Dargah -e- Hazrat Peer Muhammad Shah Library:

It is one of the rich and prominent libraries in Ahmedabad city. The founder of this library was Sayyid Muhammad, son of Shah Amin entitled as Habibullah and popularly known as Peer Muhammad Shah, who is regarded as one of the great sufistic personalities of Gujarat. He was born on 15th Sha 'ban 1100 A.H. at Bijapur city in Andhra Pradesh, which was earlier known as Deccan. He was a posthumous child and lost his mother also during his childhood. He was brought up under the guardianship of his uncle Abdul Rehman. He memorised the holy Quran when he was seven years old. He also studied esoteric as well as exoteric sciences under the supervision and guidance of his uncle. He joined Qadri order at the age of nine and left for Hejaz to acquire further knowledge in Islamic science. He continued his studies in Mecca for six years under the able guidance of proficient schotars of high repute. Later he went to Medina and stayed there for seven years to quench his thirst of knowledge in Islamic studies. He came back to India at the age of 23 and settled down at Ahmedabad. He was a hermit of pious deeds, excellent in prose writings and often composed poems under the pen name of Qudsi. He composed 18 elegies in Persian and Urdu describing the tragedies of lOth of Muharram and inhuman oppressions inflicted upon Imam Husain (peace be upon him). Some of his prominent literary works may be mentioned as under:
1. Ma.imo'a -e- Resail: it consists of 25 treatises in Persian regarding the genealogies of the great Sufis.
2. Noorush Shuyukh: A brief life sketch of some great sufi scholars in Persian and the genealogies of those who were his relatives.
3. Mukashifat : It is a collection of three Persian poems of Peer Muhammad Shah under the pen name of Qudsi.
4. Majmu'a -e- Ghazaliyat: It is a collection of his Persian odes (Ghazals) recited on the subject of monotheism.
5. Ishqullah: It is ielated to the qualities 01' a sufi who treads on the path of divine love.
6. Marathi (Elegies): It is a collection of his urdu and Persian poems describing the martyrdom 01' Hazrat Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).
Peer Muhammad Shal1 did not introduce his successor but his disciples and followers kept his memory alive. His burial place, immediately after his death, was converted into a place of shrine 1()r his devotees. A committee was constituted to look after the affairs of' his mausoleum, which is still active. Similarly in order to preserve books mostly belonging to Peer Muhammad Shah, a library was also established adjacent to his shrine, which is still functioning under the able supervision of the Board of Directors of the shrine and is considered to be one of the best libraries from the maintenance point of view. Seven volumes of the catalogue of Arabic and Persian manuscripts preserved in the library have already been published in Urdu language. Our request to make micrutilms of these manuscripts was wannly welcomed by the trustces of thc shrine. The first part of this catalogue consists of the microfilms 01' the manuscripts preserved at the library of Peer Muhammad Shah.

Dr. Mehdi Khwajeh Piri
15th Aban 1380 A.H. (Solar)/6th November 2001 A.D.