Hazrat Soofi Sahib

Mazaar Shareef of Hazrat Soofi Sahib (radi Allahu anhu) in Riverside, Durban, South Africa

Hazrat Hajee Shah Ghoolam Mohamed Soofi Sahib Siddiqui Chishtiya al-Qadiri Habibia (alaihir rahmah), more popularly known as Hazrat Soofi Sahib, was born in 1848 (1267 A.H.) in the town of Kalyan not far from Mumbai (Bombay) in India. He was the son of Hazrat Ibrahim Siddiqui (alaihir rahmah), a direct descendent of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (radi Allahu anhu), the first Caliph of Islam.

When he was about 23 years old, the elders of the town chose him to succeed his father as Imam & teacher, a duty which he performed faithfully for 20 years. He taught Arabic, Persian, Tafsir, Hadith & Fiqh.

In 1892, he performed his first Hajj with his ailing mother, his wife & son. When he returned to India his whole personality & outlook in life changed. Mysticism & sufistic ideas were imbued in him. He went to Baghdad Shareef in Iraq in search of a Peer-o-Murshid (Spiritual Guide) where he met Hazrat Shah Ghoolam Mustafa Effendi al-Qadiri (alaihir rahmah) & was accepted in the Qadiri Silsila. While receiving his spiritual training in the Mazaar of Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jilani (alaihir rahmah), he was able to visit places such as Karbala, Kufa, Basra, Damascus & Jerusalem.

He returned to India & met his Chistiya Pir in the form of Hazrat Habib Ali Shah (alaihir rahmah), who was from Hyderabad, Deccan & was immediately accepted in the Chishtiya Silsila. He took up his duties as Imam & teacher at Kalyan once again but not for long. He went to Hyderabad where he remained in the services of his spiritual guide & at the same time he was instructed in Sufism. He also had various duties to perform at the Khanqah Shareef of his spiritual master. The training that he received here was to hold him in good stead in later life in South Africa.

Upon the instructions of his spiritual master & with the blessings of his family, Hazrat Soofi Sahib (alaihir rahmah) left India for South Africa in 1895 to propagate & strengthen Islam & spread the Chishtiya Order.

Meanwhile, Islam in South Africa had already taken root. The ancestors of the Cape Muslims arrived from 1658 onwards as slaves & political exiles from Madagascar (Malagasy), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India & the East Indian Islands (Indonesia).

The first batch of Muslims arrived in Natal from India with the first batch of Indians in 1860 to work on the canefields as labourers. Among them was one Shaikh Ahmed, who was later to play a great part in the lives of the local people & was known & revered as Hazrat Badshah Peer (alaihir rahmah). As more Indians arrived as labourers & later as businessmen (many of whom were Muslims), the population increased & there was a dire need for a leader & a guide.

It was under these circumstances that Hazrat Soofi Sahib arrived in Durban. He established the first Khanqah on the northern banks of the Umgeni River near the Indian Ocean, an area which was known as Riverside. Gandhi, who was practising as a young lawyer in Durban at that time, conducted the sale of the Deed & was in charge of the legal aspects of the purchase of the land.

Hazrat Soofi Sahib (alaihir rahmah) built a mosque, madressa, orphanage & catered for the wayfarers, old age & destitute. He also established two cemeteries in Riverside. In 1897, his family arrived to join him. The welfare activities included shelter for widows, finding employment, prison & hospital visits, free burials, solving of domestic problems, maintaining a clinic & offering spiritual help.

Hazrat Soofi Sahib (alaihir rahmah) encouraged the celebration of Maulood-un-Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & Ur's Shareef. The recitation of Zikr, Khatm-e-Khwajagan, Khatm-ul-Quran, Salawat, Naats Shareef & Sama were common practices.

With Riverside as the centre, he gradually expanded his missionary work first around Durban & District (Westville, Overport, 45th Cutting, Springfield, Kenville) & then to other parts of the country (Cape Town, Tongaat, Ladysmith, Colenso, Butha Buthe in Lesotho & Pietermaritzburg). It is remarkable that all these institutions founded at the turn of the century are still in existence up to this day, in spite of the number of changes in the government of the country, carrying out the duties for which they were originally instituted. His fountain of knowledge is ever-present & deep from where people may quench their thirst & gain inspiration. Hazrat Soofi Saheb (alaihir rahmah) had seven sons & three daughters.

Hazrat Soofi Sahib (alaihir rahmah) passed away suddenly on 29 January 1911 (2 Rajab 1329) at the age of 63 years & lies buried in Riverside where a magnificent mausoleum has been erected over his tomb. His mother, Hazrat Rabi'ah (radi Allahu anha), passed away in 1913, just two years after him & was buried besides him at Riverside. Up to this day the Mazaar remains a focal point of the Khanqah. Muslims as well as adherents of other faiths visit the Mazaar for Hazrat Soofi Sahib's (alaihir rahmah) blessings.

His name & fame spread throughout the length & breadth of Southern Africa. No amount of praise will be able to justify his sincerity & dedication towards his Creator & the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & towards mankind in general. He spoke not with words, but with action which he transferred into deeds. These stand as a monument, not only up till this day, but till the end of the world. Such is the mission of a Beloved of Allah - to be a friend, a guide & a philosopher towards the Straight Path.

May the peace & blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him, his family & all those who assisted to keep the mission of Hazrat Soofi Sahib (alaihir rahmah) alive. Ameen.