mewlabhi (Maulana Syed Kutub Uddin). In first life he searched for the way of livelihood through the various trades of religious business, straw and paper business. Alongside business he toured various religious memorial places of the Indian state and acquired education on the liberation of mankind. In childhood and youth, proximity to his own father and maternal uncle further advanced his religious research work aimed at learning the holy Quran and attaining proficiency in various languages. Then, for the preaching of the truth of religion, he came to Deshwalipara (Milpara) of Kushtia city of Bangladesh from India. Here, for most of the long period, he worked as a machine operator at the mill of Asia's largest cloth, the Kushtia Mohini Mills.

In Kushtia, adjacent to Chakuri, he established a mosque in his own area (Deshwalipara-Milpara) and from its establishment he also served as imam of the musallis there. Then, suddenly one day while staying at the same place, came the arrival of the then undivided India, and of the Kamil Murshid residing in the machine village of Manirampur of Manikganj of Dhaka district of that time, and the Pir of Nizamia Gora of the Chishtiya tariqa, Maulana Solaiman Ali Shah (R.). Maulana Solaiman Ali Shah (R.) was the spiritual guide and chief khalifa of Kamil Murshid Mohammad Kowsar Ali Shah (R.), the son of Ahmad Kowsar Ali Shah (R.), the Calipha of the Calipha astana of Jhitaka Sharif of Manikganj of Dhaka. Notably, Mohammad Kowsar Ali Shah (R.) was the chief khalifa and jamaat of the mazar sharif of the aulia Hazrat Safatullah Shah (R.) on Belghata Khodaganj road of Belghata of India. Thereafter, coming from undivided India to Deshwalipara (Milpara) of Kushtia city and staying there, Hazrat Maulana Abul Hossain Shah (R.) took baiat at the feet of his Murshid. Then he became capable of attaining the high rank of marifat in Islam as the dearest and nearest companion of his Murshid in tasawuf and love. The description of the virtues, knowledge-devotion, deeds and keramat of the wali of Allah can never be finished, because upon them there is always the endless mercy of the Great Creator.

The spiritual saint Maulana Abul Hossain Shah (R.) described in his writing-

In his written diary there were further mentions: immersed in the ocean of tauhid, the auliyas remain absorbed in his meditation, attached to the Great Creator. That is why following the wali of Allah is wajib. From the contact of the wali-auliyas, immersed in the ocean of knowledge, every man today must establish himself upon greatness and truth. Only then does man find the taste of liberation in the hereafter. Pleasing the Creator, and realization within, is the success of deeds, because among the mumins Allah's existence and mystery remain. And as long as anyone does not remain in the service of a Kamil Murshid, he is astray. Likewise those who, without being made the dearest and earned khalifa of their own Murshid, and without finding a khalifa after the touch of the ustad's presence in his lifetime, declare themselves pir - they are astray, friends of Yazid or of Pharaoh. Nearness is gained not through lineage and appearance, but through the correct deeds of the ashik and spiritual faiz. Taking baiat according to the holy Quran from the hand of a Kamil Murshid, and living life in the noble ideals and virtues near the auliyas of Allah for liberation, is man's main liberation.

The Sufi saint Hazrat Maulana Abul Hossain Shah (R.) became a successor of Hazrat Khaza Mainuddin Chishti Ajmairi (R.), Chelasela and Hazrat Nizam Uddin Aulia Dilli (R.), in the tariqa of Rasul (S.A.W.). He too, through accepting baiat in the tariqa, performed bateni ilm alongside zaheri ilm. In self-purification, through strict mujahada and riyajat as the nearest companion of his Murshid, he attained the high rank of marifat in Islam. And after performing kamilat he gave respect and supremacy to his Murshid in everyone's presence. He conversed much in the Arabic and Urdu languages with his Murshid on talm and tasawuf, which was not understandable to the other devotees. Hazrat Abul Hossain Shah (R.) and his Murshid Hazrat Solaiman Ali Shah (R.), both of these guru and shishya having come from India, their language, appearance and conduct and adab were mostly similar, seeing which many were astonished. In the footsteps of the Murshids, Hazrat Abul Hossain Shah (R.), as the chief of his Murshids, himself conducted the janaja of the mazar sharif of Machain Sharif of Harirampur thana of Manikganj district after his own Pir Hazrat Maulana Solaiman Ali Shah (R.). Thereafter, by the instruction of the Murshids, he bore the responsibility as the chief of the workability of janaja, fateha and all the ceremonies. Even today he goes to different places to praise the keramat-kiramah and the adab-shiksha of the tariqa in the mouths of all, and weeps in the perception of the love of his friends and companions. Leading this great wali, he himself established the durbar (machine sharif) of his Murshids in Machain village of Manikganj, taking everyone. Besides, relying on his instruction and his designed naksha, the work of the mazar of his Murshids is completed.

Just as the Great Allah sends wali-auliyas such as these two to the world at a fixed time for the guidance of the path of human welfare and liberation, so again from the world He takes away his dearest friends with honor, on the best month and blessed day. The spiritual saint Hazrat Maulana Abul Hossain Shah (R.) was one among those guided by Allah. Therefore he completed his responsible work and gave up this world in the best and holy month of Ramadan (11 Ramadan, 1490 Hijri) and on the best holy Friday, at 10 o'clock in the morning. At present this great wali of Allah lies in state under the veil of light, at his own designated place beside his residence in the Bajari area of Kushtia city.