was unhappy with him, the merchants and the wealthy people stopped
sending offerings to the
jamaat khana
. This caused great hardship to those
staying there.
Whenever anyone wanted spiritual help, Baba Farid was always accessible
and obliging, irrespective of whether the seeker was a commoner or a member
of the nobility. He was so concerned with the spiritual well-being of the
people that he even tolerated their rude behaviour. He never discriminated
between individuals, paying no heed to whether they were Muslims or non-
Muslims. For him, all were human beings and thus deserved equal attention.
A very interesting story is recorded in
Fawaid ul Fuad.
7
Once a knife was once
presented to Baba Farid. He returned it, saying that he would have preferred
a needle instead. A knife was used to cut things up, while needles stitched
them together. He said that he was there not to cut up hearts but to mend
them.
This was the attitude not only of Baba Farid, but also of the Sufis in
general and for this reason the activities of the Sufis went a long way towards
easing the tensions between the Hindus and Muslims of the subcontinent.
The Muslims, who were regarded as foreign invaders, came to be seen also
as spiritual healers to whom people thronged for blessings. The Sufis on
their part kept their doors open to all and at all times. This was one of the
reasons why the lower classes, in particular, those who had been neglected
for centuries, came strongly under their influence. In effect, the hearts of
the people were touched by the Sufi teachings, based as they were on
moral and spiritual values. A great number even converted to the faith.
Baba Farid was a scholar, who also wrote poetry in Arabic, Persian and
7
Fawaid ul Fuad, p. 239
