Baba Farid

Fariduddin Ganjshakar was a Punjabi Sufi mystic and poet whose verses became part of Sikh scripture and whose legacy is revered in Sikhism and Islam.

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Sufism: A diverse tradition of Islamic mysticism focused on spiritual discipline and closeness to God. Farid’s life and poetry belong to the Punjabi Sufi tradition.
Shabad: A sacred hymn or utterance, especially in Sikh devotional practice. Farid’s compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib are sung and interpreted as shabads.
Chishti Order: A Sufi order originating in Chishti, Afghanistan, known for devotional practices and service. Farid became a major early figure in the Chishti tradition in South Asia.
Kabir: A 15th-century North Indian poet-saint whose verses criticize religious formalism and affirm devotion to God. Like Farid, Kabir’s poetry entered Sikh scripture, but Kabir lived later and drew on a different devotional milieu.
Punjabi language: An Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in Punjab, with literary traditions in several scripts. Farid’s verses are among the earliest celebrated works of Punjabi literature.
Kirtan: Devotional singing, especially the musical recitation of Sikh scripture in congregational worship. Farid’s scriptural verses are performed within Sikh kirtan.
Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki: A 13th-century Chishti Sufi master based in Delhi and a prominent disciple of Muinuddin Chishti. Chishti lineage accounts name him as Farid’s spiritual teacher.
Guru Nanak: The founder of Sikhism and the first of the Sikh Gurus, who lived in the 15th and 16th centuries. Nanak’s teachings founded Sikhism; Farid was an earlier non-Sikh poet whose verses the scripture preserves.
Guru Granth Sahib: The central scripture of Sikhism, containing hymns by Sikh Gurus and other devotional poets. It preserves a selection of Farid’s verses alongside Sikh and other devotional compositions.
Urs: An annual Sufi commemoration marking the death anniversary of a saint. Farid’s shrine at Pakpattan draws pilgrims for his annual urs.