Some features shared by Hinduism and Islam

Gazi Pir was a great Muslim saint. He lived in Bengal. Local myths say that even the deadliest creatures obey him. Pictures, idols, statues, scrolls, etc. show him holding snakes (symbol of immortality) in his hands and riding a fearsome Bengal tiger (or crocodile), or fighting with deadly animals in the jungles of Sunderbans, the widest delta in the world on the border of India (Bengal) and Bangladeshi. The area is known for its tigers that devour people. The most important goddess in the region is Bon Bibi, the only Hindu goddess whose origin is in Islam. Her story begins in the second holiest city in Islam: Medina, where the Archangel Gabriel spoke with her father, a Sufi fakir Ibrahim. The Archangel said that they, Bon Bibi and her brother, had been chosen for a divine mission and that they should leave their birthplace and come to India. They began their journey as Sufi traders and later became the divine protectors of the people who live in the jungles of the Sunderbans. Whether the local people are Hindu or Muslim, the prayer always begins with the words of Qumran.

Gazir Pir probably had the same purpose as Bon Bibi to start a divine mission. This Sufi saint must have appeared in Bengal around the same time as Bon Bibi, because Muslims believe him to be connected with the rise of Sufism in Bengal. I will also give you some references, for example the book “Beautiful Country: Stories from Another India” by Syeda Saiyidain Hameed and Gunjan Veda talks about Bon Bibi and his relation to Sufism.

Although I did not find any reliable sources on how the Bengali goddess Manasa converted Gazir Pir to worship her, it is quite possible that this story is written somewhere in these Bengali scrolls. Scroll painting or Patachitra culture is a very old village culture in Bangladesh and Bengal (India). These scrolls represent myths from religious stories that people in rural areas have told for generations. For centuries, the painters of these scrolls (patuas) have visited town after town and sung the stories in exchange for a small amount of money or food. This must have significantly strengthened the preservation of the Manasa Devi cult in the area and the preservation of Gazir Pir in the knowledge of the people.

During the reign of Sultan Barbak Shah (1459-1474), one of his generals conquered Orissa and Kamrup (now Assam). Most likely, this is the time when Gazi Pir appeared in the region. You will see him in drawings or scrolls riding a tiger (or a crocodile), which is not unusual in India (the tiger is a vehicle of Goddess Durga), but what interests me is that Gazi Pir and Bon Bibi have what following common features:

1) Both belong to Islam

2) They both ride a tiger

3) They both belong to Sufism (a mystical school of Islam)

Islam as the only connection is not surprising, but if you see the above three common attributes on a cake, you must be surprised.

If you don’t know, many Muslims and non-Muslims believe that Sufism goes beyond Islam. Sufism or Tasawwuf in Arabic is the inner dimension of Islam and not many Muslims follow it. Sufism is a secret path as many of its principles are derived from Gnosticism and any good scholar will tell you that much of its dimensions are derived from ancient Greece.

When I was looking for Gazi Pir’s name on the Internet, one thing that surprised me was that I found a picture of the crescent moon in a position like when people smile: the crescent moon (with the sun) in a horizontal position. Such representation is a genuine connection with Manasa Devi and the serpent deities. Ancient deity iconography is also very familiar with visualizations of serpent deities with this symbol on their heads.

Gazi Pir and Manasa Devi have the following three common characteristics:

1) They share the symbol of the crescent moon in a horizontal position with the sun inside (like an eye)

2) Both are represented with snakes in their hands.

3) Hindus have great respect for this Muslim saint (Muslims generally do not attach religious significance to any of the Hindu saints)

I cannot confirm the reliability of the sources saying that Manasa the Hindu serpent goddess converted Gazi Pir to her worship and how, but legends and popular stories must surely say this as many internet searches actually led me to a series of images of Gazi Pir sitting on a tiger and carrying a snake in his hands (see my website).

Sufism is a secret path, so the information I present here will probably surprise you in the same way that it surprises me. Sufism, like Tantric Hinduism, is a hidden dimension of God. Gazi Pir was a great follower of Manasa Devi. I also believe that he, a great historical character, was a divine saint.