‘Yes Majnu Shah’, nodded Cherag Fakir. ‘Only he can make the Sahibs run in fear.’ Asif had of course heard about Majnu Shah and his heroic battles with the British. Villagers often talked about Majnu Shah’s soldiers who came down the hills to loot the British offices…. From: The Tattooed Fakir by Biman Nath… Read More THE SUFI WARRIOR WHO UNITED THE FAKIRS AND SANYASIS AGAINST THE BRITISH
BULLHE SHAH: The Rumi of Punjab An artist’s impression of Bullhe Shah. Courtsey Wikipedia बेक़ैद मैं बेक़ैद, मैं बेक़ैद; ना रोगी, ना वैद| ना मैं मोमन, ना मैं फाक़र, ना सैयद, ना सैद| चौधीं तबक़ीं सैर असाडा, किते ना हुंदा क़ैद| ख़राबात है जात असाडी, ना सोमा, ना ऐब| बुल्ल्हेशाह दी ज़ात… Read More SUFIS OF THE INDUS REGION – III
Sufis of the Punjab Doabs: Creaters of Folk Mysticism The Punjab Doabs The Doab regions of Punjab, Courtsey: Wikipedia The Punjab Doabs (tracts of land lying between the confluent rivers of the Punjab region of Indo-Pakistan) have produced one of the greatest Sufi saints of this subcontinent. Most of their mystical compositions are now… Read More SUFIS OF THE INDUS REGION – II
THE NAQSHBANDIYAS AND THE QADIRIYYAS NAQSHBANDIYYAS: People of the Silent Dhikr “The lights of some people precede their dhikr, while the dhikr of some people precede their lights. There is the one who does (loud) dhikr so that his heart be illumined; and there is the one whose heart has been illumined and he does… Read More SUFI SILSILAS IN INDIA – II
THE CHISHTIIYYAS AND THE SUHRAWARDIYYAS In India the four major silsilas to take root were Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya and Naqshabandiyya. From these major orders many suborders such as Shattariyya branched out. THE CHISHTIYYAS: Founders of Indian Sufism This was the silsila which with its spirit of equality and brotherhood won the hearts of the… Read More SUFI SILSILAS IN INDIA – I
Artisit’s impression of Baba Farid Kaagaa sab tan khaiyo, chun chun khaiyo maans, Do nenan mat khaiyo, mohe piyaa milan ki aas (O crow eat my body and every morsel of my flesh But pray eat not my eyes for they wait for the sight of the Beloved) – Hazrat Baba Farid The above… Read More Sufism and Indian Sufism
Tombs of sages at Makli Hill, Thatta, Sind(Pakistan) The regions of Sind and Punjab, nurtured by the waters of Indus, have produced one of the the greatest sufi saints of this subcontinent. Some time in 905 the great mystic like Halaj, probably sat on the very banks of this river to discuss theological problems… Read More SUFIS OF THE INDUS REGION – I
ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ (Ik ōaṅkār sat nām kartā purkh nirbha’u nirvair akāl mūrat ajūnī saibhaṃ gur prasād ) One creator, one supreme reality, His formless unity manifests itself in limitless forms His name represents one cosmic Truth, one without… Read More The Fakir from Punjab
Where do you seek me O devout? I reside neither in the temple nor in the mosque neither in Kashi nor in Kaba Neither in rites nor in ceremonies Neither in Yoga nor in renunciation…… the true seeker shall find me in a moments realisation for I reside in the very breath of your… Read More Kabir: the weaver of mystic
As I navigated my way through the maze of lanes in Nizammudin West (Delhi), that led to the durgah of Amir Khusrow, I was appalled by the filth, and crass commercialization that seem to ooze from every corner of those lanes. ‘Could these lanes really lead me to the shrine of one of greatest Sufi… Read More Sufism: Being in love with Love
Ashodara 