Hazrat Khawaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi
This great waliullah (saint) of 19th centuary was born in 1799 AD (1214 AH); and he was born of a religious family in the Shahpur district of Punjab (now known as Sargodha distrcit). The parents selected the name Shams al-Din for their newborn son. Later on, he became famous as Shams al-‘Arifin (the sun of the gnostics, i.e. those who possess true knowledge of Allah). This is an appellation by which the grand Shaykh of Sial, Khawaja Muhammad Shams al-Din Sialvi is known. He is Alwi by genealogy, being a descendant of the fourth Khalifah Ali Ibn Abi Talib (however, he is not a discendant of Hz Fatimah al-Zahra).
Long before Hz Sham-ud-din's birth, a great waliullah of Multan by the name of Ghaus Baha -ul-Haq Zakarya Multani, while traveling to Bhera, got down from his horse when he was right at the place where now the tomb of Khwaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi is situated, picked handful of soil and kissed it. His disciples were astonished by this gesture. Upon their insistence, he revealed to them that a Ghaus would be born there. He had become the haafiz-e-Quran (one who has learned Quran by heart) at the age of 7 years and went to some of the renowned institutions to get religious education. He went as far as Kabul where he was awarded Sand-e-Hadith (certification of hadith). The most important of his journeys was to Taunsa Sharif (Distt. Dera Ghazi Khan), where he became a devotees (Mureed, Devoted follower) of Khawja Shah Suleiman Taunsvi
He went to Mecca twice to perform pilgrimage (Hajj). He was a staunch follower of Quran and Sunnah. His teachings played an important role in reviving the spirit of Islam in Muslims in the face of the challenges posed by Christians missionaries and oppression by Sikhs.
He established an institute for religious education-he himself used to teach there. Some of his students went to become known Islamic scholars in the subcontinent. Miraat Ul Ashqeen is famous book based on his sayings and unique thoughts. After his death his son Khawja Allama Muhammad Ud Din Sialvi was granted "Khilafat" by Peer Pathan of Tonsa Sharif. As a "Sajada Nasheen" he fulfilled all his duties and did his best in serving Islam. He was a torch bearer of "Khandan e Chisht". Hazrat Khawja Shams-ud-din Sialvi died on 24th of Safar 1300 A.H (4 January 1883 AD).
He was buried in Sial Sharif, where his grave is visited by tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Read more about this topic: Sial Sharif