Complete history and biography of Hazrat Sultan Bahoo(سلطان باہو)

Sultan Bahoo (سلطان باہو) (1630–1691) was a Sufi mystic, poet, scholar, and historian who was active in most of the Punjab region (present-day Pakistan) during the Mughal Empire. He belonged to the Qadri Sufi order and started a mystical tradition called Sarwari Qadri.

Little is known about Bahu's life, except for a manuscript called Manaqib-e-Sultani, written by one of Bahu's descendants seven generations after Bahu's own time.

Hazrat-Sultan-Bahoo-Darbar
Sakhi Sultan Bahoo Shrine

Sultan Bahu's father is Bayazid Muhammad, an officer in the Mughal army. Sultan Bahoo was born in Shorekot, Jhang, in the present-day Punjab Province of Pakistan. He belonged to the Awan tribe. More than forty books on Sufism are attributed to him (mostly written in Persian), mostly on Islam and special aspects of Islamic mysticism. They lived in the 17th century under the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.

However, it was his Punjabi poetry that gained popularity and gained him lasting fame. His words are sung in many genres of Sufi music, including poetry.

Education of Sultan ul Arifeen - Sultan ul Faqr

The first teacher of Sultan Bahu (سلطان العارفین - سلطان الفقر) was his mother, Mai Rasti. She urged him to seek spiritual guidance from Shah Habib Gilani.

Around 1668, Sultan Bahu went to Delhi for further training under the guidance of the famous Qadri, Sufi saint Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlavi, and then returned to Punjab for the rest of his life.

Literary work of Sultan Bahoo

The exact number of books written by Sultan Bahoo is not known, but it is estimated that there were at least 100 books. Forty of them are on Sufism and Islamic Sufism. Most of his works are in the Persian language except Abiyat Bahu which is in Punjabi poetry.

Urdu Books of Hazrat Sultan Bahu

Now only the following books written by Sultan Bahu (سلطان باہو) can be found
  • Abyat e Bahu
  • Risala e Ruhi
  • Sultan ul Waham
  • Nur ul Huda
  • Aql e Baidar
  • Mahq ul Faqr
  • Aurang e Shahi
  • Jami ul Israr
  • Taufiq e Hidiyat
  • Kalid Tauheed
  • Ain ul Faqr
  • Israr e Qadri
  • Kaleed e Jannat
  • Muhqam ul Faqr
  • Majalis un Nabi
  • Muftah ul Arifeen
  • Hujjat ul Israr
  • Kashf ul Israr
  • Mahabat ul Israr
  • Ganj ul Israr
  • Fazl ul Liqa
  • Dewaan e Bahu

Spiritual lineage Sarwari Qadri

Sultan Bahu (سلطان باہو) in his writings referred to Abdul Qadir Gilani as his spiritual mentor, although Gilani died long before Sultan Bahu was born. However, most Sufis say that Abdul Qadir Jilani plays a special role in the mystical world and that all orders and saints are in some way, directly or indirectly, always indebted to him. Sultan Bahoo admitted that he is a follower of Jilani's Qadri tradition, so he created his own branch called Sarwari Qadri.

Bahu's Sarwari Qadri tradition (or Sufi order) is similar to the Qadri order in its overall philosophy. Unlike many other Sufi injunctions, the Sarwari Qadri tradition does not prescribe any specific dress code, Sunni exercises, breathing exercises, etc. Instead, it focuses on mental exercises.

Hazrat Sultan Bahu shajra nasab

Shajra nasab according to tradition, lineage goes back to Sultan Bahu
  • Muhammad
  • Ali ibn Abi Talib
  • Hasan al Basri
  • Habib al Ajami
  • Dawud Tai
  • Maruf Karkhi
  • Sirri Saqti
  • Junaid Baghdadi
  • Abu Bakr Shibli
  • Abdul Aziz bin Haris bin Asad Al-Yamani Al-Tamimi
  • Abu Al Fazal Abdul Wahid Yemeni Tamimi
  • Mohammad Yousaf Abu al-Farah Tartusi
  • Abu-al-Hassan Ali Bin Mohammad Qureshi Hankari
  • Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi
  • Abdul Qadir Jilani
  • Abdul Razzaq Jilani
  • Abdul Jabbar Jilani
  • Syed Mohammad Sadiq Yahya
  • Najm-ud-Din Burhan Puri
  • Abdul Fattah
  • Abdul Sattar
  • Abdul Baqqa
  • Abdul Jaleel
  • Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi
  • Sultan Bahu
The tradition of Sultan Bahu is still prevalent today through his successors.

Shrine of Sultan Bahoo - Darbar Hazrat Sultan Bahoo

The shrine of Sultan Bahoo (دربار حضرت سلطان باہو) is located in Garh Maharaja, Punjab near Jhang, Pakistan. It was originally built on the Bahu tomb until the Chenab River changed its course, which necessitated two evacuations, as claimed by those present at the time of the evacuation. That his body was still intact at that time. It is a popular Sufi shrine, and the annual Urs festival in memory of his death is celebrated there with great fanfare on the first Thursday of the second Friday. People came from all sides to take part in the celebration.

From the first to the tenth of Muharram, Sultan Bahl often holds the annual Ur Festival to commemorate the martyrs of Karbala. This tradition continues to this day and every year during the first ten days of Muharram thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine.

The story of Hazrat Sultan Bahu (Who is the Murshid? and Who is called Faqeer?)

Watch this video for more information by Allama Mukhtar Shah Naeemi Ashrafi.

Authorized Caliph Astana Alia Kachucha Sharif (India)
President of the ISCC (Islamic Supreme Council) in the United States
Vice President: North American Moon Sighting Committee