Sachal Sarmast

Sachal Sarmast or Sacho Sarmast (; – 1827), was an 18th and 19th century Sindhi Sufi poet, mystic and philosopher from Daraza (present-day Sindh, Pakistan), regarded as an important figure in the Sindhi-language literature. He is revered throughout Pakistan.

Biography

Sachal Sarmast was a descendant of Umar and wrote poetry in seven languages: Sindhi, Siraiki, Persian, Urdu, Balochi, Punjabi and Arabic. He lived during the Kalhoro/ Talpur era. He was born in 1152 H (AD 1739) in Daraza, near Ranipur.

He was named Abdul Wahab, after his great grandfather. His truthful nature received him the names Sacho, or Sachal which means, "The truth-speaker." He was also named Sachedino, which means "Gifted by The True One."

He was also called " Hafiz Darazi", because of his memorization of Quran and love for his home of Daraza. His famous name of Sachal Sarmast means, "Truth-speaker intoxicated in Allah's love".

His native home of Shah Daraza was originally a estate for rulers of the state, but later became a prominent Sufi base due to the mysticism of the Farooqui mystics. It was known as "Dar-i-Raaz" or "Gate of Sufi Mysteries."

Childhood

Sachal was six years old during the time his father Khwaja Salahuddin Farooqui died, and his grandfather Khwaja Muhammad Hafiz Farooqui then took care of him, then his uncle Khwaja Abdul Haq I, who later became his Murshid and father-in-law began taking care of him. Khwaja Abdul Haq I appointed Hafiz Abdullah, one of his Murids, as Sachal's tutor. He taught him the Quran and theology. At the age of 12, he demonstrated a lot of knowledge of theology.
He liked solitude. He liked to be alone often like a Dervish.

He was around the age of seven when the famous poet and Sufi, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai came to Daraza and prophecised of Sachal unveiling Sufi mysteries when he is older, in the following words:
"This boy shalt take off the lid I have put on the pot."

Silsila of Shah Darazi Tariqa

Silsila reaching modern-day custodians of the shrine

# Hazrat Imam Ali,
# Hazrat Imam Husayn,
# Hazrat Imam Zayn al-Abidin,
# Hazrat Imam al-Baqir,
# Hazrat Imam Jafar,
# Hazrat Imam Musa,
# Hazrat Imam Riza,
# Hazrat Sh. Ma'ruf Kharki,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Hassan Sari Sakti,
# Hazrat Sh. Junaid al-Baghdadi,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Bakr al-Shibli,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Fazal ibn Awahid,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu al-Farah Tartussi,
# Hazrat Sh. Ali ibn Muhammad Yusuf Hankari,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Saeed Faruqi,
# Hazrat Sh. Abdul Qadir al-Jilani,
# Hazrat Sh. Abdul Qadir Suhrawardi,
# Hazrat Sh. Amaududdin Ilyas,
# Hazrat Sh. Najamuddin Kubra,
# Hazrat Sh. Majeeduddin Baghdadi,
# Hazrat Sh. Ahmed,
# Hazrat Sh. Nuruddin Kubrai,
# Hazrat Sh. Muhammad al-Hassan,
# Hazrat Sh. Muhammad,
# Hazrat Sh. Yahya Madani,
# Hazrat Sh. Ubaidullah,
# Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Hafiz Farooqui,
# Hazrat Khwaja Abdul Haq I,
# Hazrat Sakhi Qabool Muhammad I,
# Hazrat Khwaja Nazar Muhammad,
# Hazrat Khwaja Najamuddin,
# Hazrat Sakhi Qabool Muhammad II,
# Hazrat Khwaja Sahib Dino,
# Hazrat Sakhi Qabool Muhammad III,
# Hazrat Khwaja Abdul Haq II,
# Sakhi Qabool Muhammad IV

Silsila reaching Sachal

# Hazrat Imam Ali,
# Hazrat Imam Husayn,
# Hazrat Imam Zayn al-Abidin,
# Hazrat Imam al-Baqir,
# Hazrat Imam Jafar,
# Hazrat Imam Musa,
# Hazrat Imam Riza,
# Hazrat Sh. Ma'ruf Kharki,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Hassan Sari Sakti,
# Hazrat Sh. Junaid al-Baghdadi,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Bakr al-Shibli,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Fazal ibn Awahid,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu al-Farah Tartussi,
# Hazrat Sh. Ali ibn Muhammad Yusuf Hankari,
# Hazrat Sh. Abu Saeed Faruqi,
# Hazrat Sh. Abdul Qadir al-Jilani,
# Hazrat Sh. Abdul Qadir Suhrawardi,
# Hazrat Sh. Amaududdin Ilyas,
# Hazrat Sh. Najamuddin Kubra,
# Hazrat Sh. Majeeduddin Baghdadi,
# Hazrat Sh. Ahmed,
# Hazrat Sh. Nuruddin Kubrai,
# Hazrat Sh. Muhammad al-Hassan,
# Hazrat Sh. Muhammad,
# Hazrat Sh. Yahya Madani,
# Hazrat Sh. Ubaidullah,
# Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Hafiz Farooqui,
# Hazrat Khwaja Abdul Haq I,
# Hazrat Sachal Sarmast

Sachal's appearance and dress

Sachal's height was average, he had a wide forehead with a "enlightened" face. His eyes were dewy and his face always seemed in somberness or grief. He dressed humbly, he wore a White shirt. He also wore blue trousers. He wore a green turban and wore wooden sandals, he would go barefoot on long strolls sometimes.

Marriage

Khwaja Abdul Haq I got him married to his daughter, Sachal's cousin who lived two years after the marriage and died childless. He did not marry again after this.

Sufi Thought

The second Sufi master of the Faruqis of Daraza was Khwaja Mian Abdul Haq Farooqui who was the Murshid and Guide of Sachal Sarmast. Sachal has said about his Murshid Khwaja Abdul Haq in his following lines:

"If vou wish to be aware of the Devine Secrets, come with a sincere heart to Shah Daraza. Here is the Murshid Abdul Haq who knows all mysteries, and has shown me the path love and will also reveal it to you."

He was a strict man when it came to religion. He adhered to all religious rites and prayers, and he urged others to do the same, he said to others to offer their prayers five times daily in the mosque, to not miss the Friday prayer, to fast in the month of Ramadan and to be pious; as well as to recite the Qur'an or hear it from others.

His whole life was quite simple. He did not hunt animals. He did not take any intoxicants or alcohol, and he believed that the greatest intoxicant was Allah's love which he has described in his poetry as a "Jaam" or "Wine".

Poetry

Sachal was a enthusiast of Sufi poetry and music. Hearing Sufi poems would cause him to go into a state of Wajd and dance, tears would also come from his eyes. The Khwaja of Daraza put 2 men to write down his poetry whenever he went into Wajd and sang, if they missed anything and asked him to repeat his lines, Sachal would say, "I did not sing; He Himself sang.".

He expresses the idea of Allah being the ultimate oneness and only in some of his poems such as:
"He is, You are not, Lose your self,
And jump into the Sea of Unity."

He was a complete lover and devotee of the Companions of the Prophet and has condemned those who curse and disassociate from them in his famous poem, "Mahi Yaar di Gharoli". He expresses this in the following lines:

"Abu Bakr, Shah Umar, Uthman,
Ali, pure Imams of the believers,
Of the liege of the Arabs, I am a servant."

"The Rafidhi can never be a Hafiz,
Nor can he ever become a Wali,
My feelings to them are pure poison."

"The one who curses and disassociates (from the companions),
The companions are free of what he accuses them,
I kiss the dirt of the door of the dear companions."

Sachal talks of his Tariqah's silsilah's origin being Pir Ubaidallah Shah Jilani who is also mentioned in their Silsilah:

"Shah Ubaidallah Jilani!
He gave us the honor of spiritual guidance,
I am born of the city of Daraza!"

Sachal also praises the revered Islamic and Sufi figure, Abdul Qadir Jilani who is also the origin of his Tariqah:

"Pir of Pirs, Hazrat Miraan!
Upon whose name, chains break!
Perfect Murshid, his name I repeat!"

Death

He was healthy in his life because of a simple diet and fasting. In the last three days of his life he was in his room. Only the sounds of music and dance were heard by attendants. He died on the 14th of Ramadan 1242 A. H., 1825 AD.

Successors

The current Sajjada Nashin of Sachal Sarmast's shrine is Khwaja Abdul Haq III Farooqui.

Urs of Sachal

An annual three-day urs, or festival commemorating the death anniversary of Sachal Sarmast is held at Daraza Sharif, beginning on the 13th day of Ramazan, including a literary conference and musical concerts based on his poetry.

References

* "The Rise, Growth And Decline of Indo-Persian Literature" by R M Chopra, 2nd Edition 2013, published by Iran Culture House, New Delhi and Iran Society, Kolkata.

External links

Sachal Jo Sindhi Kalam: Sachal jo Risalo
published online b
Abdul-Majid Bhurgri

Agha Sufi, Sachal Sarmast (vol. 1: Chapters I-III), pub. Shikarpur Sindh, 1933


Agha Sufi, Sachal Sarmast (vol. 2: Chapters IV-V, glossary), pub. Shikarpur Sindh, 1933


Sachal Jo Sindhi Kalam: Sachal jo Risalo
in downloadable PDF eBook format

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarmast, Sachal
Mystic poets
Sufi mystics
People from Khairpur District
Sindhi-language poets
Punjabi-language poets
Sufi poets
Sufis of Sindh
Sindhi people
1739 births
1829 deaths
Sufism in Pakistan
Sufi shrines in Pakistan