The term “backbiting” refers to a malicious talk about someone behind their back or finding flaws in their absence. Morally speaking backbiting means talking evil about one’s religious brother in their absence whether it is about their attributes like physical appearance, character, actions, speech or anything related to them for example, their house or their dressing.

The literal meanings of innerself are existence, reality or essence. Certainly, in idiom and sentences its simple meanings are expressed unless the contrary is implied. For some men the term means soul and strength but Sufis do not take any of the aforementioned meanings into account. They take innerself as the origin of evil and centre of vice. For some attach it to soul and like man is alive so is it.

Islam is the way that leads to the Lord, Allah. Like any other way, the soul of Islam, Sufism, requires the seeker of Allah to pass different stages to become One. The very first stage is sharia then the intermediary stages are tariqa, reality (haqiqa) and gnosis (marifa) whereas the last one is Faqr (Oneness).

Piety is infact aim of life and provision of the hereafter. Piety is base of perfect faith and heritage of Saints. Piety is Allah’s favour upon umma. Piety is a will of Allah. It is an elevated spiritual station. In fact, believer remains imperfect without piety as it a purification of soul, medium to gain blessings of Divine vision and key to His ultimate closeness and gnosis. Its literal meaning is ‘shield’, thus it saves one from dangers and harms. Whereas in sharia, piety is to avoid oneself from every act and thought which brings torment of Allah. Moreover, piety means to follow that path which blesses one with happiness of Allah.

Ism e Allah Zaat (Personal Name of Allah)
Zikr (Invocation)

The esoteric self (Batin) of a person enclosed in physical body is a living being. It demands attention just like the physical body. Just as proper food is necessary to provide energy to the physical body, this esoteric self (Batin) also needs nourishment which gives it peace, energy and strength. In the Holy Quran Allah says:

Meaning: No doubt the peace of heart and soul is in Zikr (invocation) of the Personal Name of Allah ()”(Al-Ra’ad-28).

It means man’s heart and soul find peace in Zikr (invocation) of the Personal Name of Allah because this is the source of its nourishment and strength. Soul of the person who avoids Zikr of Allah’s Personal Name does not find spiritual sustenance, as Allah Says:

Murshid Kamil Akmal (The Perfect Spiritual Guide)
In the Holy Quran Allah says;

Meaning: O’ believers! fear Allah persistently and find medium to get close to Him.(Al-Maida-35)

In this verse the word Waseela (medium ) refers to a Kamil Murshid. According to dictionary waseela (medium) means such source or means through which one can reach ones destination and it should be so helpful that all the needs of the needy are fulfilled and he is completely satisfied by obtaining all goals of his life.
Lissan-ul-Arab (volume II-page 725) defines Waseela as “by means of which closeness to some other thing is achieved”.

Tasawur Ism e Mohammad
(Contemplation of The Sacred Name of Mohammad)

Mohammad is the Personal Name of the Holy Prophet Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam, just as (Allah) is the Personal Name of Allah. Rest of their names are attributive names.

The Personal Name (Mohammad) is most related to his holy self and encompasses all his attributes. So, the Tasawur of this name is the most effective medium to get closer to his holy self and be blessed with his marvellous bounties. Tasawur Ism-e-Mohammad has most pleasant and luminous effects on the Batin (inward) of the Invoker and makes his spiritual elevation faster and easier, and he finds presence in the Assembly of Prophet Mohammad Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam which is the most important inward station before Deedar-e-Elahi. One, who finds presence in the Assembly of the Holy Prophet Sall’Allahu Alayhi Wa’alihi Wasallam accomplishes the true faith.

Literary Work of Sultan ul Arifeen Sultan Bahoo

Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan-ul-Faqr Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo Rehmat-ul-Allah Alayh did not get any kind of apparent education, still there are 140 books written by him. All his books are written in Persian except “Abiyaat-e-Bahoo” (verses) which is in Punjabi language.

The translators of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sultan-ul-Faqr Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo’s books have often written that they could not find any manuscript written by his own sacred hands, only the manuscripts written by his Khalifahs (spiritual successors) and dervishes could be found. Saad Ameer Khan Niazi, who is a translator of Sultan-ul-Arifeen’s books, writes in the foreword of the translation of his book Asrar-ul-Qadri that: “As a translator of Sultan Bahoo’s books, I faced the problem that original manuscripts of his books were not available which could be consulted to translate the actual Persian matter properly. If I could have found only one manuscript written by Sultan-ul-Arifeen’s own sacred hands then others would not be needed for the translation but unfortunately not even one could be found. All of them were lost and wasted because the Khalifahs kept them in their boxes instead of spreading them. (Page 40)

Where is God ?

On this earth, from the first day we keen to know that where is God? the answer of this question is replied by famous Sufi Sant of Subcontinent Hazrat Sultan Bahoo in his book “Ain-ul-Faqr “ also known as “The soul of Faqr”.

Faqeer Bahoo informs the travellers of the mystic way that Allah is neither in the six dimensions nor in the sun, moon or the four basic elements i.e. earth, water, air and fire, neither you can find Allah through intellectual discussions nor through ignorance,neither is He bound by time, space or states nor can be viewed in physical beauty of things.

Introduction of Abyat-e-Bahoo

Abyat-e-Bahoo is Punjabi poetry of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Hazrat Sakhi Sultan Bahoo RA. He wrote 140 books of which 32 are available. Of this collection, 31 are in Persian of which 30 are prose and 1 is based on poetry Diwan-e-Bahoo. In Punjabi, one of his Si Harfi (30 part poetry whereby each couplet starts with an alphabet) Diwan is found popularly known as ‘Abyat-e-Bahoo’. It is quite interesting to note that he summarized all his teachings present in his Persian books in Abyat. His ‘Abyat-e-Bahoo’ in Punjabi Saraiki language is the essence of his teachings.