Mausoleum of Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Jamal Multani

Mausoleum of Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Jamal Multani

The Mausoleum is situated near Aam Khas garden outside Daulat Gate, Multan. The tomb has been built within a wall resembling a fortification. The tomb lies on a platform of marble and is surrounded by an area paved with marble and black slate. On the North and West side there is an arched corridor which looks like a tunnel. On the south side there is an extensive congregational hall, whose timber roof is embellished with decorative work.

Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Jamal was born in Multan about 1747 AD (1160 AH). His father's name was Hafiz Muhammad Yusuf, that of his grand father Hafiz Abdul Rashid. He belonged to Awan tribe. He memorized the Holy Qur'an when he was still very young. He also studied religious and philosophical sciences. In the student days he used to excel and no one could oppose him in debates. As he advanced in years he felt attracted towards mystical meditation. He found a perfect guide and became disciple of Qibla-e-Aalam Hazrat Nur Muhammad Maharvi, a prominent sufi saint of Chishti order.

Hafiz Muhammad Jamal also learnt and mastered martial arts. Not merely an expert archer himself, he also used to instruct and train the soldiers. He was a unique sufi saint who was an eminent scholar, poet and a warrior as well. He used to fight and lead soldiers of Nawab Muzaffar Khan, ruler of Multan, against forces of Ranjeet Singh who attacked the city many times yet could not capture the fort and city during the lifetime of Hafiz Jamal.

The most reliable source of life history of Hafiz Muhammad Jamal is the book 'Jamalia" written by Maulvi Abdul Aziz Parharvi. As described in the book, Hafiz Muhammad Jamal was radiantly handsome, his teeth were unstrung pearls, his nose marvelously comely, his eyebrows thin, his chin pointed and his beard was extremely graceful. He used to walk at such a pace that young men were unable to keep up with him.

He had a ring, upon which were engraved the words "Allahu jamilun wa yohibbul jamal' (God is beautiful and loves beauty). His discourse used to be most sweet and agreeable. In his life there was no contradiction between preaching and practice. History testifies that very many Hindus also benefited from his teachings and he never acted in a discriminatory way towards them. It is undoubtedly true that after the great Bahauddin Zakariyya Multani it was the Suhrawardi order which flourished in the region. Hafiz Jamal was the first saint to give currency to the Chishti order of sufism in Multan. He also established a very important centre of learning.

Hafiz Jamal died at the age of 66 on 5 Jamadi ul Sani 1226 (7 May 1811). A chronogram for the date of his death was derived by his beloved pupil Munshi Ghulam Hassan from these words of Holy Qur'an: "innl muttaqin fi jannat". Two other chronograms in Persian verses are also inscribed over the eastern gate of the tomb. He married twice and one of his wife was from Laang family. He had a considerable number of spiritual successors such as Khwaja Khuda Bakhsh of Khairpur Tamiwali.

Hafiz Jamal was an excellent poet in Arabic, Persian and Siraiki. His "Seeharfi" is a poem in Siraiki which comprises 29 stanzas of four rhyming lines each, the fourth containing the poet's name 'Jamal'. In this Hafiz Jamal uses the spinning wheel and its appurtenances as symbols of deeds and character. Copy of this 'Seeharfi' is available in the Punjab University Library. It was also once published in Agra, India. Very many accounts of Hafiz Jamal and his sayings were composed, many of which exist in the earlier books. The best known are i) 'Fazail Raziyya', ii) 'Jamalia' , iii) 'Gulzar-e-Jamlia' written in 1325/1907, and iv) 'Anwar-e-Jamlia'. Now many more books have been written.