MORE THAN SEVEN CENTURIES after his death, Sheikh Farid remains a towering figure in the hearts, minds, and imaginations of the Punjabi people. His slokas in the Adi Granth are cherished, his words are sung by popular performers, and his sayings continue to be part of everyday conversation. Even very young children in the Punjab are able to recite many of his poems by heart.Sheikh The Great Sufi Mystic is based on the extensive research done by the author for an earlier book, Bolai Sheikh Farid, published in 2002 in the Punjabi language. Incorporating additional contemporary research and new English translations, it has been prepared with the assistance of an accomplished team of researchers and translators.This is the most recent volume in a series of books published by Radha Soami Satsang Beas presenting the perspectives of mystics from different traditions. Although Sheikh Farid was a Sufi mystic.from North India, his poetry is included in the Adi Granth, and his message clearly underscores the commonality found among the great mystics of the world and their mystic traditions.We are particularly pleased to be able to publish the Persian and Multani verses translated into English, most of them for the first time. With these two additional collections of poetry, the multi-faceted Sheikh Farid comes into clearer Sufi sheikh, love-intoxicated mystic, Arabic scholar, poet, and a native son of the Punjab. Introduction BABAFARID (1173-1265 CB), the beloved thirteenth-century saint from the Punjab, is widely known by the unusual title of the Treasure of Sweetness (Ganj-i shakar). Among people who come from the Punjab, even a reference to Ganj-shakar or Shakar-