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Written by: Hidayat Khan
Posted on: April 03, 2020 | 
Rahman Baba’s Shrine (photo credits to Asif Saeed)
Pashto language and literature flourished tremendously in the 17th century, due to the efforts of poets like Khushal Khan Khattak, Abdul Rahman Mohmand. Their works are so influential that Pashtuns all over the world are able to recite them by heart. While Khattak is considered the national poet of Afghanistan, Rahman remains the most popular poet among the Pashtuns of Pakistan, who affectionately call him Baba or ‘honorable father’.
In his life, Baba lived as an ascetic devoted to worship and the service of humanity. Though there are very few historical records on his life, researchers concluded that he belonged to the Ghoriakhel branch of Mohmand tribe, who came to Peshawar from Central Afghanistan during the 13th-16th centuries. He lived in Bahadur Kalay outside Peshawar, till he passed away in 1706, in relative obscurity. Researchers are unable to find Rahman Baba’s family background. Some researchers believe that he was the son of village Chief (Malik), others believed him to have a humble background.
A Portrait of Rahman Baba
Baba lived during the time when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ruled the area that is now KPK. Though there is little evidence of him revolting against the Mughals, he was a critic of Mughal rulers for their vanity and their pride.
His poetry is about spiritual enlightenment through simple but melodic poetry. Through his verses on peace and tolerance, Rahman Baba left a deep impact on the society. One of the reasons he has been so popular among the Pashtuns, is his simple and fluent command over the Pashto language. As a Sufi saint, the main theme of Rahman’s poetry is love for the Divine, and the cultivation of the soul. Baba’s poetry has many dimensions and nuances, but the core remains love, eternal beauty and community values. Some examples include:
“Greater than building Abraham’s Qaaba
Is it, to heal the wounded heart of another”.
Or
“Though the wealthy drink water from a Golden Cup
I Rahman, prefer this clay bowl.”
While some have debated whether Baba belonged to the Naqshabandi or the Chisti order, the accepted view is that Baba was not attached to any particular Sufi order. But interestingly, his mysticism and poetry is important in understanding Pashtun culture and symbolism.
“I am a lover and I concern myself incessantly with love
I am not a Khalil, not a Daudzai, not a Momand.”
Mountstuart Elphinstone (1779-1859), an administrator with the East India Company who was sent on a mission to Afghanistan in 1808, named several Pashto poets in his accounts. However, he discussed Rahman Baba and Khushal Khan Khattak in detail. Though he rated Khattak as a far superior poet, because of Khattak’s exploration of themes liberty and independence, Rahman Baba was described as the more popular and accessible poet of Pashtuns. His anthology or “Diwan” was written in 1728, and was first printed in Lahore in 1877, though Baba’s handwritten manuscripts can be found in libraries all over the world in Peshawar, Paris, London, Manchester and Aligarh.
The Soup Kitchen or ‘Langar’ at Rahman Baba’s Shrine
Along with being a mystic, Baba was also a religious scholar. According to Robert Sampson in “Sufism: Islam Without Borders,” Rahman Baba’s poetry is a fascinating glimpse into the way grassroots Sufism was propagated. It passed seamlessly from one generation to next, without reliance on reading. as he was a folk-poet and everyone could understand his message. In 2005, Sampson and Momin Khan translated all the poems of Rahman Baba into English, and it is available as “The Poetry of Rahman Baba: Poet of the Pashtuns.”
Rahman Baba’s mausoleum is both a sanctuary and a library, situated in Hazar Khwani village, on the outskirts of Peshawar. The library features over 5,000 books, culled from book stores and donations, and is often visited by devotees and students. The Shrine is a simple, white domed shaped building that attracts hundreds of visitors every day, especially on Thursday night, when local musicians gather and perform Qawwali. His urs or death anniversary takes place early April, in which a large gathering of his devotees celebrate him through poetry recitation and prayer.
Rahman Baba Library (photo credits to pakhtoogle)
In March 2009, his shrine was targeted by extremists, who almost destroyed his grave in a bomb attack. Much of the complex was heavily damaged, and it was not until 2012 that the Shrine was reopened after a Rs. 39 million restoration plan.
Baba’s poetry may hold a vital key to promoting tolerance and peace in times of difficulty and inequality. Scholars who have worked on Baba’s poetry are of the opinion that his teachings of open-mindedness and struggle for Eternal Love can ease the violence and unrest that has emerged in recent times.
In an essay titled, “The Mysticism of Rahman Baba and its Educational Implications”, Dr. Hanifullah said, “Rahman Baba is not limited to a family, a tribe, a nation or a country. He is the nightingale of an infinitely wide garden of beauty in which he flies with the wings of love. And with every flight, he sings a song: “I am a human and belong to humanity, not with a specific tribe or a sect.”
Qawwals Singing at Rahman Baba’s Shrine
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