Hazrat Baba Haider Sheikh & Malerkotle Wale Pir

The Great Sufi Saint, Sheikh Sardarud-din Sader-e-Jahan (whom we know today as Baba Hazrat Sheikh; Baba Haider Sheikh & Malerkotle Wale Pir) was the son of Sheikh Ahmed Jinda Pir (the disciple of Hazrat Baha-ud-din Zakariya (R.A) & was a grandson of Shekh Ali Shahbaj Khan.

Sheikh Sardarud-din Sader-e-Jahan was born in Sherwan in 1434 & was popularly known as Sherwani Afghan. Sheikh Sardarud-din originated from Afghanistan and was the founder of Royal family of Malerkotla.

Sheikh Saddarud-din Sader-e-Jahan was spiritually inclined from his boyhood. Sheikh Sardarud-din Sader-e-Jahan got impressed from Hazrat Baha-ud-din Zakariya (R.A) and became his disciple. The full name of Hazrat Baha-ud-din Zakariya (R.A) was Al- Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi. Hazrat Baha-ud-din Zakariya (R.A) was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order & a close friend of Great Sufi Baba Sheikh Farid who was deeply involved in spreading Islam in Multan. Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya (R.A) known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He left heavenly abode in 1267.

Both oral and written histories of Malerkotla usually begin with the arrival of the Sufi Sheikh, Sheikh Sadruddin Sader-e-Jahan. In a history of the dynasty written by Iftikhar Ali Khan, the last Nawab of Malerkotla, the Sheikh is described as a Sherwani Afghan from Khurasan, "a very pious man of much celebrity in his time." Baba Hazrat Sheikh; Baba Haider Sheikh, as he is popularly known, was sent to the region from Multan by his spiritual preceptor. In 1449 Baba Hazrat Sheikh settled on the bank of a Satluj river (Bhumsi) to engage in religious devotions.

In 1451 One night, Sultan Bahlol Lodhi camped at Maler on his way to conquer Delhi. It was a stormy night and the only lamp aflame was in the hut on the mound. Bahlol went to meet the man whose lamp the harsh winds could not extinguish. Sheikh Sardarud-din welcomed Bahlol into his hut and prophesied that Delhi would indeed be his. When Bahlol accomplished his mission (after conquering Delhi) the Sultan returned and in 1454 married his daughter Taj Murassa Begum to Sheikh Sardarud-din, and gave her a number of villages in the region as a marriage portion. The Sheikh and his Afghan wife had two children–a daughter, Bibi Mangi, and a son, Hassan. In 1458, Sheikh Sardarud-din also married the daughter of Rai Bahram Bhatti, the Rajput ruler of Kapurthala, a nearby principality, and had two more sons, 'Isa and Musa'.

The Sheikh left heavenly abode on 14 Ramadan, 922hijri/1515 C.E. He was buried at the same place where he always used to pray. Other family members of the family were also buried near the Mazaar of Sheikh Sardarud-din. According to a history written by Iftikhar Ali Khan, the last Nawab of the kingdom; Bayzid Khan (Six Generation of Baba Hazrat Sheikh) was responsible for the building of the tomb shrine for their forebear Baba Hazrat Sheikh.

One of the Historic Incidents of Sher Mohamad Khan (Nawab of Malerkotla), Heir (Waris) of Sheikh Sardarud-din is described as the rare occurrence, dates back to 1705, when Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, 9 and 7 year old sons of 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, were ordered to be bricked alive by the governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan. Then the nawab of Malerkotla, Sher Mohammed Khan, who was present in the court, lodged vehement protest against this inhuman act and said it is against the glorious tenets of Quran and Islam. Then after this great act of Sher Mohamad Khan was named as "Ha Da Naara- Cry For Justice". Wazir Khan never the less had the Sahibzadas tortured and bricked into a section of wall while still alive. At this the noble Nawab of Malerkotla walked out of the court in protest. Guru Gobind Singh on learning this kind and humanitarian approach profusely thanked the Nawab of Malerkotla and blessed him with his Hukamnama, Kirpan etc.

From last many years many festivals are celebrated at Tomb Shrine of Baba Hazrat Sheikh. On first Thursday of every month there is small or big religious gathering but the most famous and big fair at Tomb shrine is in May-June (Popularly Known as Jeth & Hadd Chaunkis, Thursday) when Millions of people across India gather and pray at Holy Shrine. During his entire life Baba Hazrat Sheikh not only preached to Muslims but also to all the people belonging to other religions. That is the reason people belonging to many religions like Hindus, Sikhs reach in millions and pray at Holy Sufi Shrine of Baba Hazrat Sheikh. The Gate of Holy Sufi Shrine is never locked and pilgrims can go at any time (24 Hours) and take the blessings of Baba Hazrat Sheikh. Pilgrims pay tribute to Baba Hazrat Sheikh by offering cloth Sheets (Chader), Prasad (Sweet Rice, Batase & Gulgule).

These days Holy Sufi Shrine is looked after by Khalifa Anwar Ahmed Khan Sherwani, Head Priest & Isar Ahmed Khan Sherwani, Incharge; Heir (Waris) of Sheikh Sardarud-din Sader-e-Jahan. From Last decade the head priest and Incharge have put their best efforts & had spent millions of rupees for reconstruction, maintaining and uplifting of shrine so that maximum number of visitors/pilgrims can visit & pray at this Historical Monument.