History of Dargah, Hazrat Khwaja Bande Nawaz, Gesu Daraz Sufi saint from India
Khaja Banda Nawaz urs Gulbarga Sharif Dargah in India
Hazrath Khwaja Bandanawaz Gesudaraz (Rh)
Hazrat Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gesu Daraz (name at birth: Syed Muhammad Hussaini) (Urdu:)
(July 13, 1321 -November 1, 1422), was a famous Sufi saint from India of Chishti
Order, who advocated understanding, tolerance and harmony among various religious
groups.
Gisu Daraz was a murid (disciple) of the noted Sufi saint of Delhi, Hazrat Nasiruddin
Chiragh Dehlavi, who in turn was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya, the spiritual
master of Delhi. After the death of his master, Chiragh Dehlavi, Gisu Daraz took
on the mantle of the successor (khalifa). Thus later on when he moved to Daulatabad
around 1398, owing to the attack of Timur on Delhi, he took the Chishti Order to
South India. He finally settled down in Gulbarga, at the invitation of Bahamani
King, 'Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah' (r. 1397-1422).
Biography
He was born Syed Mohammed Hussaini in Delhi in 1321. At the age of four, his family
shifted to Daulatabad in Deccan (Now in Maharashtra). In 1397, he went to Gulbarga,
Deccan (Presently in Karnataka) at the invitation of Sultan Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah
of the Bahmani Sultanate. Bande Nawaz authored about 195 books in Arabic, Persian
and Urdu languages .
At the age of fifteen, he returned to Delhi for his education and training by the
famous Sufi saint Hazrat Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi, who bestowed him with his Khilafath
and succession after about fifteen years. He was also a very enthusiastic student
of Hazrat Kethli, Hazrat Tajuddin Bahadur and Qazi Abdul Muqtadir. After teaching
at various places such as Delhi, Mewath, Gwalior, Chander, Aircha, Chatra, Chanderi,
Miandhar, Baroda and Khambayat, he returned to teach at his base, Gulbarga, in 1397
and died in Gulbarga in the year November 1422.
Works
His magnum opus, Tafseer Multaqat in Arabic, was compiled into one book very recently.
It is unfortunate, however, that most people even within Gulbarga are unaware of
this work. Little has been done to publish this and his other works on a large scale.
Other books authored are: Avarif-ul-Ma`arif, Fasoos-al-Hukm, Qaseeda Amali, and
Adaab-al-Mureedein.
Urs
People from various walks of life, irrespective of caste and creed, assemble even
today to celebrate the urs - death anniversary - (which takes place on the 15th
day of Zul-Qa`dah of Muslim calendar at the famous Bande Nawaz Dargah in Gulbarga
every year. His descendents still live in Gulbarga. Almost all family members along
with several hundred thousand devotees from near and far irrespective of religion
and beliefs gather to seek blessings.
The present head of the family amongst his descendents is Syed Shah Khusro Hussaini,
who has written many books about his great forefather.