God Kabir, in His divine form as Jinda Baba, bestowed His grace upon the virtuous soul, Shams Tabrizi, a Muslim sage. He imparted profound teachings about Allahu Akbar (God Kabir), revealed the splendor of Satlok, by showing him around and then left him back on earth. Although Shams Tabrizi did not encounter God Kabir again, he was entrusted with the sacred mantra "Anal Haq." Unfortunately, this mantra was misinterpreted by Muslims as "I am He only," suggesting an erroneous notion of self-deification. The authentic mantra, "Soham," bestowed by God Kabir, requires no interpretation and is to be chanted devoutly to attain union with ParBrahm (Akshar Purush). Shams Tabrizi faithfully practiced this mantra in his ashram located in a serene forest on the outskirts of Baghdad, the present-day capital of Iraq.
{It has also been written at one place that God Kabir inspired Shams Tabrizi and sent him away. By disguising himself as Shams Tabrizi, he started living in the ashram of the original Shams Tabrizi. Then at the end of that divine play, he sent Shams Tabrizi to the city of Multan. At that time, Muhammad (Mansoor) had passed away. The original Shams Tabrizi was (mauni) observing silence. He was unable to speak. This had been his condition for many years, but he was healthy. Supreme God Kabir had also deliberately observed silence for many days in Multan. On the same day when original Shams Tabrizi arrived in Multan, God Kabir went out of the ashram, like every day, on the pretext of a stroll. He did not return. At the time when Kabir ji (Shams Tabrizi) used to return every day, at the same time Shams Tabrizi saw the ashram. He went inside it. The people present there did not realise anything different. They thought that Pir Shams Tabrizi had returned from his stroll. Shams Tabrizi died soon after he went to Multan. People built his tomb.}
Now Allah Kabir resided in that ashram in the form of Shams Tabrizi. A girl named Shimli, who was the daughter of the king of that city, impressed by the knowledge and (siddhi) spiritual power of Shams Tabrizi became his supreme devotee. She chanted the naam (mantra) day and night. She started going to the ashram every day to serve the Satguru. She used to go with her father’s permission. Seeing the saintly attitude of his daughter, even her father could not stop her. She used to herself prepare food for the Satguru and take it to him every morning and evening. Somebody told Mansoor Ali, “Your sister Shimli goes to the ashram alone in the evening. It does not befit her. People of the city are condemning her.”
One evening when Shimli sister went to the ashram with the Saint's food, brother Mansoor secretly followed her to the ashram. He started watching the activity inside through a hole in a wall. The girl fed the saint. Then the saint delivered a sermon (spiritual knowledge). Mansoor was also listening to the sermon. He wanted to know what these two talk about? What activity will they do? He was watching every action that Shimli and the saint were doing and listening attentively to what they were talking about. On other days, the saint used to do deliver sermon for half an hour, on that day he discoursed for two hours. Mansoor also listened carefully to every word. He wanted to find some fault, but after hearing that true spiritual knowledge, he felt grateful.
It is essential to worship God. Allah is corporeal. He is Kabir. He is seated in the highest sky. He also appears on the earth in a human body. After the sermon, Saint Shams Tabrizi and sister Shimli raised both their hands and asked for prasaad (blessed food/drink) from God. Two bowls came from the sky and landed in their hands. Shams Tabrizi drank half the nectar that day. Shimli sister drank hers up. Shams Tabrizi said, “Daughter! Give this remaining nectar prasaad of mine to the dog standing outside the ashram. His conscience is full of sin. His heart will be purified.” Shimli went towards the wall with Guruji's remaining Prasaad. Guruji said, “Throw it through this hole. If you go outside, the dog will run away.” The girl had to follow every word of Guruji. Shimli threw the nectar from the hole through which Mansoor was spying. Mansoor's mouth was naturally open. The whole nectar went into his mouth. Mansoor's conscience became clear. His desire to meet the Satguru became stronger. He came to the door of the ashram. Shimli recognized him. She got scared and did not speak. Mansoor fell straight at the feet of Guru Shams Tabrizi. He revealed the sin inside his heart and begged for his emancipation. Shams Tabrizi gave him initiation.
Mansoor started going to the ashram daily. He started chanting the "Anal Haq" mantra aloud. The Muslim community opposed him. They said, “Mansoor has become a kafir (infidel). He describes God as a human. He says that God comes to the earth.” They used to misinterpret the meaning of 'Anal Haq' and say, “Mansoor calls himself Allah. Either he should be burnt alive or he should be stopped from saying 'Anal Haq'.” Mansoor was the son of the king. Therefore, no one was daring to kill Mansoor. If he had been a common man, he would have been killed already. Thousands of people from the city went to the king. They told Mansoor’s mistake to the king. The king counselled Mansoor in front of everyone, but he kept on chanting ‘Anal Haq-Anal Haq’. The king asked the people present there, “The public should tell what punishment should be given to Mansoor.” The public said, “Mansoor should be tied at the crossroads. Every person in the city should hit Mansoor with a stone weighing about half a kilogram and ask him to abandon the Kafir language. If Mansoor says ‘Anal Haq’, then one should hurl stone at him and move forward. The next person should also say the same thing. Fed up with it, Mansoor will quit saying ‘Anal Haq’.”
All the citizens of the city stood in a queue with a stone in their hands. Among those citizens, Devotee Shimli was also standing in the queue. She was holding a stone in one hand and a flower in the other. Shimli had thought, "He is a devotee-brother. I will hit him with a flower instead of a stone. There will be no condemnation in the public and brother will also not suffer. Every person (male and female) asked Mansoor to stop saying 'Anal Haq' or else they would hit him with a stone. Mansoor said, “Anal Haq, Anal Haq, Anal Haq, Anal Haq.” Simultaneously, he was also being pelted with stones. Ecstatic Mansoor was continuously saying Anal Haq. The body was badly injured. He was bleeding. The lover of God was saying Anal Haq. He was laughing. When it was Shimli sister's turn, she did not say anything. Mansoor recognised her and said, “Sister! Say – Anal Haq.” Shimli did not say Anal Haq. She threw the flower in her hand at her brother Mansoor. Mansoor started crying badly. Shimli said, “Brother! Others were pelting stones. You got wounded, but you did not cry. I have hit you with a flower which does not cause any pain, and you started crying badly. What is the reason?”
Mansoor said, “Sister! People are unaware why I have sacrificed myself to God, but you have the knowledge that body, mind and wealth have little value in front of God. I did not feel sad about being stoned by ignorant people because they do not have any knowledge. O sister! You know it all. You are the one who brought me on this path. How did you raise your hand towards me? Dishonest! I have felt greater amount of pain from your flower than the stones. (Murshid) Guruji will not forgive you.” All the people of the city went home after pelting stones. Some contractors of religion took injured Mansoor to the king and said, “King! Nothing is above Religion; neither kingdom nor family. Mansoor is not stopping saying ‘Anal Haq’. Tell him to give up saying 'Anal Haq' or else his hands, neck and feet will all be cut into pieces. If he does not forsake saying ‘Anal Haq’, then this infidel should be cut into pieces and set alight, and his ashes be scattered into the river.” Standing in front of Mansoor, it was said, “Either give up saying 'Anal Haq' or else one of your hands will be cut off.” Mansoor pointed his hand to the cutter (who was standing to cut with the sword) and said, “Anal Haq.” The executioner cut his one hand off. Then they said to Mansoor, “Stop saying ‘Anal Haq’; otherwise, the other hand will also be cut off.” Mansoor put the other hand towards him and said, "Anal Haq.” The other hand was also cut off. Then it was said, “If you say 'Anal Haq' this time, then your neck will be cut off.” Mansoor said, “Anal Haq, Anal Haq, Anal Haq.” Mansoor was beheaded. His body was set alight, and the ashes were scattered in the river. The words 'Anal Haq', 'Anal Haq' were also being emitted from those ashes. After some time, a thousand Mansoor started roaming every street of the city while uttering 'Anal Haq'. Everyone got scared and locked themselves in their homes. God stopped that divine act. One Mansoor roamed the streets while uttering 'Anal Haq'. Then he disappeared.
Mansoor’s name was changed to Muhammad, and Satguru Shams Tabrizi took him and set forth to the city of Multan (Pakistan).
{It is written in a book that the name of the city, whose King’s son Mansoor was, is Baghdad, which is currently the capital of Iraq. The speech of Sant Garibdas ji is also indicating the same.
Garib, khuraasaan kaabul kila, Bagdaad Banaaras ek |
Balakh aur Bilaayat lag, Ham hee dhaaraen bhesh ||
That is, just as I stayed in Banaras (Kashi) city for some time, similarly I stayed in Baghdad. I emancipated Mansoor from Baghdad, delivered Ramanand from Banaras, liberated Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham from the city of Balakh. I (Supreme God Kabir) alone perform divine acts till Bilaayat i.e., England by disguising myself.)
Agar hai shauk Allah se milne ka, to hardam naam lau lagaata jaa ||(tek)||
Na rakh roja, na mar bhookha, na kar sijda |
Vajoo ka tod de kooja, sharaabey naam jaam peeta jaa ||1
Pakad kar ishq ka jhaadoo, saaf kar dil ke hoojre ko |
Duee ki dhool rakh sir par, moosalley par udaata jaa ||2
Dhaaga tod de tasbi, kitaabein daal paani mein |
Masaaik bankar kya karna, majeekhat ko jalaata jaa ||3
Kahae Mansoor qaaji se, nivaala koofar ka mat khaa |
Anal Haqq naam bar haq hai, yahi kalma sunaata jaa ||4
Meaning - After listening to the knowledge from Allah Kabir (Al-Khijr and the one attired as Jinda), one learns that the spiritual practice currently being followed in the society gives ordinary benefits. Salvation is only possible by the method of worship mentioned in the knowledge of Sukshmved. Due to which, relinquishing the traditional method of worship, one has to perform true worship, which is not liked by the other people of the society. They oppose fiercely. They become sworn enemies. This was the reason behind killing devotee Mansoor. But devotees do not die. When Mansoor ji firmly believed that the previous spiritual practice {observing (Roza) fasts, (azaan / bang) giving a call to prayer, offering (namaz) prayer, slaughtering goats, cows etc) is neither helpful nor sufficient for attaining salvation; it leads to hell, then he tried to exhort the preachers of his own religion, and said, “O Qaji! If you have a (shauk) desire to meet Allah, then chant the true naam in every breath (lau lagaakar) with full attention. Give up (roza) fasting. One does not attain Allah by starving. The fact that you consider it sinful to perform religious activities without taking (vajoo) bath etc, is merely a misconception. Break the (kooje) pot in which you bring water for the bath and throw it somewhere, that is, do not just be busy in bathing and washing. The purport is that the spiritual practice for attainment of salvation does not become successful just by cleaning the body externally. For that, one’s heart should be (paak) pure. Intoxicate yourself with the recitation of naam, that is, drink the (sharaabey naam jaam) alcohol of naam and intoxicate yourself. (Ishq) Love Allah deeply. Clean the (dosh) filth of the heart with the broom of this (Ishq) love. Destroy (duii) jealousy and become a true devotee. You are not reciting the true naam with the rosary that you are carrying. Break this (tasbi) rosary. You read books (Quran Majeed, Zaboor, Taurat, Injil) and believe that this itself will lead to salvation; this belief of yours is wrong. That is why, it has been said that immerse these books in the water. To attain God, burn your ego, that is, give up arrogance.” Mansoor ji said to the Qaji, “Stop killing living beings (slaughtering cows, goats etc.). Do not commit this (kufar) sin. Anal Haq is the true mantra for salvation. Recite this kalma (mantra).”
Allah Kabir had met Rumi in the guise of Shams Tabrizi. The one who met Mansoor Ali was Shams Tabrizi, a Muslim Sufi saint. It is also mentioned in some books that God Kabir through secret inspiration, generated a desire in Shams Tabrizi to leave the ashram because Shams Tabrizi’s opposition had escalated in that city. As soon as Shams Tabrizi left the ashram, Kabir ji himself started living in the ashram in the guise of Shams Tabrizi. He had to get his Hans (devotee soul) Mansoor out of there. After fierce opposition from the king and the public there, Al-Khijr in the guise of Shams Tabrizi came to Multan city of Hindustan (present-day Pakistan) with his disciple, Prince Muhammad (Mansoor’s name had been changed to Muhammad). Satguru Shams Tabrizi and Prince Muhammad set up their abode in the city of Multan. After listening to their knowledge, some good souls became their followers. But the method of worship being against Islam, the people there started protesting strongly. Those who had become followers were also barred from going to the ashram. Shams Tabrizi ran out of firewood. He said to the prince, “Make a single thick roti (bread) of this flour and take it to the city. Get the bread cooked from someone's house.” The prince went to the city with raw bread. No one cooked the bread. On the contrary, they injured Muhammad by hitting him in his face. The disciple returned without getting the bread cooked and told Satguru, “People did this to me. They did not even bake the bread.” Then Shams Tabrizi, placing the roti (bread) in his hand, faced the sun and said, “Come here and cook my baati.” Instantly, on the order of Satguru, the sun started coming closer to the earth. It became so hot that the city of Multan became a furnace. The entire city of Multan started burning. The doors and the walls started heating up. Some sensible people appeared in the service of Satguru and begged for forgiveness. They said, “Please do not punish the entire Multan city for the deeds of some ignorant people.”
Satguru said, “These people are not ignorant but evil. They even refused to give an inexpensive thing like fire to the saints. They broke this child's face.” The people standing with folded hands said, “They are not familiar with your power. Forgive them in the name of God.” On hearing this, Satguru Shams Tabrizi said, “Since you have brought God amidst this, I forgive them.” Looking towards the sun, he said, “Reduce your heat. I do not know how these people will bear the fire of (Dojakh) hell?” As soon as he said this, the sun went back to its place. After that the people of Multan started becoming devotees. Satguru Kabir ji, who was playing the role of Shams Tabrizi, observed silence for a few days under his plan as Shams Tabrizi had become silent after seeing the fierce protests and atrocities against his disciple Mansoor. Kabir ji in the form of Shams Tabrizi was also observing silence for many days. Like every day, he went for a morning walk, but did not return. On the same day, the original Shams Tabrizi, who had become silent, arrived in the ashram. He died soon after he arrived. People do not know about this secret to date. Shams Tabrizi's body was buried in a tomb. A memorial was built in the year 1329. Supreme God Kabir performed a divine play in Kashi (India) for hundred and twenty years from 1398-1518. At that time, He had resurrected girl Kamaali after getting her corpse disinterred from the grave. On growing up, when Kamali came to know about the above reality, she expressed a strong desire to see it. She requested Satguru. Kamaali was married off to a devotee in the same Multan city. Sant Garibdas ji has said that:
Garib, Satguru Samastabrej koon, baati dhariya haath |
Sooraj koon seki jahaan, tejpunj kaa gaat ||
Meaning - Satguru Samastabrej (Shams Tabrizi), by placing a raw roti (bread) in his hand, asked the sun to bake (cook) it. Instantly, the sun came closer to the earth. At that time, the body of Satguru, in the guise of Shams Tabrizi, became fulgent. His body began to appear extremely bright. By the heat of the sun, the bread got baked and became edible.