Shaban 21- Bahr-e-Aam Hz Bandagi Miyan Shah Nemat RZ Shaheed (By Bhai Taher Mohammed Saheb)
Shaban 22- Urs Hz Bandagi Miyan Shah Nemat RZ Shaheed
3rd Khalifa of Imamuna Mehdi-E-Maoud Alaihis Salam (935H, Logadh Shareef, Poona).
It is narrated that in Solah Santej the salty water of a well became
sweet by the effect of the paskhurda [sanctified leftover] of Hz Imam
Mahdi AS, as had happened at Daulatabad near the tomb of Hz Syed
Muhammad Arif RA. Besides, it was here that Hz Shah Ne’mat RZ met Hz
Imam Mahdi AS and he performed the tasdiq of the Imam AS.
Hz Shah Ne’mat RZ was born in 874 Hijri and martyred on 22 Shaban
935 Hijri in the Daira at Logadh Sharif. He was among the nobles of
Gujarat and belonged to the tribe of the Baniyanis. He was the only son
of a noble of Gujarat Miyan Malik Bade. Owning to undue love and
affection of the parents he had turned up into a spoilt child. As his
father died at a young age there was none to attend to his education and
training. Therefore It was presumed that he was unfit to succeed the
Jagir of his father. Miyan Nia’mat RZ was very much annoyed at such a
decision of the king. He along with a few of his friends became outlaws
in and around Ahmedabad. He was very strong and a well trained warrior,
but was very short tempered and used to get annoyed at the smallest
provocation and became very belligerent, given to bloodshed. Everybody
was afraid of him.
One day he murdered the son of a Negro. The Negro complained to the
king and told him all the earlier crimes of the Shah. The king sent his
soldiers to arrest him. When this news came, Hz Shah Ne’mat RZ took some
25 mounted armed men with him and fled. The king’s soldiers chased
them. When Miyan Shah Ne’mat RZ came near Sola Santej, he heard the azan
[prayer-call] from the daira of Hz Imam Mahdi AS. He told his
companions, “The prayer-call has been sounded. We should say our
prayers.” His companions said, “The king’s soldiers are chasing us to
arrest us. We should run away from here at the earliest.” The Shah RZ
dismounted and started saying his ritual prayers [namaz]. The king’s
soldiers too arrived about the same time. But Allah Most High had
changed the complexion and bodily shape in such a manner, that the
soldiers could not recognize him. Then they went ahead. Miyan Nemat RZ
asked the villagers about who had given the prayer-call. They told him,
“A group of fuqara who trust in Allah has come here [and camping here].”
The Shah RZ then went to meet Hz Imam Mahdi AS. Without asking his
name, Hz Imam Mahdi AS said, “Come Miyan Ne’mat! You are full of Favours
“Ne’mat!” Hz Shah Ne’mat RZ immediately became a disciple of Hz Imam
Mahdi AS. He gave up the world and became a seeker of Allah. He gave all
his belongings whatever he had in charity in the name of Allah. He
repented all his sins and joined the company of the Imam AS. Then he
told the Imam AS about all his past sins. The Imam AS told him, “Allah
will forgive all the sins that are against Him. Allah is Much Forgiving,
the Merciful. But the sins that you have committed against the khalq
[the mankind], you will have to get forgiven by the people.”
Immediately, Shah Ne’mat RZ went in accordance with the pleasure of
Allah Most High to meet the people he had sinned against.
He first went to the door of the Negro whose son he had murdered.
Shah Ne’mat RZ told him, “Take revenge for the murder of your son.” The
Negro saw that the condition of Shah Ne’mat RZ had completely changed.
Tears flooded the eyes of the Negro. His heart too started burning in
the fire of the Love of Allah Most High. He said, “You are not the
Ne’mat from whom I can collect the blood-money. When you have assigned
your zath [nature, essence] to the pleasure of Allah Almighty, I too
forgive you for the pleasure of Allah Most High.
Hazrat Shah Ne’mat RZ took leave of the Negro and went to every
person he had wronged and offered himself for the reprisals. But Allah
Most High made everybody utter the words of forgiving in favour of him.
Then Hazrat Shah Ne’mat RZ came to Hazrat Imam Mahdi AS and remained in
his company thereafter and the Imam AS conferred many glad tidings on
him.
It is narrated that Hazrat Imamuna AS gave the title of the
Miqraz-e-Bid’at [Scissors to cut Innovations] in accordance with the
command of Allah Most high. Further, Hz Imam AS used to call him
Mard-e-Qallash
Further, it is narrated that Hz Imam Mahdi AS gave
the glad tidings to Hz Shah Ne’mat RZ by quoting a Hindi couplet:
“Whether you like me or not, I like you”.
Further, it is narrated that Hz Imam Mahdi AS, a little before his
death, took his cap away from his own head and gave it to Bandagi Miyan
Shah Ne’mat RZ.
Allah said “We have given Miyan Nemat (RZ) three eminences (buzurgian-Sar-Andaz, Janbaz and Sarfaraz)”.
Imam Mahdi (AS) is narrated to have said in respect of Bandagi Miyan
Shah Nemat (RZ) that he is a miqraz-e-bid’at (the scissors of
innovation).
Imam Mahdi (AS) is narrated to have described Bandagi Miyan Shah
Nemat (RZ) as Qallash (friendless). (By that expression, he meant that
the Shah (RZ) had perished in Allah and what was remaining was Allah —
fani fillah, baqi billah).
Imam Mahdi (AS) is narrated to have said,
“Miyan Nemat (RZ) is the Omar (RZ) of Vilayat (sainthood).”
Imam Mahdi (AS) is narrated to have recited a dohra (regarding Miyan Nemat RZ in Farah):
“Whether you like me or not, I am the one who likes you.”
It is narrated that time of the demise of Imam Mahdi (AS) was
nearing. Miyan Nemat (RZ) started lamenting. The Imam (AS) asked, “Who
is it?” The Shah (RZ) said, “It is this banda.” The Imam (AS) asked,
“Which banda?” The Shah (RZ) said, “This banda is Nemat (RZ).” The Imam
(AS) placed his cap on the head of the Shah (RZ) and said, “Allah Most
High has forgiven Miyan Nemat (RZ) and the members of his family.” Miyan
Nemat (RZ) said, “The members of my family are the fuqara as they
emulate me. They are members of my family. One who does not emulate me
is not a member of my family.”
It is narrated that some of the women of the daira came to the house
of Bandagi Miyan Shah Nemat (RZ) on a Friday. The Shah’s wife did not
get up to receive the guests. The Shah (RZ) came to know of the
incident. He asked her why she did not get up to receive them. The Bibi
(RZ) said, “I was nursing the baby at that time. Hence, I did not get
up.” Shah Nemat (RZ) said, “Allah will take away the baby.” The baby
died the next week.
The inmates of the daira are narrated to have told Bandagi Miyan
Shah Nemat (RZ): “New people have come to the daira. Please make your
sermons and explanations of Quran a little mild.” The Shah (RZ) replied:
“This servant’s beard has grown grey in the company of Imam Mahdi (AS).
And you are trying to teach me now. If the seeker of the world comes to
me, in one blow the matter is finished. If he (the new comer) stays, it
is his good fortune. If he goes away, it is good-riddance. This servant
(banda) will not make himself subservient to the wishes of the worldly
people. People do not like the Truth (Haq). But the duty of this servant
is to tell the Truth.”
Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) and Bandagi Miyan Shah Nemat (RZ)
used to say; “We would hold accountable on the Day of Resurrection a
person who sees anything in us opposed to Imam Mahdi (AS) and does not
warn us about or lapses here (in this world).”
Bandagi Miyan Shah Nemat (RZ) is narrated to have had no slave girl
(bandi) in his house because even Imam Mahdi (AS) too did not have a
slave girl. The Shah (RZ) was a perfect follower of the Imam (AS).
It is narrated that Bandagi Miyan Shah Nemat (RZ) had no clothes
except an old lungi (a piece of cloth wrapped round the lower part of
the body). Wrapped in the lungi, the Shah (RZ) was in the ‘Zikr’
remembrance of Allah near the hujra of Imam Mahdi (AS). The Imam (AS)
came near him. Because of the shortness of the lungi, the Shah (RZ)
stood in the posture of a ruku’. The Imam (AS) saw this and went to his
house, and told the Bibi (RZ), “I regretted seeing Miyan Nemat today.”
The Bibi (RZ) said, “Miranji (AS), Give him something.” At the same
time, Allah’s command arrived, “O Syed Muhammad, Go and give the glad
tidings of faith (iman) to Miyan Nemat (RZ).” Immediately, the Imam (AS)
came near the Shah (RZ) and woke him up. The Shah (RZ) looked up and
said, “Miranjee (AS), you are the zath of Allah. Nemat is in the
mushahida (observance) of Allah. Imam Mahdi (AS) told the Shah (RZ), “I
give you the glad tidings of faith (iman).” Miyan Nemat (RZ) said,
“Please bless me with the iman of Khundkar (AS) (your eminence).” The
Imam (AS) said, “Nobody is allowed the iman of the Prophet (SLM) and the
Imam (AS). But a seeker should always have such a desire. I give you
the glad tidings of the iman.” Then Imam Mahdi (AS) patted on the back
of Bandagi Miyan Shah Nemat (RZ) and said, “Miyan Nemat is a He-man
(mard-e-mardana).”
Imam Mahdi (AS) is narrated to have said, “We and Miyan Nemat (RZ)
rode the horses on the field of tawakkal (trust in Allah). There was no
difference except for two ears.”
Khaksar-O-Khadim, Groh-E-Mehdavia,
Taher Md. Saheb
Dammam, K.S.A.
