Why Called "Ganj Shakar"?

There are several views for him being known by his famous title of Shakar Ganj. When he decided on mujaahadah, his Shaikh advised hunger. He therefore began fasting. After three days a man came and presented some bread. Thinking this to be by divine direction, he accepted and ate the bread. Within a few moments he became nauseous and vomited out whatever he had eaten. He reported this incident to his Shaikh who said:

“After three days you ate the food of a drunkard. Shukr unto Allah that the food did not remain in your stomach. Now remain hungry for another three days and then eat what comes from the Ghaib.”

After three days nothing came. He was overcome by weakness. On account of the extreme hunger he put some pebbles into his mouth. The pebbles turned into sugar. Fearing that this may be some deception, he spat it out. A short while later, the extreme hunger again constrained him to put pebbles into his mouth. These too became sugar which he again spat out. This happened again for a third time. In the morning he reported to his Shaikh who said: “It would have been good if you had ate it.” Since that day he was called Shakar Ganj.

It is also narrated that once a trader was taking a caravan of camels laden with sugar from Multan to Delhi. When he was passing through Ajodhan (now Pakistan), Hadrat Baba Fariduddin Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anhoenquired casually as to what he was carrying on his camels. The trader sarcastically replied, "It is salt." Hadrat Baba Fariduddin Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho also affirmed, "Yes, it may be salt." When the trader reached Delhi, he was awfully perturbed to find that all his bags of sugar had turned to salt. He immediately returned to Ajodhan and apologized before Hadrat Baba Farid Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho. Hadrat Baba Farid Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho said: "If it is sugar then it shall be sugar." The trader returned to Delhi and was pleased to find that the salt had turned back to sugar by the Grace of Almighty Allah. This is how Hadrat Baba Sahib Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho received the title of "Ganj-e- Shakar."