Khwaja Qamaruddin Sialvi was
born on 24 Jumada al-awwal 1324 A.H. (7 July 1906), in Sial Sharif in the Punjab
Province of British India. He was the eldest son of Hazrat Zia-ud-din Sialvi. He
was familiar with the Quran by the age of nine. He received his religious
education at several institutions, including ones in Mecca and Ajmer.
When his age was four years, four months and ten days, Khawaja Diya’ al-Din
enrolled him to memorise the Qur’an in the class of Hafiz Karim Bakhsh. He very
quickly memorised the Qur’an in a short span of time. Following that, capable
teachers taught him Persian and Arabic etymology and syntax with much joy and
hardwork and this capable student accepted all that he was taught with much joy
and enthusiasm. When he was very young and was reading the Kanz al-Daqa’iq,
during this time he wrote a commentary on a difficult issue within the Kanz
al-Daqa’iq in the Arabic language. After seeing it, great learned scholars were
left amazed. This written piece caused a greater sense of enhancing the
education and upbringing of this student in the heart of his father; Khawaja
Diya’ al-Din. As a result, he looked towards a distinguished scholar from the
Khayr Abadi family of knowledge and wisdom, Maulana Mu’in al-Din Ajmayri. At
that time, he was the principal teacher at Madrasa ‘Uthmaniyya Dar al-Khayr in
Ajmayr (India) and so for some time, Khawaja Diya’ al-Din sent his beloved son
to Ajmayr in pursuit of education. Later on, Maulana Ajmayri was brought from
Ajmayr to Siyal and Khawaja Qamar al-Din continued acquiring knowledge from him.
A student of Maulana Ajmayri, Maulana Muhammad Husayn, also began teaching in
Siyal at Dar al-‘Ulum Diya’ Shams al-Islam. Khawaja Qamar al-Din studied
philosophy and logic with Maulana Muhammad Din Badhwi. Khawaja Qamar al-Din
completed these various sciences and disciplines from these learned scholars. He
also completed the Dawra Hadith with Maulana Ajmayri, who consequently bestowed
the sanad and ijaza of hadith narration to him.
After completing his education, Sialvi tenaciously opposed British rule in
India, and worked hard for the establishment of a state for the Muslims of
India. The British were displeased that he was working against them and offered
him the title of "His Holiness", the highest spiritual title in the British Raj,
for giving up his opposition. Sialvi turned down the offer and burnt the letter
conveying it to ashes. As a penalty for his defiance, his land was confiscated,
he was prohibited from making speeches, and he was thrown into jail, but he
continued his opposition.
When Pakistan movement began for the independence of India, the Congress was at
the forefront whose leadership was in the hands of some prejudiced and
narrow-minded Hindus. However, the deceit of the main Hindu leaders had allured
many Muslims to their tune and to raise their same voice. Many Muslim scholars,
leaders and the learned had become devotees of Indian nationality and stood side
by side with the Hindu leaders. At that moment Qa’id A‘zam Muhammad ‘Ali Jinnah
demanded the formation of Pakistan. Khawaja Qamar al-Din – through his light of
firasat – perceived the truth of Qa’id A‘zam’s position whilst great
intellectuals of that time could not decide whether the claim of Qa’id A‘zam had
any acceptance or weight in it or not, or whether it is practicable or not.
Khawaja Qamar al-Din, with firm resolve and certainty, announced his assistance
and loyalty to Qa’id A‘zam in the struggle to acquire Pakistan. History
testifies that this man of truth, whatever step he took he did not stop until he
reached his desired destination and objective.
The pursuing of a referendum in the province of Sarhad was much dangerous as the
Khan Brothers had great influence and power here and they were blind devotees of
Gandhi. The Red Shirts movement was accepted here to such an extent that in
every town and village of the Sarhad province, red flags were waving. If in this
referendum the Muslim League was defeated then the dream of Pakistan would have
become dispersed and diminished before any interpretation could be given. The
bravery of the people who paved the way for the success of the Muslim community
in Sarhad, without a doubt at the front of this group, you would clearly see the
shining face of Khawaja Qamar al-Din.
He became the president of the Sargodha branch of the Muslim League. He went to
all corners of subcontinent to vote for the Muslim League in the election of
1946. He particularly walked along with Pir of Zakori in North-West Frontier
Province to vote for the independence of Pakistan in the referendum of 1947.
After the inception of Pakistan, he wrote to Quaid-e-Azam to congratulate him
and emphasize the need for promulgation of Islamic laws. Replying his letter
Quaid-e-Azam wrote "Efforts on part of Mashaikhs in the Pakistan Movement are
highly commendable. Rest assured Islamic laws will be promulgated in Pakistan."
In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Sialvi donated all the
ornaments[clarification needed] of his family to the Pakistan Army. In 1970 he
became the president of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) and under his leadership
party won eighteen seats in the National Assembly. Under his leadership, the
party fared very well in the election of 1970. He was twice nominated as a
member of the Islamic Ideology Council, where he worked hard to Islamicize the
existing laws.
Sialvi was awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence), the fourth-highest
award of Pakistan, by the president of Pakistan in 1981. He died in a road
accident on July 20, 1981 (17th Ramadan). After his death Khawaja Hazrat
Muhammad Hameed Uddin Sialvi was appointed Sijjada Nasheen of Aaastana e Aalia
Siaal Sharif by Peer Pathan Ghareeb Nawaz. His son continued his all missions
and built new mosques, langar khana, many new rooms for guests and constructed
computer department in Darul Aloom Sharif. Today every facility is available in
Sial Sharif.
Sources: Anwar Qamaeria انوار قمریہ سوانح, A biography of Khwaja Qamar ul Din
Sialvi, by Ghulam Ahmed Sialvi.