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Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
شاه عبداللطيف ڀٽائي
Statue of Bhittai in Bhit Shah, Sindh, Pakistan
Personal
Born1689/1690
Died21 December 1752 (aged 63)
Bhit, Sindh
Resting placeShrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Bhit (Bhit Shah), Sindh, Pakistan
ReligionIslam
FlourishedKalhora period
Children1 child (died in childhood or miscarried)[1]
Parent
  • Syed Habib Shah[5][6] (father)
LineageSayyid through Musa al-Kazim[2][3][4]
Notable work(s)Shah Jo Risalo
Organization
OrderQadiri Owaisi[7][8][9][10]
PhilosophySufism
Muslim leader
SuccessorSyed Jamal Shah, inheritor to the Gaddi[11]
Disciples
  • Notably, Tamar Faqir, Muhammad Alim, Mahabat Faqir[12]
Influenced by

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (Sindhi: شاه عبداللطيف ڀٽائي; 1689/1690 – 21 December 1752), commonly known by the honorifics Lakhino Latif, Latif Ghot, Bhittai, and Bhit Jo Shah, was a Sindhi Sufi mystic and poet from Pakistan, widely considered to be the greatest poet of the Sindhi language.

Born to a Kazmi Sayyid family of Hala Haweli originating from Herat,[13][14][15] near modern-day Hala, Bhittai grew up in the nearby town of Kotri Mughal. At the age of around 20, he left home and traveled throughout Sindh and neighboring lands, and met many mystics and Jogis, whose influence is evident in his poetry. Returning home after three years, he was married into an aristocratic family, but was widowed shortly afterwards and did not remarry. His piety and spirituality attracted a large following as well as the hostility of a few. Spending the last years of his life at Bhit (Bhit Shah), he died in 1752. A mausoleum was built over his grave in subsequent years and became a popular pilgrimage site.

His poems were compiled by his disciples in his Shah Jo Risalo. It was first published in 1866. Several Urdu and English translations of the work have been published since. Bhittai's poetry is popular among the people of Sindh and he is venerated throughout the province.

Life

[edit]

Tuhfat al-Kiram and Maqalat al-shu'ara, written by Mir Ali Sher Qani Thattvi, a contemporary of Shah Abdul Latif, some fifteen years after the death of the poet, gives some basic details of his life. Other than these, however, few written records exist from the early period and most of what has been reported about his ife was transmitted orally through generations. The oral traditions were collected and documented in the late 19th century by Mirza Qalich Beg and Mir Abd al-Husayn Sangi. Together with Thattwi's works, these form the basis for the outline of the poet's life.[16][17]

Bhittai was born in 1689 or 1690 in Hala Haweli near modern-day Hala,[18][19] to Shah Habib, a great-grandson of the Sufi poet Shah Abdul Karim Bulri.[16] His ancestors traced their lineage back to the fourth caliph Ali and Fatima, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. They had emigrated to Sindh from Herat during the late 14th century.[20]

Bhittai spent the early years of his childhood in Hala Haweli, but the family then relocated to the nearby town of Kotri Mughal.[18] Local tradition holds that he was illiterate, however his use of Arabic and Persian in his poetry and the evident influence of the Persian poet Rumi on his thought show that he was well educated.[21][22]

At the age of around 20, he fell in love with Saida Begum, a daughter of an Arghun aristocrat of Kotri Mughal, Mirza Mughal Beg, which landed Bhittai's family in trouble and caused them return to Hala Haweli. Her love, however, had a deep impact on young Bhittai and he left home wandering deserts and embarking on travel through Sindh and adjacent lands.[23][24]

According to Motilal Jotwani, it was perhaps during these travels that his poetic nature came to the fore.[25] He mentions the places he visited in his poems. First he went to Ganjo Hill near what is now Hyderabad, thereafter traveling to Kalachi (modern Karachi) through Thatta and Banbhore. On the journey he met Jogis and accompanied them to Hinglaj in the mountains of southern Balochistan. On his return east, he visited Lahut in Lasbela, and then travelled across to Dwarka, Porbandar, Junagadh, and several other places in the Kutch region. Returning west, he visited Karoonjhar Mountains in Nagarparkar. Parting ways with the Jogis in Thar, he went to Jaisalmer before returning to Thatta and then home. His travels seem to have had a strong influence on his poetry.[26]

Those who get acquainted with Ganja Hill,
Become Yogis, forsaking all books and scriptures.[27]

Entry to the shrine

Bhittai returned home after three years.[24]

In 1713 Mirza Mughal Beg was killed while in pursuit of robbers who had looted his house. After this incident, Bhittai was married to Saida Begum, the woman whom he had been in love with. The marriage did not result in any offspring and Saida Begum died a few years into the marriage. Bhittai did not remarry and remained childless his entire life.[28][24]

He now seems to have settled down and devoted to prayer and worship. His piety attracted a large following, which reportedly earned him the hostility of nobles and Noor Mohammad Kalhoro, the ruler of Sindh, who is said to have unsuccessfully tried to assassinate him by poisoning.[29]

Some ten years before his death, Bhittai left his home, relocating to a sandhill a few miles from Hala Haweli, which later became known as Bhit Shah (Mound of Shah), hence his title Bhittai (the dweller of Bhit).[30] Bhittai died at Bhit on 21 December 1752 (14 Safar 1166 AH) at the age of 63[16] and was buried there.[31] A tomb was built over his grave by the then ruler of Sindh Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro in 1754,[21] or 1765.[32]

Poetry

[edit]
The shrine's inner sanctum is the site of the poet's tomb.

Bhittai's poetry is mainly Sufi in nature and deeply religious. He connects the traditional folk tales with the divine love.[19] The poems, known locally as bayt (pl. abyat) and similar in form to the Indian doha,[16] are lyrical, are intended for a musical performance,[33] and are usually very compact.[34]

In addition, he has also used a bit more relaxed format called wa'i.[16]

Bhittai is said to have always kept with him the Qur'an, Karim jo Risalo, and the Mathnawi of Rumi.[35] He seems to have been significantly influenced by the latter;[36] sometimes he reflects his ideas and sometimes translates his verses in his poems.[37][38]

Bhittai has emphasized that the Sufi should stick to Shari'ah and Ma'arifah (gnosis) in his poetry:[40][41]

Abu Sa'id Abu'l-Khayr, a Persian poet and Sufi mystic (967–1049), has expressed similar idea in his verses which is also quite famously attributed to Rumi:[39]

Come, come, whoever you are,
Wanderer, idolater, worshipper of fire,
Come, and come yet again,
Ours is not a caravan of despair.[39]

Dervishes singing Shah jo Rag at his shrine

During Bhittai's lifetime, Sindh transitioned from Delhi-based Mughal rule to the local Kalhora dynasty. During the later part of Bhittai's life, Nadir Shah Afshar sacked Delhi and made Sindh his tributary. Bhittai also witnessed Ahmad Shah Durrani's attack on Delhi and his subjection of Sindh to Afghan rule. Despite all this, his poetry is devoid of any mention of these upheavals or the political landscape of his time in general. H. T. Sorley has attributed this to his interest in "eternal verities" and indifference to "transient phenomena" and "petty wars".[31]

Risalo

[edit]

Bhittai's poetry was not written down during his lifetime, but was sung and memorized by his disciples during the musical sessions (Rag) that he used to hold.[43] The poems were compiled after his death into a collection called Shah Jo Risalo (the Book of Shah).[44]

The Risalo was first published in 1866 by the German philologist Ernest Trumpp. It contains thirty chapters, called Sur, each focusing on a particular musical mode.[45] Each Sur is further divided into sections, dastan (story) or fasl (chapter), which contain similarly themed abyat. Each section ends with one or more wa'is.[16] Some Surs focus on folk tales of Sindh such as Sassui Punhun, Sohni Mehar, Umar Marui, and Lilan Chanesar, whereas others, like Sur Asa and Sur Yaman Kalyan, describe the mystical moods and ideal traditional lover. Sur Sarang is devoted to the praise of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, while Sur Kedaro laments the death of Muhammad's grandson, and Bhittai's ancestor, Husayn ibn Ali at the Battle of Karbala in 680.[45] Sur Kedaro has been said by some prominent scholars of Shah's poetry such as Nabi Bakhsh Baloch and Ghulam Muhammad Shahwani to have come from a external source rather than Shah himself.[46][47][48]

Since the first edition of the Risalo, several other editions have been published by various scholars including Mirza Qalich Beg, Hotchand Molchand Gurbakhshani, Ghulam Muhammad Shahvani, Kalyan Advani, and Nabi Bakhsh Baloch. Urdu translations have been published by Shaikh Ayaz, and Ayaz Husayn Qadiri and Sayyid Vaqar Ahmad Rizvi. The first partial English translation of the Risalo was published by H. T. Sorley in 1940, followed by Elsa Kazi, and Ghulam Ali Allana. Complete translations have been published by Muhammad Yakoob Agha, Amena Khamisani, and others. Early manuscripts of the Risalo as well as published editions show considerable differences in the content. The most widely accepted version has some 3,000 abyat and 200 wa'is.[16]

Religious beliefs

[edit]

Bhittai's poetry gives great indications and explicit words of what he believed in, regarding theological and religious matters. The very first verses of his Risalo in Sur Kalyan state his explicit monotheistic beliefs and belief that this world was made only for the Prophet, a common belief among Sunni Sufis.[49] He states:

It also shows that he believes that none of the early Muslims went astray after accepting Islam directly from the Prophet Muhammad. In another excerpt from Sur Kalyan, he talks about the "4 companions", Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, he states:

In another excerpt from Sur Kalyan, Bhittai talks about true lovers of God solely are Muslims, having been immersed in Allah and declared the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad. He states:

Bhittai in a long verse also expresses his adamant hope in the intercession of Prophet Muhammad and talks about how all shalt be saved by his intercession and given refuge in him. He states:

In a excerpt from Sur Bilawal, Bhittai talks through the perspective of a oppressed and weak man. He calls for Ali Shah to come and behead "the fire-worshipper". He states:

Bhittai also expresses admiration for the bravery and chivalry of Ali in his poems, glorifying his battle-stance and bravery in the battlefield. He states:

In apparent manner (prayer, and beliefs), like his forefathers, he was a Sunni and held respect and consideration for all sects. He revered the Prophet Muhammad immensely, and he revered the companions of him and revered the Imams aswell.[62]

Bhittai also prayed with his hands on his chest like a Hanafi Sunni.[63]

Tariqah

[edit]

Bhittai gave Bay'ah in the Qadiriyyah Tariqah to his father Shah Habib.[64][65] His Silsilah is as follows:[66][67]

  1. Prophet Muhammad
  2. • Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib
  3. • Imam Husayn
  4. • Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin
  5. • Imam Muhammad Baqir
  6. • Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq
  7. • Imam Musa al-Kazim
  8. • Imam Ali Musa Rida
  9. Ma'ruf Karkhi
  10. Sari al-Saqati
  11. Junayd al-Baghdadi
  12. • Shaikh Abu Bakr Shibli
  13. • Shaikh Abdul Aziz Tamimi
  14. Abu al-Fadl al-Tamimi
  15. Abu al-Farah Tartusi
  16. Abul Hasan Hankari
  17. Mubarak Makhzoomi
  18. Abdul Qadir Jilani
  19. Abdul Razzaq Gilani
  20. • Sayyid Imad ud-Din Abu Saleh Abdullāh Nasr Jilani
  21. • Sayyid Shams ud-Din Abu Nasr Muhammad
  22. • Sayyid Zahir ud-Din Ahmad
  23. • Sayyid Saifuddin Yahya
  24. • Sayyid Shamsuddin Muhammad
  25. • Sayyid Alauddin Ali
  26. • Sayyid Nuruddin Hussain
  27. • Sayyid Badruddin Yahya
  28. • Sayyid Sharafuddin Qasim
  29. • Sayyid Shihabuddin Ahmad
  30. • Sayyid Ali Hashimi
  31. • Sayyid Ahmad Qadiri Habib Hamvi
  32. • Sultan Ibrahim Shah Bukhari
  33. Shah Abdul Karim Bulri
  34. • Sayyid Jalal Shah
  35. • Sayyid Abdul Quddus Shah
  36. • Sayyid Habibullah Shah (known as "Shah Habib")
  37. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

The Qadiri Silsilah of the family of Bhittai began with Shah Abdul Karim Bulri's bay'ah to a Qadiri sage and Saint, "Sultan Ibrahim Shah Bukhari". It becomes clear that after this bay'ah to Sultan Ibrahim Shah Bukhari, the family remained Qadiri onwards.[68][69][70][71]

Genealogy

[edit]

Bhittai's genealogy goes back to Musa al-Kazim. The Sayyids of Matiari (Sadaat Matiari) descend from Syed Haider Ali whose ancestors migrated from Herat sometime around the Timurid era, Syed Haider Ali initially settled in Hala, Sindh but his descendants migrated to Matiari predominantly, during the period of settlement in Matiari, the Sayyids of Matiari divided into 4 branches (due to rivalry and disputes), namely: Jarar Pota, Baqeel Pota, Moosa Pota, Moeen Pota.[72]

Bhittai and his ancestor Shah Abdul Karim Bulri belonged to the Jararpota Branch of the Sayyids of Matiari,[73] this branch also produced many other holy men and Saints.[74]

His genealogy is as follows:[75]

  1. • Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib
  2. • Imam Husayn
  3. • Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin
  4. • Imam Muhammad Baqir
  5. • Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq
  6. • Imam Musa al-Kazim
  7. • Sayyid Ja'far ibn Musa
  8. • Sayyid Hussain al-Akbari
  9. • Sayyid Ali Jawari Shah
  10. • Sayyid Ibrahim Shah
  11. • Sayyid Hussain Shah
  12. • Sayyid Yousuf Shah
  13. • Sayyid Ali Shah
  14. • Sayyid Hussain Shah
  15. • Sayyid Muhammad Shah
  16. • Sayyid Mir Ali Shah
  17. • Syed Haider Ali Shah (moved to Hala)
  18. • Syed Mir Ali Shah II
  19. • Syed Sharafdin Shah
  20. • Syed Jamal Muhammad Shah
  21. • Syed Haji Shah
  22. • Syed Hashim Shah
  23. • Syed Abdul Momin Shah
  24. • Syed Laal Muhammad Shah
  25. Syed Shah Abdul Karim Bulri
  26. • Syed Jalal Shah
  27. • Syed Abdul Quddus Shah
  28. • Syed Habib Shah
  29. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

Legacy

[edit]

Bhittai is regarded as the greatest Sufi poet of the Sindhi language[16][24] and the national poet of Sindh.[76] According to the orientalist Annemarie Schimmel, he is "The most outstanding master of popular Sufi poetry in Pakistan."[77] According to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Bhittai's Risalo has been compared with Rumi's Mathnawi, and Bhittai represents "direct emanations of Rūmī's spirituality in the Indian world."[36]

Every Thursday evening, Bhittai's poetry is sung by traditional musicians and dervishes at the shrine in a typical ecstatic style. The performance is commonly referred to as Shah jo Rag (Shah's music).[16][32]

[edit]

Bhittai's poetry is popular among the Sindhi people, including both Muslims and Hindus. Bhittai's own connections with Jogis and Sanyasis may have contributed to this. The folk tales narrated in the Surs of the Risalo are frequently recounted and sung to children.[76]

Many anecdotes about Bhittai of a haigographical nature are famous among the locals. One such story holds that when he was being taught the alphabet, he refused to learn anything beyond the letter Alif for it signifies the name of God (Allah) and there is nothing of value beyond it.[31] Another story of this kind asserts that his followers presented him a written copy of the Risalo, which he threw away in the nearby Kirar lake after having read it. When the followers protested, he allowed them to rewrite the entire Risalo by narrating it from his memory.[78] His tomb is a popular pilgrimage site in Sindh.[76]

Urs

[edit]

The Urs, an annual commemoration of his death, occurs on 14 Safar, the second month of the Hijra calendar. The ceremony, which lasts for three days, features prayers, music, exhibitions, literary conferences, and horse races. People visit the shrine from all over the province.[79][80] A 16-foot-high statue of Bhittai was erected in front of the Bhit Shah rest house on the occasion of his 274th Urs in 2017.[81]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Translation by Christopher Shackle.[16]
  2. ^ Translation by Mubarak Ali Lashari and Muhammad Safeer Awan.[37]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Life Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. 1980.
  2. ^ Life Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. 1980.
  3. ^ Jotwani, Motilal Wadhumal (1996). Sufis of Sindh. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. ISBN 978-81-230-0508-9.
  4. ^ Burton, Richard F. (1851). Sindh, And The Races That Inhabit The Valley Of The Indus, With Notices Of The Topography And History Of The Province.
  5. ^ Life Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. 1980.
  6. ^ Sufis of Sindh.
  7. ^ "Sufi Foundation". shahabdullatifbhittai.com.
  8. ^ Shah Abdul Latif and His Sufistic Thought.
  9. ^ Bayan-ul-Arifeen (Sindhi) Malfuzat Shah Kareem Bulri Waro (in Sindhi). p. 32/38.
  10. ^ Lataif-e-Latifi. 2012. pp. 28–29/29–30.
  11. ^ Life Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. 1980.
  12. ^ Life Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. 1980.
  13. ^ Life Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. 1980.
  14. ^ Jotwani, Motilal Wadhumal (1996). Sufis of Sindh. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. ISBN 978-81-230-0508-9.
  15. ^ Burton, Richard F. (1851). Sindh, And The Races That Inhabit The Valley Of The Indus, With Notices Of The Topography And History Of The Province.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Shackle 2013.
  17. ^ Sorley 1966, p. 170.
  18. ^ a b Sorley 1966, p. 172.
  19. ^ a b Baqir 1982.
  20. ^ Jotwani 1986, pp. 95–96.
  21. ^ a b Sorley 1966, p. 174.
  22. ^ Jotwani 1986, pp. 103–104.
  23. ^ Advani 1970, pp. 14–15.
  24. ^ a b c d Smith 2012, p. 7.
  25. ^ Jotwani 1986, pp. 107–108.
  26. ^ Jotwani 1986, pp. 110–117.
  27. ^ Advani 1970, p. 16.
  28. ^ Advani 1970, p. 22.
  29. ^ Advani 1970, pp. 23–24.
  30. ^ Advani 1970, pp. 24–25.
  31. ^ a b c Sorley 1966, p. 171.
  32. ^ a b Schimmel 1976, p. 151.
  33. ^ Sorley 1966, p. 224.
  34. ^ Schimmel 1975, p. 390.
  35. ^ Smith 2012, p. 8.
  36. ^ a b Nasr 1975, p. 182.
  37. ^ a b Lashari & Awan 2014.
  38. ^ Schimmel 1975, pp. 392–393.
  39. ^ a b c Lashari & Awan 2014, p. 53.
  40. ^ Abdul Ghaffar Soomro (1998). Shah Abdul Latif and His Sufistic Thought (PhD thesis). Jamshoro, Pakistan: University of Sindh. p. 17.
  41. ^ سُر آسا.
  42. ^ Abdul Ghaffar Soomro 1998, p. 17.
  43. ^ Baloch 2010, p. 11.
  44. ^ Sorley 1960, pp. 1194–1195.
  45. ^ a b Schimmel 1975, pp. 390–391.
  46. ^ "Controversy over Kedaro rages at literary meeting". Dawn. 7 March 2007.
  47. ^ Sanai, Muhammad Habib (23 July 2017). "POLEMICS: THE FORGOTTEN SCHOLAR". Dawn.
  48. ^ Parekh, Rauf (28 December 2012). "An authentic version of Shah jo risalo". Dawn.
  49. ^ "Did God create the world for the love of Prophet Muhammad?". دار الإفتاء المصرية (in Arabic).
  50. ^ سُر ڪلياڻ. p. 1.
  51. ^ Ameena Khamisani 1996.
  52. ^ شاھ جو رسالو - مرزا قليچ بيگ.
  53. ^ a b Muhammad Yakoob Agha 1985.
  54. ^ Shah Jo Risalo Alias Ganje Latif - Vol I. 1985.
  55. ^ Shah Jo Risalo Alias Ganje Latif - Vol I. 1985.
  56. ^ سُر بلاول | وايون | وائي | BhittaiPedia.
  57. ^ a b c Agha Saleem 1996.
  58. ^ Shah Jo Risalo Alias Ganje Latif - Vol I. 1985.
  59. ^ سُر بلاول | مجوسِي، ڄام ۽ جادم | بيت 1 | BhittaiPedia.
  60. ^ Shah Jo Risalo Alias Ganje Latif - Vol I. 1985.
  61. ^ سُر بلاول | وايون | وائي | BhittaiPedia.
  62. ^ "شاهه عبداللطيف ڀٽائي : (Sindhianaسنڌيانا)". www.encyclopediasindhiana.org (in Sindhi).
  63. ^ Life Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. 1980.
  64. ^ شاھہ عبداللطيف ڀٽائيءَ جي دور ۾ تصوف جا سلسلا - ڊاڪٽر عابد مظھر | سنڌسلامت ڪتاب گهر (in Sindhi). Culture Department Sindh. p. 28.
  65. ^ Bayan-ul-Arifeen (Sindhi) Malfuzat Shah Kareem Bulri Waro (in Sindhi). p. 32/38.
  66. ^ شاھہ عبداللطيف ڀٽائيءَ جي دور ۾ تصوف جا سلسلا - ڊاڪٽر عابد مظھر | سنڌسلامت ڪتاب گهر (in Sindhi). Culture Department Sindh. p. 28.
  67. ^ Lataif-e-Latifi. 2012. pp. 28–29/29–30.
  68. ^ "Patron Saint of Bulri". The Friday Times. 2 October 2020.
  69. ^ Shah Abdul Latif and His Sufistic Thought.
  70. ^ Shah Latif and His Family Tree.
  71. ^ Bayan-ul-Arifeen (Sindhi) Malfuzat Shah Kareem Bulri Waro (in Sindhi). p. 32/38.
  72. ^ Shah Latif and His Family Tree.
  73. ^ Shah Latif and His Family Tree.
  74. ^ Shah Latif and His Family Tree.
  75. ^ Shah Jo Risalo Alias Ganje Latif - Vol I. 1985. pp. 100–101/110–112.
  76. ^ a b c Sorley 1960, p. 1195.
  77. ^ Schimmel 1975, p. 389.
  78. ^ Sorley 1966, p. 175.
  79. ^ Ahmed 2015.
  80. ^ "Urs celebrations of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai commence". The Express Tribune. 5 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  81. ^ "Bhitai's statue on display". Dawn. 5 November 2017. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.

Bibliography

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Biographies

Poetry