Kako Sharif’s Sufi Legacy in Bihar: Hazrat Bibi Kamal, a Sultan’s Faith, and a Healing Well

By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam 14 March 2025 Hazrat Bibi Kamal, A Revered Sufi Saint Of Kako, Bihar, Touched Countless Lives With Her Wisdom And Compassion. Even Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq Sought Healing At Her Shrine, Where Her Legacy Of Faith And Miracles Still Thrives Today Main Points: 1. A revered 13th-century Sufi saint of Kako, Bihar, known for her spiritual wisdom and healing. 2. The Delhi Sultan sought healing at her shrine’s Sehat Kuwa. 3. Sacred stones and the healing well attract pilgrims. 4. A vibrant two-day event honouring her memory. 5. Her shrine remains a centre of faith, healing, and communal harmony. ----- (Kako Sharif) ----- Situated in the midst of Bihar's Jehanabad district, the shrine of Hazrat Makhduma Bibi Kamal at Kako village is a symbol of religious fervour, historical significance, and communal peace. For generations, this shrine has drawn seekers, scholars, and monarchs alike, but among them is Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq who stands apart. His profound respect for the saint, his own experience of the mystical energy of her shrine, and the heritage of faith that he added continue to be inscribed in the pages of Indian history. Hazrat Bibi Kamal: A Sufi Saint Beyond Time Born in 1211 CE in Kashgar (present-day Xinjiang, China), Hazrat Makhduma Bibi Kamal, born Syeda Bibi Hadia to Hazrat Syed Shahabuddin Suharwardy Pir Jagjot and Hazrat Bibi Noor bint Syed Wajihuddin alias Malika-e-Jahan, travelled to Kako from Kujawan, Patna with her daughter, Hazrat Bibi Daulat or Daulati Bibi, in 1274 CE. She was the maternal aunt of the famous Sufi saint Makhdoom-e-Jahan Hazrat Makhdoom Shaikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri of Bihar Sharif, and her impact radiated far beyond the borders of gender, class, and religion. In contrast to most Sufi saints of her era, Hazrat Bibi Kamal was heavily engaged in the mystical and healing practices that appealed to individuals from all religious and social backgrounds. She was revered for her deep spiritual insight, her resistance to religious orthodoxy, and her devotion to the service of humanity. Her Khanqah (spiritual retreat) at Kako became a refuge where the troubled found comfort, the sick found cure, and the seekers found divine wisdom. Even after her Wisaal in 1296 CE, her shrine still attracted pilgrims of all classes of life, including some of India's greatest rulers. The Sultan's Pilgrimage: Firoz Shah Tughlaq and the Healing Well Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who ruled over Delhi from 1351 CE to 1388 CE, was famed for his enthusiasm towards architecture, irrigation works, and religious donations. But his relationship with the shrine of Hazrat Bibi Kamal is one of the most interesting among all of his legacies. Historically, Firoz Shah Tughlaq is said to have been afflicted with leprosy, which in those days was regarded as an incurable disease. On learning of the miraculous curative value of the Sehat Kuaan (Health Well) in the vicinity of Hazrat Bibi Kamal's shrine, he went to Kako. It is known that after applying the water of this divine well, he experienced great relief, further deepening his belief in the spiritual efficacy of Hazrat Bibi Kamal. So profound was his respect for the saint that he formally declared her a Mahan Sadhvi (Great Ascetic), a distinction conferred by a king upon an ascetic, rare to this day. Not only was Hazrat Bibi Kamal's stature elevated in Sufi history, but the significance of her shrine as a site of divine intervention was also cemented. A Shrine of Miracles and Mysticism Hazrat Bibi Kamal's shrine, full of history and myth, remains to this day a site of pilgrimage for the sick and spiritually distressed. The Sehat Kuaan, where Firoz Shah Tughlaq went for healing, is still one of the most revered aspects of the shrine. People believe that its water has healing properties, especially for skin conditions and other chronic illnesses. Inside the shrine, there are two special stones of religious importance. The Kaarah, a black stone, is believed to possess mystical power that influences people who are mentally or spiritually troubled. Another set of stones, Nayan Katori, is thought to enhance eyesight when rubbed and placed on the eyes. These myths, which have been passed down through generations, contribute to the mystique of Hazrat Bibi Kamal's spiritual presence. A short distance from there, in Vakanagar, is the grave of Hazrat Bibi Kamal's husband, Hazrat Shaikh Shah Sulaiman Langar Zameen bin Shah Jalal Maneri, adding more to the area's historical and spiritual heritage. A Legacy Celebrated: The Annual Urs and Sufi Festival The memory of Hazrat Bibi Kamal is commemorated annually on 7th and 8th September on her Urs (death anniversary). It is a two-day carnival that is a grand spiritual and cultural event which attracts devotees, scholars, and artists from all over Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and even Nepal. The inaugural day begins with traditional customs like Chadarposhi (offering cloth), Fateha (prayer), and holy Urs rituals, conducted by the caretaker of the shrine. A dedicated dish, Gud Ki Kheer (jiggery rice pudding), is cooked and served among followers in Dhakni, typical earthen cups, reflecting the saint's magnanimity and blessings. On the second day, a Sufi festival is hosted by the district administration of Jehanabad and Bihar Tourism Department featuring cultural performances, Sufi music, and poetry sessions. The platform is utilised by artists and scholars alike to disseminate messages of peace, harmony, and the eternally enduring wisdom of Sufism. The shrine of Hazrat Bibi Kamal is a testament to the abiding strength of faith and the deep-seated relationship between religion and power in medieval India. Firoz Shah Tughlaq's pilgrimage and veneration of the saint highlight the immense impact that Sufism had even on the most dominant rulers of the day. Now, Hazrat Bibi Kamal's shrine remains a draw for thousands, not only as a place of historical importance but as a place where religion intersects with healing, where the past speaks to the present, and where believers, be they Muslim or otherwise, come to find comfort. The legacy of this remarkable Sufi saint lives on, not just in the prayers of pilgrims who visit her shrine but also in the tales of miraculous cures, royal patronage, and the ageless wisdom that she shared. References: 1. Alma Latif Shamsi (2022) “Kako Ki Kahani Alma Ki Zubani” Educational Publishing House, Delhi 2. https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/jahanabad/story-jehanabad-bibi-kamal-the-first-woman-sufi-saint-in-the-country-has-also-been-chaired-by-sher-shah-2815414.amp.html 3. https://www.abplive.com/states/bihar/bibi-kamals-tomb-has-many-stories-inside-itself-is-famous-for-its-miracles-ann-1555282/amp 4. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/kako-dargah-an-epitome-of-peace-harmony/articleshow/17272235.cms 5. https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-why-firoj-shah-tuglaq-reached-at-dargah-of-bibi-kamal-1437900.amp.html ----- Syed Amjad Hussain is an author and Independent research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is currently working on his book 'Bihar Aur Sufivad', based on the history of Sufism in Bihar. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/kako-sharif-sufi-hazrat-bibi-sultan-faith-healing/d/134871 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism