The province of Sindh, better known as the land of Sufis and mystics, had an enormous number of saints and mystics who preached peace, co-existence, tolerance and brotherhood among all humans regardless of their religion, religious sect, race and colour. Reportedly, the great mystic Hussain ibn Mansur al Hallaj proceeding from Gujrat had visited Sindh in 905. He travelled extensively throughout Sindh and discussed theological matters with local sages and held gatherings with a huge number of poets and musicians who he inspired deeply.
According to some scholars of Sufism, the 13th century saint Usman Marwandi well known as Qalandar Lal Shahbaz, was the original torchbearer of Sufism in Sindh. However, in Sindh, Sufism reached the peak in the 18th century through the poetry of the great and celebrated Sufi saints including Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Sachal Sarmast.
Budhal Faqeer, a celebrated figure and an epitome of intellectuality, reflection and self-actualisation and one of the great Sufi saints and poets of 19th century, was born in 1865 in a small village in Shikapur, Sindh. His disciples tell the legend passed from generation to generation that they hold to be a reality that Budhal Faqeer’s father Abdul Wasih generally called Wasu, who possessed calm and humble nature, was childless and dearly yearned to be father of at least a child.
One night he had an amazing dream in which he saw bare-footed Qalandar Lal Shahbaz came at his house’s door and said to him, “You need not to be worried for off-spring, very soon you will have a son. Give him the name Budhal”. In a year’s time, Budhal Faqeer came in this world. Though being the only child of parents, Budhal was expected to get both the worldly and religious education at school, yet he did not like to study in school. As he grew older, he was in his habit to go to a solitary place in jungle, where he spent most of his time in meditation under the shade of a tree.
After Budhal Faqeer’s behaviour was found to be queer, he was taken to a great saint and spiritual healer, Hizbullah Shah Rashdi for some spiritual healing, who trained and guided him under Sufi-ul-Qadri school of Islamic Sufism. It is said, after that event, Budhal never had visited his spiritual guide. He spent most part of his life in meditation and Zikr. According to the legend his disciples share, being a person of calm and content nature, he always was sympathetic and considerate towards poor people. He used to wear long loose shirt and a Sufi cap on his head. The food he liked to eat was simple. Churned milk, mustard and spinach were his most favourite dishes. Uninterested but forced by his father, he had got married and gave birth to three sons and two daughters.
The myths that some of his Sufi disciples narrate about miracles of Faqeer, which he had performed during his worldly life, are the following. Soon after his birth, he asked the midwife where knife was kept in the room to cut umbilical cord; the shade of the tree did not move from the place when he slept under it. He used to fly like a bird and he never went Saudi Arabia but an old lady saw him performing Hajj there for seven years.
After Budhal Faqeer’s behaviour was found to be queer, he was taken to a great saint and spiritual healer, Hizbullah Shah Rashdi, for some spiritual healing. Rashdi trained and guided him in view of the teachings of Sufi-ul-Qadri school of Sufi thought
Sufi Budhal Faqeer never wrote his poetry himself. Reportedly, he recited poems in the state of spiritual ecstasy and his followers noted them down.
A great deal of his poetry was written and as a Sufi poet, he became famous across the Sindh in his lifetime. Subsequently, it was one of his staunch followers, Total Das, who with the assistance of Abdul Kareem Faqeer, son of Budhal Faqeer, collected his poetry and in 1966 got his poetry book named ‘Risalo Budhal Faqeer’ published.
The themes of his poetry were Sufism, Islam, ethics and humanism and through his mystic poetry, he gave the message of peace, tolerance, equality and love. His poetry is in Sindhi and Saraiki languages, which with short and pithy lines is simple and easily understandable. In the poetry, he delivers the profound message of merging oneself with the Creator. The major part of his poetry consisted of admiration of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Basically, he was a poet of Kafi (classical form of Sufi poetry). Sustaining the tradition of classical poetry, he sang the stories of the legendary lovers such as Sassui-Punhoo, Umar-Marvi and Heer-Ranjha.
Budhal’s Poetry
If you desire to be Jogi (hermit), then mend your ways correctly,
by weeping bring out water from eyes in abundance,
hold your ears and eyes tightly, don’t see in other direction,
don’t tell others and live a humble life,
those who have been blessed with divine love, don’t sleep,
every moment, Lahootis (travellers of Sufi Path) spend in anguish,
they don’t tell (Share with) others, O Budhal, they have tasted silence.
He died at the age of 84 on October 12, 1939 and every year Urs (fair) is held at his shrine. Thousands of his disciples from all over Pakistan attend it and sing his songs enthusiastically.
The writer is an academic at C&S Govt Degree College Shikarpur and tweets at @ARShykh
Published in Daily Times, January 2nd 2018.