Baba Farid
Baba Farid | |
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Died | c. 7 May 1266[1] Pakpattan, Punjab, Delhi Sultanate (present-day Punjab, Pakistan) |
Venerated in | South Asian Muslims, Sikhs & Punjabi Hindus[2] |
Major shrine | Shrine of Baba Farid, Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan |
Influences | Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki |
Influenced | Many, most prominent being Nizamuddin Auliya, Jamal-ud-Din Hansvi and Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari |
Baba Farid | ||
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IPA | [fəɾiː.d̪ʊd̪ː.iːn mə́sᵊuːd̪ᵊ ɡənd͡ʒᵊ ʃəkːəɾᵊ] |
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Farīd al-Dīn Mas'ūd Ganj-i Shakar (c. 4 April 1173 – 7 May 1266), commonly known as Bābā Farīd or Shaykh Farīd (also in Anglicised spelling Fareed), was a 13th-century
Biography
Bābā Farīd was born in 1188 (573
Once his education was over, he moved to Delhi, where he learned the Islamic doctrine from his master, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. He later moved to Hansi, Haryana.[9] When Khwaja Bakhtiyār Kākī died in 1235, Farīd left Hansi and became his spiritual successor and instead of settling in Delhi, he returned to his native Punjab and settled in Ajodhan (present-day Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan).[10] He was one of the founding fathers of the Chishti Sufi order.[1]
Fariduddin Ganjshakar's shrine darbār is located in Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan.
Poetry
Baba Farid was the first major Punjabi poet.[11] A section of his poetry is as follows:
Farīdā jo taīN mārani mukīāN tinhāN na mārē ghumm |
Fareed,do not turn around and strike those who strike you with their fists. |
Mausoleum
The small Shrine of Baba Farid is made of white marble with two doors, one facing east and called the Nūrī Darwāza or 'Gate of Light', and the second facing north called Bahishtī Darwāza, or 'Gate of Paradise'. There is also a long covered corridor. Inside the tomb are two white marbled graves. One is Baba Farid's, and the other is his elder son's. These graves are always covered by sheets of cloth called Chaddars' (the green coloured chaddars are covered with Islamic verses), and flowers that are brought by visitors. The space inside the tomb is limited; not more than ten people can be inside at one time. Women are not allowed inside the tomb, but the late Benazir Bhutto, then Prime Minister of Pakistan, was permitted to enter inside by the shrine guardians, when she visited the shrine. Another rare exceptional case was the late Hajjah Kainz Hussain of Jhelum, wife of the late Haji Manzoor Hussain, who was allowed inside the tomb and was given a Chaddar,.
Charity food called
On 25 October 2010, a bomb exploded outside the gates of the shrine, killing six people.[16][17]
Baba Farid's Serai in Jerusalem
In great old holy city of
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Portrait of Baba Farid at Indian hospice, Jerusalem.
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Room where Baba Farid had performedChillaat Indian hospice, Jerusalem.
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Outdoor plaque about Baba Farid at Indian hospice, Jerusalem
Chillas
- A Chilla of Baba Farid is located in Dhirdan village of Lunkaransar tehsil in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, India.
- A Chilla of Baba Farid is located in Sheikhchuliya village of Rawatsar tehsil in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, India.
- Poraha village in Amravati district of Maharashtra, India.
- Niphad a town in district of Nashik of Maharashtra, India.
- Girad a small town in Samudrapur constituency of Wardha district of Maharashtra, India.
- Gadhdevi Singoli town Osmanabad district in Maharashtra india.
- Manegaon a small village situated in Tehsil Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India.
- Badchicholi, in Tehsil Pandhurna District Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh.
- Ajmer dargha sharif, Rajasthan, India.
- Fountain Hillock, Sholashahar, Chittagong, Bangladesh[19]
- The Shrine (mazar/mazār) is vast and spacious, located in the city of Pakpattan, otherwise Pākpattan Sharīf, located in central Punjab province in Pakistan.
A chilla is also found on the top of hill of Donphin nose hill of Visakhapatnam port of Visakhapatnam city in which it is believed that Hazarat Baba Fareed spent some time here, and there is a vast banyan tree in the premises which used to shed sugar in Baba's honour
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Entrance to theChillaplace of Baba Farid in Girad.
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Shrine where Baba Farid had performedChilla.
Death anniversary and Urs
Every year, the saint's death anniversary or Urs is celebrated for six days in the first Islamic month of Muharram, in Pakpattan, Pakistan.[12] The Bahishtī Darwāza (Gate of Paradise) is opened only once a year, during the time of the Urs fair.[12] Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors from all over the country and the world come to pay homage. The door of the Bahishti Darwaza is made of silver, with floral designs inlaid in gold leaf.[12] This "Gate to Paradise" is padlocked all year, and only opened for five days from sunset to sunrise in the month of Muharram. Some followers believe that by crossing this door all of one's sins are washed away.[12][20] During the opening of the Gate of Paradise, extensive security arrangements are made to protect people from stampedes. In 2001, 27 people were crushed to death and 100 were injured in a stampede.[21]
Legacy
As mentioned under
One of Farīd's most important contributions to Punjabi literature was his development of the language for literary purposes.[22] Whereas Sanskrit, Arabic, Turkish and Persian had historically been considered the languages of the learned and the elite, and used in monastic centres, Punjabi was generally considered a less refined folk language. Although earlier poets had written in a primitive Punjabi, before Farīd there was little in Punjabi literature apart from traditional and anonymous ballads.[23] By using Punjabi as the language of poetry, Farīd laid the basis for a vernacular Punjabi literature that would be developed later.[24] The English translation of Farid's devotional poetry by Rana Nayar was conferred with Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee award in 2007.
The city of Faridkot bears his name. According to legend, Farīd stopped by the city, then named Mokhalpūr, and sat in seclusion for forty days near the fort of King Mokhal. The king was said to be so impressed by his presence that he named the city after Baba Farid, which today is known as Tilla Baba Farid. The festival Bābā Sheikh Farād Āgman Purb Melā' is celebrated in September each year from (21–23 Sep, for 3 days), commemorating his arrival in the city.[25][26] Ajodhan[10] was also renamed as Farīd's 'Pāk Pattan', meaning 'Holy Ferry'; today it is generally called Pāk Pattan Sharīf.[27] In Bangladesh, one of the largest districts of the country Faridpur District was named after him. It is believed that he established his seat in this town.
There are various explanations of why Baba Farid was given the title Shakar Ganj[30] ('Treasure of Sugar'). One legend says his mother used to encourage the young Farīd to pray by placing sugar under his prayer mat. Once, when she forgot, the young Farīd found the sugar anyway, an experience that gave him more spiritual fervour and led to his being given the name.[9]
In Sikhism
Baba Farid, as he is commonly known, has his poetry included in the
Langar
Fariduddin Ganjshakar first introduced the institution of the Langar in the Punjab region.[32][33] The institution greatly contributed to the social fabric of Punjabi society and allowed peoples of various faiths and backgrounds to attain free food and drink. The practice, introduced by Fariduddin Ganjshakar grew and is documented in the Jawahir al-Faridi compiled in 1623 CE.[34] It was later, both the institution and term, adopted by Sikhs.[35]
Commemorative postage stamp
In 1989, on the 800th birth anniversary of Baba Farid, the Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honor.[36]
Places named after him
- Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Punjab, India
- Faridpur, Bangladesh
- Sheikhsar, Rajasthan, India
- Sheikhchuliya, Rajasthan, India
- Faridabad, Haryana, India
Descendants
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e (Sufis - Wisdom against Violence) Article on Baba Farid on the South Asian magazine website published in April 2001, Retrieved 1 November 2018
- ^ a b c d Adamson, Daniel Silas (23 November 2014). "Jerusalem's 800-year-old Indian hospice". BBC News website. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ISBN 978-3-031-27121-2
- ^ Nizami, K.A., "Farīd al-Dīn Masʿūd "Gand̲j̲-I-S̲h̲akar"", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs.
- Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (1955). The Life and Times of Shaikh Farid-u'd-din Ganj-i-Shakar. Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University. p. 1.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-64249-424-2.
- ISBN 9788126018031.
- Calcutta; Volume III, Saints of India. (Awliyá-i-Hind), page 363
- ^ ISBN 81-216-0255-6. Page 11.
- ^ a b Ajodhan's former name: Ajay Vardhan
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-42271-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g name="Abdullah"
- ^ a b Tarin, p 30
- ^ Imperial Gazetteer 1900
- ^ Imperial Gazetteer
- ^ Reza Sayah (25 October 2010). "4 killed in blast at Pakistan shrine". CNN News website. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Kamran Haider; Mian Khursheed; Hasan Mahmood (25 October 2010). "Bomb kills six at Sufi shrine in eastern Pakistan". Reuters. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "In the heart of Jerusalem's Old City, is a 'little India' open to all". Hindustan Times. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- OL 30677644M. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ Tarin, pp 15-16
- ^ "Fatal stampede at Pakistan festival". BBC News website. 1 April 2001. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Omer Tarin, 'Hazrat Baba Farid Ganj Shakar and the evolution of the literary Punjabi:A Brief Review' in Journal of Humanities and Liberal Arts, 1995, pp.21-30
- ^ Tarin, 27
- ^ Tarin, p. 30
- The Tribune, 25 September 2007, Retrieved 1 November 2018
- The Tribune, 25 September 2007, Retrieved 1 November 2018
- ^ Pakpatthan Town The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1900, v. 19, p. 332, Digital South Asia Library website, Retrieved 1 November 2018
- ^ Faridia Islamic University, Retrieved 1 November 2018
- ^ Introduction Archived 5 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Official website, Retrieved 1 November 2018
- ^ The original was probably the Persian Ganj-i Shakar, with the same meaning.
- ^ Khanna, Bharat (31 October 2019). "Surge of interest in books on founder of Sikhism". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ Epilogue, Vol 4, Issue 1, p. 45
- ^ Talib, Gurbachan Singh (1973), Baba Sheikh Farid: His Life and Teaching, p. 7
- ISBN 978-0-520-04660-3.
- ^ R. Nivas (1967), Transactions, Volume 4, The word langar, and this institution has been borrowed, so to speak, from the Sufis. The khanqas of the Chisti and other Sufi saints had a langar open to the poor and the rich, though the Hindus mostly kept away from them. To make the Brahmin sit with the pariah and do away with untouch- ability, and to make the Hindus and Muslims eat from the same kitchen and destroy all social, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, p. 190
- ^ Commemorative postage stamp issued by Pakistan Post Office on Baba Farid's 800th Birth Anniversary on paknetmag.com website Retrieved 3 November 2018
- ISBN 978-90-04-49299-8.
- ISBN 90-04-06117-7., Published in 1980, now on Google Books, Retrieved 1 November 2018
Further reading
- Sheikh Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar Calcutta; Volume III, Saints of India. (Awliyá-i-Hind), page 363.
- Pakpattan and Baba Farid Ganj-i-Shakar, by Muhammad Abdullah Caghtai. Kitab Khana Nauras, 1968.
- Baba Sheikh Farid: Life and teachings, by Gurbachan Singh Talib. Baba Farid Memorial Society, 1973.
- Baba Farid (Makers of Indian literature), by Balwant Singh Anand, Sahitya Akademi, 1975.
- Baba Farid-ud-Din Masud Ganj-i-Shakar, by Jafar Qasimi. Islamic Book Foundation. 1978.
- Sheikh Baba Farid aur unka Kavya, by Jayabhagavan Goyal. 1998, Atmarama & Sons. ISBN 81-7043-081-X.
- Savanih hayat Baba Farid Ganj-i Shakar, by Pir Ghulam Dastgir Nami. Madni Kutub Khanah.
- Baba Farid Ganjshakar, by Shabbir Hasan Cishti Nizami. Asthana Book Depot.
- Love is his own power: The slokas of Baba Farid. 1990, ISBN 81-7189-135-7.
- Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din Masood Ganj Shakar, by Sheikh Parvaiz Amin Naqshbandy. Umar Publications, 1993.
- Baba Farid di dukh–chetana, by Sarawan Singh Paradesi. 1996, Ravi Sahitya Prakashan, ISBN 81-7143-235-2.
- Hymns of Sheikh Farid, by Brij Mohan Sagar. South Asia Books, 1999. ISBN 0-8364-5985-7.
- Sheikh Farid, by ISBN 81-216-0255-6.
- Great Sufi Poets of the Punjab by R. M. Chopra, Iran Society, Kolkata, 1999.