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Abdul Rahman Momand | |
|---|---|
عبدالرحمن | |
 Manuscript painting of Rahman Baba, commissioned by Abdullah Khan Alkozai, 1798 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1042AH (1632/1633 CE) |
| Died | 1118 AH (1706/1707CE); (aged 73–74 years) Peshawar, Mughal Empire |
| Resting place | Peshawar, Pakistan |
| Parent |
|
| Notable work(s) | Dīwān |
| Known for | Pashto poetry |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Sect | Sufism |
| Monastic name | Wali |
| Profession | Poet |
Abdur Rahmān Momand (Pashto:عبدالرحمان بابا;c. 1632 – 1706)[1] orRahmān Bābā (Pashto:رحمان بابا), was a renownedAfghan[2][3]Sufi Saint, member ofSufi Dervish and poet fromPeshawar (present-dayKhyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan) during theMughal era. He, along with his contemporaryKhushal Khan Khattak, is considered among the most popularpoets of the Pashto language.[4] His poetry expresses themystical side ofIslam, in line with hisSufi-oriented nature.[5]
Opinion is divided about Rahman's family background.[6] Several commentators are convinced that his family was villageMalik (chieftains).[6] However, Rahman Baba was more likely to have been a simple, though learned man. As he himself exclaimed: "Though the wealthy drink water from a golden cup, I prefer this clay bowl of mine."[7]
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A collection of Rahman's poetry, called theDīwān ("anthology") of Rahman Baba, contains 343 poems, most of which are written in his nativePashto. The Dīwān of Rahman Baba was in wide circulation by 1728. There are over 25 original hand-written manuscripts of the Dīwān scattered in various libraries worldwide, including ten in the Pashto Academy in Peshawar, four in the British Library, three in theBibliothèque Nationale in Paris, as well as copies in theJohn Rylands Library in Manchester, theBodleian Library in Oxford and the University Library Aligath. The first printed version was collected by the Anglican Missionary T.P. Hughes and printed inLahore in 1877.[8] It is this version which remains the most commonly used to this day.
"Rahman Baba has received a large amount of praise. His work is regarded by many Pashtuns to be far more than poetry and next only to theQuran."[9]
After his demise, poets, musicians and singers flocked to his gravesite annually. This annual congregation attained a festive status over the years which has carried on as part of Peshawar's rich cultural tradition to this day.However, on 5 March 2009, "militants" bombed Rahman Baba's tomb inPeshawar.[10][11] "The high intensity device almost destroyed the grave, gates of a mosque, canteen and conference hall situated in the Rehman Baba Complex. Police said the bombers had tied explosives around the pillars of the tombs, to pull down the mausoleum".[12] The shrine reopened in November 2012 after Rs. 39 million reconstruction.[13]
The exact dates of his birth and death are not known, but it is conjectured that he was born in 1042 H and died in 1118 H.
... and most popular, of Afghan poets is Abdur Rahman . A member of the Momand tribe
Abdurrahman Momand ( b . 1650 ? ) . Afghan religious poet; his poetry reflected his piety and love of God
