Abdullah Shah Ghazi

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Abdullah Shah Ghazi (Arabic: عبد الله شاه غازى ) is considered to be patron saint of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The dargah of Abdullah Shah Ghazi is located in Clifton^[1] neighbourhood of Saddar Town in Karachi.

[edit] History

Abdullah Shah Ghazi was the great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad from the linage of Hasan Ibne Ali Ibne Abu Talib^{[citation needed]}, making him a member of the Ahl al-Bayt.

The growing popularity of Abdullah Shah caused concern amongst the Ummayyad dynasty who dispatched an army to Sindh. The Ummayyads, and their successors the Abbasids, were known for their hatred of the Banu Hashim (the tribe of Prophet Muhammad and Hadrat Ali ibn Abu Talib) and mercilessly tracked and killed thousands of members of this tribe.

Abdullah Shah was on a hunt in what is now present day Karachi, when the Ummayyad army intercepted his party. Out numbered, Abdullah Shah still chose to fight rather than submit to the Umayyad army. It is because of his display of valor in the face of the Ummayyad army that Abdullah Shah was given the honorable title of "Ghazi" meaning "victorious".

His shrine in Karachi is dated back to 1400 years ago, his brother, Misry Shah, who is also buried along the coastline in Karachi, is also remembered as a saint.

Many people claim to have been granted their wishes at the shrine and it is the center for people who throng the shrine all year round. Every year marks the Urs (festival) at the shrine for 3 days (dates: 20-22 Dhu al-Hijjah - 12th month of the Islamic calendar), marking the anniversery of Abdullah Shah Ghazi.A famous myth about the mazar is that Karachi never had a tropical disaster in a thousand year because of the shrine's blessing.

Abdullah Shah Ghazi is revered by both Sunni and Shia alike, however his blood line gives him a special status in the Shia community by some. Some people also say that Muhammad Bin Qasim was sent for Abdullah Shah Ghazni.