Khwaja Bande Nawaz

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Hazrat Khwaja Bande Nawaz Gesu Daraz Born on the 13th of July 1321 Passed away on the 1st of November 1422, was a famous Sufi saint from India who advocated understanding, tolerance and harmony among various religious groups.

He was born Syed Mohammed Hussaini in Delhi. At the age of four, his family shifted to Daulatabad in Maharashtra. In 1397, he went to Gulbarga, Karnataka at the invitation of Sultan Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah of the Bahmani Sultanate. Bande Nawaz authored about 130 books in Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages.

At the age of fifteen, he returned to Delhi and stayed for his education and training by the famous Sufi saint Hazrat Chirag Dehli, who bestowed him with his Khilafath and succession after about fifteen years. He was also a very enthusiastic student of Hazrat Kethli, Hazrat Tajuddin Bahadur and Qazi Abdul Muqtadi. After teaching at various places such as Delhi, Mewath, Gwalior, Chander, Aircha, Chatra, Chanderi, Miandhar, Baroda and Khambayat, he returned to teach at his base, Gulbarga, in 1397 and died in Gulbarga in the year 1422.

His magnum opus, Tafseer Multaqat in Arabic, was compiled into one book very recently. It is unfortunate, however, that most people even within Gulbarga are unaware of this work. Little has been done to publish this and his other works on a large scale. Other books authored are: Avarif-al-Mavarif, Fasoos-al-Hukm, Qaseeda Amali, and Adaab-al-Mureedein.

People from various walks of life, irrespective of caste and creed, assemble even today to celebrate the urs (which takes place on the 15th day of Zikhaida of Muslim calendar conducted in his name at the famous Bande Nawaz Darga in Gulbarga every year. People from his family tree still live there and almost all family members along with several hundred thousand people from near and far irrespective of religion and beliefs gather to seek blessing.