Farid Ganj Shakkar, or Farid al-Sani

[chatanga]

I will try to find some time to type the quotes. Farid Ji learned Persian and Arabic and this is why he could not compose anything in a foreign language (Punjabi) without praising Mohammad and Islam. Farid Saani Ji uses non-Islamic words like Gur, Saadh and Prabh. All Muslim sufis use the word Murshid but not Gur.

Bijla Singh, i have 2 questions for you, do you think that Al-Sani met any Sikhs before he met Guru Nanak Dev Ji himself?

I think that meeting Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the first meeting between Guru Ji and al-SAni, so where would al-Sani have got the terms like Gur, Saadh and Prabh, unless he knew Waheguru?

[Bijla Singh]

do you think that Al-Sani met any Sikhs before he met Guru Nanak Dev Ji himself?

I do not know if he had met any Sikh prior to meeting Guru Sahib but since Sikhs could be found in every part of the country, I would suspect he did but probably on influence occured on him.

I think that meeting Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the first meeting between Guru Ji and al-SAni, so where would al-Sani have got the terms like Gur, Saadh and Prabh,

Usage of such words and language clearly point to the influence of Guru Sahib on him. Who else did he learn Gurmat from? Keep in mind that these terms are not used in general sense but employed to convey Gurmat ideology. All words used in Gurbani have consonance in terms of meaning and interpretation. Gurbani does not have any varied teachings and principles. It strictly preaches one way of life. During the first meeting, Farid Ji obtained Naam from Guru Sahib and Gurmat way of life. Second time Guru Sahib went to Pakpattan with Bhai Mardana Ji to ensure that Sheikh Farid was living and practicing the “updesh” given to him during the first meeting. It is clearly stated in the Janamsakhis. There are some criteria for revealing Gurbani. One is if a bhagat is united with Waheguru then he can reveal Bani in the state of Vismaad. Second is if Satguru blesses someone and serves as the medium for a person to receive Bani. Bhai Satta and Balwand and Bhatts fall in the second category whereas the bhagats fall in the first one. Bhagat Farid Ji could not have received any Dhur Ki Bani without becoming united with Waheguru. Thus, he used the Gurmat terminology. Bani composed prior to union with Waheguru was not considered Gurbani by Guru Sahib and was rejected. This is why much of the bani of Bhagat Kabir Ji found in other granths and saloaks of Farid Ji remain excluded from Gurbani.

Also keep in mind that the epithet Farid was not used by Shakkar Ganj. The latter was always called by his name Masuood. Hopefully, more research will be done and more information brought to light on this subject. Guru Rakha

[Bijla Singh]

Here is an old write-up by someone posted on this form many years ago.

Even the present head of Baba Farid Jee’s spiritual order Prof. Khalil Nizami says the bani in Guru Granth Sahib Jee is that of Farid Sani. Bhai Vir Singh Jee, Prof. Teja Singh Jee, and Budh Singh all agree to this opinion that the Bani written in Guru Granth Sahib jee is that of Farid Sani the contemporary of Guru Nanak Dev Jee, and not Baba Farid the Afghan who lived during the 12th century.

The proof of Baba Farid Jee meeting Guru Nanak Dev Jee is his Bani. Fareed Jee writes:

JO GUR DASAY WAATH MUREEDA JOLEA|| (Asa sheikh farid 477)

KAR KIRPA PRAB SAADHSANG MELEE|| (Farid soohi 794)

Muslim sufis never use words such as Gur, Saadh or "Prabh". According to a book written by Prof. Khalil Nizami spiritual head of Baba Farid Jee’s spiritual order these words were written by Farid Sani because he was heavily influenced by Guru Nanak Dev jee, this is confirmed by the writer of "Swanay Farid".

Proof from Janamsakhis, then ponder on the following Janamsakhi which mentions Guru Jee meeting with Farid Jee:

SRI GURU BABA AUTHOU CHALIA|

RAAVI CHANOU DEKH KAR AUJARH PAI CHALIA|

PATTAN DESH AIE NIKALIA|

PATTAN TO KOS TIN AUJARH THI, AUTHAY AIE BAITHAA|

MARDANA NAAL AAHA, PATTAN DHA PIR SHEIKH FARID THA TISKAY TAKHT SHEIKH BRAM (IBRAHIM) THA| (Puraatan Janam Sakhi)

-Besides this Janamsakhi, another Janamsakhi by the name of “Meherban Vali Janamsakhi” tells of a story of when Baba Farid jee once went to collect wood and there he also ran into Guru Nanak Dev Jee reciting the following Gurbani Tukhs:

APAY PATTEE KALAM AAP, UPAR LEKH BHI THU||

EKO KAHIAE NANAKAA, DOOJA KAHAY KOO|| (Malar dhi vaar M: 1 -1291)

-Another Janamsakhi which is now safely at Guru Nanak Dev University taken from the UK also mentions a meeting between Guru Nanak Dev Jee and Baba Farid jee.

-Another Janamasakhi, Bhai Mani Singh Jee vali Janamsakhi mentions a meeting between Guru Nanak Dev Jee and Baba Farid Jee.

I have given names of four different Janamsakhis all mentioning Baba Farid jee meeting with Guru Nanak Dev Jee.

1) All Pakistani scholars agree that this Baba Farid jee did not write any baani at all. He was not a poet.

2) He was not a native of Punjab and as such could not have written such purely native countryside Punjabi. It is like asserting that Shakespeare was not English but a German writer. A non-English person could not have written what Shakespeare wrote. Same way, a non-Punjabi could not have written the kind of Punjabi that is in Gurbani under Baba Farid jee name.

3) The Punjabi used in Baba Farid jee’s baani in Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee is of the same time as Guru Nanak Sahib jee. All linguistics agree to this. If this baani had been written 300 years before Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee, it would have been drastically different. Just compare the Punjabi written today to Punjabi of Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee’s times.

4) Farid Shakarganj i.e. the Senior Farid, was a staunch Muslim who converted thousands of Hindus to Islam. He was very strict in Sharia and he would have never used non-Islamic words like “Saadh” in his baani.

Now the question arises that if the baani in Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee was not written by Baba Farid Shakarganj then who is the writer of this baani? The answer is very simple. As written in the Janamsaakhis, the writer of this baani was Farid Saani, who was sitting on the gaddi of the original Farid. His name was Sheikh Ibrahim but he was also known as Farid Saani and it was he who met Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee Maharaaj.

It is this Sheikh Ibrahim, whose spiritual thirst was quenched by Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee. He wrote the following shabad to Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee:

soohee lalith ||

baerraa ba(n)dhh n sakiou ba(n)dhhan kee vaelaa ||

.

bhar saravar jab ooshhalai thab tharan dhuhaelaa ||1||

hathh n laae kasu(n)bharrai jal jaasee dtolaa ||1|| rehaao ||

eik aapeenhai pathalee seh kaerae bolaa ||

dhudhhaa thhanee n aavee fir hoe n maelaa ||2||

kehai fareedh sehaeleeho sahu alaaeaesee ||

ha(n)s chalasee ddu(n)manaa ahi than dtaeree thheesee ||3||2||

This shabad of Baba Farid jee portrays the thirst of Baba jee very clearly. He is literally begging for spirituality. In response to this shabad, Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee wrote the following shabad:

soohee mehalaa 1 ||

jap thap kaa ba(n)dhh baerrulaa jith la(n)ghehi vehaelaa ||

naa saravar naa ooshhalai aisaa pa(n)thh suhaelaa ||1||

thaeraa eaeko naam ma(n)jeet(h)arraa rathaa maeraa cholaa sadh ra(n)g dtolaa ||1|| rehaao ||

saajan chalae piaariaa kio maelaa hoee ||

jae gun hovehi ga(n)t(h)arreeai maelaegaa soee ||2||

miliaa hoe n veeshhurrai jae miliaa hoee ||

aavaa goun nivaariaa hai saachaa soee ||3||

houmai maar nivaariaa seethaa hai cholaa ||

gur bachanee fal paaeiaa seh kae a(n)mrith bolaa ||4||

naanak kehai sehaeleeho sahu kharaa piaaraa ||

ham seh kaereeaa dhaaseeaa saachaa khasam hamaaraa ||5||2||4||

He cries that “bhar Sarvar jabb uchhalai, tabb taran dulela” but Guru Baba jee says “Na sarvar na uchhalai, aisa panth suhela”. He says that his spiritual path is very hard but Siri Guru jee says that the Gurmat path is very easy and full of bliss.

He says "BeRa bandh na sakhiyo" Siri Guru jee says, "Jap tap ka bandh beRla". He says that he has not been able to build his ship to swim across this ocean of world. Siri Guru jee says that if he has not build it yet, then he can now build the ship of Jap-Tap. What a great shabad Siri Guru jee's is! Just amazing. This shabad is most beautiful. I wish some gursikh sing this shabad and I may just listen to it till eternity.

Just compare the two shabads and no one can deny that one was written in response to the other one.

After hearing Siri Guru jee’s shabad, Farid Saani jee became disciple of Guru Nanak Paatshaah. There is no doubt about it. Sirii Guru jee and he met 3 times in total.

[chatanga]

2) He was not a native of Punjab and as such could not have written such purely native countryside Punjabi. It is like asserting that Shakespeare was not English but a German writer. A non-English person could not have written what Shakespeare wrote. Same way, a non-Punjabi could not have written the kind of Punjabi that is in Gurbani under Baba Farid jee name.

interesting, but just the above sentence, it is folly to assume that a person of one language cannot write masterpeices in another, as an example there is that guy iqbal, whose persian poetry are regarded as masterpeices in iran.