This article is about miracles of Sultan Bahoo. There are countless Karamat of Sultan Bahoo therefore it is impossible to narrate here all of them.
What is a miracle?
Before we put in writing the miracles of Sultan Bahoo it is important to comprehend what a miracle is.
Miracle is an unusual spiritual power bestowed by Allah upon His sacred men. A miracle by a Prophet is called mujiza ( معجزہ)in Arabic while that by a Saint is karamat ( کرامت).
What are kinds of Miracles?
One is outward or extrinsic while the other is spiritual or intrinsic. The outward or extrinsic miracle is for common people because those who can see only the outward things accept only the extrinsic miracles. While, the spiritual and intrinsic miracles are for the special ones who have the knowledge of spirituality.
The miracles which are extrinsic are nothing to be proud of. They are satanic deceptions as they are merely display to get attention. Such acts are based on illusion and magic which are vile. On the other hand, Mystics have power which surpasses all these immodest practices. Their approach is quite far and the miracles they do are from Allah to inculcate belief in those inwards who truly seek Allah alone. In Faqr (Sufism) the Fakir changes the inwards of people by converting them from wordly to spiritual ones and this ability is only granted to the Fakirs which is way beyond the control of any magician or illusionist.
The spiritual or intrinsic miracle is to change ones inward, to start invocation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat in one’s soul, bless someone with the Divine union by a single glance, convert an illiterate into a scholar, give such knowledge to a person which he does not possess before, elevate the seeker to the status of annihilation in the spiritual guide, annihilation in Allah and becoming immortal with Him, convert a materialistic person into a Mystic or immerse someone in the Divine vision and union without any mystic struggle or lengthy devotions. These spiritual miracles of Mystics are only for the special seekers of Allah and there is no satanic deception in them.
Some Miracles of Sultan Bahoo:-
There are several extrinsic and intrinsic miracles of Sultan Bahoo or karamat of Sultan Bahoo. Below we mention some of them:
Non-Muslims accepting Islam
Perhaps one of the most popular miracle of Sultan Bahoo is that whoever beheld him, helplessly recited Shahadah. Throughout his life, Sultan Bahoo’s countenance glowed with such Divine light that non-Muslims helplessly accepted Islam. Some non-Muslims would not allow their children to go out when Sultan Bahoo was around for fear of losing their religion. This miracle of Sultan Bahoo marks his eternal presence in the court of Allah.
Writing 140 books is one of great miracles of Sultan Bahoo
One of the greatest miracles of Sultan Bahoo is his books. He did not receive any worldly education. Yet he authored 140 books in Persian, the customary language of his age. One who reads Sultan Bahoo’s books with devotion, respect and sincerity after ablution finds his soul becoming enlightened. His books are an absolute light of Divine guidance. Sultan Bahoo himself declares:
“If someone could not find a spiritual guide, he should make any of my books his guide and medium. I will definitely guide him to his eternal destination.”
Another miracle of Sultan Bahoo’s books is that they contain treasures of Divine knowledge and mystic secrets for all levels of seekers and Mystics. Then whether they are in the beginning, at middle level or drowned in the Divine Unity at the final level. Hence, every seeker gains beneficence from his books according to his spiritual level.
Miracles of Sultan Bahoo – Turning stone into gold
It is also one of famous miracles of Sultan Bahoo. He used to farm in Shorkot. Once a poor Sayyid, who had a large family to support, was worried due to his poverty and was in search of a Saint whose prayer could improve his financial plight. To fulfil this desire, he started serving a Fakir. One day, the Fakir asked him what he wished. He replied:
“I have a large family to support and a huge loan to return. My sons and daughters have reached the age of marriage, but I cannot manage to get them married due to my poverty. All the material sources have ended. Only some invisible spiritual source can solve my problem now.”
The Fakir said:
“Let me give you the address of a perfect Saint. Only he can solve your problem. Go to Sultan Bahoo who lives in Shorkot and tell him your problem.”
The poor Sayyid went to Shorkot but he was disappointed to see that Sultan Bahoo was ploughing the fields. Nearby people also told him that they knew Sultan Bahoo as a farmer, not as a Fakir or a Saint.
He was about to return in disappointment when Sultan Bahoo, who had become aware of his esoteric state, called him. Hearing his voice, Sayyid felt encouraged and decided to tell him his problem. After greetings Sultan Bahoo asked his problem, the Sayyid told everything. Sultan Bahoo requested him to hold his plough while he passed the urine.
This incident continues in book Manaqib-e-Sultani as:
Afterwards, he cleaned himself with an earthen stone and holding that stone he came back to that Sayyid and said:
“You came here in vain; I cannot help you as I am simple farmer.”
Sayyid was already tired of the long journey and much worried due to his troubled life, he said angrily:
“Right! then this is my punishment as I am begging from a farmer despite being a Sayyid myself.”
This enraged Sultan Bahoo, he threw the stone that was in his hand in fury, saying the verse:
نظر جنہاں دی کیمیا، سونا کردے وٹ
قوم اُتے موقوف نہیں کیا سید کیا جٹ
Explanation: Those, whose sight is alchemy itself, can turn a stone into gold. It does not matter whether they are Sayyid or a farmer.
The stone he threw tumbled far on the ploughed field and all the clods that came in touch with that stone turned into gold. Sayyid was petrified and begged for forgiveness at Sultan Bahoo’s feet. said to the Sayyid:
“Now, do not cry, pick up the gold stones and leave silently. If anyone would come to know about the incident, both of us will be speculated.”
So, the Sayyid put the stones in his coverlet and left kissing the feet of Sultan Bahoo. (Manaqib-e-Sultani)
The alchemic sight of Sultan Bahoo
Following karamat of Sultan Bahoo is another example of his spiritual powers:
Once Sultan Bahoo was travelling in Thal, an area in the eastern desert of Pakistan, with some of his disciples and Dervishes. Someone amongst them questioned Sultan Bahoo about an alchemic sight.
At that time, there was a man nearby about to lift his bundle of wooden sticks. Sultan Bahoo put a glance upon him and he began to stare at the sky.
Sultan Bahoo then turned to the disciple who had asked him the question and said:
“On our return journey, this man will answer your question.”
On their return journey, when they found that man in the same state, they reminded Sultan Bahoo of the question.
Sultan Bahoo took them near the man where he was still staring at the sky with bundle of woods lying nearby. He commanded the disciples to ask the same question from that man. Upon asking multiple times, the man did not respond and remained still like an idol.
Sultan Bahoo asked his disciples:
“What was this man’s condition when you last saw him?”
They replied:
“This man was about to pick his bundle of sticks. When you put a glance upon him, he started staring at the sky.”
This miracle continues as:
Sultan Bahoo told them that the man had been in the same state since then. Then Sultan Bahoo put a glance upon the man again and he returned to his senses.
He fell at Sultan Bahoo’s feet crying bitterly requesting him to grant that state again. Sultan Bahoo commanded him to tell everyone about his condition. He stated this miracles of Sultan Bahoo as:
“When you passed from here last time, I was about to pick my woods. You put a spiritual glance upon me and just by the attention of your sight, I submerged in the vision of Allah. Till now, the pleasure of Divine vision had enchanted and captured me. Now you have taken me out of that state. I am sorrowful and restless, I request you to bless me with the same condition again.”
Sultan Bahoo told his disciples that this was a very simple and ordinary example of an alchemic sight. Then he said to the man:
“Pick up your bundle of woods. Earlier you were a majdhub and slave to time but now you are a traveller of the Divine path who rules over time. Now you have a control over your condition. You can experience that ecstatic state whenever you desire.” (Manaqib-e-Sultani)
A tree itself moved with the karamat of Sultan Bahoo
There was a jujube tree in front of the door of Sultan Bahoo’s tomb. Being in the middle of pathway, it was a hindrance for the visitors of shrine. It was also hiding the view of tomb. The attendants of shrine and spiritual successors of Sultan Bahoo thought it be disrespectful to cut it.
One day, a blind man came to the shrine and his head struck against the tree while he was entering the tomb. He was badly injured. The attendants and spiritual successors mutually decided to cut the tree next day before the dawn (Fajr) salat. During those days, a Fakir named Mohammad Siddiq who was a man of spiritual states had come from Dera Ismail Khan to stay in seclusion at the shrine. He was also included in the consultation. That night, Sultan Bahoo came in his dream and said:
“Why are you cutting my jujube tree, it will go far from here itself.”
Karamat of Sultan Bahoo on the following day
Next morning, the tree had itself moved ten steps away from its original position. It stood towards the north of the door, at right hand of the visitors. Due to this karamat of Sultan Bahoo, the tree became popular as the Hazoori Bair (divine jujube).
Devotees come from far flung areas to take its fruit as a benediction, especially for childless couples to have children and to recover from illnesses. If the fruit is not available, people take its leaves.
Since, Sultan Bahoo informed Mohammad Siddiq about this miracle, so he became famous as ‘Bair Wala Sahib’ and ‘Makhdoom Sahib Bair Wala’. His disciples used to call him by this title. (Manaqib-e-Sultani)
Enlightening a child
There is a famous inspirational karamat of Sultan Bahoo that once he was travelling with Dervishes in the area of Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan. They passed by a village named Chabri and took a meal rest.
A woman in that village used to serve Dervishes, so they all went to her house. Some of the Dervishes started cooking food with the help of that woman. Meanwhile, the baby girl of the woman who was sleeping in a crib woke up and began crying. The woman asked Sultan Bahoo to swing the crib so the baby would stop crying.
Sultan Bahoo moved the crib and while doing so, enlightened the soul of the child with the light of Ism-e-Allah Zaat by his attention. Then he turned to the woman and said:
“O woman! I have moved the crib of your girl in such a way that this movement (her spiritual enhancement) will be continued till the doomsday.”
That baby girl’s name was Fatimah and she belonged to the Baloch tribe ‘Mastoi’. Her shrine is in Katkar, an area in the village ‘Fateh Khan’ in Wahwa, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan. Millions of devotees and thousands of Allah’s seekers visit her shrine for gaining beneficence.
One of Miracles of Sultan Bahoo – Popular as Aahoo Bahoo
Once Sultan Bahoo was visiting the valley of Soon Sakesar. His spiritual successor Sultan Naurang was with him. They stopped near a beautiful hill of Kallar Kahar. On the 1st of Ramadan, Sultan Bahoo went in seclusion in a cave of that hill and got absorbed in the Divine vision. When evening fell, Sultan Naurang became worried about arranging food in the forest. At the time of breaking fast, a supernatural being appeared in the form of a deer and came down the hill near Sultan Naurang. There was some water in a utensil and food in a cloth on its horns. Sultan Naurang heard Sultan Bahoo saying:
براتِ عاشقاں بر شاخِ آہو
Meaning: True love goes unrewarded.
It is a Persian proverb. Here it means that the food sent for Sultan Naurang was not as a reward for his true love rather it was just to fulfill his need.)
Sultan Naurang broke his fast with that provision, afterwards he tied the utensils and the cloth with the horns of deer and let it go. The deer kept providing food to Naurang Sultan the whole month of Ramadan before dawn for keeping the fast and at dusk for breaking the fast.
Sultan Bahoo remained in the state of spiritual absorption the whole month of Ramadan. When the moon appeared on the night of Eid, beating of drums began in the villages nearby which had Sultan Bahoo come out of his state of meditation.
The incident continues as:
He asked Naurang Sultan what was that noise. He replied that the Eid moon had been sighted. Sultan Bahoo exclaimed:
“Oh! Had all Ramadan passed? And what about my prayers, fasts and taravih prayers?”
He replied, “My lord! You know better.”
In spite of his intense state of spiritual absorption, Sultan Bahoo offered all his prayers and kept fasts afterwards.
Then, the supernatural deer came to Sultan Bahoo and requested for his attention. When Sultan Bahoo put a glance, it could not bear the attention and died at once. Seeing the karamat of Sultan Bahoo the Dervish humbly said:
“My lord, I have been in your service for a long time, but you never put such a glance upon me.”
Sultan Bahoo then blessed him with his attention. He too could not endure it and died. Sultan Bahoo made tombs of both the deer and the Dervish side by side. Later, this place became famous by the name of ‘Aahoo Bahoo’. ‘Aahoo’ means deer and ‘Bahoo’ is because of the name of Sultan Bahoo himself. Their shrine has become a sacred place for the visitors.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen’s visits of Aahoo Bahoo
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman has visited this place and the seclusion cave of Sultan Bahoo many times because his beloved spiritual guide Sultan-ul-Faqr VI Sultan Mohammad Asghar Ali used to go to Uchali Sharif, a beautiful area in the valley of Soon Sakesar, during summer every year and he would go to Uchali to meet him via Kallar Kahar from the Motorway. So, he had the privilege of visiting this place at least fifteen times a year.
Till 2001, this place was famous by the name of Aahoo Bahoo but in 2002 its name was changed to Hoo-b-Hoo, because someone had taken these tombs under his control and related them to Shaikh Mohammad Yaqoob Shaheed and Shaikh Ishaq Shaheed, sons of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani’s son Shaikh Sayyid Abdul Razzaq Jilani, thus changing the actual course of history.
A karamat of Sultan Bahoo turned bitter water into sweet
There are countless miracles of Sultan Bahoo. Another one of famous miracles of Sultan Bahoo relates to a place called Kallar Kahar. It is famous that the water of this place was not sweet and clean. The people of Kallar Kahar had to bring clean water for drinking from far off areas. Once some women were bringing sweet water for drinking when a Saint (according to the book Mirat-e-Sultani (Bahoo Nama Kamil), his name was Fariduddin Ganjshakar) passed by. He requested for some water, but the women lied that the water was bitter. The Saint replied:
“Alright! If you say the water is bitter, then it must be bitter.”
When those women reached home, they found that water had actually become bitter. When other people went to the spring from where they used to get sweet water, they found that it had also become bitter. All of them started searching that Saint. When they found him, they requested him to forgive the women as they could not recognize his status, and begged to make the water of the spring sweet again because it was the only source of drinking water for them.
This incident continues as:
The Saint replied, “I cannot make the water sweet again but one day the king of Mystics would pass from this place. You would have to request him, as changing bitter into sweet and useless into useful is his attribute.”
When Sultan Bahoo had buried the deer and Dervish, people of the village came to know that a Saint had been present in their area since a month and was engaged in prayers in the hill cave. Hence, they met Sultan Bahoo and presented the problem of bitter water before him. Sitting at his place of seclusion, he threw a stone with full force at the foot of hill. Immediately a spring started flowing from there. Sultan Bahoo declared that the spring would continue till the doomsday.
Now, this spring is the only source of water for the people of Kallar Kahar and fulfils all their requirements of water. The water of this spring has given birth to a natural lake in Kallar Kahar. This place has become a big picnic resort now.