The True Story of Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham of Balkh Bokhara

The Origins of Adham Shah Fakir

There was a fakir named Adham Shah. He had built a hut some distance away from the city of Balakh. He used to go for walks in the city. One day he saw the only daughter of the emperor of Balakh who was young and beautiful. Adham Shah developed a strong desire to marry the girl. 

He went to the emperor and said, “Marry this girl to me.” The king was astonished but was also scared lest the fakir should curse him. He was unable to say yes or no suddenly. He asked the fakir to come the next day. The ministers became aware of this. A consensus was reached that they would tell him the next day that to marry the king's daughter, one has to bring a pearl necklace or a hundred pearls. Otherwise, the marriage cannot take place. The condition was told to the fakir the next day. 

The fakir set off to get the pearls. Someone told him that the pearls are found in the sea. He went to the shore of the sea, started filling his pot with the water of the sea and pouring it onto the sand at a distance. He kept on toiling for many days without food and water. The body also was about to perish. Whoever saw him said, “You had left home for Allah, now you are preparing for hell. The sea can never be emptied. Do worship.” 

God appeared there in the guise of Jinda Baba and asked Adham Shah, “What are you doing?” He told, “I want to marry the emperor's daughter. For it, they have kept a condition for me to bring pearls. I have been told that the pearls are found in the sea. I will empty the sea and take the pearls.” 

Jinda said, “The sea cannot be emptied. You will die of hunger and thirst. If you strive to attain the salvation for which you left home, then it would be fruitful. You have planned to destroy your life.” Adham Shah said, “I do not need your teachings. I am doing my work, you do yours.” 

Supreme God Kabir has stated that: - 

Vikaar marey mat jaaniya, jyon bhoobhal (ash) mein aag |
Jab karellae dhadhakahin, koee bachae Satguru sharan laag ||

God saw that this devotee would die. Kabir Jinda Baba (Al-Khijr) by his power made a sea wave hit the coast. Thousands of pearls were lying in the sand. Saying (Ya Allah) ‘O [my] God!’, Adham Shah tied thousands of pearls in a sheet. He went and kept them in the emperor's court, and said, “Marry the princess to me as per your promise.” The ministers ordered the soldiers to kill him by beating him with sticks and to throw him in the forest. The same was done. By the grace of God, he did not die. He became mobile within a few days. 

After a few days, the emperor's daughter died. Entombing her in the grave, four guards were deployed so that no wild animal should spoil the dead body. Adham Shah learned about it. He went to the grave at night. The guards were sleeping soundly. Adham Shah exhumed the dead body, and refilling the grave back to the original state, took the girl's corpse to his hut.

In the same night, a caravan of nomads lost their way and went to the same forest. A lamp was burning in the hut. The corpse of the girl wrapped in a shroud was kept against the wall as if the girl was sitting with her legs crossed. It was winter season. Two men from the caravan went to the hut to get some fire. Hearing their noise, Adham Shah got scared that the king's men had come. He went behind the hut and hid in a cave in which he used to do spiritual practice.

When the individuals from the caravan saw the dead young girl sitting against the wall, they got frightened and went back to the caravan and told everything. A doctor also lived in the caravan. Many people and the doctor went to the hut. On seeing the girl, the doctor said, “This girl is not dead; she is in shock. I can treat her.” The leader of the caravan said, “You may give her treatment. If the girl revives, then we will ask her only who her father is or where her husband is.” First, they put a sheet over the naked body of the girl. Then the doctor made an incision in the vein of her hand and removed the impure blood.

The girl regained consciousness within a few minutes. She said, “How did I come here?” Adham Shah fakir saw in the light of the lamp that they were not the king's men. The princess has also come back to life. He came to the men of the caravan and narrated the entire story which the girl also heard.

The people of the caravan explained to the girl that if this fakir had not exhumed you out of the grave and brought you here, you would have died. Now you should stay with this fakir considering it the will of Allah. The girl consented to it. Those people got both of them married. The leader of the caravan said, “If you want to come with us, we will serve you; we will not let you face any trouble.” The fakir who had become a householder said, “We wish to stay here itself. I will never forget your favour. You have come to me as an embodiment of Allah. We both would have died. You have saved our lives.” Leaving them there, the men of the caravan departed.

The Birth and Early Life of Sultan Ibrahim

After some days, the girl gave birth to a beautiful son. They named him "Sultan Ibrahim". After the child turned four, he was admitted to study with the Maulvi (Muslim Cleric) of the city of Balakh. Every day, Adham would leave his son with the Maulvi in the morning and bring him in the evening. The Emperor of Balakh only had a daughter; he did not have any son. The emperor used to help poor children. One day the Emperor of Balakh went to that Maulvi (cleric). He used to reward the students. He used to distribute clothes to poor children. The emperor was astonished to see the son of Adham Shah Fakir. His face resembled that of the emperor's daughter.

The emperor asked the Maulvi, “Whose child is this?” Maulvi told him, “A fakir comes from the forest; he is his son. He leaves the boy in the morning and picks him up in the evening. We did not inquire further.” The boy also got up and hugged the emperor. The emperor took him in his lap and left. He told the cleric, “If his father comes, send him to the palace; he can take him from there.” The emperor showed that child to the queen. Upon seeing him, remembering her daughter, the queen fainted and fell on the floor. On regaining consciousness, she embraced the child. She fed him food, rice pudding and halwa made with her own hands. The queen said, “This child resembles our daughter.” Meanwhile, the fakir went to the cleric and from there came to the emperor's palace. The emperor had already ordered the servants, “If the father of this boy comes, do not stop him. Bring him respectfully to the palace.” Seeing the same fakir, the emperor asked, “Whose child is this?

The fakir said, “He is my child. He was born to your daughter.” The emperor said, “It does not befit a fakir to lie.” The fakir narrated the whole story. The emperor could not believe it. Taking the fakir along, he first got the grave of his daughter disinterred. There was no dead body in it. Then he went to the fakir's hut. Their daughter was sitting wearing torn clothes patched at various places. As soon as she saw her parents, she ran towards them and embraced them one by one.

The emperor requested and took his daughter, her child and the fakir to his palace. He appointed fakir Adham as his successor. Due to which, he became known as Shah. His name was 'Adham'. After staying there for a few days, Adham Shah did not like the luxuries of the palace. He bade them a loving farewell and went to his hut. He used to occasionally visit his son and wife. After a few years, Adham Shah Fakir died. His tomb was built in the hut. A beautiful garden was built around it. Child Ibrahim was made the successor of his grandfather's kingdom.

Point to consider:

Kabir kamaai aapni, kabahu na nishfal jaay |
Saat samandar aadey padey, miley agaau aay ||

Meaning - Whatever earnings of worship one has made, it is not in vain, even if one faces an obstacle equivalent to the seven oceans.

The nature of the body of a devotee is very helpful in worship. Because of being born to righteous parents, the nature of the parents also stays with the child in his/her body. The birth in which Sultan Ibrahim was Samman Maniyaar, he had sacrificed his son for the service of the Satguru. There were some circumstances which led to this. Supreme God i.e., Satguru Kabir had resurrected that boy. That same Samman then became a king [Nausher Khan] in the next life, but he did not do any worship. This time, that soul received a body [Sultan Ibrahim] from a father [Adham Shah] who had been devoted to God since birth. In order to provide salvation to the soul of Samman, Supreme God induced a strong desire in Adham Shah to marry. Getting the pearls from the sea, the girl being in shock, the caravan of nomads losing their way and going to the hut, revival of the girl, the birth of Sultan Ibrahim to Adham Shah and the pious girl, who was leading a life of a saint while living with a fakir; she had developed lofty ideals; she was away from all the evils of the world. The sacrifice of his son Seu (Shiv) for the Satguru in the form of Samman, and the billions of rupees donated (Zakat) in the form of Nausher Khan. The fruit of that donation had also to be given to that living being. God Kabir had performed this divine act for him. The grandfather of Adham Shah Fakir was the emperor of that same city of Balakh. Its kingdom had been snatched by the father of Ibrahim's maternal grandfather in a war. Then the same kingdom was given to Sultan Ibrahim of the same dynasty. Because of deviating from the path of worship, even Adham Shah obtained the birth of an animal.

Supreme God Kabir has stated that: -

Ye sab khel hamaare kiye | Ham se miley jo nishchay jeeye ||
Jo jan meri sharan hai, uska hoon main daas |
Gail gail laagya firoon, jab tak dharti aakaash ||

Taking Sultan Ibrahim in Refuge: The 7 Diving Acts

Allah Akbar in the guise of Jinda Baba (Al-Khijr) repeatedly exhorted Sultan Ibrahim

After completing the life of Samman, that living being left the body. The same living being then became King Nausher Khan in the next birth. Thereafter, it became Sultan Ibrahim. There was a city named Balakh in Iraq. He had his capital in that city. The name of the king was Sultan Ibrahim Adham. As a result of the worship that soul had performed with dedication in the life of Samman, he was getting consecutive human births and he continued to become a king in return for the donations he had made. His biggest donation was three ser (approximately 1 kg) flour, which he had made by sacrificing his son. Consequently, he continued to be a wealthy king. In the life of Nausher Khan, Supreme God Kabir had created some circumstances for him to make donations. That also became a reason for him to become an affluent king of Balakh. He owned eighteen lakh horses. There was no shortage of other diamonds and pearls. Every pair of his shoes was studded with diamonds worth two and a half lakhs. It is said that he had 16 thousand women. He used to have fun. He used to commit a lot of violence whenever he went hunting.

One day, some saints came to the house of a devotee near the palace of the king. They delivered sermons. The king listened to the entire sermon while sitting on the roof of his palace at night. He was highly inspired to worship God. He said to his ministers in the morning, “Find a good saint; I want to meet one.”

There was a fraudulent (Baba) saint who was very famous. The king was taken to him. The king started worshipping as guided by him. There was a precious ring in the king’s finger. The fraudulent saint used to pretend that he does not touch money. He seemed to be a great renunciant and a recluse, but he was sly. Sultan was also impressed by him. That saint told his personal attendant, “Go to the goldsmith who made the ring of King Ibrahim, and get a similar ring made of fake gold studded with fake diamonds and pearls from that goldsmith.” The counterfeit ring looked exactly like the original ring.

One day, the king went to the saint. The saint expressed a desire to go boating. Sultan Ibrahim Adham got the boating arranged. After going to the middle of the lake, the saint said, “O King! Your ring is extremely beautiful; can I have a look?” The king took out the ring and gave it to the saint. The saint started looking at it. Surreptitiously, he exchanged the rings. The king said, “If you want, you can keep the ring, or I can get another one made for you.” The hypocrite saint said, “O! For sages and saints, this is dirt, mere dirt.” Saying this, he threw the fake ring in the lake.

The king was convinced that, the saint was indeed a renunciant and a recluse. After a few days, that fraudulent (Baba) saint got exposed. His confidant disciple told the king that your ring has been stolen by the Baba in such a way. The ring is with him. When the king found that ring buried in the ground in the same Baba's hut, he felt very sad and lost faith in the saints. He put that fraud in jail. Then the king called all the saints of his kingdom and asked them, “If you have found God, then introduce me to Him too.” No one had the answer to this. A saint said, “Please send for a glass of milk.” A servant brought a glass of milk and gave it to him. The saint put his finger in the milk and said to the king, “O King! There is no ghee (clarified butter) in your milk.” The king said, “There is a method to get ghee from milk. First, the milk is heated and cooled. Then it is curdled, and curd is formed. Then it is churned, and then heated. Then the ghee comes out.” That saint said, “Sultan ji! Just as there is a method to get ghee from milk; similarly, there is a method for attaining God from the human body. God is attained by that method. Acquire a Guru (spiritual teacher) and worship God.

The king had hatred towards gurus. He was looking at everyone with the same mindset. He put all the Mahatmas (saints) in the prison. Everyone was being forced to operate a hand mill. All sages renounce their homes and families for the sake of God. Because of not getting the right path of worship, the desire for glory automatically arises. One becomes focussed on acquiring more disciples, building a nice, big ashram, but they are good souls of God. As they are striving for the Supreme God, they have grace of God with them. God meets them in disguise to impart true knowledge to them and exhorts them, but blinded by the web of Kaal, they do not believe Him. God is the father of all. Considering them to be His children, He keeps on forgiving them. Nonetheless, He continues to help them.

Divine Act 1: The Speaking Buffalo & The Prison Escape

Hearing the call of the distressed devotees in the prison, to rescue them and to release his supreme devotee Samman from the trap of Kaal, Supreme God Kabir mounted a buffalo and reached the court (office) of Sultan Adham.

Seeing God in the guise of a sage, Ibrahim Sultan asked, “Why have you come here?” Supreme God said, “I have come to answer your question.” Ibrahim asked, “Tell me, what is God like? If you have met God, then introduce me to Him too.” Kabir ji said to the buffalo, “O Buffalo! Tell him, what is Allah like? Where is He? Swear to God and tell the truth.” The buffalo spoke like a human being, and said, “O Ibrahim! This is Allahu Akbar sitting on me.” Sultan was astounded as well as impressed to see the buffalo speak. He thought, “This could be some exorcist.” Supreme God disappeared along with the buffalo. Ibrahim fainted. God stood in front of the prison. The soldiers had orders to imprison any sage they found. They imprisoned God.

The soldiers asked him to operate a hand mill. All the other sages were also grinding flour by running a hand mill and were crying. Kabir ji said to the soldiers, “We prisoners will do one job; the soldiers will have to do the other. If we operate the hand mill, the soldiers will have to put grains (wheat, gram, millet) in it; or if we put the grains, you will have to operate the hand mill.”

The soldiers said in rage, “We will put the grains, you may operate the hand mill.” Kabir ji said, “All the saints, stand up.” Saying this, he touched his hand mill with a stick. Instantly, all the (360) hand mills started running automatically. God said, “Soldier brothers! Put the grains; grind as much as you need.” He said to the sages, “Close your eyes.” Everyone closed their eyes. Then God said, “Open your eyes.” When they opened their eyes, everyone was standing outside the prison in the forest, away from the city of Balakh. Kabir ji said, “Leave the kingdom of this king and go somewhere far away.” All the devotees after making obeisances to Supreme God and thanking him, ran away. They went far away. The king learned that an ascetic with spiritual powers had come. He got all the prisoners liberated. They were not visible when they all left. He touched a hand mill with a stick and all the (360) hand mills started running. The king went to the prison. He was amazed to see the moving hand mills. Then the hand mills stopped moving. The king was lost in thoughts.

Divine Act 2: The Camel on the Palace Roof

After a few days, God Kabir disguised as a camel-herding villager with a long stick in his hand, and appeared on the terrace of the king's residence. It was night-time. The king was sleeping. God began hitting the stick vigorously on top of the roof. Sultan Ibrahim woke up from sleep and scolded the servants, “Who is making this noise? Catch him and bring him here.” The servants went upstairs. They captured a camel grazer from the roof and brought him before Sultan. The king asked, “Who are you? What are you doing on the roof of my palace?”

God said, “I am a cameleer (caravan). I have lost a camel. I am looking for it on the roof.” Sultan Adham said, “O innocent man! How can a camel climb on top of the roof? This would have never happened. Search for the camel somewhere in the forest.”

God Kabir said, “O Ibrahim! Just as a camel is not present on the roof, nor is it ever found on the roof, a camel should be searched for in the forest; similarly, God is not found while sitting on the throne and enjoying luxuries; He is found among saints.” Saying this, God Kabir disappeared. Sultan Adham fell unconscious on the ground. The ministers and queens called an exorcist. He tied an amulet on the right arm of the king and said, “There is a shadow of ghosts on him; he will be fine.” The king was not finding interest in the affairs of the kingdom. He started remaining sad.

• The above account is also mentioned in Masnavi of Rumi. See below.

The king had again imprisoned some saints. God went to the prison again. He got them also out of the prison in the same way. This time, he told all the prisoners, “You may all stand up and close your eyes. Meditate on Allah for some time. We will operate the hand mills after that. The hand mills will run smoothly.” All the prisoners stood up and started contemplating Allah with their eyes closed. God touched a stick to a hand mill. All the hand mills started running.

God Kabir Ji said, “Open your eyes.” When everyone opened their eyes, they found themselves standing in a forest outside the prison, away from the city of Balakh. God said, “Do not come again within the boundaries of this Sultan's kingdom.” After that, the king had stopped imprisoning sages and saints, but due to fear, no sage-mahatma used to come to his kingdom. (Supreme God Kabir also wanted the same - ‘These fake gurus should not come here. They may mislead the king and drive him away from me.’ So, they had to be kept away in this manner.) After some time, the king became normal and again got engrossed in the luxurious lifestyle.

Divine Act 3: The Palace as an Inn

God Kabir, as per His qualities, came again to perform a divine act. Disguised as a traveller, with a bundle of clothes tucked under his arm, dressed in a rural costume, God came to Sultan's residence in the evening. Sultan was sitting on a chair in the courtyard at the entrance of the house. The king asked, “Why have you come here?” God Kabir said, “I am a traveller. I have to stay at your inn for the night. Tell me the fare for one night; how much will you charge?”

Sultan Ibrahim Adham laughed and said, “O innocent traveller, this is not an inn. This is my palace. I am the king of the city.” Bandi Chhod God, the ocean of mercy, asked, “Who used to live in this palace before you?” Sultan Ibrahim Adham replied, “My father-grandfather etc used to live here.”

• God’s Question: - “Where are they? I want to see them.”
• Sultan’s answer: - “They have died.”
• God asked, “For how many days, will you stay in this palace?”
• Instead of replying, Sultan contemplated and said, “I also have to die.”
• God said, “O innocent creature! If this is not an inn, then what is it?”

Tere baap-daada pad peedhee | ve basey isee saraay mein geedhi ||
Aise hi too chal jaai | taatein Ham mahal saraay bataai ||
Ab too takht baithkar bhooli | tera man chadhney ko sooli ||

Saying this, God disappeared. Sultani fainted. He regained consciousness after a long time. Another Muslim cleric was sent for. Tying an amulet on the king’s left arm, he performed the rite of exorcism and said, “Nothing will happen now. It has gone.”

Divine Act 4: The Maid in the Naulakha Garden

After a few days, the king returned to normality again and started having fun. King Ibrahim used to sleep in his Naulakha (in which nine lakh fruit-bearing trees of different types were planted, it was called Naulakha Bagh/garden) Garden in the daytime. The maids used to make his bed. They used to place bouquets of flowers around it. The dress of the maids was different from that of the queens. All the maids wore the same uniform.

Kabir ji, the Lord of the poor, had to take many measures to release the soul of his beloved devotee Samman from the Kaal’s trap. One day, God Kabir disguised himself as a maid. (He assumed a female form.) He made the king's bed in the garden. He arranged the bouquets of flowers in a very beautiful way and himself lay down on the bed. When King Ibrahim came, he saw, “A maid (khavaasi) is sleeping on my bed. She is not afraid of me in the slightest.” Sultan immediately picked up a whip and lashed God lying there, three times on his waist. Three marks were formed on His waist; the skin came off. Supreme God disguised as a maid got down from the bed and once pretended to cry and then started laughing out loud. Ibrahim was astonished to see the maid laughing even after being hurt to such an extent. He was thinking that the maid should have either fainted or died. The king held the hand of God disguised as maid and asked, “Maid! Why are you laughing?”

God said, “I have lain, rested on this bed for one ghadi (24 minutes). I have received three whips as a punishment for one ghadi’s (24 minutes) rest. Even the skin of my body has come off. I am laughing because what will happen to the one who sleeps day and night on this dirty bed? I feel sorry for you, innocent creature!”

Main ek ghadi sej par soee | taatey mera yeh haal hoee||
Jo sovae divas aur raata | unka kya haal vidhaata ||
Gaib bhaye khvaasa | Sultaani bhaye udaasa ||
Yeh kaun chhalaava bhaai | yaaka bhed samajh na aai ||

Seeing this scene, Sultan became unconscious. When he woke up, he thought, “What is happening? I am unable to understand.”

Divine Act 5: The Jinda Fakir and the Three Dogs

After some time, the ministers and the queens said, “Take the king on a hunting trip. Stay in the forest for a few days. His worries will lessen.” That is what was done. No animal was found till noon on the first day itself. The king did not like this at all. He said, “Herds of deer walk in the forest. Not even a single deer has come today.” Suddenly, a deer appeared. The king said, “This deer should not escape. Whoever it passes by uncaught, will not be spared.” As they watched, the deer passed under the king's horse and ran towards the forest. Embarrassed, the king rode the horse swiftly behind the deer. After going far away, the deer hid in the forest. The king and the horse were very thirsty. They were about to die. He prayed to Allah for water to save their lives. He made his way back to his camp. The camp was an hour away. It was difficult to survive till then.

After going some distance, he looked around and saw a Jinda Fakir sitting there. Nearby was a small body of fresh water. It was surrounded by fructiferous trees bearing sweet fruits. The king saw a ray of life. He drank the water, ate some fruits, gave water to the horse and tied it to a tree. When he looked at Jinda Baba, he saw that he had three beautiful dogs on leash with him. A dog tie out chain (an iron chain) was lying next to them.

Sultan greeted the fakir by saying ‘Salaam Walekam’. The fakir also responded by saying ‘Walekam Salaam’. The king said, “O Fakir! What will you do with the three dogs? Give me two of these.” The fakir said, “I cannot give these dogs to anyone. I have to teach them a lesson. These three have been the kings of Balakh city. I used to admonish them, “You should remember Allah. You will not stay in this world forever. You will get the life of a dog after dying. Now you are eating Naan Pulao, Cashew Nuts, Raisins, Munakka raisins, rice pudding, halwa, fruits etc. This is the result of the meritorious deeds and worship performed in your previous births. If you do not worship in this human life, you will suffer in the lives of animals like dog etc. You will not get this good food to eat. You will eat leftover pieces. You will eat faeces; you will drink dirty water from the drain.” When they were kings, they failed to heed my words. They used to think, “This fakir is a fool. Who will manage the kingdom? What will happen to the queens?” Now these three have become dogs. Look! I have kept rice pudding and halwa, containing cashews, almonds and raisins, in front of them. I do not let them eat it. I just show it to them. When they try to eat, I beat them.” Saying this, God picked up the iron chain which was lying empty and started beating the dogs with it. The dogs started screaming. God said, “Now eat the halwa; let me feed you! I will feed you leftover and stale food. O horse rider! Shall I tell you what this idle iron chain is for? The king of the city of Balakh is Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham. He too, blinded by the glare of the world and the kingdom, has forgotten Allah. Now he does not realise that he will also become a dog after death. I have admonished him several times, “Worship God; you will not stay in this palace-like inn forever”, but he has no fear of God. He, by himself becoming God, is punishing innocent fakirs. I am sitting here far away. Hence, I am saved. That king will die. Without worshipping God, he will become a dog. I will bring him and tie him with this chain.”

Hearing these words from the mouth of the Jinda fakir, seeing the plight of his ancestors in the form of dogs, Ibrahim started trembling and said, O fakir! I am the king of the city of Balakh. Forgive me.” Saying this, he fell at the feet of the fakir. After a while, when he raised his head, he saw that there was neither the Jinda Baba, nor the reservoir, nor the garden, nor the dogs. Sultani could not even consider it a dream because the horse's hooves were still wet. He had plucked some fruits, they were also kept there. It did not take Sultan long to understand. He mounted the horse and returned to the camp. He could not speak. He indicated with his hand to pack up and return to the city. Within a few minutes, the convoy left for the city of Balakh.

Divine Act 6: The Wounded Dog's Warning

Sitting in a room in the house, Sultan started crying. The queens and ministers tried to counsel him that it is normal for these things to happen. The chief queens were saying, “Such things happen with women; you are a man. Have courage. You are the guardian of the people.”

Just then, a dog came. He had a wound on his head. It was infested with worms. The dog said, “O Sultan Ibrahim! I was also a king. All the creatures that I killed in hunting and the soldiers that I killed in a battle with a king are taking their revenge today. They have become worms in my head and are biting me. I am not capable of doing anything. You will face the same plight. Look at your future. God is wandering behind you. You are destroying your life in the attachment of family and kingdom.” (This divine act was also performed by God Kabir himself.) This was the final blow to get Ibrahim out of the swamp.

In the same night, Sultan applied black ink on his face, wrapped a shawl in place of an alfi (a sleeveless piece of dress worn by fakirs), took a pillow, a metal pot, and a thin mattress i.e., a bedding and climbed down a (kamand) rope ladder from the rear of the house and set off. (Kamand = a thick rope with knots at every two feet, that was used to climb down from the roof of a building at the time of danger.)

Divine Act 7: The Lesson of the Relinquished Shoes

On the way, a (maalin) female gardener was selling Ber (jujube) outside a garden. Sultan was hungry. He had walked all night. When he asked the maalin the price of the Ber, the maalin told that one ser (kg) Ber was of one anna (currency unit). (One rupee comprised 16 annas. One ser means one kilogram) The king did not have an anna. The cost of the pair of shoes he was wearing was Rs 2.5 lakh in those days. They were studded with diamonds and emeralds.

The king said, “I do not have an anna or a rupee. I have these shoes. Their cost is 2.5 lakh rupees. Take both of them. I am hungry; weigh one ser (kg) Ber.” When after weighing 1 ser Ber, the maalin was about to put them in Ibrahim's stretched out shawl, one Ber fell. The maalin also extended her hand to pick that Ber and Ibrahim also tried to snatch that Ber from the maalin's hand. Both started claiming the Ber.

At that very moment, God Kabir appeared and said, “O Simpleton! She is a fool who does not have this much discretion that she is quarrelling for one Ber with someone who relinquished shoes worth two and a half lakh rupees. O Fool! You are relinquishing shoes worth two and a half lakh rupees and are quarrelling over a Ber only worth an anna. What kind of renunciation of yours is this? Act prudently.” Saying this, God slapped Sultan Adham on the face and disappeared.

The journey of life can also be like this: - When Sultan went ahead, he saw a poor man sleeping on the ground with his head on a clod. Instantly, he threw the pillow and the bedding. He went further and saw that a person was drinking water from the river with his hands. He threw the metal pot as well.

Admonishing a person trapped in the maze of Kaal: - It started raining on the way. Cold air started blowing. Ibrahim saw a hut that belonged to a farmer, who had two bighas of unirrigated land, an old cow that had procreated four-five times and a one-eyed wife. To save himself from the cold caused by the cold wind, Ibrahim Adham Sultan lay down behind that hut. In the night, both husband and wife were talking, “It has rained a lot. We will get sufficient fodder for the cow. There will be a good harvest for our food too. We will have so much comfort which even the king of Balakh Bukhara does not have.”

After overhearing this entire conversation, Sultan Ibrahim Adham, thinking that those two had taken leave of their senses, stayed there till sunrise with the aim of making them aware of future sorrows. After waking up in the morning, he stood at the door of their hut and greeted them. Both husband and wife came out of the hut. Ibrahim started preaching to them about worshipping God and rejecting Maya (wealth). He said, “You have one cow, a woman and two bighas of land. You are clinging to this alone. You are considering it to be a more luxurious lifestyle than that of the emperor of Balakh. This is a fair that will only last for a few days. Let me get you initiation from Guru ji; your life will be blessed. I am Sultan Ibrahim Adham of Balakh city. I have renounced that kingdom for the attainment of God.”

They said, “We do not think that you are the king of Balakh city. If so, then there is no fool like you on this earth. We do not need your teachings.” Sultan said that :-

Garib, raandi (wife) dhaandi (cow) na tajaen, ye nar kahiye kaag |
Balakh Bukhaara tyaag diya, thi koee pichhli laag ||

After this, Ibrahim Adham was no longer the sultan (king) of the earth, but he became the sultan (king) of devotional worship. He became the king of devotees. Therefore, he became famous by the name of Sultan or Sultani as he was endearingly called. In the next story, he will be called and written only by the name of Sultan. For example, Dharmdas ji was being called Dhani Dharmdas. He was rich in devotional worship. There was no dearth of worldly wealth as well. God met Sultan and gave him the first mantra, and said, “Later, I will give you Satnaam, then Saar Shabd.”

There is evidence in Kabir Sagar, Chapter "Sultan Bodh" on Page 62 :-

Pratham paan pravaana leyi | peechhe saar shabd toee deyi ||
Tab Satguru ne alakh lakhaaya | kari parteet param pad paaya ||
Sahaj chauka kar deenha paana (naam/mantra) | kaal ka bandhan tod bagaana ||

Please consider :- At that time, Ibrahim had neither money nor other facilities to do Aarti Chauka. This is the actual method of initiation of Kabir ji. There is no provision for Aarti Chauka, goods worth lakhs or thousands in it, coconut etc. If one wants to conduct a Paath later, then one can get it done; otherwise, the initiation can be given only with chanted water and sweet substance (crystallised rock sugar, sugar, jaggery, powdered sugar, unrefined sugar). Paan (liquid) is not given while granting Satya Naam and Saar Shabd. Only the initiation-mantras are given and explained. God Kabir had met Sant Garibdas ji (Village-Chhudani, District-Jhajjar, State-Haryana). He had granted divine vision to him. Based on that, Sant Garibdas ji has stated that: -

Garib, Ham Sultaani Nanak taarey, Dadu koon updesh diya |
Jaati julaaha bhed na paaya, Kaashi maahen Kabir hua ||

Garib, anant koti brahmaand ka, ek rati nahin bhaar |
Satguru Purush Kabir hain, kul ke sirjanhaar ||

Spiritual Teachings by Sant Garib Das Ji

Supreme God Kabir told his disciple Garibdas ji that: -

{This is the meaning of these above speeches of Sant Garibdas ji. In these also, the events of the life of Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham have been described.}

The Tests of Ibrahim Adham's Devotion

Sultan Adham saw the hut of a sage who had been doing spiritual practice at that place for many years. Ibrahim went to him. That worshipper said, “Do not stay here; there is no food or water here. Go somewhere else.” Sultan Ibrahim said, “I have not come here as your guest. He, whose guest (guest of Allah) I am, will arrange for my (rizq) food. A human being brings his destiny with him. Nobody eats food of anybody. O dishonest! You are not even a good citizen. You want to meet Allah. If the intention is not right, a person cannot do acts of charity. Without charity, God is not found. He, who has given life, will also give bread.” Ibrahim sat down at a distance.

The Test of the Sky Plate and Plain Food

In the evening, a plate descended from the sky containing different types of vegetable dishes, halwa, rice pudding, roti (bread) and a pot of water. The plate was covered with a handkerchief. Ibrahim lifted the cloth from the plate and showed it to the old worshipper. A plate descended from the sky for the old worshipper with two rotis that too of barley flour and a pot of water.

Seeing this, the old worshipper was disgruntled and said, “O Allah! I will not eat the food sent by you. You discriminate. You have sent me dry barley roti, and a good food with pilau to Ibrahim.”

Allah spoke through an ether voice, “O Devotee! This Ibrahim was an affluent king. He had billions and trillions in his treasury. He had 16 thousand queens, had children, ministers and diwans. He had servants and maids. He has renounced those luxuries for me. Whatever I give him would be less. Look at your status. You were a grass cutter. You used to dig grass all day, then you used to earn a taka (currency). Every day, you used to carry the burden of bundles on your head. You had neither a (Bibi) wife, nor mother, nor a father who was a merchant. I send you cooked rotis. You still throw tantrums. If you are not happy in my will, then go and sit somewhere else. If you feel disinclined to do bhakti (worship), then here is your trowel to dig the grass and the net to tie it, go, dig the grass and earn your daily bread. If you want to achieve something, do not step outside my will. If a devotee has kubra (arrogance), then he is far from God. If a devotee is submissive, then he is close to Hakk (God).”

Sultan Adham appealed to God, “O Benefactor! I will make a living by working hard. I will worship you too. Please do not send this food. I want to remain at your feet by eating plain and dry food. My mind will become corrupt by eating this food that you are sending; I will make some mistake.” Even that old devotee was listening to this prayer. He hung his head in shame. He [the old devotee] prayed to God, “Lord! Pardon my mistake. I will remain happy in your will.” From that day on, Ibrahim would fetch the wood from the forest, and get food after selling it in the market. He used to eat the same food for eight days and worship.

The Honest Guard of the Pomegranate Garden

After a few years, Ibrahim went on a tour. There was a merchant who owned a garden. He needed a servant. He employed Sultan to guard the garden. After a year, the merchant came to the garden. He asked Ibrahim to bring pomegranate. Ibrahim brought pomegranates and gave them to the merchant. The pomegranates were sour. The merchant said, “You have not even found out in a year what sweet pomegranates are like?”

Sultan said, “Seth ji! You have kept me to protect the garden, not to destroy the garden. If the protector becomes the eater, then how will things work out? I have never eaten any fruit, so how can I have the knowledge of sweet and sour?” When the Seth asked other servants, the servants told him, “This servant only eats the bread that he gets, and then keeps walking around the garden while mumbling something. We have even watched him secretly. He has never plucked any fruit and eaten it, nor has he picked up any fruit lying on the ground.”

Some servant told the merchant, “He is the king of Balakh city. I saw him 10 years ago while hunting in the forest. When I asked him that you seem to be Sultan Ibrahim Adham of Balakh city, then initially, he denied. Then I told him, “I saw you in the forest while hunting. My brother-in-law, Yakub, is a senior officer in your army. He told me that the king has taken sanyas (renunciation). His son is sitting on the throne.” Then he said, “Please do not tell anyone.” The merchant fell at Sultan’s feet and asked for forgiveness, and giving him a lot of money, said, “Kindly take this money and sustain yourself; worship as well. Feel free to stay at my house or I shall build a palace for you in the garden; stay here and worship.” Sultan thanked him and departed from there.

Defining the True Sentiment of a Slave (Das)

Once, Sultan went to the ashram of a saint, and stayed there for a few days at the special request of the saint. The saint's name was Hukam Das. Twelve disciples lived with him in the ashram. Everyone had the word ‘Das’ appended to their names. Fakir Das, Anand Das, Karm Das, Dharmdas. Their behaviour was not that of a Das (slave). If their guru asked one of them for some service, he would say that it is Dharmdas's turn; ask him. Dharm Das would say, “It is Anand Das' turn.” Seeing their behaviour, Sultani said that: -

Dasa bhaav nedae nahin, naam dharaaya daas |
Paani ke peeye bin, kaise mit hai pyaas ||

Sultani explained to those disciples, “When I was a king, I had bought a slave.” I asked him, “What do you like to eat?” The slave replied, “The food that the master gives to the slave is his choice.” I asked, “What do you wish? What do you like to do?” He said, “Whatever the master commands, that is my choice.” I asked, “What do you wear?” He replied, “I wear the worn-out clothes given by the master after repairing them.” I freed him. I gave him money too. Remembering his words, I follow the orders of my Guru. I never exercise my volition. I eat what God gives, considering it His command. I serve considering myself a slave. It is mandatory to please Gurudev to please God.” After that, all those disciples started following the orders of their Guru ji with the sentiment of them being slaves, and they started behaving well among themselves. They made their life successful.

How Ibrahim Adham Obtained Saarnaam

God Kabir started living by building an ashram. He was popularly known as Jinda Baba. After a few months of granting the first mantra to Sultani, he was initiated into Satnaam (two-word mantra), in which one is the mantra "Om" and the other is told at the time of the initiation. Sultan visited many times to obtain an (darshan) auspicious sight of his Gurudev. After Satyanaam, Saar Shabd is given to a worshipper in initiation when he becomes eligible for it. After a year, Sultan Adham went to his guru's hut and made a humble request for initiation of Saarnaam. Supreme God said, "Come after a year on exactly the same day, I will give you Saarnaam. You can come anytime (for darshan) to behold and meet me.” A year later, when Sultan Ibrahim Adham went to Guruji's hut on the very same day to get the Saarnaam, Guru Ji said, “Come after exactly one year on this day, I will give the Saarnaam.” Eleven (11) years passed in doing this. He also used to come every now and then to obtain a sight of the Satguru, but for Saarnaam, he had to come only on a fixed day. When in the eleventh year, Sultani was coming for the initiation of Saarshabd, he was passing through a street next to a house. The lady of that house swept the garbage off the roof and threw it in the street; it accidentally fell on the devotee. When the garbage fell on Sultan Ibrahim, he shouted, “Can you not see? People also walk up and down the street. If I had not renounced the kingdom, I would have flayed you today.”

That sister apologised and said, O Brother! It is my mistake; I should have first looked in the street. I will take care in future.” That sister, who owned that house, was also a devotee of Jinda Baba. When she saw Ibrahim in the ashram, she asked Guruji, “O Gurudev! The devotee, who is sitting in solitude, was he ever a king?” Jinda Baba asked, “What is the matter, daughter? Here, there is no difference between a king and a commoner. Why did you ask this question? He was earlier the king of Balakh city. When I explained this knowledge to him, he renounced the kingdom. Now he works hard and makes a living by selling wood, and he also does worship.” The sister told, “While I was throwing dry garbage from the roof, accidentally some fell on him, so he was infuriated and said, “If I had not renounced the kingdom, I would have stripped your skin off.” After the spiritual discourse, those eligible for Saar Shabd were called. When Sultan Ibrahim's turn came, Guru ji said, “You are still a king. Child! Saar Shabd is given to a slave, who has accepted the body as dirt.” Sultani said, “Gurudev! It has been years since I renounced the kingdom.” Guru Maharaj Ji said, “Nothing is hidden from me; I know the way you have renounced the kingdom. You have not relinquished the sentiment of regality. Come on this very day after a year for Saarnaam.” Sultani was coming again after a year. He had to pass by the same house. Guru ji told the same female disciple, “Tomorrow that king will come to take Saarshabd. The way to the hut is next to your house. There is no other way to reach the hut. This time, fill a bucket with cow dung and ash dissolved in water, and pour it over him. Then tell me what his reaction is.” That sister did the same. At the same time, the sister also said, “O brother! It fell by mistake. I will wash your clothes and clean them. You can take a bath in the pond here.” Sultan said, “Sister, dirt has fallen on dirt; it does not matter. I shall take a bath and wash my clothes.” That female disciple told Sultani’s reaction to Gurudev. Then Guru ji gave him the Saarshabd, and said, “Son! Today you have become a slave. Now your salvation is certain.”

Therefore, devotees should learn lessons from this story. Do not be in a hurry to obtain the Saarshabd. Normalize all the vices within you. Act prudently; salvation is certain.

A King is Big or a King of Devotees

Once, Sultan Adham went and sat by a pond outside his Balakh city. His son was the king. When he learned about it, he mounted an elephant and reached the pond with a musical procession. He asked his father to return home. Sultan flatly refused. His son said, “Look, what you have done to yourself. Live comfortably here. You are suffering as a beggar. Everything happens today by my orders.” Sultan said, “What God can do, a king cannot.” His son said, “I will do whatever you order me to do. You will have to stay with us.” Sultani said, “Alright; I accept it. I am putting a sewing needle with my hand in this pond. Take this needle out of the water and return it to me.” The king summoned the soldiers, divers and net throwers. They tried everything, but all in vain. His son said, “Father! I will get you a thousand needles in lieu of one needle. Will your Allah take this needle out of the water?” Then Sultan said, “O Son! Will you do bhakti if my Allah takes the same needle out of the water? Will you take sanyas (renounce the kingdom)?” His son said, “You may first get this needle taken out of the water by your lord, then I will think.” Ibrahim said, “O daughters of God, fish! A needle of this humble servant has fallen in your pond. Please take my needle out and give it to me.” Within a few moments, a fish came to the shore near Ibrahim with a needle in its mouth. Ibrahim grabbed the needle and thanked the fish with folded hands. Then Sultani said, “Son! Look, a human being, even if he is a king, cannot do what God can do. Will you worship God now?” His son said, “God has only given you a needle; I can give you diamonds and pearls. I will worship God in my old age.” Devotee Ibrahim got up and departed. He went into his cave. 

Disorders like Lust, Attachment, Anger, Desire are not Destroyed; They are Pacified

Vikaar marey na jaaniyo, jyon bhoobhal mein aag |
Jab karellae dhadhkahee, Satguru sharna laag ||

Once, Ibrahim Sultan was visiting the city of Mecca. His purpose behind going there was to preach to the misled Muslim devotees who visit  Mecca for Hajj or otherwise as well. He stayed there for a few days to instruct them. He also made a few disciples. A Hajj traveller went to the city of Balakh and told that Sultan Ibrahim lives in Mecca. Ibrahim’s little boy insisted on seeing his father, so his mother, the little boy along with some men and women of the city went to Mecca and met Ibrahim. Ibrahim used to preach to his disciples that one should not gaze at a boy without a beard and a moustache, and another woman. By doing so, one becomes infatuated with them. Seeing his son, Ibrahim could not hold back; he kept staring at the child. The boy was about 13 years old. The disciples said, “Gurudev, you preach to us that one should not look for a long time at a child without a beard and moustache, and you are yourself staring at him.” Ibrahim said, “I do not know why I am getting attracted towards him.” At the same time, an old man said, “O King! This is your (Begum) wife and this is your son. He was in his mother’s womb, when you renounced the kingdom. They have come to meet you.” Immediately, the boy after touching the feet of his father, sat on his lap. Tears of affection welled up in Ibrahim's eyes. 

 There was an ethervoice from God that – “O Sultani! You do not love me anymore. You love your family. Go to your home.” Instantaneously, Ibrahim was shocked. He closed his eyes and prayed, “O God! It is beyond my control, either kill me or this boy.” At that very moment, the boy died. Ibrahim got up and left. The people from Balakh started preparing for the last rites of the boy. To attain God, a devotee has to fulfill every criterion. Then one becomes successful. God immediately gave human life to that boy's soul and gave him birth in the house of His devotee. From childhood, that soul got the path of God.

Once, all the devotees gathered in the ashram of Baba Jinda for a satsang. That boy was 4 years old at the time. By the grace of God, his bed and Ibrahim's bed were placed side by side. Seeing Ibrahim, the boy said, “Father! Why did you leave me in Mecca? I am now born in the house of a devotee. Look, Allah has reunited me with you.” When this matter went to Guru Ji Jinda Baba (Supreme God Kabir Ji), Jinda Baba told that this is Ibrahim’s son who had died in Mecca. Now God has given birth to this soul in the house of a devotee.” Ibrahim was deeply saddened by the death of the boy, but he did not share it with anyone. That day he said, “O Ocean of Mercy! You are Omniscient. I feel relieved today. It kept coming to my mind again and again that, “Why did God do this? With what face will his mother go home? Today my soul is completely at peace.” Jinda Baba sent a message to that woman, the former mother of that boy i.e., Ibrahim's wife that she should come to the ashram. He also summoned that boy, his new parents and Ibrahim. He introduced the boy to his former mother. As soon as the boy saw her, he said, “O Mother! You left me in Mecca and went away. Allah came there. Look, he is sitting here (he spoke while pointing to Jinda Baba). He took me with him and left at these people’s house. I went into this mother's stomach. Then I was born. Now I have taken initiation. I chant the first mantra. O Mother! You too should take initiation from Guru ji. You will be emancipated.” Ibrahim's wife took initiation and said, “Send this boy with me.”

Supreme God Kabir (Jinda Baba) said, “If he had to be kept in that hell (in the glare of the kingdom), why would he have died? Now you should come to the ashram and meet the child once in a month in the satsang.” Ibrahim did not feel the sense of belonging in that boy, because he was born from someone else's body. But Ibrahim’s delusion, the foolishness of his mind, was destroyed. Which he used to say in his mind that Allah should not have done it. Now he realised that whatever God does, he does good. Even if it does not feel good at that time. All living beings belong to Allah; He thinks of the welfare of all. We think of our own interests. Even the queen did not have the same feeling in that boy, but the soul was the same. Therefore, mother's affection was still alive in her heart. So, she used to feel peaceful on seeing him. Making this a reason, God emancipated both the queen and the child.

A Devotee’s Nature is Like That of a (Tarvar) Tree

Once a merchant was travelling for business by a ship. He was also accompanied by a group of those who prepared food during the journey and who entertained everyone with jokes and mockery. It was a long journey. It had to take a month. The pranksters needed a person at whom they could direct all their derision. On searching, they found Ibrahim. They caught him and took him with them. They thought that this beggar needs bread; he will get it. After going far in the sea, an entertainment programme began for the merchant. They were making fun of Ibrahim. They were saying, “There was a fool like this (Ibrahim) man. He was sitting on the same branch of the tree that he was cutting. He fell and died.” They laughed out loudly. In this way, they kept making such indecent comments for a long time.

Ibrahim was very sad. He thought, “I will have to bear this for months. I will neither be able to worship, nor will I be able to live in peace.” At that very moment, an ethervoice occurred, “O Devotee Ibrahim! If you say, then I will kill these fools. I will sink the ship; I will save you. They bother you.” Hearing this voice from the sky, all the people of the ship got frightened. Ibrahim said, “O Allah! Do not put this stigma on my forehead. They are ignorant. Instead of killing so many people, kill me or give them good sense; they should get the welfare of their souls done by worshipping you.” All the passengers including the ship owner apologised to Ibrahim and listened to the knowledge of God. They kept him respectfully with them. He was given a separate place in the ship to worship. Ibrahim, after explaining the true knowledge to all of them, brought them to the ashram and got them initiated from Guru ji.

Ibrahim himself used to give initiation. When someone told Jinda Baba i.e., Supreme God Kabir in the presence of Ibrahim that “O Gurudev! Ibrahim gives initiation”, then God told Ibrahim, “O devotee! You are making a mistake. You are not authorised.” After that day, Ibrahim stopped giving initiation, and he got all his disciples initiated again from Guru ji. He begged for forgiveness. He himself also got his naam purified (reconnected). He did not make such mistake in future.

Historical Witnesses of Almighty Kabir

Question: Where is the proof that Allah Kabir was performing the divine acts in the form of Al-Khijr? Weaver Kabir (of Kashi, India) is himself (Kaadir) Almighty Allah who has created everything.

Answer: - First, let me prove that the weaver named Kabir, who used to live in Kashi (Banaras) city, is the God who created the entire universe. For this, there are several eyewitnesses who saw that (Kaadir) Almighty Allah sitting on the (Takht) throne above and told that Kabir, who used to play the role of a weaver in the city of Kashi (India country), is Himself the Almighty God.

Witness 1: Sant Garibdas Ji

Sant Garibdas ji, a ten-year-old boy, along with other cowherds of the village had gone to his fields to graze cows as usual. In Vikrami Samvat 1784 (1727 C.E.), on the (Shudi Dwadashi) twelfth day of the bright fortnight of the Falgun month (mid-February to mid-March), around ten o'clock in the day, the cowherds and the boy Garibdas ji were eating food while sitting in the shade of a Jandi tree (Jandi is the name of a tree which belongs to the species of acacia). Supreme God in the guise of Jinda Baba (Al-Khijr) travelled from the throne above in the sky and descended on earth at some distance and went to the cowherds. That Jandi tree was on the unpaved road leading from village-Kablana to village-Chhudani and was in the field of Sant Garibdas ji, adjacent to the border of Kablana. {Sant Garibdas’ father had one thousand three hundred seventy-five (1375) acres of land in the village. A pasture was made on the same land in which other poor people of village Chhudani also took their cows for grazing.} Seeing Jinda Baba, i.e., a sadhu, one of the older cowherds said, “Baba ji, have food.” The sage said, "I have come after eating food at my abode." Several cowherds said in unison, "If you do not eat food, drink milk." God said, “Give me milk, but give milk of that cow who has never given birth, that is, of a virgin cow.” The cowherds considered it a joke.

Boy Garibdas got up and brought one of his dear heifers and said, “O Baba ji! How can this virgin cow give milk?” Baba Ji said, “It will give milk. Bring a clean vessel and put it under its udders.” Sant Garibdas ji took an earthen pot (a small, clean pitcher of 3-4 kg capacity) and while holding it under the udders of the heifer, sat down. Baba Jinda (Al-Khijr) patted the heifer’s back with his hand. Instantly, the udders became longer and somewhat thicker, and milk started coming out. When that vessel of 3-4-kilogram capacity filled up, the milk stopped coming from the udders. Child Garibdas ji gave that pot full of milk to Baba ji and said, “This has been obtained only by your grace; please drink it.” Baba Jinda drank some milk by putting that pot to his lips. He directed the rest towards those cowherds and said, “Drink it; this is Prasaad (blessed).” The other cowherds got up and left. They said, “This milk has been extracted from a virgin calf through sorcery. We will become possessed by ghosts or evil spirits. He seems to be an exorcist (who expels an evil spirit from a person). The milk of a heifer is sinful milk. Who knows which lower caste this Baba belongs to. We will not drink his sipped milk.”

Boy Garibdas ji took the vessel from Baba and drank some milk from it as the cowherds watched. The older cowherds advised the boy not to drink milk. The child did not listen to them. Everyone went far away. Baba Jinda and child Garibdas ji remained. Then Baba Jinda narrated some knowledge. The child expressed a desire to see Satlok and the Almighty God (whom Baba had described to be more powerful than Brahma ji, Vishnu ji and Shiv ji) with his own eyes. Jinda Baba took out the soul of child Garibdas from his body and took it to the sky. He showed the worlds of Brahma ji, Vishnu ji and Shiv ji, showed heaven and hell. He showed Brahmlok (Mahajannat / Great Heaven) of Kaal Brahm. Then he took him further up to his Amarlok (immortal world). The Jinda Baba who had gone with the child sat down on the throne built above. At that time, he acquired the form of God. The brightness of one hair of the body of God was more than the light of crores of suns. Amarlok was illuminated. Child Garibdas ji also acquired a different body whose brightness was equivalent to the light of sixteen suns. All the male and female devotees (hans / hansni) of Amarlok started prostrating themselves before Supreme God. They started chanting "Glory be to Kabir Satpurush!". Everyone said, “This is Almighty God, the Creator of infinite crore brahmands (universes). His name is Kabir.” Then God put all the knowledge in the soul of his Prophet Garibdas ji. After showing the entire Satlok and all the lower worlds, he inserted the soul of the child into his body. At that time, the body of child Garibdas ji was kept on a pyre (pile of wood) for the last rites. When people were about to light the pyre, Garibdas ji got up. A wave of happiness ran through the village. Sant Garibdas ji was initiated by the same Supreme God guised as Jinda Baba. Sant Garibdas ji described the complete spiritual knowledge that he had eye-witnessed as well as heard from the lotus-mouth of the Supreme God, in the form of couplets, quatrains, hymns, which were written down by a Mahatma named Gopal Das who was initiated from the sect of Dadu ji. The writing work took about six months.

The context is that where is the proof that Al-Khijr is Al-Kabir? :- As in this very topic "Information About Al-Khijr (Al-Kabir)" under the heading "Introduction of Rumi", it is written that a person named Rumi was a (maulvi) Muslim cleric in a mosque in the city of Konya in Turkey. He used to propagate the Muslim religion. People used to pay special respect to him. After comprehending the knowledge imparted by Saint Shams Tabrez, he gave up the title of Maulvi and worshipped as instructed by Guru Ji Shams Tabrez. He also become a famous poet. He told that Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham, (Balkhi) the king of Balakh city, had renounced the kingdom after being inspired by Al-Khijr. He spent the rest of his life in the worship of Allah while staying in contact with Al-Khijr. Sultan used to have the darshan (sight) of Al-Khijr. You have read above the entire episode of Sultan Ibrahim Ibn Adham, in which it is clear that Allah Kabir ji had inspired Sultan to worship. Therefore, Al-Khijr only is Al-Kabir. Sant Garibdas ji has also endorsed this: -

Garib, Ham Sultani Nanak taarey, Dadu koon updesh diya |
Jaati julaaha bhed na paaya, Kaashi maanhi Kabir hua ||

Meaning - Sant Garibdas ji has stated that all of us (I - Garibdas, Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham, Nanak ji, the founder of Sikh religion, and Sant Dadu ji) were emancipated by that Satguru Supreme God Kabir who belonged to weaver caste in the city of Kashi. Then he has stated :-

Garib, anant koti brahmand ka, ek rati nahin bhaar |
Satguru Purush Kabir hain, kul ke sirjanhaar ||

Meaning - My Satguru, Supreme God Kabir, is the originator of all brahmands (universes), that is, the Creator of entire creation. He created all the worlds, stars, and constellations (sun, moon, planets) and secured them by his power, which in the language of science is called gravitational force. There is no burden of all this creation (infinite crore brahmands) on that Creator Kabir. Like, a scientist made an airplane and flew it. He himself also boarded it. Just as the scientist does not have any burden of that airplane on him; rather, he is sitting on it; similarly, Kabir Almighty Allah, having created all the worlds, is sitting on them and has also made all the living beings sit on them. This proves that Al-Khijr only is Al-Kabir.

Witness 2: Sant Dadu Das Ji

When Sant Dadu Das ji was an eleven-year-old boy, Allah Kabir in the guise of a Jinda Baba met him in the forest outside the village. After taking out the soul of Saint Dadu ji, Al-Kabir ji took him up to his Satlok. Dadu ji remained unconscious for three days and nights. Allah Kabir showed His throne above and introduced himself, “I am Purna Brahm (Supreme God). I have created the whole universe.” After showing all the brahmands (universes) to child Dadu ji, on the third day, Allah Kabir ji put his soul back in his body. Sant Dadu Das ji regained consciousness. Then people asked him, “What had happened to you?” Dadu ji told, “Allah Kabir had met me in the guise of a Baba, and He gave me initiation. He took me to the skies above.” Dadu ji had some other children of the same age with him at the time. They had also told that a Baba had turned water into a magic potion; he himself drank it and making a bowl of a betel leaf, spit that water into it and made Dadu drink it. Then Baba became invisible. Dadu lost consciousness. Sant Garibdas ji has described the knowledge received from Supreme God Kabir in his speech as follows: -

Garib, Dadu koon Satguru miley, deyi paan kee peek |
Boodha Baba jisey kahein, yeh Dadu kee nahin seekh ||

Meaning - Kabir Allah, who was disguised as Jinda Baba, had met Sant Dadu ji in the form of Satguru. He had put rinsed water from his mouth on a betel leaf and made Dadu ji drink it at the time of initiation. The people who say that Dadu had met an old Baba, who was an exorcist; Dadu did not tell this. What Dadu ji has told about this is as follows, which is written in the Dadu Granth composed of the speech uttered by Dadu ji. Speech :-

Jin mokoon nij naam diya, soyi Satguru hamaar |
Dadu doosra koyi nahin, Kabir sirjanhaar ||

Dadu naam Kabir ka, sunkar kaampe kaal |
Naam bharosae jo chaley, hovey naa baanka baal ||

Kehari naam Kabir hai, visham Kaal gajraaj |
Dadu bhajan prataap se, bhaage sunat aavaaj ||

Meaning - Dadu ji has said that the one who gave me the (Nijnaam) correct mantra of worship is my Satguru. His name is Kabir. This same Kabir is the (Creator) Originator of the whole universe (Nature).

Sant Dadu ji has said that Jyoti Niranjan (Kaal) starts trembling on hearing the name "Kabir". The name Kabir is so powerful. Kaal Brahm cannot cause any harm to a devotee who leads his life with full faith in the naam (mantra) given by Kabir ji.

Sant Dadu ji has described the power of Kabir Allah through an example that Kaal is also very powerful, but he also becomes weak in front of Kabir Allah. Kaal is as strong as (Gajraj) the king of elephants. The naam (mantra) given to worship Kabir ji is also very powerful. It is as powerful as Kehri i.e., the biggest lion. If that naam (mantra) is chanted, Kaal cannot stand before the power of that naam(mantra)-like lion, that is, hearing the subtle roar of the naam (lion), Kaal-like (Gajraj) elephant runs away. Sant Dadu Das ji has made it clear that Kabir is the Supreme God who is the Creator of the entire nature (universe).

Witness 3: Saint Dharmdas Ji

Being born in Hindu religion, Dharmdas ji used to perform spiritual practice based on the incomplete knowledge imparted by Hindu religious leaders. Once, while on a pilgrimage as per the guidance of religious leaders, he had gone to Mathura (the city of Shri Krishna). He was carrying idols of gods and goddesses (Shri Vishnu, Shri Shankar and Goddess etc.) made of stone and brass in his bag. In the morning, after bathing in the holy pond (Shri Krishna used to take bath in that pond), he started worshipping the idols. At that time, Kabir Allah was present in the world to play the role of a weaver in the Kashi city of India. He arrived at the same pond in Mathura to show the true path to Dharmdas ji. He was watching Dharmdas ji doing all the actions. After worshipping the idols, Dharmdas ji recited Shrimad Bhagavat Gita. Khuda (God) Kabir was watching and listening carefully to all the actions of Dharmdas ji. When Dharmdas ji finished his daily acts of worship, then God Kabir held a discussion on spiritual knowledge with him. The rounds of discussion of knowledge lasted several days. Allah Kabir also took Dharmdas ji to the throne built in His Satlok. Dharmdas ji remained unconscious for three days. Allah Kabir showed him all the worlds above. He showed His Satlok. After explaining the entire spiritual knowledge, he put him back in his body. After that, Sant Dharmdas ji quit his previous method of worship and performed the true worship preached by Allah Kabir, who had Himself come as His own prophet, and attained complete salvation. Dharmdas ji uttered many speeches in the glory of Allah Kabir: -

Aaj mohe darshan diyo ji Kabir ||

Amarlok se chalkar aaye, kaatan jam ki janjeer |
Hindu ke tum dev kahaaye, musalmaan ke peer |
Dono deen ka jhagda chhid gaya, toha naa paaya shareer ||
Dharmdas ki arj gunsaai, kheva langhaaiyo parle teer ||

Meaning - Dharmdas ji, after seeing Satlok, accepted that Kabir, the weaver of Kashi, is the (Kaadir) Almighty Allah, the Creator of the whole universe. He gave a detailed eye-witnessed description of His magnificence.

When Supreme God Kabir physically (along with His body) went to Satlok from Maghar town of Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh state of India, at that time, Hindu King Bir Singh, who was the king of Kashi city, and Muslim Nawab Bijli Khan Pathan, who was the Nawab of Maghar town, both were his disciples. Many Hindus and Muslims, who are said to be sixty-four lakhs in number, from Maghar, Kashi and many other places were also disciples of Kabir ji. When Kabir Ji mentioned about going to Satlok, then the people of both the religions (Hindu and Muslim) and the kings, insisting that the last rites be performed in their own way, became ready to fight. Then Kabir ji said to them, “Do not fight after I am gone. I will lay one sheet under me and one over me. Divide my body into two parts and take one sheet and half of the body each. I will abandon the one who fights.” A sheet was laid. Devotees reverently spread fragrant flowers two to three inches thick on it. Kabir ji lay on top of them. He covered himself with a sheet. The people of both the religions had malicious thoughts in their minds; they were thinking, “Last rites of half a body is bad omen; therefore, we will acquire the whole body by fighting and then we will perform the last rites.” Allah Kabir even knows our thoughts. After some time, a voice came from the sky, “Lift the sheet and see, there is no dead body under it.” When everyone looked up, they saw Kabir ji was going upwards in the sky. He was saying, “I am Supreme God Kabir, the (Kartaar) Creator of the whole universe. You could not understand me.” When they lifted the sheet, there was a pile of fragrant flowers equivalent to the size of a dead body. (Khuda) God Kabir had mounted His throne in the sky. If God had not performed that miracle, there would have been a fierce battle between the Hindus and the Muslims. Thousands of people would have been killed. No one could avert that disaster except God. At that very moment, Hindus and Muslims hugged each other and wept bitterly in the grief of Allah's departure. They said, “We did not recognise Allah. We have made a big mistake.” One sheet and half of the flowers were given to each of the religion. Bijli Khan Pathan (Nawab of Maghar), for his Pir Kabir Ji, gave space to both the religions to perform the last rites of the flowers at one place (within a distance of hundred feet). Both the religions performed the last rites of a sheet and half of the flowers according to their respective custom. Even today both the memorials are present in Maghar town (District - Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India). Bijli Khan Pathan had (zakat) donated 500 bighas of land each for both the memorials.

 

PICTURE OF MAGHAR MEMORIAL

 

When Supreme God Kabir left from the midst of everyone, then Sant Dharmdas ji cried in his separation and said, “O Supreme God Kabir! Please visit me again. You had travelled from your throne in Satlok and come to earth to sever the chain of the bondage of our deeds. A fight was about to break between the two (deen) religions. Everyone had prepared their respective armies to fight with weapons. Your body was not found. You are Almighty Allah. This divine act is sufficient to understand this. O Supreme God! Convey the (kheva) boat of my life across to (parle teer) the other side of the world-like river, that is, grant me salvation. After some days, Allah Kabir ji came from Satlok and again met Sant Dharmdas ji. He stayed with him. He sent Sant Dharmdas ji to Satlok. This proves that the one who had met Hazrat Muhammad Sallam in the form of Al-Khijr, that Al-Kabir alone is the Creator of the universe.

Witness 4: Sant Malook Das Ji

Kabir ji also took Sant Malook Das ji to Satlok. After showing all the arrangement, He left him back in his body. Earlier Malook Das ji was a supreme devotee of Shri Krishna and Shri Ramchandra (Shri Vishnu ji). After that, relinquishing the previous worship, he performed the method of worship preached by Khuda (God) Kabir. He attained salvation. Sant Malook Das said: -

Japo re man Saaheb naam Kabir, japo re man Parmeshwar naam Kabir ||
Ek samay Guru bansi bajaai, kaalandri ke teer |
Sur nar munijan thakat bhaye, ruk gaya jamna neer ||
Amrit bhojan mhaare Satguru jeemein, shabd doodh ki kheer |
Daas Malook salook kahat hai, khojo Khasam Kabir ||

Meaning - Sant Malook Das ji has clarified that chant the naam (mantra) of God Kabir. Search for that (Khasam) Master of all, Kabir; recognise Him. After performing true worship, go to God Kabir in Satlok. As has been stated about Shri Krishna that he used to play melodious flute. Hearing its tune, the female cowherds and the cows used to get attracted to him. Malook Das has told that once my Satguru Kabir ji played the flute on the banks of the river Jamna (Kaalandri), on hearing which the gods of heaven, sages and people of nearby villages were drawn to Him. And what can I say? Even the water of the Jamna River came to a halt. My Satguru eats the kheer (pudding) of the Shabd (word), that is, along with nectar food, he also enjoys eternal bliss. Sant Malook Das ji gave an eye-witnessed account that Kabir is Complete God (Purna Brahm / Kaadir Allah / Almighty God).

Witness 5: Guru Nanak Dev Ji

God had met Shri Nanak Ji when Shri Nanak Dev Saheb Ji used to work in the storehouse of Nawab in Sultanpur city. Bein river flows half a kilometer away from Sultanpur city. Shri Nanak ji used to go daily to bathe in that river.

One day, God appeared on the Bein river in the attire of Jinda Baba. There He had a discussion with Shri Nanak Dev Ji on spiritual knowledge. After that, Shri Nanak ji took a dip in the river, but he did not come out. The people present there assumed that Nanak ji had drowned in the river. The people of the city also searched by putting a net in the river but were disappointed because Shri Nanak Dev ji had gone to Sachkhand (Satlok) with the Supreme God who had appeared in the form of Jinda Baba. After three days, Shri Nanak Dev Ji returned to Earth. He stood on the same spot on the bank of the Bein river from where he had disappeared. The joy of the residents of Sultanpur knew no bounds on seeing Shri Nanak ji alive. Shri Nanak's sister Nanaki was also married in Sultanpur city. Shri Nanak ji used to live with his sister. Sister Nanaki, who was saddened by the grief of her brother's death, was astonished and the grief turned into joy. Shri Nanak Dev met God; he got the true knowledge and the true naam (Satyanam). In both the books, Bhai Bale Wali "Janm Sakhi Guru Nanak Dev Ji" and in Praan Sangli in Hindi script, whose editor is Sant Sampoorn Singh, there is evidence that Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji himself told Mardana, “I met God in the form of Jinda Baba on the Bein river, when I went to take a bath. I had stayed with Him for three days. That Jinda Baba is my Satguru as well as the Creator of the universe. Therefore, only He is entitled to be called "Baba"; others should not be called "Baba". His name is Kabir.”

Kaayam Daayam Kudarti Sab Peeran Sir Peer Aalam Badaa Kabir |

Therefore, Shri Nanak ji's speech (Mehla 1) matches with the Sukshmved. It is correct. The speech of other saints is not so accurate. The reason is that Shri Nanak Dev Ji had met God Kabir Ji.

Evidence: - The speech written in Sri Guru Granth Sahib on page 24: -

Ek suan duyi suaani naal bhalke bhonkahi sadaa biaal,
Kudh chhura mutha murdaar Dhaanak roop rahaa Kartaar |
Tera ek naam taare sansaar main eho aash eho aadhar,
Dhaanak roop rahaa Kartaar |

Faahi surat malooki vesh, eh thagwaada thagi desh |
kharaa siyaana, bahuta bhaar, Dhaanak roop rahaa Kartaar ||

The following speech is written in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, on Page 731: -

Neech jaati pardeshi mera, kshan aavae kshan jaavae |
Jaaki sangat Nanak rahanda, kyukar munda paavae ||

On page 721, the following speech is written: -

Yak arj guftam pesh todar, koon Kartaar |
Hakka Kabir Kareem Tu Beyaeb Parvardigaar ||

This above-mentioned sacred speech is from Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji, which proved that God had met Shri Nanak ji. He is "Kabir Kartaar" (Kabir, the Creator) who had come to Kashi to perform a divine act in the form of a Dhaanak (weaver).

It is clear from the above pieces of evidence that Kabir, the weaver from Kashi (India), is the Creator of all; He is the Almighty God who sustains and nurtures everyone. He alone, in the form of Al-Khijr, had met good souls. By disguising in other such forms, He also makes the righteous souls aware of the best method of worship. It is also clear from the above topic of Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham that Al-Khijr only is Kabir Allah.

 

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