Abyat-e-Bahoo
Magic of Abyat-e-Bahoo rather what’s with Abyat-e- Bahoo?
Abyat e Bahoo (Sultan Bahoo Punjabi poetry) is the wow factor of any Sufi poetry. There is an aura of magic when recited in its own language, Punjabi. It is true whether one understands a word of Punjabi language or not. Let its rhythm and spiritual aura engulf you. All you need to do is have respect and love for God. Here is a link to two minutes of each quatrain’s recitation. Two minutes is all the time you need. So total of 201 Abyat e Bahoo of 2 minutes recitation for each of them. Here’s the link:
How Sultan Bahoo managed 140 books including Abyat e Bahoo despite being unschooled?
Sultan Bahoo was one of the wisest Saints and like all of them his books are inspirational and revealed upon his heart by Allah Himself. Therefore like the great Sufis themselves, their mausoleums and words all become eternal. Though he did not get any institutional education and was unschooled yet he wrote 201 Abyat e Bahoo (Kalam e Bahoo) about 329 years ago which still echoes in the hearts of people from around the world. People with different languages and cultures. It’s the same with all the people despite the norms, languages, societies and backgrounds.
Why listen or read Abyat e Bahoo?
Because it is such a mesmerizing collection of poetry that different Sufi centres around the globe, Saints’ mausoleums, educational institutions, mosques, public gatherings as well as personally people love reading and discussing them. Sultan Bahoo poetry does not know any boundary or borders.
Wish to read ‘Sultan Bahoo Punjabi poetry’ in English or Urdu?
And for those who wish to read it in their own language and delve into their meanings then Tehreek Dawat e Faqr assures you that there are numerous translations available. Sultan ul Faqr Publications is working on its English translation and exegesis itself but till then here is the link to Urdu exegesis. Title of Urdu book is ‘Abyat e Bahoo Kamil’. It is a collection of all the 201 Punjabi Abyat as well as it includes teachings, research on Abyat and the biography of the great Mystic Dervish, Sultan Bahoo.
For Abyat-e-Bahoo pdf download, click the image below:
Poetic technique used
Sultan Bahoo has written in Punjabi poetic way which is different from Arabic, Persian, Hindi and English poetic ways.
What’s the message in Abyat e Bahoo?
To touch the right cords of heart the super smart, savvy and intelligent Saint wrote his poetry in the language of the region so that people fully understand the teachings of Sufism which forms the heart and soul of Islam. To teach people the forgotten lesson of love, peace and serenity, he wrote Kalam e Bahoo with passion and at that station of Sufism that his words have become eternal and epitome of knowledge.
His poetry is not just words put together rather each and every single verse has exegesis so deep and powerful it will give warmth to the most coldest of people out there.
Let’s talk a little about Sultan Bahoo books themselves first. He wrote 140 books in the language of his time, Persian. Apart from 32, all were lost with time or perhaps are hidden somewhere just to be touched by someone as pure as himself. After all, who knows the magic of Sufism! Of 32 books, 30 are Persian prose and 1 is Persian poetry. The remaining 1 is Abyat e Bahoo (Sultan Bahoo Kalam), his Punjabi poetry collection.
Famous Quatrain of Abyat e Bahoo
الف اَللّٰہ چنبے دی بوٹی، میرے من وِچ مُرشد لائی ھُو
نفی اَثبات دا پانی مِلیس، ہر رَگے ہر جائی ھُو
اندر بوٹی مُشک مچایا، جاں پھلّاں تے آئی ھُو
جیوے مُرشد کامل باھُوؒ، جَیں ایہہ بوٹی لائی ھُو
Explanation: In this quatrain Sultan Bahoo has likened Ism-e-Allah Zaat with jasmine. Sultan Bahoo is the pioneer Mystic who has used the metaphor of jasmine for Ism-e-Allah Zaat. Its seedling is sowed into the earth, it grows slowly into a plant laden with flowers whose fragrance envelops surroundings. Similar to it, when a spiritual guide bestows the seeker with contemplation and invocation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat he sows a seedling into the seeker’s inward and in the care of spiritual guide the light of Ism-e-Allah Zaat gradually envelops the whole being of the true seeker illuminating it. Sultan Bahoo says:
May Allah bless my spiritual guide with a long life who has bestowed Ism-e-Allah Zaat and revealed all its Divine secrets upon me with his perfect spiritual attention as he is boundlessly merciful, kind and affectionate. He has revealed the reality of لَآ اِلٰہَ which means ‘there is no (other) God’, hence negated everything within me except Allah and removed all the idols from my inward. He also taught me the reality of اِلَّا اللّٰہُ which means ‘only Allah’ by affirming the Divine Essence in me and elevated me by the recognition of Essence through the name. Now this Divine secret has penetrated my entire existence. Ism-e-Allah Zaat has enveloped whole of my being making me witness all its secrets and mysteries and now I wish to disclose it before the entire world. However these Divine secrets are for the chosen ones and cannot be opened on the commonality. It has become hard to live because I am bearing these magnificent secrets and mysteries. Now wherever I turn my eyes I see only Ism-e-Allah Zaat, not only spiritually but physically as well. My condition is reminiscent of the Quranic verse:
“So whichever direction you turn to, there is Divine Countenance.” (2:115)
It is part of folk culture of subcontinent
Talking about Pakistan, Persian language has almost left this region therefore Kalam e Bahoo is more popular and cherished and loved by all as it is in Punjabi language. They are equally adored and treasured by the rural and urban regions of Pakistan. Abyat e Bahoo are part of the folk culture of not only Pakistan but India as well.