Shaykh-ul-Alam Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din (Ganj Shukr)

Shaykh-ul-Alam Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din (Ganj Shakr) is the first regular poet of Punjabi language, and the third great sufi after Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti and Hazrat Khawaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki in the Chishtia series in the subcontinent. Baba Farid was born in 1188 (A.D) in the town of Khotowal in the district of Multan. Shaykh-ul-Alam Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din (Ganj Shukr) 's ancestors came to India from Bukhara and Ghazni. Qazi Shoaib was the chief of this family. Qazi Shoaib's son was Qazi Sulaiman. And Qazi Masood was the son of Qazi Sulaiman. And this same Qazi Masood finally became known as Hazrat Shaykh-ul-Alam and Baba Farid-ud-Din (Ganj Shukr). His genealogy is similar to that of Hazrat Umar Farooq, 2^nd Caliphate of Islam. His father, Qazi Sulaiman had passed away at an early age and his mother taught him with great enthusiasm. His nick name Ganj-e-Shukar, became famous because of his special attachment to sugar. He received his early education in Khatwal and Multan.

He completed his education in Arabic, Persian, Qur'an and Hadith from Maulana Minhaj-ud-Din Tirmidhi in a mosque in Multan. At the age of eighteen, Hazrat Khawaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar swore allegiance to Chishtia Sufi-Thought. He traveled to Kandahar, Baghdad, Iran, and Bukhara, and received spiritual blessings from great spiritual leaders. Then he returned to Multan and attended the service of Hazrat Bakhyar Kaki. On completion of his duties, he was given the Dastar-e-Khilafa. He stayed in Hansi for some time as per the instructions of Murshid. After the death of Sheikh, he reached Delhi. According to the will of the Murshid, he got all the blessings like his cloak, scaff and shoes. He encamped at Ajudhan (now Pakpattan) which was then a forest area. The illiterate and arrogant tribes there, persecuted him a lot but he did not lose heart. Eventually his love showed miracle and all the tribes turned to Islam.

In Ajudhan, Baba Sahib was always engaged in the remembrance of Allah and scientific and spiritual discussions were held in his Majlis. The door was open till midnight and people were moving around. His knowledge was so high that Maulana Khawaja Syed Badruddin Ishaq had become his disciple despite his refusal. There were scholarly jokes in his speech. Once Bahauddin Zakaria Multani wrote a letter in which he also wrote that I am in love with you. Baba Sahib replied, “I love you, but I don't care. That's why I don't want you to be in love and love in your letters.”

Sultan Shams-ud-Din Al-Tamish was his believer. Sultan Nasir-ud-Din Mahmood reached Pakpattan and attended his sacred company. He sent cash offerings to his general Alkh Khan and a decree of the land of four villages. The Sheikh immediately distributed the cash among the poor but refused to accept the jagir. Alkh Khan was impressed by him and swore allegiance to him. Seeing Alkh Khan's sincerity, Hazrat Baba Farid gave him the good news of becoming king. Alkh Khan later ascended to the throne of Delhi under the name of Sultan Ghias-ud-Din Balban. Hazrat Baba Farid passed away in 1265 AD. Among his disciples, the names of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Allauddin Sabir, Hazrat Badruddin Ishaq and Jamaluddin Hansvi are very prominent.

His real children were five sons and three daughters. Their names are, “Khawaja Naseeruddin, Khawaja Shahabuddin, Sheikh Badruddin Sulaiman, Sheikh Nizamuddin, Sheikh Yaqub, Bibi Munawwara, Bibi Sharifan and Bibi Fatima”. All of them became prominent, pious, worshipers and servants of the people, sympathizers of the people and companions of sorrow. They used to farm to run his daily life. Although in Hazrat's life there was always a problem of spending money on children. But after his death, all his children were happy. Even in India, wherever there are people of Hazrat's lineage, everyone is prosperous. In Punjab, the descendants of Hazrat are called Chishti.

Hazrat Baba Sahib issued three lines of Chishtia family. One is Nizamiya, the other is Sabria, the third is Jamalia. But the aesthetic chain merged into the Nizamis. Because the successor of Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib's first caliph Hazrat Makhdoom Jamal-ud-Din Hansvi, his grandson Hazrat Maulana Qutbuddin Munawar got the caliphate from Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya. The Sabria family is descended from Hazrat Makhdoom Allauddin Ali Ahmed Sabar who was the nephew of Hazrat Baba Sahib and whose shrine is in Clair Sharif, Saharanpur, India.

Heavenly Gate

It is well known that when Hazrat Baba Sahib passed away, Hazrat Sultan Al-Mashaikh Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya was in Delhi. Hazrat Baba Sahib made a will, “His dress, stich & shoes and blessings will come to Maulana Nizamuddin from Delhi, then came to him and he will also build my grave?” So Hazrat Baba was buried in one place as a trust and when Hazrat Sultan Al-Mashaikh came to Ajudhan ie Pakpattan Sharif, he buried Hazrat again in the place where the shrine is today. And he made a small dome over it, with two doors, one on the east side and one on the south side. Suddenly a state of excitement, ecstasy and selflessness overwhelmed Hazrat and Nazamuddin Uliya applauded and said, “That the Holy Prophet (saw) has come and says that whoever enters through this door will find peace.”

Baba Fariduddin (Ganj Shukr) as the first Punjabi poet

Hazrat Baba Farid was a great scholar of Arabic and Persian. At the time, these languages ​​had official patronage. But Babaji proved his strong relationship with the local people by using Punjabi as a medium of expression. The language of your poetry is soft, gentle and sweet. The language created in simplicity and sincerity, sinks into the hearts of the readers and listeners. Hazrat Baba Farid did not resort to direct admonition to explain the words of intellect and wisdom to the people but reformed the people by blaming himself. In the time of Baba Farid, the ruling class of the time, which had been blinded by the greed for power, was not directly criticized and reprimanded. Reading makes the heart tremble with fear of God. Babaji's style became allegorical. He conveyed his message to everyone through small allegories. Teasing the delicate strings of people's hearts by tampering with the journey full of sorrows and troubles of life. Through his poetry, he connects people with a healthy and successful life with loving emotions, which is the hallmark of the Chishtia series.

A few examples of poetry

فریدا بے نمازا کتیا ایہ نہ بھلی ریت

کدے چل نہ آیوں توں پنجے وقت مسیت

Translation: O man! You should give up your bad habit. It is obligatory on you to offer prayers in the mosque five times.

اٹھ فریدا وضو سار صبح نماز گزار

جو سر سائیں نہ نویں سو سر کپ اتار

Translation: O man, you should perform ablution early in the morning for the Fajr prayers and come to the presence of your Lord, because whoever does not bow down before the Master, that is rebels and he is cut off and thrown away.

فریدا روٹی میری کاٹھ دی لاوے میری بھکھ

جہناں کھادی چوپڑی گھنے سہن گے دکھ

Translation: O man, your bread should be made of wood so that you can satisfy your hunger, because those who mixes honest and dishonest earning and eat delicious food, in the end, they have to suffer a lot. That is, both their worlds are ruined.

رکھی سکھی کھا کے ٹھنڈا پانی پی

فریدا ! دیکھ پرائی چوپڑی نہ ترسائیں جی

Translation: O man! So be satisfied with simple food with honest sustenance because those who look at prohibited sustenance due to greed and lust are always at a loss.

فریدا کالے مینڈے کپڑے کالا مینڈا دیس

گناہیں بھریا میں پھراں لوک کہن درویش

Translation: O man! Your clothes are also black and your ways are also black. You are immersed in sins from head to toe and naive people consider you as their guardian.

فریدا جے توں عقل لطیف ہیں کالے لکھ نہ لیکھ

آنپڑے گریوان میں سر نیواں کرکے ویکھ

Translation: O man! If you are wise, then refrain from evil deeds and improve your character by thinking in your mind and looking at your own collar instead of criticizing others.

The mausoleum of Shaykh-ul-Alam Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din (Ganj Shakar) is still a reference creation in Pakpattan Sharif district. Every year, Urs is celebrated in the first week of Muharram. The hearings are held in opposition.

خدا رحمت کنند ایں بندگانِ پاک طینت را

May the Almighty Allah bestow His blessings on the graves of these pure-natured people. (Amen)