Sultan Bahoo
Who is Sultan Bahoo?
Sultan Bahoo is a renowned Sufi of sub-continent. His fame crosses cultures, religions and countries because of his Sufi Poetry which is a masterpiece and is famously called “Kalam e Bahoo or Abyat e Bahoo”. A lesser known fact about Sultan Bahoo is that he has authored 140 books apart from Sufi poetry. A famous miracle associated with Sultan Bahoo is that whenever a non-Muslim would see his face, he would convert to Muslim there and then. Moreover, he had power of alchemy that is to convert stones into gold.
| Birth | 1st Jumada ath-thani 1039 AH (17th January, 1630 AD) |
| Books authored | 140 |
| Titles | Sultan ul Arifeen Sultan ul Faqr 5th Mustafa Sani Mujtaba Akhir Zamani Haq Bahoo |
| Death Anniversary (Urs) | First Thursday of Jumada ath-thani every year |
| Sufi Order | Sarwari Qadri |
| Present Imam of Sultan Bahoo’s Sufi order | Sultan ul Ashiqeen |
| Shrine (Darbar) | The village Sultan Bahoo, Garh Maharaja via Shorkot, Tehsil Ahmadpur Sial, Jhang District, Pakistan. |
| Religious School of Thought | Imam Abu Hanifa |
| Died | Thursday, 1st Jumada ath-thani, 1102 AH (1st March 1691 AD) |
| Murshid | Sayyid Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi |
| Parents | Father: Bazayd Mohammad Mother: Bibi Rasti |
| Spiritual Descendants | Sayyid Mohammad Abdullah Shah Madni Jilani |
| Education | No Formal Education |
| Popular Teachings | Faqr, Ism e Allah Zaat, Ism e Mohammad, Perfect Murshid, Mohammadan Assembly, Seeker of Allah, Divine Vision |
| Spiritual Status | 25th Shaikh of Sarwari Qadri order |
| Caste | Awan |
| Oath of Allegiance | Spiritual: The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) Physical: Sayyid Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi
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Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani’s order is called Qadri order and Sultan Bahoo’s order is called Sarwari Qadri order. You must have seen similarity in names. Well Sarwari Qadri order is Qadri order. He composed and put together the actual Qadri order and renamed it as Sarwari Qadri order. As any order which becomes famous is later on after many years cashed on by fake guru’s. Therefore to avoid innumerable fake followers and guides, the famous Sultan Bahoo renamed his order as Sarwari Qadri. It was to divert true followers onto the straight path and left fake guru’s to use name only. The essence remains in Sarwari Qadri order to date.
It is a fact that the satanic powers prevailed in the world that was taking Muslim umma into darkness. However, the Light of Allah always wins and this time it was through the spiritual order of Sarwari Qadri of Sultan Bahoo that serves as a savior to date through his spiritual descendant Sultan ul Ashiqeen.
But the most common question swirling through people’s mind is, “What is the phenomenon through which Light has always swayed the darkness? The answer lays in human history. In fact, Allah has never left His creation alone into the deceits of Satan. Thus, during every era of darkness, Allah Almighty, the most Beneficent blesses mankind with His Prophets and Saints.
Likewise, in the 1630 A.D Allah Almighty blessed the world with his Sufi Saint who was born to guide people towards Faqr which is true heritage of Prophet Mohammad. He was none other than Sultan ul Arifeen Hazrat Sultan Bahoo (ra). He was born on Thursday, the 1st Jamadi-us-Sani, 1039 Hijri i.e. 17 January 1630 A.D. He was born at the time of dawn, in the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Shorkot, District Jhang, Pakistan (then India).
Sultan Bahoo is one of the most popular saint of Islam. He preached the teachings of Prophet Mohammad pbuh and his heritage of Faqr. For this purpose, he spent his entire life to grant spiritual beneficence to the seekers of Allah so they attain closeness to Allah. Even today people beg at Sultan Bahoo shrine for spiritual progress while others pledge allegiance to his spiritual descendant Sultan ul Ashiqeen.
The core of his teachings is in fact Oneness of Allah. Moreover, he unveiled an easy way to reach Allah i.e. Ism-e-Allah Zaat. He gained such an elevated status in the Holy Court of Allah that he says about himself:
نام باھُو مادر باھُو نہاد
زانکہ باھُو دائمی با ھُو نہاد
Meaning: Bahoo’s mother named him Bahoo because Bahoo has always remained with Hoo.
What is essence of teachings of Sultan Bahoo?
Teachings of Sultan Bahoo stand on purification of individual and Divine love which can bring eternal peace for seekers of Allah. Inner peace is in fact the manifestation of truthfulness and Divinity. His teachings mainly emphasize on the purity of inward by rejecting the worldliness esoterically. In addition, he outlined the oath of allegiance on the hand of perfect spiritual guide, invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat in the first place as commanded by Allah Almighty
To comprehend essence, one must know about Ism-e-Allah Zaat and perfect Murshid. Ism-e-Allah Zaat is the Divine Essence whereas perfect Murshid is the one who takes his disciple to Divine Essence through Ism-e-Allah Zaat. The journey of a slave to his Lord seems to be long and tiring but Sultan Bahoo has a different view about it. According to him, it takes a moment to reach Divine Essence provided following conditions are met:- (1) Murshid must be perfect Sarwari Qadri Murshid (2) Seeker must have a will and determination if above mentioned two prerequisite are met, it is a matter of single moment to reach the eternal destination.
Mystic by Birth
Sultan Bahoo was a Mystic even before he was born. His mother was spiritually informed that her child is to become an eminent Saint of his time. When he came into this world, Divine radiance exuded and spiritual glow covered his aura. It was his mother’s elevated Mystic level that resulted him to get a strong foundation of spiritual education.
It is due to his early Mystic education and inborn spiritual rank, that Sultan Bahoo constantly experienced esteemed revelations. Consequently, the Divine theophanies spread wherever he went. Non-Muslims would helplessly declare faith by reciting the Shahada because of the inward attraction towards Allah manifesting through him.
Why is Sarwari Qadri the Best Sufi Order?
Sarwari Qadri Order is the only order that has maintained it’s purity of spiritual lineage without any broken lineage. From Prophet Mohammad pbuh to Sultan ul Ashiqeen, the spiritual chain of Saints is traceable with evidence. Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani stated that the peak of spiritual elevation of a disciple from any other order is merely the beginning of a Sarwari Qadri disciple. Sultan Bahoo elaborates that Sarwari Qadri is the only order that takes one to the Mohammadan Assembly and Divine Vision. Hence, Sarwari Qadri Order is the most successful Sufi order to date.
How to Attain Allah’s Closeness ?
For any seeker of Allah who desires to reach the ultimate station of closeness to Allah, he must first discover himself. According to the teachings of Sultan Bahoo, self realisation is the way to unveiling the Divine Essence. One must know oneself first to realise one is a slave and only Allah is the Master. However, it cannot be achieved merely through knowledge or meditation. It is the mediation of the perfect spiritual guide that can awaken one’s spiritual eye. The perfect Sarwari Qadri guide is the only one who can take the seeker of Allah to his destination.
Preservation of Books
The books containing the teachings of Sultan Bahoo are the gateway to Faqr (Sufism). Sultan Bahoo Books, if read with purity of intention and desire for Divine Truth, leads one to the perfect spiritual guide. Moreover, as Prophet Mohammad pbuh was sent as a mercy for all the worlds, likewise his spiritual descendant Sultan Bahoo’s teachings are the guiding light for all till the day of judgment.
In addition, Sultan Bahoo reveals in Risala Roohi Sharif that whoever is unable to find the perfect spiritual guide, must read this book to find him. Sultan Bahoo spent 30 years searching for the perfect spiritual guide himself. Hence, he promises the seekers of Allah to be their saviour when it comes to finding the perfect spiritual guide in every era.
Sultan Bahoo books have gained most popularity through Sultan ul Faqr Publications. This is because Sultan ul Ashiqeen has struggled immensely on the teachings of Sultan Bahoo. Sultan ul Ashiqeen gathered all authentic manuscripts and original works of Sultan Bahoo. He researched on the Persian works and Punjabi couplets of Sultan Bahoo.
Sultan ul Arifeen Sultan Bahoo wrote around 140 books. In his Punjabi poetry he wrote a Si Harfi known as Abyat e Bahoo which was researched thoroughly by Sultan ul Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman, the patron in chief of Tehreek Dawat e Faqr. Afterwards Tehreek Dawat e Faqr published it as “Abyat e Bahoo Kamil”. Not only book was published but the complete 201 abyat were recorded in the voice of Ramzan Bahoo. For Sultan Bahoo books free download:
How did Sultan Bahoo revolutionize the Sufism or Spirituality?
Certainly the most eminent Saint of Sub-continent and the Sultan of knowers of Allah Sultan-ul-Arifeen Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo his revolutionized the Sufism and Spirituality.
Before knowing about revolutionary steps taken by Sultan Bahoo, one must understand “Faqr”. Faqr is that spiritual level at which a man becomes indifferent to everything other than Allah. Faqr is the knowledge of Divine Essence, Faqr is itself Divine Essene. This is the path which was taught by Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) to his Companions secretly as a tradition is narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra). He says
I have memorized two kinds of knowledge from Prophet Mohammad .
The first I have disseminated among people and if I propagated the second, then my pharynx (throat) would be cut (i.e. killed).
After Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Sultan Bahoo stands out among the Sarwari Qadri Saints to have spread the message of Faqr (Sufism). Regardless of not receiving formal education, more than 140 books of Mystic knowledge are at his credit. Sultan Bahoo has revealed the secrets of Divine knowledge in the simplest way possible.
To introduce the world with Faqr, Sultan Bahoo performed an impressive work i.e. he wrote 140 books on the teachings of Faqr. In his books he has unveiled the Divine knowledge which can attracts only those readers who ponders over it sincerely. His books are the ocean of Divine knowledge. A book on Sufism for all. It covers every topic of Islamic spirituality. It also includes a dictionary of Sufi terminologies. What are you waiting for then. Order your copy now and add to your collection the best book on Islamic Sufism.
Sultan Bahoo History
It is not an easy task to record or preserve the history of Saints who have demised. However, Sultan ul Ashiqeen has been successful in compiling all the manuscripts of Sultan Bahoo. Sultan ul Ashiqeen has not only written authentic forms of Sultan Bahoo books in Persian but has also translated them into Urdu and English. Moreover, Sultan ul Ashiqeen has written books upon the life, teachings as well as poetry of Sultan Bahoo. Hence, Sultan ul Ashiqeen is the pioneer and authority upon Sultan Bahoo.
Where Is Sultan Bahoo Darbar?
Sultan Bahoo Darbar is currently located at Village Sultan Bahoo, via Garh Maharaja, Tehsil Ahmadpur Sial, district Jhang, Pakistan. However, this is the third place of his shrine because of River Chenab’s change of course. Sultan Bahoo shrine was shifted twice before he was buried here on. Friday, April 1918.
Sultan Bahoo’s shrine remained in Samandari, a small town near River Chenab for 157 years i.e. from 1180 Hijri till 1336 Hijri (1767 AD-1917 AD).
Before that Sultan Bahoo tomb was in Fort Qehrgan at the western bank of River Chenab, Shorkot, Pakistan. His shrine remained here for 78 years i.e. from 1102 Hijri till 1180 Hijri (1691 AD-1767 AD).
Title of Sultan Bahoo
His title is Sultan-ul-Arifeen which means Sultan of knowers of Allah or simply the Sultan of Mystics.
What is Faqr?
In the first place, he titled the teachings of the Sarwari Qadri order ‘Faqr’ and not mysticism or spirituality.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen is present Imam of Sarwari Qadri Order
Sultan ul Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman
is the 31st spiritual guide of Sarwari Qadri order. It reached him through continuous spiritual chain starting from the Holy Prophet and then to Ali ibn Abi Talib. The 15th spiritual guide is Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani.
Sultan ul Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman is the 6th in the Sufi order after Sultan Bahoo. Immediately, when he acceded to the throne of Divine guidance and persuasion he felt innate need to spread the teachings of perfect Saints. Specifically, to the younger generations through the medium of internet. As it is very popular among them. It is also a very powerful tool to make them aware of the soul of religion Islam.
Therefore we present the comprehensive research based biography of Sultan Bahoo. This researched biography also unfolds many hidden aspects of his life with authentic references. Furthermore, it also has Sultan Bahoo quotes and his selective teachings from his books.
Did Sultan Bahoo Write Any Book?
Despite the fact that Sultan Bahoo did not know to read and write yet he had written one hundred and forty superb books which in every age enlighten readers to new horizons and dimensions of Sufism.
Its date according to Islamic calendar is 1st Thursday of Jumada al-thani.
For those who seek Allah only, Sultan Bahoo life is a blessing and beacon of light. To tread the path of Faqr, one must know about teachings of Sultan Bahoo. It is important to understand that worldly knowledge does not help on this path. This is path of Divine love.
Sultan Bahoo says:
The person who has studied thousands of books but deprived of the marifat of Allah and unaware of the mystic path is just like a beast. In fact, his body is alive but inward is dead. (Ain ul Faqr)
Despite his knowledge, he knows nothing. Undoubtedly, Sultan Bahoo blessed even such people with Divine Vision with his one spiritual glance.
And today people gain blessings by visiting his Holy Shrine or by attending his annual death anniversary held in khanqah Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen.
Sultan bahoo had such an elevated status in the world of Sufism that by virtue of his single glance people were attracted towards him. Divine light used to illuminate from his sacred forehead which were manifestation that he was blessed with marvellous treasures of Faqr.