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Sultan Bahu

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Sultan Bahoo
سُلطان باھُو
Shrine of Sultan Bahoo
Born17 January 1630
Died1 March 1691
Resting placeGarh Maharaja, Punjab
Known forSufi poetry, Mysticism, Divine Vision, Faqr and Islam
Notable workMysticism, Faqr, Divine Vision, Mystic Poetry, great role in spreading of Islam and Islamic mysticism
TitleSultan ul Arifeen (King of mystics) Sultan ul Faqr
PredecessorAbdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi
SuccessorSyed Mohammad Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani
Parents
  • Bazayd Muhammad (father)
  • Mai Rasti (mother)

Sultan Bahoo (Template:Lang-pa; also spelled Bahoo; ca 1630–1691) was a Sufi mystic,also called as King of mystics, poet, scholar and one of the greatest Saints who was active during the Mughal empire mostly in the Punjab region (present-day Pakistan). In mysticism he is regarded as a leader. He belonged to Qadiri Sufi order,[1] and started the mystic tradition known as Sarwari Qadiri.[2]

There is no real picture of Sultan Bahoo present. Beacuse first proper image was taken in 19th century while his era was of 17th century, so any picture which is attributed to Sultan Bahoo is fake.

About Sultan Bahoo's life, there is written in a hagiography called Manaqib-i Sultani, which was written by one of Bahoo's descendants seven generations after Bahoo's own time.[3]

Sultan Bahoo's father was Bazayd Muhammad, who was an Army Officer in the Mughal Army.[4] His mother Mai Rasti was also a great saint. Sultan Bahoo was born in Shorekot, Jhang, in the current Punjab Province of Pakistan. He belonged to Awan Tribe.[5] Almost one hundred and forty books on Sufism are attributed to him (mostly written in Persian), largely dealing with specialised aspects of Islam and Islamic mysticism. He lived during the reigns of Mughal emperors Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb in the 17th century.[6][2]

His Punjabi poetry is very popular and earned him lasting fame.[3]: 14  His verses are sung in many genres of Sufi music, including qawwali and kafi, and tradition has established a unique style of singing his couplets.[3]: 14 

Education

Sultan Bahoo's first teacher was his mother, Mai Rasti. She pushed him to seek spiritual guidance from Shah Habib Gilani.[2]

Around 1668, Sultan Bahoo moved to Delhi for further training under the guidance of Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi, a notable Sufi saint of the Qadiriyya order, and thereafter returned to Punjab where he spent the rest of his life.[2]

Literary works

The exact number of books written by Sultan Bahoo is not known, but it is assumed to be at least one hundred and forty. Most of them are on Sufism and Islamic mysticism. Most of his writings are in the Persian language except Abyat-e-Bahoo which is written in Punjabi verse.[7]

Only the following books written by Sultan Bahoo can be found today:

  • Abyat e Bahoo[8]
  • Risala e Ruhi
  • Sultan ul Waham
  • Nur ul Huda
  • Aql e Baidar
  • Mahq ul Faqr
  • Aurang e Shahi
  • Jami ul Israr
  • Taufiq e Hidiyat
  • Kalid Tauheed
  • Ain ul Faqr[9]
  • Israr e Qadri[9]
  • Kaleed e Jannat
  • Muhqam ul Faqr
  • Majalis un Nabi
  • Muftah ul Arifeen
  • Hujjat ul Israr
  • Kashf ul Israar
  • Mahabat ul Israr
  • Ganj ul Israr
  • Fazl ul Liqa
  • Dewaan e Bahoo[9]

Spiritual lineage

In his writings, Sultan Bahoo refers to Prophet Muhammad and Abdul Qadir Jilani as his spiritual masters, even though they died long before the birth of Sultan Bahoo. However, most Sufis maintain that Abdul Qadir Jilani plays a special role in the mystic world and that all orders and saints are forever indebted to him in some way either directly or indirectly.[10] While acknowledging that he is a follower of Jilani's Qadiriyya tradition, Sultan Bahoo initiated an offshoot of Qadiriyya which he named Sarwari Qadiri to maintain the purity of Qadiriyya tradition.

Bahoo's Sarwari Qadiri tradition (or Sufi order) is similar in its overall philosophy to the Qadiri order.[11] Unlike many other Sufi orders, the Sarwari Qadiri tradition does not prescribe a specific dress code, ascetic practices, breathing exercises, etc. Instead, it focuses on practicing Dhikrullah with heart.

According to tradition, the lineage reaches Sultan Bahoo as follows:[11]

The Sultan Bahoo tradition is still practiced to this day by Sultan Bahoo's successors and large number of his devotees.

Shrine

Shrine of Sultan Bahoo near Jhang, Pakistan

The shrine of Sultan Bahoo is located in Garh Maharaja, Punjab.[12] It was originally built on Bahoo's gravesite until the Chenab River changed its course causing the need to relocate twice and as witnessed by those present at the time of relocation, claimed that his body was, in fact, still intact and safe at the time.[12] It is a popular Sufi shrine, and the annual Urs festival commemorating his death is celebrated there with great fervor on the first Thursday of Jumada al-Thani month. People come from far-off places to join the celebrations.[13][11]

Sultan Bahoo also used to hold an annual Urs to commemorate the martyrs of Karbala from the 1st to the 10th day of the month of Muharram. This tradition continues to this day and every year, thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine during the first 10 days of Muharram.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Jürgen Wasim Frembgen (2006). The Friends of God: Sufi Saints in Islam, Popular Poster Art from Pakistan. Oxford University Press. p. 103. ISBN 9780195470062.
  2. ^ a b c d Amjad Parvez (30 October 2019). "Metaphysics of Sultan Bahu dedicated to those with clear concepts of philosophy". Daily Times (newspaper). Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Sult̤ān Bāhū (1998). Death Before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-92046-0.
  4. ^ Sultan Bahu (29 March 2015). Ganj ul Asrar. Translated by Hafiz Hamad Ur Rahman. Sultan ul Faqr Publications. p. 12. ISBN 9789699795213.
  5. ^ Jürgen Wasim Frembgen (2006). The Friends of God: Sufi Saints in Islam, Popular Poster Art from Pakistan. Oxford University Press. p. 103. ISBN 9780195470062.
  6. ^ Syed Ahmad Saeed Hamadani. Sultan Bahu Life & Work.
  7. ^ Sultan Hamid Ali,"Manaqib-i Sultani" Malik Chanan Din Publishers (Regd) Lahore Pakistan 1956
  8. ^ Muhammad Sharif Sabir. "Complete Book of Poems by Sultan Bahu". Academy of the Punjab in North America (APNA). Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Sultan Bahu books on Rekhta.org website Retrieved 18 May 2020
  10. ^ S. Padam, Piara (1984) [1st. Pub. 1984]. Dohrhe Sultan Bahu. s. n.
  11. ^ a b c d Urs of Sultan Bahu begins The News International (newspaper), Published 2 September 2019, Retrieved 18 May 2020
  12. ^ a b Sadia Dehlvi (1 December 2013). Sufism: Heart of Islam. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 185–. ISBN 978-93-5029-448-2.
  13. ^ Book Name: Tareekh-e-Jhang, Author: Iqbal Zuberi, Publisher: Jhang Adibi Academy, Jhang Sadar, Pakistan, First Edition, Date: 2002