Sufism is a path that teaches people how to clean their hearts and love God (Allah). It also teaches people how to live a good life, respect others, and spread love. Among the great Sufi saints, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh is a very famous name. Through his simple and beautiful poetry, he taught people about spiritual love (Ishq-e-Haqiqi) using the examples of human love (Ishq-e-Majazi).
Here is a short look at his life story.
Birth of Mian Muhammad Bakhsh
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh was born in the year 1839 AD (1246 Hijri). He was born in a village called Chak Thakara, located in Khari Sharif, District Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. He was born into a humble family of farmers.
Family Background
His father’s name was Shams-ud-Din Qadri and his grandfather was Mian Din Muhammad Qadri. His ancestors originally moved from Chak Bahram in District Gujrat to settle in Mirpur. His family tree connects back to the second Caliph of Islam, Umar Farooq (R.A).
Early Education
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh received his early religious education at a school in Samwal, near Khari Sharif. His teacher was Ghulam Hussain. Even as a child, he completed his formal religious studies and gained a lot of knowledge.
Leaving the Worldly Life
Because he grew up in a spiritual environment, he was naturally a very simple and religious person. A famous story from his life explains why he turned away from worldly desires:
When he was young, he was engaged to a girl. However, the girl developed a medical condition (a swelling in the neck/goiter) that changed her appearance. Her family felt that because Mian Sahib’s family was so respected, the match was no longer suitable. They decided to marry her to Mian Sahib’s younger brother instead.
Mian Sahib was a man of God and did not care about the engagement or the marriage. However, when he went to the wedding with his brother, he heard a woman say, "Look, that is the 'ugly' boy whose engagement we broke." These words hurt him deeply. He promised himself that he would become "beautiful"—not just on the outside, but on the inside. He began searching for a spiritual teacher (Murshid) to make his soul beautiful.
Spiritual Journey
From a young age, he preferred being alone and praying. He stayed away from worldly talk and traveled far to find a perfect guide. He visited many saints, but his heart was not satisfied until one night he had a dream.
In the dream, his family’s spiritual elder, Ghazi Pir Qalandar, appeared to him. He told Mian Sahib, "I am your teacher, but you must go to my spiritual son, Pir Saini Ghulam Muhammad, and take the formal oath of loyalty (Ba'it)." Mian Sahib woke up, found the Pir, and became his student.
Way of Life
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh never married. He lived a very simple life focused on spirituality. He preferred quiet places where he could think and pray rather than noisy crowds. When he felt deep emotions or spiritual thoughts, he would write them down as poetry.
His Poetry
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh was not just a saint; he was a world-class poet. His main themes were love, beauty, and kindness.
- Saif-ul-Malook: His most famous work is a romantic story about a Prince (Saif-ul-Malook) and a Fairy Princess (Badi-ul-Jamal). While it looks like a love story, he used it to teach deep lessons about morality and the soul.
- Relationships: His poetry also talks about the importance of family, especially the love of a mother and father.
- From Human Love to Divine Love: It is said that in some spiritual paths, a teacher first teaches a student about human love to soften their heart, then turns that love toward God. Mian Sahib’s poetry follows this beautiful path.
His Famous Books
During his life, he wrote a great book in the Pothohari Punjabi language called Safar-ul-Ishq, commonly known as Saif-ul-Malook. He wrote:
"Those who want a story will be happy to hear the story, but those who have the pain of love in their hearts will cry when they hear it."
He wrote about 18 books in total. 17 were in Punjabi and one was in Persian. He wrote about 28,000 verses (56,000 lines). His most famous books are Saif-ul-Malook and Man Mela. Even today, people in villages sing his poetry to learn about life and faith.
Death and Legacy
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh passed away in 1904 AD (1324 Hijri) in Khari Sharif, Mirpur. His shrine (Mazar) is located there today, and many people visit it to show their love and respect.
Annual Urs (Festival)
Every year, a festival called the Urs is held at his shrine. People who love literature and spirituality gather to listen to his poetry and remember his teachings about love for humanity and love for God.
