Muhammad Channan Shah Nuri

Tomb of Syed Muhammad Channan Shah in Allo Mahar, Pakistan.

Pir Syed Muhammad Channan Shah Nuri was a scholar, saint, and preacher of Islam in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent. He founded the Aminia branch of the Sunni Naqshbandi order. He preached Islam in the sub-continent and brought non-Muslims into the fold of Islam. He loved Muhammad and modelled his own life and teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah. His adherents call themselves Naqshbandi mujadadi amini or Maharvi or just Naqshbandi, since Syed Channan Shah belonged to the Naqshbandi order.

Knowledge

He was highly gifted with the qualities of intelligence and memory. The books of religious history of his times tell us that he knew knowledge of Quran and Hadith. He was a dedicated Muslim and a great scholar. In obedience of the instructions of his spiritual guide he left the municipality of Allo Mahar to his descendants for serving the Islamic cause even more effectively. Knowledge was his passion and he kindled the same passion in the hearts of the others. This aspect of his thinking is clearly illustrated by his instructions to his son, when he set out to go to another town for acquiring knowledge. He told him that he should first give priority to his education and if he heard about his father’s death before completing his education he should not come back but pray for his salvation and continue to pursue his course of education.

Ancestors

It has been recorded that the first of the ancestors of Syed Muhammad Channan Shah, who came to the Allo Mahar Sharif, was Syed Jewan Shah, well known by the pen-name of Shair Sawar Sarkar. Sarkar came to the Indo-Pak sub-continent with a contingent of other religious Sufi leaders upon the establishment of Islamic rule in India from the Middle-East. He traces his roots to the first Arab Shaikhs descending from the Family of the Prophet through the lineage of Imam-al-Husayn and so he is a Sayyed. The term Shah present in his name is derived from the Persian root for leader which most members of the Prophet's family obtained upon propagating the message of Islam in Persia after his death.

Syed Muhammad Channan Shah was son of Syed Amir Shah Maharvi who was the son of Syed Sewan Shah. As a child, he showed a propensity towards spirituality.

Descendants

After the death of Pir Syed Muhammad Channan Shah Nuri his son Pir Syed Amin Shah was the leader of Maharvis after his father's death and was a saint of Allah. He instructed his son lead his life according to rules of Islam and later on the naqshbandia order of Syed Channan shah was named Naqshbandia Mujadadia Aminia after his son Syed Amin Shah due to his devotion to this order. His grandson Syed Akhtar Shah was also a saint, leader and scholar of Islam, he was an honorary magistrate in Sialkot in British India.

After the death of Pir Syed Amin Shah, the title of Pir and religious leader was passed to Amin Shah's eldest son Syed Akhtar Shah who continued to serve humanity and uphold the message of peace and religion in his father's footsteps. After the demise of Akhtar Shah, Syed Sarwar Shah as per the hereditary rules of sainthood was to be chosen the next Pir. Syed Sarwar Shah initially hesitantly took the mantle and he was a famous Pakistani scholar and botanist of his time educated at the prestigious ivy-league Yale University in the United States. While Sarwar Shah actively engaged in Islamic activities but the huge responsibility of a Pir prevented him from fulfilling his other duties and so he transferred the role of the religious leader to his younger brother Honorable Pir Khalid Hasan Shah who devoted his life and soul to keep the religious worship and devotion of God and his Prophet alive.

Upon the demise of Syed Sarwar Shah, the mantle of Sufi leadership was questioned and was to be passed down to his eldest son Syed Muhammad Zillur Rehman Shah but he did not want to take the title like his father Syed Sarwar Shah and so he designated this honour to Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah, the son of Pir Khalid hasan Shah.

After the demise of Syed Faiz-ul-Hassan, the leadership was passed to Syed Muhammad Hussain Shah. Upon the death of Syed Muhammad Hussain Shah, the current leader of the order is Pir Syed Amin Shah II.

As of present, the Shah family of Sialkot and the descendants of Pir Chanan Shah Nuri living in Pakistan and around the world are preserving and donating money to preserve the memory of the leader of the Dargah-e-Allo Mahar Sharif. Pir Syed Amin Shah II is continuing the work of his ancestors serving humanity and upholding the righteous message of God.

Family tree of syed family of allo mahar.

Character and habits

Pir Syed Channan Shan Nuri is well known for being exceedingly generous and gentle. Helping people, treating them hospitably and taking care of poor ones, orphans and widows, were some of his natural qualities. Providing food to travellers was also one of his distinctive habits. His blessed personality was in short an example of the best qualities. He usually took travelers and those in need who halted in the mosque under his personal care. After wards he provided them with shelter and their sustenance. Not only did he give advice, but he also took care of these persons in need. He treated the poor with extreme compassion and greeted them first with the greeting of peace.

Ijaza

He received Ijazah in Naqshbandi Islamic Disciplines from several Scholars and Pirs including Kawaja Pir Nur Muhammad Chorahi pir of CHURA shrief (Attak)) and Kawja Hadi Namdar Shah pir of Nathyal Sharif. He has been the instructor of numerous successful courses dealing with a wide range and variety of various subjects, including the Arabic language, tazkiyah, shariah. He was very obediente to his Pir and always tried his best to obey every order and every assignment that was assigned to him by his master, he used to visit his master regularly and with devotion.

Death

Pir Syed Channan Shah Nuri said farewell to this transitory world when he was offering his Asr evening prayers on Thursday and was in Sajda position (bowing before Allah) when he died thus showing the world that no one is immune from the decisions of God.

Gravesite

The Holy grave of Pir Syed Channan Shah is situated in Allo Mahar Sharif, Tehsil Daska, district Sialkot, Pakistan. His burial place is open for any one to be visited. The part of land on which his grave has been buried, belongs to the territory of Allo Mahar Sharif. There his tomb was built. His death anniversary Urs is held at this place every year on March 23 and October 21 st. It starts from the morning of the twenty-third and lasts for two days. The main gathering is at night when there are lectures of scholars of Islam not only from Pakistan and India but also from the whole world.

References

• The Preaching of Islam by Sir Thomas Walker Arnold and Langue la literature Hindoustanies de 1850 à 1869 by M.J.H. Garcin de Tassy.

The most well-known treatises and reports, written by the authors of the early period are:

• "Allo Mahar Sharif". Kawajgan e Naqshband (book name). 
• "Kwaja Nur muhammad chhrahi's caliph". Arbab e Waliyat (book name). 
• "caliph's of chura sharif". Auliya e pothohar (book name). 
• Shaik gulam nabi. Amir e Karwan Syed Faiz ul Hasan shah (book name). 
• "Syed Faiz ul Hassan shah". Tahreek e Ihrar (book name). 
• Dr. Rizwan Sarwar. Mashaikh e Maharvia (under publish). 
• Pir Saeed Ahmad Mujadadi. Maharvia number (book name). 

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Name	Shah Nuri, Syed Muhammad Channan
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