Sial Sharif

Sial Sharif is a village in the Sargodha District of Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in Sahiwal Tehsil and lies 48 km (30 miles) away from the city of Sargodha, about midway on the Sargodha-Jhang road. Its population is about 1,100 people (1998). The local language is Punjabi.

Sial Sharif is famous for the Sufi shrine of Khwajah Muhammad Shamsuddin Sialvi, popularly known as Pir Sial, who was a waliullah (saint) belonging to the Chishti order. His descendants, all of whom are believed to have reached the highest levels of sainthood (one of them is explicitly designated by the title Qutb-al-Aqtab), are also buried in the same shrine.

Today the Khanqah (Zawya, i.e. Sufi convent) of Sial Sharif is counted among the foremost Chishti centres of the Punjab, and indeed of the whole Indian subcontinent. Many spiritual personalities are or have been associated with Sial Sharif. Most notably, Pir Meher Ali Shah of Golra Sharif, the famous saint of the 20th century, was a faithful murid (disciple) of Pir Sial of Sial Sharif. Hazrat Pir Syed Haider Ali Shah sb, astana Aalia Jalal-Pur Shareef, These two were most prominent mureed of Pir Sial Lajjpal also so many others like Pir Muhammad Karam Shah Al-Azhari of Bhera Sharif and Hazrat Molvi Abdul Ghani Chisti of Bareela Sharif.

To this day, the Islamic spiritual tradition is very much alive in this (Nizami) branch of the Chishti order. Its barakah (spiritual influence, blessing) is experienced by tens of thousands of disciples and visitors. Every Friday, scores of devotees travel long distances just to attend the Jumu'ah prayer there and obtain some blessings from the Holy Shrine.

Attached to the spiritual centre (referred to as Darbaar, i.e. court) at Sial Sharif there is also a religious school (madrasa). Many other religious schools and mosques, scattered throughout Pakistan, are affiliated to the Darbaar of Sial Sharif. The Darbaar at Sial Sharif is closely linked to many other spiritual centres, including the Darbar at Bhera Sharif.