World Peace: Teachings of Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (RA)
Ashfaq Gondal | October 06, 2016
Reciting the Islamic creed of oneness is the first provision to enter Islam. This Islamic creed of oneness is not just a bunch of words but it is the whole philosophy of religious and worldly life and in a way it is the commitment and declaration that one makes to one’s Lord. If we just understand the interpretation of Islamic creed, one gets oneself free from all kinds of obscenities. Negating all other concepts and accepting and admitting the true reality of Allah Almighty and prophecy of Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W) is the only and everlasting reality. And then Allah Almighty has asked to acknowledge this, not just by tongue but also authenticate from heart. It is a kind of declaration which a person makes with his Lord and Prophet (SAW) to act upon all the commandments and stay loyal to them.
Now come to the verses of Surah AlFatiah; one accepts Allah’s eminence and that He is the Creator of the universe. Having faith on the Day of Judgment and accepting Him as one’s Lord, one seeks true path from Him, the path that will lead one to success in this world and hereafter, and seeks protection from the misguided people, who will face curse of Allah. These are all basic principles of faith. Then one is honored to speak with Allah when Allah Almighty tells one that this Holy book of Quran is guidance for righteous people. This is the real difference. Just reciting the Islamic creed makes you Muslim, but not the r virtuous one. Virtue (taqwa) is the first step for guidance. It means that virtue is the basic principle to accept the oneness of Allah Almighty and having unfaltering faith in Him. This is how one gets guidance from Allah. When one sacrifices all one’s desires for Allah Almighty and Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W), the journey to become upright starts and the process of edification begins. This way of guidance makes a person faithful believer (momin)and by acting upon the commandment of Allah and Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W), the path of divine love starts which is asked by Almighty (as narrated in Quran several times) that love Allah and His Prophet (S.A.W) so that His mercy is showered. This is the true demand of Creator i.e. to be loved. When one considers Allah and his prophet as one’s beloved, he tries to avoid those things which They dislike. Who wants to hurt his beloved? Every lover seeks and tries to get closeness and proximity of his beloved.
Sufis taught us the way and path of ardent love with Allah and His beloved prophet. They showed us the path, by following which; one will surrender one’s own will to the will of Allah Almighty and attain the lover’s happiness.
Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (RA) has explained this ardent love of Divine many times in his books i.e. one can neither become virtuous by just calling oneself a Muslim and offering the prayers neither can attain contentment of Allah.
ایہہ تن رب سچےداحجراوچ پافقیراجھاتی ھو
ناں کرمنت خواج خضردی تیرےاندرآب حیاتی ھو
شوق دادیوابال ہنیرےمتاں لبھی وست کھڑاتی ھو
مرن تھیں اگےمررہےباھو(رح) جنہاں حق دی رمزپچھاتی ھو
The body of yours is the dwelling of true Sustainer O mystic glance in your inner self Hoo
Don’t beg Khidr the water of immortality is within your inner self Hoo
Kindle the lamp of passion in the darkness perhaps swiftly you might find shine Hoo
Dying, before death ‘Bahoo’ then recognised the true sign of Divine Hoo
In the above quartet, Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (RA) is asking to dwell one within one’s self. Merely everyone says that Allah is nearer than the juggler vein and, He stays in the heart but, has anyone imagined the state of his heart; is it worthy to be a habitat of Allah? Allah is sacerdotal and Noor. It is absolutely important that our heart should be free from all indecencies, evils, jealousy and temptations to make it apt to be the habitat of Allah. Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (RA) has asked to kindle the lamp of passion and hold the ardent love of Divine, so that one’s lost chattel (matta) becomes the inhabitant of one’s heart. Only a spiritual mentor (Murshid-e-Kamil) shows this path to find the lost chattel. Hadrat Sultan Bahoo says:
پڑھ پڑھ عالم کرن تکبرحافظ کرن وڈیائی ھو
گلیاں دےوچ پھرن نمانیط وتن کتاباں چائی ھو
جتھےویکھن چنگاچوکھااوتھےپڑھن کلام سوائی ھو
دوہیں جہانیں سوئی مٹھےباھو(رح) جنہاں کھادھی ویچ کمائی ھو
With education, scholars become arrogant and Hafiz fills with prides kit Hoo
Helpless roam around streets with books under their armpit Hoo
Where they see delicious food prolonged sermon, they submit Hoo
Deprived in both worlds ‘Bahoo’ are those who sold earnings remit Hoo
Vainglory is attributed to Allah only. Service and humbleness is suitable for human being. When someone becomes arrogant due to one’s education, power or beauty, this is where one gets misguided from the path of Allah and Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W) which is the beginning of hostility. The desire erupts to subordinate others based on knowledge, power and wealth. The people of Makkah had this same arrogance of belonging to supreme families, race and centuries old faith which not only made them to deny prophecy of Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W) but it also provoked cruelty against him (SAW). But the people who were destined for guidance, became friends of Allah Almighty and cruel became the fuel of hell.
Basically this arrogance and cruelty is the reason of immorality and violence. Suppressing others in presumption of power and supremacy is causing and promoting terrorism and brutality in the society. Those who are snatching others’ resources and bringing their favourites and subordinates into power by enforcement are destabilizing the global society. And perhaps, on the other hand, those considering themselves as vulnerable are choosing the path of violence and are victims of the same arrogance. Intolerance has overtaken the tolerance. This is because of arrogance and ego. They are misguided from the path of Allah and Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W) and will face nothing but curse. Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (RA) says:
رات اندھیری کالی دےوچ عشق چراغ جلانْداھو
In the darkness of night, ardent love kindles light Hoo
زبانی کلمہ ہرکوئی پڑھدادِل داپڑھداکوئی ھو
Everyone is reciting Islamic creed verbally but none acknowledges by heart Hoo
زاہدزہدکریندےتھکےروزےنفل نمازاں ھو
عاشق غرق ہوئےوچ وحدت اللہ نال محبت رازاں ھو
Renouncer got tired of renunciation and fasting, supererogatory prayer as such Hoo
Ardent lovers immersed with secret in Oneness of Allah’s love Hoo
Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (RA) has repeatedly preached (talqeen) us about the ardent love of Allah Almighty and Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W) so that one develops such relationship with Allah that every act and desire is according to the will of Allah. This is the everlasting message which affirms the peace.
Hadrat Sultan Bahoo’s (RA) teachings build character. He has stressed on self-awareness and purification of base self which cannot be attained by mere prayers and rolling the beads of rosary. As Allama Iqbal said, “If wit incites a man to say ʺNo God but Heʺ, it brings no gain.” By only reciting the oneness orally doesn’t uplift the character but it is by changing oneself according to the immortal teachings of Allah and his prophet (SAW). Jealousy, arrogance and impatience lead toward degradation and instructions are to avoid these three things. Hadrat Sultan Bahoo’s (RA) teachings have addressed to kill these. Today world’s peace is in danger because of these three evils. After 9/11 America, infuriated, and prompted by a desire to avenge vengeance, tried to sabotage the terrorists. On the other hand extremists are doing the same thing due to anger and desire for revenge. For the sake of argument, we are Muslims, but have we controlled our anger and refrained from revenge? Allah has clearly mentioned in Quran, that murder of one human being is massacre of humanity, have we not negated these orders?
Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance and complete code of life; our rulers, preachers and politicians are tirelessly chanting it everyday, but are we following our religion? Number of worshippers is increasing in the mosques. There is abundance of prayers in the month of Ramadan, but what is the reason that we are getting far from the soul of religion? Islam is not merely limited to only prayers and fasting.
Sultan Bahoo (RA) says:
نفل نمازاں کم زناناں روزےصرفہ روٹی ھو
Fasting, supererogatory prayer and abstinence are factors of confusion Hoo
By just going to mosques, the rights of Allah and his prophet get fulfilled? Morality, which Hadrat Sulta Bahoo (RA) has explained is:
جودم غافل سودم کافرمرشدایہہ فرمایاھو
Such breath is infidel that is taken in ignorance; my master taught me such Hoo
Impunity is in acting upon Allah’s commandments. Allah says in Quran “Enter into submission, whole heartedly”. It is not about to pick the easy and leave the difficult. We should fulfil every order of Allah Almighty and His prophet without any hesitation. Such breath is infidel that is taken in ignorance. . Whenever a commandment of Allah is neglected or missed that span of time (breath) is spent beyond the will of Allah. Rights for mother, father, brother, sister, neighbours, fellow countrymen, friends, companions, husband and wife have been described in detail. Principles to live in society, trade, ruler ship have been defined. Either these have to be followed or not. This is not the case to pick those, which are suitable and leave the rest. This is the lesson, which we learn from ‘such breath is infidel that is taken in ignorance’.
ناں میں سُنّی ناں میں شیعا میرا دوہاں توں دل سڑیا ھو
مک گئےسبھ خشکی پینڈے جدوں دریارحمت وچ وڑیاھو
کئی من تارےترترہارےکوئی کنارےچڑھیاھو
صحیح سلامت چڑھ پار گئے باھو(رح) جنہاں مرشد دا لڑ پھڑیا ھو
I am neither Sunni nor Shia, my heart is disgusted from both Hoo
All land distance ended when entered the river of Oneness Hoo
Many got exhausted by swimming and yet only few reached shore Hoo
Those who held on to their master ‘Bahoo’ they safely went across Hoo
The path of spiritual mentor (Murshid) is that of ardent love. Only those can achieve the destiny who follow the spiritual mentor. The followers of this path don’t discriminate. They just seek the satisfaction of Allah and Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W) and move forward.
Today, financial system of the world is interest based. Businesses and industries are prospering on investment of interest despite the fact that Allah has clearly mentioned, “Allah makes unlawful interest devoid of all blessings and causes charity to increase.” Interest is war against Allah. Are we not constantly engaged in war with Allah? When we are in warfare with Allah, how can peace prevail? Do ceasefire with Allah, come to table, negotiate and seek the path of betterment, than peace will prevail. We are an Islamic democracy to day and no law contradicting to Quran and Sunnah can be made, then how this law of interest became the law of economy? People fast during the month of Ramadan, congregations of Quran are held and supererogatory prayers are offered, but we don’t accept the Divine teachings by depth of our heart for balance and peacein society.
Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (RA) says:
انہیں گلیں رب حاصل ناہیں خود خوانی خود دانی ھو
Sustainer not accessed with these factors because they are of pride and ostentation Hoo
Self-recognition and accountability is the need of time, we should all practice this, clean our hearts from temptations and make it habitat of Allah. Account for and overcome the shortcomings and stop all those affairs which are against our beloved Creator Allah Almighty and His Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (S.A.W). In this lies our survival and imperishability.
This article was originally presented in International Hadrat Sultan Bahoo Conference arranged by MUSLIM Institute