Aurangabad is a historical village in Jand tehsil in Attock district. It is located about 5 km south of Rangli Adda on the Fateh Jang-Kohat Road. It is noted for four historical mosques. The village is also host to a few shrines which belong to Chishti and Naqshbandi Sufi saints.
The earliest mosque, which is now known as Ghousia mosque, was built by Shah Abdul Rasool in the second quarter of the eighteenth century. He was the first Imam Masjid in Aurangabad village. He was known for his piety and many people became his disciples. He died in 1845 and was buried in a cemetery in the village. In the same cemetery, the grave of Baba Roshan Din, another saint of the village, is also located. Baba Roshin Din died before Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami, the most popular saint in the village.
Graves of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami and his sons and grandsons
The second Imam of the mosque was Shah Jehan Qureshi. The third Imam of the mosque was Baba Qaim Shah Qureshi. The fourth Imam of the mosque was Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami. According to Fuz al-Maqal Fi Khulfai Pir Sial by Haji Muhammad Murid Ahmad Chishti (1997), Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami was born in 1848 in Aurangabad village. His father Maulana Muhammad Ji was a learned man.
Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami obtained his early education from his father and paternal uncle Maulana Muhammad Attaullah Jan Qureshi. Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah was initiated into the Chishti silsila by Khwaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi alias Pir Sial (1799-1883). After getting the robe of initiation (Khirqa) from Khawaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah became an eminent Chishti Nizami Sufi saint of the area. Many people became his disciples. He continued to teach his students at the Jamia mosque of the village. He died in 1936 and was buried in Aurangabad. His grave is located inside a walled enclosure. It is the most popular shrine in Aurangabad. His shrine is frequented by disciples who come from various tehsils and districts of Punjab and KP including Jand and Pindigheb tehsils in Attock district, Talagang Chakwal, Faislabad, Peshawar and Kohat district, etc.
Inscription on the facade of Kanzul Eman Mosque
According to Haji Muhammad Murid Ahmad Chishti (1997), Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami had four sons Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah, Maulana Hafiz Ghulam Farid Shah, Maulana Hafiz Ghulam Rabbani Shah, and Ghulam Jilan Shah. All were eminent Sufis and scholars. His elder son Khwaja Syed Abdul Rauf Shah also became a disciple of Khwaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi. Haji Muhammad Murid Ahmad Chishti (2008) writes in Anwar-e-Sial Maulana Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah was born in 1868 in Aurangabad village. During his education, his father Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami took him to Sial Sharif to get him initiated into Chishti Silsila by his spiritual mentor Khawaja Shams-ud-Din Sialvi. Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah also became a disciple of Khawaja Shams-ud-Din Sialvi. After completing his education, Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah Chishti Nizami continued to teach at the Jamia mosque (now called Ghousia mosque) of Aurangabad. It is said that students from Chitral, Swat, different villages and towns of Punjab, and as far as Afghanistan and Bukhara used to study under the supervision of Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah Chishti Nizami in the mosque-cum-madrassah of Aurangabad village.
Kanzul Eman mosque in Aurangabad
According to Syed Sadaf Noman Shah, the present Sajjada Nashin of the shrine of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami, Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah Chishti Nizami rebuilt the mosque and expanded it to construct a few rooms for pilgrims, travelers, and students. The students from far-flung areas and countries used to stay therein during their studies. He employed the most eminent mason Baba Abdullah of Kisran village near Mathial who constructed the mosque. Stone was used to build the mosque. It took almost six years to complete the mosque. Baba Abdullah, the mason of the mosque, took a few years to engrave and dress stones that were used in the construction of the mosque. The façade of the mosque was noted for stone carvings which are now hidden behind the tiles which were used during a recent renovation of the mosque.
The second oldest mosque in Aurangabad village is Kanzul Eman Masjid which was formerly called Jamia mosque. This mosque is located in the lower part of the village hence it is also called Jamia mosque Thali and Jamia mosque Ghousia which is located in the upper part of the village is also called Oper wali Masjid. Thali Masjid or Kanzul Eman Masjid was a small mosque that was first built by Maulana Ataullah Jan Qureshi and later it was renovated and expanded by Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah Chishti Nizami. As per the inscription on the mosque, it was rebuilt by Maulvi Abdul Haq Shah Chishti Nizami in 1372 AH/1952. Maulvi Abdul Haq Shah Chishti Nizami was son of Khwaja Mir Ahmad Chishti Nizami. Khwaja Mir Ahmad Chishti Nizami migrated from Aurangabad around 1913 and settled in Kacha Tandlianwala in Faisalabad. He became a disciple of Khwaja Muhammad Hamid Taunsvi (d. 1932), the third Sajjada Nashin of Muhammad Suleman Shah Taunsvi alias Pir Pathan (1770-1850).
Maulvi Abdul Haq Shah Nizami was initiated in Chishti Nizami silsila by Khwaja Khan Muhammad Taunsvi (d.1979), the fifth Sajjada Nashin of the shrine of Muhammad Suleman Shah Taunsvi alias Pir Pathan. Maulvi Abdul Haq Chishti Nizami frequently visited his native village Aurangabad. He died in 1994 and was buried in Kacha Tandlianwala where his shrine is frequently visited by his disciples.
Southwestern view of Kanzul Eman mosque
Maulvi Abdul Haq Shah Chishti Nizami employed Alif Din Mistri, whose name is also found in the inscription on the façade of the Kanzul Eman mosque, from Saghri village to build the mosque. Alif Din was a famous mason of Saghri village for building not mosques but also havelis and Choubaras. He was believed to have built a few mosques and havelis in the Jandal area in the Attock district. Jandal area comprises 13 villages – Nara, Nathiyal, Pari, Kundrala, Pindi Sarhal, Pind Sultani, Garhi, Basal, Mithial, Kahal, Domel, Thatta, and Saghri. Kanzul Eman Masjid at Aurangabad is probably the best specimen of Alif Din’s work in the Jandal area.
Kanzul Eman Masjid is built in a rectangular plan. Both the façade and southern and western walls of the mosque retain their originality. The main prayer hall of the mosque is renovated recently and nothing original is extant inside now. It is noted for its stone engraving which is found on the spandrels of the arches and decorative slabs on the façade of the mosque. Three decorative slabs are found on the façade of the mosque. The first slab depicts an amulet pattern with the name of the builder of the mosque Maulvi Abdul Haq Shah. The second slab shows a geometric design and the third slab bears an amulet pattern with the date and name of the mason. The two minarets, which rise from the thickness of the wall, are flanked by two windows on either side. Two niches are made on either side of three arched entrances which lead to the main prayer hall of the mosque. These niches were probably used for placing oil lamps. Thali Masjid or Kanzul Eman is the only surviving stone-built structure in Aurangabad village. All other mosques, which were also built of stone and were noted for stone carvings, are now either rebuilt or renovated. Two other mosques which are rebuilt include Madani mosque which was first built by Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami. The fourth mosque includes Gulab Shahiyya mosque which was first built by Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah Chishti Nizami. Now, this mosque is also rebuilt. This mosque is located near the shrine of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami.
The name of Maulvi Abdul Haq Shah engraved on the facade of Kanzul Eman mosque
To the north of Gulab Shahiyya mosque is located the shrine complex of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami. There is located seven graves on a common platform inside the wall enclosure of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami. The first grave from the northern side on the common platform belongs to Khwaja Ghulam Farid Chishti Nizami (d. 1958), the first Sajjada Nashin of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah’s shrine. He was the son of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami. The second and third graves in a row belong to Khwaja Syed Maulana Abdul Rauf Shah Chishti Nizami (d. 1956) and his father Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami (d. 1936). The graves of two other sons of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami, Khwaja Syed Ghulam Rabbani (d. 1916), and Khwaja Ghulam Jilani (d. 1933) are also located on a common platform. Other graves on the platform include Syed Abdul Hayee Shah (d. 1974) and Khwaja Syed Attaullah Shah Chishti Nizami (d. 2004), the second and third Sajjada Nashins of Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami respectively.
Apart from the shrines of Shah Abdul Rasool, Baba Roshan Din and Khwaja Syed Gulab Shah Chishti Nizami Baba Roshan Din, the village is also host to the shrine of two Naqshbandi saints Janab Shah (d. 1973) and his brother Gulab Shah who were spiritually connected to Darbar-e-Azmia Rahimia Salik Abad Sharif in Hasan Abdal tehsil in the Attock district.
