A pir (a Muslim saint or holy man) in Pakistan excited the villagers of Mubarakabad, Bahawalnagar, when he announced he could bring the dead back to life. Muhammad Sabir had already gained notoriety for his ability to perform miracles and was popular amongst the villagers. When he announced he could breathe life back into a dead man (with the condition that the dead man was married and had children), 40-year-old Muhammad Niaz couldn’t pass up the opportunity to experience the afterlife. Indeed, Niaz got to experience the afterlife, but unfortunately, after a botched resurrection attempt, he will not be able to provide Geek Slop with any details about his experience.
Witnesses say Sabir placed Niaz, a married father of six children, on a table in a mysterious square and bound his hands and legs so he could not interfere with the ceremony, which began with Sabir unceremoniously cutting the bound man’s throat. Sabir then chanted some words to bring Niaz back to life. After a few failed attempts (practice attempts, maybe?), Sabir realized his “miracle” had not worked and attempted to run from the scene. Villagers caught him and turned him over to the police, who promptly arrested him for murder.
Villagers went on to explain how Sabir had taken donated birds and dogs from a local pet store so that they could “save villagers from black magic”. They said he sacrificed animals, sprinkled their blood on his followers ,and asked them to sprinkle blood at the entrance of their houses to be protected from evil.
The dead man’s family does not seem to be too upset about the botched resurrection. Samina, sister of the victim, told The Express Tribune, that her brother had “sacrificed himself” for the spiritual leader and that the pir should not have been arrested.
“Pir” is a title for a Sufi master – a concept in Islam defined by scholars as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.
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In-Article Image Credits
Pir Dastgir via Wikimedia Commons by Mughal Style with usage type - Public Domain. Late 18th centuryFeatured Image Credit
Pir Dastgir via Wikimedia Commons by Mughal Style with usage type - Public Domain. Late 18th century