1.

INTRODUCTION
Sultan Bahu was conceived amid the rule of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan(1628-58) in
tehsil Shorkot of district Jhang in Punjab, Pakistan. Sultan Bahoo is a standout amongst the most
renowned Sufis of his time. He is frequently called Sultan-ul-Arifeen among Sufis. His father
died when he was very young. His mother (God favor her spirit) had administered him for the
duration of his life till forty years when, his mother passed away. His mother had shown him
about Shariyah and dhikr (conjuring of God and His Name through heart pulsates). He is
constantly generous in the praise of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul QadirJilani. He was enthusiastic for
the information for religion and to take after the method for mystery (Sufism is an Islamic
expression for mysticism). Mysticism is the conviction that immediate learning of God, spiritual
truth or extreme reality can be accomplished through subjective experience (for example, insight
or intuition)[ CITATION na \l 1033 ]. Mysticism is popular almost in all religions like Sikhism,
Tantra, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.

William Wordsworth () says,“Poetry is normal flow of emotions which are recollected in

tranquility” [ CITATION Wil17 \l 1033 ].

Percy Bysshe Shelley says, “Poetry is a gathering of minutes, which are gathered from
best and most joyful life”[ CITATION Per17 \l 1033 ].

Spiritualists uncover their best piece of their life i.e. when they are in a stateof unity with
Divine. In Islamic Literature, the spirituality and good verse of Sultan Bahoo, Rumi, Khusru,
Iqbal and of numerous others are especially well known. English verse especially metaphysical
verses by John Donne, Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenserand Paradise Lost by Milton have
mystical themes. These artists have discussed the God-Man-Nature connection. They had
characterized and uncovered the mystery of awesome nearness through their pens by achieving
the condition of unity with divine.

Sultan Bahu’s writings in verse move around the high phase of Sufism that shows its
fundamental focus on losing oneself in the adoration for God and about unification with Him.
Since, as per the Islamic education, the principle reason for humankind is to discover and unite
with the Divine. He composed verse in Persian in light of the fact that around that time Persian
was the official dialect and he likewise wrote in Punjabi since Punjabi was the language of large
portion of sub-continent. He utilized similitudes and words in his verse which could be
effortlessly comprehended by the local individuals of sub-continent.His Punjabi poetry is
reffered asAbiyaat-e-Bahu .The real number of books composed by Sultan Bahu is not sure. As
indicated by convention, he should have written more than one hundred and forty books. Some
of them are Risala-e-Roohi, Noorul Huda(Kalaam),Noorul Huda(Khurd),AinulFaqar, AqlBaidar,
KaleedTauheed (Kalaam), KaleedTauheed(Khurd) and Abiyaat-e-Bahu.

The poets use many figurative devices in their poetry in order to make it more effective.
Figurative speech elements are those that are common literary expressions employed in Sufi
poetry. Sultan Bahu has used many metaphors in his poetry. A metaphor adds new sense or
importance to a solitary word or idea.[CITATION Placeholder2 \l 1033 ].Sultan Bahu has used birds
like nightingale, falcon, owl and hawks as metaphors in his poetry. For example, [ CITATION
DrZ17 \l 1033 ]

I am the royal falcon and fly in the oceans of Divine Mercy – Hoo.

This study analyzes the use of metaphors in Sultan Bahu’s poetry with special focus on
the use of metaphor of “bride”. When Sufis talk of self, it refers to soul then the female gender
expression is used. ‫(روح‬soul) is feminine in Urdu and Punjabi that is one of the reasons for using
the feminine expression. Bridal symbolism is used in South Asian Sufi poetry in Hindavi, Indo-
Persian, Urdu, as well as vernacular dialect like Punjabi, Sindhi and Gujrati. Several examples
could be found where the Sufi poets continuously refer to this metaphor. This metaphor is related
to union of a person with God. The sufi’s love with God makes him a Fortunate Bride, the one
who is fortunate to have God’s grace. Such feminization of the sufi is taken to an extreme where
the men dress up in women’s clothing. Bahu evokes this image in his poetry where he uses the
term sada suhagan to indicate a level of blessed happiness, the term literally means a woman
who is not widowed in her life time or that her husband does not die before her.

1.1. Objectives:
To study Sultan Bahu’s treatment of the metaphor of the “Fortunate Bride” in his sufi poetry in
order to establish the relationship of the actual bride with sufi notion of achieving eternal
oneness or unification with the Divine.

1.2. Research Questions:

1. What is the significance of the image/symbol of the Fortunate Bride in sufi poetry?

2. How does Sultan Bahu use the metaphor of Fortunate Bride in his sufi poetry?

1.3. Research Problem:

Like other Sufi poets, Sultan Bahu has used metaphor of suhagan to represent his loving relation
with God. However his treatment of metaphor is unique. “Fortunate Bride” is the most suitable
translation to convey Bahu’s idea.

1.4. Delimitation:
Sultan Bahu has composed 140 books in Persian. He likewise has composed verse in Persian and
Punjabi language. I have chosen the Punjabi verse which is typically known as Ab’ayat e Bahu
and furthermore, constrained my investigation to the topic of use of metaphor of “fortunate
bride” in his poetry.
1.5. Significance:
This study shows the importance of figurative speech especially metaphors to comprehend the
deeper meaning of poetry. It also helps to see how the religious and social contexts help to find
better equivalents for source text metaphor.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Sufism is known as the method for love, because Love for the Absolute, the Supreme
Being, or God, is one of the center standards of Sufism, and it has additionally been a predictable
topic in Sufi compositions, especially poetical works [CITATION Lou87 \l 1033 ].

As a focal thought in a Sufi's life, adore for God requires effort, teach and persistence. In
any case, a Sufi likewise trusts that he or she might be honored with affection that is propelled by
God, adoration happy with nothing not as much as God, and an adoration that must be obtained
by the finesse of God. The idea of this uninvolved or unequivocal love for God was perfectly
enunciated by an eighth-century Sufi lady, known as Rābi'ah al-'Adawiyah of Basrah (d. 801).
Her support of an unengaged love of God made her the model of benevolent love among the Sufi
circles. She asked for the love of God out of affection, rather than out of dread of hellfire or the
want for heaven. She showed that a Sufi must love God for His own purpose alone.Rābi'ah's
origination of Divine love fundamentally changed God's picture from that of a Wrathful Master
to one of an Affectionate Friend [ CITATION Mar84 \l 1033 ],[ CITATION Wid82 \l 1033 ].

The marvel of "bridal mysticism" is not exceptional in the world's other mystical
customs. It can be recognized in both the Old and New Testaments. [ CITATION Mar12 \l 1033 ] . In
Catholicism, the human soul is imagined as the bride of God [ CITATION Jun08 \l 1033 ] .The
eminent German Renaissance savant and theologian NicolausCusanus additionally depicts God
as the Bridegroom of the human soul, which he portrays as a female Bride in his work On the
Vision of God [ CITATION Pru02 \l 1033 ]. Comparative images can be found in the Jewish
mystical writing that alludes to the human soul as bride[ CITATION Sar \l 1033 ]. The marvel of
bridal mystery has been wonderfully communicated in the Hindu and Bhakti mystical customs
too. For example, in her graceful verses, Mīrābāī' (d. 1547), the prestigious sixteenth-century
Rajput holy person and poetess of Rajasthan, strikingly depicts herself as the lady of the hour of
Lord Krishna[ CITATION Rob04 \l 1033 ]. Truth be told, it is simpler for ladies spiritualists, who
normally have the traits of gentility, than for their male partners, to inspire the bridal image in
their compositions. Strikingly, be that as it may, the male Bhakti artists created sonnets from a
female point of view and recognized themselves with the gopīs, the youthful women who had
fallen in love for Krishna. [ CITATION Joh86 \l 1033 ]. Moreover, in Vaishnavite cliques in
Hinduism the objective of one's profound journey is to submit before Lord Krishna, which is
communicated through the illustration of accommodation of a lady or spouse before her
Husband-Lord. Hawley, “Images of Gender in the Poetry of Krishna”, 236.“In fact in the Muslim
mystical or Sufi convention, the idea of betrothal to God has been a typical theme, which
metaphorically proposes the thought of profound association between a man and God” [CITATION
Rid08 \l 1033 ].

The ninth-century Persian Sufi, Bāyazīd of Bistam (d. 874), who is known for his
overjoyed inebriation, alluded to Sufis as the brides of God. [ CITATION Car97 \l 1033 ].Bridal
symbolism is likewise perceptible in Rūmī, who inspires the groom and wedding representations
to portray the profound union of the spirit lady of the hour with the 'Primordial Beloved'.It is
deserving of note that such representative articulations are described by sexual orientation
inversion, since the male Sufi artists recognized themselves with the ladylike. Exchanging of
manly and ladylike positions is a typical normal for Sufi verse[ CITATION Ann03 \l 1033 ].

The thirteenth-century Sufi scholar and writer Ibn al-'Arabī utilized gendered symbolism
in his compositions. He utilized the regularizing sexual orientation images however changed
their importance with the goal that the manly isn't really active and the ladylike isn't basically
receptive. Or maybe, both can at the same time be active and receptive. He contends that in
connection to God, every single person, regardless of sexual orientation, are basically and
constantly receptive. Sufi worldview rejects the gender preferences [CITATION Sad12 \l 1033 ].The
idea of human lover and the Divine Beloved is a steady subject in Indo-Persian, Urdu and South
Asian vernacular Sufi verse. The bridal symbolism is likewise a very much authenticated
convention in South Asian Sufi writing. The expression "urs" (got from an Arabic word meaning
wedding) customarily alludes to the death anniversary of prominent Sufi Shaykhs, celebrated by
the supporters, lovers and the everyday citizens alike. In symbolic sense, it indicates the
possibility of spiritual wedding or union of the spirit of the perished or left Sufi with God—the
Primordial Beloved. The Sufi is viewed as bride of Divine, who has left for his eternal abode, the
place of her Divine Groom or Husband. Customarily, in the South Asian social setting, the
relationship of a lady to society, and all the more especially of a spouse to a husband, closely
resembles the relationship of a Sufi to God, which is portrayed by extraordinary accommodation
and exceptional commitment[ CITATION Bar84 \l 1033 ].In the South Asian Sufi poetic custom,
bridal symbolism is the steady subject which likewise has discovered indication in Punjabi Sufi
verse. One of the most punctual types of the "bride of God" concept was ShaykhFarid al-Din
Masud pseudonym Baba Farid (d. 1265), the eminent thirteenth century Chishtī Sufi of
Pakpattan, who likewise is accepted to be the principal writer of Punjabi dialect. He utilizes the
bridal representation for the human soul and God in his verse[ CITATION Bag99 \l 1033 ].

In accordance with the Sufi and Bhakti artistic conventions, Guru Nanak (1469-1539)
additionally utilizes the bridal metaphor. As per a shabd of the Guru Granth, Nanak orders
people or souls in two categories: duhāngan and suhāgan. Duhāngan alludes to those unfortunate
ladies whose adoration stayed unfulfilled, who neglected to accomplish their affection, or are
forsaken by their Husband, though suhāgan alludes to those fortunate ladies who appreciate
union with their Husband, accomplish their adoration.Metaphorically, in spiritual terms,
duhāngan are the unfortunate souls who neglect to accomplish the Divine love, though suhāgan
are the fortunate ones who accomplish it[ CITATION Nik93 \l 1033 ].The fourteenth century Chishti
Sufi poet, Amir Khusrau (d. 1325)referred to bride and groom metaphor in his Persian, and
especially Hindavi,verse. He utilized the bridal image for clarifying his spiritual relationship and
passionate bonding with his mentor ShaykhNizam al-Din Auliya of Delhi (d. 1325). Khusrau
imagined himself as a suhāgan, and furthermore alluded to the idea of suhāg. Here one may
review an announcement of Baba Farid (the murshid of ShaykhNizam al-Din Auliya) in Fawaid
al-Fuad wherein he compared/contrasted a Sufi Shaykh with a mashshata, that is, the hairdresser
of the brides, who decorates and sets them up before their last meeting with the groom. In a
representative sense, to Baba Farid, it is the mentor who beautifies, cleanses, adorns and
decorates the human soul, and sets it up for its union with the Divine[ CITATION Ami92 \l 1033 ].

In the fifteenth-century a Gujarati poet, Shah Ali Muhammad Jiw Jan (d. 1515) utilized
the metaphor of bride to symbolize the soul. Using bride-groom images in his graceful poetic
expressions, he attempted to clarify the secrets of Wahdat al-Wujūd[ CITATION Vij98 \l 1033 ].

In sixteenth-century Shah Husayn (1538-1599) of Lahore utilized bridal images in his

verse. He alluded to the triumphant human soul as a suhāgan or suhāganī [ CITATION Kaf61 \l
1033 ].

In seventeenth-century Punjab, Sultan Bahu (1629-1691) utilized the idea of suhāgan,

especially in his Punjabi (poems) abiyāt. Sultan Bahu brings out the bridal metaphor in his verse,
and he expresses that individuals recount the kalima verbally, however just the 'āshiq or the
genuine admirers of God present it from their souls or hearts. He recognizes that it is his murshid
(mentor) who has shown him to discuss it from the heart, and this very certainty has made him
sadāsuhāgan or fortunate bride [ CITATION Mas02 \l 1033 ].

After Sultan Bahu, the bridal symbolism was utilized by Bhitai in Sindh and Bulhe Shah
in the Punjab. Shah Abd al-LatifBhitai(1689-1752) in eighteenth-century Sindh urges the general
population in his Shah Jo Risalo to be a good wife in connection to the Divine Husband or
Groom [ CITATION Sha09 \l 1033 ].

The Sufi poets practice the phenomenon of androgyny. For example, a fifteenth – century
Sufi of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, named Shaykh Musa Shahi 'Suhag' (1415-1475),dressed him like a
lady, and wore glass bangles in arms. As his epithet illustrates, he viewed himself as the bride of
God. His supporters and fans additionally take on the appearance of females to indicate spiritual
association among man and God. Since wearing bangles by ladies is viewed as an image of being
married in South Asian social cultures [ CITATION Tan \l 1033 ].

This study analyses the treatment of the representation of Fortunate Bride in Sultan
Bahu'ssufi poetry so as to build up the relationship of the real bride with sufi notion of
accomplishing endless unification with the Divine.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. RESEARCH METHOD AND DESIGN:
This research is carried out through qualitative design, interpretive and expletory method. The
quality of subjective research technique is profound literary examination. By utilizing this
technique, the researcher is investigating Sultan Bahu’s poetry content. The principle thought
investigated in this literary examination of Sultan Bahu's poetry is the use of metaphor of
"fortunate bride".

3.2. THEORATICAL FRAMEWORK:

Sultan Bahu has used conceptual metaphor of Fortunate Bride to convey his thought or idea of a
sufi’s “unification with the Divine” (reference). The conceptual metaphor theory has been
discussed by Lakoff and Mark Johnson in Metaphors We Live By (1980).

3.2.1. CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR THEORY:

A conceptual metaphor is a metaphor in which one thought or idea is comprehended or
understood in terms of another. In cognitive linguistics, the conceptual domain from which we
draw metaphorical articulations or expressions to comprehend or understand another conceptual
domain is known as the source domain. The conceptual domain that is comprehended in this way
is the target domain. Consequently the source domain is normally used to clarify the target
domain[ CITATION Ric17 \l 1033 ].

3.2.2. STRUCTURAL METAPHOR:

Structural metaphor is one of the overlapping categories of conceptual metaphor theory
(CMT).A structural metaphor is a metaphorical framework in which one complex idea
(ordinarily abstract) is introduced as far as some other (typically concrete) idea [ CITATION Lak80 \l
1033 ].The researcher has chosen the structural metaphor category of CMT because she wants to
explain the connection of a Sufi with God which is an abstract idea in terms of connection of a
bride with her husband which is a concrete idea.

4. CONTENT ANALYSIS

4.1. Social Analysis:

Religious and social norms are implemented on every society. A society may have more
than one religion. In Sultan Bahu’s times; the two major or largest religions in sub-continent
were Islam and Hinduism. The Muslims and Hindus of sub-continent had values according to
their own religions. Sometimes, the attitude of people apart from their religion towards different
circumstances is the same because they share same geographical location and same environment
and the same culture to an extent. For instance: women of sub-continent have always been an
important topic of discussion for both Muslims and Hindus.
 In the sub-continent role of women in literature has held a significant position in any
discourse. A woman can be a mother, daughter, wife or a sister and so on. Every status of a
woman has its own significance. From the earliest times, the status of woman with respect to her
marriage has been consistently critical. If a woman is unmarried and she gets more seasoned in
age and she remains unmarried then she has to confront numerous issues in regards to society
and marriage. In the sub-continent, a wedded woman has unusual status in comparison to
unmarried. Even there is distinction among married women. There are those whose husbands are
alive and then there are those whose husbands have passed away. The woman, whose husband
passes away, is known as widow [ CITATION Mer171 \l 1033 ]. A widow needs to confront different
issues.

A widow can be an old or a young woman. As compared to the old a young suffers a lot.
She is unprotected, unsafe, oppressed, helpless, burdened and poor. She is quite often harassed
by the male members of society. Her interaction with the opposite gender makes others to point
fingers at her character. That’s why she is in danger and she must be extremely mindful. A
woman deprived of her husband and becoming a widow is dependent and thus loses the power
and integrity in her speech. That woman is psychologically, socially and financially burdened. If
she has children then there is added responsibility to provide all the necessities to them. She has
to manage money, food, shelter and clothes for them. If that woman is poor, belonging to the
lower class, financially unstable, dependant on others and moves to live at any of her relative’s
house in order to have shelter then she intentionally tries to share the household chores since she
needs to recompense for her burden that her relative bears.

In Sultan Bahu’s times, as Islam was one of the major religions in sub-continent,
according to Islam a widow is free for second marriage but society (Muslims of sub-continent)
made the image that she does not need second marriage. In their eyes, motivation behind her life
was just to give Quranic education to little children and carry on with a detached life. They had
faith that whatever she had in fortune she discovered it from first marriage and second marriage
will do nothing with her fortune. So they did not treat a widow in great way, she was not offered
the right to carry on with a cheerful life.

Hinduism was another major religion in sub-continent. It does not permit a widow a
second marriage [ CITATION Arw07 \l 1033 ]. A widow was viewed as useless. She was merely
given legitimate sustenance and was not allowed to wear jewelry or colored dresses. That woman
could wear only white garments. Even, her head was shaven [ CITATION Def17 \l 1033 ].

There was also the practice of sati in Hinduism. Sati or suttee is the custom among
different Hindu groups in which a widow either deliberately or by utilization of power or
compulsion commits suicide because of her husband's death. The popular type of sati is burning
a widow alive with her dead husband[ CITATION Lin17 \l 1033 ].Those people were superstitious;
she was taken as bad omen and awful sign. Hindu widow was the poorest of poor people; she
was avoided from society and was viewed as a financial drain on her family [ CITATION Arw07 \l
1033 ]. So, in the sub-continent, Hindus and Muslims both had same state of mind towards
widows. Indeed widows were on need of warmth, sensitivity, sympathy, help, consideration and
graciousness from society however society was unkind, cruel and heartless to them, it had
coldness and disregard for them.

A woman whose husband is alive and she lives with him then she carries on with an
upbeat life. That woman is known as Suhagan in sub-continent [ CITATION Hin \l 1033 ]. She can
have prosperous, decent and sound life since she has her husband’s support and adoration. She is
protected, safe, strong and confident and has a particular respectable status in society. She laughs
and speaks loudly because she is confident that her voice will be heard. That woman wears
makeup, fancy dresses and cares about her appearance. Her desires are given importance and are
fulfilled by her husband.

Sultan Bahu utilized the metaphor of ‫( سدا سہاگن‬Fortunate Bride) in his verse in light of
the fact that suhagan was reliably utilized by the general population for that specific woman who
has blissful life. He utilized fortunate bride to demonstrate a man's relation with God. By this
metaphor, he refers to a man who finds the grace of God. After this blessing he becomes happy
like a bride who is united with her husband. The word‫" سدا‬sada" refers to eternity or forever. So,
a man who is united with God and finds His grace becomes happy eternally. There is no end of
his happiness and there is no limit of his joy. He utilized this bridal metaphor since through this
individuals of sub-continent could translate and feel the delight and embodiment of man's
connection with God. He utilized this metaphor as indicated by its social setting on the grounds
that in the general public ‫“سہاگن‬suhagan” was a euphoric term in this way, keeping in mind the
end goal to demonstrate the gift of having unity with God fortunate bride was a proper term.

The sufi culture and practices are especially inseparably connected with the social
convictions and social customs of the general population, which are all around reflected in them.
In sub-continent culture, the relationship of a woman to her husband is that of surrender and
commitment. Therefore, the husband wife or wedding analogies can well clarify the relationship
of a sufi with God [CITATION Anj \l 1033 ]. There are a few common attributes present in both the
Sufis and brides like accommodation, submissiveness, assurance, commitment, loyalty,
dedication and so on.

A bride sacrifices for her groom. She sacrifices her rest, affections, relatives, emotions,
feelings and so on. She also sacrifices her health in the way of her groom. She doesn't deal with
her in any part of life yet forfeits everything for her groom so as to get his gratefulness and to
win his heart. In the same way a sufi sacrifices in the way of God. Sultan Bahu in bayt 176 says;

“Let us buy ‘Faqr’ by sacrificing life, wealth (and) riches – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p
221 \n \y \t \l 1033 ].

In bayt 59 he says;
 “Game of love is won by those, who do not hesitate in sacrificing their head –
Hoo/Without sacrificing everything Bahoo, there will be no access to Beloved – Hoo”
[CITATION DrZ17 \p 100 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

Life and wealth are the most critical and significant things for a typical man yet a sufi can easily
sacrifice even his life and riches in the way of God in order to get His grace and unification. A
bride has first position/priority of her groom in her mind. She desires for him and nothing else is
there in her mind. In the same way a sufi has first position/priority of God in his mind. He
doesn’t have any desire other than God. In bayt 183 Sultan Bahu says;

“My heart neither fears hell nor yearns for heavens – Hoo/Without unison with Lord
Bahoo, this world is deceit – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 228 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

A sufi never wants for paradise nor he fears damnation he has only want of harmony with
God. When he discovers unification with God, he finds everything to be mere trickery. He finds
worldly desires misdirection. He doesn't need anything other than his Beloved. A bride struggles
in the way of her groom. She is sensible, practical and down to earth. Like her a sufi also
struggles in the way of God. Sultan Bahu says in bayt (166);

“Hammered like steel would you become sword – Hoo…Being a true lover Bahoo, you
would be able to taste drink of love – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 210 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

Steel and wood both are treated cruelly and go through painful process, also lose their
identity for the sake of making sword and comb. The leaves of henna are ground in order to
make it useful for beautifying hands and feet. In the same way a sufi also goes through a painful
process and struggles in the way of God, loses his identity and he has to fight with and kill his
inner self (Nafs) which depicts his struggle in order to achieve the objective of life. He says in
bayt (60);

“We died before death Bahoo, only then attained the Objective – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p
101 \n \y \t \l 1033 ].

A bride is submissive, loyal and dedicated to her groom. A sufi is also always
submissive, loyal and dedicated to God. Sultan Bahu says in bayt (133);

“True lover is he who acknowledges his killing by the beloved – Hoo…True love
is of Hussain bin Ali (R.A) Bahoo, who sacrificed life but did not expose the
secret – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 176 \n \y \t \l 1033 ].

This Bayt shows submissiveness, loyalty and dedication of a sufi to God. He doesn't
leave the way of his Beloved regardless of whether he is debilitated for death. Hussain bin Ali
(R.A) is an example of true lover, who migrated, left his homeland, lost his family and followers
then dedicated and sacrificed his own life for God. A sufi even dedicates his every breath to God.
He takes every breath in the name of God. Breath normality is the genuine living, in the event
that one of these stops at that point life will stop. It is just physical however an extraordinary
mysterious importance of Remembrance of Allah. Sultan Bahu says in bayt (60);

“A moment of negligence is a moment of heresy (Kufr), the perfect guide told me this –
Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 101 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

4.2. ANDROGYNY:
Androgyny is the ability to show both male and female quality in human personality
through dress, discourse, non-verbal communication and activities. The practice of the
phenomenon of androgyny exists in many cultures and religions. It exists as a metaphoric
practice in sufi culture, and is especially connected with male Sufis who cross dress themselves
in woman persona [CITATION Tan15 \l 1033 ].

Like other sufi poets, Sultan Bahu also used androgynous phenomenon in his poetry. He
was motivated to use feminine term of ‫“سدا سہاگن‬sada suhagan” for himself by having the
experience of union with Divine, figuratively (metaphorically) communicated as spiritual
connection between a sufi and God. Following is example of the poetry where Sultan Bahu used
androgynous phenomenon. In bayt (177) he says;

“I am not attractive my beloved is beautiful how could I appeal him – Hoo…The grief is
lifelong Bahoo, I would die weeping for the same – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 222 \n \y
\t \l 1033 ].

He says in bayt (159);

“Within the trap I flutter like nightingale (BulBul) without spring garden –
Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 203 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

As indicated by the Sufis, the adoration for the Divine must be communicated in
metaphorical dialect. Hence, they have utilized sayings of transitory human love as images of the
Divine love in their speeches and compositions. They have frequently depended on gender
symbolism in their poetry to verbalize the idea of Divine Love. These Sufi writers introduce
themselves as fervent lovers, depict God as the Beloved, and sometimes bring out a marriage
metaphor also. They utilize ladylike images for the searchers of the Sufi way, though God is
spoken to in manly terms. They relate themselves to a bride, while the husband or groom
symbolizes the Divine Self [ CITATION Tan15 \l 1033 ].

4.3. RELIGIOUS ANALYSIS:

In bayt 103 Sultan Bahu says;

 “Everybody recites Kalima verbally, but nobody recites it from heart – Hoo...Murshid
taught me this Kalima (of heart) Bahoo, and I became (Fortunate Bride) blessed forever –
Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 144 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

4.3.1. Importance of acknowledgment of Kalima by heart:

In first line of the Bayt Sultan Bahoo wants to tell the significance of the act of
consideration of divine through the heart with the assistance of spiritual guide’s instructions. The
general population practices religion yet their hearts are ignorant of its genuine essence and that
are loaded with desire, hatred, wickedness, and darkness. In Sufism, one can accomplish divine
when he purifies his or her heart. Sultan Bahu says in bayt (2);

“You memorized the Quran but the “veils” were not lifted – Hoo…Nobody could kill this
inner thief Bahu, except the “Faqeer” – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 42 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

In these lines Sultan Bahu has clarified the significance of recitation of Kalima from the
depth of heart and the significance of refinement of heart by disposing of Nafs [i.e. the self or the
ego or soul of a person]. A man who peruses the Quran verbally and does not discover its actual
quintessence he doesn't have filtered or cleaned his heart from darkness or ego. Just by verbal
expression the shrouds are not lifted from heart. If a man peruses a large quantity of books then
he moves toward becoming researcher or analyst, his vision makes him materialistic and he has
greed for common riches. He follows worldly desires and cannot have unity with God. He cannot
get rid of his "Nafs". Disposing of Nafs or ego is essential to accomplish solidarity with God. A
man can dispose of it only if he recites Kalima from heart, and just Faqeer does so. A Faqeer is
the one who submits himself to Lord, recites Kalima from the depth of heart and that his heart is
decontaminated or free from worldly desires “Nafs”. With a specific end goal to have God
recognition and unification, one must acknowledge the Kalima from heart. (reference)

In the second line of Bayt he tells the significance of recitation of Kalima from heart that
it is important to know and recite it from heart than having just its verbal articulation. When a
man does so then he realizes the genuine essence of Kalima and he knows that without knowing
it from heart verbal expression has no value.

In the third line of Bayt, Sultan Bahu has indicated the general population who recount
Kalima from heart as "Ashiq", the true lovers. They recognize it from heart and individuals who
simply have verbal articulation cannot comprehend it and they cannot reach at the destination
which true lovers have accomplished. Sultan Bahu says in bayt 12;

“Ishq attains destinations that faith even does not know – Hoo/ O Bahoo, keep my Ishq
alive, I am not much concerned about faith – Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 52 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

In these lines he has explained the importance of love in the way of God. Faith is belief in
God's orders while Ishq is supreme and complete surrender to the Will of God. Only a person
who is completely submissive to God can attain the destination of being united with Him. A
person who has Faith in God but is not submissive to Him cannot have the destination as a true
lover has.

4.3.2.Importance of Mentor:
In the last line of the Bayt he has mentioned the importance of mentor whose guidance
makes a man fortunate bride. One can just achieve the Divine when he cleanses his heart (as per
the teachings of his mentor) by reciting Kalima from heart. Since it is believed that spiritualists
know the truth of the genuine doctrine (One needs to follow up on it by heart and with complete
devotion) and practice this, unpurified individuals are unconscious of this genuine doctrine.
When a person follows the acts of his mentor then he achieves the divine and turns out to be
always joined with the Divine like a bride to her groom.

At the point when a person sets out upon an excursion in quest for learning he needs
somebody to demonstrate or guide him the path. It is through that guide or educator that the
searcher can channelize his task to accomplish his goal. In Sufi phrasing such an instructor or
guide is known as a Murshid. Sultan Bahu in bayt 182 says;

“Since I pledged to mentor Bahoo, I am relieved of all woes (of search) – Hoo” [CITATION
DrZ17 \p 227 \n \y \t \l 1033 ].

He says in bayt 16;

“O, Bahoo, ever since my spiritual mentor taught me this Kalima, I am free from all woes
– Hoo”[CITATION DrZ17 \p 56 \n \y \t \l 1033 ] .

In these lines he describes the importance of mentor and says that under his guidance one
can get rid of all woes which he has in the way of getting united with God. This is a spiritual
mentor who teaches the recitation of Kalima by heart and this recitation makes one satisfied in
his life and is important to get the ultimate goal of life. He says in bayt 170;

“Follow the mentor who gives happiness for both (all) worlds – Hoo” [CITATION DrZ17 \p
215 \n \y \t \l 1033 ].

In this line while describing the true mentor Sultan Bahu says that he is the one who can
make his followers happy forever. He can make them happy in this earthy world as well as in
eternal world by teaching them the path to divine.

4.3.3. Fortunate Bride: (Unification of a Sufi with the Divine)

Sultan Bahu has used the word sada suhagan (fortunate bride) in the last line of bayt. By
sada suhagan he refers to a man who under the guidance of mentor is united with divine like a
bride united with her groom/husband. A sufi is restless until he reaches or is united with divine.
Sultan Bahu says in bayt 184;

“As I entered the ocean of oneness all the journey came to an end – Hoo”[CITATION
DrZ17 \p 229 \n \y \t \l 1033 ].

He says in bayt 31;

“Without unification (wisal) with Allah Bahu, rests are tales and stories – Hoo”[CITATION
DrZ17 \p 72 \n \y \t \l 1033 ].

These two lines clarify that Sufis are quite worried about their profound association or
unification with divine. A Sufi feels that after unification with divine he accomplishes the
objective and motivation behind his life. The motivation without unification, behind his life is
nothing. This unification makes him glad like a bride who is joined with her groom and her
groom is there with her simply like this God will be there with sufi in this life and after death, in
endless life. When a person follows the acts of perfect mentor ‫ مرشد کامل‬and recites Kalima from
the depth of his heart then he achieves the Divine and moves towards becoming everlastingly
united with the Divine like a bride to her husband.

5. CONCLUSION:
Sultan Bahu has used androgynous phenomenon of cross-dressing in woman persona. The
metaphor of sada suhagan is used in its social context because a woman whose husband does not
die in her life time and she remains happy forever is the luckiest of woman kind. In this way, this
metaphor for a sufi suggests the bliss in his earthy life as well as in eternal life after
acknowledgment of Kalima from the depth of his heart, under the instructions of the perfect
mentor. This makes him the fortunate and united with the Divine which is ultimate objective of
human life in sufi notion. The unification of a sufi with the Divine and unification of a bride with
her husband share some common attributes like submissiveness, dedication, loyalty and love. So,
this metaphor shows connection of a sufi with the Divine.
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