PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
LAHORE: The ritual washing (ghusal) of the shrine of Hazrat Ali Bin Usman Al-Hajveri, popularly known as Hazrat Data Gunj Bukhsh, was held here on Monday ahead of his 976th annual urs.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Punjab Religious Affairs Minister Pir Syed Saeedul Hassan, Punjab Information Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Auquaf Secretary Zulfiqar Ghuman, Religious Affairs Committee Chairman Nazir Ahmad Chohan, Religious Affairs Director General Tahir Raza and Data Darbar Executive Officer Babar Gondal jointly performed the ghusal of the shrine with over five maunds of rose water. A large number of devotees were also present on the occasion.
The annual ghusal ceremony was started with recitation of the Holy Quran, while prominent Naat Khawan, Marghoob Hamdani and others presented the Naat-e-Rasool-e-Maqbool (SAW). Data Darbar khateeb led special prayers for peace and prosperity of the country and Muslim world.
Special pakwans and sabeels, which came from different parts of the country, were distributed among devotees. Speaking to The Express Tribune, several devotees paid rich tributes to sufi saints for their great service for Islam and Muslims.
A devotee, Aleem Ahmad, said Pakistan was facing various internal and external challenges, but the help of Almighty Allah and the blessings of Sufi saints would sort out all the country’s problems.
He said it was due to the miracle of Sufi saints that the country was progressing despite all odds. He underlined that the Muslim world should follow the path of these noble souls.
Another citizen from a small town near Kasur, Muhammad Farman, said these Sufi saints were a symbol of peace and humanity. “Today, there was a dire need to follow their preaching of peace and humanity as the entire world is facing threat of terrorism or extremism.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2019.
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