Main Wada
Published: 02/24/2009
Another personage of very high caliber Shaikh Muhammad Ismail is commonly known as ‘Mian Wadda’. His involvement with matters of spiritualism did not lead him to adopt a negative attitude towards matter mundane. He was a great scholar of Quran and Tradition and belonged to the Suharwardy order. He devoted his life to teaching the Quran and Tradition. His seminary had been the centre of relifious learning, serving the people of the city for centuries. He was Hafiz-e-Quran and belonged to village Tarkranm in Potohar. His father’s name was Fateh Ullah whose ancestors were agriculturists but he was a man of piety and spiritual and worldly knowledge. He lies buried in village “Jabba” on the river Chenab. Mian Wadda’s parents shifted to “Lange” where he became a student of Makhdum Abdul Karim, who was a saint and great scholar. Mian Wadda acquired worldly knowledge andserved the teacher with great zeal and devotion. The teacher entrusted him the assignment of grinding flour manually. One day the flour did not reach in time and when a student was sent to find out the reason of delay, the student found that Sh. Ismail was reciting Holy Quran and the grinding wheels were moving automatically. The student reported back the position to the teacher who saw this himself and decided that he (Mian Wadda) will not do this duty and instead he was deputed to carry milk from the cattle farm. But one day the teacher found, while sitting on a rooftop, that the ‘milk cans’ were lifted above the head of Mian Wadda who was carrying the same to house. It was at this time that Makhdum Abdul Karim, informed him that he had attained the objective of spiritualism and that he should leave. Thereafter the Shaikh left the place and started Quranic education first at a place called “Langay”. Later on he shifted to Lahore. Here in Lahore he came to the locality called “Tailpura” in a mosque comparatively less attended but remained restless. On a pious person’s, advice, he spent 40 days ‘Chilla’ on the mausoleum of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh. Thereafter the mosque he settled in was full of student and due to problems of space shifted to another mosque.(now towards the west of the “Daras”). By chance there was a Hindu “Jogi” living there, who did not want to leave the mosque. Mian Wadda toldhim that he had to go. When he heard this, he mosque will also go with him. Mian Wadda remarked, Well if it wants to go-let it. The “Jogi” took his bag and baggage and asked the mosque to accompany him. The mosque started moving. Hazrat Wadda got annoyed and hit the mosque with his stick and said “Oh Mosque don’t move, people will pray here till the last day”. The mosque stopped moving. During Emperor Alamgir’s period, the Khanqah was given a grant. There is a story that an illiterate person came to Mian Wadda and started that his wife was ‘Hafiz-I-Quran’ and did not allow him the fulfilment of conjugal rights until he learnt the Quran. He therefore requested the Mian that he may be taught Quran in a day, Mian Sahib replied it was not possible but the person was greatly dejected and apprealed for help and reconsideration of his request. Mian Sahib asked him to stay for the night and offer the prayer with him standing on his right next day. When next day ‘Namaz’ was over and Mian Wadda said ‘salam’ and looked rightside all those in that row became Huffaz ‘Hafiz-e-Quran’ and those on the left could read i.e. ‘Nazira’ Quran. Lot of prople became his followers and it is said that he had remarked that his blessings would continue from his shrine. People say that who so ever is dull minded, eats grass from the shrine even now learns the Quran quickly. His mausoleum is located on Shalamar Link Road. He died in 1085.