Abyat-e-Bahoo


Translation

Hundred thousand sacrifice upon those Sufis who don’t utter awful thing Hoo

Thousand of thousand sacrifices upon those Sufis who only say one thing Hoo

Billions of sacrifices upon those Sufis upon their ego they tread Hoo

Trillion and trillions of sacrifices upon those Sufis who are pure gold but call themselves lead Hoo

 

Commentary by M. A. Khan

Hundreds of thousands sacrifices upon those who sustain calamities and hardships on the mystical path and yet they dare not utter a foul language. Millions of sacrifices upon those who are at the state of truth of certainty and their faith in Allah is profound and trustworthy. Billions of sacrifices upon those who don’t have pride in their base self and their base self is contained in sate of satisfied self (mut-ma'inna). Trillions of sacrifices for those who are claiming to be inferior due to modesty and yet they are perfect.

Commentary of this poem of Hazrat Sultan Bahoo’s by two separate points of views, whereas first point of view is solely Sufi’s version and the second is in regards to Punjabi’s progressive movement. People of spirituality take every line of this poem as testimony for perfection of Sufi’s each state. In the first line it is said that because one is faced with countless difficulties, problems and perplexities upon the path ardent love and path of marifat of Divine truth, therefore on any account the Sufi can never be unthankful to Allah Almighty and presence of one’s murshid mention his problem as problem, in other words should never utter dim words. In the second one it is said that (salik) wayfarer of the spiritual path has to adopt one thing monotheism because by progressing through stages the path of (salook) spiritual discipline if talib desires for other than his destination according to perfect Sufi it constitutes to polytheism. Therefore it is incumbent upon Sufi to speak about Allah Almighty from the start of his journey to the end of his journey.

In the third one it is said that talib has to lower his (nafs) base self. Lowering of the nafs are taken in four meanings, firstly never to be neglectful in obedience to Almighty Truth, secondly reverence of murshid is to be born in mind all the time. Thirdly is that don’t let haughtiness and selfishness emerge within his self. Fourthly not to let nafs meanness to emerge and fourthly in Sufis interpretation it is said that it is incumbent for a Sufi to keep the secret of Divine truth concealed and adopt the path of modesty. I had opportunity to take the bayiat and access favour was a perfect faqeer of exalted rank from the progeny of Hazrat Sultan Bahoo. He would often mention that it is not difficult to acquire (faqr) spiritual excellence and it is not difficult to pass on faqr as it is arduous to hold on faqr and to keep secure the secret of faqr. Such as by having everything one has to negate oneself. Hazrat sheikh Junaid Bagdadi ra mentions regarding their Sheikh Seri Sakti that sometimes he would sob and cry profusely and would look at the mirror that due to negligence of Allah’s Dhikr my face is not cursed. By being gold they be called led.

Intellectuals from Punjabi progressive movement only view it completely from societal point of view. Regarding the first line their interpretation is that person has to improve his morality and not to speak to anyone with harsh tongue or harsh manner so that on social level amongst human beings sourness or embarrassment materialize. In the second line it is said that verbal undertaking a person have given or declared he needs to regard it and whatsoever he says he must remain steadfast upon it. Third line is meant that a person should not resolve public issues with force or oppression but on the contrary resolve it by bearing in mind better moral standing and mutual respect and not to say or act upon something that constitutes to humiliation of human beings and in the fourth line it is said that even if a person is at higher post of rank but he must behave with kin and Keith, friends and relatives on basis of equality or it can be meant that in some nations there is a sense of racial supremacy vulgarity exists and this point Hazrat Sultan Bahoo teaches regarding elimination of this sense of racial vulgarity and establishing of equality despite a person is on highest rank or belongs to great noble linage he needs to live his like modestly so that with that vulgar attitude society don’t get embroiled in segregation.