The charity was founded by the Khulafa of Darbar e Aaliya Ghamkol Sharif under the guidance and support of Ala Hazrat Khawaja Qibla Syed Zinda Peer Sahib رحمة الله عليه, known as Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه)(1912 – 1999), of Darbar e Aaliya Ghamkol Sharif.
The roots of our Charity, go back as far as 1952, to an area, now known as Ghamkol Sharif.
Ghamkol Sharif is located in a valley, just off the outskirts, of a local town called Kohat (approximately 3 miles) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, (previously known as the North West Frontier Province) of Pakistan.
This area is close to the birth place of Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه), Jungle Khail, Kohat.
Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), is a great noble saint of this era, who spent his(رحمة الله عليه), life in the worship of Allah ﷻ and in the love of Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ.
After a short period in the army, Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه), in 1952, went to Hajj. On his(رحمة الله عليه) return, and on the commandment of Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ, he(رحمة الله عليه) initiated the movement, Ghamkol Sharif, in this uninhabited and unnamed barren valley.
Within the next two decades, Khulafa settled across the globe, including Birmingham. By the late nineteen-fifties, there were a number of Khulafa and followers who had settled in and around Birmingham. The majority had migrated to the UK, for economic reasons and came from rural areas of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.
These first Khulafa, identified a need to help the newly arrived Muslim community. By the early ninety-eighties the Charity was established on Golden Hillock Road, Small Heath, to help achieve this.
Sufism relates to the inward or spiritual dimension of Islam, characterised by values, rituals, practices and doctrines within defined institutions. The practice of Sufism is split across different Tariqas. A Tariqa is a Sufi path of spiritual learning (school of thought), or a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order. A Tariqa follows a set of guiding principles established by recognised and exceptional individuals throughout Islamic history. These individuals established different Tariqas according to their understanding, derived from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and applicable to the needs of local communities.
The four predominant tariqas in the Indian subcontinent are:
This Sufi order was founded by Hazrat Baha-ud-din Naqshband Bukhari, رضي الله عنه in around 1300 -1400
This Sufi order was founded by Shaykh Sayyid Abdul Qadir Al Jaylani, رضي الله عنه in around 1070 – 1170
This Sufi order was founded by Shaykh Abu Al-Najib Abdul Qadir Suharwardi, رضي الله عنه in around 1090 -1170
This Sufi order was founded by Abu Ishaq Shaami, رضي الله عنه in around 850 AD – 950 AD.
The interpretation and implementation of a Sufi school of thought or Tariqa into the daily lives of fellow Sufi travellers is the responsibility of a Shaykh (leader/guide) or Wali Allah (Friend of Allah). The word Shaykh in this context is used as one who has attained spiritual mastery. Whereas in the Arab world it widely implies one who has grasped the physical aspects of Islam and is a scholar. In the Indian subcontinent the word Pir is also commonly used.
Within a Tariqa, individual guides (Awliya Allah), establish their own identity, by naming their movement. Thereby giving interdependent recognition to the movement, and the opportunity to promote the movement, according to the rituals, practises and values of the Awliya Allah that are needed for a particular community.
Movements are commonly prefixed with the words ‘Darbar’ or ‘Darbar e Aaliya’ and ending with the term ‘Sharif’.
All spiritual movements must belong to at least one tariqa.
The origins of this spiritual movement originated by the late (1912 – 1999), Ghawth-e-Zamaan Hadhrat Khawaja Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), better known as Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه). The word Zinda implies alive.
Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه), became a Khalifa, around 1942, on his first and only visit, of the spiritual master, Hadhrat Muhammad Qasim Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), (better known as Baba Jee Qasim (رحمة الله عليه)), of the movement called Darbar e Aaliya Mohra Sharif or Mohra Sharif.
He(رحمة الله عليه), was ordered by Baba Jee Qasim (رحمة الله عليه), to not to return to Mohra Sharif, and to establish his(رحمة الله عليه), own movement; naming it Ghamkol Sharif in 1952.
Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), was born in 1912 in the village of Jungle Khail, Kohat. His(رحمة الله عليه), family genealogy traces back to the Best of Creation, the Beloved Prophet Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ through the Beloved Grandsons Sayyiduna Imam Hasan عليه السلام and Sayyiduna Imam Hussain عليه السلام.
From a very early age, Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), used to stay awake during the nights, performing prayers and spiritual meditation, and during the days he(رحمة الله عليه), would keep voluntary fasts.
His(رحمة الله عليه), youth was spent in the service and worship of Allah ﷻ and in the love of Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ. Even at such a young age, whoever came into his(رحمة الله عليه), presence was overwhelmed by his(رحمة الله عليه), aura and spiritual insight. Many have attested, while in his(رحمة الله عليه), presence, their hearts were overwhelmed with his(رحمة الله عليه), spiritual beauty, his(رحمة الله عليه), dedication to and remembrance of Allah ﷻ.
Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه), enlisted in the army as a tailor 1938 and left in 1949. They stayed in the regiment camp until 1952, when they had a dream of the Prophet ﷺ commanding them to perform the Hajj.
In 1952 Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه), performed his(رحمة الله عليه), first Hajj, and went on to perform in excess of 25 further pilgrimages. He(رحمة الله عليه), did not leave Ghamkol Sharif for any reason, except to perform Hajj.
After fulfilling his(رحمة الله عليه), first Hajj obligations, in 1952, Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), arrived in Madina Al Munawwara Ash ‘Sharif and presented their humble self in front of the blessed Court of Our Beloved Master Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ and requested the Beloved ﷺ what his Hukam (Order) is for his life.
Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه), was told by the Beloved Prophet ﷺ to look towards the barren valley near Kohat and Allah ﷻ revealed his destiny.
On one of the mountains surrounding the barren valley, was written Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib’s(رحمة الله عليه), name, and the blessed name of Darbar e Aaliya Ghamkol Sharif. Thereafter, Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه), was gifted the title of ‘Zinda Pir(رحمة الله عليه),’ by the Beloved of Allah ﷻ Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ.
He(رحمة الله عليه), was instructed to go to the Valley of Ghamkol Sharif, for the sake of Allah ﷻ. On arrival at Ghamkol Sharif, they considered themselves as the guest of Allah ﷻ, and thus they never left the blessed valley for the remainder of their life, with the exception to perform Hajj.
Before Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib(رحمة الله عليه),came to the valley, it was a barren dry land, without fresh water, not even for a bird. The valley was uninhabitable and therefore was used as a hideout for bandits.
By the commandment of Allah ﷻ, and through the remembrance of Allah ﷻ, by Hadhrat Zinda Pir Saab(رحمة الله عليه), the valley of Ghamkol Sharif has now become habitable, and has an abundance of water. Ghamkol Sharif now hosts, feeds and serves many hundreds of thousands of people throughout the year.
Hadhrat Zinda Pir Saab(رحمة الله عليه), first place of sitting was a cave, as ordered by our Beloved Master Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ.
After a period of time, he(رحمة الله عليه), was ordered to move to another cave, in the valley, where he(رحمة الله عليه), spent his(رحمة الله عليه), nights in worship and during the day came down to the foot of the cave to meet visitors.
The Urus Mubarak festival, is an annual three-day celebration, held at Ghamkol Sharif, Kohat, Pakistan, which commemorates the death anniversary of Hadhrat Zinda Pir Saab(رحمة الله عليه).
Hundreds of thousands of devotees participate from all over the world. Ghamkol Sharif is honoured to host these devotees, without cost for the three-days, providing shelter, food, water and other amenities.
Devotional poetry based on Hamd, (Praise of Allah ﷻ), Naat (Praise of the Beloved Prophet Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ), and Manqabal (Praise of the saint), and Qur’an is recited throughout the three-day festival.
Today, the blessed family of Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), continues to oversee and implement the teachings of Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), with the same ethos and prescribed manner taught by Hadhrat Zinda Pir Sahib (رحمة الله عليه), at Darbar e Aaliya Ghamkol Sharif.
