مشہور صوفی اور باکمال شاعر حضرت شاہ نیاز بریلوی ؒ اپنے عہدکے ایک نابغہ روزگار ہستی گذرے ہیں۔موصوف نے فارسی اور اردو زبان میں شاعری کی ہے۔اس لیے فارسی اور اردو تذکروں میں ان کا ذکر موجود ہے۔ دیوان نیاز کے کئی نسخے منظر عام پر آچکے ہیں۔ پیش نظر ان کا مختصر اردو دیوان ہے جس میں تصوف و عرفان کے مسائل کو اشعار کا موضؤع بنایا گیا ہے۔

Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi was born in Punjab’s Sirhind (Patiala) and went to Delhi for education. In Delhi, he acquired exoteric and esoteric insight from his master Fakhruddin Dehlavi. Aged just 17, he was thoroughly acquainted with Tafsir, Hadis, Usul, Maaqulat, and Manqulat, eventually swearing allegiance to his master Fakhruddin Dehlavi’s tutelage. Soon he became a caliph to his master and began acquiring rectitude and guidance. Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi was one of the prominent caliphs of his master and took up residence in Bareilly on the advice of him only. Bareilly was his reference point among all. He was well-known in India, and abroad in Afghanistan, Samarqand, Shiraz, Badakhshan, and Arab countries his devoted followers and caliphs were present in large numbers. He died in Bareilly at the age of 77. In "Tarikh-e-Mashaikh-e-Chisht", Professor Khaliq Ahmad Nizami has mentioned a total of 9 of his Urdu, Persian, and Arabic texts, including a journal. The ‘Diwan-e-Niyaz’ is one of the more important books attributed to him.