Waris Shah is calling from his grave!

This is not the world, especially this part, which was known to Sufis like Waris Shah, who preached ‘love to all’ till they left the mundane world to meet their Creator again. Today he has more number of followers to what he had during his worldly days, but the levels of unrest, disharmony, despondency and hatred for fellow beings are the highest ever, if these have not touched their maximums. And now it seems that even his followers have forgotten Shah’s real message, and perhaps have become mere visitors to his last resting place, at least once a year during the Urs days, which is the 215th this year. How unsafe have become such places of people who preached peace and love for humanity, can be gauged from the very fact that the in 2011,the Punjab government had cancelled all the literary programmes and banned the gathering of more than 20 people in the premises of Waris Shah’s mazar, which had obviously disappointed the devotees. The question is: Can the provincial dispensation not even secure compound encompassing three acres? If it could have been done, then people could have re-enlivened the days of yore when recitations of Shah’s Heer Ranjha enthralled a many, allowed permeation of Sufi’s spirit and promoted feeling of brotherhood. But the ‘steps meant for security of people’ did not allow this to happen. India’s celebrated writer Amrita Pretam is less known in Pakistan, even for her autobiographical ‘Raseedi Ticket’ but mostly for 16-liner tribute to Waris Shah, where she has pleaded to the Sufi to rise from his grave, and have a look at the havoc played to this land. She says: I say to Waris Shah today, speak from your grave And add a new page to your book of love Once one daughter of Punjab wept, and you wrote your long saga; Today thousands weep, calling to you Waris Shah: Arise, O friend of the afflicted; arise and see the state of Punjab, Corpses strewn on fields, and the Chenab flowing with much blood. Someone filled the five rivers with poison, And this same water now irrigates our soil. Where was lost the flute, where the songs of love sounded? And all Ranjha’s brothers forgotten to play the flute. Blood has rained on the soil, graves are oozing with blood, The princesses of love cry their hearts out in the graveyards. Today all the Quaido’s have become the thieves of love and beauty, Where can we find another one like Waris Shah? Waris Shah! I say to you, speak from your grave And add a new page to your book of love. (This translation is from Darshan Singh Maini’s ‘Studies in Punjabi Poetry’.) Shah’s Heer is better known among the Punjabi speaking population of the world than Shakespeare’s Juliet, and the former’s message is far profound than the writings of the English dramatist but the literati of the sub-continent considered it a huge tribute to the ever-living Shah when he is renamed as ‘Shakespeare of the Punjabi Language’. It is an acceptance by those, who might not have understood and comprehended Shah in totality. If more Punjabi knowing people would have read or his writings would have been made compulsory part of the syllabi, then Waris Shah would have been the one of the greatest writers of the world, whose message is for believers of all shades. To some critics, Shah’s masterpiece Heer Ranjha is apparently a story of romantic love, through which he had tried to portray the love for God, the quintessential subject of Sufis’ writings. Someone has rightly put it, “the first poet of Punjab who sang full-throatedly about Punjab and Punjabiat and left a writing (Heer Ranjha) which is the soulful passionate expression of the Punjabi psyche, culture and aspirations.” Through this, Waris Shah is calling out at the top of his voice – Reaching out to Him (Allah) is the finality.

On to a spiritual journey...

When it comes to seeking forgiveness from the Almighty Allah and purifying ones soul from the worldly dirt for spiritual exaltation, this nation is never lagging behind. One of the glaring examples of this can be seen in this part of the world where one can see hundreds of thousands of people of all ages from across the country and beyond borders thronging the city to pass through the Behishti Darwaaza – Gateway to Heavens – on the occasion of the 765th Urs of Hazrat Baba Fareed-ud-Din Gunj-e-Shakar (RA) when the Darwaaza is opened by the Sajjada Nasheen for only five days in a year from Moharram 5 to Moharram 9.

In this chillingly cold weather, all the bare-foot devotees enter the premises of the Darbar after queuing up for hours on the streets of once-upon-a-time Ayodhan, later named Pak-Pattan – cleansed brink of River (Satluj) – by Akbar the Great after it was 'declared 'Pak' by Shaikh-ul-Islam Gunj-e-Shakar (RA)'.

More than one lakh people in one night pass through the Darwaaza while chanting 'Haq Fareed' and dancing to the tunes of their purified hearts. Those who come out of the Noori Darwaaza – exit point of the shortest possible penultimate journey from the Behishti to the Noori – wear no signs of tiredness; rather they feel re-invigorated to face worldly life. Why is it so? To a few's naked eyes, it is nothing but one is travelling a long distance to reach Pakpattan, bearing with police harshness and abuse, braving extremity of the weather and endangering his life. Whereas for the 'seeing' eyes, it is a spiritual journey, which is giving impetus to people for ensuring their Hazri (presence) at the Gunj-e-Shakar Darbar. Fullstop! If it dawns to one's heart that his Hazri has been given a nod from the highest office of the Chistya Silsila, his joy knows no bounds, and he feels re-enlivened to face life.

Interestingly, the push and pull they bear, the police attitude and long wait are part of the spiritual cleansing. They do not mind tolerating the extremities because they are aiming for some thing higher. "These are nothing when it comes to achieving heart's contentment and pleasure. No worldly wealth can buy this for us. I queued myself to pass through the Behishti Darwaaza at 4 pm for the 5th time in life, but this time with my five-year-old son Ali Murad," said Ijaz Ahmed Malhi, who had travelled from Kot Addu for six hours. Is he tired? He was not; rather he was visibly happy while holding his Ali in his lap, and covering him with his chaddhar to protect the child from freezing temperature.

Youngsters can tread difficult paths, and brave excruciating times, but those who have worn out their years, are not far behind. One can see jubilant old people, who would not have walked a few yards sans any support in ordinary life yet they are here to ensure their Hazri. 80-year-old Mansha has come to the City again for the time even uncountable to him. "I cannot hold myself back and stay home, when the Behishti Darwaaza is opened. I am here and will be next year, provided He (pointing his finger to the sky) allowed me," he said.

There are groups of Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists roaming in the City after passing through the Behishti Darwaaza. They were feeling as if they had gone through pilgrimage (journey to Nankana Sahab and bathe at the Golden Temple), Ashnan (bathe at the Ganga) and Tarasha (remove all body hair, or have seen Buddha with their naked eyes) respectively for Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists. Question is: Why are they here, and on whose invitation? "We are accepted by the Baba Sahab Gunj-e-Shakar (RA), and he blesses us whenever we are here. We feel cleansed," said Ajeet Singh Gill, who will remain in the City till the 10th of Moharram.

The devotees can be artificially divided into three groups – ordinary – queuing up for hours – VIPs – above than the ordinary and lower than the last group, that is, the VVIPs. It is so depending upon the protocol they get from the administration. "This classification is by the worldly, for the worldly and of the worldly. I personally perceive that this queuing journey is for the Baba Sahab, who sees through hearts, and hence the devotees get contentment depending upon the effort, which is the gist of the philosophy behind the Behishti Darwaaza," said Mahi Sain, who thinks that real VVIPs for the Baba Sahab are those who are being treated ordinarily by the worldly, and are in queues.This journey comprises trials and tribulations, pains and gains, which one undertakes for seeking tolerance, patience and love for humanity for a soulful life. The longer, harder and harsher this journey is, higher are the gains. Otherwise easy come, easy go!