Naushah Ganj Bakhsh

Naushāh Ganj Bakhsh
Painting of Hazrat Nausha Ganj Bakhsh, from a manuscript in the collection of Rampur Raza Library
Personal life
Bornc. 1552
Phalia, Punjab, Mughal Empire
(present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Diedc. 1654 (aged 101 or 102)
Phalia, Punjab, Mughal Empire
(present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Resting placeRanmal, Phalia Tehsil, Mandi Bahauddin District, Punjab, Pakistan
Main interests
Religious life
ReligionIslam
PhilosophySufism
TariqaQadri
Muslim leader
Influenced by
Influenced

Haji Muhammad Naushāh Ganj Bakhsh (21 August 1552 – 18 May 1654) was a Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet, saint and scholar from Phalia in Punjab. He was the founder of the Naushahiah branch of the Qadiriyya Sufi order, and his successors came to be known as Naushāhiyyas.

Biography

Muhammad Naushah was born on 21 August 1552 in Phalia, Punjab to a Punjabi Khokhar family. His father, Hajji Ala’uddin Qadiri, was an ascetic, while his mother Bibi Jiuni belonged to a respectable family.

Naushāh was the most outstanding disciple of Sufi saint Shah Sulaimān Nūri of Naushera. He later shifted to Shahanpal in Mandi Bahauddin where he died in 1654.

Teachings

Naushāh was respected by his contemporaries including nobles and rulers. He accepted the syncretic approach of Kabir and Guru Nanak but with more emphasis on monotheism or the oneness of God. Like Kabir, he rejected caste and criticised the idea of transmigration of souls. Naushāh enrolled his followers from different castes and occupations. They were Bhattis, Mochis, Lohars, Tarkhans, Awans, Jats and others. He condemned the caste system in his following dohras (a rhyming couplet in the Punjabi poetry):

"Saiyid and Jat, both are human beings. Both are the sons of Adam and Eve.

Naushah do not ask the descent of a faqir, but enquire about the way that leads to Lord. This is the right mode of speech."

Literary works

The following works have been published:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hadi 1995, p. 405.
  2. 1 2 3 Hanif 2000, p. 167.
  3. 1 2 Bilgrami 1994, p. 227.
  4. ↑ Bales 2020, p. 116.
  5. 1 2 Bilgrami 1994, p. 232.
  6. ↑ Hadi 1995, p. 406.

Sources

  • Bilgrami, Fatima Z. (1994). "Contributions of the "Qadiris" to the Folk Poetry of Punjab". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 55: 225–236. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44143361.
  • Hadi, Nabi (1995). Dictionary of Indo-Persian Literature. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. ISBN 978-81-7017-311-3.
  • Hanif, N. (2000). Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis: South Asia. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 978-81-7625-087-0.
  • Bales, John (2020). "Sufism in the Punjab, Pakistan". In Riddell, Peter G.; Nicholls, Ruth J. (eds.). Insights into Sufism: Voices from the Heart. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5275-5748-2.