Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar Flashcards
Where and when was Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar born?
Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar was born in 1179 in Khotwal, a village in Punjab.
Describe the ancestors of Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar.
He was the great-grandson of Farrukh Shah, the King of Kabul, who was the direct descendant of Hazrat Umar Farooq the second Caliph of Islam.
Who was Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar the Spiritual disciple of?
He was the spiritual disciple of Sufi Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki who was the disciple of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Who was Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki the Spiritual disciple of?
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Which characteristics of Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar attracted people to his teachings and Islam?
His piety and nobility of character attracted people to his teachings and Islam.
Among whom did Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar live?
He lived among the people of Punjab.
Which languages did he know?
Arabic and Persian
Even though he knew Arabic and Persian why would he poetry in the language of the place he lived in?
Even though he knew Arabic and Persian, he wrote Sufi poetry for the common people of the land in their language.
What is he recognized as today?
Today he is recognized as the first well-known Sufi poet of the Punjabi language.
Describe the character of Baba Farid.
Baba Farid was a man of impeccable character. He was pious and humble and led a very simple life.
Where is Pakpattan located?
Pakpattan is a city on the banks of the river Sutlej.
How did Pakpattan came to be known as such?
It came to be known as such because disciples wanting to visit the saint used to purify (pak) themselves at a pattan (ferry) near the city before they could visit Baba Farid.
Where did he have his early religious education and his higher education?
After he had completed his early religious education at the age of seven in Khotwal, his mother sent him to Multan for higher education.
Where did Baba Farid stay in Multan and what did he study under whose tutorship?
There he stayed in a mosque where he learnt the Holy Qur’an by heart and studied Hadith, Fiqh, philosophy, and logic under the tutorship of Maulana Minhajuddin.
Where did Baba Farid become Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki disciple?
During his studies, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki of Delhi visited Multan where Baba Farid became his disciple.
What instructions did Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki give Baba Farid?
On his instructions, Baba Farid became toured several Islamic countries, for about 18 years.
Name the places where Baba Farid travelled and whom did he meet.
He travelled to Baghdad, Jerusalem, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Makkah, and Madina, meeting many great saints and Sufis.
What happened because of the political upheaval in Delhi?
Because of the political upheaval in Delhi, the centre of the Chishtiya Silsila had to be shifted to the Punjab at Ajodhan which is now called Pakpattan.
What was the original name of Pakpattan?
Ajodhan
Who would visit Pakpattan and why?
Here, thousands of scholars and Sufi dervishes came to seek spiritual guidance and training from Baba Farid.
What did Khanqah become?
His Khanqah became a spiritual university for those seeking religious guidance.
Name some of his famous disciples.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and his nephew Alauddin Sabir were some of his famous disciples.
What would Baba Farid himself practice and why?
Baba Farid himself practiced self-discipline to achieve self-control over nafs (self).
Describe one very interesting episode about his life.
Once he was walking with the help of a walking stick with his disciple Khwaja Nizamuddin when suddenly his face became flushed, and he looked extremely troubled. And then suddenly he threw away his stick. When Khwaja Nizamuddin asked him the reason for this, he answered, “I was seeking the help of this stick instead of depending on Allah. I am ashamed of the weakness of my faith in my Rab.’
