Fariduddin Ganjshakar

Revision as of 23:37, 23 June 2012

Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin Masood Ganjshakar was one of the most brilliant personalities of the Chishti Order of Sufis in India. After the untimely death of Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, the mantlepiece of India's spiritual leadership within the illustrious Chishti Order fell upon the shoulders of Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin Masood Ganjshakar of Pakpatan, popularly known as "Baha Farid" and "Baba Ganjshakar".

Family & Lineage

During the ups and downs of the political condition of Afghanistan, due to constant wars between the rulers of Ghazni and the Ghauri dynasties (548-584 A.H.), Hazrat Sheikh Shuaib, with his son Hazrat Jamaluddin Suleman (father of Hazrat Baba Fariduddin), was reported to have migrated from Kabul to Lahore whence he went to Kasur and, later on, to Multan and then finally settled down in Khotwal or Kenhiwsi (a village near Multan) which, at present, is known by the name of Chawli-Mashaikh.

Hazrat Jamaluddin Suleman married Bibi Qursum Khatoon who was the daughter of Maulana Wajihuddin Khijwandi, a very learned and pious gentleman, who was one of the descendants of Hazrat Abbas-bin-Abdul Muttallib and who had also migrated from Kabul to India and had settled down in a village called Kot-Kiror in the vicinity of Multan.

Bibi Qursum was a very pious lady. Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia reports that one night a thief entered her house. The Bibi Qursum was awake and as she cast a glance over the thief, he at once lost his eyesight and started wailing. Ultimately he prayed; "If Bibi Qursum would restore my eyesight, I pledge, I shall give up stealing forever." Bibi Qursum felt pity upon him and prayed for the restoration of his eyesight and, by the grace of God, the thief's sight was restored. He fell apologetically at the feet of Bibi Qursum in grateful submission. Next morning he and his whole family embraced Islam. He was given the Islamic name of Abdulla with the title of "Chawli-Mashaikh" which became the second popular name of village Khotwal. Hazrat Khwaja Shuaib, his son Khwaja Jamaluddin and Bibi Qursum Khatoon, all died in Khotwal and their 'muzaars' (tombs) stand there up to this day.

Hazrat Jamaluddin and Bibi Qursum bore 3 sons and one daughter:

1. Hazrat Aizazuddin
2. Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar
3. Hazrat Najibuddin Mutawakkal
4. Bibi Hajra, also known as "Jameela Khatoon", who was the mother of Hazrat Makhdoom Allauddin Ali Ahmed Saabir of Kalyar, the 3rd Spiritual Successor in the Chishtia Order.

Birth

He was born on the night of 29th Shaabaan in 569 A.H. in Khotwal. There are different versions about his date of birth but, by consensus of opinion. 569 A.H. is taken to be the correct date. Two miracles surrounded his birth indicating that Hazrat Baba Fariduddin was indeed a born 'wali'.

Miracles Surrounding his Birth

One day, during her pregnancy period, Hazrat Baba Farid's mother wanted to pluck some plums from her neighbour's tree without his permission. However, the child in her womb (Hazrat Baba Farid) created a severe pain in her stomach that forced her to abandon this idea. A few years after Baba Farid's birth, his mother one day expressed: "My dear son, during your confinement I have never eaten anything which was unlawful," Baba Farid however smiled and said: "But, dear mother, you wanted to pluck some plums from our neighbour's tree without his permission when I had created a severe pain in your stomach which saved you from that unlawful act", and on that note, he ran out of the house to play while his mother stood wonder-struck. She felt that the child would some day be a great saint.

Another miracles narrates that as stated above, Baba Farid was born on the night falling between the 29th of Shaabaan and 1st of Ramadan. Owing to cloudy weather on the evening of 29th, people could not see the moon to determine the beginning of the Ramadan month according to Islamic calendar, and were in a state of uncertainty as to whether they should or should not commence fasting from the next morning. They approached Hazrat Jamaluddin Suleman, father of Baba Farid, for a 'Fatwa' in this matter. He said: "If there was any doubt about the appearance of moon, then the commencement of fasting would be against the 'Shariat'. In the meantime, a dervish appeared on the scene and, on being questioned about his opinion in this matter, he said:

Thus, early in the morning at the time of 'sehri' (between 4 and 5 A.M.) people made anxious enquiries at Hazrat Jamaluddin's house about the dervish's prophesy and were surprised to learn that the newly born child had not taken his mother's milk after midnight. With this corroboration, people started fasting. Later on, in the day, news came from Multan and other places that moon had appeared and the month of Ramdan had begun from that very day. Throughout the month of Ramdan, Baba Farid did not touch his mother's milk during the day except at the time of 'Iftaar'. ^[1]

Geneological Tree

• Amir-Ul-Momineen Hazrat Umar Farooq , father of
• Hazrat Abdulla, father of
• Hazrat Naasir or Hazrat Mansoor or Hazrat Salmaan, father of
• Hazrat Suleman, father of
• Hazrat Adham, father of
• Hazrat Ibrahim of Balakh, father of
• Hazrat Ishaq, father of
• Hazrat Waiz-ul-Akbar Abil Fateh, father of
• Hazrat Waiz-ul-Asghar Abdulla, father of
• Hazrat Masood, father of
• Hazrat Suleman, father of
• Hazrat Saamaan Shah, father of
• Hazrat Raseeman Shah, father of
• Hazrat Naseeruddin father, of
• Sheikh Ahmed Farrukh Shah Kabli, father of
• Hazrat Shihabuddin, father of
• Hazrat Mohammed, father of
• Hazrat Yusuf, father of
• Hazrat Sheikh Ahmed Shaheed, father of
• Hazrat Shuaib, father of
• Hazrat Jamaluddin Suleman, father of
• Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin Masood Ganjshakar. ^[2]

Education & Initiation

Like his spiritual predecessors, Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin also lost his father at an early age, and so full responsibility of his education devolved upon his mother, who took special interest in providing the best education in Islamic tradition. After he had completed his early religious education at the age of 7 in Khotwal, she sent him to Multan for his higher education. Here he stayed in a mosque where he learned the Holy Quran by heart and studied Hadith, Fiqah, Philosophy and Logic under the tutorship of the famous Maulana Minhajuddin.

During his education at Multan, Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki of Delhi visited the city and happened to come to the mosque for his Namaz where Baba Farid was receiving his education. As soon as Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin saw Baba Farid, he was highly impressed by his demeanour and exceptional qualities which he perceived through his intuitive abilities. He at once accepted Baba Farid as his 'mureed' and so long as he stayed in Multan, Baba Farid visited him daily and derived much benefit through his association. When Hazrat Qutbuddin made his way for Delhi, Baba Farid offered to follow him but he was advised to remain and complete his studies, and also to undertake a tour in Islamic countries in order to mature his experience by coming in contact with the leading saints or Sufis. Baba Farid obeyed, and, soon after his Pir's departure, he also started on a long journey towards Ghazni, Bhaghdad, Sewastan, Badakhshan, Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina.

Travels

For about 18 years, from 593 to 611AH, Baba Fariduddin remained on this prolonged tour, meeting many great dervishes and saints and thus gaining immense benefit and knowledge from their experiences in Sufism. He has mentioned these travels in his publication, Rahat-ul-Quloob.

Meeting with Hazrat Shahabuddin Suhrawardi

Hazrat Baba Farid says that Hazrat Shahabuddin Umar Suhrawardi (b. 539 d. 632 A.H.) was one of the greatest Sufi saints of his time. Regarding his meeting with Hazrat Shahabuddin Suhrawardi, Hazrat Baba Farid says;

Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin had an ever lasting impression of and a very high regard for Hazrat Sheikh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi's angelic personality, his vast religious knowledge and his unfathomable spiritual insight.

Meeting with a descendant of Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi

Hazrat Baba Farid says:

Quotes & Sayings

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References