The Contribution of Baba Farid to The Language, Literature and The Composite Culture of India
By S.
Arshad, New Age Islam
27 August
2020
(On the
occasion of Baba Farid's Urs)
India has
been the home to thousands of Sufis who preached compassion, brotherhood,
tolerance and selfless service to the society along with a complete submission
to the will of God. One of the most prominent Sufis of the Indian
Sub-continents who left a deep imprint not only on the religious or spiritual
arena of India but also contributed to the literature and composite culture of
India a lot. Baba Farid, as he is fondly and popularly known, was a disciple of
Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki who was a disciple of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Since
Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki's life did not give him much time to carry forward the
mettle of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Baba Farid is credited with the promotion
and propagation of the Chishtia order and traditions in the Sub-continent.
Baba Farid Ganj Shakar (RA)
----
The main
teaching or message of Baba Farid was love for humanity and salvation through
self-purification. To him service to the poor was the greatest form of worship
to God.
Baba Farid
was not only a Sufi but he also possessed great literary and poetic skills. On
the issues of Sufism, he wrote a number of books. Some of them are Rahatul
Qulub, Fawaidus Salikeen, Asrarul Wujud, Asrarul Awlia, Tohfatul Asrar,
Tohfatul Akhyar etc. In these books, Baba Farid recorded his spiritual
experiences and lessons for the spiritbual aspirants. He had the privilege of
meeting great Sufis of his time like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Nooruddin
Mobarak, Shaikh Saadi, Allauddin Karmani, Hameeduddin Nagori and other great
mystics from Bhakti cult and Nath yogi cult. His meeting with great Sufis and
Yogis helped him in the formation of his spiritual and religious outlook.
Baba Farid
is credited with the promotion of Punjabi language and literature. It is well
known that the most of the Sufis used to deliver their spiritual and moral
messages in the form of poetry in the vernacular so as to reach to the common
people. Baba Farid also composed poetry in tbe Punjabi language in an age when
Persian was the language of the elite. He is known as the first poet of Punjabi
language and his verses have been included in the holy book of the Sikhs, Guru
Granth Sahib.
Baba Farid Ganj Shakar (RA)
----
The
enormity of Baba Farid's contribution to the promotion of Sufism in India can
be gauged by the fact that most of his disciples (Khalifas) and his
descendants became great sufis of India spread across the country wielding
great impact on the religious and spiritual thought of the common people of
India. His famous disciples Khwaja Nizamuddin Awlia and Makhdoom Alauddin Sabir
Kaliari have been revered by both Hindus and Muslims. While Khwaja Nizamuddin's
Mazar is situated in Delhi, Hazrat Sabir Kaliari's mazar is at Kaliar Sharif in
Uttarakhand. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awlia's disciple Ameer Khusrau was also a great
Sufi, historian and poet of India and is considered a legend. Baba Farid's all
five sons, Shaikh Naseeruddin, Shaikh Badruddin, Shaikh Shahabuddin, Shaikh
Sadruddin and Shaikh Nizamuddin were also sufis in their own right. His
grandson, Khwaja Kamaluddin was also a Sufi.
Their Mazars
are situated in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh from where devotees
get the message of communal Harmony and brotherhood. The famous Sufi Hazrat
Saleem Chishti was also a descendant of Baba Farid. There are also other Sufis
like Hazrat Naseeruddin Chiragh Dehlavi who are indirectly related to Baba
Farid through Chishtia order.
In Baba
Farid's Khanqah many Nath yogi and Hindu sadhus would regularly visit and had
discussions on spiritual matters. Through these discussions, both Hindu and
Muslim mystics would learn about the religious philosophy of each other. These
meetings and discussions promoted tolerance, liberal religious thought and
brotherhood among the Indian masses. Therefore, Baba Farid's contribution to
the promotion of the "composite culture of India a lot is Baba Fariduddin
Ganj Shakar."
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/the-contribution-baba-farid-language/d/122735
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