NAZAR O NIYAZ

It is one of the prominent feature of Dargah Sharif & Khanqas (Spiritual Monasteries).

In the present advanced age several questions are being raised in relation to those offerings which are made at the shrines of Muslim saints, particularly at the Dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A.) at Ajmer.

It is all due to the lack of proper religious knowledge, lack of well established customs precedents and traditions and lack of settled Islamic and judicial pronouncements on this point.

Nazar-O-Niaz which is a combination of two words of Arabic language, in English it means vows and oblations. It is paid on the fulfillment of one's own vow (Mannat e.g. getting a child or such as business or completion of a house etc.) it is a gesture of appreciation paid for rendering satisfactory spiritual service hence it is personal, undisputable, irrefutable and 'un claimable' by others. It is neither pre-determined nor pre fixed but willing offering on the fulfillment of one's on cherished desires.


ACCORDING TO ISLAMIC LAW

Offering i.e. Nazar-O-Niaz is a deed through which the nearness is attained, it is also a source of earning the pleasure and blessings of those who have attained the nearness of god ,not only this , presentation of Nazar-O-Niaz is considered as a source of achievement and success in life.

According to CHISHTIA sect: Offerings which people make at any Dargah, their intention and aim is to obtain the blessing of that Saint at whose Dargah the offerings are made and also the blessings of that person who is the custodian of that Dargah and in his capacity as Gaddi Nashin, Moallim, Mujawar or Khadim is entitled to receive the same.

After understanding the literary meanings of offerings let us see how the famous Muslim Jurist and Ulama have theologically explained the same.

1. In his book Nazar Buzurgan-e-din HAZRAT SHAH RAFIULLAH says:-
whatever is presented in cash or in kind at any Dargah by the devotees is known as offerings. This further means and implies that offerings made at Dargah are not for any charitable purpose but for the benefit of those attached to Dargah.

2. Another famous Jurist Imam Ghani Al-Nablisi Al-Qudsi in his book Hadiqa-e-Nadiah has clearly written: the main object of offerings made at Dargah is to benefit or facilitate the Moallims.

3. In his another book Kashfun-Noorhe has further clarified the object and purpose of Nazar as under:
those who make offerings at the Dargah of a saint, know well and fully understand that those offerings are for personnel use and sustenance of those who are attached with Dargah,particularly the Moallims.

4. Hazrat Allama Ahmed Raza Khan Fazile Barelawi has also confirmed that acceptance of offerings at a Mazar is the right of its Khadims and he has further emphasized that the kiths and kins of Sahib-e-Mazar will not be the beneficiaries. (Fatwa-e-Rizwiyah, Vol. 4, Page-126).

Some other relevant references based on the following authentic books of Islamic jurisprudence written by the prominent theologians_

1. Raddul Mohtar F1 Sharh-e-Durre Mukhtar by Allama Syed Ibn-e-Abidin Shami Hanafi (Kitabus som, Nazar-e-Amwat).
2. Risala-e-Nuzoor (Persian) by Shah Rafiuddin son of Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehalvi Page-12.
3. Tafsir-e-Ahmadi by Mulla Ahmed Jiwan, Ustad of Aurangzeb Alamgir.
4. Mukhzan-Noor by Allama Abdul Ghani Nabulusi.


NATURE OF OFFERINGS

At any Dargah particularly at Ajmer .The nature and purpose of offerings apart from what has been said earlier is, with some modification as under:

1. Firstly a person makes a vow and when his vow is fulfilled he makes the offerings.

2. The Second form of the offerings is that the devotee has not made any vow, but when he visits Dargah he out of devotion presents certain money at the holy grave of the saint with the intention that whatever he is presenting he s presenting as an offering to that with clear implication that the same will be used by those who are entitled to receive it. At Ajmer the devotees pay the offering to a Moallim who may take as their well wisher or spiritual preceptor.

3. The third form of offering is that it is paid directly to the Moallim knowing well that the same is for the benefit and personal use of that Moallim.

4. The fourth form is that devotees pay a particular amount of offering to the Moallim and limit its expanses they clearly specify the purpose
i.e. either to distribute equally among all the Moallims, to feed the poor, to spend in religious and spiritual functions, to present flowers or chadar (made of cotton or fine cloth) on the mazar. The soul purpose of the offering in all the religious orders is nothing but to grace, benefit
and facilitate the moallim or the person attached to Dargah.