Malik Baya

SYED AMJAD HUSSAIN

Publishe

d May 27, 2024

Syed Ibrahim Malik Baya, popularly known as Malik Ibrahim Baya (or Mallick Ibrahim Bayu), was an Islamic scholar, warrior, and Sufi saint belonging to the Suhrawardiyya Sufi order. He reached South Bihar and defeated the Kol Chiefdom, a local tribal group that oppressed the small Muslim community. After defeating Raja Birthal, a local king, Malik Ibrahim Baya became the first Muslim governor of Bihar. He was a contemporary of Syed Ahmed Jajneri (d. 1406), Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri (d. 1381) and Syed Ahmed Charamposh (d. 1335).

Genealogy
According to Muhammad Nayeem, in Reyazul Nayeem, Malik Baya was a descendent of Ghaus-e-Aazam Abdul Qadir Jilani. His familial genealogy is:

Malik Ibrahim Baya
Syed Abu Bakr Ghaznavi
Syed Al-Qasim Abdullah
Syed Muhammad Farooque
Syed Abu Mansoor Abdus Salam
Syed Abdul Wahhab
Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani

Life in Ghazni

Malik Ibrahim Baya received his Islamic education in Ghazni and also his military training under the top trainers of that time. He was called to India by some of his friends.

Life in India

He reached India, came to Delhi, and became a contemporary of Syed Ahmed Jajneri d. 1406), the founder of the Jajneri Sufi order in Bihar. They started working under the reign of Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (d. 1351), who was renowned for employing the wisest, most scholarly subjects.

Millitary Career

While in India, Malik Baya heeded the call of the then-ruler of India, Muhammad bin Tughlaq (d. 1351), and joined the army as commander-in-chief. Two Zaidi Syeds, Syed Ahmed Jajneri (d.1406) and his brother Syed Muhammad Jajneri, also worked as soldiers in the army.

Malik Ibrahim Baya became the commander-in-chief during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq in 1324. As a result of his military service, he was awarded the titles “Baya,” Persian for "come on," and Malik, meaning “chief,” when Malik Ibrahim Baya won Bihar in a battle and gave the pleasant news to Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. Tughlaq called him and said "Malik Baya Benasheen,"meaning "O Chief, come on and sit down."

Personal life
According to Shoarfa Ki Nagari, Malik Baya did not marry. He chose to adopt children, something he did throughout his life.

According to Tareekh-e-Hasan, by Syed Jawad Hussain Gayawi, Syed Ibrahim Malik Baya was unmarried and had no child. A pregnant Rajput-caste woman came into the jail from the Palace of Raja Birthal after Malik Baya conquered it. The women gave birth to a boy, who was adopted by Malik Baya.

He was succeeded by his eldest adopted son, Malik Daud, in Sufism. The Maliks of Bihar used to connect them to Malik Ibrahim Baya with this genealogy only. Presently, Bihar has a good population of Maliks, who claim to be descendants of Malik Daud. The population of the Malik caste is concentrated within Nalanda district, Sheikhpura district, and Jamui district of Bihar.

According to A. Munim, Malik Ibrahim Baya was married and had a good married life with nine children. He had seven sons (Malik Daud, Malik Ilyas, Malik Burhanuddin, Malik Sadruddin, Malik Muhammad Muhsin, Malik Usman, and Malik Sulaiman) and two daughters (Maniahia, whose second name is not mentioned). Maniahia was married to Hazrat Sadruddin Zafrabadi , and her second daughter was married to Malik Mubarak, a newphew of Malik Baya. Six of Malik Baya’s sons, along with his second daughter, are buried at the Peer Pahadi near the tomb of Malik Baya, his eldest daughter is buried in Zafrabad, and the remaining son, Malik Usman, is buried in Jalalabad.

Wisal

Malik Ibrahim Baya received wisal at Rohtasgarh Fort on 13 Zill Haj 753 Hijri (January 20, 1353 CE). Baya fought a battle and won Rohtasgarh. When he was going down the ladders, he was ambushed by the soldiers of Raja Hans Kumar, the former ruler of Rohtasgarh, and he was killed there.

After his death, his remains were taken to Bihar Sharif and buried on the Peer Pahadi on the west side of the town. His funeral was attended by Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri Hashmi (d. 1381), a great Sufi saint of the Suhrawardiyya order and the most important figure of the Firdausiyya offshoot of the Suhrawardiyya order.

Urs

An annual celebration is conducted on Zill Haj 13 for the anniversary of Baya’s wisal. It is held at the Peer Pahadi, where thousands of his followers and people of the Malik caste specially attend the urs.

Makbara

Malik Ibrahim Baya is buried at the Ibrahim Baya Makbara at the Peer Pahadi in the city of Bihar Sharif, under the Nalanda district of the Indian state of Bihar. The Makbara was built by his eldest adopted son, Malik Daud, also known as his successor in Sufism. Presently, the Makbara is protected under the Archaeological Survey of India and is also recognized by the Tourism Department of the Bihar Government. There are four people buried there, Malik Ibrahim Baya, his eldest son Malik Daud, his eldest son Malik Mullah-ul-Mulk, and his eldest son Malik Khattab-ul-Mulk. The foundation stone of Makbara was laid by Makhdoom-ul-Mulk Bihari Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmed Bin Yahya Maneri (d. 1381 ), and the dome was built under his guidance.

Legacy

Among those who trace their ancestry through Malik Baya are:

Barrister Muhammad Yunus, the first prime minister of Bihar, representative of the Muslim Independent Party, made government in 1937.

Shams-ul-Ulema Maulvi Abdul Haie, the honorary magistrate of Jehanabad, Gaya.
Allama Malik Zafaruddin Bihari, who wrote the first biography of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, titled Hayat-e-Aala Hazrat

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Malik Baya

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