LAHORE: (Wednesday, December 19, 2012): Punjab University Pakistan Study Centre (PSC) organized a seminar on Chisti Sufis and the culture of books at its seminar hall. Prof Dr. Sajida Alvi, eminent scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at McGill University, Canada was the keynote speakers while PSC Director Prof Dr Mussarrat Abid, Dr. Prof. Dr. Sabir Alvi of Toronto University, Canada, former chairman of PU History Department Prof. Ali Abbas, faculty members and students from various institutions were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sajida Alvi said that knowledge was not a monopoly of the privileged one. She said the Sufi wore simple clothes, possessed no worldly wealth, but promoted the culture of books. She said that they authored books, bought books, even if they had to borrow money to purchase the books and they usually had a huge collection of the books. The speaker highlighted the emphasis of the character building of the followers. She also spoke on revitalization of the Chishti order in the eighteenth century in Punjab, with special reference to the influence of Mawalana Fakhr al-Din (one of the most popular of the Chishtia saints) on Nur Muhammad Maharawi, saint of Chishtiya order in 18th century. Throwing light on Chishtiya order, she said that the order was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami (“the Syrian”) who taught Sufism in the town of Chisht, some 95 miles east of Herat in present-day western Afghanistan. “The Chishti Order is primarily followed in Afghanistan and South Asia. It was the first of the four main Sufi orders (Chishti, Qadiriyya, Suhrawardiyya and Naqshbandi) to be established in this region. Moinuddin Chishti introduced the Chishti Order in Lahore (Punjab) and Ajmer (Rajasthan), sometime in the middle of the 12th century AD,” she said. She mentioned that after Fariduddin Ganjshakar, the Chishti order split into two branches. She said that first Nazamuddin Auliya, this branch became the Chishti-Mazami branch. She said that second branch was named by Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari and the branch became Chishti-Sabri branch. She said that Khawaja Noor Muhammad Moharawi after reaching Delhi joined the Madrassah of Ghazi uddin Khan, Delhi and spent 18 years over there. She said that Khawaja Moharawi would use Punjabi language in Majalis. She said that Durri language was also used by saints, which was translated by their Khalifahs. She also discussed about Muhammad Sulayman Tawnsawi who remained Khalifah of Moharawi for sixty years. She traced the importance of books in a Sufi Khanaqah in Punjab. Addressing the seminar, Prof. Dr. Massarrat Abid introduced the latest publication by Dr Sajida Alvi titled ‘Perspectives on Mughal India: Rulers, Historians, Ulama and Sufis’. She urged the need of promoting book culture in the society in present day Pakistan. While concluding the session, Prof. Ali Abbas underlined the need of following the Sufi teachings of character formation and book culture to ameliorate the present society of Pakistan. A question-answer session was also held at the end of the lecture.