Shaikh-Ul-Ikram Shaikh Ahmad Ghous : (1497 – 1590 AD)
(Shrine in Basti Karrar Khan, Jalandhar, India)

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(Credit: Special thanks to Baba Sajan Koti, DAV College, Jalandhar, India.)

Shaikh Ahmad Ghous, is a direct descendent of Shaikh Moulana Ibrahim Soharwardi Danishmand-1, who was the descendent of Peer-e-Hirat Khwaja Abdullah Ansari and Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari. Shaikhul Ikram Ahmad Ghous came down to Jalandhar during the ruling period of Sikandar Lodhi, with a caravan of Burkies, from Kaniguram, Waziristan in 1515 AD. He stayed at “Basti Muhallah Rastah” with his relatives who were already settled there. In the mid of 16th century, he himself established a new settlement “Al-Barkah” over there. It became famous as “Basti Karrar Khan” (or Muhallah Koohi Basti).

In the year 1555 AD, when Mughal Emperor Humayun marched towards Lahore via Hirat, Shaikh ul Ikram accompanied alongwith his familial compound to the caravan of Humayun and came down to Lahore. After spending some time in Lahore, he went back to his settlement “Basti Karrar Khan” and stayed there permanently, as he had his second marriage in Jalandhar. From his second wife there was a son named Shaikh Khizar Muhammad, whose only son was Shaikh Ibrahim who had no off spring and was buried in Basti Shaikh Darwesh, Jalandhar at the age of 80 years approx.

Some of the family members of Shaikh Ahmad Ghous chose to settle in Lahore permanently in 1555 AD, including his son from first marriage, Muhammad Hafiz. Shaikh Ahmad Ghous was firstly married to his maternal cousin (Mst. Ayani) at Kaniguram who was from Nohani Hasan Khel Tribe of Afghanistan. She gave birth to a son named Shaikh Muhammad Hafiz. After his marriage a son was born and named Saad-Ullah, who was later known/famous as Shaikh Saad-Ullah Lahori. For history lovers, (in 1573 AD) he was the teacher (Fiqah and Hadees) of Shah Hussain Lahori, a Saint and a famous Sufi Punjabi Poet, also called as Madho Lal Hussain.

The ‘Pirzadas of Jalandhar’ under discussion are direct from the lineage of Shaikh Ahmad Ghous.

He was the “Shaikh and Qutub-ul-Aqtaab” (A great religious scholar and spiritual guide to mankind) of his time. He assumed the Khilafat from Hazrat Shaikh Abdullah Abdaal Dunk.  Besides this he also acquired spiritual knowledge from Shaikh Kabeer Qureshi. He also received spiritual knowledge from a great Saint Hazrat Shah Mehboob Alam in Gujarat, when he visited Ahmadabad with his maternal uncle.

Shaikh ul Ikraam spread Islamic teachings in Jalandhar for many years and also gave khilafat to Shaikh-ul-Azam Pir Wali Muhammad, who was an uncle and a spiritual guide to Shaikh Muhammad Darwesh.

Shaikh Ahmad Ghous died in the year 1590 AD (999 Hijrah). His shrine is situated outside the “Door of MalkaaN” and Kot Buland, Basti Karrar Khan.  This place is famous as Graveyard of Shaikh Ahmad Ghous.

“اوہدی رحمت دے نال بندے، پانی اُتے چلدے ویکھے”

{ Those who were blessed were sighted strolling on the surface of water }