Few years ago, We received an email from a brother regarding the Ruling over saying and writing Sug-e-Madina, Sug-e-Taybah etc. for Human beings (Ashraf-ul-Makhlooqat). In connection to that email, We found many confused people objecting that Humans are labeled as Ashraful Makhlooqaat then why they use words like SUG (Dog) for themselves? The simple and straightforward answer is or can be… “Hum ISHQ kay banday hain kyun Baat bar’hai hay” but just for their satisfaction, following are some justifications and explanations to this issue.

Counter Questions:

First of all, I would like to put a counter question to them:

• Why Hadrat Ali is called Sher-e-Khuda (Lion of ALLAH)?
• Why Sayyiduna Hamza was titled Asadullah wa Rasooluh (Lion of ALLAH and HIS Messenger) by none other then Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Baaraka wa Sallam himself?
• Why Hadrat Khalid bin Waleed is labeled as Saifullah (Sword of ALLAH)?
• Why Sayyiduna Mihraan got the title of Safeena (Ship) from Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam?
• And why Sarkar Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam himself called his companion as Abu Hurayra (Father of cats)? RidwanULLAHi Ta’ala Alaihim Ajama’een

Moving on… Sayyiduna Siddiq al-Akbar Radi Allahu wished that may he be a Bird, an ordinary piece of grass, may he not be a Human etc. [Musannaf Abi Shayba, Vol. 8, Page 144]

Sayyiduna Abi Dhar Ghaffari said, “Alas! May my Mother wouldn’t have given me Birth” [Musannaf Abi Shayba, Vol. 8, Page 152]

And there are many Similar examples in which Sahaba have wished themselves as not be a human, be a Sheep, be a stone, be a branch of tree and etc.

Will it mean that they are doing the disrespect of the Status given to them by ALLAH Almighty? Not a single true Muslim can even think about it!! Its just there humility and fear of ALLAH SubHanu wa Ta’ala that made them to make such prayers in the court of ALLAH Almighty.

Saying and Writing the word ‘SUG’:

Now getting to the point… Actually, The word “Sug” is a Persian word for Dog. But here the Sug is meant for the attributes and qualities of Dogs. As Hadrat Baba Bhullay Shah wrote in his poetry:

Jis DIL ander ISHQ na racheya KUTTAY uss thon changay
Maalik de durr raakhi denday Saabir Pukkhay Nangay
Maalik da durr naio chad-day pawen maro so so juttay
Uth Bhulleya chal yaar bana lay; Naee tey Bazi ley gaey KUTTAY

Allama Kamal al-Din Dameeri have stated:

“And Dog, a very faithful animal” [Hayat al-Haywan a-Kubra, Vol 2, Page 278, Berut]

Even Qur’an Al Kareem have commemorated the Faithfulness of the Dog of AsHab al-Kahf.

Hadrat Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlawi have stated:

Taking the same meanings of words used in Tashbeeh (Allegory) or Isti’ara (Metaphoricals) is the extreme illiteracy and foolishness. [ToHfa-e-Isna Ashariya (Farsi), Page 213, 4th Edition, Lahore – 1983]

So, it is to bear in mind that Dogs are famous for there faithfulness and whenever any Aashiq-e-Rasool wa Awlaiya ALLAH uses the word “Sug” for himself then it doesn’t means that He is calling himself a Real DOG but the intention is to show humility and Faithfulness towards Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam, His City, Awliya as-Sualiheen and etc.

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood Radi Allahu Anhu said:

“I have an extreme respect and love for Ameerul Momineen Umar al-Farooq in my heart. If I come to know that Farooq-e-Aazam loves a DOG, I will also love that DOG and I am his servant till my last breath” [Al Maujam al Kabeer, Page 164, Vol. 9, Beirut]

An Ashiq-e-Rasool Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam for whom it is said that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam blessed Ameer-e-Madinah at that time with his Vision in Dream and ordered him to Stop Allama Jami at the Border of Madina Munawwarah because Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam himself will have to come out from his Grave to Welcome Allama Jami in Madinah Munawwarah. And the same Allama Abd ar-RaHman Jami Radi ALLAHu Ta’ala Anho said:

“Sagat Raa Kaash Jaami Bood”
I wish if your Dog’s name was Jami

Same Jaami says in praise of the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam):

O Messenger of Allah! If only like the dog of the Ashab e Kahf (Companions of the Cave),
I could be in Paradise among your Companions.
Is it right that their dog is in Paradise, whilst I am in Hell?
He was the dog of those Companions; I am the dog of your Companions!

He also said.

“Taab-e-Waslat Kaar-e-Paakan, Man Azeeshaan Neestam
Choon ‘Sagaanam’ Jaaey Deh, Dar Saaya-e-Deewar-e-Khwesh”

Hafiz Shirazi, A famous Sufi poet of Persia (Iran) wrote:

Shuneedam kay Sagaan Raa Qala deh May Bandi
Chara ba Gardan-e-Hafiz Namay Nahi Rasnay?

I have heard that you have put a rope over the necks of your Dog;
Why dont you tie your rope around the Neck of Hafiz?

Shaykh Yusuf bin Isma’el An-Nabhani Alaihir Rehmah wa ar-Ridwan once traveled to Madinah Munawwarah. When he reached the boundary of Madina Munawwarah or Bab as-Salaam; He stopped there. People asked, “Why you are not entering?” He replied,

“The job of a DOG is to remain outside the home.”

Shaykh Muhammad Budairi Damyaati said,

“I saw my Grand Father in my dream after his demise. I asked him about what happened to him after death. He replied I was forgiven because whenever I use to see any DEAD DOG, I use to wish that May I be that DEAD DOG.” [Jamay Karamat-e-Awliya, Page 344]

Hadrat Khwaja Muhammad Saifuddin bin Khwaja Masoom Sarhindi bin Hadrat Mujaddid Alf Saani have said:

Man Kaseetam kay Baato dam Dosti Zanam
Chandeen ‘Sagaan-e-Kooay’ tou yak Kamtareen [Maqamaat-e-Khayr]

Peer-o-Murshid (Spiritual Master) of Hadrat Khwaja Gulam Farid Ganj Shakar, Hazrat Khwaja Gulam Fakhruddin AuHidi Farooqi Chishti said in Deewan-e-AuHidi, Page 14:

Aarzu Daaram kay Bar Khaak o Rash Choon AuHaday
Jaan-o-Dil ‘Paysh-e-Sug’ Aan o Bar ba Saazam Khuda

[Deewan-e-AuHidi, Page 14, Jahaniyan Mandi – Khanewal]

Shaykh Bahauddin Zakariyya Multani says in his extreme humility of Ghawth al-Aaazam:

Sag-e-Dargah-e-Jeelani, Bahauddin Multani
Liqa-e-Deen-e-Sultani, Muhiyyuddin Jeelani

Mawlana Sayyid Muhammad Akramuddin Bukhari, Khalifa-e-Majaz of Maulana Shah Fadl ar-RaHman Ganj Muradabadi wrote:

Sag-e-Dargah-e-Jeelan mujh ko HAQ Kar de, tou Shahon se
Kahoon Dunyaa k Kutton, BaadShaahat iss ko kehtay hain

[Tazkira-e-Akaabir-e-AhleSunnat, Page 70, Lahore]

AlaHadrat Imam Ahmad Rida Khan Alaihir Rehmah wa ar-Ridwan have used the word SUG at many places in his poetry. For example:

Koi Kyun Poochay teri Baat RAZA
Tujh se KUTTAY Hazaar phirtay hein

And

Ba Keh’fay Rehmatam Parwar; Ze Qiteeram Manay Kamtar
Sug-e-Dargah-e-Sultanum Aghisni YA Rasool ALLAH

Also,

Karam-e-Naat k Nazdeek tou Kch door nahin
Kay Raza-e-Ajami ho Sag-e-Hassan-e-Arab

In the above mentioned couplets, the great Imam showed how down to earth he is and first one is the same couplet by Imam on which he was awarded with the vision of Sarkar Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam with open eyes.

For Sarkar-e-Baghdad Sayyiduna Ghous-e-Paak Radi Allahu Anhu, the great Imam writes:

Raza Qismat hi khul jae jo Geelan se khitaab aaiey
Kay tu Adna Sug-e-Dargah-e-Khuddam-e-Ma’aali

Here Imam is showing his desire of getting the label of SUG from the lofty court of Gawth al-Azam. Here SUG is meant for the Servant.

From the House of the Opponents:

Now, We must have a look at the evidences taken from the major opponents to this issue.

Meer Ibrahim Sialkoti (Gayr Muqallid) have stated in Siraaj al-Muneera, Page 102:

“I am not SUG but more inferior (lower in grade) than the SUG”

The founder of Deoband, Qasam Nanotawi wrote:

Tou Saath Sagan-e-Haram k teray Sath Phiroon
Maroon tou khaaen Madinay k mujhe Moor o Maar
lagay rahay teray Sug ko go meray naam se Aeb
Ye teray Naam ka likhna mujhe hay Izz o Waqar

[Qasida Bihariya, Page 134, Multan]

Conclusion:

The word SUG can be used for being faithful. Sometime it is meant for slave or servant. Sometimes it is used for courage. Sometimes it is used to show humilty and etc. Thus, there is no Harm in using the word SUG with the intentions that are described above.

May ALLAH keep us away from the false misconceptions, delusions and confusions. And may we keep firm on the True path of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah till our last breath. (Aameen)