Khalifa-E-Azam Baba Bhandari

QUTB AL-AQTAB GAUSUL AZAM BIL WIRASAT

HAZRAT  SYED GOLAMUR RAHMAN MAIZBHANDARI (QADDAS ALLAHU SIRRAHU)

KNOWN AS BABA BHANDARI (1865–1937)

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Hazrat Syed Golamaur Rahman Maizbhandari (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu), affectionately known and venerated as Baba Bhandari, was the beloved nephew and chief spiritual successor (Khalifa-e-Aẓam) of Gausul Azam Maizbhandari (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu). His noble father was Syed Abdul Karim, and his mother was the pious Syeda Musharraf Jan. He was born on a Monday in the Bengali month of Ashwin, in 1270 B.S. (corresponding to 1865 C.E.).

His early instruction began within the sanctified walls of the family’s Quranic school (Furqaniyyah Madrasah). He later pursued studies at the renowned Mohsenia Madrasah in Chattogram city, followed by Jāmiʿatul ʿUlūm in Fatikchari, and eventually the Chattogram Government Madrasah. However, during the final phase of his advanced religious studies (Jamāʿat al-ʿUlyā), he became deeply immersed in spiritual states (ḥāl), which led to the natural cessation of his formal academic journey.

۞ Marriage ۞

At the age of twenty-three, while still a student of Jamat al-Dawam, he was united in marriage with Syeda Zebunnisa Begum, the eldest daughter of Syed Ashraf Ali (R.A.), a descendant of the saintly Syed Qamar Chand Shah (R.A.) of Suabil, Fatikchari, Chattogram.

۞ Spiritual Journey (Sayr) ۞

Hazrat Gausul Azam Maizbhandari (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) held his nephew in deep affection and spiritual favor. Baba Bhandari, in turn, was devoted to him with the love of a moth for the flame. However, in accordance with higher spiritual commands and in order to prevent outward discord, upon the counsel of the Hazrat Sahibani (respected spiritual consort), he embarked on a prolonged journey of spiritual wandering (sayr wa suluk). Traversing rivers and seas, forests and mountains, he returned to his homeland at the age of forty.

۞ Spiritual Charismata ۞

One of the most legendary manifestations of his spiritual power was the blessed water that flowed from his hand. Even in the bone-chilling cold, disciples would pour water over his sacred right hand for hours without pause. This sanctified, lukewarm water was reverently preserved and used by devotees to seek healing from incurable illnesses and the fulfillment of heartfelt prayers. A dedicated chamber adjacent to his Rawazah Sharif (sacred tomb) preserves this holy relic to this day.

Not long after returning from his spiritual travels, he voluntarily withdrew from speech, maintaining sacred silence for approximately twenty-three years. On rare occasions, when he did speak, his words were concise and imbued with deep mystical symbolism. The entire fabric of his life was veiled in spiritual metaphors—he lived like a verse from a timeless Sufi poem, where “wine” is not worldly intoxication, and the “cupbearer” no earthly beloved. Every gesture and utterance held esoteric meanings, pointing toward the divine reality.

۞ Demise (Wafat Sharīf) ۞
After completing a luminous earthly sojourn of seventy-one and a half years, Hazrat Baba Bhandari (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) passed into the eternal realm on Monday, April 5, 1937 (22 Chaitra 1343 B.S.) at 7:55 AM. In the second year of his passing, the construction of his Rawazah Mubarakah (blessed shrine) commenced, inaugurated with the laying of the foundation stone by the then British Minister, Nawab Qazi Musharraf Husayn.

۞ At a Glance: The Distinguished Attributes of Hazrat Baba Bhandari (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu) ۞

1. Blessed by the intimate companionship and spiritual grace of Gausul Azam Maizbhandari (Qaddas Allahu Sirrahu), he manifested his own exalted spiritual ascendancy with dignity and luminosity during his earthly sojourn.

2. Through his illustrious khulafa-e-karam (noble spiritual deputies), he unveiled new horizons for the expansive dissemination and deepening of the tariqah.

3. He inaugurated a refined culture of sacred silence and mystical isharah—expressing profound spiritual realities through subtle signs and gestures beyond mere words.

4. Serving as the living vessel of the miraculous mayad al-karamat (hand-sourced blessed water), he became the emblematic herald of its spiritual efficacy—an esteemed phenomenon later enshrined in hagiographical lore.

5. Centered on his remarkable spiritual charisma, his biography was composed and published in 1931, bearing witness to his enduring sanctity during his lifetime.

6. Acknowledging the magnitude of his spiritual stature and vast communal reverence, special arrangements were made during his second wafāt anniversary in 1937, including the provision of a three-day concessionary special train by the Assam Bengal Railway coinciding with the annual ʿurs on 22nd Chaitra.

 7. By the grace bestowed upon him, he anointed and inspired the renowned kaviyal Ramesh Shil Maizbhandari, who attained eminence as a prolific lyricist, composer, and artist—authoring over three hundred devotional Maizbhāndārī songs, thereby enriching the spiritual and cultural heritage of the tariqah.