Chura sharif is the largest naqshbandi shrine in the sub-continent. The Centre of Naqshbandi order in sub-continent. Almost 73 Dargahs in the sub-continent got spiritualities from this pious and great shrine. Chura Shareef's village has now expanded. The area between Tehsil Pindigep and Khush Aab is known as either Pothwar or Awan Kari. The majority of the people living in this central area are kn
own as Qutb Shahi Awan. The village itself is only populated in one area, the rest three areas are vacant. There may only be a single house made of bricks, the rest are all mud houses, of course, the Masjid's are made of concrete. The focus even now is on simplicity and humbleness. Bawa Ji Pir Syed Noor Muhammad’s (Rahmatullah Alaih) arrival to Chura Shareef The Master of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, Chief Master of Saints, The Forever Flowing Fountain, Pir Syed Noor Muhammad (Rahmatullah Alaih) also known as Bawa Ji, the Founder of Chura Shareef, came to Chura Shareef in 1876 CE. The emigration of Bawa Ji to Chura Shareef was the Will of Allah Almighty, like a Nabi doesn’t speak until he is ordered, similarly a Faqeer who is at the status of Fana Firrasool or Fana Fillah, doesn’t make a move until he is ordered to. It was through Baba Ji Syed Faqeer Muhammad (RA) and their descendents that the subcontinent was to see and feel the Naqshbandi blessings expand rapidly. Before Bawa Ji’s arrival to Chura Shareef, his place of stay was in a tribal area known as Theera, at the border, between Dera Ismail Khan, Kabul and Wana. Theera, even today is referred to as the Blessed Valley by the locals living in the area. For a long time there was a dispute over the construction of a new road in Theera, the locals disagreed to this, they argued that it would be disrespectful to the Blessed Valley, people will play songs and listen to radio, etc. in the sacred city. In the Theera area, there is a village called Akhund Kot, this was the residence of the founder of Chura Shareef, Bawa Ji Syed Noor Muhammad (Rahmatullah Alaih). The local people in Pushto or Persian language define Akhund Kot as the village of the Syed’s. There are varying narrations as to what the reason for Bawa Ji’s migration was. The most common is that Bawa Ji’s two Khadim’s (disciples) from Punjab (Pakistan) had been searching desperately for a Spiritual Guide (Murshid) for a long time, they searched endlessly, eventually they crossed the border, travelled through the tribal area, and arrived in Theera Shareef. When they arrived here, Bawa Ji Syed Noor Muhammad’s younger brother was performing wudu. One of the Khadim’s asked to meet Bawa Ji. The Saint, who was performing wudu replied, that is me. The Khadim said, ‘you cannot be, the features I have been shown do not match you’. The Saint smiled and said, you are a rightful man, Bawa Ji is inside. These two Khadim’s were Bawa Ji’s first Khulafa (deputies); Hazrat Hadi Naamdaar (Rahmatullah Alaih) of Nathyal Shareef and Hazrat Khan-e-Alam (Rahmatullah Alaih) of Bawali Shareef. They both took several trips back and forth. The trips were extremely difficult, long and tiring ones, especially on foot. They both presented their case to Bawa Ji saying that they face immense difficulties travelling from Punjab to Theera Shareef, they requested Bawa Ji to move to Punjab, thus making it easy to maintain regular contact. Bawa Ji replied, ‘wait for Allah’s order, when we get this, we will make the journey’. Bawa Ji said to wait for the right time; one, two, three trips were made, on the fourth occasion Bawa Ji said the order has come, we will now emigrate. This was quite an extraordinary experience, to leave behind an establishment, a beautiful and rich place was very difficult, however as the Faqeer had to spread the Deen and to teach people to revise Allah Allah, they set off. Accompanying Hazrat Bawa Ji on his first trip was his brother, two sons and one grandson. Their first stay after leaving Theera Shareef was at village called Dar-us-Samand. At this point, Bawa Ji’s younger brother, Syed Muhammad Ajab Noor Shah (Rahmatullah Alaih) stopped there and decided to settle there, whose descendents are still living there now. Bawa Ji set off, when they arrived in the village of Chura Shareef, they stopped a little distance away from a stream. Bawa Ji rested on a stone, he had to do wudu and then perform Salah, Bawa Ji’s first miracle in Chura Shareef was seen here. Bawa Ji requested water for wudu, due to weather conditions, there was no water flowing in the stream, he said to remove a little plant and to clear the area. From underneath rose water, Bawa Ji performed wudu and prayed Salah. After praying Salah, the small group of four or five people, crossed the stream and decided to reside there. They made a small hut with wooden pillars, and grass as the roof. They started residing here. Baba Muhammad Faqeer who was a local, started serving here as a khadim. A year after Bawa Ji Syed Noor Muhammad’s (Rahmatullah Alaih) arrival here he passed away, his mausoleum was made at a little distance from the hut. Bawa Ji used to lean against a stone, which stands til this day, his prayer area has also been preserved. In place of the hut, today stands a beautiful Masjid. Chura Shareef is the biggest Naqshbandi Dargah (shrine) in Pakistan and Kashmir, from whom Khanqah's such Alipur Shareef, Eidgah Shareef, Mohra Shareef, Mohri Shareef, Sharaqpur Shareef, Dhangri Shareef, Bawali Shareef, Shadpur Shareef, Atrwali Shareef, Nathyal Shareef, Aghar Shareef, Bughar Shareef, Ghamkol Shareef, Alumhaar Shareef, Awan Shareef, Basaan Shareef, Nerian Shareef, Kayyan Shareef, Chayy Shareef, Kirto Shareef, Laar Shareef, Barmala Shareef and many many more have gained Fuyyooz from. Approximately 73 Naqshbandi Khanqah's in Kashmir and Pakistan have directly or indirectly attained Faiz from Baba Ji Pir Syed Faqeer Muhammad (RA), Chura Shareef. Pir Syed Kabeer Ali Shah Sahib and Pir Syed Shabeer Ali Shah Sahib are Sajjada Nasheen of Aastana Chura Shareef. Both Sheikh's have a very high spiritual status and are Sahib-e-Huzoori. The light in their faces is proof of the Pious Blood of Sayyiduna Muhammad (sallallhu alayhi wasallam) and their ancestry links to Huzoor Ghous-e-Azam (RA). Peer Sahib often says Huzoor Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz Ajmeri planted the seed of Islam in the sub-continent but it was Mujaddid Alf Thani Sheikh Ahmad Sarhandi (RA) who defended it during the Akbar and Jahangeer trials against Islam.
