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.