Pir Abul Hasan Shah

By Author: Ibrahim Machiwala
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Pir Shihabuddin Shah (d. 1301/1884) married to Bibi Arus Khanum, who gave birth of a son, Abul Hasan Shah and six daughters, viz. Talah, Nushi, Turan Malek, Khadija, Tuman Malik and Zarin Taj. Upon the death of Pir Shihabuddin Shah, Imam Aga Ali Shah declared his infant son, Abul Hasan Shah as a next Pir. In this context, the farman follows:

On the day of the ziarat (December 16, 1884) of Pir Khalilullah (Pir Shihabuddin Shah), Imam Shah Ali Shah summoned the jamat at Wadi (Aga Hall, Bombay), and said, "I accept the son of Pir Khalilullah as Pir and consign him the authority of Pir. Do all the jamat like this or not?" So, the jamat said, "Khudawind! We all like it." Hence Dhani Salamat Datar said, "Well! Then go and please the wife of Pir Khalilullah." The jamat then approached the wife of Pir Khalilullah, and kissed the hand of Pir Abul Hasan Shah, and said to her, "He is now our Pir." (vide the manuscript of Sunder Kalyan Huda Zamerwala. With the farman is attached a note: "This farman has been transcribed by Sunder Kalyan on 4th Bhadarwa Vad, 1958 Samavat (1906 A.D.) from the book of Hansraj Sunderji Bhoykawala, which ...
... was in the house of Sunderji). The Imam is also reported to have said, "I have appointed Abul Hasan Shah as a Pir, who is yet an infant, therefore, I will also appoint a vakil to represent him."

In the manuscript of Varas Ghulam Hussain Varas Kassim of Junagadh, the following farmans are however traced:-

On Monday 13th of Vad (Waning half) of Magsar 1841 Samavat (December 15, 1884), there were the tenth sufra of Pir Khalilullah at Wadi (Aga Hall), so Dhani Salamat said to the jamat, "Tomorrow on Tuesday, I shall deliver farmans."

On next day, December 16, 1884, Imam Ali Shah said, "I give the gadi (authority) of Pir Salamat Khalilullah to his son (Abul Hasan Shah). He is the successor to his gadi. In the material world he is yet an infant, so to discharge his duties, I shall appoint such a vakil that the hearts of you jamat shall be pleased." In the same manuscript, there is one another farman in this context, which reads: On December 28, 1884, Imam Ali Shah said, "In the world, now, my heart is broken. My heart is much affected due to the death of my young sons (Aga Nur Shah and Pir Shihabuddin Shah). Some of you want to do the kangwa ceremony at the hands of the Pir. But he is still an infant, I have left that work at the disposal of Sultan Muhammad."

Hence, Pir Abul Hasan Shah, the son of Pir Shihabuddin Shah became the next Pir when he was hardly two to three months old. He could hardly hold the office for three to four months through his vakil, and died in 1885 in infancy at the age of about six months. It was indeed a great trial for the followers to obey what an Imam ordered. He was buried in Hasanabad in Bombay by the side of his great grandfather Imam Hasan Ali Shah. In the mausoleum, there are three graves, two large and one small. One of the large ones is that of Imam Hasan Ali Shah, and other is built in the memory of Imam Aga Ali Shah, whose body was kept for some times before its transportation to Najaf. The smaller one, on which are hung some wooden miniature cradles is that of Pir Abul Hasan Shah.