Sultan Bahu

Who was Sultan Bahu?

Sultan Bahu was a Muslim Sufi who founded the Sarwari Qadiri Sufi order and was considered by his followers to be a saint.

Sultan Bahu was born in Anga, Soon Valley, Sakesar in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. More than forty books on Sufism are attributed to him, mostly in Persian. Most of his books deal with specialized aspects of Islam and Islamic mysticism, but his Punjabi poetry had popular appeal and made him a household name in the region. His verses are sung in many genres of Sufi music including qawwali and kafi. Tradition has established a unique style of singing his couplets.

Sultan Bahu is a direct descendant of Ali, the cousin of Muhammad. He is Hashimi, and belongs to the Awan tribe which traces its descent from Ameer Shah, son of Qutub Shah.

The mausoleum of Sultan Bahu located in Garh Maharaja, Punjab, Pakistan was originally built on his grave but has had to be moved twice when the Chenab River changed its course. It is a popular Sufi shrine, and the annual Urs festival commemorating his death is celebrated with great fervour. The Urs festival is held during the month of Muharram. Every year on the 9th of Muharram, a ghusal is also conducted under the supervision of Muhammad Najeeb Sultan, Sajjada Nasheen of the Sultan Bahu shrine, in which the descendants of Sultan Bahu wash his shrine with rose water.