THE STORY OF SAIF-UL-MALOOK
Lake Saif-ul-Malook is a famous tourist spot and it is located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) North of Naran, in Kaghan Valley, in District Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is located at an altitude of 3,224 metres (10,578 feet) above sea level. It the place, where the story of Prince Saif-ul-Malook and Badi-U-Jamal was started.
The legendary story of Lake Saif-ul-Malook is penned by the Sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, in the form of poetry.
The story describes the tale of an Egyptian Prince, Saif-ul-Malook, who fell in love with a fairy, Badi-u-Jamal. He saw her in his dreams and after waking up the prince at once set out in search of his beloved fairy Badi-u-Jamal. Until he met a Saint, he was clueless regarding his journey. The Saint told him how and from where he could find the fairy. He informed him about the hurdles which he would face before he could find and marry Badi-u-Jamal, because she was a fairy and the prince himself was a human being.
Hence the prince started the journey in the name of love for a fairy, but after facing many challenges and with his courage and valiance, his journey turns into the spiritual explorations.
The prince, Saif-ul-Malook lived in Egypt. He was a handsome man after Joseph, on the face of the earth; tall, lean, gleaming skin, sharp eye-brows, dark-black deep eyes and jet-black hair that billowed over his shoulders. He was brave, a skilled hunter, rider and trained swordsman, true to his Arabic name the “Sword of the Kings”. Prince Saif-ul-Malook was born in riches. He had never asked for anything in his life; until he saw a dream of a fairy that had changed the whole course of his life and his peace of mind was stolen by her.
He saw a lake, which he had never seen before, surrounded by sky-high mountains that they seemed to touch the sky and the shimmering water of the lake looked emerald-green in the silvery moonlight. In the lake seven fairies were taking bath, tender, slim and delicate creature, with creamy skins, golden eyes, and curly blonde hair. Beauty of all the fairies outmatched to one another but the glamour of the seventh one surpassed the charm of the rest with her black hair. Her face was as glooming as the full moon (badr). It was her laughter that seized the heart of the prince, even on waking up it still rang sweetly in his ears. He did never see such a spell-bounding dream in his whole life.
He went out in search of fairy and kept on wandering to and fro. One day while he was in the outskirts of the Cairo city, the prince happened to meet a Saint who sitting under a shady olive tree. He thought the Saint might be helpful to him. As soon as he approached him, the old man looked at him expectantly and a smile lit up his face. He informed the prince that he was waiting for him. He narrated the story of the prince and revealed his predictions of coming life the prince. He warned the prince of the obstacles in the way towards Badi-u-Jamal. He guided Saif-ul-Malook about the direction to access the fairy.
The prince reached at the Lake Saif-ul-Malook after intense hardships and barriers. At last he saw his beloved, Badi-u-Jamal in the emerald-green water of the lake. There she entered the Lake in the last, gliding into the water effortlessly, with her long black hair spread over her back, her face was as radiant as the full moon and her eyes were twinkling. Prince Saif-ul-Malook felt himself in the heavens after undaunted and tiring struggle for consecutive six years and forty days. He was right there to see the palpable fairy, whom he could touch, feel and to live with!
Author: Fehmeeda Farid Khan
Tags: story of saif ul malook, fairies tale of saif ul malook
SAIF was an Arabian Prince, the only beloved son of King Wildan. SAIF had a sandy complexion and big dreamy eyes with a tough body. He was tall and handsome and the love of mostly whole of Arabian girls. On his 25th birthday, King Wildan announced in a big ceremony that he wishes to get his ONLY son SAIF married so he could become King and rule over Arabia.
That night, SAIF was gifted a pyxis of gold and in it was a pendant .
It was an illusion pendant which showed two faces, one of SAIF and the other of a girl. The girl in the pendant was the most gorgeous girl SAIF had ever seen.
SAIF told King Wildan that he wished to marry the girl in the pendant so KING WILDAN ordered his soldiers to seek such a girl and also got her portrait painted to be distributed in whole of Arabia so that if anyone sees her, they should notify the Royal messengers immediately. Days passed but no good news came and SAIF wouldn’t marry anyone else. One night, SAIF sees the same girl in his dream, she had wings and she was flying from a mountain and into a lake, there she took bath and talked to SAIF while drying herself. She told him, that she loves him too and she is waiting for him.
SAIF, already madly in love, couldn’t wait to reach such a place and be united with his love. He ordered all literates, philosophers and explorers and told them to find such a place. One of them said, it cannot be Arabia, maybe it’s up north. And off SAIF went along with his team of soldiers, explorers and philosophers on a mystical journey to Kohistan.
It took him 40 days to reach Asia and he didn’t miss a single prayer. He asked Allah to give him his love. When he reached Persia, his team mates deserted him, for they didn’t want to go on a foolish journey to find a fairy which doesn’t exist. They thought of the prince as crazy in love.
In Persia, the Prince had to beg to survive. After a week he met an old man who gave him a Sulemani hat in exchange for all the money he got after begging. SAIF was more keen to be with his love, so instead for buying himself food, he got himself a Sulemani hat. As soon as he wore the hat, he wished he was at the place he saw in his dream. And trrrrriiiiinnnnnng*** he was at the lake where the fairy came to take a bath. He was more than glad, he was very excited for now he will meet his dream girl. He waited and waited, for two weeks in harsh weather, but there was no sign of a single creature. SAIF didn’t want to give up, so he built a house alongside the lake for himself. While he was gathering rocks for his new abode, he found a ring, as soon as he wore the ring, a genie appeared and said, :
Master! I’m your humble servant Mumboo, I will protect you and grant three of your wishes.
SAIF was astonished, he wished he had lots of food and fire to keep him warm. Mumboo flew and got him delicious fruits and lots of food and logs to make fire. After eating a hearty meal, SAIF went into deep slumber, he again saw the fairy but this time she was in a valley surrounded by snowy peaks.
When he woke up, he decided to wear his Sulemani hat but before he could, Mumboo asked him what was going on and how he could help SAIF.
SAIF told him all about his love and his dreams.
Then, Mumboo told him that my lord! Surely you aren’t crazy, the place you saw today was Kohistan and the fairies live in Kohistan. This lake is where the fairies come to play and bath. It would be much better to wait for them here than to go to Kohistan.
SAIF said he couldn’t wait, then Mumboo told him that Kohistan is the land of mystical creatures, good and bad. These days, Giants rule the land and they keep the fairies in cages. The fairies are so beautiful but so little and delicate, this is what upsets the Giants because they cannot have them so they don’t let anyone be near them or marry them. Once a month, the Giants let them leave Kohistan for leisure and they come here at the lake.
SAIF told Mumboo, that he had been at this place for almost two months and nobody has come here… Mumboo replied, well they did, it was just that you couldn’t see the fairies, but now that you have this magic ring, you will be able to see the fairies just like you can see me. SAIF thanked Mumboo and told him to let him know when the fairies come.
One day, in spring season, An hour before sunset, the fairies came to the lake.
They laughed, they giggled, they flew about and they were beautiful !
Amongst the fairies was the fairest most beautiful and delicate fairy, and her name was SXELINA, for her face glowed like the moon, her eyes was the color of the lake, a tinge of blue and green, and her hair was the color of the sand with curls like the waves of ocean.
SAIF was startled and couldn’t move and speak for whole five minutes while the fairies played around. Then the fairies finally got closer to SAIF and said, he still doesn’t know we are here, and then SAIF got back to his senses and replied he could see them. At first the fairies were shocked, but then they started laughing! They told him that last time they played around him so much and he didn’t know and they really liked him. While talking to the fairies, SAIF kept his focus on SXELINA who was bathing in the lake… He asked her friends who she was, and they told him that she was their princess and the giant’s favourite and most prized possession. Then he got near the lake and SXELINA smiled at him, and told him to get in the waters . At first SAIF was reluctant because he couldn’t swim but Mumboo told him he will stand underneath the prince while he can bath with SXELINA.
When SAIF confessed of his love for her, SXELINA told him, Mumboo was her friend, and she was the one who dropped the ring for SAIF, she loved him too. SAIF was overjoyed. He told her about his quest to seek her and his wish to marry her. SXELINA said she loved him too and she wants to be with him, but the White giant also adores her and he will be furious if he found out she was missing. As soon as the sun set, SAIF bid farewell to his love with tears in both their eyes. SXELINA told him, she will visit him on the full moon night.
After anxiously waiting for fourteen days, arrived the full moon night, SAIF hadn’t eaten anything for he was sad. Then came SXELINA, and they had a heart to heart talk, and they both shared their feelings of true love for each other.
SXELINA told SAIF that their marriage was impossible, she was a fairy and he was a mortal and above all when she told the white giant about her love, he was furious and was already on the way to kill SAIF !
SAIF kissed SXELINA, and a tear fell from his eyes and ‘trrriiiiiinnnnggg’ she became a mortal! True loves kiss had made their Union possible and SXELINA was now free and could be with SAIF.
Then the giant came with a loud roar, calling out SAIF SAIF I will kill you!
SAIF and SXELINA hid themselves but the giant tore the trees. Then they both started running, and the giant ran after them… Then they came to a huge plane and were defenceless from the White giant. Then SAIF wished that a mountain be moved to hide them. So a mountain was moved by Mumboo and the giant Tripped and fell then died.
SAIF became the King of Kohistan and freed Kohistan from the Giants .
Then he wore his Sulemani hat and wished to return home to Arabia with his beloved.
There, he was welcomed by King Wildan. He had punished his men severely for leaving SAIF alone and now they no longer served the King. The King was glad to see his son happy and arranged for a huge wedding. Whole of Arabia was startled to see the beautiful Queen SXELINA. SAIF and SXELINA still visited Kohistan and had lots of fun and adventures there. But now that SXELINA was a mother they wished to stay at home. They had lots of kids but SXELINA’s secret was safe with SAIF .
The fairies of Kohistan named the lake SAIF ul mulook because SAIF was their hero and King of Kohistan too.
SXELINA is pronounced سژیلینا