The shrine's construction was started under the reign of Shah Tughluq,[1] who ordered that the saint's remains be enshrined in Sehwan Sharif.[2] The tomb complex was built in 1356 C.E.,[3] though it has been expanded several times since its founding. Ibn Battuta mentions the shrine during his travels to the region in the mid-fourteenth century.[4] In 1639, the shrine was greatly expanded under the rule of Mirza Jani of the Tarkhan dynasty.[5] Though the shrine was founded centuries ago, its popularity expanded in the late 20th century.[6]

On 16 February 2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at the shrine that resulted in the deaths of 88 people.[7] The following morning, the shrine's caretaker continued the daily tradition of ringing the shrine's bell at 3:30am, and defiantly vowed that he would not be intimidated by terrorists.[8] The shrine's dhamaal, or meditative dancing ceremony, was resumed the very next evening following the attack.[9] A few days later, several leading Pakistani artists and performers partook in a dhamaal at the shrine as a defiant response to radical Islamists.[10] Another dhamaal session was held to mark the one year anniversary of the bombing, and was organised by Pakistani social activist Sheema Kermani.[11]