Khawaja Muhammad Zaman: The Renowned Sufi Saint of Sindh

Khawaja Muhammad Zaman

 The Renowned Sufi Saint of Sindh

Khawaja Muhammad Zaman of Luari (1713 – 1775 AD : 1125 – 1188 AH) was a sufi saint and poet from Sindh province. He was the son of Shaikh Abdul Latif Siddiqi. His father was a descendant of first Rashidun Caliph Abu Bakr. Their forefathers had shifted to Sindh province in Abbasid era.

Biography of Khawaja Muhammad Zaman

Shaikh Abdul Latif was follower of the Naqshbandi sufi sect so Muhammad Zaman learned Quran and Sufi teachings from his father. Then he was sent to Thatta city to study further in the Madrassa of Shaikh Muhammad Sadiq Naqshbandi who was a follower of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. During this time he met Khawaja Abul Masakin, who was a sufi saint and a follower of the Sirhandi saints, and left the madrassa of Muhammad Sadiq Naqshbandi to start sufi training under Abul Masakin from whom he later earneded the title of Sultan Al Aoliya (Master of Sufis). After some time Abul Masakin appointed him his successor and himself went to Mecca for Hajj where he passed away shortly afterwards. Muhammad Zaman then started preaching sufism, training people in the path of divine love. By this time he was a complete Sheikh. Later, Muhammad Zaman moved to his home town Luari and continued his preachings, where he attracted masses of people around him.

He died on the day of January 6, 1775 AD (Dhul-Qadh 4, 1188 AH), and his tomb is in Luari, Sindh province.

Poetry

Muhammad Zaman was also a sufi poet. Though he is said to have said hundreds of poems but just 85 have been available in written form. A collection of these poems is Abyat Sindhi (Sindhi poems). Shaikh Abdul Rahim Garhori, one of his disciples, has written a comprehensive commentary and explanation of these poems, called Sharah Abyat Sindhi. They reflect deep mysteries of sufism and general common sense. Though he was a Naqshbandi and all Naqshbandi sufis follow Wahdat-ash-Shuhūd he seems to have merged Wahdat-ash-Shuhūd and Wahdat-al-Wujūd in his poetry.