The Qazis of Naushera

When their stories become our history

n the sixteenth century the head of the tribe of Naushera was Muhammad Akbar Khan, a descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib, his name also is associated in the local legend with Aku Khan. In “History of Awan,” his descendants are listed separately. His elder son Muhammad Sarwar had two sons, Muhammad Bilal Ali Khan (in some record Bilawal Khan) the fore father of Awan of Naushera, and Muhammad Media Khan, whose descendants are Great Maliks of Kund. The family tree of Muhammad Akbar Khan, follows:

To swordmanship, the family added another claim to fame: learning. The descendants of Akbar Khan became religious scholars, qazis and Sufis. They had forgotten the tough life of Zamindars and warfare of their ancestors, and learned the refinements of Sufism and fiqh, thus became “intermediaries between the Faithful and their God” . One of his descendant was Muhammad Khushal who had a son Muhammad Arif (died 1748). He was a pious and religious man. He had two sons Mian Muhammad (died 1788) and Fateh Muhammad. Both were Hafiz and famous for their religious piety. However it is in the third generation that we discover more markedly the unfoldings and characteristic exemplification of religious principles in life.

Muhammad Sarwar Khan, the celebrated Awan historian, calls the family " a right ancient one," and adds the complete genealogy of forty generations from Hazrat Ali to Qazi Zafar Hussain in his book. The most illustrious family of Naushera is Qazi and sufi family of Naushera, descended from Hafiz Mian Muhammad. In the early nineteenth century, there arose two religious leaders in Naushera, the one strictly orthodox in the straight Hanafi Sunni way, and the other Sufi and Majzoob. The first was Qazi Kalim Allah, son of Hafiz Mian Muhammad, and the second was Hafiz Noor Mustafa, the son of Hafiz Fateh Muhammad.. Both were grandsons of same person, Muhammad Arif.

Qazi Kalim Allah (died 1852), was a great scholar of Quran, Hadith and Fiqh, and Muslim jurisprudence. He was a man of learning and his acquirement procured him the office of Qazi. This was held by him throughout life and descended to his son Qazi Ghulam Muhammad, Qazi Fateh Muhammad and Qazi Noor Ahmed. The other Hafiz Noor Mustafa was a majzoob. Since the Majzoob is someone who has reached the pinnacle of Sufism, the Sufis ascribe all sorts of powers to them, from helping others miraculously to knowing matters of the Unseen. Many miracles are attributed to him. He still figures in folk-lore as a saint. He had only one daughter Sherfan Bibi married to Qazi Ghulam Muhammad the son of Qazi Kalim Allah. They had only one son whom they named Mian Muhammad Amjad who became the head of his tribe. He was a man of modest and retiring mode. Quiet and humble, he got both qualities of his grandfather and maternal grandfather. From his grandfather he got scholarship of Qur’an, Hadith, and the Hanafi school of Islamic law and from his maternal grandfather he learned mystic trances and pinnacle of Sufism. He also figures in folk-lore as a saint.

The title of Qazi was further descended to his descendants and is still held by his descendants though without judicial powers. The Qazis were men of high characters and possese influence in the area between Indus and Jehlum. Many of the direct descendants of Qazi Kalim Allah and Qazi Mian Muhammad have wielded great influence among the Awans and other tribes in Salt Range. The family is universally recognized as a line of true Alwis Awans.

It is stated in the “History of Awan”[1] that there were eight great pious men in this branch of tribe famous with the name of Qazi. All these eight have left a fame that was still remembered by the people. Of these qazis the most famous were;

[1] History of Awan, by Muhammad Sarwar Khan Awan, 2009 by the Al- Faisal Nashran, Lahore.