Abdullah Shah Ghazi

Abdullah Shah Ghazi (Arabic: عبد الله شاه غازي, romanized: ʿAbd Allāh Shāh Ghāzī) (c. 720 - c. 773) was a Muslim mystic and Sufi whose shrine is located in Clifton in Karachi, in Sindh province of Pakistan.^[2]

Shah Ghazi Abdullah Shah Ghazi
عبداللہ شاہ غازی
The shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi, Pakistan, originally built by Murshid Nadir Ali Shah of Sehwan Sharif
Personal life
Born	98 AH ≈ 720 CE
Died	151 AH ≈ 773(773-00-00) (aged 52–53)[1] CE
Known for	Sufi mysticism
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Muslim leader
Period in office	8th century

Life in Sindh

Abdullah Shah Ghazi was born in 98 Hijri Or 109 Hijri. In 738 he came to Karachi during the Ummayad Dynasty's rule. It is said that both the Ummayads and Abbasids viewed him as a threat to their reign. This prompted Abbasids to persecute and martyr him in 151 Hijra under the Caliph Abu Jafar Mansoor tenure, who is the 2nd Caliph of Abbasid dynasty. His devotees and disciples chose the hillock along the coast of Karachi as his burial ground. There are other versions of the saint's arrival in the region and his background.^[3]

Martyrdom

Old Shrine before renovation

Inside the shrine of the Abdullah Shah Ghazi

Sohail Lari suggested in his book, A History of Sindh that Shah Ghazi was an Arab merchant who had come to Sindh with the first wave of Arab conquerors. However, another historian, M. Daudpota, suggested that Ghazi arrived in the area from Iraq as a commander, who along with Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, fought Sindh's Hindu ruler, Raja Dahir, in the eighth century.^[4] Abdullah Shah Ghazi was said to have been killed in a forest in the Sindh by his enemies. His devotees buried his body on top of a hill in a coastal area, where he had earlier arrived on an Arab ship. This area now lies in the vicinity of Clifton and Sea View in Karachi.^[4]

Shrine

The tomb is constructed on an elevated platform, while the body is laid to rest in a subterranean crypt. The shrine comprises a tall, square chamber adorned with Sindhi tile work, flags, and buntings, crowned by a striking green-and-white striped dome. Devotees tenderly touch the silver railing surrounding the burial site, adorning it with floral garlands. The shrine commands deep admiration and reverence from people belonging to diverse ethnicities and religious backgrounds.^[4][5]

Until the early twentieth century, the shrine stood as a humble hut atop a sandy hill in Clifton. It was Syed Nadir Ali Shah, a revered Sufi saint belonging to the Qalandariyya Sufi Order of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, who became the custodian of the shrine and played a pivotal role in its construction and development.^[6][7][8][9] Under his supervision, the iconic dome of the shrine, the windowed ambulatory, the Mosque, the free kitchens or Langar Khana, the Qawwali court, and the pilgrim lodge within its premises were constructed. Additionally, a long stairway leading to the shrine was built.^[8][10] His efforts transformed the shrine into a center of spirituality and community service. Over the years, the shrine has become a magnet for people from various sects, ethnicities, and sections of society, who are drawn to its spiritual aura and devotion.^[5] The shrine's distinct features, such as the provision of free meals and soul-stirring Qawwali performances, have long been maintained in connection with Syed Nadir Ali Shah's dervish lodge, known as Kafi Sakhi Sarwar, in Sehwan Sharif.^[2][7][11] In 1962, the administrative control of the shrine was transferred to the Auqaf department. Subsequently, in 2011, the shrine underwent a renovation of its exterior under the ownership of the Pakistani construction giant, Bahria Town.^[12] This renovation elicited mixed responses from the residents of Karachi.^[13]

The Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine was attacked in 2010 by militants who detonated two suicide bombs at the shrine, killing 10 and injuring 50.^[4]

Langar

The "langar," or free kitchen, provides meals three times a day, seven days a week, serving individuals in need. This initiative began in the 1930s by Syed Nadir Ali Shah, the shrine's custodian at the time. Following his passing in 1974, the tradition was continued by his successor, Syed Arif Ali Shah. This charitable service has been consistently upheld by his disciples ever since.^{[7][10][6][14]}

Association with Abdullah Al Ashtar

Abdullah Shah Ghazi has often been associated with Abdullah Al Ashtar who was the son of Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya who fled to Sindh after his father's rebellion in 762. However this has caused some confusions since some reports say that Abdullah Shah Ghazi came to Sindh during the time of the Umayyads and was killed by them, whereas the historical Abdullah Al Ashtar came during the Abbasid rule and was killed by the Abbasid governor.

See also

• List of mausoleums and shrines in Pakistan
• Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, descendant of Imam Hasan ibn Ali
• Gazi Pir
• Syed Nadir Ali Shah
• Islam in South Asia