SHAIKH
FARIDUD DEEN SHAKAR GANJ
(rahmatullah
alayh)
His father was Shaikh Jamalud Deen, the
maternal cousin of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznawi.
His name is Mas'ood and title, Faridud Deen.
He was the descendent of Amirul Mu'mineen, Hadhrat Umar Bin Khattab (radhiyallhu
anhu). Khwajah Faridud
Deen was born in 584 or 585 or 589 Hijri in Kohtwaal, which is in district
of Multaan. His grandfather,
Qaadhi Shuaib migrated from his homeland, Kabul during the era of Halaaku, the
Mongol, and went to Lahore. Qaadhi
Mansoor of Lahore, who had acquired his knowledge of Kabul, informed the King
in Delhi of the arrival of Qaadhi Shuaib.
The King offered him a post. However,
he declined and went to Multaan. The
King instructed the governor of the Multaan province to arrange a fief (land)
for Qaadhi Shuaib. This was
arranged in Khotwaal where he finally settled.
Shaikh Faridud Deen acquired part of his
academic knowledge in the Masjid of Qaadhi Minhaajud Deen.
It was here that he became bay't to Khwajah Qutbud Deen
Bakhtiyaar Kaaki (rahmatullah alayh). He
completed his academic career in Kabul.
Hadhrat Shaikh Nizaamud Deen Auliya (rahmatullah
alayh) says that once while Hadhrat Faridud Deen's
mother was performing Salaat, a thief entered.
When he gazed at her, he immediately became blind.
The thief cried out: "I
came with the intension of stealing and have became blind.
I pleadge never to steal again."
At this time Hadhrat's age was approsimately 6 years.
He made dua and man's sight was restored.
In the morning he came with his entire family and accepted Islam.
He was named Abdullah. He
remained in Hadhrat's service to the end.
There are several views for him being known by his famous title of Shakar
Ganj. When he decided on
mujaahadah, his Shiakh advised hunger. He
therefore began fasting. After
three days a man came and presented some bread.
Thinking this to be by divine direction, Hadhrat accepted and ate the
bread. Within a few moments
Hadhrat became nauseous and vomited out whatever he had eaten.
He reported this incident to his Shaikh who said:
"After three days you ate the food of a drunkard.
Shukr unto Allah Ta'ala that the food did not remain in your stomach.
Now remain hungry for another three days and then eat what comes from
the Ghaib. After three days
nothing came. Hadhrat was
overcome by weakness. On account
of the extreme hunger he put some pebbles into his mouth.
The pebbles turned into sugar. Fearing
that this may be some deception, he spat it out.
A short while later, the extreme hunger again constrained him to put
pebbles into his mouth. These too
became suger, which he again spat out. This
happened again for a third time. In
the morning he reported to his Shaikh who said:
"It would have been good if you had ate it."
Since that day, He was called Shakar Ganj.
According to another version, on the seventh day of hunger he came
tottering to his Shaikh. Sand on
his mouth had become sugar. Another
explanation is that when he once asked a treader for some suger, the trader
falsely said that he had only salt. Hadhrat
said: "It must be
salt." When the trader
looked, the suger had become salt. The
trader apologized and the salt again became sugar.
Hadhrat Faridud Deen (rahmatullah alayh)
resorted to extreme methods of mujaahadah initially.
Hadhrat Sultanul Mashaaikh Nizaamud Deen
Auliya (rahmatullah alayh) said: "A
hair came out from Hadhrat Shaikh's beard.
I requested permission to use the hair in ta'weez.
He granted me permission. I
wrapped it in a cloth. When
someone became ill, I would give him the ta'weez. When the sick person was
cured, I retrieved the ta'weez. I
observed many benefits of this ta'weez. Once
when a friend became ill, he asked for the ta'weez.
Although I searched much, I could not find it.
The friend died. On
another occasion when I serched for it in order to give it another person, I
found it on the same shelf where I had left it.
I then realised that since the maut of the friend had been ordained for
that time, I could not locate the ta'weez.
Hadhrat Faridud Deen's spiritual
grandfather (his Shaikh's Shaikh), Hadhrat Muinud Deen
Chisti (rahmatullah alayh) spoke in glowing praise of him.
Once he said: "Qutbud
Deen has imprisoned a great royal falcon."
On another occaison he said: "This
is a candle which will brighten the homes of dervishes.
He will be the Ghauth and Qutub of his time."
When Hadhat Khwajah Qutbud Deen Bakhtiyaar
Kaaki (rahmatullah alayh) was on his deathbed, he called Hadhat Faridud
Deen and appointed him his representative of his spirtual kingdom.
Hunger was a dominant feature in his life.
Many a time even his wife and children had to experience hunger.
His famous statement is: "When
you don the Mantle, know that you have donned the Kafan."
Once Hadhrat Khwajah Muinud Deen Chisti (rahmatullah
alayh) was the guest of Hadhrat Khwajah Qutbud Deen
(rahmatullah alayh). The beds of
both host and guest werein the same room.
Khwajah Faridud Deen (rahmatullah alayh),
according to his normal routine, went at night into the room to press the feet
of his Shaikh, Khwajah Qutbud Deen, who signalled
to him to press the feet of Hadhrat Muinud Deen.
After pressing his feet for a few minutes, Khwajah Faridud
Deen came to his own Shaikh and said:
"My heart is here. Where
else can I go?" Khwajah
Muinud Deen commented:
"Qutbud Deen, at least give him
something." (This was a
referece to the spiritual treasures.)
Hadhrat Shaikh Faridud Deen Shakar Ganj (rahmatullah
alayh) passed away on the 5th of Muharram in the year 664 or 668 Hijri on a
Monday. Another version gives the
year 660. His grave is in
Paakpatan in the district of Multaan. This
place is between Lahore and Multaan. He
has innumerable khulafaa. The
number is said to be as high as seventy thousand.
In Jawaahirul Farid, the names of 584 of his khulafaa are enumerated.
The most famous among them are Hadhrat Shaikhul Mashaikh Khwajah Alaud Deen
Ali Saabir Kalyari (rahmatullah alayh) and Hadhrat Khwajah Nizaamud Deen
Auliya (rahmatullah alayh).