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HADRAT SHEIKH SAYED AHMED BADSHA PEER (ALAIHIR RAHMAH)

Hadrat Badsha Peer's (alaihir rahmah) genealogical lineage can be traced right up to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He was a Hassani and Hussaini Sayed. He belonged to four Silsilas, namely, Qaderia, Chistiya, Suharwardia and Naqshabandia Silsilas.

Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) arrived in South Africa in the year 1860. In the early 1850's the governments of India and South Africa were constantly negotiating with a view to bringing indentured labourers to South Africa. The South African government finally decided to bring out labourers from India under contract to work the sugar cane fields in Natal.

The first ship that was contracted to bring the Indians to South Africa was called the Truro, which left India in the first week of October 1860. Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) was among the 203 males, 87 females, 21 boys, 19 girls and 10 infants aboard the ship. The long and difficult journey took approximately six weeks. On the 16th of November 1860, the Truro arrived in the Durban harbour. A large crowd awaited their arrival - the first batch of Indians to South Africa. The passengers were then transported to the Addington Barracks and kept there for some time while their contracts were being drawn up. Thereafter they were dispatched to various centres in Natal. Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) chose to go to the Natal North Coast.

The Natal Sugar Estates hired Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) for his services. The contracts were for 5 and 10 years. Those with 5 year contracts were repatriated at their own expenses and those with 10 year contracts were given a choice of either going back to India at the expenses of the S.A. government or settle in the country. After the expiry of their contracts, some Indian families returned to India but most elected to settle in Natal. Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah), being guided by higher spiritual authority, decided to settle in South Africa.

As time went, the Indians settled in to normal life, many in cultivating while others switching to business. Each labourer was allocated a specific area to plough and cultivate and as Hadrat Badsha Peer's (alaihir rahmah) attention and concentration began to increase towards Almighty Allah, so he began to lose interest in his work. Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) continued to engage in his meditation and spiritual exercises under the shade of a tree. The other field workers feared that he would be punished and reprimanded for neglecting his duties, but at the end of the day his fellow-workers were stunned to see that the plot of land allocated to Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) was complete, yet never saw him move from under the tree. "Unseen hands" used to complete Hadrat Badsha Peer's (alaihir rahmah) work. This trend continued for some time until his fellow-workers realised that Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) was no ordinary man as only a great saint could perform such a miracle.

When his foreman and superiors realised Hadrat Badsha Peer's (alaihir rahmah) extraordinary personality, they offered him his full salary and honourably released him from his duties. Refusing to accept the salary for work he did not do, all he asked was to be transported to Durban, which was duly obliged.

On his arrival in Durban, Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) went straight to the Grey Street Mosque (Durban, South Africa). The mosque in those days was relatively small and the tin shanty that stood behind the mosque became Hadrat Badsha Peer's (alaihir rahmah) dwelling place right up to the day he left this world. Soon Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) became a familiar figure among the musallies, yet very few, if any, really understood or recognised his spiritual status. Very few suspected that he was really a Majzoob or a Wali in constant communion with his Creator and unconcerned with the world around him. The many predictions were not taken seriously by the people, because of their ignorance and lack of understanding of his saintly status.

Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) had only four companions, two of them are Hadrat Saaiya Bawa and Hadrat Cassim Bawa (radi Allahu anhuma), whose Mazaars are situated in Pietermaritzburg. The other two are Hadrat Fateh Bawa (alaihir rahmah), whose grave is located at the entrance of Brook Street Cemetery and Hadrat Sayed Sahaab (alaihir rahmah), who is buried just behind Hadrat Badsha Peer's (alaihir rahmah) Mazaar.

Just as he had predicted a week earlier, Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah), passed away on the 6th of Rabi-ul-Awwal in the year 1886, just as the Mu'ezzin was reciting the second Azaan on the day of Jummah. As the musallies were walking out of the Jamaat Khana, they noticed a figure dressed in white lying next to the Wudhu Khana. On checking they noticed that it was the blessed figure of Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) and he had passed away.

Long before his demise Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) had predicted that a great Muslim missionary and saint by the name of Hadrat Shah Goolam Muhammad Soofie, Hadrat Soofie Saheb (alaihir rahmah) will be arriving in South Africa to settle and propagate Islam.

In the year 1895, Hadrat Soofie Saheb (alaihir rahmah) arrived in South Africa, 14 years after the demise of Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah). Through his spiritual powers, he located the grave of Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah). Placing two stones on either side of the grave, he informed the people that here lies a Kaamil Wali and a genuine friend of Allah. Hadrat Soofie Saheb (alaihir rahmah) then had a shelter built over the grave with wood and iron. He even celebrated the first Ur's of Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah).