A Persian word meaning 'pure gold'. The Qalandariyyah were a sect of roaming Sufi dervishes, the most famous being Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (1177-1274), a sufi saint, philosopher, poet, and qalandar, was born as Syed Usman Shah Marwandi. He also belonged to the Suhrawardiyya order of sufis, and was contemporary to Baha-ud-din Zakariya, Shaikh Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar, and Syed Jalaluddin Shah Surkh-posh. He travelled around the Muslim world, settled in Sehwan, Pakistan and was buried there. He preached religious tolerance among Muslims and Hindus. Thousands of pilgrims visit his shrine every year, especially on the anniversary of his return to Allah. Some consider that the word qalandar refers to a knower and lover of Allah who has attained one of the highest degrees in his knowing and loving. This type of qalandar is one of the People of Blame and is spoken of, and sung about, with awe and respect and love, by the mystic poets and Sufi singers. Yet others say the word qalandar indicates the mystic who intentionally brings notoriety and blame upon himself through coarse, uncouth actions so that his supreme trust in Allah will be manifest. Through the outward display of his spiritual condition this latter type of qalandar is not one of the People of Blame.
