The Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II was coronated to the throne of Delhi in the year 1759. It was the time when the Sikhs had taken over Punjab, the British had conquered Bengal, and now the Englishmen were glancing avidly towards Delhi. Following the third battle of Panipat, Delhi and its suburbs were plagued by political unrest and so was Sadaura – a small city in Haryana, some 221 km away from Delhi. Syed Roshan Din of Sadaura, on his way back from Hajj, stopped at village Golra near Rawalpindi and owing to unrest in and around Sadaura, decided to take up residence here for he considered it a heaven away from the hell that was home. Fast forward 200 years, and the place was going to become the capital and political hub of the first state to be created in the name of Islam.
Before the arrival of Syed Roshan Din’s family, Golra was a small village owned by the Golra family – the descendants of Abdullah Golra. The story of hosts, the Golra family, is of supreme hospitality, valiance, and courage, but it has fallen victim to history’s amnesia. Perhaps this is the reason that the official website of Syed Roshan Din’s family does not mention them even in passing. But, we will concentrate mora on Golra and its history later. For now, here’s the story of the saint.
In year 1859, a child, who would be considered as a born Wali (saint), was to take birth in the Syed family, and Golra was to be called Golra Sharif afterwards. The child was named as Meher Ali, known to the world today as Pir Meher Ali Shah.
Meher Ali was not an ordinary Pir. He was a saint, a scholar, an author, and a poet. A staunch believer of Wahdat-ul-Wujood, he was a known authority in India on philosophy and the works of Ibn al-Arabi. Back in time, Iqbal would request him for his guidance before delivering lectures at Cambridge. The family once known for its knowledge and virtue is famous today for its wealth and political influence in the federal capital.
Pir Meher Ali’s poetry is a true depiction of Ishq-e-Rasool, and people find peace and spiritual ecstasy in his Na’ats. Those were the days when Ishq-e-Rasool meant true love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and not committing atrocities on the minorities and levelling false allegations of blasphemy on opponents. Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code was yet to be enacted.
Pir Meher Ali Shah died in May 1937, and it took Babuji, his successor son, 20 years to build his mausoleum with marble, which was brought from the Makrana mines of Jodhpur. The mausoleum satiates the city spiritually, and visitors from around the country pay homage to the mausoleum and offer their prayers.
For visitors, the mausoleum is a source of spiritual blessings. For the family, it is inherited property – a source of their material wellbeing and influence.
Published in Daily Times, May 10th 2018.