SULTAN BAHU   [d.1104 H - 1693 CE]

'Sultan al Arfieen' Sultan Muhammad Bahu, Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, is acknowledged as one of the most prominent Sufi poets of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He is known to be the author of over 140 books in Persian and Arabic dealing with a variety of religious and mystic subjects. He was a strict upholder of the Shari'a and did not in his entire life forego even one Mustahab.

Hadrat Sultan Bahu, Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, did not acquire the worldly sciences. Due to immense spiritual attractions and ecstasy it became difficult to attain to formal education. Yet his own person was luminous with Divine Light. In one of his writings the great wali (saint) refers to this when he says that: 'I did not have time to spare for formal education but spiritual experiences, divine favour and guidance and esoteric conquests has enabled me to acquire such vast knowledge that it would require many files of paper to record. Spiritual realities have so enlightened my inward that both the esoteric and exoteric sciences have been revealed to me....neither did I have the time to perform daily litanies (wird) because since the beginning I have been immersed in the ocean of Unity (Tawheed)'.

Page Last Updated : 12th October 2011

 Death Before Dying : The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu

 Paperback - 150 pages                                                        Translated by Jamal Elias

The 115 poems introduce readers in English to Sultan al-Arifeen Hadrat Sultan Bahu May Allah be pleased with him (d. 1691), a Sufi mystical poet who continues to be one of the most beloved writers in Punjabi. Sultan Bahu, whose name translates as "With God", remains highly popular in Pakistan and India today -- even illiterate Punjabis can recite his poetry by heart.

Jamal J. Elias's translation of Bahu's famous work, the Abyat, is the first to appear in English outside South Asia. It offers a rare glimpse into the Sufi mystical tradition and the religious lives of rural Muslims during the period of the Mughal Empire. With its emphasis on unrestricted devotion to God, and its skepticism toward the legalistic, institutionalized elements of organized religion, Bahu's poetry embodies many characteristic elements of the mystical tradition.

Translations of the poems are presented alongside the Punjabi script and offer a masterful exploration of a significant but largely neglected South Asian literary tradition. Death Before Dying also illustrates the great diversity of Islamic cultural voices throughout the world. 

"With their earthy charm and engaging simplicity, these Punjabi verses convey the immediacy of the spiritual quest as expressed in the popular idiom and imagery of the country-side. A fine choice for courses in Islamic religious studies and spirituality". -- John Renard, author of Seven Doors to Islam

 
Our Price £16.95                  INCLUSIVE OF UK DELIVERY

 Sultan Bahu - Within Reach                                         by Muzaffar A. Ghaffaar

A4 Hardback - 306 pages (Book comes in a protective Slip-Case)

Part of the Masterworks of Punjabi Sufi Poetry Series

English Text; with Nastaliq; Gurmukhi; Roman. Extensive glossary; poetic translation; line by line discourse.

Review: '' All great masters of Punjabi poetry have distinctive styles. Sultan Bahu, May Allah be pleased with him, however, was among the privileged few who are frequently quoted among his followers all over Punjab. His idiom and imagery are also closer to folk. Folk is a vexed term, when used with reference to Punjabi poetry, connecting it with presumed anonymous and oral sources. Punjabi classical poetry is complex, philosophical and original; while belonging to a common humanist and anti-scholastic tradition, no two poets are alike.

Very little has been written in English by way of translation and commentary on Punjabi classical poetry. The histories of Punjabi literature written by Dr Duggal and Dr Mohan Singh Diwana leave a lot to be desired. Seetal's writings in English are even poorer and in some cases even the Punjabi text is not correct. Ghaffar's work is in a different league altogether, having drunk deep at the fount of Sangat; his Punjabi text has been meticulously edited. Romanised and Gurmukhi texts have been added and the meanings of all the difficult words are included with each passage and then have been alphabetically collected at the end of each volume.

His commentaries are multifaceted, that provide an ideal framework for each reader to make his own interpretation. Notes on the poet's life and a critical introduction to Punjabi masterworks of poetry have been added to each volume.

Muzaffar Ghaffar's commentaries of Sultan Bahu's poetry provides an ideal framework for each reader to make his own interpretation. ''  --- Review By Nadir Ali

[Sub-Continent Print, however excellent paper and print quality]  
Our Price £24.95                 INCLUSIVE OF UK DELIVERY