Shah Mustafa

Syed Shāh Muṣṭafā al-Baghdādi (Arabic: سید شاه مصطفى البغدادي‎), popularly known as Shah Mustafa[1] (Bengali: শাহ মোস্তফা), is a Sufi Muslim figure in the Sylhet region. Mustafa's name is associated with the spread of Islam into Moulvibazar, part of a long history of travel between the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. He took part in the Conquest of Sylhet under Shah Jalal's leadership in 1303. He is also referred to with the Persian sobriquets; Sher-e-Sowar (Tiger Rider) and Chabukmar (Snake Whipper).[2]

Syed Shah Mustafa Sher-e-Sowar Chabukmar Al-Baghdadi
Title	Sher-e-Sowar, Chabukmar
Other names	Shah Mostafa, Shah Mostofa
Personal
Born	Baghdad, Ilkhanate, Mongol Empire (modern-day Iraq)
Died	January 14, 1336 Chandrapur, Srihatta, Tughlaq Sultanate (modern-day Moulvibazar, Bangladesh)
Resting place	Dargah-e-Shah Mustafa, Dargah Mahalla, Moulvibazar
Religion	Islam
Nationality	Iraqi
Spouse	Salma Khatun, Bibi Hamira and 1 other
Children	Syed Ismail, Syed Shah Nasrullah, Syed Shah Hasan
Parents	Syed Sultan Qadiri (father)
Denomination	Sufi (Suhrawardiyya)
School	Shafi‘i
Lineage	Abdul Qadir Gilani
Other names	Shah Mostafa, Shah Mostofa
Relatives	Shah Ismail & Shah Yasin (nephews), Syed Abdul Majid (descendant), Helimuddin & Chandra Singh (fathers-in-law)
Muslim leader
Based in	Moulvibazar
Period in office	Early 14th century
Post	Sufi saint and mystic

Life

Early life

Shah Mustafa was present during the Siege of Baghdad (1258).

Shah Mustafa was born and raised in a traditional Islamic home in Baghdad, Iraq.[3] His father was Syed Sultan who was a descendant of the Islamic scholar Abdul Qadir Gilani.[4] Some sources also mention that his forefathers migrated to Baghdad from Makkah.[5] Mustafa married a Syeda lady and had a son named Syed Ismail. Although he was educated by the Qadiri order, it is said he followed the tariqah of Suhrawardiyya in his later life.

Migration

During Shah Jalal's expedition towards the Indian subcontinent from Hadhramaut in Yemen, Shah Jalal passed through the city of Baghdad, which was under occupation by the Ilkhanate, the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire ruled by Hulagu Khan. Here, Shah Mustafa and his son, Ismail, met Jalal and decided to accompany him in his expedition following the murder of the last Abbassid caliph Al-Musta'sim in 1258.[6] In 1303, Mustafa and Ismail took part in the third battle of the Conquest of Sylhet under Shah Jalal's leadership.

Following the victory, Shah Jalal ordered Shah Mustafa, Nur Ali Shah, Syed Ismail and others to migrate to Chandrapur (modern-day Moulvibazar) to preach the religion of Islam.[7] Here, Mostafa built a small cottage on top a little hill to live in which was located in a village in close proximity to Borshijura.[2] This area would later become known as Mostafapur, named after himself. The area at this time was governed by Raja Chandra Narayan Singh, who is said to have been a member of the Ita royal family or locally governing under the greater Tripura Kingdom. Mustafa requested permission to live in his kingdom but the Raja did not accept it. Ismail passed away during this period. It is said that from his small cottage, Mustafa would host a hujra and preach to the local people as many people would visit him. Singh was angered after hearing that many people are converting to Islam after attending Shah Mustafa's hujra. He issued a formal directive to Shah Mustafa to vacate from his domain.[4]

One day, a poisonous snake sat itself onto the Raja's throne and none of the Raja's men could get rid of it.[7] Meetings were held in the Raja's palace on top of Satpabiya Hill in Borshijura pondering on how to address this incident. At the same time, as the royal men were busy in the palace, a tiger had entered the marketplaces and was causing havoc across Singh's domain.[8] The news of these incidents reached Shah Mustafa. Mustafa finally departed from his cottage and decided to go to the palace. On the way, he came across the tiger in Borshijura and tamed it in such a way that he rode it as he continued his journey. He then arrived at the palace in Satpabiya and used his chabuk to defeat the snake.[9] The Raja became impressed with Shah Mustafa's courage and then permitted him to remain in his domain. The Raja also let his only child, Salma Khatun, marry Shah Mustafa although it is debated whether the Raja himself accepted Islam.[2] The couple had a son, Syed Shah Nasrullah, who was also seen as a notable religious figure.[4] Shah Mustafa also succeeded Chandra Singh in ruling over Chandrapur.[2] Raja Chandra Singh built a new palace for himself, north of Deorachhara Tea Estate, in Kamalganj. The ruins of this new palace, just west of the Samerkona village, as well as a large pond known as the Rajar Dighi remains today.[10]

Shah Mustafa also married Bibi Hamira, the daughter of Shah Abd Al-Malik of Kanihati, another companion of Shah Jalal, and they had a child called Syed Shah Hasan.

Legacy

To this day, there are many places named after Shah Mustafa across Moulvibazar District. Most notably, the mazar of the Sufi pir is located in Dargah Mahalla, Moulvibazar. Every year in this dargah, Mustafa's urs is commemorated and has been for nearly 700 years.[11] The event attracts many people and a two-day mela is held around the complex.[12][13] On the south-western corner of the complex are the dargahs of Shah Mustafa's two nephews, Shah Ismail and Shah Yasin.[8] Raja Chandra Narayan Singh's palaces still remain in Khalilpur and Deorachhara.[14]

Eponyms

• Dargah-e-Shah Mustafa, Dorgah Road
• Mostafapur Union in Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila is named after the village in which Shah Mustafa lived in and preached.
• Shah Mostafa Road, Moulvibazar
• Shah Mustafa Square, opposite Collectorate House
• Shah Mustafa Academy, K B Alauddin Road
• Shah Mustafa Jame Masjid, Rajnagar
• Syed Shah Mustafa College, Shamsher Nagar Road
• Syed Shah Mustafa Hafizia Madrasa, Dorgah Road
• Syed Shah Mustafa Jame Masjid, 16 Crown Terrace, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB11 6HD

Descendants

Most of his descendants reside across the historic Chowallish Pargana in the areas of Mostafapur, Dargah Mahalla, Gavindasri, Dhorkapon, Kazirgaon, Kholapara and Hilalpur, and carry the name of Syed.[8][5]

Moulvibazar District is named after Moulvi Syed Qudratullah, the son of Syed Hurmotullah who was the descendant of Shah Mustafa's nephew, Shah Yasin.

Another descendant of Shah Mustafa is Syed Muhibullah who was also a notable 'alim during his time who lived in Kazi Elias Para, Sylhet with his son Syed Abdul Jalil. Abdul Jalil's son was Syed Abdul Majid (Kaptan Miah) who was a famous politician born in 1872. Abdul Majid was an elite who was invited to attend the Delhi Durbar of 1911 during Emperor George V's visit to the subcontinent as well as the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference and given titles such as Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire and Khan Bahadur by the British Empire.[15]

See also

• Moulvi Syed Qudratullah
• Shah Jalal
• Syed Abdul Majid

References

1. also spelt Mostafa or Mostofa
2. "শের সওয়ার, চাবুক মার" (in Bengali). Shaptahik. 2009.
3. "Bāṃlā Ekāḍemī patrikā". Bangla Academy Patrika. Bangla Academy. 48. 2004.
4. Rajat Kanti Goswami (31 March 2007). "Journey Through Bangladesh: Hazrat Shah Mustafa's Legacy". 2 (7). Star Insight (Daily Star).
5. Rashid, Ahmad (1976). Tazkeratul Aoliya. Shireen Publications. pp. 137–139.
6. Ibn Battutah. The Rehla of Ibn Battuta. He had seen Caliph al-Musta’sim Billah al-Abbasi at Baghdad, and that he was there at the time of his murder.
7. Syed Murtaza Ali (1965). হজরত শাহ জালাল ও সিলেটের ইতিহাস [Hazrat Shah Jalal and the History of Sylhet]. p. 42.
8. Mujibur Rahman Mujib (10 January 2019). "পীরে কামেল হযরত সৈয়দ শাহ" (in Bengali). Patakuri.
9. "জানুয়ারি হযরত সৈয়দ শাহ্ মোস্তফা (রঃ) এর উরস মোবারক" (in Bengali). Jalalabad Barta. 13 January 2019.
10. Patrikā, Volume 6. Bengali Academy. 1962. p. 103.
11. S M Umed Ali (15 January 2017). "মৌলভীবাজারে শাহ মোস্তফা (রহ.) দরগায় ওরস শুরু" (in Bengali). NTV.
12. "District census report". Population Census of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning. 1974. p. 30.
13. "হযরত সৈয়দ শাহ মোস্তফা (রঃ) এর ৬৭৮ তম ওরুস মোবারক শুরু" (in Bengali). Moulvibazar Barta. 17 January 2019.
14. "Introduction". Moulvibazar.com. January 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
15. Chowdhury, MKI Quayyum. "Majid, Khan Bahadur Syed Abdul". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.