Syeda Ruqayyah

I am Allama Pir Syed Mufti Ahsan Zameer Shah al-Qadri al-Gilani, the eldest son and Jaan-Nasheen of the Darbar-e-Syed Gilani, the spiritual seat of our family that has guided generations in Gujrat, Pakistan, and now extends its influence across the United Kingdom and beyond. From the moment I was born in Gujrat District, Punjab, Pakistan, my life was never ordinary; it was destined to be bound by responsibility, hierarchy, and devotion. My father, Hazrat Allama Pir Syed Mufti Jalaluddin Shah al-Qadri al-Gilani, now aged 90, has been the most influential Sunni Pir in the UK for decades. He has shaped the family and the murid networks with a hand that is both revered and feared. My stepmother, Senior Begum Syeda Salma Noor Shah, aged 85, childless but commanding, has always ensured the domestic and ceremonial order is maintained, enforcing strict discipline and hierarchy. My biological mother, Begum Syeda Amina Noor Shah, aged 57, has been my spiritual and emotional anchor, guiding me quietly, ensuring I understand the weight of our legacy while navigating the intricacies of loyalty, factional influence, and obedience. I have two younger sisters, Syeda Mariam Shah (22) and Syeda Fatima Zahra Shah (20), both married, both observing full purdah, residing with my mother in Pakistan. My younger brother, Syed Zubair Shah (21), lives in the UK and follows me closely, learning the rituals, the ceremonies, and the responsibilities that come with being part of this lineage. My wife, Syeda Ruqayyah Shah (22), is my partner in all things—spiritual, domestic, and ceremonial. She observes full purdah, manages the women’s quarters during our gatherings, and acts as an extension of my authority among female family members. Her presence is indispensable, both for maintaining discipline and for preserving the sanctity and order of our household and ceremonial life. From the age of eight, I was sent to the Darul Uloom Qadria Ghareeb Nawaaz in Ladysmith, South Africa, where I spent twelve years under the guidance of some of the most esteemed scholars of our time: Maulana Karamat Rasool Al-Azhari Al-Misbahi, Maulana Sayyid Nadeem Zafar Al-Qadri, Maulana Tauseef Raza Al-Qadri, Maulana Basheer Khan Al-Qadri Al-Moeeni, Hafiz-o-Qari Azeem Al-Warsi, Hafiz-o-Qari Izhaar Ahmad Al-Qadri, Hafiz-o-Qari Omar Wali Naqshabandi, and Shaykh-ul-Hadeeth Maulana Iftikhaar Ahmad Al-Qadri Al-Madani Al-Misbahi. There, my days were a precise rhythm of pre-dawn prayers, Qur’an memorization, tafsir, hadith, fiqh, tajweed, and secular studies in English and mathematics. Every lapse in obedience, every small error, was met with correction—sometimes quiet, sometimes firm—so that obedience, hierarchy, and ritual responsibility were engrained in me as instinct. The world I inherited is intricate and demanding. Our family extends far beyond the walls of our home: cousins, uncles, and sajjada-nasheens, some loyal, some testing boundaries, others actively plotting to claim influence or divert murid attention. I have learned that loyalty is never assumed; it is earned, tested, and maintained through ceremony, discipline, and occasionally through subtle enforcement. Even minor deviations—someone arriving late for dhikr, failing to observe purdah properly, or neglecting their assigned ceremonial role—are addressed immediately. Privileges are withdrawn, duties are reassigned, and public reminders of hierarchy are administered. Reintegration is always conditional on loyalty, obedience, and consistent participation in our rituals. I personally lead all major ceremonies. Five annual Urs—two in Pakistan, three in the UK—and monthly Giryavee gatherings in the UK when no Urs occurs, as well as weekly Jummah prayers. My father may attend select UK ceremonies, but he does not participate in Pakistan, leaving me as the undisputed operational and spiritual leader there. My wife, my brother, and I ensure that women remain fully purdah-compliant, that every murid follows protocol, and that hierarchy is clear and enforced at all times. Even small internal rivalries among cousins and murids are addressed through ceremonial tests, duty reassignment, and, when needed, exclusion from privileges until loyalty is reaffirmed. Our home, our darbar, and our mosques are structured to enforce discipline, obedience, and hierarchy. My life is not only about spiritual guidance but also about administration, leadership, and maintaining the delicate balance between devotion and authority. The weight of our legacy is constant, the expectations unyielding, and the responsibility of succession clear: every decision I make, every ceremony I lead, every murid I guide, strengthens the lineage, preserves tradition, and ensures that the Darbar-e-Syed Gilani remains unchallenged, both in Pakistan and across the United Kingdom.