Ghaus Gwalior

 By  GHULAM RASOOL DEHLVI  published May 12, 2024

 Reviewed by   Dr. ASHHAR MALIK 

The 16th-century Indian Sufi mystic—Hazrat Shah Muhammad Ghaus of Gwalior was a prominent proponent of the Silisila Qadriyya Shattariyya, a branch of the Shattariya Silsila, in the Indian subcontinent. Shattari Silsila was founded originally in Safavid Iran by 15th-century Persian Sufi saint Sheikh Sirajuddin Abdullah Shattar R.A. Significantly enough, the spiritual lineage of Shattariyya is a unique Sufi order with a chain of transmission—Silsila—which is traced back to the holy Prophet (ﷺ) through Sultan-ul-A'arifin (King of the Realised Ones) Hazrat Bayazid Bastami (753–845 CE)—one of the few Awliya who attained the state of fanā, complete immersion, and mystical union, or Wisal.

The Qadri-Shattari-Sufi pioneer in India, the great mystic, musician, and epoch-making philosopher of Gwalior Sharif Hazrat Shah Muhammad Ghaus Gwaliori (RA) is uniquely known today as a "Sufi Yogi." His spiritual lineage goes back to the great Sufi mystic Hazrat Khawaja Fariduddin Attar of Nishapur, who deeply impacted Sufi thought and Persian poetry the world over. One of the chief saints and sheikhs of the Indian subcontinent in this Sufi order, Shah Ghaus Gwaliori's silsila, is also traced to Haji Hameed Hasoor of Gopalganj, Bihar. In addition, he also had spiritual guidance from Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani RA, and therefore, he attained the lofty spiritual position (maqām) of Ghausiyyat through his grace. Shah Gawaliori (RA) came to India from Nishapur and stayed here till his Wisal, serving Sufism and calling people to embrace divine love. He did not only advance the Qadri Shattari Sufi Order in the subcontinent, but he also made it a well-established Sufi order of great prominence. At the same time, he was a great writer, poet, and philosopher, as well as an eminent Yogic master who authored Jawahar e Khamsa and Bahr al-Hayat as his famous works explaining the ancient Yoga texts. Thus, Shah Ghaus Gawaliyari (RA) left behind an indelible legacy of syncretic Indian culture in his literature. His spiritual insights guided the lives and thoughts of Indian Muslims over a thousand years and are glaring evidence of how Sufi mystics engaged with India's cultural practices, not only with their participation in art, culture, and literature but also through the experience of various forms of yoga. A lot of Indian Sufi practices based on self-awareness can be considered yogic in nature, although yoga is defined differently from myriad perspectives. The interpretation of Qadri Shattari Sufism by political scientist Ishtiaq Ahmed in his book, Pre-Partition Punjab's Contribution to Indian Cinema, that Qadri Shattari Sufism is the amalgamation of Hindu and Islamic mysticism can be attributed to this Hindu mystic practice of yoga. 

One of the notable translations of yogic texts by Gwaliori is Bahr al-Hayat (The Ocean of Life) — a Persian translation of Amrtakunda — one of the primary texts on yoga. This translation was rendered in the city of Bharuch in Gujarat in 1550 and was aimed at explaining the Hauz al-Hayat (The Pool of Life), which is the first Arabic translation of Amrutkund. It occupied a paramount place in the different  indian Shattari traditions. Another work by Gwaliori that highlights close resemblances between the Shattari Sufi practices and yogic exercises is Jawahir-e-Khamsa (The Five Jewels), which was later translated to Arabic by a Mecca-based Shattari teacher, Sibghtaullah. In this treatise, Gwaliori talked about his mystical experience of ascension, which enabled him to hold Kalam  (conversation) with  Allah. His two renowned book were Jawahir-e-Khamsa, and Bahr-e-Hayat (the ocean of life), Khamsa means five.  It contains five chapters, including one on the Ibadat e Ilahi, and  which also discusses the yogic secrets of life whereas, Bahr-e-Hayat is his translation and extension of Hawz al-Hayat (The Pool of Life), an Arabic translation of a lost Sanskrit text on yoga, the Amrtakunda. Shah Gawaliyari received Wisal On 15 Ramadan 970 AH, and his Dargah, a holy shrine called "Gwalior Sharif," which is located in Madhya Pradesh, India.

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The author is a Delhi-based research scholar on Sufism. His works have been published by different reputed journals on Islam and its mysticism. He is affiliated with Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.