SEHWAN SHARIF, Pakistan: Hundreds of thousands of mourners and pilgrims offered pursa (condolence) of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and other martyrs of Karbala by performing matam of Zanjeer, Qama, Swords and Garz to Hazrat Sakhi Shahbaz Qalandar (RA) on the occasion of the annual urs and pursadari of the great saint at Sehwan Sharif in Sindh province of Pakistan.

From all the four provinces, hundreds of Matami organizations including Anjuman Shababul Momineen Karachi, Anjuman Dar-e-Batool Karachi, Anjuman Tanzimul Momineen Karachi, Matmi Dasta Ghulaman-e-Hur Karachi, Matmi Dasta Ghulamana-e-Aun o Muhammad Karachi, Matmi Dasta Azadaran-e-Batool Karachi, Anjuman Haidery Qadamgah Mola Ali Haiderabad, Lashkar-e-Abbas Alamdar Haiderabad, Anjuman-e-Qalandari Dadu, Anjuman Ghulaman-e-Abbas Larkana, Markazi Matmi Dasta Rawalpindi, Matmi Dasta Ghulaman-e-Ruqayyah Bibi Pak Daman Lahore, Matmi Dasta Bawa Qaisar Shah Imamia Colony Lahore, Anjuman Sipah e Abbas Khair pur, Anjuman Al-Abbas Khairpur, Anjuman Tabligh-e-Hussaini Luqman Khairpur, Matmi Sangat Markazi Imambargah Faisalabad Dhobi Ghaat, Matmi Sangat Nashaad Shah Mehrab-pur, Matmi Sangat Ustaad Kamman Mehrab-pur, Matmi Sangat Katri Bawa Lahore, Markazi Matam Kor Sialkot, Matmi Sangat Fidayan-e-Abbas Mirpur Khas, Anjuman Ghulaman-e-Shehzada Qasim Nawab Shah, Matmi Sangat Shah Chan Charagh Rawalpindi, Markazi Matmi Dasta Babul Hawaij Gujranwala, Anjuman Ghulaman-e-Shehzada Ali Akbar Jamshoro began matamdari at the main road of Sakhi Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine and after passing through their designated routes entered the shrine and performed Noha Khoani and Matamdari.

Matami organizations from Peshawar, Gilgit, Bhakkar, Gujrat, Parachinar, Muzafrabad, Qila Didaar Singh, Muzaffar Garh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Ali Pur, Mianwali, Dera Ismail Khan, Badin, Sanghar and Sakhar also participated.

On this occasion, big banners of Tehreek Nafaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafariya were also seen hanging.

Delegations of TNFJ Karachi division, Mir pur Khas division and Larkana division put Chadar at the grave. They said courtesy to the mission of Qalandar, today Sindh and Merhran valley is full of slogans of Nara-e-Haidery and Ya Hussain (AS), and Alam-e-Hazrat Abbas (AS) is fluttering around the Sindh.

They paid tributes to all Matami Azadaran attending the annual pursadari who according to Quaid-i-Millat-i-Jafariya Syed Hamid Moosavi are an asset of nation.

Lal Shahbaz (RA)’s real name was Muhammad Uthman. He was born in 1143 in Marand, near Tabraiz, Iran. He was the direct descendent of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as).

Lal Shahbaz (RA) after completing his education left for Baghdad where he met Baba Ibrahim Karbalai and became his disciple. Baba Ibrahim was the spiritual follower of Jamal Mujjarrad (the celibate).

Lal Shahbaz (RA) received khilafat (spiritual sainthood) and other sacred gifts including a stone, which was attributed to Imam Zainul Abideen (as), from his Shaykh Baba Ibrahim. It is said to be the same stone that hangs on his tomb in Sehwan. Following instructions from his Shaykh, Lal Shahbaz (RA) left Baghdad for Sindh via Balkh and Khurasan. In Balkh, the childless King had asked him to pray for him so that he could have an heir to his throne. Lal Shahbaz (RA) did pray for him for the birth of his Crown prince but later told him that his would be son would actually be working for him (Lal Shahbaz (RA)). That would be Crown prince is known in history as Abu Ben Adham (Abu Ibrahim Ben Adham) who after ruling the Balkh State for some years, abdicated his throne to become a dervish.

In Khurasan Lal Shabaz is said to have meditated continuously at the tomb of Imam Ali Raza (as) for forty days and nights. During his journey, he also stayed at the Panjgur valley of Makran, Baluchistan. The place later became known as Dasht-e-Shahbaz (RA), where many Baluch tribesmen became his followers. Mughal Emperor Babar has also mentioned the place in his autobiography Tuzuk-e-Baburi.

On his way from Baluchistan to Sindh, he also stayed in present day Karachi's Manghopir area for muraqba (meditation), and it is said that Manghopir's natural warm fountain is a miracle of Lal Shahbaz (RA) Qalandar. That warm fountain started to flow from beneath the hill, on which Lal Shahbaz (RA) sat for muraqba (meditation). After passing hundreds of years, that warm fountain is still flowing continuously and is said to have miraculous healing power especially for asthma patients.

In Multan, Lal Shahbaz (RA) met Bahauddin Zachariah Multani of the Suhurwardiya order, Baba Farid Ganjshakar of Chishtiya order, and Makhdoom Jahanian Surkh Bukhari. The attachment was so cordial and spiritual that their friendship became legendary. They were known as Chahar Yar (Farsi= four friends). According to some historians, the four friends visited various parts of Sindh and Punjab, in present day Pakistan.

Almost all the saints of Sindh including Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Makhdoom Bilawal, Sachal Sarmast and Qadir Bukhsh Bedal were devout followers of Lal Shahbaz (RA) Qalandar.

The saint died in 1252 in Sehwan.