Bio Baba JI Sarkar

A man well known as Abu Anees Muhammad Barkat Ali, addressed lovingly as Babbaji, was born in 1911 in
the District of Ludhiana (East Punjab) and died on 26th January 1997. He was an embodment of all the
qualities and character-traits of the great sufi masters and the pious of the past (salf salehim). Once again he
revived, practised and displayed the essential of the Faith, living the while a simple and meaningful life that
his devotees take pride in. As a young army of ficer in Royal Indian Engineers (Roorkee Cantt) he served for
thirteen years only and was boarded out honorably in 1945 for his hermetic practices that he had sensed and
perceived irretrievably form Makhdum “Ala-ud-Din “Ali Ahmad As-Sabir (d. 1290 CE) by his regular attendance
at his khanqah in Kalyar on the bank of a canal , some six miles due North-East of Roorkee. Having been duly
rewarded and blessed spiritually there, he took his ba’iyat (allegiance) at the hands of a living Shaikh, Syed
Amir Al-Hssan Ambalvi (d. 1955) whom Babaji often referred to as Shah Walayat (Sultan of Mysticism),
reaping and enhancing further his erudition and knowledge under his tuition and in his company. Command
by his Sahikh, Babaji and his family migrated to the new homeland in Pakistan in 1947 and after initial
wanderings for a year or so finally settled at Salarwala in District Faisalabad where he founded an institute
called Dar-ul-Ehsan and wrote and published his master pieces:Kitab Al-Amal Bis-Sunnah Al-M’aroof Tartib
Sharif Volumes 1-6; Makshoofat Man azil-I-Ehsan Volumes 1-5 ; Asma’ Al-Nabi Al Karaim (PBUH). He
completed his saying, Maqalat-I-Hikmat volumes 1-30, at Camp Dar-ul-Ehsan, an other convent, a prototype
of his mentor Al-Kalyari’s , he founded after his still another migration in 1983 to an open farraland on the
bank of a canal situated some six, miles away form the City of Faisalabad on Samundri Road.

Some of Abu Anees Muhammad Barkat Ali’s monumental works have already been translated into English and
are published and distributed free of charge by Dar-ul-Ehsan Publications based in Huddersfield, UK, and
registered as an international religious charity with the Charity Commission (London). The books in Urdu,
Arabic and Persian original have been scanned on to CDs and DVDs for wider distributions to the benefit of
the Muslim Ummah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in particular and interested non-Muslims in general.

Even during his life time his publication reached all over the world and people visited him from far and wide.
His scholarship was acclaimed by leading scholars of his time. Dr Abdul Alim, the Rector of Al-Azhar University
(Cairo) and Professor Hussain Nasr, the Vice-Chancellor of Tehran University in 1387 AH, later on the Shah of
Iran’s roving ambassador on Iranian Culture, and the author of several voluminous and celebrated books on
contemporary Islam, both visited him to pay their homage. Babaji wrote and honoured Professor Hussain Nasr
with a stunning spas’name (welcome address) in Persian that was also published in one of his monthly issues
of Dar-ul-Ehsan. The address portrayed Babaji’s deep devotion to and respect for the descendants of the Holy
Prophet of Islam (PBUH) on the one hand and appreciation of the Professor’s contribution to Da’wah-o-
Tabligh Al – Islam on the other. One of the couplets of the address reads thus.

“A voice came to me from the quarters unknown;

‘Beware! O the dwellers of (Pakistan) the land renown,
The Honorable visitor, the offspring of the Prophets’ Crown (PBUH),
Is Hussain Nasr, the Spirit of the Faith, wearing the dan’s gown.’”
Professor Sayed Hussain Nasr currently holds the Chair of Cultural Studies in one of the leading American
Universities.

Dr Hakim Ghulam Mu’in-ud-Din Chisti, and American convert to Islam and Shaikh Al-Chistiyyah of America,
has described Babaji’s religious practices in the following words: “He is truly the embodiment of heart and
soul of the Din of Islam, and all people should strive to emulate him as he is one who comes so to fulfilling
the sunnah of our beloved Prophet (PBUH). “It was much less to do with his clairvoyance and miraculous
utterance than his magnetic person and charming disposition that people visited him. His was so captivating a
smile that a visitor said goodbye to him alright, but left his heart and mind behind with Babaji, longing to
come back for his blessings again and again. When another American visitor was asked, he replied: “In
Babaji’s company I found myself spiritually invigorated and physically elevated in peace with myself.”

The sick were treated free of charge at Babaji’s hospitals where he administered at both Camp and Dar-ul-
Ehsan campuses twice a year eye camps for hundreds of thousands blinds suffering from cataract fand other
eye ailments. The hospitals are carrying out un-stintingly and continually the selfless and free services to the
less privileged, deprived and disadvantaged members of the public. To this kind of community development
spirit, Babaji alludes in his foreword to The Book of Sufi Healing: “Not even the highest degree of dedication
to worship may earn anybody the claim of divine forgiveness or recompense in any other form, yet there is
one thing that everybody should make sure of, which shall not go unrequited under any circumstances by
Allah the Almighty, and that is the selfless service to the ailing humanity.

Babaji set up a madrassah in his sanctuary for the education of the children of the new converts to Islam. He
devised courses and wrote primers/books of his own which are these in wide use in mosque schools. For the
converts themselves, who were primarily nomads, he had the houses built with the moneys received from his
friends. His life has been an exemplary model of the fiscal propriety in Islam for emulation by individual and
collective life stances in Pakistan.
These words in his memory are our token of love for him as also invitation to the readers to delve into his
writings for the good of our souls and welfare of the collective life in the motherland whose security and
prosperity were upper in his mind and embedded deep in his heart. A couple of years before his demise, he is
on record with the Pakistan TV interview, having prayed passionately for the good of Pakistan, her integrity,
prosperity and glory amongst the comity of world nations.

For those who had a calling for it, Babaji imparted spiritual knowledge in some fourteen different mystical
Orders, including most importantly the Mustafwiyyah and Qadariyyah. His scholarship would have us believe
his deep study and reading of the mystical literature. For example, the sufi masters in the mystic orders stand
divided over the Nature and Dhat (Being) of Allah the Almighty the one called the Wujudiyyah (everything is
with Him) and the other the shuhudiyyah (everthing is with Him). Muhiyyid-din Muhammad Ibn Al-Arabi(d.
1240 CE), the Shaik Al-Akbar of Sapin, is the well-known exponent of the former and Shaikh Badar-ud-Din
Ahmad As-Sirhindi (d. 1624 CE), Mujaddad Alif-Thani, of the latter. Reconciling the two Babaji writes that it is
the same light (nur) of Allah the Almighty that permeates and pervades the dry blade of grass as it does in a
rose referring at the same time to the saying of the Holy Messenger (PBUH) ‘ponder over the shuyunat
(qualities/attributes) of Allah the Almighty and not His Dhat). He laid a great deal of stress on character
building and strong moral ethics. In this regard, his Makshoofat Manzal-Ehsan is a dossier and sum total of
Maqaram Al-Akhlaq (the praise worthy morals) and Makhraj Al-Akhlaq (the desultory or derogatory conduct)

In fulfillment of the fivefold cardinal sufic parameters above the daily sessions of dhikr ere held
uninterruptedly in his life time and still are at his seminaries and at the households of some of his devotees.
The dhikr has been commanded by Allah the Almighty; the Holy Prophet (PBUH) performed it as it is the cure
for the ailments of physical body and ills of the society. Babaji ate and slept little, dressed simply and wrote
profusely. He gave away by the evening the daily donations and presents that he received from his friends
and devotees, lived like birds with trust in Allah the Almighty. He died on 16th Ramadan Al-Mubarak, the day
when his shrine in Camp Dar-ul-Ehsan is jam packed with thousands of his devotees from throughout Pakistan
and abroad thus paying homage to their dear mentor at the anniversary__contributed by Dr Muhammad
Iqbal, Senior Lecturer, The University of Huddersfield United Kingdom.

Birth and early life

Hazrat Muhammad Barkat Ali (QSA) was born in to a pious Muslim family belonging to the Dhariwal Jatt ethnic
group.[1] His father, Mian Nigahi Bakhsh (RA), was an employee in the British Army.[2]

Like the other Muslims he learned the reading of the Holy Book of God “Al-Quran” in his village Brahmi and
then went for education to the nearest available schools in the towns of Halwara, a famous town for its Indian
Air Force base and Rai Kot.

He has given various interviews to Pakistan Nation TV Channel PTV[3]. On September 25, 2008 Dr
Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri praises the founder of Darul Ehsan, Hazrat Abu Anees Muhammad Barkat Ali,and
his work in great words while talking to the participants.[4]

Professional Life

At the age of 19, he joined the Royal British Army as a commission officer in the engineering core on the 9th
of April 1930. A special certificate of education from Dehradun, Academy India was awarded to him along with
the selection of “Voy cadet” in Military Academy. His duty was meant for efficiency, activeness and
punctuality. His tenure in the army was spent in the Roorki Cantt. He served the Royal Engineering Core for
thirteen years only and was boarded out honorably in 1945.

Visits to Kalyar Sharif to Sabir Piya

Visits to Khanqah-e-Sabir (the Holy Sanctury of Hazrat Sabir (RA)) at Kalyar some 6 miles away from Roorki
Cantt was a regular habit of Hazrat Muhammad Barkat Ali (QSA). He was spiritually blessed by God for his
efforts at Kalyar Sharif.

Married Life and Family

He married at the age of 16 with Barkat Bibi in August 1927, who died on 9 January 1978. Hazrat Babaji's
family consists of 5 daughters and one son. His son Mian Muhammad Anwar died at the age of 45 on 26 April
1981.

Bay'ah

He took his Bay'ah at the hands of his Pir ('spiritual guide') Hakeem Syed Amir-ul-Hassan Saharanpuri (RA) on
the 19th of Rabi' al-thani 1363 A.H. at Peeran-e-Kalyar Sharif. His spiritual guide commanded him to migrate
toPakistan at the time of the partition of the Indo-Pak subcontinent and then the people started calling him as
an emigrant to Allah (Arabic: 'Muhajir-il-Allah').

Basic Teachings

He always guided his followers to perform three tasks which forms the basis of his preachings. These are:

1. Dhikrullah (invocation or remembrance of Allah the Almighty)

2. Dawat-o-tableeg-ul-Islam (invitation to and spread of Islam)

3. Belaus-khidmat-e-khalq (selfless service to mankind)

He himself made the role model for his words and spent his whole life in the above mentioned tasks.

Charity Works

Two free eye camps are held biannually at two different places

1. Darul Ehsan

2. Camp - Dalowal

Following major operations are performed twice in a year with 100% success by the Muslim doctors coming
from all over the world at no cost:

1. Removal of cataracts

2. The wretched eye ailment

the hospital area is about one hundred and twenty five thousand square feet of space affording some twelve
hundred beds. Between the two hospitals hundreds of thousand more procedures have been undertaken
during the last decade. [5]

Literary Work

In order to convey the message of Allah and guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) to the whole
world, Hazrat Babaji wrote more than 400 books on different themes including religion, ethics, metaphysics,
hierology, philosophy and psychology etc. These books are distributed worldwide free of charge. Notable
publications of Babaji’s work are listed below:
Makshoofat Manazal-e-Ehsan [6], 5 volumes
Kitab-ul-Amal Bis-Sunnah [7], 5 volumes
Asma-un-Nabi-ul-Kareem [8], 6 volumes
Maqalat-e-Hikmat 30 volumes
Zikr-e-Elahi [9], 1 volume
Yusaloona-alan-Nabi, 1 volume
Altobato Wal Astaghfar, 1 volume
Al-Sammat, 1 volume
Jism-ul-Wojood Al Barkat Ali, 1 volume

Famous sayings
"Qul ishqu Muhammadin (S.A.W.) madhabi,

Wahubbuhu millati,
Wa ta'atuhu manzili"

("Say: Devotion to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is my Faith,

His love my way of life,
And obedience to him my goal.")
"Every city has a speciality. The speciality of Darul Ehsan is the remembrance of Allah."
"Everything revolves around an axis. The axis of Darul Ehsan is the love of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) and the
unity of the Muslims. And this is the call of the time."
"The time is not far off when the decisions of the world will based on the 'yes' and 'no' of Pakistan."[10]

Tribute by Non-Muslims

Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University, USA, Katherine Pratt Ewing, visited Darul
Ehsanin 1977 for her research study wrote a tribute to the Shaikh: "The presence of a living representative of
thesufi traditions, who possesses all attributes of the original sufi pirs further reinforces the position that the
pirswere not mysterious, magical figures of the mystical past, but were pious men. They performed for their
era what living sufis can do to day for ours."[11]

Death

Hazrat Abu Anees Muhammad Barkat Ali (QSA) died on Sunday the 26th of January 1997 (16th Ramadan-ul-
Mubarak 1417 A.H.) at the time of Zuhr salah, aged 85 years and 9 months . He is buried at Camp Dar-ul-
Ehsan Chak # 242 RB Faisalabad and his mission is continuing through the efforts of his devotees.

Title: Tajdar e Dar-ul-Ehsan

Name: Muhammad Barkat Ali
Father: Hazrat Mian Nigahi Bakhsh
Mother: Hazrat Jannat Bibi
Born: Thursday, 27 April 1911
Died: Sunday, 26 Jan 1997
Yawm e Sulook: 22 Jun 1945
Lived: 85 years 9 months
Buried: Darbar-e-Aaliya, Dar-ul-Ehsan Faisalabad

Preaching of Islam in subcontinent owes to the Sufis and darweshs, who with their simple but brilliant
personalities and pious characters attracted people towards Islam. These simple and Allah fearing people
were center of attraction in every era. People from every religion/sect gathered around them for guidance and
solutions of their problems. When mystical history of Islam and specially Pakistan is viewed, the name of
“Hazrat Muhammad Barkat Ali Ludhyanvi” shines bright in the list. He was a man of distinction, well wisher of
humanity, a gem of wilayat, kind hearted and high minded. He ornamented the history of Islam with his
revolutionary reforms. He was the elite instigator of human welfare and also a standard of human dignity. He
was the bright tower who guides passengers to their destinations in pitch-dark nights. He was a role model
for the true followers of “Shariat e Muhammadi (SAWS)”.

Lets have a look at the life and work of this rare pearl of Wilayat.
A simple and pious Jutt family lived at the village Brahmi in Tehsil Ludhiana. The head of the family was Mian
Nigahi Bakhsh who was a noble and true religious man. He was an employee in British Army. His wife Jannat
Bibi was complete picture of a real Islamic ideal woman. Simplicity and following the orders of Allah Almighty
was motto of their life. Once at Rawalpindi Mian Nigahi Bakhsh met with a saint who told him “Allah will bless
you with a great son”. The prediction of that saint came true on 27th April 1911 when they were given the
greatest honor by Allah, an honor for which all parents can long for. They were blessed with a lovely Son.
Child was named Muhammad Barkat Ali.

He got the education of Quran at his village. For worldly education first he went to Halwara and then Rai Kot.
He was a Wali by birth and naturally inclined much towards Allah than worldly education. Sometimes he
attended the shrines of darweshs in surrounding areas rather than attending school. It was talk of the town
before partition that Muhammad Barkat Ali will be a famous Wali one day and his blessings will start from the
northern parts of Sandal Bar and spread in the whole world. His father wished him to be highly educated and
become a high officer at British Army.

Service in the Army:

He joined Royal British Army on 9th April 1930 at the age of 19 as per wishes of his respected father as
gazetteer officer. He achieved army special certificate of education from Dera Doon Academy and selected as
Voy cadet of Indian Military Academy. He was an efficient officer, very active and punctual by every aspect.
He spent most of his service time at Roorki. From Roorki he used to go to the KHANQAH-E-SABIR at Kalyar
regularly. As a young army officer in Royal Indian Engineers (Roorki Cantt) he served for thirteen years only
and was boarded out honorably in 1945 for his hermetic practices that he had sensed and perceived
irretrievably form Makhdum "Ala-ud-Din "Ali Ahmad As-Sabir” by his regular attendance at his khanqah in
Kalyar on the bank of a canal, some six miles North-East of Roorki. During service General W.L.D. VEITCH
was so impressed by his character that he not only respected him a lot but also did not eat anything in day
times during the holy month or Ramadan as a token of respect and solidarity with him. He was the only
Indian officer about whom GHQ called a report after every three months that what such an intelligent and
able officer has done and he was awarded every year for best work.

Married Life and Family:

He was married to respected Barkat Bibi at the age of 16 in August 1927. She accompanied 51 long years of
life with Hazrat Baba Gee and died on 9th January 1978. She was buried at Salar Wala (Faisalabad). Baba Gee
gave her the title of “Makhdooma Dar-ul-Ehsan”. Baba Gee had 5 daughters and one son (Hazrat Mian
Muhammad Anwar). He died at the early age of 45 on 26th April 1981. Three daughters of Hazrat Baba Gee
are also alive by the grace of Allah and are happy with their sons and daughters. Hazrat Mian Muhammad
Anwar has four sons. May Allah bless the entire family of Baba Gee with maximum blessings.

Ba’iyat—Step towards destination:

Continuous visits of KHANQAH-E-SABIR at Kalyar and a burning desire to be dearest to Allah showed its
results at last. He was duly rewarded and spiritually blessed there. And as per orders he took the Ba’iyat
(allegiance) at the hands of a living Sheikh Syed Amir-ul-Hassan Ambalvi whom Baba Gee often referred as
Shah Wilayat (Sultan of Mysticism). Baba Gee enhanced his mystical knowledge further under his kind
guidance. Commanded by his Sheikh Baba Gee became MUHAJIR ILL ALLAH (an emigrant to Allah) and
migrated to Pakistan in 1947. After initial wanderings for a year or so he finally settled at Salar Wala in district
Faisalabad.

Dar-ul-Ehsan:

After migration Baba Gee settled in his own fields near Salar Wala railway station. He got this land as a claim
of his fathers land in India. After settling here he started his work of Dawat e Tableegh (preaching of Islam).
He did not like to meet many persons in the start and focused on Zikr, Tableegh and writing. His writings
were published in five volumes later on with name “Makshoofat Manazil e Ehsan”. He built a beautiful
mosque, a darsgah, Quran Kareem Mahal, Memorial monumental minaret of “Ashab e Badr”, a charity hospital
and two small mosques. All this was devoted to Muslims and this place was named “Dar-ul-Ehsan”. Baba Gee
devoted his life for three divine and eternal objects wholeheartedly.

1. Zikr-e-Elahi

2. Service of the Creatures of Allah

3. Preaching of Islam

He continued this sacred mission till his death and accomplished these tasks with great success. Dar-ul-Ehsan
is the example of his mission. It means house of blessings. Quran Mahal shows Baba Gee’s love with the Holy
Book and Almighty Allah. This is for preserving samples of old and new published Qurans. Old Qurans are
placed here after beautiful book bindings. Also there is worth seeing collection of Qurans here from all over
the world in different calligraphy styles. Free charity hospital organizes a free eye camp after every six
months. Operations are carried out and lenses are provided free of cost. The patients are not only provided
with shelter but also free food.

Literary Work:

To convey the message of Allah and guidance of Hazrat Muhammad (SAWS) to the whole world Hazoor Baba
Gee wrote more than 400 books on different themes including religion, ethics, metaphysics, hierology,
Philosophy and psychology etc. These books were distributed worldwide free of cost. Notable publications of
Baba Gee’s work are as under:

· Makshoofat Manazal-e-Ehsan 5 volumes

· Kitab-ul-Amal Bis-Sunnah 5 volumes
· Asma-un-Nabi-ul-Kareem 6 volumes
· Maqalat-e-Hikmat 30 volumes
· Zikr-e-Elahi 1 volume
· Yossaloona Alenn Nabi 1 volume
· Altobato Wal Astaghfar 1 volume
· Al-Sammat 1 volume
· Jism-ul-Wojood Al Barkat Ali 1 volume

Message of Hazoor Baba Gee for Humanity:

"O people! We have come to this world to earn for the life hereafter. Allah the Almighty has created us for His
worship and everything of the universe for ourselves. Everything belongs to us and us to Allah the Almighty.
This world is illusory, perishable and we are guests here for only a few days. We will have to leave our worldly
wealth behind. We have nothing except our good deeds to take with us to the world hereafter. O people!
Turn towards Allah the Almighty. This world and everything that it contains is temporary and only for a short
time. It is subject to destruction. It will only last a few days. O people! We are not going to live here forever
and nor are we to return. Everything that belongs to the world will be left behind. We can take none of it with
us. We have come to the world in order to earn for the next ever-lasting life. What ever we sow here we will
harvest there. O people! Fear Allah the Almighty do what is commanded and shun what is forbidden. Allah the
Almighty has emphasized the importance of Salat / Prayer. Let no worldly job stop you. Give your Zakat whole
heatedly. Pay your due in full and make sure it reaches the needy people. O people! The creation is Allah the
Almighty's family. Be kind to the family of Allah the Almighty. Seek the pleasure of Allah the Almighty in the
service of his creation. Let unity, understanding, love and brotherhood flourish among the Islamic nation."

Baba Gee and Zikr Allah:

Every place has a specialty the specialty of Dar-ul-Ehsan is Zikr-e-Elahi - The remembrance of Allah the
Almighty.

Baba Gee Hazoor reminds us:

Where there is Allah's Zikr, there is Allah's Blessing.

Where there is Allah's Zikr, there is Allah's Mercy.

Where there is Allah's Zikr, gloom and grief disappear.

Where there is Allah's Zikr, worries and anxiety vanish.

Where there is Allah's Zikr, Satan cannot enter.

Where there is Allah's Zikr, health abounds.

Where there is Allah's Zikr, there is peace of mind.

Where there is Allah's Zikr, there is the hearts satisfaction.

Loud Zikr has many benefits:

Loud Zikr gives the knowledge of the Zikr to those who don't know.

Loud Zikr creates amongst the non-zakirs the fondness and inclination for remembrance.

Loud Zikr has tongue, heart and mind, all three occupied in worship.

Loud Zikr protects the Zakir against drowsiness, sleep and laziness.

Loud Zikr has all its blessings reaching to all those places where the Zakirs voice reaches.

Loud Zikr afford to the Zakir many witnesses who bear testimony on the Day of Judgment.

Loud Zikr is sought after by the angels.

Loud Zikr have glad tidings given to them by Allah the Almighty.

Take it, that when ever we remember Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty is remembering us. We
remember Him amongst human beings, He remembers us amongst the angels.

Eternal Journey:

Every man in this world is not forever and sooner or later every human has to meet his Allah. Death is a bitter
reality for ordinary human beings but for the personalities like Hazoor Baba Gee it is like reaching at their
destination and meeting their beloved. As per the will of Allah Almighty this gem of Wilayat met with his
creator on Sunday 26th January 1997 after living 85 years and 9 months in this world. He was buried at the
advised place of Sabri Kulli at Camp Dar-ul-Ehsan Chak # 242 RB Faisalabad. But hInsha’Allah forever.is
mission is continuing and will continue