The sighting of the Eid moon after Ramadan brings another joyous occasion in Bihar. On the 5th of Shawaal, the month following Ramadan is the Urs festivities of Bihar’s patron Sufi, Shaykh Sharfuddin Maneri.
The Firdausi Order is an offshoot of the Suharwardi Order that traces its spiritual descent from Shaykh Saifuddin Barkhazi of Central Asia. Berke, the grandson of Chengiz Khan, who embraced Islam at the hands of Shaykh Barkhazi. Khwaja Badruddin Samarqandi migrated to India and founded the Firdausi Order. Since Delhi had become a stronghold of the Chishtis, the Firdausi mystics moved to Bihar.
Shaykh Sharfuddin Maneri, the Sufi of a Hundred Letters, is called the perfect Sufi. A paragon of mercy, generosity and patience, he stayed hungry to feed others and blessed those who cursed him. He taught that one single act of kindness equaled hundreds of prayers and fasts. The Shaykh’s letters containing his teachings on mysticism, uphold the superiority of Sufis over the clergy:
Those who travel along the Way live by the life of Another,
The birds flying in His air come from the nest of Another,
Do not look at them with your earthly eye since they,
Belong neither to this world nor the next but Another.
This outstanding Firdausi Sufi, earlier known as Shaykh Ahmad, was awarded the title of Sharfuddin (Glory of Faith). He was the son of the famed mystic Shaykh Yahya, and completed his primary education in Maner. Since both his parents were devoted to the Sufi path, the young lad grew up in an atmosphere of all pervading piety.
He did his primary schooling in Maner. When Ahmad was fifteen years of age, a noted religious scholar, Abu Tawwamma of Bukhara, stopped at Maner while on the way to Sonargaon in eastern Bengal. Expressing a desire to study under him, the young boy accompanied him to Bengal. He lived with the Master’s family, marrying his daughter by whom he had a son. Some years later when his father died, he returned to Maner. Entrusting his son to the care of his mother, the Shaykh began living an ascetic life.
Searching for a Sufi Master, the Shaykh travelled to Delhi, where he met Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Shaykh Bu Ali Shah Qalandar of Panipat. Eventually, he became the disciple of Shaykh Najibuddin Firdausi. After the death of his spiritual mentor, Sharfuddin went back to Bihar, living in the jungles of Bihia and Rajgir. After
spending many years in solitude, the mystic began going to the mosque for the Friday prayers. Gradually, people began seeking his blessing and he moved closer to the town.
The reigning Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad bin Tughlaq, had a khanqah built for the Shaykh where he lived for nearly 44 years. Thousands of people flocked to him in search of spiritual guidance. A gifted scholar, Shaykh Sharfuddin’s teachings are primarily known through his letters contained in Maktubat–e- Sadi, (The Hundred Letters). He wrote of the importance of having a spiritual mentor for the path to God is fraught with dangers. When one is seriously on the Sufi path, Maneri believes God will guide him to the very Master he needs. Maneri’s own experience was that he found his spiritual mentor when he had almost abandoned the hope of finding the right guide.
Maneri’s perception of the Divine initiative is not restricted to Muslims. He wrote that while Hindus seek God in idols and Christians in Jesus, the quest is the same. A persons; heart must be filled with boundless hope in god as he begins the quest, and he will need to be steadfast on the path despite the obstacles. He stresses on self vigilance till the last breath.
He wrote two letters to Firoz Shah Tughlaq, advising the Delhi Sultan to rule justly. The Shaykh was upset with the Sultan for executing two of his Sufi friends, Shaykh Izz Kakui and Shaykh Ahmad Bihari, for their outspoken ideas on the mystical theory of wahdat ul wujood, Oneness of Being. A fatwa condemning them had been issued by the orthodox ulema.
On learning of the Shaykh’s unhappiness, the ruler issued a Farman to summon the Sufi to court, seeking an explanation for his conduct. Later, the Farman was cancelled through the intervention of some religious leaders. The Shaykh died on 5 Shawwal 783 Hijri/1381 AD and lies buried in Maner. He remains the principal Sufi of Bihar, his dargah attracting thousands of devotees from different faiths throughout the year.
