Guru Nanak at Hassan Abdal
After traveling through Arabia and many other countries, in 1521 A.D during the summer season, Guru Nanak reached a place called Hasan Abdal. Hasan Abdal is fifty kilometers from Rawalpindi in Pakistan to the west side of the mountains. This is a hilly area and some places here have natural fountains which flow from the ground.
Guru ji with Bhai Mardana and a small party halted at this place at the foot of a hill. Under the cool shade of a tree, Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana started reciting Kirtan as it was their normal practice. Slowly, the local devotees began to gather around the Guru. Soon, a large crowd of people began to regularly gather around the Guru. He talked to them about God and the true path of the holy. He told them the greatness of God and His creations. More and more people began to gather around the Guru as each day went by.
On the top of the nearby hill, there lived a Muslim priest. His name was Bawa Wali Qandhari. Wali Qandhari had established a celebrated dera (holy place) at this hill at Hasan Abdal, near a natural fountain. His house was very close to the fresh water spring from where the water flowed down to the town and was then used by the people for all their needs. There was no other source of fresh water nearby, therefore Wali Qandhari used this dera to assist people who followed his faith and to punish the "non-believers".
Wali Qandhari was an arrogant person, when he saw people gathering around Guru Nanak ji instead of his place, he became very angry. So, he stopped the spring water from flowing down to the town. The people became frustrated and now the question arose, how could they and their cattle survive without water?
A group of them went to Baba Wali Qandhari and begged him to let the water flow down as before. But Bawa Wali Qandhari said angrily, "Go to your Guru, the one you visit everyday now and ask him for water." The people went to the Guru and told him the whole story. The Guru said, "Don't lose your heart. Trust in God. He will not let you die of thirst." The Guru then said to Bhai Mardana, "Go and appeal to Bawa Wali Qandhari and request him to let the water flow down to the town."
Bhai Mardana went to appeal to Wali Qandhari to release the water so that the village folk could quench their thirst and give water to the thirsty animals. But as soon as Bhai Mardana got to the top of the hill, Bawa Wali Qandhari began shouting angrily, "Go back to your Guru and ask him to give water to the people. I will not give you any water."
Guru ji asked Bhai Mardana to go again. Bhai Mardana very humbly approached Wali Qandhari and begged for water. He requested and begged him to release the water so that they could quench their thirst,but, Wali Qandhari again refused to give him any water and even abused him with harsh words. Despite all of this, Mardana still very politely stuck to his request. Wali again ironically remarked: "Why don't you ask your Master whom you serve? Isn't he able to give you any water?"
Bhai Mardana returned to the Guru and narrated what Bawa Wali Qandhari said to him. The Guru sent him once again. But again he came back with the same story. The frustration of the public grew each second. The Guru said, "Don't lose your heart. God is great and merciful. He can make springs flow from wherever He likes. Let us all pray to Him." They all prayed. Then Guru Nanak Dev Ji lifted a stone. At once, a stream of cool, clean water began to flow from the place where the Guru lifted the stone.
At the same time, Bawa Wali Qanhari's spring dried up. He was red with anger and from the top of the hill he pushed a large rock towards the Guru. The rock came rolling down towards the Guru. Bawa Wali Qanhari thought that the rock would crush the Guru to death but the Guru quietly raised his hand and the rock stopped at the instant it touched the Guru's hand. The Guru's hand was imprinted on the rock. Bawa Wali Qundhari's pride was broken. He came down and fell at the Guru's feet. The Guru said to him, "Rise my friend. Live as lovers of God should live. Be kind to all."
The rock with the imprint of the Guru's palm still exists. There is a beautiful Gurdwara at that place called the Panja Sahib. Panja means "hand print". Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, after conquering the Sindh province during the Sikh rule, had the beautiful huge Gurdwara and Sarovar (pool) built at the site. Many people visit the site and during the hot summer weather bathe in the cool waters that God revealed to the Guru and his followers on that day.
- This article with thanks to realsikhism.com and www.sgpc.net
