OUR FAMILY TREE
SHAMSI FAMILY (My immediate family)’s genealogical chart

The genealogical chart is prepared and posted by Syed Nasir Hussain Shamsi son of the late Syed Ahmad Hussain Shamsi s/o Syed Ali Shah, the elder of this family, buried in Syedan wali (Sialkot).

“Remember the episode of Prophet Ibrahim-his asking about his lineage ! His prayer was answered and he was given the
utmost honour of a blessed lineage. “ -Quran

Introductory Note:
Our family descends from Hazrat Shams Tabrizi, buried in Multan, also known by some as Shams Sabzwari by reference to his place of birth, Sabzwar, now in Iran. Son of Syed Salahuddin, a Jafri Syed (descendent of Imam Jafar Sadiq), Shams uddin Muhammad Tabrizi spent several years in Tabriz to acquire spiritual and esoteric knowledge under the tutelage of two great teachers of Tabriz, Abu Bakr Salabaf and Baba Kamal Jundi. It was the later with whom he spent almost 12 years to master the esoteric sciences which unveiled the mysteries of the hidden world (Tajalliyat-I Irfan-i Ilahiyya). Shams-I Tabriz, now about 60 years was instructed by his teacher to travel to Konya where another Salik awaited him. This fateful journey led to his legendary meeting with Jalal uddin Rumi, a well known religious scholar (Mawlana) who led prayers in the mosque attached to his school where he taught jurisprudence to his students. This meeting turned Mowlana upside down. He gave up teaching and abandoned the company of his disciples. Since he spent all his time with Shams-i Tabriz, this led to jealousy among Rumi’s disciples. Upset by their behavior, Shams left Konya. Distraught and aggrieved, Rumi lamented his teacher’s departure. When some one told him Shams-i Tabriz had been seen in Damascus, he sent his son, Sultan Vald with a letter entreating him to come back. He returned with Sultan Vald. The Konyans regretted and asked for forgiveness. But after a few months they were back to their hostilities. Shams-i Tabriz cautioned them that if they did not behave he will leave never to return again. One night a group of Rumi’s disciples led by his son Alauddin Chilpi attempted to assault him but Shamsi Tabriz suddenly disappeared, leaving all assailants unconscious; each one of them, including Rumi’s son died for some mysterious sickness within a short period. Rumi was so displeased that he declined to attend his funeral. (More information in the following pages).

--Nasir Shamsi, USA (December 11, 2005)





Our genealogical chart

Syed Ali Shah

Syed Ali Shah had five (5) sons:

Ahmad Hussain Altaf Hussain Manzoor Hussain Ijaz Hussain Saghir Hussain

1. Ahamad Hussain: his 4 sons, Akhtar hussain, Nasir Hussain, Athar Hussain (died in infancy), Athar Hussain Junior (died at 16)
(i) Akhtar Hussain’s three sons: Zahid Abbas, Nayyar Abbas, Ali Abbas. Zahid Abbas’s 4 sons. Ammar Abbas, Shoaib Abbas, Owais Abbas, Zuhair Abbas.
Nayyar Abbas (USA)’s 2 sons: Ali Hamza and Ali Shan-e Ahmad

(ii) Nasir Hussain (USA)’s three sons : Ali Imran, Ali Salman, Ali Adnan, and daughter, Saima Batool. Ali Shamsi’s daughter, Lila Shamsi, Adnan has one son, Irteza Raza. Salman has a son, Arsalan Ahmad and daughter Sareen Fatima.

2. Altaf Hussain (S/o Ali Shah)’s 4 sons:

(i) Yawar Hussain (UK)’s 2 sons: Farukh Abbas and Moazam Abbas and two daughters, Taseer Zahra and Toqeer Zahra
Farukh Abbas has one son Haider Abbas and three daughters, Saira, Aliya, Masuma). Moazzam Abbas has 3 sons, Hashim Abbas, Zain Abbas, Kamran Abbas
(ii) Rahat Hussain (UK)’s 2 sons : Aun Ali, Muhammad Abbas
(iii) Zahid Hussain has 2 sons: Imran Haider and Bilal Haider. Imran Haider (China) has a daughter Manahal.
(iv) Shahid Hussain
3. Manzur Hussain’s 4 sons:
(i) Tahir Hussain’s one daughter: Tatheer Zahra (UK)
(ii)Liaqat Hussain’s 2 sons: Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Azfar Abbas,
(iii) Akhlaq Hussain’s 2 sons: Muhammad Mughees Hassan, Haseeb Hassan
(iv) Waqar Hussain’s 2 sons: Muqil Abbas, Adeel Abbas
4. Ijaz Hussain’s 3 sons: (i) Anwar Hussain (Bahrain)’s 2 sons: Ali Raza (USA), Abbas Raza (Canada)
(ii) Ansar Hussain’s 2 sons: Munil Abbas, Zain Abbas
(iii) Iftikhar Hussain (USA). He has a son, Awwab Haider and daughter Nina Iftikhar.
5. Saghir Hussain’s 3 sons: Tanvir Abbas, Zaheer Abbas, Mazhar Abbas (their children’s names will be posted)



B. Going backward from my grandfather, Syed Ali Shah, our family is traced back to Prophet Muhammad (s) and Prophet Ibrahim (a) as follows:

Syed Ali Shah (our grandfather)
Nazar Ali
Inayat Ali
Daulat Ali
Nathay Shah
Latif Shah
Amir Ali
Gul Muhammad
Shah Muhammad
Mehr Ali
Murad Shah
Talib Ali Shah
Rasikh-uddin
Muhammad Saleh
Rukan-uddin
Shahab-uddin
Nasir-uddin (see bio note)

Shams-uddin Muhamad Tabrizi (D. 675 AH/1276AD In Multan)-- Shams-i Tabriz--the Mentor and teacher of Jalal uddin Rumi. He had two sons: Nasir uddin (Saman Burj Lahore Royal Fort) and Ala uddin (Narhar Sharif, Jaipur, India).
(See bio notes)


Salahuddin Muhammad (D. 664 AH):
He was a pious person of great knowledge. He coached his son in early years, later asked his brother Abdul Hadi, who excelled in the exegesis of Quran, tradition,jurisprudence and philosophy, to teach him.By age 12, when Shamsuddin became self sufficient in Islamic sciences, Abdul Hadi accompanied him to Tabriz, a center of higher learning at the time, to further enhance his knowledge.


Syed Ali Islam-uddin ( while his father Abdul Mumin, as ruler of Morocco and Spain, appointed the other four sons as governors of various provinces,Syed Ali asked to be excused; he was allowed by his father to embark instead on the spiritual path, devoting his life to the dissemination of Islam through preaching.

Abdul Mumin
(d. 550 AD)--he was founder of the Al-Muwahhid (Al-Mohads) dynasty of rulers who ruled over Spain and Morocco (1120- 1268 AD). Mohammed Ibn Tumart, a Barbar reformer from Morocco and a man of compelling personality and wisdom, met Abdul Mumin, young and handsome man with an equally commanding personality, at Makkah during the Hajj. He took him to Morocco. Both joined hands and were able to unite the tribes of the Atlas Mountains. Abdul Mumin proved to be a great general and helped oust the Almoravids. On Ibn Tumart's death, he became the ruler and founder of the al-mowahhidin(al-mohads). Al-mohads ruled Morocco and Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries until their fierce fights to halt the Crusaders weakened them and they lost power to Merinid dynasty, which took Marrakech in 1269.

Ali Khalid-uddin
Muhammad Muhib- uddin

Syed Mahmud Sabzwari ( D. 509 AH in Lahore). He came to Lahore as commander of Masud Ghazni’s army and is buried near Anarkali, in Nila Gunbad, Lahore. He gave his life alongwith his five sons during a battle, while defending Lahore.

Syed Muhammad (aka Masoom Shah) (D. 485 in Sabzwar); ( he was the first among our ancestors to move to Sabzwar (now in Iran, near the border of Turkey).

Hashim Ali (D. 458AH in Cairo)
Ahmad Hadi (D.448 in Yeman)
Muntazir Billah (D. 425 AH in Yeman. (Sakhi La’l Shahbaz Qalandar Marwandi of Sehwan Sharif is descendent of his brother Muntakhab Billah)

Abdul Majid
Ghalib-uddin (D. 315 AH, he moved with his family to Egypt)
Muhammad Mansur Khaqani:

Ismail Sani (D. 220 A.H. He did not agree with his father's Ismaili aqeeda and maintained the purity of Ithna ashari aqeedah. He is thus credited for the continuation of the unadulterated and pure Ithna Ashari aqeeda(belief) till this day among his decendents through his son, Muhammad Mansoor Khaqani (may Allah bless them both).

Muhammad Oraizi He was born in Oraiz, a town 4 miles from Madina), the founder and precursor of present day Ismailis (sixer Shias, he left Oraiaz and moved to Mohammad Abad, near Ra’y (now in Iran).

Ismail (he died in Imam Jafar Sadiq’slife) and was claimed as Imam by his son, Muhammad Oraizi (the precursor of the present day Bohras)to be the Imam,instead of Musa Kazim, the 7th Imam of Ithna asahri Shias. Later however his decendents split into Nazari Ismailis (the followers of Agha Khan) and Bohras (Musta'ali).

Imam Jafar Sadiq (a) - 6th Imam
Imam Muhammad Baqir - 5th Imam
Imam Ali Zainul Abidin - 4th Imam
Imam Hussain - 3rd Imam
Imam Ali (a) -1st Imam and Fatima d/o the Prophet Muhammad (s)
Abu Talib (Prophet’s uncle)
Abdul Mottalib (Prophet’s grandfather)
Hashim
Abdu Manaf
Qosayy
Kelab
Morra
Ka’b
Loay
Ghalib
Fihr (Qoreish)
Malik
Nazr
Kin’ana
Khozaima
Madrekah
Ilyas
Mazr
Nizar
Sa’ad
Adnan
Uban
Ood
Al-yassa
Al-Yamees’
Soloman
Hem’l
Bine’t
Qeda’r
Ismail (Prophet Ishmael)
Ibrahim (Prophet Abraham; he had two sins, Ishmail and Ishaq)

Biographical Notes about our prominent elders:
Shams-uddin Muhamad Tabrizi
(D. 675 AH In Multan)-- Shams-i Tabriz--the Mentor and teacher of Jalal uddin Rumi. He had two sons: Nasir uddin (Saman Burj Lahore Royal Fort) and Ala uddin Ahmad Shakr (Narrhar Sharif, Jaipur, India). The descendents of Nasir uddin largely inhabit west Punjab Districts, Hazara, Murree and Azad Kashmir area in Pakistan. Many of them inhabiting Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and Firozepur Districts of India migrated to Pakistan in 1947. There are some living in Pirana, Palanpur, Dholka and Ahmadabad in Gujrat(India); they are largely the descendents of Imam Shah son of Hassan Kabiruddin. Imam Shah ( Imam uddin ) who fell into the hands of an Ismaili Da’i, Sadr Din. ( see my note on how Ismaili da’i Sadr Din manoeuvred to seize control of the Gujrati disciples of the Shamsis of Ucch).

The descendents of Alauddin Ahmad Shakr, the younger son of Shams-i Tabriz, live in Narhar ( Jaipur ), Karrah ( Ilahabad ) and Fatehpur Distt., in India, and in Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Sargotha, in Pakistan.
...................................................................
Syed Nasir uddin
(588-682 AH)
The elder son of Shamsi Tabriz, Nasir uddin had two sons: Kamal uddin and Shahab uddin. He was born in Sabzwar. He came to Multan to join his father. A renowned scholar and a man of great piety, he occupied position of a Judge (Qazi al-Qazat) in Lahore, during the rule of Muhammad Sultan (aka Molaqqab Khan Shaheed ). He died in 682 and was buried inside the Shahi Qila (Royal Fort)Lahore, in the basement of Samun Burj (across from Sheesh Mahal). The shrine went out from the public eye after it was closed down and covered under a pavement during the rule of the Sikhs on Lahore. I had read about this in Taju ul Mulk's book, "Gulzar-i Shams". I went to Shahi Qila several times during my college studies in Government College, Lahore (1955-59). Every time I asked about the shrine, but without any clue.I was told there was no grave or shrine in or around the Samun Burj. So I came back disappointed every time,. However on a subsequent visit to the Shahi Qila in 1959, accompanied by my friend Mahmud Nusrat-now a barrister in London, England-we were told by the clerk at the Fort gate that
recently a grave had been discovered under the Samun Burj; we were told that a person Sultam Mahmud who worked in a leather goods shop in the Anarkali Bazar had found out the grave. Nusrat and I paid a visit to the newly discovered garve. It was on the lower level under the Samun Burj. A path leading to the grave on the lower level had been discovered through removal of the slabs used by the sikhs during their rule. We visited this gentleman in the Anarkali the following day. Sultan told us that after visiting Shahi Qila with a cousin, he saw a “buzurg” in dream, pointing him to a place which he said led to his grave under the Samun Burj and that he had seen himself digging out the steps going down to the mazar. He saw the same dream on two consecutive nights and decided to go back to the place with his cousin. They tool some digging tools in a bag and succeeded in digging the spot he had seen in the dream. After they were able to remove a big slab, they discovered an entry with stone steps leading to down below. There in the lower hall, exactly below the Samun Burj, there was a grave in the center of the mausoleum (Samun Burj). They were apprehended at that point. But when they narrated exactly what had motivated them to this "illegal excavation", they were released and the Fort Superintendent also permitted Sultan Mahmud to arrange for eletric fittings to instal electric fittings in the mazar for light. He was also permitted to post a sign which read: “ is jagah aik
bazurg ka mazar mila hai “. A few months later I, accompanied by my cousin, Anwaar Hussain Shamsi, called on Waliullah Khan, the Superintendent of the Archives Deptt at the Shahi Qila. We showed him the written evidence to prove that it was the mazar of Syed Nasir uddin and requested that the current sign be replaced by a plate with his name. He did not agree to our request because he did not want this place to attract vistors. I have learnt that the place is now locked up and nobody can visit the mausoleum. I hope the justice is done some day to restore the true identity of an important historical figure.

Syed Shahab-uddin
Born at Sabzwar. Died in 750 AH at Tum Batool, Distt Hazara. He had 7 sons, including Rukn uddin ( our ancestor) and Haji Sadar uddin--father of Kabir uddin Hassan ((aka Hassan Darya).) buried in Uch. Please read our Note on an account of the Ismaili Da’i, named Sadar Din. He was sent to the Shamsis in Uch, by the Ismaili leader (Imam) Islam Shah hiding in Egypt, after the destruction of the Ismaili stronghold in the hills of Almut. His mission was to establish an organized collection system, to collect Khums (20% levy on yearly savings, payable to the descendents of the Prophet) from the Hindus who had been converted in Gujrat and Kathiawar area in big numbers, first by Shams-i Tabriz and later by his descendents, Haji Sadaruddin and Kabir uddin Hassan. It is important to distinguish between Sayed Haji Sadaruddin (Shamsi) and the Isamili Da’i, Sadr Din. The Ismaili Sadar Din arrived at Uch at a time when the Shamsi Syeds were devastated by the sudden death of their father Kabir uddin Hassan and were unable to decide regarding who from the 18 siblings would succeed their most eminent father, who was the undeniable spiritual Chief (Pir) of the Kojas of Gujrat and Kathiawar. Cunning and sharp witted Sadar Din, a man in advanced years with a charismatic look, persuaded the aggrieved brother to accept him as their guardian (until they would decide about the succession) because after all, he argued, he represented the “ Jafri Prince “ in exile after the fall of the Fatimids in Egypt and Alamut. We don’t know what he promised the gullible Syeds, they accepted his tutelage. Having become an heir apparent of the deceased leader, Sadr Din had now access to the followers and disciples of the Shamsis in Uch. Having installed himself successfully in Sindh, he embarked on a journey to Gujrat with one of the Shamsi Brothers, Imam uddin (aka Imam Shah). Imam Shah (d.926/1520)was more familiar with the Shamsi murids in Gujrat and Kathiawar, since he had frequently accompanied his father and grand father when they visited their followers in Gujrat and beyond. Imam Shah was quite enamored of the saintly looking new relative, an emissary of the Prince in Egypt. There is whole legend surrounding this Imam Shah available in the Ismaili books. He is said to have developed differences with his brothers as well as the Shamsi followers of his father in Sind. He seems to have pressed his claim to succeed his father on his death which was turned down. Imam Shah later gave an account of this incident in
“ Jannatpuri “, a long religious hymn reported to have been recorded by him in Gujrati and preserved by his followers in Gujrat. A lot was written about him by the writers sponsored by Agha Khan 1, and later in the books and articles published by the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, England. Why so much emphasis on Imam Shah ? It is because he is the key to Ismailis finding a new lease of life in India, after destruction of Alamut by the Mongols. But for Imam Shah, they would not have been able to re-surface in India, after they were been eliminated first by Mahmud Ghazni from Multan and Sindh, later by Razia Sultana when they attacked and killed many Muslims at the Jamia Masjid, Delhi. Aided and abetted by Imam Shah, who abandoned his brothers in the hope of being named the Imam Islam Shah’s vicegerent in India, Sadar Din slowly took control of a large number of the disciples of Shamsi sadat in Gujrat and kathiawar. He even faked himself as Haji Sadr uddin (the deceased father of Kabir uddin Hassan who was well known in Gujrat). Imam Shah took him to one of the richest and influential Thakars of Gujrat, who had accepted Islam through his grand father, Syed Haji Sadar uddin. Sadr Din used his influence to reach out to other affluent Thakars and the existing converts. Intoxicated with his initial success, he came up with a novel idea. The best way, he thought, to mentally and spiritually take control of the psyche of these people was to present to them a mix of Hindu and Islamic teachings. Vishnu, he noticed, was at the center of the Hindu religion in Gujrat; every thing revolved around the myth of Vishnu (the Hindu God) and his Das Avatar (his ten incarnations). The cycle of life was essentially linked with these incarnations (avatar). Nine avatar had manifested themselves. The 10th avatar Vishnu was to come; he was the awaited autar. Sadr Din had them believe that the 10th avatar had already come and that was Imam Ali and that he was represented by the living Imam, Islam Shah in Khorasan. It was mandatory on each follower to every year send to him ‘ dasond ‘ (one twelveth of yearly savings), for for the forgiveness of sins and salvation. He called his new faith system ‘ Satpanth ‘ (true path)—a mix of Hinduism and Islam. This speeded up the conversions in and around Gujrat. Hindus in large numbers started accepting Satpanth path. The revenues of the new Pir became phenomenal. Sadr Din devised a method to regularly send the collections to the Imam in Cairo, adding greatly to his personal wealth.
Sadr Din had Gujrati hymns and songs (called Ginan ) written in Gujrati, singing praises of Ali and Pir, Shams-i Tabriz. According to the Sind Gazeteer (1904), Sadr Din took help from a Brahman Scholar in writing Ginans. (Aab-i Kosar, Sheikh Mohammad Ikram, Page 347. Sadr Din persuaded Syed Imam uddin (called Imam Shah by the Satpanth followers) to break away from his brothers. Differences developed however between the two, apparently on the issue of collection of dasonth for the Imam and due to natural rivalry. Imam uddin moved to Pirana near Ahmadabad but continued preaching the Satpanth teachings. (See The Sect of Imam Shah of Gujrat by the Russian scholar Walter Ivanow, and my separate article, “ How Shamsis lost their hold on Gujrat to the antics of an Ismaili Dai “ ). Imam Shah is buried in Pirana (10 miles from from Ahmadabad. Imam Shah is said to have written many ginans which are recited by the Ismailis, but they are reported to have been corrupted with additions and deletions, to force Ismaiali beliefs on him, although according to his descendents he had distanced himself from Ismaiali beliefs. Imam Shah had four sons, viz. Syed Alam Shah, Syed Ali Shah, Syed Bakir Shah and Syed Nur Muhammad Shah, and a daughter called Shams Khatoon. Syed Nur Muhammad, later called Nar Muhammad became his successor in Gujrat and led his Murids away from the Ismailis.
Imam Shah's Shrine in Pirana has in the news on acccount of the legal dispute between the descendents of Imam Shah and the Hindu custodians, called Kakas, both claiming ownership of the shrine and the properties around the shrine. The visitors to the shrine say that the shrine contains both the Muslim as well as Hindu relics. At the entrance of the shrine, you meet both the the Hindu Kakas and Syed descendents. That is what happens to those who lose touch with their roots. Imam Shah’s descendents are paying today for his cutting his ties with his family in Uch. Iqbal had rightly said in one of his poems: The wave has an identity so long it is in the ocean;outside it is nothing ( Mauj hai darya mein, bairun-i darya kuch naheen).