Category Archives: Islam
Hazrat Sultan Bahu (May Allah be pleased with him) (1628-1691Â CE)
Issue #11
July 8, 2006 / Jamaduth Thani 12, 1427
The distinguished Saintly name that shines in the lands of the Subcontinent in general and Punjab in particular is none other than that of the Crown of the Gnostics, Sultan-ul Arifeen Hazrat Sultan Bahu (1628 – 1691 CE, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him). On the occasion of his Urs Mubarak (Blessed Memorial) on the 1st of Jamaduth Thani (Jamadul Akhir), below are a few couplets from his famous Punjabi poetry:
Alif Allah Chambe de booti
Murshid mun vich laee Hu
Nafi Asbaat da pani millia
si har rage har jaee Hu
Andar booti mushk machaya
jaan phulan te aee Hu
Jeevay Murshid mera kamil Bahu
Jain aee booti laee Hu
Alif. My Spiritual Guide planted the Love of Allah (all praises due) in my heart just like a jasmine plant. Hu
With every vein [of mine] being watered by nothing but [the truth of] negation and affirmation [i.e. La ilaaha illa Allah]. Hu
This plant has caused much turmoil of fragrance within me upon reaching its full bloom. Hu
Bahu! Long live my perfect Spiritual Guide who sowed [within me] this plant of Love of Allah Almighty. Hu
Be Bismillah Ism Allah da
aevee gehnaa bhara Hu
Naal Shafa’at sarware Alam y
chut si-e alam sara Hu
Haddun be hadd Durood Nabi y noo
jin da ed pasara Hu
Mein qurban una tu Bahu
jina milya Nabi y sahara Hu
Be. Bismillah is the Name of Allah (all praises due) and is indeed a very heavy ornament. Hu
The entire world will be saved by the intercession of the Leader of the World [i.e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)]. Hu
Countless Blessings on the One for whom the entire creation has been spread out [i.e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)]. Hu
I am sacrificed on those [pious Saints] who received the aid of the Holy Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him). Hu
Sunn Fariyad Piran de-a Pira meri arz suni kan dhar ke Hu
Mera beda adya vich khapran
jithe mach na bende dar ke Hu
Shahe Jilani Mehboobe Subhani
meri khabar liyo jhat kar ke Hu
Pir Jinhan da Miran Bahu
soyo kadhi lag de tar ke Hu
Listen earnestly to my plea O Spiritual Guide of the Spiritual Guides with an attentive ear! Hu
My ship is trapped in waters where even crocodiles don’t dare to tread. Hu
O King of Jilan, Beloved of the Exalted One, quickly take stock of my affairs. Hu
Bahu! The one whose Spiritual Guide is Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him) always swims to the shore. Hu
The word Hu at the end of every verse above is a beautiful literary and spiritual blend of meanings as this word in Punjabi means “is†and in Arabic it stands for The Being of Allah Almighty. The blessed name of Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) also contains this word of Hu and the great Saint often mentioned this fact that his name meant “With Allah†and indeed such was the station and state of this great Friend (Wali) of Allah Almighty that spiritually he was always with his Creator. This is the sign of the Friends of God that they are in the world but not of it. Their inner being is with their Creator and their external body is constantly involved in the unconditional service of humanity. Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) was also grateful to his pious mother Bibi Rasti (may Allah have mercy on her) for naming him such because by the doubling of the existing dot, the Arabic letter ba changes into a ya making the call to Allah Ya Hu. She had named him such on a directive from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
According to some, Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) was born in Shorkot, Distric Jang in Punjab, Pakistan in the year the Islamic Hijir year 1039 during the reign of the Mughal emporer Shah Jahan. His father’s name was Hazrat Sultan Bazaid Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) who was a Hafiz, jurist and pious personality. His mother’s name was Bibi Rasti (may Allah have mercy on her) who was a truly devout and virtuous lady by nature. Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) praises his blessed mother in a verse as follows:
Rehmat Haq ba rawan Rasti
Rasti Barasti Arasti
May Allah’s Mercy keep showering on Rasti
The beautiful Rasti is on the Right Path
Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) was a Hashmite descending from Hazrat Ali (may Allah ennoble his countenance). He had taken Bai’ah (Spiritual Contract) with Hazrat Habeebullah Qadri (may Allah have mercy on them) a pious person of his time. He also gained spiritual benefit from Hazrat Abdul Qadir and Hazrat Sufi Abdurrahman Dehlawi (may Allah have mercy on them.)
It is said that the kind of guidance that the famous book Kashful Majhoob of the great 11th century CE Sufi Saint and Scholar Hazrat Daata Ganj Baksh (may Allah have mercy on him) provides to the seekers of the Sufi Path, similarly the poetry of Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) provides inroads to Divine Secrets specifically to the famous Hadeeth which means “Die before deathâ€. His poetry also extensively explains the importance and need for love of the Divine. It also addresses many other relevant topics and presents them in a clear manner. Additionally, his poetry explains the importance and need of the relationship between the Spiritual Guide and his disciple. Similar to the nature of the Kashful Mahjoob, the poetry of Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) helps the seekers who don’t have a Spiritual Guide to find one.
There are many miracles associated with this great personality. One of them is that he would not drink his mother’s milk during the holy month of Ramadan and would fast even during infancy. He was the author of about 140 works in Arabic, Farsi and Punjabi, some of which include the Risalat Roohi, Abyate Bahu (Punjabi), Asrar Qadri, Diwan Bahu (Farsi), etc. He advised people to fulfill the rights of Allah’s creation with generosity. He also said that a Sufi who strays from the Shari’ah brought by Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) even a bit has committed an act of the devil, and that such a Sufi is a devil and it is very important to avoid him.
Hazrat Sultan Bahu (may Allah have mercy on him) united with his Beloved, Allah  Almighty at the age of 63 on the 1st of Jamaduth Thani and was laid to rest in Garh Maharaja, about 35 miles from Shorkot in Punjab, Pakistan. May Allah, The Most  Exalted give us the ability and strength to learn from him and his works. Ameen.
Reference: Much of the above information has been taken from the commentary on the Abyate Bahu by Abul Kashif Qadri Sahab.
Zahid Chaudhry Qadri
Mr. Chaudhry has been with the IECRC since its inception. He is an encyclopedia of the poetic verses of the Saints of the Islamic tradition and possesses a unique love and connection to the Spiritual Path which is evident from his heartfelt recitations.
Social Responsibilities Carved Out for Muslims
Volume 1, Issue 1 (Part 2)
May 31, 2003 / Rabi’ul Awwal 29, 1424
Today, when we consider social responsibilities, we naturally turn to western thought because many of the underdeveloped nations are so dependent on the generosity of the larger and richer nations. Gradually, and unconsciously, we instill in our youth that generosity and charity belong not to us, but to other people. As we grow older, the need to identify with our community becomes intense and we begin to bond with one another. Thus, often, we learn later in life that charity is one of the major tenets in Islam. The cycle begins and we perform acts of charity during the Holy months, but that is not the true meaning of charity, not at least the way our leader (peace be upon him) taught us. In fact, our Holy Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the epitome of charity because it was a continuous act carried out with a tender heart and good feeling toward the receiver, and not a consideration only at certain times of the year. Thus, he conducted himself in ways that demonstrates the importance and valuable lesson that we have ignored because charity is the most important aspect in Islamic social life. Without charity, there can be no egalitarian society; therefore, performing acts of kindness to our fellow human beings regardless of their faith is akin to the kind of charitable works that we have been taught as Muslims.
In fact, people from all cultures and religious backgrounds come to the center, receive help, and go off with a cheery smile only to visit again the following week. Today, financial gain in every possible discipline is sought and that is one of the reasons why so many people who are in dire need cannot receive the help. On the other hand, this center is not narrowed in its vision of the kind of help people can receive, but no problem is too small or too large to receive help. Yusuf Talal De Lorenzo in his translation of Muhammad Al-Ghazali’s text entitled, Remembrance and Prayer “The Way of Prophet Muhammad†explains how the prophets and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived their lives on complete dependence on Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala. Furthermore, helping those in need (charity) creates a closer relationship to Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala and that should always be our final aim. Lorenzo translates this idea as: “It is tempting to say that the heart of Muhammad, upon him be peace, and only his heart, was the one to listen to the crier’s warning to tear away the barriers of neglect and race to the Sacred, Supreme One†(25). What other lessons do we need other than the two words “neglect and race†to understand that it is our obligation as Muslims to nurture our fellow human beings? We should find comfort in learning that human nature itself makes that comparison, but not in such clear terms as has been passed down to us by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For example, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) the son of a damask weaver, physically hungered in the dreadful forties for sustenance. He struggled financially and his parents had no means other than to have him work in a cotton factory at the age of thirteen. Later, by his own energy and hard-work ethics, he became industrious and achieved great wealth. However, he did not keep his wealth, but gave back to his community (a lesson that was taught to us by our great leader, peace be upon him). In 1900, he published The Gospel of Wealth, where he states his famous axiom, “the man who dies rich dies disgraced.†Carnegie’s philosophy on philanthropy should not be confined to monetary gain. In fact, those who are rich in God-given qualities have just as much responsibility to their fellow human beings. Thus, we can go further and state that men and women who die rich spiritually and emotionally without sharing their God-given talents with others do a great injustice to their fellow human beings. That is the philosophy of our Muslim teachings and as such the IECRC commits to the most profound teachings of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when it counsels people of all races. It is because we are not performing acts of noble deeds, but allowing an illuminated life to appear before us.
Furthermore, during the counseling sessions, women play a major role. Sisters Fahmiza Jasmine Ali, Rukshana Kahtoon, and Shagufta Chand express their hospitality and warmth as they take attendance and graciously seat the visitors. Simultaneously, two other great women provide snacks to those waiting for their turn for advice. Sister Shahida Abid serves tea and cookies to the people; while Sister Bushra Chaudhry brings her delicious gourmet lunch that she cooks with so much enthusiasm and delight. They make the waiting for all the needy a little easier and a little more cheerful.
Khalida Kareemi
Ms. Kareemi is a Bay Area resident and she enjoys writing.
Women Reciting Naats – Poetry in Praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)
Volume 1, Issue 1 (Part 3)
May 31, 2003 / Rabi’ul Awwal 29, 1424
A Naat is a Holy recitation praising the most blessed and exalted of all creatures, the appointed guide and perfect model for humanity, the one to whom the trees bowed and shaded, the beloved of Allah, Muhammad (may his sweet soul be blessed and given peace). This recitation is always delivered in a respectful, humble manner so the reciter becomes only the Words. Not a star nor a voice, not even a personality. These heartfelt descriptions and words of praise are intentionally written to arouse the feeling of love for the most perfect of humans (may Allah Exalted and Great bless him and give him peace).
In those auspicious days when he (peace and blessings be on him) was migrating from Mecca Sharif to Medina Monawwara, the people of Madina Monawwara anxiously watched and waited for his arrival. At long last, the glorious moment arrived and the children joyfully sang:
Tala’al-Badru ‘alayna
Min thaniyyatil-wada’
Wajaba al-shukru alayna,
Ma da’a lillahi da’
Oh the white moon rose over us
from the valley of Wada’
and we owe it to show gratefulness
where the call is to Allah.
Ayyuha al-mab’uthu fina
Ji’ta bil amril mutaa
Ji’ta sharrafta al-Madinah
Marhabanya khayra da’
Oh you who were raised amongst us
coming with a work to be obeyed
you have brought to this city noble-ness
welcome! Best call to Allah’s Way.
The original references reliably report the participation of girls between the ages of 5 and 13 years. Furthermore, it has also been reported by the historians that there were some women who welcomed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) by joining in the reciting. It is also well documented and known how much the Holy Prophet enjoyed this display of love and affection toward him (may his sweet soul be blessed and given peace).
About poetry, the Hadith is:
What’s good therein is good,
What is bad is bad.
In listening to these Holy recitations, Insha Allah, the level of our knowledge of and love for this jewel among gems (may his sweet soul be blessed and given peace) will grow and guide us to the Love of Allah, Glorious is His Majesty!
Say:If you do love Allah, follow me
Allah will love you and forgive your sins, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Ale Imran 3: 31]
Shaikh Shahab Ud-Din Suhrawardi (may his soul be blessed) said:
For those intent with Love of Allah,
Hearing is an aid to perfection.
So let us all aim for perfection in nearness and obedience to our Lord and Creator, Exalted is He.
Khadija Jamal Locks
Sister Khadija is a resident of Los Angeles, CA. She has written “The Wealth of the Inheritorsâ€, published by Nuqoosh Press, Lahore, Pakistan. She is currently working on a book on the subject of Islamic stories for children.
