Storms, Miracles and a Mystic’s Grace: The Untold Story of Hyderabad’s Miya Paisa Saheb
By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam
21 November 2025
Hazrat Miya Paisa Saheb was a quiet Hyderabad mystic whose wandering life, miracles on the Musi, and humble shrine near Purana Pul still touch people with compassion and awe.
Main Points:
1. Hazrat Miya Paisa Saheb lived a quiet, contemplative life in Hyderabad and was deeply respected for his spiritual depth.
2. A shocking incident in a prostitute’s house revealed his hidden saintly stature.
3. His leap into the storming Musi River became a defining miracle.
4. He spent his final years near Purana Pul, where he was later buried.
5. His Urs, legacy, and simple shrine continue to be honoured by local caretakers and the old city community.
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A Saint Hidden in the Streets of Hyderabad
Hyderabad has always carried the footprints of quiet saints whose lives never sought fame, yet whose stories were carried forward through generations. Among these silent mystics, Hazrat Miya Paisa Saheb remains one of the most compelling personalities, remembered not through books or inscriptions but through the living memories of the people of the old city. Born and raised in Hyderabad, he lived during a period when spiritual learning thrived, and he became a disciple and caliph of Hazrat Diwan Shah Data Qadri. His life, marked by wandering contemplation, unfolded in the neighbourhoods of Hussaini Alam and Ghansi Bazaar long before the city’s modern structures came into being.
A Life Spent in Absorption
Those who lived in the old quarters often described him as a figure lost in deep spiritual absorption, moving through lanes without any attention to the noise around him. He carried himself with the lightness of someone free from worldly concerns. Even though he rarely spoke, his presence softened the hearts of those who crossed paths with him. His simplicity, however, concealed moments of extraordinary spiritual power, which the city still recalls through carefully preserved oral accounts.
The Night That Changed Everything
One of the most dramatic events associated with Hazrat Miya Paisa Saheb took place in the house of a prostitute. A wealthy but morally adrift man, heavily drunk, had entered the house for pleasure and found Hazrat sleeping quietly in a corner. Intoxicated by arrogance and wine, the man persuaded the woman to approach Hazrat with the intention of violating him. The woman, tempted by the money placed before her, began moving towards him after removing her clothes. It was at that very moment that fate intervened. Her waist suddenly broke, leaving her paralysed for life. Realisation and regret washed over her instantly, and she spent the remainder of her days with a deep sense of remorse. This shocking incident rippled across Hyderabad, and people began to recognise the saintly grace hidden behind Hazrat’s quiet wandering. After this moment, Hazrat withdrew from roaming the streets and settled near the gate of the Purana Pul, where passers-by began referring to him affectionately and curiously as “Miya Paisa”.
The Miracle on the Musi River
Another incident that etched his name into Hyderabad’s collective memory took place during a period of heavy rain and a violent storm on the Musi River. The rising waters created fear throughout the city, and people gathered near the Purana Pul in a state of anxiety. In the midst of the chaos, Hazrat walked calmly onto the bridge, softly uttering the words “Miya Paise, Miya Paise”, and without hesitation he leapt into the raging flood. The crowd stood frozen, convinced that he had been swallowed by the storm. Yet, as the river continued to rage, its ferocity began to lessen. Nearly four furlongs downstream, Hazrat emerged safely from the water, completely unharmed. The event became a symbol of divine protection, and the people of Hyderabad began to revere him not just as a wanderer but as a saint touched by the unseen.
His Passing and Resting Place
Hazrat Miya Paisa Saheb left the world in 1246 Hijri, corresponding to 1831 AD, during the reign of the fourth Nizam, Nawab Nasir-ud-Daulah Bahadur. True to the simplicity of his life, his tomb near the northern side of the Purana Pul carries no elaborate structure or dome. Built on a raised platform with a marble floor inside, the shrine has two entrances and houses only his grave, crafted from flint stone with a quiet dignity. A poet of the Deccan composed a couplet marking his year of death, praising him as a unique fakir whose spiritual depth surpassed ordinary understanding.
The Urs and Continuing Legacy
The annual Urs of Hazrat Miya Paisa Saheb is observed every year on the 23rd and 24th of Jamadi-ul-Awwal. Even today, the government allocates a small allowance to support the ceremonies. The present custodian of the shrine is Mr. Tajuddin Khan, whose family has served the saint for generations and continues to live beside the shrine. During the month of Muharram, the shrine becomes the site of an annual gathering where well-known reciters of the Deccan offer marsiya in his memory.
Despite its historical importance, the tomb carries no inscribed tablet or written history, leaving the saint’s story to live through memory, reverence, and the quiet devotion of those who visit his resting place.
A Legacy Preserved Through Human Memory
Hazrat Miya Paisa Saheb’s life reminds Hyderabad that not all spiritual figures leave behind grand structures or written chronicles. Some leave behind something far more human: stories whispered in markets, respect carried from one generation to another, and the sense of peace that touches anyone who pauses by their resting place. His legacy survives not through monuments but through the affection and awe with which the old city still remembers him.
Reference:
Syed Murad Ali Tale (1972) “Tazkira Auliya-e-Daqan” Meenar Book Depot Char Kaman, Hyderabad
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Syed Amjad Hussain is an author and Independent research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is the author of 'Bihar Aur Sufivad', a bestselling research book based on the history of Sufism in Bihar.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/miracles-mystic-grace-miya-paisa-saheb/d/137720
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