privacy. The door opening to the east was then called the door of light. It is that by which men generally enter and leave the shrine.
After Farid's death his son Badr-ul-Din Sulaiman succeeded him in his spiritual, and Saiyid Maulvi Badr-ul-Din Ishaq in his temporal duties. Envious persons set the two Badr-ul-Dins at variance, upon which Nizam-ul-Din Auliya came from Dihli and made peace between them.
We have mentioned the Rahat-ul-Qulub as one of our authorities for the life of Farid. The first entry in it was made on the nth of the month Rajab, A.H. 655 (A.D. 1254) \ and tne iast on tne 25th of Safar, A. H.
656The diary thus shows Farid's acts and conversations for the space of eleven months. We shall here give some extracts from it.
Farid considered that faqiri or holiness consisted in four things, namely, to be blind to the faults of Muhammadans, to be deaf to slander, to be dumb when evil speaking is suggested, and to be lame when there is a desire to visit evil places.
On one occasion Shaikh Badr-ul-Din of Ghazni, Jamal-ul-Din of Hansi, Sharaf-ul-Din of Nabha,1 and Qazi Hamid-ul-Din of Nagaur met at Farid's house. Farid dilated to them on the virtues of hospitality, and said it was proper for a host to give something to every guest whether he received an equivalent or not.
At a religious conference at Farid's house, where were assembled Maulvi Hamid-ul-Din of Nagaur, Shaikh Shams-ul-Din, Shaikh Burhan-ul-Din, and others, Shaikh Farid mentioned an expression in the Hadis, or traditional sayings of the Prophet, that love of the world was the source of all evil. A man called Shaikh Abdulla Suhel of Tastar said that God and man were all one. There was no difference between them except that, in propor-
SHAIKH FARID 387
tion as man loved the world, he fell away from God. Farid expressed his concurrence with this state ment, and added that the heart was like a mirror, and love of mammon was as rust on it, which should be removed by the file of God's love. Land covered with tares and thistles produced no good crop until they were eradicated, Faqirs should remain aloof from the world, and not visit even kings and nobles. Once when the king of Iraq was ill, he sent for Abdulla Suhel to treat him. Suhel cured him, but thought it necessary to expiate the offence of visiting a king by living a life of absolute retirement for seven years. The friendship of wealthy men was in his opinion as poison for holy men. When a holy man associates with such men, his influence on others is injurious to them. Abdulla defined the word tariqat— a spiritual stage of Muhammadans— to mean absolute disregard for the things of this world. Farid said he had lived for ten years with the saint Abu Yusuf Chishti, and during that time had never moved a foot in the direction of a king or noble, except on Fridays when he went to pray, for prayers should be said in common on the Sab bath. He thought that whenever a faqir has visited a monarch, his patched coat and hat ought afterwards to be burned in order to remove the contagion of wealth and pride.
It is not surprising to hear that a man of Farid' s sanctity and force of character made many converts among the Hindus within the reach of his influence. The Bahlis, the Sirhangs, the Jhakars, and the Adankans are enumerated among the tribes whom he induced to accept Islam.
When Badr-ul-Din Sulaiman, Farid's son, suc ceeded him, he was invested with the turban which Farid himself had received from Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Hazrat Ghaus). The turban was of three colours, saffron at one end, brown at the other, and white in the centre. Nizam-ul-Din
c c 2
purchased several white turbans, and steeped them with Abdul Qadir Jilani's in the same pot. The object of this was that Abdul Qadir Jilani's turban might communicate some of its virtues to the white turbans, and that the latter after such contact might confer blessings on Farid's disciples and friends, when they bound them on their heads. When Badr-ul-Din had put on Abdul Qadir Jilani's turban, and Farid's disciples and friends the white turbans, the whole company went outside the gate of paradise and sat down. Sweets were produced, and a priest read texts from the Quran over them. They were then distributed for the repose of the souls of the Chishti Khwajas to whom Farid spiritually belonged.
This custom is still observed by the followers of Farid. On the approach of the Muharrim, the Quran is read over a jug of sharbat for the souls of ancestors, and the sharbat is then distributed among the faithful. When the Muharrim begins, there is singing after breakfast, to which the high priest listens on his carpet of prayer. The whole audience then enters on a state of exaltation. The priest puts on a turban like Farid's, and binds white turbans on the heads of his brethren and disciples. On the fifth day of the Muharrim he opens the ' Gate of para dise', and the crowd enters with a rush, in the hope that, when they cross the barrier, they shall secure in reality the bliss of the elect.
The gate of paradise is a small door in the shrine, which is only opened twice a year, and on both occasions at night. In our time the crowd which passes through, shouting ' Haji Qutub Farid', or simply ' Farid', to maintain their fervour, has been estimated sometimes at thirty thousand souls. To reach the gate of paradise three outer portals have to be traversed. Among the immense crowd there is a rivalry to reach heaven in the shortest time, not by good deeds, but by physical strength ; and in
SHAIKH FARID 389
the struggle numbers arc continually maimed, and some aged and infirm persons occasionally killed. Were not a large force of police, generally reinforced from neighbouring districts, marched to the shrine to maintain order, great indeed would be the destruc tion of human life at this religious ceremony. Men are not content to pass the gate for themselves, they return again and again to vicariously conduct their female relatives to the abode of bliss, and this reiterated service increases the crowd, the confusion, and the danger to human life.
On the seventh day of the Muharrim there is again singing, the reading of the Quran is finished, and the gate of paradise is left open. On the tenth of the month Farid's mausoleum is washed and per fumed within and without.
In the month of Ramzan the banners which Abdul Qadir Jilani received from Madina and gave to Farid, are taken out and fitted with new cloth. The high priest's followers present him with an ordinary coat and a patched coat— meaning thereby temporal and spiritual raiment. When he puts them on, the prayers appointed for the Id in the end of Ramzan are read. Farid's cup, stick, and rosary are then produced and prayers offered. The high priest with a rosary in one hand and Farid's staff in the other begs for alms, upon which his followers present him with cakes of sugar, almonds, and coco-nuts. Such offerings are afterwards dis tributed among the poor.
It remains to add a few words regarding Nizam- ul-Din Auliya, the author of the Rahat-ul-Qulub and Farid's faithful friend and disciple. He states that he visited Ajodhan three times during the life of Farid, and Farid charged him with the education of his children.
Subsequently Nizam-ul-Din was sent by Farid as Khalifa or spiritual ruler of Hindustan, and in that capacity amassed great wealth and became known
3QO BHAGATS OF THE GRANTH SAHIB
as Zar-i-zar Baft— woven, or altogether, of gold, a name given him by Bu Ali Shah, a religious man of Panipat.
It is probable that Nizam-ul-Din's great wealth aroused the jealousy of Mubarak Khilji, who ascended the Dihli throne in A. D. 1317. He summoned Shaikh Rukn-ul-Din from Multan in the hope of counteracting Nizam-ul-Din's unquestionably great influence with the people. Nizam-ul-Din went forth to meet the man who had been chosen as his anta gonist, and produced a highly favourable impression on him. When the Emperor afterwards asked Rukn-ul-Din who had been the principal person to go forth and welcome him to Dihli, Rukn-ul-Din replied 'The foremost man of the age', by which he meant Nizam-ul-Din. The Emperor after this testimony to Nizam-ul-Din's greatness withdrew his opposition to him, and allowed him to dwell in peace.1
The imperial hostility to Nizam-ul-Din descended to Ghiyas-ul-Din Tughlak, one of the successors of Mubarak Khilji. When Ghiyas-ul-Din was return ing from his expedition to Bengal, he no longer desired to see Nizam-ul-Din, and ordered him to leave the city. Nizam-ul-Din had no alternative but to obey, but decided to do so at leisure. He said to his friends ' Hanoz Dihli dur ast ' — Dihli is still far off— by which he meant that the Emperor should never reach Dihli. The Emperor on his homeward march put up in a house at Afghanpur, hastily constructed for his reception by his son Alaf Khan. The house fell upon the monarch and killed him in A. D. 1325. The Emperor's death was popularly attributed to his hostility to the saint. Nizam-ul-Din's expression ' Dihli is far off ' has passed into a proverb.2 It corresponds to the
SHAIKH FARID 391
English saying, ' There is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.' Nizam-ul-Din himself died the same year as the Emperor.
Nizam-ul-Din, notwithstanding his worldly suc cess, raised many men in Dihli, Bengal, Chanderi, Malwa, Bihar, Ujjain, Gujrat, and the Dakhan to the heights of spiritual sanctity. Having conferred his khalifaship on Khwaja Hazrat Nasir-ul-Din Chiragh, he died in Dihli on Wednesday, the i8th day of Rabi ul Sani, A. H. 725, A. D. 1325, that is, sixty years after the death of his beloved priest.1 He was buried in a quarter then known as Ghyaspur. He wrote the following Persian lines in praise of Farid : -
Pir-i-man pirest maulana Farid ; Hamchu o dar sihar Maula na-farid. My priest is the holy Farid ; God created no one in the world like him.
HYMNS OF SHAIKH FARID
Miscellaneous Religious Instruction :—
ASA
Saith Shaikh Farid, my dear friends, attach yourselves to God.
This body shall become dust and its abode be the un- honoured grave.2
To-day God can be met, Shaikh Farid, if thou restrain the feelings which agitate thy mind.
Had I known that I should die and not return again,
I would not have devoted myself to this false world and ruined myself.
Honestly spsak the truth ; utter not falsehood.
The disciple ought to travel by the way the guru pointeth out.
When the lover 1 is saved, the heart of the beloved 2 taketh courage.
Thou who turnest to the glitter of gold shalt be split in twain by the saw.
As kulangs come in Kartik, forest fires in Chet, lightning in Sawan,
As woman's arms adorn her husband's neck in winter,
So transitory things pass away ; reflect on this in thy mind.
Man taketh six months to form 3 and one moment to break up.
The earth asked heaven,4 saith Farid, how many pilots 5 had passed away ;
Some have been burnt, others are in the cemeteries, and their souls suffer reproaches from the angels of Death.
Farid's longing to meet God : —
SUHI
On account of the severe burning of high fever induced by separation from God, I wring my hands ;
1 have grown crazy longing for my Spouse.
Thou, O Spouse, wast angry with me in Thy heart ; It was through my demerits, and not my Spouse's fault. My Lord, I did not know Thy worth ; I have lost my youth and repent too late.
0 black kokil, why art thou black ?
HYMNS OF SHAIKH FARID 393
The kokil — ' I have been burnt by separation from my Beloved ;
Can she who is separated from her Beloved ever be happy ? '
If the Lord be merciful, He will cause me to meet Him.
Painful is the well l into which lone woman 2 hath fallen ;
She hath no companions and no helper.
Thou hast mercifully, O God, caused me to meet Thy saints ;
When I look again, God is my helper.
My way is thoroughly tedious ;
It is sharper than a two-edged sword and very narrow ;
Over that is my passage ;
Shaikh Farid, prepare thyself betimes for that road.
SLOKS OF SHAIKH FARID
The day that woman was to be married was previously fixed.3
The Spouse, the angel of Death of whom we have heard, hath come to show his face ;
Having cracked the bones of the body he will take away the poor soul.
The time recorded cannot be altered ; 4 explain this to thy soul.
The soul is the bride, death the bridegroom ; he will marry her and take her away.
As she goeth, whose neck shall she run to embrace with her arms ? 5
Have you not heard of the bridge of Sarat, which is finer than a hair ?
Farid, when the summons cometh, arise and deceive yourselves not.
Farid, since I walk in the way of the world, it is difficult to be like the darwesh at God's gate.1
I have tied and taken up my bundle of worldliness ; whither shall I go to throw it away ?
I know nothing, I see nothing, the world is a smouldering fire ;
My master did well to warn me, otherwise I too should have been burnt.
Farid, had I known my sesames 2 were to be so few, I should have husbanded my handfuls ;
Had I known that the Bridegroom 3 was so young, I should have been less vain.
Had I known that my dress 4 was opening, I should have put a fast knot on it.5
So great as Thou I have found none ; I have seen and wandered the world over.
Farid, if thou have acute wisdom, write not a black mark against others.
Bend thy head and look beneath thy collar.6
Farid, if men beat thee with their fists, beat them not in return ;
Nay, kiss their feet and go home.
SLOKS OF SHAIKH FARID 395
Farid, when it was time for thee to earn,1 thou wast in love with the world :
Death's foundations are strong ; 2 when the last breath is drawn, thy soul shall be packed away.
See, Farid, what hath occurred — thy beard hath grown grey;
The future is near, the past is left far behind.
See, Farid, what hath occurred— sugar hath become poison.
To whom shall I tell my sorrow except to my Lord ?
Farid, mine eyes have seen enough, and mine ears heard enough ;
The tree of the body hath become ripe,3 and hath assumed another colour.
Farid, hath any one who enjoyed not her spouse when her hair was black, enjoyed him when her hair was grey ? Love thy Spouse, so shall the colour of thy hair be restored.4
Guru Amar Das offers the following objection to this couplet :-
Farid, whether man's hair be black or grey, the Lord is ever present if any one remember Him :