Sheikh Farid

Sheikh Farid (शेख फरीद, c. 1175–1266), known as Baba Farid of Pakpattan, was a Sufi saint of the Chishti order whose Punjabi verses were included by Guru Arjan in the Adi Granth, making him one of the fifteen bhagats of the Guru Granth Sahib and a shared figure of reverence for Sikhs and Muslims of the Punjab.

Life

Farid al-Din Mas’ud Ganj-i-Shakar (“Sugar Treasure”) was born around 1175 at Kothewal, near Multan, into a family claiming descent from the Caliph Umar. He studied at Multan, became a disciple of the Chishti master Qutb al-Din Bakhtiar Kaki at Delhi, and settled at Ajodhan (modern Pakpattan, Pakistan), where his khanqah drew seekers across ranks and faiths. Renowned for austerity — by legend he wore a wooden yoke and ate only after long fasting — he lived to a great age and died in 1266. His shrine at Pakpattan remains a major Sufi pilgrimage site, and his spiritual lineage (the Faridi branch of the Chishtis) shaped Sufism across North India.

Contributions

The Guru Granth Sahib contains four hymns and about 130 shaloks under the name Sheikh Farid (traditionally summarized as 4 hymns + 130 shaloks), addressed in the first person and marked by themes of mortality, humility, divine longing, and ethical discipline. The hymns are in an early Punjabi of great literary importance. Whether all these verses are the historical Farid’s own work, compositions of his school, or a later Farid’s is debated by scholars; Guru Nanak is also recorded as having exchanged verses with “Farid” in the scripture.

Legacy

Sheikh Farid is celebrated as a founding poet of Punjabi Sufi literature and a bridge figure between Sikhism and Islam, revered alike at Pakpattan and in Sikh tradition.

Verification notes

• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).
• Dates are traditional (c. 1175–1266); the bani’s attribution to the historical Farid is uncertain and may include verses by his successors.
• The Guru Granth Sahib’s 4 hymns and ~130 shaloks under his name are per Wikipedia.