LIFE OF LATIF

(washma khan, moscow)

Shah Abdul Latif, commonly known as 'Shah' or 'Latif' was a mystic or Sufi poet of Sindh. He lived in Sindh in the seventeenth century and is considered by far the greatest poet of Sindhi language. Shah was a very strong yet subtle proponent of the Sindhi Sufi tradition. His mausoleum is located in Bhit Shah, Sindh, and is visited by millions of Sindhis throughout the year.

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is held as a national poet and spiritual guide throughout Sindh. Ranking his among the classical poets of the world, Dr. H.T Sorley remarked: "But to me, the first place goes to Shah Abdul Latif of Bhit, in whose verse it is impossible not to detect the music, the ecstasy of sublime adulation.. He is one of the greatest poets of the world.

He was born in C-1689 A.D in the house of Shah Habib, revered and visited for religious guidance and spiritual blessings. His great grandfather Shah Abdul Karim of Bulri, a famous saint and poet, was his constant source of inspiration.

Almost nothing is known about his formal education except the name of one Noor Mohammad Bhatti who is said to have tutored him in his early days. The tradition goes that he always carried with the The Quran, the Mathanavi of Rumi and the verses of Shah Karim. However, nothing has come down to us written in his own hand.

Urged by the inner call, he traveled far and wide in search the Ultimate Truth, visiting the men of learning the piety belonging to all shades of faith. Having reached the spiritual heights, he settled down at Bhit, a mound of sand, and founded a center of spiritual guidance. He found in poetry a proper medium of expression, which he used to sing in the accompaniment of music composed by himself.

He breathed his last in 1752. His holy grave still attracks thousands of devotees all the year round.

The rich legacy of poetry and music left behind by him will ever remain the beacons of light for the generations to come.

 وشمہ خان وشمہ
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