Sultan Ul Auliya , Imam-e-Waqt
, Raees us Saleheen Hazrat Syed Abdul Rehman Shah (Known as) Syed Bulbul Shah :
Sultan Ul Auliya , Imam-e-Waqt , Raees us Saleheen Hazrat Syed Abdul Rehman Shah
(Known as) Syed Bulbul Shah : People called him with the epithet of the
nightingale of Kashmir, Bulbul Shah's Real name was Syed Sheriff Uddin Abdul
Rehman and title Syed Bilal that owing to frequent use changed into Bulbul.
Hence he came to be known as Bulbul Shah or the Bulbul-e-Kashmir. Bulbul Shah
sought allegiance to the renowned saint, Shah Nemat-Ullah Farisi Shirazi, of the
Suharawardy Order who, in turn, looked to Zia Uddin-Ul-Najeeb Abdul Qahiri.
Bulbul Shah's native town is a matter of controversy among the writers. Dr. S. N
Naz thinks, he was from the region of Tamkastan of the ancient Iran, some
relates him to Baghdad; still others trace him from Turkistan. He reached
Kashmir with his friend Mullah Ahmad. Some hold, he came to Kashmir with one
thousand refugees out of the fear of the Mangols. Others believe, he entered the
valley in 1324 AD. during the reign of Ranchan Shah. We think his arrival during
the reign of Ranchan Shah, a Bodh ruler, is more probable. Rancher Shah was a
seeker of Truth. Hinduism could not satisfy him and found the answer with Bulbul
Shah. His meeting with Bulbul left a deep mark on him and he learnt the teaching
of Islam from his precepts and actions. He embraced Islam under the assumed name
Sadar Uddin, and along with him thousands became Muslims.
Ranchan Shah shared a greater responsibility in the propagation of Islam. He
ordered for the construction of a monastery for Bulbul Shah, came to be known as
the Khanqah-e-Bulbul Shah which formerly stood in the Mohalla Bulbullinko. In
addition to it, he raised a mosque and several other buildings which don't exist
now and of which we read in books only.
The nobles who turned to Islam included the commander of the Kashmir forces,
Ravan Chandra. He adopted Bibi Lalla, the saint, as his daughter and foretold
that she would be a great saint. This proved true.
Hazrat Syed Bulbul Shah was a great scholar, a man of letters, and a theologian.
Besides, he had reached the lovely end in intrinsic and spiritual learning. He
illuminated the darkness of the hearts with the torch of the faith.
Once it grew very cold in Kashmir. The water in the river Jhelum froze hard.
People suffered for want of water. Bulbul Shah himself went in search of water
but the Jhelum water was so hard that it refused to break. He saw towards the
sky and said, "Where is the sun to melt the snow from its heat?" It is said, the
sun rose and frozen snow melted.
Bulbul Shah was a wonderful and impressive man. Whatever he said did it built a
place of peace and quiet in the form of a monastery from where ran the stream of
benedictions and Faith that lit the entire valley.
He died on 7, Rajab 722 Hijri (1326 AD)