Roti The 6th Pillar of Islam?

This incident shows how the great Sufi saints corrected the pride of adamant people and won their obstinate hearts by spiritual powers. It is also shows that these Pirs are very simple and humble on the outside. The Miracle was accomplished over a very long time, but it is obvious that the saint knew of the outcome right from the beginning. It proves that the saints have been accorded enormous respect and powers to manipulate events by Allah (Subhanah Wa Taala). Allah Taala has stated about His Beloved servants, The Awliya-Allah, in the Noble Quran:

_"Verily the friends of Allah are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve."

Every Muslim knows that there are 5 prominent principles, rukunsor pillars in Islam: Kalima, Salaat, Roza, (fasting), Zakaat and Haj. Hadrat Khwaja Fariduddin Gang Shakr (Rahmatullah Alaihi) also followed them as a true Muslim. But once, in order to smash the pride of a certain Mullah saheb (Teacher/Preacher), he introduced a sixth one, the story of which runs as follows:

One day a Mulla came to Hadrat Baba Sahib khanqa when a ˜majlis' was in progress and the saint was delivering a lecture. The Mulla began to interfere and started his own sermon in a fashion as if he was an unfathomable ocean of religious learning and Baba sahibs talk was of no use. After he had enough time for his unwelcome address, Hadrat Baba Saheb smiled and enquired: "Mulla Saheb, will you please tell me how many Rukuns of Islam are there?"

The Mulla Saheb at once said, Five and recalled them too. Hadrat Baba Saheb rejoined with a smile: But I have heard that there is a 6th Rukun also.

Upon this the Mulla Saheb flared up and said, Whatever you have heard is absolute wrong. But Baba Saheb insisted ; But I have heard from certain leading personalities that the 6th Rukun of Islam is Roti (Bread).

This really infuriated the Mullah very much, and he exploded: It is the short-sighted and ignorant people like you who invent such bogus and self-made things in religion and misguide the people. You should never interfere with religious principles of Islam.

Thus saying and reciting a Quranic verse, the Mulla got up in a fit of anger and went away in spite of Baba Sahibs request to stay.

The Quranic verse which Mulla Sahib recited means:
After giving your advice, do not sit near the tribe of Zalims (Oppressors) if they ignore it.

After this incident, Mulla Saheb went away on the Haj Pilgrimage to Mecca, but when, after staying there for 7 long years, he was returning, his ship perished in a storm but Mulla Sahib escaped and drifted on to a strange island where there was no life or vegetation except rough and tough mountainous land. The Mulla Saheb took refuge in the hollow of a mountain and for three days, had neither food nor water. On the fourth day, a man appeared on the scene and cried, " I sell Roti, I sell Roti"

The Mulla Saheb was so happy and begged him with due humility, for some bread, as he was dying of hunger of the past 3 days. He pleaded, "Brother, I am a passenger, my ship was wrecked and I am here without food and water and I have no money on me to purchase the Roti".

The hawker replied, "I have Roti and water both. But I am sorry, I am a trader and do not give away things without a price". The Mulla Saheb then enquired if he was a Muslim and the man replied :

"Allah be Praised! Yes, I am a follower of din (Islam) of the Beloved Prophet (Sallall Allahu Taala Alaihi Wasallam)".

Upon this, the Mulla Saheb tried to invoke the man's religious sympathy and said; "Brother, I am also a Muslim, and a learned Scholar of Islam and, by the Grace of Allah, I have also performed Haj 7 times. Islam teaches that the helpless travellers must be fed. I am in dire need of food at this time. If you will feed me Allah Almighty would reward your charity in both the worlds".

The hawker replied, "you are perfectly right but if I start distributing my Roti like this, my trade would come to and end which I cannot afford". The Mulla was extremely disappointed to hear this but once more pleaded to invoke his mercy. At last the man agreed and said ;

"All right, you can have the Roti provided you pass on the benefit of your 7 Haj to me"

The Mulla Saheb, exhausted by hunger and thirst, readily agreed to the proposal and said, "I hereby pass on the benefit of my 7 Hajs to you".

The hawker then gave him the food and water and disappeared in the mountains. After finishing with his food, the Mulla tried to search out the traders house but failed.

Everyday the Mulla Saheb used to sit on the seashore in the hope of some passing ship so that he could get a lift home, but he was disappointed. And every third day the hawker would appear and give him food and water in return for Mulla sahib's lifelong Salaat, Roza and Zakaat. Now only the name of Allah remained with the Mulla.

When the man appeared on his following trip, the Mulla Saheb said lamentably: "Brother, now I have nothing with me; you have taken away all the rewards of my 7 Hajj and lifelong Salaat, Roza and Zakaat." Upon hearing this the hawker said:

"Up to now you have been giving me all these good things only verbally, but today I have brought pen, ink and paper also, and if you can give me in writing that you have passed on all these benefits to me, I shall give you food in lieu of this document".

In his tight circumstances, the Mulla Saheb had no escape but to agree to this condition, also, and the man gave him food and water and went away.

Luckily the very next day a ship appeared on the sea and, on Mulla Sahib's signal, rescued him. The ship was taking the hajis to India and the Mulla Saheb at last landed safe in India and reached his home in a state of religious bankruptcy after a very long time.

One day the Mulla Saheb came to Hadrat Baba saheb again and told him the news of his 7 Haj in his old strain of vanity and pride. Hearing the story, Baba Saheb felt happy and said: "I hope you are not angry with me now."

The Mulla replied; "If I was angry, I would not have come to see you? Hadrat Baba saheb said; "Before you left for Hajj, I had mentioned about Islams 6th Rukun of Roti upon which you were very angry, and had called us one of the tribe of 'Zalims' (oppressors), we were however very sorry about having enraged you and ever since we used to remember you daily".

The Mulla replied, "oh, I had forgotten all about that incident, but I still maintain the same view that there are only 5 ˜Rukuns of Islam, and that, due to the religious knowledge, I do speak out when things are said against the Shariah. There is no 6th rukn of Islam, I again maintain." Hadrat Baba Saheb replied; "Maulana, excuse me, I am not telling you any hearsay; I have seen it in writing that there is a 6th Rukun of Islam also." Upon this the Mulla demanded, "if it is certainly so, then I would like to see that in writing"

Hadrat Baba Saheb called out his servant and asked him to bring out a certain book. When he returned with the voluminous book, Hadrat Baba Saheb asked everyone present to get away for privacy's sake and, turning the leafs of the book, put his finger at one place and pointed out, " Here it is, Maulana; read it."

When the Mulla Saheb bent upon the page to look into it, he found there the same written document, which he had signed and given to the man who had supplied him with Roti and water at the island where he was stranded. The Mulla gave out a most dreadful; nard (shriek) and became unconscious.

When he regained senses, he fell down at the feet of Hadrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj Shakar (Rahmatullah Alaihi), the Beloved friend of Allah (Subhanah Wa Ta'ala).

The Mulla then offered Tauba (repentance) for his false vanity and pride in learning, and became a devoted disciple of the Great Saint, and from that day, he observed in complete silence and seldom spoke to anybody up to his last breath.

Due to his overwhelming fear of Allah (Subhanah Wa Taala), he used to weep all the time, and do Tauba with deep sincerity.

This Miracle was accomplished over a very long time, but it is obvious that the Saint Hadrat Khawaja Fariduddin Masood Ganj Shakar (Rahmatullah Alaihi) knew the outcome right from the beginning. It also proves that the Saints and Pirs have been accorded enormous respect and powers to manipulate events by Allah (Subhanah Wa Taala).


May Allah (Subhanah Wa Taala) give us the tawfiq to understand and respect His Friends, The Awliya-Allah. Ameen.