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Rahman Baba
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Abdur Rahmān Momand (Pashto: عبدالرحمان بابا; c. 1632 – 1706)[1] or Rahmān Bābā (Pashto: رحمان بابا), was a renowned Afghan[2][3] Sufi Saint, member of Sufi Dervish and poet from Peshawar (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) during the Mughal era. He, along with his contemporary Khushal Khan Khattak, is considered among the most popular poets of the Pashto language.[4] His poetry expresses the mystical side of Islam, in line with his Sufi-oriented nature.[5]
Key Information
Rahman's lineage
[edit]Opinion is divided about Rahman's family background.[6] Several commentators are convinced that his family was village Malik (chieftains).[6] However, Rahman Baba was more likely to have been a simple, though learned man. As he himself exclaimed: "Though the wealthy drink water from a golden cup, I prefer this clay bowl of mine."[7]

Published work
[edit]
A collection of Rahman's poetry, called the Dīwān ("anthology") of Rahman Baba, contains 343 poems, most of which are written in his native Pashto. The Dīwān of Rahman Baba was in wide circulation by 1728. There are over 25 original hand-written manuscripts of the Dīwān scattered in various libraries worldwide, including ten in the Pashto Academy in Peshawar, four in the British Library, three in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, as well as copies in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, the Bodleian Library in Oxford and the University Library Aligath. The first printed version was collected by the Anglican Missionary T.P. Hughes and printed in Lahore in 1877.[8] It is this version which remains the most commonly used to this day.
Reputation
[edit]"Rahman Baba has received a large amount of praise. His work is regarded by many Pashtuns to be far more than poetry and next only to the Quran."[9]
Shrine
[edit]After his demise, poets, musicians and singers flocked to his gravesite annually. This annual congregation attained a festive status over the years which has carried on as part of Peshawar's rich cultural tradition to this day. However, on 5 March 2009, "militants" bombed Rahman Baba's tomb in Peshawar.[10][11] "The high intensity device almost destroyed the grave, gates of a mosque, canteen and conference hall situated in the Rehman Baba Complex. Police said the bombers had tied explosives around the pillars of the tombs, to pull down the mausoleum".[12] The shrine reopened in November 2012 after Rs. 39 million reconstruction.[13]
Recommended reading
[edit]
- H. G. Raverty, The Gulistan-i-Roh: Afghan Poetry and Prose
- H. G. Raverty, Selections from the Poetry of the Afghans, from the 16th to the 19th Century
- Abdur Rahman Baba, Robert Sampson, and Momin Khan. The Poetry of Rahman Baba: Poet of the Pukhtuns. Translated by Robert Sampson and Momin Khan. Peshawar: University Book Agency, 2005.
- Robert Sampson. "The Poetry of Rahman Baba: The Gentle Side of Pushtun Consciousness." Central Asia 52 (2003): 213–228.
- Robert Sampson and Momin Khan. Sow Flowers: Selections from Rahman Baba, the Poet of the Afghans. Peshawar: Interlit Foundation, 2008.
- Robert Sampson. "The War on Poetry: Snuffing out Folk Tradition Along the Pakistan-Afghan Border." The Frontier Post, 7 December 2008.
- Abdur Raḥmān Baba, Jens Enevoldsen, "The Nightingale of Peshawar: Selections from Rahman Baba." Interlit Foundation, 1993.
- Abdur Raḥmān Baba. "Rahman Baba: A Few Verses from His Deewan." Translated into English Rhyme by Hidayatullah Muhibkhel Arbab Mohmand.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Journal of the University of Peshawar. Vol. 3. 1954. p. 92. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
The exact dates of his birth and death are not known, but it is conjectured that he was born in 1042 H and died in 1118 H.
- ^ House, Roy Temple (1946). Books Abroad - Volume 20. University of Oklahoma.
... and most popular, of Afghan poets is Abdur Rahman . A member of the Momand tribe
- ^ J. Rogal, Samuel J. Rogal (1991). Calendar of Literary Facts: A Daily and Yearly Guide to Noteworthy Events in World Literature from 1450 to the Present. Gale Research.
Abdurrahman Momand ( b . 1650 ? ) . Afghan religious poet; his poetry reflected his piety and love of God
- ^ Sampson, Robert. "Abdu'l Rahmān Bābā: The Legacy of His Poetry in Expressing Divergent Islamic Theology in Pushtūn Society." M.A. Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2003.
- ^ Sampson, Robert. "The Poetry of Rahman Baba: The Gentle Side of Pushtun Consciousness." Central Asia 52 (2003): 213–228.
- ^ a b RB-P Archived 3 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ D 135/9.
- ^ Rahman Baba, Abdu'l, Robert Sampson, and Momin Khan. The Poetry of Rahman Baba: Poet of the Pukhtuns. Translated by Robert Sampson and Momin Khan. Peshawar: University Book Agency, 2005.
- ^ "Rahman Baba: Poet of the Pashtuns". BBC News. 21 February 2005. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
- ^ Imtiaz, Saba (26 June 2010). "Revisiting Rahman Baba's shrine". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ "Militants bomb ancient shrine in Pakistan". NBC News. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ And now Sunni vs Sunni Riaz ul Hassan| circa July 2010
- ^ Khan, Javed Aziz (21 November 2012). "Rahman Baba shrine re-opens". Central Asia Online. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
Rahman Baba
View on GrokipediaBiography
Early Life and Lineage
Abdur Rahman, known as Rahman Baba, was born around 1650 in Bahadur Kala, a village near Peshawar in the Peshawar Valley (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan).[1][4] His exact birth date remains uncertain, with some historical accounts deriving approximations from references in his poetry to contemporary events, such as the end of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's reign.[5] Rahman Baba belonged to the Mohmand tribe of Pashtuns, specifically the Ghoryakhel sub-tribe, a group that had migrated from the Hindu Kush mountains to the Peshawar region.[6] In his poetry, he claimed descent from the Sarban lineage, considered by some Pashtun genealogies as tracing back to ancient Afghan ancestors, though tribal records emphasize his Mohmand affiliation.[7][8] Historical accounts differ on his immediate family background, with some sources suggesting his forebears were village maliks (chieftains or local leaders) of modest influence, while others describe a simpler agrarian lineage without elite status.[9] Little is documented about his parents or siblings, reflecting the limited contemporary records of rural Pashtun life in the Mughal era, though his father's name is occasionally given as Abdul Sattar in oral traditions not corroborated by primary texts.[10] These variations underscore the challenges in reconstructing precise genealogy from poetic self-references and later tribal histories, which prioritize collective tribal identity over individual details.Education and Influences
Rahman Baba received his early religious education in Bahadur Kala, his birthplace near Peshawar, where he studied foundational Islamic texts and principles under local scholars.[11] Accounts indicate this instruction included subjects such as fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and tafsir (Quranic exegesis), reflecting the typical curriculum for Pashtun youth in 17th-century Mughal-era villages emphasizing scriptural knowledge over secular pursuits.[8] He demonstrated proficiency in Pashto, Arabic, and Persian, languages essential for religious scholarship and poetry composition, though formal records of his schooling remain sparse due to the oral and reclusive nature of his life.[8] Later, Rahman Baba traveled to Kohat for advanced studies, engaging with regional mystics and deepening his understanding of tassawuf (Sufism).[11] This period exposed him to practical Sufi practices, including meditation and ethical contemplation, shaping his worldview amid the tribal dynamics of the Peshawar Valley.[8] While specific mentors like Mullah Muhammad Yousaf or Haji Bahadur are mentioned in traditional Pashtun lore, such as references in Pata Khazana, these attributions lack corroboration in primary Mughal-era documents and may reflect later hagiographic embellishments.[8] His primary influences derived from Sufi mysticism, which permeated his poetry with emphases on divine love (ishq), humility, and inner purification over ritualistic orthodoxy.[4] Broader intellectual inspirations included Persian literary traditions, notably poets like Hafiz Shirazi, whose themes of ecstatic union with the divine echo in Rahman Baba's verses, adapted to Pashtun cultural idioms.[8] Affiliation with a specific Sufi tariqa (order) remains debated among scholars: some propose Qadiri ties due to regional prevalence, others Naqshbandi initiation in Kohat or Chishti leanings, while evidence suggests he operated independently, prioritizing personal devotion over institutional hierarchy.[12] This ambiguity underscores the fluid, non-sectarian Sufism of frontier Pashtun society, where Rahman Baba's work critiques tribal excesses and advocates universal ethical reform grounded in Quranic principles.[11]Later Years and Death
In his later years, Rahman Baba resided in relative seclusion near Bahadur Kala, a village south of Peshawar, eschewing the courtly patronage sought by many contemporary poets in favor of spiritual contemplation and poetic composition.[13] This ascetic lifestyle aligned with his Sufi inclinations, allowing him to focus on themes of divine love and ethical introspection amid the socio-political turbulence of Mughal-era Peshawar Valley.[1] Rahman Baba's poetry from this period reflects a deepening mysticism, including verses alluding to local events such as the 1711 deaths of tribal leaders Gul Khan and Jamal Khan, indicating his awareness of Pashtun tribal dynamics despite his withdrawal from public life.[10] He died in Peshawar around 1711 CE, with his tomb enshrined in a mazar (shrine) on the southern outskirts at Hazar Khwani, a site that became a focal point for Pashtun reverence.[14][6] The exact circumstances of his death remain undocumented in primary sources, consistent with the sparse biographical records of his era.[5]Literary Works
Major Publications
The principal literary output of Rahman Baba is his Diwan (anthology), a comprehensive collection of his Pashto poetry comprising approximately 343 poems, predominantly ghazals infused with Sufi themes.[12][15] This work, known as Diwan-i-Rahman Baba, represents his sole major publication during his lifetime, with poems circulating orally and in manuscript form among Pashtun communities before formal compilation.[16] Manuscripts of the Diwan date back to the 18th century, including an illustrated two-volume edition commissioned in 1798 by Abdullah Khan Alkozai (also referred to as Barakzai in some accounts), featuring dozens of artistic depictions reflective of Pashtun cultural motifs.[17] Additional historical manuscripts are preserved in institutions such as the British Library in London and the John Rylands Library in Manchester, with scholarly analyses identifying variations in poem sequencing and inclusion across copies.[18] In traditional editions, the poems are organized by the rhyming letter concluding each line (qafiya), often divided into two daftars (volumes) for structural clarity.[19] The first printed edition emerged in 1877 in Lahore, compiled under the supervision of Maulvi Ahmad from earlier collected verses, marking a shift from manuscript transmission to wider dissemination amid British colonial influence in the region.[19] Subsequent editions, including those by the Pashto Academy (e.g., a 1977 publication), have standardized the corpus while preserving the original Pashto text, though variations persist due to oral traditions and regional recensions.[20] No other distinct publications by Rahman Baba are documented, as his oeuvre centers on this singular anthology, which continues to be revered in Pashtun literary heritage.[16]Poetic Style and Language
Rahman Baba's poetry is predominantly composed in the ghazal form, which he refined and popularized in Pashto, earning him recognition as the father of the Pashto ghazal.[21] His works also include nazms, blending Sufi mysticism with Pashtun cultural elements like Pashtunwali.[21] Influenced by Persian poets such as Hafiz Shirazi, his ghazals maintain a consistent style with lively variations, often concluding with his takhallus (pen name) in the final couplet.[8] He employed classical Pashto, utilizing dialects that contributed to a softer, more accessible portrayal of Pashtun identity.[21] The language is marked by simplicity and directness, featuring straightforward and logical wording that renders his verses comprehensible to broad audiences, enhanced by a "magical art" in expression.[1] Subtle integrations of Arabic and Persian vocabulary reflect his scholarly depth in theology, philosophy, and jurisprudence, without overshadowing the native Pashto idiom.[8] Poetic devices include vivid metaphors—such as mirrors for self-reflection or flowers for humility—along with repetition for emphasis on core themes and occasional sarcasm to critique societal flaws.[1] This combination of Sufi influences from Persian and Arabic traditions with indigenous Pashto elements underscores his innovation in form and linguistic purity.[21]Themes and Philosophy
Sufi Mysticism and Spirituality
Rahman Baba's poetry embodies Sufi mysticism through its emphasis on divine love (ishq-e-ilahi) and the soul's yearning for union with God, reflecting a profound commitment to inner spiritual transformation over external religious formalities. More than 65% of his verses focus on Allah and the Prophet Muhammad, highlighting tawhid—the uncompromised oneness of God—and the rejection of polytheistic tendencies.[22] He portrays spiritual enlightenment as accessible via love rather than intellect alone, as in his assertion that "The throne of God can be stepped through love," critiquing worldly attachments that obscure divine illumination.[22] This inner-oriented approach aligns with Sufi principles of self-purification and direct experiential knowledge (marifat), prioritizing personal devotion and remembrance (dhikr) of God, which he deems superior to material wealth: "One Breath Remembering God is better than all present wealth of the world."[22] Central to Baba's spirituality is the depiction of God as the Merciful Creator, intimately near to humanity—"nearer than his jugular vein"—evoking intense longing and ecstatic love that transcends fear-based orthodoxy.[23] His mysticism incorporates fana (annihilation in the divine) and mushahidah (contemplative vision of God), where love facilitates union, viewing creation as a manifestation of divine reality and the Prophet as the essential intermediary: "I Rahman am a sweeper at Muhammad’s gate."[23][22] Unlike stricter theological emphases on reward and punishment, Baba's Sufi lens favors emotional surrender and tears of separation from the Beloved, fostering a path of humility and sacrifice for divine proximity.[23] Baba integrates ascetic themes of abstinence and piety, upholding the five Islamic pillars while extending mysticism to ethical tolerance and human compassion as reflections of God's unity, exemplified in "Sow flowers so your surroundings become a garden."[22] His verses warn against hearts "settled with the world love," which preclude spiritual awakening, and promote a qalandar-like detachment achieved through unwavering devotion.[22] This holistic spirituality, grounded in Pashto cultural context, underscores Rahman Baba's role as a guide toward authentic Islamic esotericism, blending personal ecstasy with communal harmony.[22][23]
