The word ‘five (پنجاں/ਪੰਜਾਂ, پنجے/ਪੰਜੇ)’ is used recurringly in this quatrain. Each analysist gave his own version of the meaning:

• Doctor Nazeer Ahmad as per his personality called this quatrain a riddle, puzzle or mystery because he could not understand it.
• Mohammad Sharif Sabir admitted that he could not comprehend the true meaning of this quatrain. Furthermore, he wrote meehal (میحل/ਮੀਹਲ) instead of mahal (Castle) (محل/ਮਹੱਲ) and translated it as the five senses or the five stages; sharia, tariqa, haqiqa (reality), marifa (gnosis) and Wahdah (Oneness).
• According to Noor Mohammad Kulachvi and Doctor Sultan Altaf Ali, Sultan Bahoo meant five physical and spiritual senses which are used by man to learn the esoteric and exoteric knowledge and to witnesses the Divine Essence by means of esoteric senses.
• Ahmad Saeed Hamdani opines that it could mean the five spiritual senses as well as the five inner subtleties or spiritual stages: qalb (inward), ruh (soul), sir’r (the secret), khafi (the hidden) and akhfa (the arcane). When they are awakened, man sees Divine light everywhere and many secrets are unveiled. Sufis name them lataif (senses/subtleties) and they are a means to attain spiritual knowledge.

In a nutshell, different writers have given the opinion that when the five spiritual subtleties enlighten then a man witnesses Divine Essence everywhere as well as within himself through these five subtleties.

As far as the five physical and spiritual subtleties are concerned, their discussion is not found in any of the books of Sultan Bahoo therefore this opinion is baseless.

Moreover, within the subtleties, the self (nafs) is physical or outward and the rest of the five are spiritual. Ironically, Sultan Bahoo himself does not believe in only six subtleties. He mentions yakhfa (the concealed) after akhfa (the arcane) and in the last, after yakhfa (the concealed) is Ana (the core).

Sultan Bahoo states in his book Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalan:

• Verification is in the inward (qalb), inward is in the soul (ruh), soul is in the secret (sir’r), core is in the hidden (khafi), hidden is in the most concealed (yakhfa).

Sultan Bahoo says about Ana (the core) in his book Ain-ul-Faqr:

• According to Hadith Qudsi:

اِنَّ فِیْ جَسَدِ بَنِیْ اٰدَمَ مُضْغَۃً وَ مُضْغَۃٌ فِیْ فَوَادٍ وَ فَوَادٌ فِیْ قَلْبٍ وَ قَلْبٌ فِیْ رُوْحٍ وَ رُوْحٌ فِیْ سِرٍّ وَ سِرٌّ فِیْ خَفِیٍّ وَ خَفِیٌّ فِیْ اَنَائٍ

Meaning: Verily, in the body of human being there is lump of flesh which has a subtle point in it called heart. Heart is in the inward, inward is in the soul, soul is in the secret, the secret is in the hidden and the hidden is in the core.

When a Fakir is dominated by Ana (the core) then this domination can also be of two kinds: One is when the Fakir says:

• قُمْ بِاِذْنِ اللّٰہِ

Meaning: Rise by the command of Allah.

The other is when the Fakir says:

• قُمْ بِاِذْنِیْ

Meaning: Rise by my command. (Ain-ul-Faqr)

He elaborates on the topic of the perfect Fakir:

• His self (nafs) becomes inward, the inward absorbs into the soul, the soul becomes the secret, the secret becomes the hidden, the hidden becomes the core and the core is covered. This is called Absolute Oneness. (Ain-ul-Faqr)

The core is the station where Mansur al-Hallaj said, “I am the Truth.”

Sultan Bahoo believes in Oneness and Divine union. He says:

Explanation: Without union with Allah everything is a false tale rather fabrication.

Sultan Bahoo writes in his books about the station of annihilation, immortality, Oneness and union with Allah:

چار بودم سہ شُدم اکنوں دویم

و ز دوئی بہ گزشتم و یکتا شدم

Explanation: Initially I was four (me, my spiritual guide, the Prophet and Allah). When I was annihilated in my spiritual guide, we remained three. Then I was annihilated in the Prophet, we were two. At last I surpassed duality and became one with Allah. (Ain-ul-Faqr)

In the spiritual order of Sultan Bahoo, all the stations are useless and unachievable without Divine vision. Therefore, he does not acquiesce to the Divine vision in five subtleties.

There is a repetition of the word ‘five’ in this quatrain and every person acquainted with Punjabi knows that ‘the five’ in Punjabi refers to Panjtan Pak, the five sacred personalities: The Holy Prophet, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Fatimah bint Mohammad, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali. Sultan Bahoo has also referred to them that without the gnosis of these sacred five personalities one cannot attain exalted heights of Faqr.

A few Hadiths about the People of the Cloak are:

• Miswar ibn Makhrama relates a tradition that the Holy Prophet said, “Fatimah is a part of my body. Whoever displeases her, in fact displeases me.” (Bukhari 3714, 3767)
• Miswar ibn Makhrama relates a tradition that the Holy Prophet said, “Fatimah is my beloved. Whatever makes her happy, also makes me happy and whatever hurts her, in fact hurts me.” (Mustadrak 4734)
• Aisha bint Abi Bakr says, “I have never seen any person resembling as much to the Holy Prophet in manners, personality, habits and etiquettes as Fatimah.” (Tirmidhi 3872; Abu Dawud 5217)
• Aisha bint Abi Bakr says, “I have never seen any person so similar to the Holy Prophet in style of speaking as is Fatimah.” (Mustadrak 4732)
• Hubshi ibn Junadah narrates a tradition that the Holy Prophet said, “Ali is from me and I am from Ali. No one can fulfil (my responsibilities) on my behalf but myself or Ali.” (Tirmidhi 3719; Ibn Majah 119)
• The Holy Prophet said, “To whom I am the lord (Mawla), Ali is his lord (Mawla).” (Tirmidhi 3713; Mustadrak 4577; Tabarani 2977)
• Riyah ibn Harith and Jabir ibn Abdullah narrate that Prophet Mohammad said on the event of Ghadir Khumm[1], “Anyone who takes me as his lord (Mawla), must take Ali as his lord (Mawla).” (Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 23959; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 32735, 32736)
• Imran ibn Husain narrates that the Holy Prophet said, “Undoubtedly, Ali is from me and I am from Ali and Ali is the guardian of every believer after me.” (Tirmidhi 3712; Mishkat al-Masabih 6090)
• Abdullah ibn Abbas relates that the Prophet said to Umm Salama, “This is Ali ibn Abi Talib, his flesh is my flesh and his blood is my blood and he holds the same status for me as Aaron held for Moses but there is no Prophet after me.” (Tabarani)
• Ali ibn Abi Talib relates, “Hasan is the perfect reflection of the Holy Prophet from head to chest while Husayn is his perfect reflection from chest to feet.” (Tirmidhi 3779; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 854)
• Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said, “Whoever loves Hasan and Husayn, in fact loves me and whoever keeps malice towards Hasan and Husayn, in fact keeps malice towards me.” (Tabarani 2579, 23547)
• The Holy Prophet said, “Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn. O Allah! Make him Your beloved who loves Husayn. Husayn is a special grandson. Whoever wishes to see the man of heaven (according to another tradition it is the leader of youth in paradise), he should see Husayn ibn Ali.” (Agreed upon Hadith)
• Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas states that when the verse was revealed:

فَقُلۡ تَعَالَوۡا نَدۡعُ اَبۡنَآءَنَا وَ اَبۡنَآءَکُمۡ (3:61)

Meaning: “Say! Come, let us call our sons and your sons.” (3:61)

The Holy Prophet called Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn and said, “O Allah! They are my progeny.” (Muslim 6220; Tirmidhi 3724)

• Ali ibn Abi Talib narrates that the Holy Prophet held the hands of Hasan and Husayn and said, “Whoever loves me and both of them and their parents, will be with me on my station on the day of judgment.” (Tirmidhi 3733)
• Zayd ibn Arqam relates that the Holy Prophet said to Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn, “I will befriend him whom you will befriend and I will have enmity with him who is your enemy.” (Tabarani 2555)

For a detail study into the grandeur and elite status of the sacred five personalities read the book Sufism-The Soul of Islam chapter 16 or the book Prophet’s People of the Cloak and Companions. These books are the English translations of the Urdu books Shams-ul-Fuqara and Fazayl Ahl-e-Bayt aur Sahaba Karam Razi Allah Anhum, respectively.

Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (Mujaddid Alif Sani) says:

• There are two ways of union with Allah. One of them is the way of Prophethood. Through this way, only the Prophets are connected and unified with Allah and this way was sealed on Prophet Mohammad.

The second way is that of sainthood. The people of this way are connected to Allah through a mediator. This group consists of the Sufi hierarchy of the Qutb[2], Autad[3], Abdal[4], Nujaba[5] and common Saints. The mediator and the main source of this way is Ali ibn Abi Talib. This way of union with Allah is all about the grand status of Ali ibn Abi Talib. At this station, he exercises the authority granted to him by Prophet Mohammad. Fatimah-tuz-Zahra, Hasan and Husayn also share this status with Ali ibn Abi Talib. (Letter no.123 written to Noor Mohammad Tehari)[6]

Sultan Bahoo describes this fact in these words:

• Ali ibn Abi Talib received Faqr from the Holy Prophet. (Ain-ul-Faqr, Mehak-ul-Faqr Kalan)
• Prophet Mohammad conferred Faqr upon Ali. (Jamia-ul-Asrar)
• The spiritual leader of Fakirs is Ali. (Jamia-ul-Asrar)

The intellectuals translate the following Hadith of the Holy Prophet as:

• اَنَا مَدِیْنَۃُ الْعِلْمِ وَعَلِیٌّ بَابُھَا

Meaning: I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its door. (Mustadrak 4637, 4638, 4639)

While Sultan Bahoo describes its meaning, “I (the Holy Prophet) am the city (centre) of Faqr and Ali is its door (gateway).”

The queen of the universe Fatimah-tuz-Zahra is the first Sultan-ul-Faqr[7]. Sultan Bahoo says in Jamia-ul-Asrar:

• Fatimah bint Mohammad was brought up in Faqr, nourished by Faqr and possessed Faqr. Whoever attains Faqr, it is only through her mediation.

He says about Hasan and Husayn:

• The perfection in ‘Faqr is my pride (الفقرفخری)’ was possessed by the sacred brothers Hasan and Husayn who are the beloveds of the Holy Prophet and Fatimah-tuz-Zahra. (Mehak-ul-Faqr Kalan)

From the aforementioned statements, it is evident that the four personalities are stationed at the highest pedestal of annihilation in Allah and immortality with Him. There can be no difference among them. Hence, a seeker of Allah cannot walk the path of Faqr unless he affirms to this fact.

بیدمؔ یہی تو پانچ ہیں مقصودِ کائنات

خیر النسائؓ، حسینؓ و حسنؓ مصطفیٰؐ علیؓ

Explanation: The Holy Prophet, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Fatimah bint Mohammad, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali are the sole reason for the creation of the universe. (Bedam Shah Warsi)

لِیْ خَمْسَۃٌ اُطْفِیْ بِھَا حَرَّ الْوَبَائِ الْحَاطِمَۃ

اَلْمُصْطَفیٰ وَ الْمُرْتَضٰی وَ اَبْنَاھُمَا وَ الْفَاطِمَۃ

Explanation: The sacred five (People of the Cloak) are the Holy Prophet, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Fatimah bint Mohammad, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali are the ones due to whom any fire of fatal illnesses (physical and spiritual) extinguish.

Sultan Bahoo’s oath of allegiance was also taken in the assembly of the People of the Cloak. He immensely loved the People of Cloak. He held commemoration ceremonies for the martyrs of Karbala every year in Muharram from 1^st to 10^th. This tradition is still continued. Thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine during the first ten days of Muharram while in the last three days their number reaches to lakhs. In this way, a lot of people are blessed every year at his shrine.

In the under discussion quatrain, Sultan Bahoo has used the metaphor of five castles which refer to the physical existences of the sacred five: the Holy Prophet, Fatimah, Ali, Hasan and Husayn.

The light in these castles is the Divine light of Essence which is one and unique. They are different as humans and manifest different attributes. All of them are perfect in themselves and are the light of guidance. However, if we understand their reality mystically then it becomes clear that they are the perfect manifestation of Divine Essence. In reality, they all are one but apparently, they are different from each other. Sometimes the Divine Oneness manifested in multiple physical forms makes it difficult for the seeker of Allah to have gnosis of the Divine Essence. Seeker remains confused about their status whether he should consider them five different entities regarding their physical status or consider them one keeping in view their inner reality which is Hoo (ھُو). If they are the manifestation of Divine Essence then whom he should bow and whom he should ask for forgiveness at the time of accountability. The Divine Essence is the qibla and is One. The secret behind the manifestation of Divine Essence in apparently five different existences can only be gained by sacrificing one’s life. This secret is only disclosed upon those Mystics who are annihilated in the Divine Essence after crossing the station of ‘death before dying’ and became the confidants of Divine secrets.

[1] Ghadir Khumm is located near al-Juhfah (now Rabigh) between Makkah and Madina. The Holy Prophet delivered a sermon at that place on his return from Hajjatul Wida (Farewell hajj).

[2 ], [3 ], [4 ], [5 ]  Different Ranks of Saints

[6]  Maktubat Imam Rabbani.

[7] The term Sultan-ul-Faqr (سلطان الفقر) or ‘Sultan of Faqr’ was first introduced by Sultan Bahoo in his famous work Risala Roohi Sharif. There are seven personalities who hold this status. They are ranked at the highest degree of excellence in oneness with Allah and are distinguished among all the Saints. They are Fatimah bint Mohammad, Hasan of Basra, Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Shaikh Sayyid Abdul Razzaq Jilani, Sultan Bahoo himself and two others whose names were not mentioned in the book but it is stated, “Two among them are the souls of other Mystics. Both the realms owe their stability to the dignity of these two sacred souls. Unless these two souls manifest in the world of diversity coming out of the abode of Oneness, the doomsday will not occur.” (Risala Roohi Sharif)