Special importance has been attached to Shrines (mazaars) which have served as great centers of learning and spiritual elevation because the tomb of the elder Pir have always been the source of deep spiritual inspiration. Urs (death anniversary) has a special significance and importance in the Islamic world, not only as a festival for social gatherings and exchange of ideas, but an occasion of intense spiritual training as well. People from far and wide from all cultures come pay homage to the spiritual benefactor and recite Fateha for his soul and gather around his grave for spiritual inspiration. Another advantage of Urs is people get an opportunity to meet their Pir brothers, the elder members of the brotherhood and some are initiated into the spiritual order of the great Saint they came to celebrate. In the Indo-Pak subcontinent the death anniversaries (Urs) of many Salasul such as the Qadiriyya, Naqshbandiya, Suharwardiya, Chishtiya, Firdausiya and many other Sufi Orders are celebrated.
One may ask how could a dead person lead or inspire a living one, as man is a combination of body and soul. According to the retired Capt. Wahid Bakhsh of the Chishti Order in his book called, Islamic Sufism explains that at death, the body dies, and the soul remains alive. Where does the soul go? Islam tells us that after death the soul lives in the soul world (Alam-I-Arwah), which is also known as Barzakh, which can be compared to a buffer zone between this world of illusions and the next. The laws of time and space do not govern the soul world because there is no earth, sun and stars like this world we know. Before the sun and earth came into being, there was no time and space; can we ever imagine how it would be? However the great saints in accord with the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) die before their physical death and attain everlasting existence while living in this world. They will shine with greater glory when they pass into the soul world and are freed from the limitations of this world. These Saints conquer death and are now more alive than the living beings. They have the capability to effectively diagnose the spiritual ailments of their visitors and cure them by spiritual energy or inspiration. The brothers and sisters of the Silsilas (spiritual order) started assembling at the shrine of the elders especially in the time of their death anniversaries when inspiration is re-doubled and the tempo is intensified.
At each Urs there are special etiquette’s of attendance and participation in the traditional rites and ritual particular to the place, the occasion and culture and the attendants are duty bound to know then for strict observance to facilitate adequate reception of spiritual benefits. It must also be remembered that the amount of inspiration you receive depends on the amount of effort you put at home during the year. The more you pray, worship, fast, recite the Quran and do spiritual exercises such as Zikr, the greater the reception, inspiration and baraka.
It is said that for ages roses sprang up on Sa'adi’s grave, and that his grave has never been without them. It is credible for in the Rose Garden he has written in the thought of beauty, the beauty of his thought, once voiced, is still continuing, although the mortal body of Sa'adi is gone.