Bani Sheikh Farid Ji

The Family and Childhood of Sheikh Farid Ji
Sheikh Farid Ji’s ancestors were from Ghazni (Afghanistan). His grandfather, Qazi Shuaib, was a renowned scholar at the time. Qazi Shuaib had family relations with Mahmud Ghaznavi. During the political turmoil in Afghanistan in the twelfth century, Qazi Shuaib moved to Lahore (Pakistan) with his three sons and some disciples. However, they did not find the conditions in Lahore suitable for living. From there, they went to Kasur (Pakistan). The Qazi (Muslim priest and magistrate) of Kasur welcomed them and informed the contemporary Sultan of their arrival. The Sultan appointed Qazi Shuaib as the Qazi of Kothewal village near Multan (Pakistan). After Qazi Shuaib, his son Jamaluddin Sulaiman became the Qazi. Jamaluddin’s wife’s name was Karsum Bibi. Sheikh Farid Ji was born to the couple in 1178 CE.

Sheikh Farid Ji’s childhood name was ‘Masud.’ Later, he was given the title ‘Fariduddin’ by his spiritual teacher, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (1173-1235 CE). ‘Fariduddin’ means the greatest and the most incomparable pearl of religion (din). ‘Farid,’ the abbreviated form of this title, remained popular throughout history and folklore, while the name Masud faded into obscurity.

Sheikh Farid Ji received his primary education at Kothewal. His mother played a significant role in adding mystic color to his life. She was a woman deeply immersed in devotion to the Divine. Under her guidance, Sheikh Farid Ji gained recognition as a Sufi in his region at an early age.

Once, the famous Sufi, Sheikh Jalaluddin Tabrezi (a Sufi of the Suhrawardi order), was passing through Kothewal on his way to Delhi. He asked the people of Kothewal if there was any Sufi fakir living there. The people, while answering in almost complete negation, mentioned that there is a son of a Qazi named Masud, whom people call ‘the madly in love son of a Qazi’ (qazi bacha diwana). Upon hearing this, he went to meet Sheikh Farid Ji. On the way, someone offered him a pomegranate. He kept it for Farid Ji, and, upon meeting him, tore it open and presented it. However, Sheikh Farid Ji did not eat the pomegranate as he was observing fast (roza, which is observed in the month of Ramadan). After Sheikh Jalaluddin left, Sheikh Farid Ji wrapped a seed that had fallen out of the pomegranate in a handkerchief and kept it. During the iftar (breaking of the fast), he ate that seed, considering it sacred food. Upon eating that seed, he experienced inner illumination. For a long time, Sheikh Farid Ji regretted, ‘Alas! I should have eaten the entire fruit.’ Later, his spiritual teacher, Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, removed his regret by explaining, ‘All the blessings were contained in that one seed. It was in your destiny, so you received it. There was no power in the rest of the fruit.’ In remembrance and observance of the Khwaja’s words, it is customary among the Chishtis to consume the entire fruit so that no sacred seed (grain) is left behind.

Sheikh Farid Ji and Chishti order
Sheikh Farid Ji belonged to the Chishti order of the Sufi tradition. This order is believed to have begun from Hazrat Abu Ahmad Abdal Chishti (death 966 CE), who was a resident of the village ‘Chist’ in Afghanistan. However, in the list of leaders of this order provided by Prof. Pritam Singh, Hazrat Abu Ahmad Abdal Chishti appears ninth. According to this list, after Hazrat Ali (601-661 CE), the fourth caliph of Islam, and the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, the first leader of this order was Hazrat Khwaja Hasan Basri (642-729 CE). Considering both perspectives, it seems that this order may have originated from Hazrat Ali or Hazrat Khwaja Hasan Basri, but it is believed to have received the name ‘Chishti’ from Hazrat Abu Ahmad Abdal Chishti.

The arrival of Sufis in the Indian subcontinent is commonly considered to have begun as a result of the invasion of Muhammad bin Qasim in Sindh in 712-13 CE. However, there is evidence of Islam in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent even before this invasion. After Muhammad bin Qasim, during the seventeen invasions of Mahmud Ghaznavi between 1000 CE and 1027 CE, the arrival of Sufis in the subcontinent continued. Among these Sufis, Sheikh Hazrat Khawaza Muinuddin Chishti (1141-1233 CE) of the Chishti order was also present.

Sheikh Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti had made Delhi his initial center of activity and later moved to Ajmer, where he propagated this order. He was the fifteenth leader of this order and the first to lead it in the Indian subcontinent. After him, Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki became the leader. Sheikh Farid Ji was the seventeenth leader of this order and the third to lead it in the Indian subcontinent.

Under the discipleship of Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
Driven by his contemplative nature and academic zeal, Sheikh Farid Ji went from Kothewal to Multan (Pakistan), the center of education at that time. He was eighteen years old. In Multan, he memorized the Quran while studying at the madrassa (Islamic school) located at the mausoleum of Maulana Minhajuddin Trimizi. He was able to complete the recitation of the entire Quran in a single day.

Once, Sheikh Farid Ji was reading the Nafia (a book of Islamic law). At that time, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki also arrived there. Sitting near Sheikh Farid Ji, he began performing the namaz. Sheikh Farid Ji was naturally influenced by the charisma of Khwaja Qutbuddin, and he remained seated near him. After performing the namaz, the Khwaja Qutbuddin asked him, “What book are you reading?” He replied, “It is Nafia.” Hearing this, Khwaja Qutbuddin said, “May the Divine bestow mercy and grace upon you, and may you benefit from its study.” Sheikh Farid Ji responded, “My benefit lies in your mercy and blessing.” Having said this, he bowed and placed his head at Khwaja Qutbuddin’s feet and pleaded with deep humility:
tūṁ jis pār laṅghāeṁ, sāṁī, sadā laī uh tardā e.
tere dar ’te āe savālī, jholī āpaṇī bhardā e.
zarre nimāṇe valla ik pal bhī, nazar mehar dī kar deveṁ.
sau sūraj toṁ vaddha ke camke, dunīāṁ raushan kardā e.
He, who is approved by you, is approved eternally
And no one is disappointed of your blessing
Your mere attention to any particle, even for a while
Makes it better than a thousand suns.

Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki accepted Sheikh Farid Ji as his disciple and took him along to Delhi. However, later Khwaja Qutbuddin sent him back to Multan for further education, while he himself returned to Delhi (where he had a permanent residence). After some time, Sheikh Farid Ji went to his teacher in Delhi. There, he was given a separate room (known as ‘hujra’ in Sufi terminology for seclusion). He mostly lived in seclusion. Many narratives of him being immersed in devotion and performing rigorous austerities are prevalent in Sufi literature.

Residence and passing away in Pakpattan
One day, Sheikh Farid Ji asked his teacher, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, for permission to go and live at Hansi (Haryana, India). Khwaja Qutbuddin granted him permission. Khwaja Qutbuddin, along with other disciples, recited the Fatiha (the first chapter of the Quran, recited as a teaching during prayer or at the end of a task) for Sheikh Farid Ji’s high spirits. He gave Sheikh Farid Ji his staff and prayer mat (musalla). While bidding farewell, Khwaja Qutbuddin said, “I will give my khirka (a sewn robe), turban, and wooden sandals to Qazi Hamiruddin. On the fifth day after my departure, he will hand them over to you. My place is now your place.”

After taking leave from his teacher, Sheikh Farid Ji went to Hansi. When Khwaja Qutbuddin passed away in 1235 CE, Sheikh Farid Ji was taken to Delhi to be the head of the Chishti order. At this time, he was almost 60 years old. Looking at the crowd of pilgrims and the political environment of that time in Delhi, he moved to Ajodhan (Pakistan). Later, due to his residence being there, the place came to be known as ‘Pak Patan,’ meaning ‘holy dock,’ which seems to have become ‘Pakpattan’ today due to the influence of English.

He spent his remaining life in Pakpattan with his family, consisting of his wives, five sons (Khwaja Nasiruddin, Khwaja Shihabuddin, Sheikh Badruddin Sulaiman, Sheikh Nizamuddin, and Sheikh Yakub), and three daughters (Bibi Mastura, Bibi Sharifan, and Bibi Fatima). He spent his entire life in a simple mud house devoted to the Divine. He passed away in 1271 CE at Pakpattan. Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325 CE) became the heir to his spiritual seat and established his center in Delhi. At Pakpattan, his third son, Badruddin Sulaiman, took charge of his memorial (khanqah) and household.

Regarding the meeting with Guru Nanak Sahib
In the Janamsakhi literature, the meeting of Guru Nanak Sahib with Sheikh Farid Ji, as well as with Sheikh Ibrahim, the twelfth successor (period of succession 1511-1552 CE) of Sheikh Farid Ji’s shrine at Pakpattan is mentioned.

According to the twenty-eighth story of the Puratan Janamsakhi, when Guru Nanak Sahib went to Asa region, he met Sheikh Farid Ji. During this meeting, Sheikh Farid Ji addressed Guru Nanak Sahib as a dervish, and the Guru showed him reverence by referring to him as a zuhdi (a devotee, who has renounced worldly comforts and pleasures). At this time, a discourse also took place between the two. The questions and answers of this exchange are written either in poetic form or in the form of Sabads and saloks as in the Guru Granth Sahib. However, it also includes many writings that are not present in the Guru Granth Sahib. For instance, in this story, we can see the following saloks that are attributed to Sheikh Farid Ji and Guru Nanak Sahib, respectively:

• - ake tāṁ loṛ mukadmī akai te alahu loṛu.
• duh beṛī nā lat dharu matu vaññahu vakharu boṛi.
• - duhī beṛī latu dharu duhī vakharu cāṛi. koī beṛī ḍubsī koī laṅghe pāri.
• nā pāṇī na beṛīā nā ḍubai na jāi. nānak vakharu sacu dhanu sahaje rahiā samāi.1.

The Sabads ‘beṛā bandhi na sakio bandhan kī velā’ (Guru Granth Sahib 794) and ‘dilahu muhabati jin̖ seī saciā’ (Guru Granth Sahib 488) by Sheikh Farid Ji, are presented as the questions posed by him during this discourse. And the Sabads ‘jap tap kā bandhu beṛulā jitu laṅghahi vahelā’ (Guru Granth Sahib 729) and ‘jā tū tā mai sabhu ko tū sāhibu merī rāsi jīu’ (Guru Granth Sahib 762) by Guru Nanak Sahib are presented as answers to those questions.

Apart from this, other compositions of Guru Nanak Sahib and Sheikh Farid Ji are also shown to have been revealed during this dialogue. For example, in the early morning (amrit vela), a person, upon seeing the two saintly figures, brought a bowl (tabalbaj; narrow at the bottom and wide at the top) filled with milk from his home and placed four gold coins in it. After pouring milk for himself, Sheikh Farid Ji set aside the remaining milk for the Guru and revealed the following salok:
pahilai paharai phulṛā phalu bhī pachā rāti.
jo jāgannhi lahanni se sāī kanno dāti.112. -Guru Granth Sahib 1384.

In response to this, the Guru revealed the following salok:
dātī sāhib sandīā kiā calai tisu nāli.
iki jāgande nā lahanhi iknhā sutiā dei uṭhāli.113. -Guru Granth Sahib 1384.

The narrator of the Janamsakhi writes that Guru Nanak Sahib asked Sheikh Farid Ji to put his hand in the milk and see what was inside. Sheikh Farid Ji found that there were coins in the milk. Then, the Guru revealed the following Sabad in Rag Tukhari:
tukhārī mahalā 1.
pahilai paharai naiṇ salonaṛīe….tini prabhi kāraṇu kīā.5.2. -Guru Granth Sahib 1110.

According to the next incident of this story, after the above, Guru Nanak Sahib and Sheikh Farid Ji went to the Asa region. The king of this region, Samundar or Siam Sundar, had passed away, but his skull did not burn on the pyre. When the astrologers were asked the reason for this, they said that the king had once told a lie, and that was why his body was suffering. As a remedy, the astrologers said that if the feet of a holy person touched the city, the king’s liberation could be possible. As soon as Guru Nanak Sahib entered through the main gate of the city, the king’s skull burned, and the people fell at the Guru’s feet. Here, the Guru revealed a Sabad in Rag Maru:
mili māt pitā…devai kāhū.4.2. -Guru Granth Sahib 990.

The story continues, according to which people brought bread. However, Sheikh Farid Ji, in order to subdue his hunger, had tied a ‘wooden loaf’ around his stomach and would remain hungry. So, he replied, “I have already eaten bread, and I have also tied it with the hem of my garment.” Hearing this, the people asked, “Are you from the same land of liars (falsehood), where Farid resides? He also has a ‘wooden loaf.’ If anyone offers him bread, he gives the same answer as yours.” Upon hearing this, Sheikh Farid Ji threw away his wooden loaf and said, “If the king received so much punishment for telling a single lie, what would happen to me?” Seeing this, the Guru expressed his happiness with Sheikh Farid Ji and said, “The love for IkOankar within you is pure. Practice devotion and continue on your path.” At this point, the Guru bid farewell to Sheikh Farid Ji with a hug. The Guru then revealed this Sabad in Srirag:
āvahu bhaiṇe gali milah….āpe lae milāi.4.10. -Guru Granth Sahib 18.

In the thirty-second story of the Puratan Janamsakhi, the meeting between Guru Nanak Sahib and ‘Sekhu Briham’ (Sheikh Ibrahim), the twelfth successor of Sheikh Farid Ji’s shrine at Pakpattan, is mentioned to have taken place at Pakpattan. During this meeting, Sheikh Ibrahim recites the saloks of Sheikh Farid Ji. From this reference, scholars (Max Arthur McAuliffe, Giani Gurdit Singh, etc.) who believe that the saloks attributed to Sheikh Farid Ji in the Guru Granth Sahib were revealed by ‘Sekhu Briham’ appear to have been mistaken.

In the Meharban Wali Janamsakhi, there is no description similar to the twenty-eighth story of the Puratan Janamsakhi. In this Janamsakhi, the dialogue between Guru Nanak Sahib and Sheikh Ibrahim is recorded, and it is divided into three parts. It is quite similar to the thirty-second story of the Puratan Janamsakhi.

In the manuscripts of Bhai Bale Wali Janamsakhi as well, the twenty-eighth story of the Puratan Janamsakhi is not found. However, it is found in some printed copies of this Janamsakhi, and it is simply a copy of the story found in the Puratan Janamsakhi.

Gian Ratnavali Janamsakhi is a commentary on the first var of Bhai Gurdas Ji (1551-1636 CE). This Janamsakhi, believed to have been written by Bhai Mani Singh (1644-1738 CE), is an important work of the eighteenth century. Although there is no mention of Sheikh Farid Ji or Sheikh Ibrahim in the first var of Bhai Gurdas Ji, the Guru Nanak Sahib’s visit to Pakpattan and meeting Sheikh Ibrahim is mentioned twice in two of the stories of this Janamsakhi.

Thus, it can be said that the meeting between Guru Nanak Sahib and Sheikh Farid Ji is mentioned only in the Puratan Janamsakhi. Though a related narrative is also found in some printed copies of Bhai Bale Wali Janamsakhi, it is not present in the manuscripts of this text. On the other hand, the Guru’s visit to Pakpattan and his meeting with Sheikh Ibrahim are mentioned in nearly all Janamsakhis.

There is a gap of almost two and a half centuries between the time of Sheikh Farid Ji and Guru Nanak Sahib. Regarding the meeting between Guru Nanak Sahib and Sheikh Farid Ji mentioned in the Puratan Janamsakhi, Bhai Vir Singh, the editor of this Janamsakhi, suggests that the individual named Sheikh Farid seems to be Sheikh Farid Sani or Sheikh Brahm (Ibrahim). The thirty-second story of this Janamsakhi mentions the meeting with Sheikh Ibrahim. If both the stories refer to the same individual, then the writer of the Janamsakhi mistakenly created the gap between these two stories. Either both stories were meant to be recorded consecutively, or the purpose of the second story was to reveal the outcome of the first meeting, just like Bhai Mani Singh Wali Janamsakhi, where the two meetings are shown to have happened with Sheikh Brahm (Ibrahim).

Dr. Kirpal Singh, referring to the Montgomery Gazetteer, has written that Sheikh Ibrahim, seated in the seat of Sheikh Farid, is also referred to as ‘Farid’ in the Janamsakhis. According to Giani Gurdit Singh, ‘Sheikh’ and ‘Farid’ are not the names of an individual but honorific titles or pen names. These terms were used for distinguished individuals even before the time of the first Farid (Sheikh Farid). Therefore, it becomes clear that the ‘Sheikh Farid’ mentioned in the Puratan Janamsakhi is actually Sheikh Ibrahim, the twelfth successor of Sheikh Farid Ji’s shrine at Pakpattan. Guru Nanak Sahib met him at Pakpattan and received the compositions of Sheikh Farid Ji from him.

The revealer of the compositions recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib: Sheikh Farid Ji or Sheikh Ibrahim?
In the Puratan Janamsakhi, Bhai Bale Wali Janamsakhi, and other Janamsakhis, the meeting between Guru Nanak Sahib and Sheikh Ibrahim, the twelfth successor of Sheikh Farid Ji’s shrine at Pakpattan, is mentioned. During their conversation, Sheikh Ibrahim is shown to be revealing the compositions recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib under the name of Sheikh Farid Ji, along with some other compositions (which are not recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib). Different scholars, based on this narrative, have considered the revealer of the compositions recorded under the name of Sheikh Farid Ji in the Guru Granth Sahib to be different. From the difference in their opinions, three views emerge:
1. These compositions were revealed by Sheikh Ibrahim.
2. These compositions do not belong entirely to Sheikh Farid Ji or Sheikh Ibrahim Ji. It is possible that they belong to more than one individual named Farid, just as the compositions of different Gurus are recorded under the name of Nanak.
3. These compositions are by Sheikh Farid Ji alone.

The first view is presented by Max Arthur Macauliffe and Principal Teja Singh, and based on their view, many scholars have supported the same. According to Prof. Pritam Singh, Max Arthur McAuliffe, in his six-volume book (The Sikh Religion: Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors, volume 5, page 357), firmly asserts that the Sabads and saloks recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib under the name of ‘Sheikh Farid’ are actually of Sheikh Brahm or Ibrahim. This idea became so prevalent that many writers, such as Dr. Lajwanti Rama Krishna (Panjabi Sufi Poets, pages 1-11), Hazari Prasad Dwivedi (Hindi Sahitya, page 152), Prof. Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (Life And Times of Sheikh Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar, page 122), etc., began to consider Sheikh Ibrahim to be the revealer of these compositions. Similarly, Giani Gurdit Singh, drawing on the writings of Max Arthur McAuliffe, Principal Teja Singh, etc., has considered Sheikh Ibrahim to be the author of these compositions.

The second view is supported by Dr. Surinder Singh Kohli. According to him, all the compositions attributed to Sheikh Farid Ji in the Guru Granth Sahib can be neither of Farid Shakarganj nor of Farid Sani (Sheikh Ibrahim). There is a possibility that these are the compositions of several different Farid’s under the name of Farid; much like the compositions of different Gurus recorded under the name of Nanak.

The third view is supported by scholars such as Prof. Sahib Singh, Prof. Mohan Singh, Prof. Pritam Singh, etc. Prof. Sahib Singh, referring to the Puratan Janamsakhi, writes that Guru Nanak Sahib heard the compositions of Sheikh Farid Ji from Sheikh Ibrahim and also shared his views on some of the utterances of Sheikh Farid Ji. Guru Nanak Sahib had been preserving his compositions by writing them down. So, the Guru preserved the compositions of Sheikh Farid Ji along with his compositions, revealed at Pakpattan. Prof. Mohan Singh considers the compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib to be of Sheikh Farid Ji. But he did not provide any specific references or arguments for this opinion. Prof. Pritam Singh, while analyzing many other sources, has clarified that all these compositions are of Sheikh Farid Ji. His argument is that the year of death of Sheikh Ibrahim is 1551 CE, and the year of birth of Guru Arjan Sahib is 1563 CE. Therefore, the Guru would have had more information about the revealer of these compositions than we do. Sheikh Farid Ji’s literary activities are known from many sources. However, no evidence of Sheikh Ibrahim being a literary enthusiast or an admirer of literature is found. Prof. Pritam Singh has also provided references to many saloks and poetic compositions attributed to Sheikh Farid Ji, which are quite similar to the ones recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib under the name of Sheikh Farid Ji.

From the analysis of the above ideas, it appears that the revealer of the compositions under the name of Sheikh Farid in the Guru Granth Sahib is Sheikh Farid Ji, not Sheikh Ibrahim or anyone else. From Sheikh Ibrahim, Guru Nanak Sahib received Sheikh Farid Ji’s compositions. These compositions passed through the second, third, and fourth Gurus and ultimately reached Guru Arjan Sahib and were then recorded in the Adi Granth Sahib.

The saloks of the Gurus recorded along with the saloks of Sheikh Farid Ji
In the Guru Granth Sahib, among the saloks of Sheikh Farid Ji, there are thirteen saloks, the meanings of which have been explained by various Gurus in eighteen different saloks. From this, it can be inferred that the thirteen saloks which inspired the Gurus to reveal their own saloks must contain some profound religious, philosophical, ideological, social, ethical, or cultural message. What remains to be seen is the underlying message in Sheikh Farid Ji’s saloks and the Gurus’ notes on them.

Principal Teja Singh’s opinion is that where the Gurus felt that their views were different from Sheikh Farid Ji’s, they revealed their own saloks and ‘corrected’ the idea expressed by Sheikh Farid Ji. Regarding one salok, he writes:

The above salok (twelfth) of Sheikh Farid Ji was somewhat disheartening for old people. Therefore, the third Guru, who himself had set on the path of love in old age, ‘corrects’ this view and states: Be it youth or old age, whenever one desires, they can ask for love from IkOankar. This love is not cultivated by individual efforts; it happens only when IkOankar Own-Self graces. Then, what is the question of age?

Instead of Principal Teja Singh’s idea of ‘correction,’ Prof. Sahib Singh is of the opinion that the saloks of the Gurus are a ‘commentary’ on the compositions of Sheikh Farid Ji. For example, Guru Amardas Sahib’s salok (pharīdā kālī dhāulī sāhib sadā hai) next to Sheikh Farid Ji’s twelfth salok (pharīdā kālīṁ jinī na rāviā). In his ‘note,’ Prof. Sahib Singh considers this salok of Guru Amardas Sahib to be a ‘commentary’ on Sheikh Farid Ji’s salok. Similarly, he uses the word ‘commentary’ while writing about the saloks of other Gurus as well, that appear with the saloks of Sheikh Farid Ji.

Analyzing both the above views, Prof. Pritam Singh writes that the Gurus, in their saloks, have filled the gaps in the saloks of Sheikh Farid Ji. They did not reject these saloks, but rather, using those saloks as a foundation, they forward their teaching. So, in this regard, Prof. Pritam Singh’s views are more accurate.

Regarding the revelation of Sheikh Farid Ji’s compositions
Some prefaces are found in the commentaries of the Guru Granth Sahib regarding the compositions of Sheikh Farid Ji. These prefaces explore the cultural and folkloric context of the Sabads and saloks revealed by Sheikh Farid Ji. The basis of these prefaces seems to be some of the stories that are found in ‘Masale Sheikh Farid Ke’ and ‘Gosti Seikh Farid Ki,’ texts related to Sheikh Farid Ji. This can be inferred from the study of some of the commentaries of Sheikh Farid Ji’s compositions. Some stories given in these commentaries are as follows:
rāg sūhī: tapi tapi luhi…panthu samāri saverā.4.1.
Sheikh Farid Ji got tired while performing austerity. After twelve years of austerity, when he was not able to get a glimpse of the Divine, in a state of deep longing, he revealed this Sabad.

rāg sūhī: beṛā bandhi na sakio…ahi tanu ḍherī thīsī.3.2.
Sheikh Farid Ji revealed this Sabad when he saw a person indulging in material pleasures.

Saloks by Seikh Farid Ji (salok sekh pharīd ke)
According to Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Satik (Faridkot Wala Tika), Sheikh Farid Ji was born into a family of Sheikhs. In his early life, he was involved in some theft. Then, he became an ascetic, met a holy person in Ajmer, and attained the supreme state. While traveling through various places, he revealed many saloks filled with longing. His site is at Pakpattan. He revealed some saloks there and some at other places.

Salok: jitu dihāṛai dhan varī…. khaṛā na āpu muhāi.1.
In the narrative related to this salok, Sheikh Farid Ji is depicted as engaged in devotion during his previous birth. Seeing him in deep meditation, some thieves vowed before him to steal and, if successful, give him a share. During the theft, they took plenty. Per their vow, they offered him some portion of their loot. Sheikh Farid Ji thought that stealing might be a good deed. While reflecting on this thought, he passes away.

In his second life, he was born in the house of a Harar Jat (a caste of Muslims). Due to poverty at home, there was always some tension with his wife. One day, fed up with it, he joined some thieves and went to steal. On the way, they planned to steal grains from a grain market. When he touched a sack of grain, he heard laughter. It was the skeleton of a bull. When Sheikh Farid Ji asked the skeleton the reason for its laughter, the skeleton replied, “Once, I was passing through someone’s field. A grain of wheat from that field got stuck to my clothes. I picked it up and put it in my mouth. After death, I took birth as a bull. As a bull, I have spent my entire life paying for the consequence of that grain. Now, after becoming a skeleton, I am repaying the debt of that wheat grain. I am laughing because my condition is a result of that single grain of wheat. What will happen to those who are carrying sacks of grain?” Hearing this, Sheikh Farid Ji, in a state of detachment, spoke to his own mind and uttered this salok.

In ‘Gosti Sekh Farid Ki,’ the same story is given with a slight difference. In this narrative, Sheikh Farid Ji’s previous life is not mentioned. He is described as a Jat of the Harar caste belonging to Uch Sharif. In this story, instead of his wife, his mother asks him to make an effort to get out of poverty. He, along with some friends, went to someone’s farm to steal, where they tied sacks of grain. In that field, the same incident of the laughing skeleton took place.

Salok: pharīdā dar darvesī gākhaṛī….kithai vaññā ghati.2. kijhu na bujhai kijhu na sujhai….haṁ bhī dajhāṁ āhi.3.
Sheikh Farid Ji asked the guard of a field for one of the melons in the field. On his refusal, Sheikh Farid Ji, rebuking himself, revealed the salok ‘pharīdā dar darvesī gākhaṛī….kithai vaññā ghati.’

After Sheikh Farid Ji left that place, all the melons in the field turned into human heads. When the owner of the field came, he asked for an explanation from the guard. The guard told him everything. Then, the owner of the field went after Sheikh Farid Ji and pleaded before him to forgive the mistake made by the guard. Hearing his grief and desperation, Sheikh Farid Ji told him to go back; he would find all the melons there, perfectly fine. Only one head would remain, which would answer all his questions. The owner of the field went back and found that head. The head told him that all the melons were passing through the cycle of eight-four lakh (840 million) cycles of birth and death. Had Sheikh Farid Ji eaten a single melon, everyone’s cycle of birth and death would have ended. The head said, “Due to not offering any melon to him, our condition remained the same. Many times, you became a melon, and we cut you, and many times you cut us.” Here, Sheikh Farid Ji revealed the salok
‘kijhu na bujhai kijhu na sujhai….haṁ bhī dajhāṁ āhi.’

Salok: pharīdā je jāṇā til thoṛaṛe….tāṁ thoṛā māṇu karī.4.
Once, there was a drought due to a lack of rain. People started dying of hunger. A moneylender opened his storehouses to the public. But the need of the people was not fulfilled. Finally, the moneylender opened the storehouse of sesame seeds. As sesame seeds were few, he gave only a handful of sesame seeds to each person. When Sheikh Farid Ji passed by, he related this example of fewer sesame seeds to the limited breaths in life and revealed this salok.

Salok: je jāṇā laṛu chijaṇā….sabhu jagu ḍiṭhā hanḍhi.5.
A person was carrying a diamond tied to the hem of his turban. Due to the knot in the hem being loose, it opened, and the diamond fell out. On reaching his destination, when he came to realize this, he got worried. He came to Sheikh Farid Ji. Hearing his story, Sheikh Farid Ji revealed this salok.

Salok: pharīdā je tū akali latīphu….siru nīvāṁ kari dekhu.6.
An accountant, after taking bribes, was making false entries. Sheikh Farid Ji revealed this salok to instruct him.

Salok: pharīdā jo tai mārani mukīāṁ….pair tinhā de cummi.7.
Sheikh Farid Ji was performing austerities while sitting in the forest. A horseman arrived and asked him the way to the city. He pointed to the graveyard. The horseman went to the graveyard and got tired of wandering among the graves. Enraged, he returned and punched Sheikh Farid Ji several times. Sheikh Farid Ji calmly told him that this is the true city from which no one comes back. You, being filled with the pride of your wealth, will oppress the poor and go to hell. Hearing Sheikh Farid Ji’s words, the horseman asked him for a valuable teaching. Sheikh Farid Ji gave him a teaching through this salok.

Salok: pharīdā jāṁ taü khaṭaṇ vel….jāṁ bhariā tāṁ ladiā.8. dekhu pharīdā ju thīā….pichā rahiā dūri.9.
A gentleman, in old age, asked Sheikh Farid Ji for a teaching to attain liberation. Sheikh Farid Ji revealed these two saloks to guide him.