Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya 771st urs: Tolerance preached by sufi masters ‘need of the day’

SM Qureshi stresses on promoting teachings of Sufi saints to curb extremism.


Express January 11, 2011

MULTAN: We can curb the rising extremism in the society by promoting the teachings of Sufi saints, said Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday.

He was addressing the devotees after inaugurating the 771st urs of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya at Multan.

He said acts of terrorism on shrines across the country were condemnable. He said that the followers of the saints could not be threatened by the terrorists. He asked the devotees to be courageous and attend the celebrations.

Qureshi, who is the successor of the saint, bathed the shrine with rose water to start the urs celebrations. He then presided over a National Zakariya conference. Caretaker Bhera Sharif Pir Aminul Hasnat, Mufti Hidayatullah Pasroori, Mir Hasanuddin, Muhammad Farooq, Prof Muhammad Sharif were the speakers.

Qureshi directed Professor Sharif Sialwi, the Arabic Department chairman at the Bahauddin Zakariya University, who also holds the Zakariya Chair, to undertake research on different aspects of the life and works of the saint.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Chaudary Arif Zia, the district administrator of the Auqaf Department, said that all arrangements to accommodate the devotees were complete. He said devotees started arriving in Multan from January 1. Separate arrangements have been made by the department for families, he added. The department would also provide meals to the devotees.

Briefing on the security arrangements, Multan SSP (Operations) Muhammad Yousaf said that special passes had been issued to all individuals concerned including district administration officials, Auqaf department employees, policemen and journalists. He said more than 1,000 policemen had been deployed at and around the shrine to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the three-day ceremony. “All roads leading to the shrine have been cordoned off. Cars cannot be taken up to the shrine,” he said. He added that metal detectors and walk-through gates have been set up at all entry and exit points.

People from all over the country thronged to the old city of Multan to attend the celebrations. The celebrations would last for three days.

Abuzar, an 84-year-old Larkana resident, said he had been visiting the shrine since childhood. Another devotee, Baar Khan, had arrived in Multan to attend the urs from Balochistan.

He said he was a devout follower of Sufism and a regular visitor of shrines. He said he was inspired by the Sufi teachings of peace and tolerance, adding that nowadays, more than ever, people needed to follow these teachings.

Rubab, a Mirpur Khas resident, said she had been a regular visitor to Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya’s urs for the past few years. She said her family was attracted to Sufism. She said she was attending the event along with her parents and siblings.

Bahauddin Zakariya

Bahauddin Zakariya was born in 566 AH at Kahroor Lal Aisan in Layyah district of the Punjab. He travelled to Baghdad for religious education and then settled in Multan and started preaching the religion on the directive of his teacher Hazrat Shaikh Shahabud Din Suharwardy.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2011.

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