Section 1: Introduction and Salutations

• Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings upon the seal of the prophets and messengers, and upon his family and companions, all of them. After this:
• I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
• Presence of light, intercessor of the Day of Resurrection, peace and blessings upon his holy court!
• O Allah, bless and greet and bestow blessings upon our master and our leader and our beloved Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, all of them.

Section 2: The Life and Work of Pir Mehar Ali Shah

• Brothers of Islam! Those noble saints and scholars of religion who lit the candle of Islam in the subcontinent of Pakistan and India, dedicated their entire lives to the propagation and dissemination of Islam, preached the oneness of Allah, raised the flag of the finality of prophethood in a time of trials, and eradicated Qadianism, among them is a prominent name, the conqueror of Qadianism, the beloved of the world, Hazrat Pir Syed Mehar Ali Shah Chishti Golravi.

Section 3: Birth and Lineage

• Respected gentlemen! The crown of Golra, Pir Syed Mehar Ali Shah, was born on Monday, the 1st of Ramadan al-Mubarak, 1275 AH/April 14, 1859 AD. He belonged to the Sayyid family, his lineage, through his noble father Syed Nazar Din Shah, traced back to Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani through twenty-five intermediaries, and to the grandson of the Messenger, Hazrat Syedna Imam Hasan, through thirty-six intermediaries, while his noble mother, the chaste lady, was connected to Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam through twenty-five intermediaries through her father, Pir Syed Bahadur Shah.
• Hazrat Syed Roshun Shah, the great-grandfather of Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah, and his brother Syed Ghulam Rasul Shah, settled in the area of “Golra” in Pothohar, and became the heirs of the spiritual leadership of this region. This area is located in the foothills of Margalla in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, which is approximately twenty kilometers from Rawalpindi.

Section 4: Education and Training

• Respected gentlemen! Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib acquired the memorization of the Qur’an and basic religious and worldly education from the madrasa of the “Khanqah-e-Qadiriyah” in his area. After that, for further religious education, he enrolled in the seminary of Maulana Muhammad Shafi Qureshi, a renowned scholar of his time, in “Bhuoi”, a locality in the vicinity of Hasan Abdal (Pakistan), where Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah studied intermediate lessons in logic, grammar, and principles. Then he embarked on a journey to the locality of “Angah” in the valley of Son (Sakesar) in the district of Khushab, where he completed the study of fiqh, the six sahih hadith collections, Tafsir-e-Baydawi, philosophy, mathematics, and other rational and traditional sciences under Maulana Hafiz Sultan Mahmud Siyalvi Sahib.
• Afterwards, Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib went to Aligarh (India) and presented himself to Maulana Lutfullah Aligarhi, seeking further knowledge. Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib was also granted the chains of transmission of the Qur’an’s interpretations, hadith books, and other sciences by Maulana Lutfullah Aligarhi, which are still present today as blessings in the holy shrine. His stay in Aligarh (India) lasted two and a half years, during which Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib was also engaged in teaching and providing guidance to thirsty seekers of knowledge.

Section 5: Astonishing Memory Power

• Dear ones! The pole of the world, Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, was the possessor of a strong memory power. Such was the strength of his memory power that “during the recitation of the Qur’an, he would memorize the daily lesson without anyone telling him, and would recite it without even looking, so that when the recitation was completed, he had memorized the entire Qur’an.”

Section 6: Respected Teachers

• Among the respected teachers of Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, the names of a few who are more prominent are as follows:
• (1) Maulana Ghulam Muhyuddin Hazarvi, (2) Maulana Muhammad Shafi Qureshi, (3) Maulana Lutfullah Aligarhi, (4) Maulana Sultan Mahmud Siyalvi.

Section 7: Teaching

• O brother! After acquiring knowledge, Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib returned to Golra Sharif and became engaged in teaching. He laid the foundation of the first regular seminary of religious sciences in Golra Sharif. He was an excellent teacher, his teaching style and the influence of his words and tone were such that whoever listened to his teaching was involuntarily attracted. During teaching, he would explain in such a wonderful and effective manner that students would understand and remember with great ease.
• Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib continued this series of teaching until he reached a state of absorption and ecstasy. When the state of absorption increased, he stopped the series of teaching.

Section 8: Students

• The exact number of those who acquired knowledge from Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib is not known, but there is no doubt that he taught with great diligence and self-sacrifice, and poured out rivers of knowledge and grace, quenching the thirst of seekers of knowledge. Among the students who directly obtained knowledge from Hazrat Qibla-e-Alam Sahib, some of whose names we have received information about, are as follows:
• (1) جامع المعقول والمنقول Maulana Muhib al-Nabi Hashimi (former principal of Jamia Ghousiya Golra Sharif), (2) Hazrat Maulana Dost Muhammad (Tehsil Chakwal), (3) Hazrat Maulana Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah (District Poonch, Azad Kashmir), (4) Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ismail (former Imam of Golra Sharif Mosque), (5) Hazrat Maulana Faqirullah Noor (District Hazara), (6) Hazrat Maulana Qazi Faiz-e-Alam (Tehsil Gujar Khan), (7) Hazrat Maulana Faqir Muhammad (Fateh Jang), (8) Hazrat Maulana Ahmad Din (Chach, District Attock), (9) Hazrat Maulana Qa’im Ali Chishti Fazil Lahori.

Section 9: Initiation and Caliphate

• Dear ones! Qibla-e-Alam Hazrat Syed Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib was initiated into the “Silsila-e-Chishtiyah Nizamiya Sulemaniyah” under the blessed hands of Shams al-Arifin Khwaja Shams al-Din Siyalvi Sahib in Siyal Sharif, district Sargodha. He remained in the company of his spiritual guide and mentor, traversing the stages of the path of spiritual journey. Hazrat Khwaja Shams al-Din Siyalvi Sahib greatly appreciated his presence in the gathering, met him with great love and affection, and gave him special attention.
• Moreover, “Hazrat Khwaja Shams al-Din Siyalvi Sahib, some time before his blessed departure, gave Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Chishti Golravi Sahib permission for all the awrad, wazifas, and tasks of the exalted Chishtiyah and Qadiriyah chains of transmission, and honored him with the cloak of caliphate and permission for initiation. He is the last caliph of Hazrat Khwaja Shams al-Din Siyalvi Sahib. Hazrat Khwaja Siyalvi Sahib left no stone unturned in his training, as a result of which Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib’s personality and inner self were refined.”

Section 10: Caliphs

• The great ones who traversed the stages of the path of spiritual journey under the leadership and guidance of the crown of the realm, Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, and attained the exalted station of spirituality, Hazrat Qibla-e-Alam Sahib honored them with his caliphate and entrusted them with the mission of social reform. The names of a few of his esteemed caliphs are as follows:
• (1) Sahibzada Pir Syed Ghulam Muhyuddin Chishti Gilani (also known as Babu Ji), (2) Hazrat Maulana Faqir Muhammad (Kot Atal, District Dera Ghazi Khan), (3) Hazrat Hafiz Gul Faqir Muhammad Pashwari, (4) Hazrat Ghulam Muhammad Ghotri (former Sheikh al-Jamia Abbasiyah, Bahawalpur).

Section 11: Marriage and Noble Children

• Respected gentlemen! Hazrat Pir Syed Mehar Ali Shah Chishti Golravi’s marriage took place in the city of Hasan Abdal (Pakistan) with the daughter of Hazrat Syed چراغ Ali Shah, a relative of his noble mother. Allah, the Lord of the worlds, blessed him with a son named Pir Syed Ghulam Muhyuddin Gilani. Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib affectionately called him “Babu.”

Section 12: Companions and Contemporaries

• Among the companions and contemporaries of Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib were the names of great great ones and scholars of religion. A few of their names are as follows:
• (1) Hazrat Dewan Ghiyasuddin Sahib Ajmeri, (2) Hazrat Dewan Syed Muhammad Sahib (Pakpattan Sharif), (3) Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, (4) Hazrat Maulana Wasi Ahmad Muhaddith Surti, (5) Hazrat Maulana Abdul Bari Farangi Mahalli, (6) Hazrat Khwaja Allah Bakhsh Taunsvi, (7) Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Din Siyalvi, (8) Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Ziauddin Siyalvi, (9) Amir-e-Millat Syed Jamaat Ali Shah Muhaddith Ali Puri, (10) Hafiz Syed Jamaat Ali Shah Lathani, (11) Hazrat Mian Sher Muhammad Sahib Sharqpuri, (12) Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Qasim Moharvi Naqshbandi, (13) Hazrat Makhdum Sadr al-Din Gilani, (14) Hazrat Shah Sulaiman Phulwarvi, (15) Ustad al-Ulama Maulana Muhammad Ghazi.

Section 13: Books Written on the Life and Religious Services of Pir Mehar Ali Shah

• Respected gentlemen! Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib was a renowned spiritual and religious personality of the Indian subcontinent. Several books have been written about his life, teachings, and religious services, some of whose names are as follows:
• (1) Mehr-e-Munir, (2) Pir Syed Mehar Ali Shah Golravi and the Khilafat Movement, (3) Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah and the Refutation of Qadianism, (4) Seerat Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah, (5) Faizan-e-Pir Mehar Ali Shah, (6) Tazkira Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Golravi, (7) al-Maktubat al-Tayyibat, (8) Malfuzat-e-Mehriyah.

Section 14: Selflessness and Generosity

• My dear brothers! The crown of the realm, Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, had made asceticism and jihad his routine from the time of his student life. He would distribute among the poor students the monthly allowance he received from home, and he would usually fast or abstain from food, and then, in a state of severe hunger, he would consume the leftover food of the students. Seeing his selflessness, generosity, and asceticism and jihad, the hearts of all the students and other people there were filled with devotion and love for him.

Section 15: Worship and Asceticism

• Companions of the Islamic nation! Hazrat Syedna Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib performed worship, asceticism, and meditation in great abundance, spending the whole night in remembrance of Allah. Maulana Mahbub Alam Hazarvi, his close confidant, says that “Pir Sahib would sit in remembrance of Allah on whatever side he would sit at night, and would remain in that state of ecstasy until the morning, and would not move even slightly, even in the long and snowy nights of the winter season, spending them with just one blanket. In the morning, the blanket would be covered in snow, which he would shake off. Moreover, there was such a heat and unity of divine love within him that he would take a bath in the frozen water of the pond, and would remove the snow and dive in, and generally perform the Fajr prayer with the ablution of Isha.”

Section 16: Indifference to Worldly Possessions

• Brothers of Islam! Qibla-e-Alam Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib was far removed from the greed and lust for worldly wealth and possessions, and did not like to even raise his eyes to the gifts and offerings that came from his devotees. “Similarly, during his travels, he would not keep with him the gifts and offerings that he received from his disciples at some stations. Whatever was collected was kept by the person in charge of arranging the langar, and spent on langar and other things.”

Section 17: The Honor of Visiting the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Wadi-e-Hamra

• Respected gentlemen! The crown of Golra, Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, says that “during my journey to Madinah Munawwarah, due to the fear of the attack of bandits in Wadi-e-Hamra, I was forced to miss the sunnah prayers of Isha. During the journey, when I slept on one side of the caravan, what did I see but Hazrat Jan-e-Alam (ﷺ) came, adorned with a black Arabic jubba, and was bestowing new life upon me with his incomparable beauty. Approaching me, the Master of the Two Worlds (ﷺ) said: ‘The family of the Messenger should not neglect the sunnah.’ In this state, I held the silky, more delicate than silk, calves of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with my hands, and cried, ‘Al-Salatu wassalamu alayka ya Rasul Allah.’ Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib further says: ‘What can I say about that incomparable beauty and beauty? My tongue is incapable of describing this state, and (at the time of the visit) it is impossible to describe this ecstasy in words.

Section 18: A Poetic Expression of Love and longing

• O brother! Remembering the aforementioned incident of being honored with the sight of the noble Prophet (ﷺ) in Wadi-e-Hamra, and the state that arose at the time of the visit, Hazrat Syedna Pir Mehar Ali Shah Golravi Sahib’s emotions were stirred, his heart became restless, and tears began to flow from his eyes. He then expressed this in his famous poetic verse:
• Aj sik mitraan di wadheri ae, kiun dilri adas ghaneri ae
• Loon loon vich shauq changeri ae aj neenan laiyaan kiun jhadian!
• Subhan Allah ma ajmalka! ma ahsanka, ma akmalka!
• Kathe mehar ali kathe teri thana! gustakh akhian kathe ja adian!

Section 19: Writings

• Respected gentlemen! The crown of Golra, Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, was not only an excellent teacher, debater, and spiritual guide, but Allah Almighty had also bestowed upon his pen fluency and eloquence. Despite his immense scholarly and spiritual engagements, and his meditation and asceticism, Hazrat Fath-e-Qadianism Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib found time for writing and authorship. As a result of his pen’s effusions, the books that emerged on the page of paper include these famous titles:
• (1) Taqiqat al-Haq fi Kalamat al-Haq, (2) Shams al-Hidayah fi Ithbat Hayat al-Masih, (3) Saif-e-Chishtiai, (4) al-Futuhat al-Samadiyah, (5) Tasfiyah Ma Bain Sunni wa Shia, (6) Fatawa Mehriyah, (7) Mir’at al-Erfan (a collection of Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib’s poetic verses, compiled by Ustad al-Ulama Mufti Fayz Ahmad Fayz Sahib, the author of “Mehr-e-Munir”), (8) I’laa Kalamat Allah wa Ma Uhilla Behi Lighair Allah.

Section 20: Refutation of Qadianism and Pir Mehar Ali Shah

• Respected gentlemen! Mirza Ghulam Qadian, the accursed, claimed false prophethood in 1891. Then, Qutb-e-Alam Hazrat Pir Syed Mehar Ali Shah Sahib played a courageous role in the protection and preservation of the belief in the finality of prophethood, and vigorously pursued the Qadianist deceiver. When Mirza Ghulam Qadian, the accursed, claimed to be the promised Messiah and the appointed one from Allah, Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, along with all the great ones of religion and scholars, refused to accept his claim, upon which, becoming frustrated, he issued an advertisement in the newspaper “Aiyam al-Sulh,” challenging the Muslims, writing, “At this time under the sky, no one has the audacity to claim to be my equal. I openly and without fear say that those who call themselves Chishti, Qadiri, Naqshbandi, and Suhrawardi, and (who knows) whatever else, bring them before me!”
• My dear brothers! Hazrat Fath-e-Qadianism Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib accepted this challenge and, in 1899, wrote a book titled “Shams al-Hidayah,” in which, with clear arguments taken from the Qur’an, Hadith, and the traditions of the Companions, he proved that “Hazrat Syedna Isa Masih bin Maryam (peace be upon him) was raised to the heavens by Allah Almighty, and he is alive in the heavens with his own body, and will descend to earth in person before the Day of Judgment.” This book was quickly printed and spread throughout India, and a copy of it was also sent to Mirza Ghulam Qadian, the accursed, at his address in Qadian. The style of argument in this book infused a new spirit among the Muslims of India.

Section 21: Demanding the Explanation of the Miracle from Qadianis

• Companions of the Islamic nation! On February 20, 1900, Hakim Nuruddin Qadian, the accursed, sent Hazrat Qibla Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib twelve questions through a letter. Hazrat Qibla Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib wrote detailed and satisfying answers to all those questions, and in return, asked Hakim Nuruddin Qadian only one question: “Explain the reality of the miracle.” However, the Qadianis are still unable to answer this question.

Section 22: The Challenge of Debate

• O brother! On July 20, 1900, Mirza Ghulam Qadian, in a public advertisement, challenged Hazrat Syedna Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib to write a commentary on the Qur’an in Arabic. Hazrat Syedna Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib accepted this challenge and appointed August 25, 1900, for the debate in Lahore. Hazrat Qibla-e-Alam Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib arrived in Lahore a day before the debate by train, while the Qadianis, despite all their efforts, failed to bring Mirza Qadian to Lahore.

Section 23: Hazrat Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib’s Offer of Raising the Dead as a Challenge

• Then, a delegation of Qadianis presented themselves to Hazrat Qibla Pir Sahib and said, “You should engage in a mubahalah with Mirza Qadian, that is, Mirza Qadian should pray for a blind and disabled person, and similarly, you should also pray for a blind and disabled person, and whichever prayer heals the blind and disabled person will be considered right.” To this, Hazrat Qibla-e-Alam Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib said, “Tell Mirza Sahib that ‘if even the dead are to be raised, come, I am ready.'” Regarding the matter of writing a commentary, Hazrat Pir Sahib said, “Writing a commentary with a pen in hand is a common thing, there are such servants of religion in our Master and Leader (ﷺ)’s nation at this time, that if they focus on the pen, they will start writing the commentary of the Qur’an themselves.” But Mirza Qadian did not even appear for the mubahalah, and he chose the path of escape.

Section 24: Disarray in Qadianist Circles

• Respected gentlemen! When the last delegation of Qadianis came with the news of Mirza Qadian’s absence, there was disarray in the Qadianist circles. Many Qadianis repented, and some chose seclusion. This was the miracle of Hazrat Fath-e-Qadianism Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib and the onslaught of Muslims under his leadership, which turned the face of Qadianism. Afterwards, on August 27, 1900, a grand gathering of Ahl-e-Islam was held in the Badshahi Mosque (Lahore), in which several scholars of religion addressed the gathering, and, while explaining the importance of the belief in the finality of prophethood, said that whoever denies this belief is outside the circle of Islam.

Section 25: Eradicating the Fitna of Qadianism through “Saif-e-Chishtiai”

• Respected gentlemen! About four months after this incident, Mirza Qadian published a commentary on Surah Fatiha named “Ajaaz al-Masih,” and declared it as the final proof of his truthfulness, and hired Maulana Ahsan Amrohi to write a response to Hazrat Qibla Pir Sahib’s book “Shams al-Hidayah,” naming it “Shams al-Baz’ah.” Hazrat Fath-e-Qadianism Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib, in response to these two books, wrote a book named “Saif-e-Chishtiai,” eradicating the fitna of Qadianism.

Section 26: Instructions and Commands

• Companions of the Islamic nation! The instructions and commands of the great ones of religion are worthy of being written with golden ink. A few such golden sayings of Pir Mehar Ali Shah Sahib are as follows:
• (1) Indifference to the world and rulers is a special characteristic of the people of Allah.
• (2) Dervishness is the name of jihad.
• (3) Dervishes are not suitable for the attendance of the royal court.
• (4) Only that person deserves to be called a disciple who follows the guidance of his spiritual guide.
• (5) The meaning of “Pir” is that he guides everyone according to the heavenly book (the Holy Qur’an).
• (6) He who studies and does not teach is like a fruitless tree.
• (7) A person should always keep himself beautiful, because Allah Almighty is beautiful and loves beauty.
• (8) Be patient with the oppression of enemies, Allah Almighty will give you immeasurable reward for it.
• (9) Leadership is a high honor, it should not be used for (achieving) lowly worldly things.
• (10) Without knowledge of religion and the teachings of the Shari’ah (teachings of the Prophet), it is impossible to find a way that will lead to the pleasure of one’s Creator.
• (11) Without knowledge, a person is essentially dead.
• (12) Mutual sincerity and love