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There are 134 hymns of Sheik Farid incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. Many Sikh scholars ascribe them to Farid Shakarganj (1173 – 1265) of Pak Pattan, a disciple of the Sufi Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. The tenth in succession to his post was Shaikh Brahm (Ibrahim), also known as Farid Sani or Farid the 2nd, and it is this Farid who Guru Nanak Dev ji met on two occasions.

Max Arthur Macauliffe who has been described as a 'Matchless Scholar of Sikh Lore' states that hymns ascribed to Farid are compositions by the latter Farid, whereas others have ascribed them to Farid Shakarganj.

There are still other scholars who believe that the hymns were composed by different Sufis of the Pak Pattan centre, all using the poetic name Farid as was the custom in those days as the leader of an order chose his most suitable devotee to take his place shortly before his death.

At birth his parents named him Farid-ud-Din Masaud, but he is mostly revered as Baba Farid of Pak Pattan. When Farid was a few years old his mother taught him his prayers. The boy asked what was gained by his prayers. His mother replied 'sugar'. She used to hide some sugar crystals under his prayer-carpet, and, when he had finished his prayers, she would draw it forth and give it to Farid as a reward for his devotion. On one occasion, when his mother was absent, he prayed a great deal, and, it is said, he found a correspondingly greater supply of sugar under his carpet. Please with the size of his 'reward' he ate some himself and shared the the rest with his playfellows. He related the circumstance to his mother on her return and as she had forgot to place his usual reward under his prayer mat she realized it wa a miraculous gift from God, so she gave him the surname Shakar Ganj, meaning a "treasury of sugar".


Devotees going through the doorway to the tomb of Farid Shakar Ganj. Photograph : Carl Ernst, 1986There is a great deal known or written regarding the original Shaikh Farid. Two genealogies of Shaikh Farid, subsequently called Farid Shakar Ganj, are given in the Jawahir-i-Faridi - one spiritual, the other temporal. He received his spiritual position from his priest Khwaja Qutub-ul-din Bakhtiyar Ushi of Dihli, whose spiritual predecessors derive in an unbroken line from the Prophet of Makka. Farid's temporal or family genealogy is traced back through princes and kings to Hazrat Amir-ul-Mumanin Umr-bin-ul Khitab Qureshi Makki Faruqi, the second Khalifa of the Muslims.

Nizam-ul-Din Auliya, a disciple of Farid, relates a legend of a robber who went to Farid's mother's house to steal. On beginning his operations he lost his sight. He then cried out that there must be some saint or miracle-worker present. He vowed that, if his sight was restored, he would renounce thieving and become a good Muhammadan. On hearing his vow Miriam prayed for him, and his sight was restored. He went home, and returned to her the following morning with an offering of milk. Accompanied by his wife and children, he expressed a desire that they should all become Muhammadans. Miriam caused his wishes in this respect to be gratified, with the result that thay all became holy. In reply to her, he said his name was Chawa. His shrine among others in that locality has subsequently became a place of devout pilgrimage.

When Farid was conceived, his mother used to spend her days and nights in prayer. He was born at Kothiwal on the first day of the month of Ramzan the Muslim religions most sacred month, A.H. 569 (1173). The sky that night was dark and cloudy, and the moon, whose appearance as the “pehli ka chaand” (the new moon) when the moon is seen in the western sky as a faint and delicate white curve which marks the beginning of Ramzan, the Muslim period of daylight fasting. Because the moon could not be seen, it must be seen to begin Ramzan, the devotees did not know when to begin their fast.

Then a holy man arrived reporting that a wonderful son had been born to Jamal-ul-Sulaiman and if the infant suckled, the time for fasting had not yet begun, but if, on the contrary he refused the breast, then all good Muhammadans must fast. Farid did not suckle, and so it was apparent the fast had begun. During the whole month of Ramzan, it is said, the infant only took milk by night in the Muhammadan fashion and fasted by day
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There are 134 hymns of Sheik Farid incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. Many Sikh scholars ascribe them to Farid Shakarganj (1173 – 1265) of Pak Pattan, a disciple of the Sufi Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. The tenth in succession to his post was Shaikh Brahm (Ibrahim), also known as Farid Sani or Farid the 2nd, and it is this Farid who Guru Nanak Dev ji met on two occasions.

Max Arthur Macauliffe who has been described as a 'Matchless Scholar of Sikh Lore' states that hymns ascribed to Farid... (read more)Personal Interests:There are 134 Shabads (hymns) of Sheikh Farid incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. Many Sikh scholars ascribe them to Farid Shakarganj (1173 – 1265) of Pak Pattan, a disciple of the Sufi Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. The tenth in succession to his post was Shaikh Brahm (Ibrahim), also known as Farid Sani or Farid the 2nd, and it is this Farid who Guru Nanak Dev met on two occasions.

Baba Farid is recognised as the first major poet of the Punjabi language and in recognition of his exalted status, the district of Faridkot in Punjab, northern India is named after him. Baba ji was a Muslim with a predominantly Sufi background.

Farid ji has been honoured by the Gurus of Sikhism and his verses were collected and subsequently compiled into the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib (normally referred to as Gurbani) under three different sections as detailed below:

First section (page 1 - click 1 above)

The first section comprising of two shabads is in Raag Asa at page 488 of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Bani starts " ਆਸਾ ਸੇਖ ਫਰੀਦ ਜੀਉ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ - Āsā Sekẖ Farīḏ jī▫o kī baṇī - Aasaa, The Word Of Shaykh Fareed Jee:"

Second section (page 2 - click 2 above)

The second section comprising of two shabads is in Raag Suhi at page 794 of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Bani starts " ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਸੇਖ ਫਰੀਦ ਜੀ ਕੀ ॥ - Rāg sūhī baṇī Sekẖ Farīḏ jī kī. -Raag Soohee, The Word Of Shaykh Fareed Jee:"

Third section (page 3 to 10 above)

The third section is by far the longest section comprising about 8 pages in Raag Jaijaiwanti starting at page 1377 of Guru Granth Sahib and ending at page 1384. The Bani starts with the line: " ਸਲੋਕ ਸੇਖ ਫਰੀਦ ਕੇ - Salok Sekẖ Farīḏ ke - Shaloks Of Shaykh Fareed Jee:" This section consists of couplets which have become very famous among the followers of Babaji.


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Baba Farid ji's successor was Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (Delhi), born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, India (1238 - 1325). When he was only 5 year old, he lost his father. He came to Delhi with his mother. He was very impressed with baba Farid and became his disciple at the age of 20. He used to go to pakpattan at the holy shrine, specially in the month of Ramadan. Baba farid ji made him his successor just days before his death. Auliya sahib didn't stay at pakpattan and chose to come back to Delhi, became Gods messanger and worked throughout his life for the poor people of that region.

He had millions of followers and students and Amir Kusrow was his best student. We all know that Amir kusrow was a well known poet and musician. He intoduced the Qawali in Indian music for the first time. Not only that he invented Tabla by cutting the south Indian drum called mradang or pakhawaj.

Someone reminded me today that it was Gurpurab (Guru Ramdas), so I was reminded of the shabad I have heard so many times, Dhan Dhan Ramdas Gur.



I checked, like I do now for every shabad when I hear it, it was written by Guru Sahib in Raag Ramkali.
I made a simple Ramkali composition and recorded it so I would not forget it. Then I looked for other Ramkali compositions for this shabad, and I could not find it on youtube. If you know of a Ramkali version, I would love to here it.

I was looking for some Ramkali inspiration and I found the following acapella rendition which I found very interesting:



Whoever composed this, I would say its a very fantastic attempt. To make it more beautiful, please sit with someone who has learned and perfected the Tabla for years in the traditional Indian way (Guru Shishya Parampara). And second I would take the major mode elements out (and there aren't many, but there are some striking ones, like the descending passage on 3:05 which includes A and E, which are present in the major mode, but have no place in Ramkali). Further, if I were to do this, since this is a love song, I would soften some of the charged elements in the rendition that make it rough and tough. In that respect, there is another rendition of the same piece on the web which sounds a lot soothing.

I'll go back to singing Dhan Dhan Ramdas Gur ... but I also learned some interesting things about the composers of this Shabad and here it goes:

On Satta and Balwand

(from sikhiwiki)
Rai Balvand, a rababi (rebeck player) in the time of Guru Arjan and co-composer with Satta, said to be his brother, of a Var included in the Guru Granth Sahib in the Ramkali musical measure. He was by birth a mirasi, Muslim minstrel and genealogist, and sang the sacred hymns to the accompaniment of a rebeck like Bhai Mardana played during the time of Guru Nanak. Not much authentic biographical information is available about him except that he and his brother, Bhai Satta, were contemporaries with Guru Arjan (1563 - 1606) for whom they recited sabdakirtan. According to another tradition, they started their career under Guru Angad sometime after he succeeded Guru Nanak on the latter's demise in 1539 and continued to serve the Gurus until the time of Guru Arjan.

A story is recorded that Balwand had become so proud of his musical ability that he once refused Baba Buddha's request for the recital of a sabda. He was reprimanded by the Guru and was told that he (the Guru) was within every Sikh and refusing a Sikh to recite a hymn meant refusal to the Guru himself. On another occasion, Balvand is said to have requested Guru Arjan to let him and Satta have all the offerings of the Baisakhi day of that year so as to enable them to meet the expenses of a marriage in the family. The Guru agreed. But the offerings on that day fell far short of their expectations. They asked the Guru for more which he refused.

Under the mistaken notion of their indispensability, both Satta and Balvand left the Guru, imagining that once they stopped reciting the hymns his following would dwindle. Guru Arjan sent for them, but they refused to return. When the Guru himself called on them, they spoke rudely of the House of Guru Nanak. Now discarded by the Guru, they found themselves alienated from the Sikhs. They suffered both mental anguish and fell sick with leprosy. A Sikh, named Laddha, petitioned the Guru on their behalf after rubbing his face with ashes (the Guru had threatened to have this done to anyone speaking on their behalf) and secured them forgiveness. Back in the presence of the Guru, they were cured of the disease. They then composed a Var, popularly known as Tikke di Var, in praise of the Gurus. They, perceived all the Gurus as sharing the same spirit, the same one light. Both Balwand & Satta, are said to have passed away at Lahore in the time of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) and were buried on the bank of the River Ravi.

Notes on Jaisi Main Aaveh