Khwaja Mohammad Durrab Khan, also known as Pir Saani, was born in 1912 in the famous city of Ghazni, Afghanistan.

 

In his childhood, he obtained his initial Islamic education from his father, Shaykh Mohammad Akbar Khan, and from his uncle, Mawlana Gul Mohammad.

Later on in his life, his elder brother (Khwaja Ghulam Mohiuddin) travelled to India on a business trip which later became the turning point of their lives and the beginning of Nerian Sharif's famous roots. On his travels through India, Khwaja Ghulam Mohiuddin decided to visit the great Shaykh, Khwaja Mohammad Qasim Mohrvi, at his sacred centre (darbar) of Mohra Sharif. Eventually, he pledged bayah (spiritual allegiance to a Shaykh, to gain the light of Islam and tasawwuf) at the hands of Khwaja Qasim Mohrvi, becoming his mureed. However, the heart of Khwaja Ghulam Mohiuddin was so sincere and immersed in love for Allah and His Messenger that he consequently became completely absorbed in the love of his Shaykh, to the extent that he forgot about his business and family. His parents did not receive any news or communication from him for six or seven years. Out of their growing anxiety and concern for his well-being, they sent Khwaja Pir Saani to Punjab to find his elder brother.

 

Khwaja Pir Saani travelled from Afghanistan to Punjab, then to Rawalpindi and then to Mohra Sharif, where he was finally reunited with his elder brother. There, he also met the great Khwaja Qasim Mohrvi who told him to stay for several days. Remaining in the company of Khwaja Qasim Mohrvi had a profound effect on Khwaja Pir Saani too, and finally he expressed his own wish to become his mureed. After taking bayah, Khwaja Pir Saani found himself unable to bear even a moment's separation from his Shaykh, so he too remained at Mohra Sharif with his elder brother for some years.

 

After some time, Khwaja Qasim Mohrvi appointed Khwaja Pir Saani as one of his Khulafa (deputies) and sent him, with his elder brother, to Nerian Sharif so they could establish Islam there and make it a land of great spiritual enlightenment. Over the years, Khwaja Pir Saani held a prominent role in spreading the teachings of Islam in Kashmir. The number of his devotees in Kashmir runs into thousands.

 

Khwaja Pir Saani left this world at 4:10am on Thursday 5 Jumadi al Aakhir 1409 (12 January 1989), aged 77. He was laid to rest in Nerian Sharif, near his elder brother Khwaja Ghulam Mohiuddin Ghaznavi.

 

Allah had blessed Khwaja Pir Saani with seven sons whose names are given below:

1. Sahibzada Peer Abdul Ghaffar sahib

2. Sahibzada Peer Abdul Irshad sahib

3. Sahibzada Abdul Wahhab sahib

4. Sahibzada Khaleelur Rahman sahib

5. Sahibzada Habeebur Rahman sahib

6. Sahibzada Azeezur Rahman sahib

7. Sahibzada Mehboobur Rahman sahib

 

After Khwaja Pir Saani passed away, his eldest son Sahibzada Pir Abdul Ghaffar Sahib Ghaznavi was appointed as his successor. Pir Abdul Ghaffar Sahib continued the great mission of his father by promoting Islam in Europe. He served as the Imam and Khateeb of a Masjid in Keighley, England until he passed away in August 2006.