The Rumi of Kashmir: Mian Muhammad Bakhsh Qadiri (may his secret be sanctified!)

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim


Just before you get to the major town of Mirpur in Azad Kashmir—going from Islamabad, past the local town of Dina which lies only 8 km from the famous fort of Rohtas built by Sher Shah Suri—you come to a scenic place amidst the winding road high up in the mountains. Known as KhaRi Sharif, which is one of the most famous Sufi shrines in the Subcontinent, it houses the sacred bodies of two Muslim saints—awliya: Hazrat Mian Muhammad Bakhsh and his Pir or Sufi preceptor (aka Shaykh or Murshid) Hazrat Baba Pir e Shah Ghazi ‘Bu Ali Qalandar more commonly known in the Punjab as DamRi Walay Sarkar as well as a few other shrines of related saints.

Not much is known about the lives of either saint although from their works it is clear that both were Sunni Muslims who were Hanafis and both belonged to the Qadiri Order of Sufism (the most widespread in the world) founded by Piran-e-Pir Hazrat Sayyid Abd al Qadir al Jilani al Baghdadi (may Allah sanctify his secret and perfume his resting place!). Both are highly revered by all and sundry as Intimates of Allah-the awliya. One of the miracles attributed to Hazrat Pir e Shah Ghazi is that unless a quarter of a lac of small coins (damRi) are donated at his shrine each day he will not let the sun set! Hence the name. Such a feat—though miraculous—is not beyond the powers of Allah’s Saints whom He favours with whatever He wills. The praise of the courtier is really the praise of the King! It is also a principle amongst the scholars of Islam that any miracle performed by the Prophet of a nation is possible, in theory, for the awliya in his Ummah. Thus the saints amongst the Ummah of Prophet Jesus-upon whom be peace!—could raise the dead. The saints amongst the Ummah of Prophet Solomon could fly in the air, etc. Since our Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is the Master of the Prophets [Sayyid al Anbiya’] and the greatest of them all—and since his miracles encompassed all the miracles of the other prophets—it follows that the awliya of his Ummah can do, in theory, all of these things which he did—upon him be the blessings of Allah and peace. And it is well-recorded in an authentic and famous hadith that Allah’s Messenger brought back the sun so that Hazrat Ali could read his namaz on time after it had set! (See Qadi ‘Iyad’s ash-Shifa for the reference). Anyway this digression was just to show that Islamically speaking such an astounding karamat is possible for a saint. Whatever your opinion of this, the fact is that the locals all believe it. Day and night you will find the shrines thronged by a multitude of people—old and young, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, male and female. Yet, despite the crowds of people there is a sense of deep calm and serenity which permeates the whole shrine complex.

Near the shrine vendours of all sorts ply their trade and do roaring business. It is a part of the blessings of the pirs lying at rest inside! Anyway to return to the main focus of this little article, though Baba Pir e Shah Ghazi is famous, even more well-known is the name of his disciple—Mian Muhammad Bakhsh. His fame though rests more on a remarkable book of Sufi poetry he wrote—though he too is venerated as a Sufi saint and Islamic scholar. Indeed although he has many other books—mainly in Persian and Arabic about the technical aspects of Sufism, Islamic law, etc. as well as poetry, his magnum opus has become the Saiful Maluk—the Sword of Kings—which tells a love story involving fairies etc. as an allegory for the Sufi’s journey to God. The book is one of the classics of Punjabi literature and similar in theme—though much shorter—to Rumi’s Mathnawi; it is of a similar standard and has earned its author the epithet of Rumi e Kashmir—The Rumi of Kashmir. Indeed it is so famous that even the illiterate peasants often know whole chunks of it by heart and one of the common pastimes in the Punjab in all sorts of society is a gathering where the kalam of Mian Sahib is melodiously recited. Such a gathering is known as a Mehfil e Saiful Maluk. Famous as a majzub (a Sufi lost in the love of Allah) Mian Sahib wrote this work whilst still young in reply to his brothers who complained that he didn’t do anything all day! He lived in the mid 19th century and was revered by all. His book has ensured his name will live for ever and ever amongst the Muslims (and non-Muslims) of the Punjab and the Punjabi diaspora.

Here is a sample of some of his most famous verses with my transliteration and translation:

Awwal hamd sanaa Ilaahi
Jo maalik har har daa
Uss da naam chataaran waala
Har maidaan na har daa

First, all praise is for Allah
Who is the Lord of all
He who recites his Name
Never will lose in any field!


Mard Allah day sirr e Ilaahi
Ay kooii bhaid niraala
Ikko nazroon saaf banaway
Mera murshid damree waala

(Real) Men are the Divine Secret
This is a strange mystery
With one gaze he can purify—
My Spiritual Guide the Damri Wala


Har mushkil dee kunjii yaaro
Hath mardaan day aayii
Mard nigaah karan jis vialay
Mushkil raway na kaarii

The key to every difficulty
Is in the hands of such men
When they look at you just once
Difficulties no longer exist!

Vah kareem Ummat da waali
Mehr shifaat kardaa
Jibrail jiehay jisday chaakar
Nabiyaan da Sarkar da


Bravo O you gracious protector of your Ummah
A sun which intercedes
The likes of Gabriel are his servants
-The Chief of all the Prophets!


Nur Muhammad roshan aaha
Aadam jaddoon na hoya
Awwal aakhir doway paasay
Oho mal khalooiya!

The Light of Muhammad shone
When Adam was still uncreated
Both stations of First and Last
He alone occupies alone!

[This refers to the Sunni belief that the Prophet was the first creation of Allah and the hadith of the Prophet, “O’ Jabir, the first thing Allah created was the noor of your Prophet” and the hadith, “I was a Prophet whilst Adam was still between water and clay” and many others support this; the verse also alludes to these hadith. The Prophet was thus the first to be created of the Prophets and the last to be sent.]

Isa khaak unhaan day dar dee
Gin tayammam kardaa
Taiheen dast e mubarak usadaa
Shaafii har zarrar daa

Jesus takes the dust from his doorstep
And makes his ablutions with it
That is why his blessed hand was
Able to heal all the sick!


Kee kuchh naat tussadee aakhaan
Khalqat day sardaara
Laakh salaat salaam teray tay
Laakh durood hazaaraa

How can I laud you?
O Best of all Creation!
Millions of blessings upon you!
Billions of salutations upon you!

Sukhan nahin koii hunda mehkee
Terii shaan qadr daa
Taha tay Yasin Ilaahi
Sift tusaadee kardaa


I have no words of praise
Commensurate with your status
“Ta Ha” and “Ya Sin” The Lord
Calls you with these qualities!

Bahut izzat lawlaakii tehnoo
Kii main sift sunaawaa
Aal Ashaab samait salaama
Hor durood puchaavaa

”But for thee” is enough praise for thee
Which qualities of thine can I add?
Millions of blessings be upon you
And upon your Progeny and Companions!

(This refers to the hadith qudsi, “Lawlaka lawlaka maa khalaqatul aflaka” and “Lawlaka lawlaka maa khalaqtul duniya” (But for thee (O Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) I would not have created the heavens) and in the second version “..the world”.)

Aal Awlaad terii daa mangtaa
Main kangaal ziyaanii
Pao khair Muhammad taiin
Sadaqa Shah i Jilani!

I am a mendicant of your descendents
I am penniless and sinful
Give me some charity
For the sake of Shah Jilani!

(Shah Jilani i.e. Shaykh Abd al Qadir al Jilani al Baghdadi, founder of the Qadiri Sufi Order and the greatest of the awliya by consensus after the Salaf till the coming of the Mahdi alayhisalam.)

Wah wah meeraaN Shah e Shahaan daa
Sayyid Do Jahanii
Ghaus ul Azam Pir piraaN daa
Hai Mahboob e Rabbani!

Bravo O Chieftain, King of kings
Master of Both the worlds
Ghaus ul Azam is the saint of saints
And the Beloved of The Lord!

(Ghaus ul Azam: (Arabic: al-Ghawth al-‘Azam: The Greatest Succour: another title for Shaykh Abd al Qadir al Jilani.)



Rehmat da miinh paa khudaaya
baad sukaa kar hariya
booTa aas umeed meri da
Karde mevay bhariya

Send a rain of mercy O’ Lord
Make the land verdant after being parched
Cause the plant of my hopes and desires
To become fruitful again.

MiTta maiva bakhsh jiya
Qudrat dee rakh shirin
jo khaavay ro usdaa jaaway
door hovay dil geeree

Give me such sweet fruits
Place natural sweetness in them
So that whoever eats thereof, his anger vanishes
And his sorrowness departs!

Lakh varii jay itr gulabon
Toiiyay nit zabaanaa
Naam unhaa day laaiq nahin
Ki kalimay da kaana

If you wash your tongue a thousand times
With the attar of roses
It is still not worthy to say His name
What then of the Kalima?

Main neevan mera murshid uccha
Te main ucchiyaa day sang laii
Sadaqa jaavaan unhaan ucchiyaa taaii
Jinhaa neviyaan naal nibhaaii

I am lowly my spiritual guide is high
And I have linked my end to the high ones
May I die for such lofty ones
Who have protected the lowly ones!