History
Hazrat Meher Ali Shah was born on 1st Ramadan 1275 A.H., i.e., 14 April 1859 in Golra Sharif. He was a Sufi scholar from Pakistan belonging to the Chishti order. He is known as a Hanafi scholar leading the anti-Ahmadiyya movement.
He was a descendent, on his father Syed Nazr Din Shah's side, of Abdul Qadir Jilani in the 25th generation, and of Muhammad through Hassan Ibn-e-Ali in the 38th generation. On the side of his mother Masuma Mawsufa, he descended from Abdul Qadir Jilani in the 24th generation and from Muhammad through Hussain Ibn-e-Ali in the 37th generation.
He received his early Qur'anic education at the Khankah and was given classes in Urdu and Persian in the local Madressah. After completing his education at Angah at the age of 15, he decided to continue further studies in the United Provinces (U.P) of India. He therefore set out for higher education in different parts of India including Kanpur, Aligarh, and Saharanpur. His stay at Aligarh at the madrasah of Lutfullah of Aligarh was for two and a half years.
Hazrat Meher Ali Shah was a disciple and Khalifa of Khawaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi of Sial Sharif in the Silsila-e-Chishtia Nizamiyah. His biography, Meher-e-Muneer, records that he was also made a khalifa by Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, when he visited the latter in Mecca.
In the early part of the month of Safar 1356-A.H (April 1937), he had an attack of cold, which soon developed into typhoid fever, which lasted for several days. His condition grew worse during the last days of Safar. On the morning of 29 Safar (11 May 1937), the pulse became irregular and the body temperature also underwent sudden changes.
Meher ali shah in his last days
Just before the arrival of the final irrevocable moment, he pronounced the words “Allah” from the deepest recesses of his heart in a manner which sent a shudder throughout his body from head to foot, and the reverberation of which was felt by every one who happened to touch the body. The next moment, he repeated the word “Allah” a second time and then turned his head towards the Qibla, thus signaling that the end had finally come. His three-day Urs is held every year from 27th to 29th Safar.
Hazrat Meher Ali Shah was a supporter of Ibn Arabi's ideology of Wahdat-ul-Wujood but he made a distinction between the creation and the creator (as did Ibn Arabi).
In 1933, Hazrat Meher Ali Shah was absorbed in his meditation and mystic trances. That year the philosopher Muhammad Iqbal had to give a lecture at Cambridge University on Ibn Arabi's concept of Space and Time. He wrote a letter to the Shah stating that now there was nobody in all of Hindustan whom he could consult in this matter, and requesting him to tell about Ibn Arabi's work. In this letter Iqbal stated with respect that he knew he was disturbing the Shah's meditations, but as his motive was the service of Islam, therefore he dared to ask him a question. The Shah however, due to his meditation and bad health, could not reply.