His ancestors were Alavids, i.e. from amongst the descendants of Hadrat Ali (AS), who came from Arabia. One of the troops of Alavids under the command of their chief Mir Qutub Shah accompanied Sultan Mahmood of Ghazna during his campaign to conquer Somnath in India. The Sultan found them so brave and loyal and granted them the title of Awan (Assistants/Helpers). Qutub Shah conquered the states of the Rajas, Janjua and Chauhan in the northern areas of Punjab, known as Pothohar Platitude. He settled his men in the beautiful tract of land called Soan Valley. There still exists a village ‘Anga’ in the Soan Valley where Qutub Shah camped with his troops for a while. The grave of Hadrat Sultan Bahu’s grandfather, Hadrat Sheikh Sultan Fateh Muhammad still exists there, which is visited by gout patients for recovery.
Parents
Hadrat Sultan Bahu’s father Bazid Muhammad Awan (RA) was the chief of his clan.He was a pious person and a Hafiz-e-Quran who acted upon the injunctions of Shariah.He was a scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence as well. A legendary commander in the Moghul army, he served under Prince Khurram (Emperor Shah Jahan). During his middle age, he married a very pious lady of his clan, Bibi Rasti Sahiba (RA). A rock at the foot of a hillock covered by tall trees of olive, acacia and fig is preserved where she remembered Allah in solitude. The people still pay visit to the place to seek barakah (spiritual influence).
Bazid left the service under the king to spend life in prayer and worship at a far-off place. Later, at the insistence of the governor in Delhi, he was again taken into service. However, he accepted the service subject to the following conditions:
1. That he would stay in a separate house in a clean suburb
2. That he would remain independent
3. That he would not salute as a courtier
When, subsequently, there appeared a discord between the Governor of Multan and Raja Marwat of Bekanir, he presented himself to the governor and sought permission to go alone for the combat. After he was allowed to go all alone, he took the picture of the Raja, rode his horse and reached the enemy’s capital city. He went straight inside the fort and entered the court where the Raja was sitting upon the throne. With lightning speed, he cut off the Raja’s head, threw it in a bag and rode his horse before fleeing out of the fort. Though the enemy soldiers chased him, he managed to slip out of the state boundaries.
Sultan Bazid Muhammad received orders to join the royal army in the capital, but he requested the King through the governor that he might be permitted to retire from the service and allowed to lead a life in constant prayer and remembrance of Allah. His request for retirement was granted.He was also rewarded in recognition of his services in the form of a jagir near Shorkot. Thus the pious couple settled in their jagir where they were blessed with a son destined to grow up as Sultan-ul-‘Arifin Hadrat Sultan Bahu (RA).