Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari

Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari
(1907 to 1994)

Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari, to give him his full name at the outset, was born in 1907, in the Ashrafkhel clan, in a village called Khugakhel, at the stone`s throw from the Landikotal Sarai, NWFP, Pakistan. His father was Malik Bazmire Khan, one of the Maliks of the Shinwari tribe, who commanded a considerable respect. Malik Bazmir Khan had married twice and had six sons in all. Hamza was his fifth son.

In his autobiography, Hamza foundly relates his earliest life, with vaivd details, right from the time of brest feeding and toddling infancy. He claims to have had a very sharp memory, so sharp that if he descibed all the fond memories of his infant life it would only be taken for exaggareted fiction or if a figment of his fertile imagination and no body will really believe him. He claims even to have memories of prenatal life, the scene of "alasto bir rabikum qaalu bala", when, after creating the souls, God had gathered them all to ask them "am I not your Lord?" and they all or each had replied "Yes, Thou Art". He explains that this first affirmation and the direct interaction with Allmighty Allaha has left a permanent mark on each soul, which has become its life-long, distinguishing trait, even long after its embodiment in this temporal world. Some were terrified by the booming thunder of the voice of God, while other heard it as a sweet symphony. Some were dazed by His luminous brightness while other were bewitched by His infinite beauties. Some started dancing with joy while others bolted in fear. And these traits have been brought over by all of us to our life on this plannet.

Describing his own memories of this supreme event of the human spiritual world he writes "I heard a voice, 'alasto bir rabikum' (am I not your Lord?) and I suddenly had a consciousness of my being.It must be said that before this I was in the state of unconcsiousness, even if I was there already. And in the reply I said, 'bala', (yes Thou Art); and I felt that there was an element of doubt in my voice. Than after describing the various stages of the tranfermation and descent of the spirit into this terrestrial world, he says that While yet in his mother`s womb he was feeling a gradually receding light; and than he felt as if he had a fall from above, with the light finally disappearing from his sight; leaving him in the lap of a suffocating darkness. At this he cried and the women gathered around his mother cheerfully proclaimed, "Oh, its a boy," that a male baby was born.