Sultan Bahu

{{Short description|Punjabi poet, Sufi mystic, and scholar (1630–1691)}} {{Use British English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Sultan Bahu | caption = Shrine of Sultan Bahu | native_name = {{nq|سُلطان باہوُ}} | image = Shrine of bahu.jpg | alt = | birth_name = | birth_date = 17 January 1630 | birth_place = [[Shorkot]], [[Subah of Lahore]], [[Mughal Empire]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1691|3|1|1630|1|17|df=y}} | death_place = [[Jhang District|Jhang]], Subah of Lahore, Mughal Empire | body_discovered = | death_cause = | resting_place = [[#Shrine|Darbar Sultan Bahu]], [[Garh Maharaja]] | resting_place_coordinates =  | citizenship = [[Mughal Empire]] | other_names = | known_for = [[Sufi poetry]] | education = | notable works = | occupation = | years_active = | predecessor = | successor = Syed Mohammad Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani | spouse = | partner = | children = | father = Bayazid Muhammad | mother = Mai Rasti-Quds-Sara | relations = | website = https://www.sultanbahoo.net/ }} {{Sufism|Notable early}}

'''Sultan Bahu'''{{efn|{{langx|pnb|{{nq|سُلطان باہُو}}}}, ਸੁਲਤਾਨ ਬਾਹੂ}} (also spelled as '''Sultan Bahoo'''; {{IPA|pa|sʊltaːn baːɦuː|lang}}; 17 January 1630 – 1 March 1691), was a [[Punjabi Muslims|Punjabi Muslim]] poet, [[Sufi mystic|Sufi]], [[Ulama|scholar]], and historian of the 17th century.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kamal Aziz|first=Khursheed|title=The Pakistani Historian|publisher=Vanguard|others=Original from the University of Michigan|year=1993}}</ref> Renowned for his mystical poetry, he was active during the reigns of [[Mughal emperor]]s [[Shah Jahan]] and [[Aurangzeb]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Syed Ahmad Saeed Hamadani |title=Sultan Bahu Life & Work}}</ref><ref name="DT" />

Little is known about Bahu's life, other than what was written in a [[hagiography]] called ''Manaqib-i Sultani'' seven generations after Bahu's own time.<ref name="Bāhū1998">{{cite book|author=Sult̤ān Bāhū|title=Death Before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlECx1j0B4IC|year=1998|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-92046-0}}</ref> According to these records, he was born in [[Shorkot]] into the [[Awan (tribe)|Awan]] tribe.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kumar |first=Raj |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e8o5HyC0-FUC&pg=PA187 |title=Encyclopaedia of Untouchables Ancient, Medieval and Modern |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |year=2008 |isbn=9788178356648 |page=187 |access-date=6 June 2021}}</ref><ref name="frembgen">{{cite book |last=Frembgen |first=Jürgen Wasim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wzzYAAAAMAAJ |title=The Friends of God: Sufi Saints in Islam, Popular Poster Art from Pakistan |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195470062 |page=103}}</ref> He was son of Bayazid Muhammad, an officer in the [[Mughal Army]], and Rasti.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ganj ul Asrar|author=Sultan Bahu|translator=Hafiz Hamad Ur Rahman|publisher=Sultan ul Faqr Publications|date=29 March 2015|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=12EMCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7|page=12|isbn=9789699795213}}</ref> He belonged to [[Qadiri]] [[Sufi order]],<ref name="frembgen" /> and started the mystic tradition known as [[Sarwari Qadiri]].<ref name="DT" />

More than forty books on Sufism are attributed to him (mostly written in Persian), largely dealing with specialised aspects of Islam and Islamic mysticism. However, it was his [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] poetry which had popular appeal and earned him lasting fame.<ref name="Bāhū1998"/>{{rp|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.<ref name="Bāhū1998"/>{{rp|14}}

==Education== Sultan Bahu's first teacher was his mother, Mai Rasti. She pushed him to seek spiritual guidance from Shah Habib Gilani.<ref name=DT>{{cite news|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/491621/metaphysics-of-sultan-bahu-dedicated-to-those-with-clear-concepts-of-philosophy/ |date=30 October 2019|title=Metaphysics of Sultan Bahu dedicated to those with clear concepts of philosophy|first=Amjad |last=Parvez|newspaper=Daily Times (newspaper)|access-date=18 May 2020}}</ref>

Around 1668, Sultan Bahu 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.<ref name=DT/>

==Literary works== The exact number of books written by Sultan Bahu is not known, but it is assumed to be at least one hundred. Forty of them are on Sufism and Islamic mysticism. Most of his writings are in the Persian language except ''Abyat-e-Bahu'' which is in Punjabi verse.<ref>{{Cite book |last=ibn Ghulam Bahoo |first=Sultan Hamid |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gGIONAAACAAJ |title=Manaqib-i-Sultani |publisher=Allah Vale Ki Qaumi Dukan |year=1961 |edition=1st |location=Lahore}}</ref>

Only the following books written by Sultan Bahu can be found today: {{div col | small=yes| colwidth=22em}} * ''Abyat e Bahu''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/ |author=[[Sharif Sabir|Muhammad Sharif Sabir]]|title=Complete Book of Poems by Sultan Bahu|website=Academy of the Punjab in North America (APNA)|access-date=18 May 2020}}</ref> * ''Risala e Ruhi'' * ''Sultan ul Waham'' * ''Nur ul Khuda'' * ''Aql e Baidar'' * ''Mahq ul Faqr'' * ''Aurang e Shahi'' * ''Jami ul Israr'' * ''Taufiq e Hidayat'' * ''Kalid Tauheed'' * ''Ain ul Faqr''<ref name=rekhta/> * ''Israr e Qadri''<ref name=rekhta>[https://www.rekhta.org/Authors/hazrat-sultan-bahu/all Sultan Bahu books on Rekhta.org website] Retrieved 18 May 2020</ref> * ''Kaleed e Jannat'' * ''Muhqam ul Faqr'' * ''Majlis un Nabi'' * ''Muftah ul Arifeen'' * ''Hujjat ul Israr'' * ''Kashf ul Israar'' * ''Mahabat ul Israr'' * ''Ganj ul Israr'' * ''Fazl ul Liqa'' * ''Dewaan e Bahu''<ref name=rekhta/> {{div col end}}

== Spiritual lineage == Sultan Bahu refers to [[Abdul Qadir Jilani]] as his spiritual master, even though Jilani died long before the birth of Sultan Bahu. However, most Sufis maintain that Abdul Qadir Jilani has a special role in the [[Mysticism|mystic]] world and that all orders and saints are always indebted to him directly or indirectly in some way. Thus, whilst referring to Jilani's [[Qadiriyya]] tradition, Sultan Bahu has left an offshoot of his own which he named ''Sarwari Qadiri''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Padam |first=Piara S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UTGhYgEACAAJ |title=Dohrhe Sultan Bahu |year=1984 |edition=1st Pub. 1984}}</ref>

According to tradition, the lineage reaches Sultan Bahu as follows:<ref name=TNI>[https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/520931-urs-of-sultan-bahu-begins "Urs of Sultan Bahu begins"] ''The News International'' (newspaper), Published 2 September 2019, Retrieved 18 May 2020</ref>

{{div col | small=yes| colwidth=22em}} # [[Muhammad]] # [[Ali ibn Abi Talib]] # [[Hasan al Basri]] # [[Habib al Ajami]] # [[Dawud Tai]] # [[Maruf Karkhi]] # [[Sirri Saqti]] # [[Junaid Baghdadi]] # [[Abu Bakr Shibli]] # [[Abdul Aziz bin Hars bin Asad Yemeni Tamimi]] # [[Abu Al Fazal Abdul Wahid Yemeni Tamimi]] # [[Mohammad Yousaf Abu al-Farah Tartusi]] # [[Abu-al-Hassan Ali Bin Mohammad Qureshi Hankari]] # [[Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi]] # [[Abdul Qadir Jilani]] # [[Abdul Razzaq Jilani]] # Abdul Jabbar Jilani # Syed Mohammad Sadiq Yahya # Najm-ud-Din Burhan Puri # Abdul Fattah # Abdul Sattar # Abdul Baqqa # Abdul Jaleel #[[Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi]] # '''Sultan Bahu'''

The tradition has been continued to this day by Sultan Bahu's successors.

==Shrine== The [[dargah]] (shrine) of Sultan Bahu is located in [[Garh Maharaja]], Punjab.<ref name="Dehlvi">{{cite book|author=Sadia Dehlvi|title=Sufism: Heart of Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zw_Q2Rbh7yIC&pg=PT185|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|isbn=978-93-5029-448-2|pages=185–|date=1 December 2013}}</ref> It was originally built on Bahu's grave site until the [[Chenab River]] changed its course causing the need to relocate twice and as witnessed by those present at the time of relocation, claims that his body was still intact at the time.<ref name="Dehlvi"/> It is a popular Sufi shrine, and the annual [[Urs]] festival commemorating his death is celebrated there with great fervour on the first Thursday of [[Jumada al-Thani]] month. People come from far-off places to join the celebrations.<ref>Book Name: ''Tareekh-e-Jhang'', Author: Iqbal Zuberi, Publisher: Jhang Adibi Academy, Jhang Sadar, Pakistan, First Edition, Date: 2002</ref><ref name=TNI/>

Sultan Bahu also used to hold an annual Urs to commemorate the martyrs of [[Karbala]] from the first to the tenth day of the month of [[Muharram]]. This tradition continues to this day and every year, and thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine during this period.<ref name=TNI/>

== External links == * https://www.sultanbahoo.net/

==See also== {{portal|Poetry}} *[[List of famous Sufis]] *[[Sufism in Pakistan]] *[[Garh Maharaja]]

==References== {{notelist}} {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sultan Bahu}} [[Category:1630 births]] [[Category:1691 deaths]] [[Category:17th-century Persian-language poets]] [[Category:17th-century Indian poets]] [[Category:17th-century Islamic religious leaders]] [[Category:17th-century Muslim scholars of Islam]] [[Category:Punjabi-language poets]] [[Category:Punjabi Muslims]] [[Category:Punjabi Sufis]] [[Category:Punjabi Sufi saints]] [[Category:Sufi poets]] [[Category:Sufi shrines in Pakistan]]