The common belief about the arrival in Lahore of the Islamic faith is normally tied to Mahmud, the Turko-Afghan invader of Lahore in 1021 AD. Next it is associated with Ali Hasan of Hajwer, now known as Ghazni, who came to Lahore in 1041 AD.

If you happen to read Ali Hasan Hajweri’s classic ‘Kashf al-Mahjub’ you will see that when the Sufi saint known as Data Sahib entered Lahore in 1042, the funeral of an earlier saint Sheikh Hasan Zanjani was emerging from Lohari Gate. It was almost a “changing of the guards”.

Much to my amazement, as I researched, I was to learn that when Sheikh Hasan Zanjani entered Lahore to an earlier Zanjani’s funeral that was emerging, and to my shock the same happened to him. This brought forth the question just ‘who was the very first Muslim Sufi saint’ to come to Lahore. Before Mahmud conquered Lahore we have Sheikh Husain Zanjani, who came to Lahore in 998 AD. This means Mahmud of Ghazni conquered Lahore 23 years after Zanjani came. But much before the Zanjani brothers to Lahore came a saint of immense stature named Sheikh Ismail, a prominent scholar of Bukhari Sayyids. He was the very first Muslim saint to come to the sub-continent. He became famous for his expertise in Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and Tafsir.

When Sheikh Ismail of Bokhara came to Lahore, the city and the land was ruled by the Hindu Shahi ruler Bhimadeva, whose reign stretched from 921 AD till 964 AD. One legend says that when the Sheikh met Bhimadeva and told him about his beliefs, the ruler was impressed, and advised him to proceed one ‘kos’ outside Lahore and set up his hut on a mound there. He probably did not want to upset the Brahmins of Lahore.

The Hindu Shahi ruler allowed Sheikh Ismail to deliver sermons, but he was not allowed to lead prayers in the city. Prayers were allowed only at the place where he resided provided, also, that the ‘azaan’ was not called. The idea was that if a Muslim was a true believer than he should proceed to the Sheikh’s hut and pray as is appropriate. Now where is that mound? As you move along Lahore’s Hall Road towards McLeod Road, to the left next to a bank branch is the back gate of Cathedral School. Just next to this gate is a staircase going up. This leads to the grave of Lahore’s very first Sufi saint, and Lahore’s very first Muslim resident. So, Sheikh Ismail was the first person to deliver Islamic sermons in Lahore, and his teachings had a profound impact on education and preaching in the city. He was admired by the common people and his influence extended to thousands of Hindus who embraced Islam under his guidance. He died in 949 AD much before any Sufi saint came to the sub-continent.

Sheikh Ahmed Zanjani’s book ‘Al-Kalam Yajurr al-Kalam’, a masterpiece of the Qom school, acknowledges Sheikh Ismail’s significant contributions to Islam in the sub-continent.

“In a way the seeds of Islam were laid in Lahore by Sheikh Ismail,” it says, and from there over time it spread eastwards. Zanjani writes that Sheikh Ismail was among the foremost advocates of religion, arriving in Lahore and dedicating his entire life to spreading the message of Islam. Sheikh Ismail passed away in 338 Hijri, or 949 AD, and was laid to rest in Lahore at the Hall Road mound. Just for perspective, he died 72 years before Mahmud came or almost 100 years before Ali Hajweri.Sheikh Ismail’s legacy as a scholar and influencer in Lahore’s religious and educational spheres endures, leaving a mark on the city’s history. Just like other pioneering efforts in our history, this aspect of Islamic history of Lahore is almost not known.

With the death of the pioneering Sheikh Ismail, came three brothers from Zanjan in Iran, all three outstanding scholars. The eldest brother was Hazrat Syed Meeran Hussain Zanjani. His father’s name was Syed Ali Mahmood and was born in year 958 AD (or 347 AH) in Zanjan, Iran. He was a follower of Hazrat Sheikh Abu al Fazal Khatil and came to Lahore around 998 AD (or 387 AH) on his master’s advice.

Hazrat Syed Meeran Hussain Zanjani lived in Lahore for almost 37 years and died in 1042 AD (or 431 AH). His shrine is in Chah Meeran in Lahore, named after him. He was known as a ‘miracle man’ with people approaching him with their problems. He would read a Quranic verse and blow it on them, and so the claim goes that their problems were solved. Other miracles are also mentioned but are best left alone. The world of belief is such.

His younger brother Hazrat Yaqub Zanjani was known as a person who could cure people with incurable diseases. He used to sit silently for days without eating and praying. Sometimes Hindus inside the walled city would make fun of him, and all he did was look at them and they would, allegedly, freeze for some time. Hindu women with problems he would pick up dust and ask them to throw it over the victim. His fame soon spread. He lies buried just behind the Lady Aitchison Hospital next to Mayo Hospital in a beautiful shrine.

The third Zanjani brother was Syed Musa Hasan Zanjani, who was known as a pious person and would seldom talk. He would walk about the streets of Lahore and the people would make fun of him. This he would ignore. He would always be reciting ‘Allah-ho-Samad’ and his miracles are still narrated. He was buried in Misri Shah next to the police station.

In the city of Lahore, we see that Islam was spread by firstly, Sheikh Ismail, and built on by the three Zanjani brothers, which was a century of preaching before Ali Hasan Hajweri alias Data Sahib came to Lahore and further spread Islam in the city.

From then onwards scores of Sufi saints have spread all over the sub-continent. For perspective we must not forget that Arab merchants traded with South India, especially Kerala, much before Islam came about. The very first mosque in the sub-continent was built in Kerala about 200 years before Mahmud invaded Lahore. It stands today at Kodungallar in Thrissur district and is known as Cheranman Juma Mosque, the second of two mosques in the world where Juma prayers are held.

The pre-Data Sahib world of Islam is a complex one that needs exploring and analysing. To make this piece possible, I must thank my old walled city friends Ghazanfar Iqbal known as Sheero, and Khalid Mahmood known as Khalidi for adding to my scant knowledge of this subject.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2024