Patron Saint & Mentor

Patron Saint & Mentor

Shaykh Mohammed Saqlain Miyan

The curtains fell down on a glorious Sufi movement, in the evening of 20th October, 2023 when the news of the sudden demise of a legendary Sufi, Shaykh Mohammed Saqlain Miyan Huzoor, spread across the sub continent. A single human, playing the role of a father, teacher, healer, mentor, spiritual guide, supporter and guardian to millions of Allah’s creation, across the globe, left this mortal world for his heavenly abode, to meet His Beloved Creator.

Custodian of Aastana e Sharafatiya in Bareilly, a town in North India, Shaykh Mohammed Saqlain Miyan Huzoor, was born to a pious couple namely Sufi Shujaat Ali Miyan and Hajjan Siddiqua Khatoon on 13th March 1947, in a small village named Kakrala of Badayun District in North India. He wore the first clothing made out of the holy turban of Shah Muhammed Basheer Miyan, a great Sufi and spiritual guide of his mentor and grandfather, Shah Sharafat Ali Miyan. His grandfather then brought him to Bareilly and commenced his education in various disciplines and Islamic Sciences, particularly in spirituality. He attained fluency in Urdu and Persian languages apart from knowing, Hindi, Arabic and English. His father left for his heavenly abode when he was just twelve years of age.

He succeeded his grandfather after receiving authorisation of spiritual lineage from him at a youthful age of 17 years in the year 1964. He then took over as the Custodian of the monastery in 1969, when his mentor and guide left for his heavenly abode in 1969. Since then, his circle of disciples and followers in the Mujaddidi Naqshbandi Qadri Sufi order, has multiplied into millions.

His exemplary works included bridging the gap between spirituality and intellectuality, orthodoxy and moderation, divine love and worldly love. The sentence - ‘A truly amazing mentor is hard to find and impossible to forget’ - perfects his stature with his simplicity, humbleness, an easy going demeanour and accessibility to any individual who wanted to meet him and also effortless to speak to him, with his patient hearing. The more one knew him, the more he admired him and was enticed by his saintly virtues.

He always emphasised on the amalgamation of modern, religious and spiritual educations, coupled with latest technological adherence. He dedicated himself completely for humanitarian cause through his vision and untiring efforts. His selfless service and propagation revolved around his motto, ‘Serving Allah’s creation to seek Allah’s pleasure’ and several human welfare campaigns have been the milestones under his noble leadership.

Organising mass marriages for over thousands of poor & deserving couples across the country, providing free healthcare, feeding and clothing the downtrodden, financial assistance to widows and orphans, running traditional educational centres, organising women empowerment schemes to assist deserving women, free distribution of uniforms, books and fees for students and helping calamity and disaster afflicted people are some of the several noble tasks undertaken by the monastery under his leadership since decades. He also worked towards unification of all Sufi monasteries in India on a common cause and held two great ‘Mashaikh e Tareeqat Conferences’ in Bareilly in 2011 and 2013 when millions supported his vision and efforts by registering their presence.

He envisioned creation of a morally committed generation of leaders with a holistic approach, that can replace fear with confidence, hatred with love, conflict with peace, thus contributing towards making this planet in a way, the Creator desired us to coexist on it.

Before his early arrival in the monastery, hundreds thronged daily to meet him. It was the same routine on Friday, the 20th October, 2023 even after the congregational prayers, when he had high fever and still met people listening patiently to them. But none ever knew that it was his last interaction with his followers, as in the evening, he breathed his last, remembering his Creator, peacefully at home. Large queues of humans from all walks of the society, across the country and abroad, paid their respects from that evening till the early dawn of 22nd October, 2023, as they saw their beloved legend, lying in state peacefully, in the monastery, after having successfully accomplished the noble tasks assigned by His Creator.

Allah Almighty, thus created a place for him in the hearts of millions, in every stratum of the society, irrespective of caste, creed, colour, race or status, as was evident from the ocean of millions of his followers, who thronged to Bareilly for his final rites (Janaza), performed by his successor, Shaykh Mohammed Ghazi Miyan, on the morning of 22nd October, 2023. He has been laid to rest, as per his wish, next to his spiritual guide in the Dargah.

Though this legend has gone behind the curtains, he and his mission shall continue to live in the hearts of millions and inspire those who strive selflessly for a noble cause. May Allah elevate his ranks.