Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi

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Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi

Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
Full name Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
Era ریاض احمدگوھرشاہی
Region Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
Main interests Divine Love, Spiritualism, Religion
Notable ideas Dhikr-e-Qulb
Influenced

Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi (ریاض احمدگوھرشاہی) (born ‎25 November, 1941)[1] [2] is a Pakistani author, spiritual leader and founder of Messiah Foundation International and International Spiritual Movement Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam. [3][4][5][6]

He was born in the Indian sub-continent, in a small village of Gohar Shah in the district of Rawalpindi.

Contents

[change] Name

Gohar Shahi delivering speech to Sikh Community in a Sikh Temple in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in 1997

His full name is Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi, which is in Urdu. The meaning of first part of his name Riaz is "Peace" or "Garden",[7] Ahmed is another name of Muhammad and Gohar Shahi means "Royal Gem". Gohar Shahi is used with his name because of his ancestor Baba Gohar Ali Shah who was a renowned Sufi and spiritualist. The village where Gohar Shahi was born is also dedicated to Baba Gohar Ali Shah for many centuries and called Dhok Gohar Shah, means “Village of Gohar Shah”. Gohar Shahi is the fifth generation of Baba Gohar Ali Shah.[8]

[change] History

Al-Hajj Sayyed Fazal Hussain father of Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
Sarkar Gohar Shahi blessings to Shia Community in Imam Bargah-e-Noor-e-Iman, Karachi in 1997

He was born on 25 November 1941 in Dhok Gohar Shah, a village located in District Rawalpindi, Pakistan.[2] At the age of twenty, when Gohar Shahi was the owner of F. Q. Steel Industries (Registered) he started to search for spiritualism amongst the saints and dervishes of the time.[2] He soon found that his heart remained unfulfilled. Eventually upon becoming disillusioned with the saints and dervishes which he encountered, and being disappointed in not receiving Spiritual Benevolence he returned to his work. Gohar Shahi then married and had three children.[8] At about the age of thirty four Bari Imam appeared before him and said: "My son your time has come, you must go to the shrine of Sultan Bahu to receive the Sacred Inner Dimensions of Spiritual Knowledge."[2] Gohar Shahi then left his work, family and parents and went to Shorkot, where under the blissful supervision of Sultan Bahu made the book "Nurul Huda (Light of Guidance)" (a book written by Sultan Bahu),[9] his journey's companion. He then went to Sehwan Sharif for self-mortification and peace of heart, and spent a period of three years in the mountains of Sehwan Sharif and the forest of Laal Bagh in Self-Purification.[2][8]

In a very short time the message of Gohar Shahi became fairly popular in Pakistan and internationally. Gohar Shahi was invited to mosques, Hindu temples, churches, Sikh temples, Imam Bargahs to deliver speech. He was the first ever Muslim Spiritual Leader who was invited by people of all faith in their places of worships.[10][4]

[change] Literary works

The spiritual inner entities of Human body explored & defined by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi in Menara-e-Noor

Gohar Shahi wanted to preach the message of spiritualism, which was based on divine love of God.[2] To serve this purpose he formed International Spiritual Movement Anjuman Serfaroshan-e-Islam in 1980.[2] He also authored a number of books on spiritualism. His works includes a book on Sufi poetry as well known as “Turyaaq-e-Qulb” means “Cure for hearts”. The listing of books written by Gohar Shahi includes:

  • Ruhani Safar (Spiritual Journey)
  • Menara-e-Noor (Minaret of Light)
  • Roshnash (An Induction)
  • Tuhfa-tul-Majalis (Gift of Congregations)
  • Deen-e-Illahi (The Religion of God)—considered Gohar Shahi's most important work by his followers.

[change] The Teachings

Gohar Shahi often talks about his three years in the wilderness, and sees them as the best part of his life. He claimed to have returned to the world on the Commandment of God. Contrary to his expectations, he had to go through humiliation and rejections.[2] In first four years of preaching the message, only five people favored it. Then, gradually young seekers accepted his teachings. He turned the hearts of several hundred thousand people towards the Remembrance and the Love of God. Gohar Shahi sought a spiritual revival based on Divine Love of God and emphasized Self-Purification through Dhikr-e-Qulb (Remembrance of Allah with HeartBeats).[2] Gohar Shahi was in favor of divine love and considers it most important for an approach to God and no discrimination of caste, creed, nation or religion is accepted for Divine Love of God as every human has been gifted with an ability to develop spiritual power to approach to the essence of God. However, orthodox theological scholars criticized and condemned the teachings of Gohar Shahi.[2]

[change] Sufi's response

Though orthodox theological scholars condemned the teachings of Gohar Shahi and criticized him heavily not just in Pakistan but throughout the world but on the other side number of internationally renowned Sufis including Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani and Sultan-al Awliya Shaykh Mawlana as-Sayyid Khwaja Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani al-Rabbani al-Qubrusi al-Firdausi an-Naqshbandi and Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri. They respected Gohar Shahi for his services rendered to the mankind to preach the Divine Love of God without any discrimination of Caste, Creed, Nation or Religion. Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani always used to sit beneath the feet of Gohar Shahi to show respect for him. A number of Sufis including Pir of Ghamkool Sharif, Pir of Dhannakka Sharif, Pir Kaki Tarrur, Ghulam Nabi Kashmiri alias Samandri Baba and Siraj Baba also respected Gohar Shahi and said that he is the one who has been the most honoured person by Allah.

[change] Opposition

Gohar Shahi in Brokelane (New York)'s Jamia Mosque Turk in 1997

Muslim sufi history witnessed that most of Sufis faced opposition and criticism of orthodox theological scholars(The Mullahs), even some were executed like Hallaj.[11] Gohar Shahi also faced very strong opposition from different religious leaders and orthodox theological scholars,[12] The teachings of Gohar Shahi were strongly condemned by orthodox theological scholars of the time, Muslim extremists and bigots developed enmity with Gohar Shahi. Many attempts were made to his life.[4] A petrol bomb was thrown in his Manchester's residence. There was an attack with hand grenade during the discourse at his home in Kotri, Pakistan. A high price tag was put on his head in Pakistan. He was the subject of entrapment through five serious allegations. Gohar Shahi's teachings have been condemned by Muslim religious leaders and the Pakistani government.[13][4]


Gohar Shahi's supporters claim that the images of Gohar Shahi have been appeared on the Moon, Sun, and the Al-Hajar-ul-Aswad (Black Stone) of Kaaba[5] caused greater opposition.[4] He faced media-trial, due to pressure of religious extremists, the Government of Pakistan also used all sources to eliminate the organization of Gohar Shahi.[10][4] His book was banned by the Government of Pakistan,[13][4] public meetings are not allowed to his followers[14][4] and also no press coverage is allowed to either Gohar Shahi or to his followers due to charges of blasphemy law.[4] Several cases were filed against Gohar Shahi and his followers.[4] Gohar Shahi, and many of his followers,[15] were later convicted under Islamic blasphemy laws[12][16] by an antiterrorist court in Sindh.[17] Gohar Shahi was convicted in absentia[16]—as he was in England at that time[15]—resulting in sentences that totaled approximately 59 years.[12]

[change] Reports of death or disappearance

According to the Pakistani Press Foundation Shahi died in 2001.[18] An article from 2006 in the Sunday Telegraph reports that Shahi died in 2003,[18] and a 2009 article in Your Local Guardian also says he was reported to have died in 2003.[19]

The Hindustan Times reports Shah as a living person as of 2008[20]. The Indian news agencies PTI, the Indian Express and Zee News all reported that Shahi was living and based in the United Kingdom.[21][22][23]

[change] References

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  1. ↑ Ekbal; Nikhat (2009-02-01). "4" (in English). Great Muslims of Undivided India (1 ed.). Mumbai: Kalpaz Publications. p. 141. ISBN 978-8178357560. http://books.google.com/books?id=JsDNDeHkb8AC&pg=PA139&dq=gohar+shahi&hl=en&ei=EBpeTZjNEIGUOoua3K0N&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gohar%20shahi&f=true. Retrieved 21 February 2011. {{|date=November 2011}}
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 President of ASI
  3. ↑ "Messiah Foundation International Site about Shahi". Messiah Foundation International. http://www.goharshahi.com. Retrieved March 13, 2010. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 The Conspiracy against Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Face of Gohar Shahi appeared on Kaaba
  6. ↑ "Website from Pakistan Sector". goharshahi.pk. http://goharshahi.pk/images/ie-about.html. Retrieved March 12, 2010. 
  7. ↑ Meaning of the name Riaz
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 About Gohar Shahi
  9. ↑ Books of Sultan Bahu
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Gohar Shahi Chief of ASI
  11. ↑ [Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, Thompson Gale, (2004), p.290]
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "The Man in the Moon" by Ardeshir Cowasjee
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Pakistan's Supreme Court upholds ban on a Shahi disciple's book
  14. ↑ 10 held for raising slogans in favour of Gohar Shahi
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Int’l Religious Freedom Report - May, 2001
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by United States of America
  17. ↑ U.S. State Department Religious Freedom Report 2000
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Structure and objective of the Mehdi Foundation and the perception of this movement in Pakistan, 5 December 2008, http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/49997ae7d.pdf, retrieved 9 October 2009 
  19. ↑ Whalley, Kirsty (September 30, 2009). "Croydon religious leader faces life in Pakistani jail for his beliefs". Your Local Guardian. http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/topstories/4645892.Croydon_religious_leader_faces_life_in_Pakistani_jail_for_his_beliefs. Retrieved March 6, 2010. 
  20. ↑ Abhishek Sharan (November 27, 2008). "67 Pakistanis in Tihar who don’t want to return home". Hindustan Times. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=1c5bcee3-d30c-4125-bd18-063f0f6b8581. Retrieved April 25, 2010. 
  21. ↑ "HC stays deportation of 67 Pakistani nationals", Indian Express (New Delhi), November 19, 2008, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-stays-deportation-of-67-pakistani-nationa/387834/, retrieved 9 October 2009 
  22. ↑ Bureau Report (December 17, 2008). "Delhi HC seeks response from Centre on Pakistan nationals' plea". Zee News (New Delhi). http://www.zeenews.com/states/2008-12-17/491805news.html. Retrieved May 7, 2010. 
  23. ↑ Structure and objective of the Mehdi Foundation and the perception of this movement in Pakistan, 5 December 2008, http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/49997ae7d.pdf, retrieved 9 October 2009 

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