Last Updated on 23 May 2024 IST: Kabir Saheb Family Details: people have many myths about His life, the reality of which the common people aren’t aware of. In this blog, we will take a look at the ongoing myths and realities about the family of Saint Kabir.
What’s Commonly Known About Kabir Saheb
Saint Kabir often referred to as Kabir das is a mystic poet, Saint and philosopher from India. He was found by a childless Muslim couple Noor Ali and Niyamat from the pond named Lahartara in Kashi. His ideologies opposed the rituals followed by both the Hindus and Muslims. He openly criticised their superstitious beliefs through His couplets popularly known as Kabir ke Dohe or alternatively as Kabir Vaani. He started the Bhakti movement. Not a lot is known about His “birth” and His family life. Academic scholars have only made speculations and assumptions regarding His family as there are no authenticated records in documented history for the same. So let’s find out who Saint Kabir was and who was in His family as per documented history.
Common Myths and Uncertainties in Kabir Das Ji’s Documented Records
The exact year of birth of Kabir Saheb is not known in the documented history. Some scholars believe it to be 1398 AD while others believe it as 1440 AD. Some believe Kabir das to be born to a Brahmin widow who abandoned her son as she wasn’t capable of his upbringing. While, others believe that He was born from an unwed mother. A Muslim couple from the weaver community found Kabir afloated in the Lahartara pond in Kashi who took Him home and raised Him. He was raised in accordance to Islamic beliefs. Later at the age of five years, He took initiation from Swami Ramanad a Vaishnav Panthi Hindu Guru to attain enlightenment.
The academic records about Kabir Das mention that He had a son named Kamaal and a daughter named Kamaali. However, there is no authentic record of who was His wife though some academicians are of the view that His wife’s name was Loi. The details regarding His death are very much hazy and there are two different years which are believed to be the years in which He died. Some believe He died in 1448 AD while others take it as 1518 AD.
These are the personal details of Kabir Das and His family that can be accessed by the people through the internet and various books written on Him. Now let’s have a look at the real personal details of saint Kabir Saheb based upon the accounts mentioned in Kabir Sagar and the sacred account of Couplets written by Sant Garibdas.
Maat pita kachhu nahi mere, Na mere ghar Dasi |
Julaha ko sut aan kahaya, jagat kare meri hansi ||
Kabir Saheb Family Details: Kabir Das’s Birth and His Parents
Kabir Saheb Family Details: There is a lot of confusion regarding the birth of Kabir Saheb. No one is really sure about either who He was born to or when He was born. The only thing which few scholars reluctantly agree with is that a Muslim couple found Kabir Das as an infant and they raised Him as their son. The real reason for this confusion is because He never really took birth. He descended on earth from His Eternal abode Satlok in the form of an infant. Sage Ashtanand a disciple of Swami Ramanad witnessed the Descending of Kabir Saheb on earth as an infant on the lotus flower in the Lahartara pond in Kashi where the Muslim weaver couple Noor Ali and Niyamat found Him and they took Him home.
Garib, Bhakti Mukti le utre, Metan teeno Taap |
Momin ke Dera liya, Keh Kabira Baap ||
Was Kabir Das Married?
Many academicians believe that Kabir Saheb was married and His wife’s name was Loi. However, there are no certainties in the details. The fact is that Kabir Saheb did not marry. He remained a celibate all through His time on earth.
Who Were Kabir Das’s Children?
There is a myth that Kabir Das had two children, a son named Kamaal and a daughter named Kamaali. There are no records available regarding they being His children in documented history except for in Saint Garibdas’s writings. In this blog readers will be enlightened how Kamaal and Kamaali came to be known as His children.
How Kamaal Became Kabir Saheb’s Son?
The Sultan of Delhi Sikander Lodi was a disciple of Kabir Saheb. His spiritual adviser Sheikh Taki envied Kabir Das as Sikander Lodi always looked upon Kabir Saheb to get solutions for his problems ignoring the presence of Sheikh Takki. To get attention from the sultan he informed the sultan that since according to the sultan Kabir is God then Kabir Saheb will have to testify His divinity. Otherwise he would turn every Muslim in Delhi against the sultan. Fearing a revolt from his kingdom, he agreed to test Kabir Saheb on a specific date and venue.
Kabir Saheb Family Details: On that date, everyone came to witness the test. Sheikh Taki said that if Kabir could resurrect a dead person he would believe that Kabir is God. Kabir Das agreed to the condition. As they were standing on the banks of a river they all spotted a dead body floating on the river.
Kabir Saheb Family Details: Sheik Taki asked Kabir Saheb to resurrect this dead boy. Before doing anything Kabir Saheb asked Sheikh Taki to try resurrecting the dead boy but he failed. Meanwhile the body went ahead as it was floating. Kabir Saheb gestured to the floating body to come back. Immediately it started floating opposite to the current and remained still where Kabir Saheb was standing. Kabir saheb asked the soul of the dead boy to enter his body but nothing happened. Seeing this Sheikh Taki started jumping with joy. Kabir Saheb again asked the soul of the dead boy to enter but once again nothing happened. Failure of Kabir saheb rejoiced Sheikh Takki.
The third time Kabir ordered the soul of the dead boy to enter his body. As soon as Kabir saheb ordered the soul to come back people started to notice movements in the dead body and suddenly the dead boy was resurrected. This spectacle dumbfounded the people and they started calling the boy Kamaal. He kept the boy Kamaal with Himself as His son.
Kabir Saheb Family Details: How Kamaali Became Kabir Saheb’s Daughter?
Witnessing the resurrection of the dead boy made Sheikh Taki feel even more angry. He said that he would not accept this since there are chances that the boy might have been alive when he was floating in the river. Kabir will have to resurrect someone who has been dead for days. Kabir saheb agreed to this.
Sheikh Taki took Kabir saheb to the grave of his daughter who had passed away a few days ago. Again the entire actions were repeated. When his daughter’s dead body didn’t show any movement for the first two times instead of being sad he became rejoiced thinking that Kabir Saheb failed. When the third time Kabir Saheb ordered the soul of the dead girl to return to her body, she was resurrected back to life. This made Sheikh Taki very sad. Kabir Saheb asked the girl to go back to her father upon which she refused stating that her time with her father was over and now Kabir Saheb was her real father and that she would live with Him only. People named the girl Kamaali. At that time she told the audience about her previous births which included the one when she was Rabia, the devout soul for whom Mecca had flown. She informed the audience that Kabir Saheb is the Supreme Almighty Allah.
Both the children went to live their new life with Kabir Saheb. This is how Kabir Saheb got those two children. He was not their biological father. He was and is the father of the souls of the both of them and we all.
Is Kabir Saheb Really the Supreme Almighty?
From the accounts given about His family little light is definitely casted on the fact that He was not a normal human being. A normal human cannot resurrect the dead. Now readers will understand why the word descend is used instead of birth? The reason for the same is that when Almighty Supreme comes on earth He never takes birth from a mother’s womb.
According to Rigveda Mandal 9 Sukt 96 mantra 17; He always descends on earth as an infant. If we take a look back at history, none of the incarnations of gods descend on earth like that. They all took birth from a mother’s womb. And it is mentioned in Saint Garibdas’s nectar speech.
Also, according to Rigveda Mandal 9 Sukt 1 mantra 9 when Almighty descends on earth as an infant He is nourished by maiden cows. This is what exactly happened with Kabir Saheb when He was 25 days old. As a matter of fact, the Almighty descends on earth in every yug. In Satyug His name was sage Satsukrit. In Treta yug His name was sage Muninder. In Dwapar yug His name was Karunamay and now in Kaliyug He descends on earth with His true name Kabir. The same can be verified in the following speech of Kabir Saheb
Satyug mein Satsukrit kah tera |
Treta naam Muninder Mera ||
Dwapar mein Karunamay kahaya |
Kaliyug naam Kabir dharaya ||
Can We Too Attain Almighty Kabir?
Yes, it is possible to attain Almighty Kabir Saheb. But one will have to follow the true way of worship mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Only a truly enlightened Saint will be able to guide the true way of worship. Srimad Bhagawad Gita chapter 15:1-4 mentions the way to identify a truly enlightened Saint.
Who Is the Truly Enlightened Saint?
Today, Saint Rampal ji Maharaj is that enlightened Saint who is imparting a true way of worship to attain Supreme Almighty Kabir Saheb. To get more information please listen to his spiritual sermons on Sadhna tv channel from 7:30pm onwards or visit Satlok Ashram YouTube Channel.To take initiation from Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj, please click here to fill the initiation form. One can also download Gyan Ganga for more information.
