• Bhittai’s thought is rich with existential themes, embodied in strong folk characters such as Sasui, Marui, Mumal, Sohni, and Leela

Naveed Sandeelo

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, commonly known as Shah Bhittai, is widely regarded as the greatest mystic poet and thinker of remarkable qualities. As a poet of outstanding merit, Bhitai sought to reveal a new dimension of poetic truth. While producing work of the highest importance, he inevitably captured the attention of both common minds and scholars alike.

Born in 1690 in the village of Bhainpur in Hala taluka, Shah Abdul Latif was the great-great-grandson of Sayyid Shah Abdul Karim, another distinguished thinker and poet of the classical age. Shah Abdul Karim was the grandson of Sayyid Jamal Shah, who in turn was the grandson of Sayyid Abdul Quddus and the son of Shah Habib. Historical records reasonably assure that Shah Abdul Karim migrated from Matiari to Bulri.

Shah Latif’s father, Shah Habib, lived in a haveli (mansion) said to be the poet’s actual birthplace, built in Bhainpur village. Nearby, in Hala taluka, was the village of Kotri Mughal, located not far from this haveli. The Mughals there had constructed a small protective compound wall (kot) around their mud houses, leading to the village’s name—Kotri Mughal—after Sardar Shah Beg Mughal. After the birth of Shah Abdul Latif, his father moved from the haveli to Kotri. Today, both villages lie in ruins, with a simple mosque built by Lung Faqir on the site of the poet’s birthplace serving as the lone vestige of Hala Haveli.

Shah Abdul Latif earned the title “Bhittai” from the Bhit (sand dune) where he lived with his faqirs during the last ten years of his life. This place lies about four miles from Kotri. Thousands of devotees and admirers of Latif visit Bhit Shah daily to pay homage and respect.

It is widely agreed by Sindhi scholars that Shah Abdul Latif belonged to a notable Sayyid family tracing its lineage to Herat. He descended from Sayyid Haider, genealogically connected to the great Ali, who came to Sindh from Herat with Amir Timur in 1398 A.D.

Certain conditions play an essential role in the development of great minds, poets, and philosophers. Latif’s father, Shah Habib, cultivated an intellectual atmosphere at home that nurtured his illustrious son’s talents. Shah Habib upheld the family traditions of piety, devotion to God, and service to humanity. People from far and wide visited him to seek blessings, earning him the title ‘Perfect Man of God.’ This spiritual environment inspired Bhitai toward consummate learning. Although Bhittai practiced solitude as a religious discipline—valuing the time it gave him for introspective meditation—he was not isolated from society. He enjoyed gathering with friends and colleagues to discuss broad social and spiritual topics.

Coming from socially and spiritually well-off parents, Shah Abdul Latif was deeply inspired by the teachings of the Holy Quran, the Risalo of his great-great-grandfather Shah Abdul Karim, and the Mathnavi of Jalaluddin Rumi. These texts were central to his study and regarded as unique sources of wisdom. It is said he always carried these books with him, drawing intellectual inspiration and poetic genius from them. In his youth, Latif was humble and spent many days alone among buds, flowers, gardens, birds, and butterflies in the otaro (courtyard) of his haveli. He cherished solitude and serenity, a trait inherited from his father.

The multiplicity of Shah Abdul Latif’s message and poetic dimensions establishes him as the greatest Sindhi thinker. Due to his diverse approach to social narratives and human existence, he has been compared to European existentialists who emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries. His thought is consummate and probes deeply into human existence. Latif is the only poet-philosopher Sindh has produced, and his masterpiece Shah-jo-Risalo stands out as the sole literary and philosophical work in the Sindhi language. For Allama I. I. Kazi sahib, The Risalo conveys a powerful message: awakening self-realization, the essence of love, the meaning of pain, alleviating misery, understanding alienation, living according to one’s own choice, and overcoming anxieties, agonies, loneliness, dread, strangeness, and separation. It is both a ‘message’ and an ‘ideal’. According to A. K. Brohi, the renowned scholar, It is important to note that Latif was not a conventional poet—he never wrote poetry in the usual sense. Instead, his expression was direct and musical. His Risalo was sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments, often before devotees and disciples who traveled from across Sindh to listen and be uplifted by his songs. According to G.M. Syed, Bhittai revealed that man is the finest creation in the universe and the best reflection of divine light. He pondered deeply on why people live and believed everything in the universe had a purpose. He understood the essential unity between parts and the whole, as well as the mystery of differences.

Gurbaxani believes that Bhittai’s poetry presents a variety of images and themes with expert innovation. Despite the apparent diversity, an internal treasure of philosophical and existential thought shines through. His central focus is ‘human existence.’ The soul-stirring verses reflect his views on various aspects of human subjectivity. Shah’s poetic genius was exceptional; his work made waves across all forms of poetry. His treasure trove contains subjects and nuances of all kinds, making him great from every angle.

This uniqueness sets him apart from other poets. Bhittai did not confine himself to common themes but approached his subjects with deep philosophical insight and intensity. Love (Ishq) and beauty hold a special place in his poetry. His couplets (bait) and their extensions (waee) are simple and easy to read, often lyrically rooted in familiar experiences. However, his poetry is deceptively simple—like an iceberg, profound ideas lie beneath the surface. As a classical poet, he skillfully uses allegory, simile, allusion, and symbolism.

Thus, existential trends are evident as Bhittai examines various modes of human existence and develops a philosophy of life. Bhittai’s thought is rich with existential themes, embodied in strong folk characters such as Sasui, Marui, Mumal, Sohni, and Leela. According to Sheikh Ayaz, each character appears bloodied and worn, struggling to break open its own closed door with an axe to reach its heaven. They persist in seeking truth without despair, repeating, “As long as flowers, children, and birds remain on this earth, there is no reason for despair,” despite enduring great torment. These characters reflect the core of Bhittai’s thinking. His greatest desire was to bring widespread change to a stagnant society through revolutionary ideas. He developed an existential philosophy to awaken individuals to the true meaning of authentic existence. Many in his poetry live unauthentic lives dictated by others but learn how to overcome their existential crises.

The Risalo is filled with soulful portrayals of “half-livers” grappling with timeless issues across cultures and customs. Many feel bewildered as they face their existential situations. Notably, Risalo often highlights the challenging situation of women. In the darkest times, lacking modern thought, Bhittai stands firmly with women, encouraging them to find the courage to fight for their fundamental rights.

Shah Latif is now recognized as a poet-philosopher, mystic, and existential poet. While his admirers have expressed great admiration, his message and philosophy require deeper understanding and practice. His work reveals not only unconditional love for Sindh but also deep concern for humanity and worldly prosperity.

Bhittai’s writings have been critically studied, with numerous books, research works, and dissertations published on his life, poetry, and philosophy. Recently, the Pakistan Philosophical Congress organized a symposium on Shah Latif’s philosophy, featuring scholarly articles on his teachings. Shah did for the Sindhis what other thinkers have done for their peoples: Kierkegaard for the Danes, Heidegger for the Germans, Sartre for the French, Berdyaev for the Russians, and Wilson for the Americans.

Read: A Journey Toward Intellectual Awakening

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Naveed Sandeelo is a poet, writer and critic, and Lecturer at Department of Philosophy University of Sindh Jamshoro. He is author of five books: three books are on the subject of philosophy. Doing PhD at the department of Philosophy University of Karachi.

The post Bhittai: The Mystic Voice of Sindh first appeared on Sindh Courier.

• Sami wrote shlokas embodying everything that the movement espoused, that is, unity of the Godhead, unity of the existence, and equality on the basis of religion, cast and economic status.

Sami Chain Rai Bachomal was a distinguished poet, who vernacularized the Vedic wisdom in his slokas (shlokas), or verses, in the Sindhi ‘bayt’ form. He was born in a well-to do family of businessmen of Shikarpur, Sindh, which had been, because of its peculiar geographical position, the greatest mart of north-west India.

As regards the year of this birth, there is no unanimity of opinion. While Kaouromal Chandanmal Khilnani, the first editor of Sami’s slokas, computed it as 1743, Mulchand Giani, who also published Sami’s 2100 slokas in two volumes, was of the view that Bhai Chainrai Dataramani Lund (for that was Sami’s full name, ‘Sami’ being his pen-name) was born in 1731 and died in 1850, when his son Ghanshayamdas was about 40 years. But the Majority of commentators of Sami, Kaouromal’s view has been more acceptable.

In Shikarpur, the Dataramanis resided in a house, opposite to jugal pyari Thanw, in Nandhi Bazar. They kept this house till 1850. Soon after his father’s death, Ghanshayamdas sold it away, for he used to live in Amritsar where he had his business concern.

As was the practice in those days, Chainrai was married off at an early age. A householder, he worked as one of many agents of Seth Tindanmalani, who imported the merchandise from Iran and Khurasan by caravans. For the business he represented, he used to visit Punjab and sell goods. He always remained content with whatever percentage of profit he received from his principals. His discontent lay elsewhere; from his very childhood, he was in quest of some real merchandise, or ‘succha sauda’, a la Guru Nanak. Once as he was sitting with seth in his office, he saw a ‘Mahatma’, a great soul, passing by. He rose from his seat and went to meet the Mahatma, bowing at his feet. Later, he said he was the same person he dreamed of at night prior to the day he met him, and broke in poetry: ochito achi, saj’anu bitho samuhon’ (The real friend appeared suddenly before me).

It was when he was about 30 years old that he came into contact with the ‘Real friend’, Swami (or Sami in Sindh) Meghraj by name. The Swami originally hailed from Ahamednagar of then Bhawalpur State and came to Sindh to live in the Brahmana Hemandas’ ‘Marhi’, or monastry, at Hathi Dar in Shikarpur. He was well versed in Vedanta and sanskrit kavvya. Chainrai benifitted greatly from his learning and studied Vedanta in the original Sanskrit in about ten years. Besides ‘Sankara’s ‘Advaita’ (non-dualism), which forms the core of this poetry, he seems to have learnt for his Guru something about Nimbarka’s ‘Dvaitdvaita’ or ‘Bhedabedha’ (difference and non-difference which appears in his slokas on ‘bhakti’.

He had already read the Sindhi saint and Sufi poetry and was conversant with Gurumukhi and Devanagri scripts in which the Hindu Sindhis wrote their language at that time. By the age of 40, he developed a great poetical power and composed verses, at once lyrical and mystical. This he did in the name of his Guru, Swami Meghraj; ‘Sami became his pen-name. He wrote the verses in Sindhi. In the Gurumukhi script, on slips of paper and went on depositing them in an earthen pot.

At the ripe age of 68. ‘Sami’ took his wife on pilgrimage. On their way back, they visited Amritsar. There were a holy man granted them a boon they would soon be blessed with a son, and they waited in Amritsar to see the boon come true. Thereafter they decide to live in Amritsar, near the shrine of the Sikhs, where he wrote hundreds of shlokas.

During Sami’s life time, the political power in Sindh changed hands twice from Kalhoras to the Talpurs, and from the Talpurs to the British. Yet we hardly find any direct reference to the worldly, ever-changing facts in his poetry. In one of the shlokas he remotely says, Kalijuga’a ja kura, mire, matamadi chaudhari’ (The rulers, fanatics and landlords represent the liars of the ‘kalijuga’). He led a quiet life given to the contemplation of the Supreme Soul. Yet he performed all the duties peculiar to an existential situation. The kind of life he led reflected in his shlokas, in one of which he says:

He who shuns the diabolic ‘dvaita’ and engages himself in the service of Man,

Disabuses his of the evil and realizes

Him in elephant and ant alike,

Is Mahatma, while others

Grope in the dark and reel in the dirt.

True to the tradition of land, he did not ignore wealth (‘artha’) and pleasure (‘Kama’) and thereby for release (‘moksha’) from the human bondage.

In this view, as in that of the other saint-poets of India, there exists a close relationship between religion and philosophy – the relationship which makes the religion somewhat philosophic and the philosophy a wee bit religious. On the one hand, the Bhagwata, the spiritual book of the laity, induces in him devotion of the Personal deity Krishna, and on the other Brahmasutra of the elite enables him to have knowledge of the nature of reality. But, as the common people would even know studying Brahmasutra in the original text, Sami understands that the personal deity ultimately becomes the Impersonal Brahman and transports us to the region of consciousness where the Personal is realized as that One (‘Tad Ekam’) He say:

I hear Krishna non-stop playing on the flute;

Two ears hear That one and don’t feel satiate;

And I wish I were in the timelessness of the lilt.

Brahman, in contradiction to the western conception of God, creates the world from Himself, and not from any extraneous matter; he is both the material and the efficient cause of the world, ‘the clay and the potter of the pots’. As in the taittriya Upnishads, Sami holds that the being from Brahman, they live by Him on death. He shows himself in the world.

A saint-poet who appeared on the scene during the last phase of Bhakti Movement, Sami who wrote shlokas embodying everything that the movement espoused, that is, unity of the Godhead, unity of the existence, equality on the basis of religion, cast and economic status.

Read: The Sufi Sachal Sarmast’s Message of Love

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Courtesy: AngelFire

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• Bond’s project, “Singing Islam: Sufi Music and Socio-religious Change on India’s Western Border” analyzes how the history and current practice of Sindhi Sufi music in Kachchh relate to socio-religious transformations

Brian Bond, Visiting Lecturer University of California, Berkeley, first discovered his love for music when he was 12 years old, a passion that has persisted ever since. In fact, it was Bond’s lifelong admiration for the Beatles that sparked his interest in South Asian music, a topic he has continued to explore as a 2023 ACLS Susan McClary and Robert Walser Fellow.

Captivated by the Sufi musical performances of Pakistani singers Abida Parveen and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as an undergraduate student at Rutgers University, Bond was eager to learn more about Sindhi Sufi musical culture and histories of interreligious music in western India.

“My eventual focus on Sindhi Sufi music was motivated by the fact that I was deeply moved by the music and wanted to learn more about the ethical and spiritual import of the metaphorical Sufi poetry that is at this music’s core,” Bond said. “When I discovered that there are singers in Kachchh, Gujarat–on India’s western border, adjacent to the Sindh province of Pakistan -who also perform this music, I became very curious about the political implications and symbolic weight of their ongoing transborder connections with musicians and listeners in Pakistan.”

Through the generous support of Susan McClary and Robert Walser, the ACLS Susan McClary and Robert Walser Fellowship in Music Studies is awarded to scholars like Bond who are conducting exceptional research in musicology. The award is part of the ACLS Fellowship Program, which supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences, and since 2021 has been awarded to untenured scholars who have earned a PhD within eight years of their application.

Bond’s project, “Singing Islam: Sufi Music and Socio-religious Change on India’s Western Border” analyzes how the history and current practice of Sindhi Sufi music in Kachchh relate to socio-religious transformations that have taken place there since the 1970s. Despite the tensions between a predominately Hindu India and a majority Muslim Pakistan that have persisted for decades, Bond explores how Sindhi Sufi music and poetry have created a space of interreligious sociality in Kachchh.

The project explores two music genres and one melodic poetry recitation genre associated with the eighteenth-century Sindhi poet and Saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Bond considers many elements of Sindhi Sufi music including how Sufi performances spread religious and ethical teachings in rural Muslim communities, the shared concepts between Hindus and Muslims that reinforced interreligious music making, the transborder and transregional connections created by music, and the reasons why Islamic reformists have opposed Muslim music-making.

“I want to demonstrate the centrality of musical practice and poetic knowledge to localized Islam in western India,” Bond said. “I am also interested in highlighting positive forms of interreligious interaction through musical practice, which I believe is deeply relevant to socio-religious politics in contemporary India.”

Bond is now turning his project’s work into a monograph based on research he conducted in western India and southeastern Pakistan from 2014 to 2022. He says he applied to the ACLS Fellowship Program because it would allow him to focus solely on his book project.

“This fellowship has been indispensable to moving this project forward,” he explained. “I have been teaching intermittently as a visiting lecturer at University of California, Berkeley but have not secured a tenure-track job. The fellowship has provided me with the time, funds, and motivation to advance this project.”

Read: Introducing Sindhi Folk Artists of Kutch 

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Courtesy: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) posted on Feb 29, 2024

The post An American Scholar Studies Sindhi Sufi Music in Western India first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Kulsoom Malik

The land of Sindh is considered to be the land of Sufi saints and mystics who spread the message of peace and brotherhood during times of great political and social unrest. Among these great saints is Sachal Sarmast, a poet and mystic who occupies an important place amongst his contemporaries. He has inspired a generation of followers and poets to seek a path to the Divine using his command of language and unique perspective of the Sufi tradition.

Sachal Sarmast was born Abdul Wahab Farouqi in a village named Daraza in Khairpur around 1739 CE, during an era that marked the rivalry between the Kalhoro and Talpur dynasties. Sachal’s own family traced their roots to a sacred lineage that went back to the Second Caliph of Islam, Umar ibn al-Khattab (Farouq), a family that had been in Sindh since Muhammad bin Qasim’s arrival in the 10th Century. After the death of his father, Sachal was raised by his uncle, who became his spiritual teacher. He was given the nickname ‘Sachal’ (‘the truthful’) and Sarmast (‘the ecstatic’) due to his spiritual inclinations which arose from an early age. Legend even said that as a young boy he visited Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the other great mystic of Sindh, who revealed that Sachal “would take the lid off the cauldron I have set to boil.”

A Sufi by heart and an ascetic by disposition, Sachal preached the teachings of ‘Wahdat-ul-Wujud’ (The Unity of Existence). He considered the matters of the sacred and secular as deeply intertwined, and believed that his love of the Divine was intrinsically tied to his empathy for the struggles of his fellow human beings.

Din (religion) and kufr (irreligion) are a snare for the heart,

Brown them all into the wave of Divinity;

Then, O Sachal! Will your sway be everywhere?

In addition, he was not immune to the political circumstances of his time, and warned his followers of an imminent British conquest of India 25 years before the British formally took over Sindh. He frequently warned his followers that division and infighting would prove disastrous for Sindh’s future in the face of changing times.

In his life, Sachal was a great lover of music and poetry and was a master of the oral tradition, frequently speaking in verses that his followers would note down. While he is commonly associated with Sindh and Sindhi culture, Sarmast was an expert of seven languages: Sindhi, Siraiki, Urdu, Arabic, Balochi, Punjabi and Persian. While there are nine compilations of his Persian poetry, his most celebrated works are in Sindhi and Seraiki. The generations of his followers took on his teachings, but never with the same intensity as Sachal had whose intense yearning and love for the Divine given his poetry an almost magical quality.

Drink the Divine wine of Love

And be Ecstatic intoxicated forever

God is Present, Always Present and Everywhere Present

Sachal’s poetry raised the standard for Sindhi literature and Sufi poetry in general. He was not just responsible for popularizing the Kafi and Ghazal in Sindhi literature, but also introduced vivid metaphors and images into his oral tradition that would inspire many Sindhi literary figures. His poetry stressed Divine love above all else, and a rejection of social structures like caste, race, gender and any kind of distinction which would hamper one’s connection to the Divine Being.

Break the bonds of all customs and ceremonies;

Banish from your mind all thoughts of slavery;

Be a hero and wear a royal turban of splendor.

After living the life of a humble ascetic, Sachal passed away at the age of 90 in 1829 CE, and was buried next to his father and uncle. His shrine was built after his death by Mir Rustam Khan Talpur, the ruler of Khairpur at the time. However, it was renovated at the end of the 1800s by Sakhi Qabool Muhammad II. The Talpur rulers greatly revered Sufi saints, and had many shrines built for Sachal’s disciples all across the province.

In particular, Sachal’s shrine in Daraza Sharif is a dazzling display of vibrant tile work and geometric patterns. Entering the shrine, the first thing one hears are the Sufi singers reciting Sachal’s verses, and joining together to celebrate his life and work. His shrine is a place of interfaith harmony, as many Hindus and Christians of the area also come to pay their respects. Similarly, members of the Sikh community also hold him in high regard due to his respect for Guru Nanak, and his frequent exchanges with the Guru’s followers.

Sachal’s urs (death anniversary and celebration of his reunion with the Divine) usually takes place on the 13th day of Ramadan, alongside a literary conference and musical concert in his honor by the Sachal Sarmast Memorial Committee. It is a festival of prayer, celebration and literary thought that brings together people to reflect Sachal’s teachings in light of present circumstances.

While the Sindh Government has banned entry into shrines due to the new wave of Coronavirus, Sachal Sarmast’s contributions to language and religious thought far exceed the perimeters of his shrine. His place within Sindhi literature and the Sufi tradition is unparalleled in its breadth and the importance it gives to the journey to God.

Read – Sufi Stories: A Calming Refuge for Mental Well-being and Moral Uplift

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The article was first published by Youlin Magazine on April 15, 2021

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In a world increasingly driven by technological advancements, integrating spiritual wisdom is not only beneficial but essential

New Delhi

On November 30, the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi became a hub of intellectual and spiritual synergy, hosting a groundbreaking conference organized by the Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla International Foundation (SVNTIF). This unique event brought together scientists, philosophers, researchers, and spiritual leaders from across the globe, united by a profound purpose: exploring the intertwined legacies of Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla.

The bond between Swami Vivekananda, the revered Indian spiritual leader, and Nikola Tesla, the brilliant Serbian-American scientist, represents a fascinating intersection of spirituality and science. This enduring legacy was the focus of a recent conference at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, organized by the Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla International Foundation (SVNTIF). The event brought together luminaries from diverse fields—scientists, philosophers, spiritual leaders, and authors—to explore the timeless relevance of this unique collaboration.

A Shared Legacy Across Continents

Peter Ljubicic, the Croatian Ambassador to India, highlighted the profound global impact of these two figures. “Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy influenced Nikola Tesla, who laid the foundation for many groundbreaking technologies. Their legacy bridges India, Croatia, Serbia, the US, and beyond,” he remarked. Ljubicic emphasized the harmonious development potential their collaboration exemplifies, offering a model for uniting spiritual insight and scientific innovation.

The Hidden Connection Between Vivekananda and Tesla 

Manash Deka, president of SVNTIF, elaborated on the lesser-known aspects of their relationship. Swami Vivekananda introduced Tesla to the concepts of Vedanta and the unity of all existence, influencing Tesla’s revolutionary ideas about energy and the universe. “We aimed to delve into these hidden aspects and spark a global discussion on their shared vision,” said Deka.

Global Perspectives on Science and Spirituality 

The conference resonated with insightful addresses by esteemed speakers. Lazar Y. Vukadinovic, Deputy Head of the Serbian Embassy in Delhi, underscored how the collaboration between Vivekananda and Tesla offered a template for balanced development. “Science and spirituality, when integrated, provide a roadmap for progress that avoids destruction,” he said.

Swami Yajnadharananda of the Ram Krishna Mission further debunked the perceived conflict between science and spirituality. He emphasized their shared quest for truth and the potential societal benefits of focusing on their commonalities.

Professor Velimir Abramovic, a noted Serbian scholar, reinforced the necessity of spiritual direction in scientific endeavors. “Modern science must learn from Vivekananda and Tesla to achieve harmony, as science devoid of spirituality risks leading humanity astray,” he cautioned.

Leadership and Spiritual Practice

Iva Mia Kruslin, a Croatian author and leadership expert, illuminated how spiritual practices shaped iconic leaders like Vivekananda, Tesla, and Mahatma Gandhi. Highlighting their transformative global impact, she drew parallels with contemporary leaders, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who embrace spirituality as a cornerstone of meaningful leadership.

Honoring Contributions to Humanity

The conference culminated in lifetime achievement awards for individuals advancing the legacies of Vivekananda and Tesla. Honorees included Professor Velimir Abramovic, Dr. Sushil Kumar Jain, Nada Laji, and Pundit Devendra Dubey. Their efforts underscore the enduring relevance of the spiritual-scientific synergy envisioned by these historical figures.

A Global Call to Action

Through this event, the SVNTIF successfully kindled a global dialogue about the harmonious interplay of science and spirituality. As the speakers reiterated, the philosophies of Vivekananda and Tesla are not relics of the past but guiding principles for addressing contemporary challenges.

This conference serves as a reminder that, in a world increasingly driven by technological advancements, integrating spiritual wisdom is not only beneficial but essential. By looking to the legacy of Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla, we can aspire toward a future where innovation is balanced by introspection, ensuring progress that uplifts humanity.

Read: Dada Jashan Vaswani – A Scientist, Philosopher, Spiritual Leader and Great Humanist

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Courtesy: Tesliarium

Source / Photo: Pratidin Time / Chau Zingnu Namchoom Instagram

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By Subzar Ahmad

Hai parē sarḥad-e-idrāk se apnā masjūd

Qiblē ko ahl-e-naẓar qibla-numā kahte hain

The focus of our devotion transcends the boundaries of cognition;

For those who possess true vision, the Kaaba is merely a compass.

Mirza Ghalib

In the vast tapestry of human artistic expression, poetry occupies a hallowed space, offering a portal into profound truths and abiding mysteries that transcend the constraints of ordinary language. Across civilizations, poets have wielded their craft as an illuminating force, a means to plumb the primordial depths of existence and venture into realms that elude the grasp of conventional understanding. A resounding embodiment of this transcendent power is manifest in the couplet penned by Mirza Ghalib: “The focus of our devotion transcends the boundaries of cognition/For those who possess true vision, the Kaaba is merely a compass.” These evocative verses resonate with the foundational principles espoused by the venerable apophatic tradition, underscoring the divine’s inexpressible nature and the inherent constraints of human faculties in fathoming its inscrutable essence.

The apophatic way arises from recognizing the inadequacy of language and reason in apprehending the ultimate, transcendent reality. Its adherents assert that positive definitions and finite attributes inevitably restrict and confine the infinite expanse of the divine, for our modes of expression remain tethered to the material realm. The divine, in its unbounded plenitude, transcends such limited constraints. This sacred tradition therefore embraces the path of negation, a process of denying finite qualities when contemplating the divine nature, acknowledging that true understanding can only be approximated through reverent unknowing.

The first line of Ghalib’s verse gives voice to the truth that the divine essence eludes the grasp of finite human intellect and cannot be fully comprehended within reason’s boundaries. This echoes Pseudo-Dionysius’ seminal words describing the divine as “beyond every name, unnameable, and above every mind.” Ibn Arabi employed “AL HAQQ-Absolute Reality” to underscore the divine transcending all human attributes and mortal comprehension.

Expanding this concept, the poet employs the Kaaba as a representation through which humanity seeks to express and apprehend the divine. Yet, Ghalib intimates that for the truly spiritually visioned, the Kaaba serves merely as a guide, a signpost pointing towards the boundless reality beyond its physical form. This cautions against anthropomorphizing the divine, underscoring constraints in conceptualizing this reality – a truth the apophatic path embraces. Thomas Aquinas articulated this, asserting “we cannot grasp what God is, but only what He is not.”

Throughout religious and philosophical inquiry, diverse traditions have grappled with articulating the ineffable divine nature. The apophatic approach traces to Neoplatonists emphasizing transcendence beyond human comprehension. This thread of negating finite attributes and surrendering to the inscrutable mystery permeates faiths like the metaphysical currents of Islamic thought and Sufism.

The Kaaba emerges as a potent symbol, a sacred compass guiding the spiritual seeker inward towards an essence defying outward definition.

In his profound mystical treatises, Ibn Arabi expounded upon the divine transcending attributes, underscoring reason’s limitations in apprehending its boundless essence. Rumi poetically conveyed language’s inadequacy, suggesting “silence” as the divine’s sole fitting expression. This theme of apophatic unknowing and sacred silence resonates across mystical currents from hesychasm to Zen Buddhism.

Ghalib’s couplet invites contemplating reason’s constraints in confining the divine within conceptual edifices. It challenges acknowledging our finite existence and approaching the unfathomable divine mystery with reverence and humility before that which transcends understanding. This imbues devotional practices and representations with profound meaning while cautioning against mistaking symbols for the ultimate reality.

The Kaaba emerges as a potent symbol, a sacred compass guiding the spiritual seeker inward towards an essence defying outward definition. The apophatic tradition reorients perspective, reminding that the true object of devotion transcends finite representations, necessitating embracing the sacred mystery permeating the infinite divine expanse.

Read: Ghalib, Kolkata, Tagore and Urdu Literature

Ghalib’s verse encapsulates the apophatic spirit – the object of reverence lies not in reason’s sphere but the boundless, inscrutable mystery pervading existence. It cultivates profound wonder and humility, recognizing enlightenment not in knowledge’s acquisition but in surrendering finite faculties to the infinitely divine embrace. The couplet invites transcending rational thought’s boundaries to embark inward towards the ineffable source from which all emanates.

Viewed through this lens, Ghalib’s poetic utterance emerges as a gateway into mystical and metaphysical inquiry’s heart – a testament to the perennial yearning to grasp the infinite, the ultimate ground undergirding phenomena. Yet, it reminds that true divine understanding arises not solely from knowledge but from surrendering to the ineffable mystery permeating existence, intimated through embracing sacred silence.

Thus, the couplet affirms poetry’s power to evoke and intimate that which lies beyond ordinary speech’s reach. It exemplifies the poetic form’s capacity to serve as a conduit for expressing the inexpressible, articulating the ineffable through negating finite language. Ghalib’s verse emerges as a luminous exemplar, a poetic invocation of the transcendent reality pervading existence, beckoning surrender to the boundless expanse of the divine mystery.

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Courtesy: Counter Currents (Posted on 09/06/2024)

The post Surrendering to Sacred Silence: The Apophatic Echoes in Mirza Ghalib’s verse first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Shuhban Ali Siyal

Whenever an authentic history of the sleepy land is written, especially literary history, poetry will rise to the top in any way because the mood of the small land is something like that. Even in human history, poetry is the only one that has been used to express any special quality of a human being. From ancient books to todays, if you examine the books carefully, you will find a lot of poetry in them. From the poets of earlier ages to Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and from Kalidas to Kandari Fakirs, the poetry tradition has been very strong in the region. The traditions that have influenced the mental state and mood of the people here are similar to the poetry traditions in the middle of history.

In such a situation of time or history, many such people were born who did not like all this, and they decided to continue their struggle to find the basic goodness of man for awaken it. Many people have born, who have performed their work with great joy, it is another matter that some people were successful in their process and some people could not get the desired results from this process. However, their struggle influenced the people, and they have left their indelible marks on time and history. We are walking on the same path, the path that leads to the light, the light that is the salvation of mankind. It is the light of man’s access to the goodness of man, which has been learnt and transferred generation to generation. If we learn to walk in the light of the message given by these ancestors, it is sure that our vision will become bright.

Also read: Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai – The Poet of Courage

How fortunate is the land of Sindh that has given birth to brave, courageous, righteous political leaders, Sufi sages, religious scholars, thinkers, and poets – Such as Hazart Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast, Sufi Shah Inayat, Sami, and many others.

Hazart Shah Abdul Bhittai is a true and fearless Sufi poet of Sindh, who propagated peace, love, brotherhood, and human dignity for mankind in his poetry. Latif is an example of superior humanity. Shah Latif’s heart was very soft, not only for humans but also for birds, animals and other creatures. From the books and poems of the Shah, we can get lot of evidence of patriotism for own land and country. He is always eager for action. He does not preach just in learning but to him, a man must do something with heart and mind and leave the result to the Lord. No matter what difficulties come in front of you, do not lose courage, but face it with full courage. Then success will follow his steps.

Also read: Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai…. Poet of Nature and Human Behavior

Bhittai was born on 18 November 1689 and died on December 21, 1752, at the age of 63 years. The language used by Latif in the verses is Sindhi. This proves that Latif loves his language. Latif owns 30 heads. These heads have different social aspects based on the characters. As Sassi’s struggle is known, no matter what the difficulties are, continue the struggle. As the head is ten, Latif says; it is known more in birds than in humans, that they flew, they were wandering among themselves as given few examples. Latif says in Sur Kedara: The world is a field of action or battle, where you have to forget the illusions of the heart, like a real pig, and fight for victory. Further says in Sur Sarirag: Even the power is tired of a man without courage. Let the idle and leisurely man look to nature and learn from it the lesson of hard work. Man himself is a part of nature so when the sun, the moon, the stars, the sea, the rivers, and the stars are always moving, how is it obligatory for him to be careless and waste his life in idleness! In Sur Dahar he suggests that man has come to plant the seeds of action in the field of the world. If he does not fulfill his duty, he will go to a place where he will be able to get out himself.

Also read: Mumbai University approves book on Shah Latif for M.A. (Sindhi) Syllabus

Latif has also sung about Sikh and Shanti in sur kalian through the verses that man has moved away from the essence of Allah or is spending his life on illegal activities and is ignorant of the remembrance of God. Latif says that if you want to find peace in the world, one from your mother and father and the other from God, they have peace, but you should not disrespect them. Latif’s poetry is a beacon that touches and analytically discusses various dimensions

Peace, Love, and Brotherhood

In Sur Kalian, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai expressively conveys the profound spirit of Allah’s remembrance as a source of tranquility. This Head depicts or suggests that the act of remembering Allah is akin to unlocking a serene and peaceful state within the soul. Latif beautifully captures the spiritual depth of peace, love, and brotherhood in the divine remembrance, emphasizing the transcendental nature of these virtues.

Concern for the Poor

In Sur Shal, Shah Latif: passionately expresses his concern for the downtrodden, vehemently opposing those who exploit the poverty of the poor. He vividly depicts his prayer against those who profit from the destitution of the less fortunate. Here, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai reveals his deep empathy for the poor and his condemnation of those who take advantage of their vulnerability, foreseeing the eventual downfall of such exploiters.

Philanthropy and Love for Humanity

Within Sur Saring, Latif emphasizes the importance of persistent effort and draws a poignant parallel between human endeavors and the continuous motion of birds. He signifies the necessity of persistent determined, mirroring the constant flight of birds. Shah Latif encourages individuals to embody the spirit of determination, dedication, and hard work, aligning their efforts with the ceaseless motion observed in the natural world.

Concern for Changing Sincerity of Man

Sur Dahar encapsulates Shah Abdul Latif Bhatia’s concern about the changing sincerity of humanity. He emphasizes the human obligation to spread seeds of positive action in the world. Latif warns against neglecting this duty, using the metaphor of a barren land that fails to yield crops when neglected. This poignant imagery serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of neglecting one’s responsibilities and underscores the importance of contributing positively to the world.

Also read: Bhittai in India

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, we find a beacon of peace, love, and brotherhood in his poetry. His teachings, emphasizing hard work and fulfilling one’s duty, guide us toward a brighter vision for the future. Sindh’s fortune lies in its legacy of producing not only brave leaders but also profound poets like Bhittai, whose messages continue to resonate and offer treasured visions for generations.

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Shuhban Ali Siyal, studies in language and literature at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Shaheed, Benazirabad (Nawabshah) Sindh

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[The cosponsoring organizations had organized half day yoga and meditation gathering on January 13, 2024 at Brooklyn Heights so that come together for an end to the current conflict in the Middle East. With the death of almost 1,200 Israelis and more than 22,000 Palestinians, and near famine conditions in Gaza, our hearts cannot endure more bombing. The first necessary step to any long-term solution to the conflict is a complete and permanent ceasefire]

Rohan Narine

The Notorious B.I.G. said it best, “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.” Confidently, as the space filled, I can confirm that with everyone spreading love in excess from the start, it is indeed the Brooklyn way. As the Sri Ram Janmabhumi approaches while there is increasing tension between Israel and Gaza, it is paramount that we recognize and confront our violent pasts and pray for a ceasefire in Gaza immediately.

To our brothers and sisters in Palestine, we who met at the First Unitarian Church focused our minds on the disunion of the body from pain. We focused on breathing in our hatred, our anger, our natural insecurities, holding it, and releasing it out allowing those feelings to become extinct from our minds eye. This is our life’s journey.  In a Ras Garba dance, everyone chanted, “Ceasefire now” four times, beginning the clarion call that combined with the boundless love commenced a chant filling the space with an ancestral energy that we pray our brothers and sisters in Gaza can feel through these mere words.

During moments of deep silence, stillness, and oneness, we prayed for an end to violence, to war, and to returning to a world where we all treat each other as one large family. As we strive to envision a real world where these events will never have to be held, we invite you to come as you are, to be your truest self, and to help us grow.

In a vibrant confluence of joy and community spirit, we gathered to amplify the call for global peace, with a heartfelt plea for a ceasefire in Gaza. The day was marked by an outpouring of solidarity, led by our Executive Director, Sunita Viswanath, and the inspiring Garnett Losak, Director of Life at the First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn. Their leadership and welcome set the tone for a space where celebration, practice and advocacy merged into a powerful force for change.

A rich tapestry of diverse practices was shared, each centered on the unwavering goal of peace. The energy in the room was palpable, as practitioners from various backgrounds led sessions that resonated with the theme of harmony and understanding.

One true gift on the day was Pratima Kushmani Shridevi Doobay, a Ceremonial Priestess, sacred artist, and Human Rights Activist from Shridevi Arts. Her voice, presence and guidance brought a profound sense of purpose and connection to the gathering.

Also read: Hindu Leaders From Around the World Denounce Hate

The day was further energized by the creative genius of Parijat Desai, an acclaimed choreographer, who reimagined and refashioned Garba and Dandiya Ras into movements that transformed traditional dance into a unifying force for communities working tirelessly for social justice.

Adding to the rhythmic heartbeat of the event was KIirtan with Zander of the BROOKLYN KIRTAN COLLECTIVE. The collective’s soul-stirring melodies and chants provided a sonic backdrop that uplifted spirits and strengthened the communal bond.

Also read: Hindus have a special responsibility to denounce hate speech and violence

This was a day where every smile, every dance step, and every note of music echoed the underlying commitment to human rights and dignity. It was a day where we not only envisioned a world of peace but actively participated in its creation through the joyous power of community and shared aspirations.

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Courtesy: Hindus for Human Rights (Received through email) 

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From Our Correspondent

Khairpur

One-Day National Conference on “The Role of Saints of Khuhra in the Promotion of Human Dignity and Social Reforms” was held at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur on Monday.

The conference was jointly organized by the Institute of Islamic Studies and Makhdoom Abdul Rehman Shaheed Cultural, Education and Development Trust, Khuhra in collaboration with Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) and office of the Deputy Commissioner, Khairpur. Prof. Dr. Khalil Ahmed Ibupoto, Vice Chancellor presided the conference while Pir Syed Muhammad Bachal Shah Jillani, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh was the chief guest.

While delivering his presidential address, Prof. Dr. Khalil Ahmed Ibupoto said that last year we signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Makhdoom Abdul Rehman Shaheed Cultural, Education and Development Trust, Khuhra to organize conferences, seminars on education and social issues. “We have materialized the MoU in letter and spirit.”

He said the peace can be established and tolerance can be developed with the help of the teachings and philosophy of Sufi Saints. The contribution of Makhdoom Abdul Rehman Shaheed is laudable in the promotion of human dignity.

Pir Syed Muhammad Bachal Shah Jillani said that the Makhdoom Abdul Rehman Shaheed is a symbolic Shaheed of Sindh. He preached for human dignity, unity of GOD and evil forces and promoted the teachings and philosophy of our Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (S.A.W.W) and Shariah. During the Kalhora reign, approximately 221 companions along with Makhdoom Abdul Rehman were martyred. He also shed light on the teaching and philosophy of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Hazrat Sachal Sarmast and said that their ideology is the glaring example of human dignity.

Sharjeel Noor Channa, Deputy Commissioner Khairpur said it is the high time to inculcate the idea of peace and tolerance for betterment of the society. Islamic civilization is source of betterment of society. He said that at the Shrines of Sufi Saints, there is equality and religious diversity, he added.

Dr. Syed Mehdi Raza Shah, Custodian Dargah Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sehwan said that Sufism is a source of spiritualism. He said Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar wrote four books on mystic philosophy. At that time, there was a Madersa established 700 years earlier. The students from Alexandria and Egypt were enrolled so this was the influence of the Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

Khuwaja Moin-ud-Din Mehboob Koreja, Custodian, Dargah Khuwaja Ghulam Fareed (R.A) also shed light on the teaching and philosophy of the Makhdoom Abdul Rehman Shaheed and others. He said in Sufism there is no discrimination but there is equality and inclusiveness.

Makhdoom Nadeem Ahmed Hashmi, Custodian, Dargah Khuhra shed light on the objectives of the conference. He said this conference will promote the Islamic philosophy and teaching and will provide a viable platform for peace building and tolerance.

Dr. Makhmoor Bukhari, Prof. Dr. Naeem Anwar Nomani, Adv. A.B Lashari, Dr. Shair Mehrani, Dr. Saifullah Bhutto, Mr. Salman Khuhro, Hafiz Muhammad Rafique Soomro, Prof. Fida Muhammadi, Dr. Zain-ul-Abideen Arejo, Shumaila Rabab Rizvi presented their research papers.

Prof. Dr. Taj Muhammad Lashari, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences offered vote of thanks. Eelier, Prof. Dr. Sajjad Ali Raeesi, Director Institute of Islamic Studies cordially welcomed the guests and participants of the conference. A large number of teachers, scholars and students attended the conference. Muhammad Hassan Shaikh conducted the proceedings of the conference.

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By Dariusz Pacak, Vienna, Austria

In relation to the indicated topic, it is very easy to observe that especially today, in this strange period. In order to continue the existence of our civilization, inward transgression should be the essential need of the human species, which will lead to the annihilation of current substrate recognized as ‘the ego’.

Only that way, the TRUE LOVE can come into being among us, and we will be rewarded with it.

And then as the righteous we will drink from a cup full of happiness*, fulfilled from the Spring of Shining. There is no other right path among the many paths.

A new vision of the next war will arise again, as it did many times in the past. And we will never be able to transform to the next, higher level of the existence, free from all pathologies, crimes, borders.

Only an act of moral and spiritual transgression can lead us to getting rid of all dualities, boundaries, fears, the dark side of the power of human character, and many other global problems created by human civilizations, including the abandonment of hidden wars between supporters of secularism and adherents of the church state.

But if our reason creates only ‘understanding’ of this subject, and feared spirit doesn’t follow the reason and will not free us from chains of the mental process of differentiating (where ‘I’ is always separate and always more important than ‘you’ and ‘they’, where science is treated in the same way as the Wisdom, and Wisdom and its experience are forgotten or effectively eliminated, and lies are more welcome than True is), nothing more will be done. Just another new veil of the projection of ego will be born – the cancer of modern humanity.

Cancer leads to destruction, extermination and death.

A new vision of the next war will arise again, as it did many times in the past. And we will never be able to transform to the next, higher level of the existence, free from all pathologies, crimes, borders. We won’t be able to live the REAL EXISTENCE, which is the opposite of the modern image of hell of diseases, of hatred, and sufferings inflicted on each other. Everything will remain a dream only, endlessly… still.

So, is it not Philosophy and Poetry (and not the dangerous politicians and their manipulative games) conceived as a part of the basic principles in the complex structure of the foundation of human beings, of the Homo Sapiens: Homo Eruditus, Artifex, and finally–  Homo Liber(!) are indispensable to experience life, TRUE LIFE, like it is in REALITY ?!

Real Law and Power on Earth, how can they be products of man’s reason and littleness, when he himself is a formation of dust and water, thus having no other power but the soul? The soul does not come from the world of human imaginations.

Then, should we not, rather try to follow the path of the Spirit? Should it not be the source of all structures of social life on this planet (which is also not from man), even the most important, greatest ones, such as the state or life in faith?

Should we not, then, do this together (while maintaining our inviolable separateness and human rights) in coexistence and humility, without fears and limits, boundaries, as ONE, as a multilateral WHOLE?

Then also the problem of balance / harmony between the secular state and the influence of religion in the construction of the state will cease to exist.

In conclusion, with these words I address both the clergy assuming the role of politicians and corrupt layers of the ruling:

18 Vide humilitatem meam et laborem meum, et dimitte universa delicta mea.

19 Respice inimicos meos, quoniam multiplicati sunt, et odio iniquo oderunt me.

20 Custodi animam meam, et erue me: non erubescam, quoniam speravi in te.

[Psalm 24:18-20.]

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*  […] As to the Righteous, they shall drink of a cup

          [Of vine] mixed with Kafur,

          – A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink,

          Making it flow in unstinted abundance.

          They perform [their] vows, […]

Sura LXXVI, 5-7. [In:] The Holy Quran (Koran). King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex, Madinah1987, Saudi Arabia. Translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

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About the Author

Dariusz Pacak is a poet & essayist, settled in Austria. He holds MFA Degree in Art (Poland 1998). Professional Studies (Austria 2000). Hon. Doctor Degree of Literature (USA 2011). Member of World Academy of Arts and Culture (USA), Union of Polish Writers Abroad (Great Britain), Maison Naaman pour la Culture (Lebanon), Association of the Romanian Writes in North America (Canada), World Nations Writers’ Union, (Kazakhstan), IG Autorinnen Autoren (Austria), etc. Authored books: Birds of Emanations (2001), In Shattered Course of Things (2003), The House of the Golden Fleece (2004), The Seasons (2006), literary sheet: Bulletin of Library &Culture Information dedicated to Dariusz Pacak (2011), Homo Viator (2018, 2021). Worldwide awarded, published in 14 languages. Author of the over 380 worldwide publications in literary magazines, anthologies and on web. He deals with the axioms of tradition, religion, socio-political systems, the diversity of the norms of human existence and in creations of realities, and beyond of the human dimensions, the transgression towards mysticism.

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