Our Announcements
Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.
Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Art & Culture on May 19th, 2012
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, whose real name was Muhammad Uthman was born in 1143CE in Marand, near Tabraiz, Iran. He was the direct descendent of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq.
After completing his education,Lal Shahbaz left for Baghdad where he met Baba Ibrahim Karbalai and became his disciple. Baba Ibrahim was the spiritual follower of Jamal Mujjarrad (the celibate).
Lal Shahbaz received khilafat (spiritual sainthood) and other sacred gifts including a stone, which was attributed to Imam Zainul Abideen, from his Shaykh Baba Ibrahim. It is said to be the same stone that hangs on his shrine in Sehwan. Following instructions from his Shaykh, Lal Shahbaz left Baghdad for Sindh via Balkh and Khurasan. In Balkh(present-day Afghanistan), the childless King had asked him to pray for him so that he could have an heir to his throne. Lal Shahbaz did pray for him for the birth of his Crown prince but later told him that his future son would eventually end up working for him (Lal Shahbaz). That would be Crown prince is known in history as Abu Ben Adham (Abu Ibrahim Ben Adham) who after ruling the Balkh State for some years, abdicated his throne to become a wandering dervish.
In the holy city of Mashad,Khurasan Lal Shabaz is said to have meditated at the shrine of Imam Ali Rida (a.k.a. Ali Reza) for forty days and nights continuously. Afterwords he also stayed at the Panjgur valley of Makran, Baluchistan. The place later became known as Dasht-e-Shahbaz, where many Baluch tribesmen became his followers. Mughal Emperor Babur mentioned the place in his autobiography Tuzuk-e-Baburi.
On his way from Baluchistan to Sindh, he also stayed near the present day Karachi’s Manghopir area for muraqaba (meditation), and it is said that Manghopir’s natural warm fountain is a miracle of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. That warm fountain started to flow from beneath the hill, on which Lal Shahbaz sat for muraqba (meditation). After passing hundreds of years, that warm fountain is still flowing continuously and is said to have miraculous healing power especially for asthma patients.
In Multan, Lal Shahbaz met Bahauddin Zachariah Multani of the Suhurwardiya order, Baba Farid Ganjshakar of Chishtiya order, and Makhdoom Jahanian Surkh Bukhari. The attachment was so cordial and spiritual that their friendship became legendary. They were known as Chahar Yar (Farsi= four friends). According to some historians, the four friends visited various parts of Sindh and Punjab, in present day Pakistan.
Almost all the saints of Sindh including Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Makhdoom Bilawal, Sachal Sarmast and Qadir Bukhsh Bedal were devout followers of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.
The saint shed his mortal frame in 1252 and is buried in Sehwan.
 |
|
| Religion | Islam, specifically theSuhrawardiyya Sufi order |
| Othername(s) | Lal Shahbaz Qalandar |
| Personal | |
| Born | 1177 Maiwand, Afghanistan |
| Died | 1274 Sehwan, Pakistan |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | Sehwan |
| Title | Shahbaz |
| Period in office | 12th/13th century |
| Predecessor | Baha-ud-din Zakariya |
| Successor | Various |
Syed Usman Marwandi or known as Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (1177–1274) (Sindhi: لال شھباز قلندر), a Sayed Sufi saint, philosopher, poet, and qalandar. Born Syed Hussain Shah,[1] he belonged to the Suhrawardiyya order of Sufis.
He preached religious tolerance among Muslims and Hindus. His mysticism attracted people from all religions. He was called Lal (red) after his usual red attire, Shahbaz due to his noble and divine spirit, and Qalandar for his Sufi affiliation. Many Hindus regard him as the incarnation of Bhrithari while others (Hindus from Sindh) consider him as an emanation of Jhule lal. Thousands of pilgrims visit his shrine in Sehwan every year, especially at the occasion of his Urs.
Shahbaz Qalandar (Syed Usman Marwandi) was born in Maiwand, Afghanistan[2] to a dervish, Syed Ibrahim Kabiruddin[3] whose ancestors had migrated from Baghdad and settled in Mashhad, a center of learning and civilization, before migrating again to Marwand.
During his lifetime he witnessed the Ghaznavid and Ghurids rules in South Asia.[4] A contemporary of Baha-ud-din Zakariya, Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Syed Jalaluddin Bukhari Surkh-posh of Uchch, Shams Tabrizi, Mehre Ali Shah Mast and Rumi, he travelled around the Muslim world and settled in Sehwan (Sindh, Pakistan) where he was eventually buried.[5] Evidence shows that Shahbaz Qalander was in Sindh before 1196 when he met Pir Haji Ismail Panhwar of Paat. It is believed he arrived in Sehwan in 1251. He established a Khanqah there and taught in the Fuqhai Islam Madarrsah: during this period he wrote his treatises Mizna-e-Sart, Kism-e-Doyum, Aqd and Zubdah.
In Multan Lal Shahbaz met Bahauddin Zachariah Multani of the Suhrwardiyya, Baba Farid Ganjshakar of the Chishtiyya and Makhdoom Jahanian Surkh Bukhari. Their friendship became legendary: they were known as Chahar Yar (Persian = the four friends). According to some historians the four friends visited various parts of Sindh and Punjab in present day Pakistan. Saints of Sindh including Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Makhdoom Bilawal and Sachal Sarmast were followers of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.
His dedication to the knowledge of various religious disciplines enabled him to eventually become a profound scholar. He became fluent in many languages including Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Sindhi and Sanskrit. He often quoted the teachings of Maulana Jalal ad-Din Rumi. Lal Shahbaz lived a celibate life. He died in 1274 after living 97 years.
A qawwali sung by Abida Parveen and many others, “Lal Meri Pat Rakhiyo …” is in honour of Shahbaz Qalandar, as is one sung in various versions by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the Sabri Brothers, “Mast Qalandar“. “Solomon’s Ring” by Gul Hasan is a book based on his life.
The shrine around his tomb, built in 1356, gives a dazzling look with its Sindhi kashi tiles, mirror work and one gold-plated door – donated by the late Shah of Iran, and installed by the late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.[2] The inner sanctum is about 100 yards square with the silver canopied grave in the middle. On one side of the marble floor is a row of about 12-inch-high (300 mm) folding wooden stands on which are set copies of Quran for devotees to read. On the other side, beside a bundle of burning agarbattis (joss sticks), are rows of diyas (small oil lamps) lighted by devotees. Thousands of devotees visit the tomb, particularly every Thursday.
Lal Shahbaz’ annual Urs (death anniversary celebration) is held on the 18 Sha’aban – the eighth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. Sehwan springs to life and becomes the focal point of more than half a million pilgrims from all over Pakistan. On each morning of the three-day feast the narrow lanes of Sewhan are packed to capacity as pilgrims, fakirs and devotees make their way to the shrine to commune with the saint, offer tributes and make a wish. Most of the people present garlands and a green chadar with Qur’anic inscriptions in silver or gold threads, humming verses, singing and dancing in praise of the saint till late at night. The devotional dance known as ‘dhamal’, an ecstatic swirl of the head and body, is performed to the rhythm of the dhol, a big barrel-shaped drum, some of giant size and placed in the courtyard of the shrine. Bells, gongs, cymbals and horns make a thunderous din, and the dervishes in robes, beads, bracelets and colored head-bands whirl faster and faster until, with a final deafening shout, they run out into the courtyard.
On his way from Baluchistan to Sindh he stayed in present-day Karachi’s Manghopir area for meditation (muraqba), and it is said that Manghopir’s natural warm fountain started to flow from beneath the hill on which Lal Shahbaz sat. The fountain is still flowing continuously and is said to have miraculous healing power especially for asthma patients.
It is also believed that he turned into a falcon to pick up his friend Fariduddin Ganjshakar from the gallows. Another legend tells that the incumbent fakirs in Sehwan sent him a bowl of milk filled to the brim, indicating that there was no room for anything more. But he returned the bowl with a beautiful flower floating on the top.
Baba Sajid Saleem, an expert on Sufi legend, teaching in GIKI head of humanities department, also narrates another legend, in which a fellow (Murid) was requested meat Goshat by Shahbaz. The fellow Murid went to a town of infidels. The infidels tear the fellow and ate him. When Shahbaz knew about the incident he called him as if he was listening. The Murid came out of the stomach of infidels, integrated into the Murid and came back to service of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.
Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Art & Culture on May 17th, 2012
An Immortal Romance from Sindh
Sain Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
Heritage Poet of Pakistan
At the time when these cities were flourishing, traders used to go back and forth. They
would come here from Baluchistan and places up north, hawking their wares, perfumes,
silks and opium. In Lakhpat there used to be a city called Bhambhor. It would be in Sindh
now, but then it was all one land. In this city there lived a childless Brahmin couple.
They went to a seer who predicted that they would have a daughter but that she would end up
marrying a Muslim. They were thoroughly distraught when they heard this.
Sure enough, after some time a baby girl was born to them. The wife said to her
husband, “it is better that before she blackens our name [by marrying a Muslim], we set her
free.” So she put the baby into a small trunk and floated her out to sea. A Muslim
washerman saw this trunk floating by and thought it must surely contain treasure. So he
opened it up. Seeing the tiny baby, he took her home and he and his wife brought her up
as their own. She was named Sassi and grew to be extremely beautiful. Everybody envied
her looks, but her father would not agree to give her in marriage to anyone.
About the same time, in the area called Makran in Baluchistan there was a Jatt king
named Ari. He had five sons, of whom the youngest was named Punu. One day their
minister, a Hindu of the Lohana caste, was going to Bhambhor on business. Punu said,
„Now when you go to Sindh, you must find me a bride o had come out to buy perfumes
and silks from the traders passing through. He saw Sassi there and liked her immediately.
He summoned Punu to Sindh, and Punu married Sassi forthwith.
However, when Punu relatives in Baluchistan heard what had happened, they were
enraged, exclaiming, „How can a Jatt son marry the daughter of a mere washerman? So
saying, they loaded up their camels and rode into Sindh to fetch Punu back. In the dead of
night they gagged him and carried him back to Baluchistan, leaving poor Sassi behind.
Sassi woke to find her husband gone. In anguish she pined for him for years, and
wandered all over Sindh looking for him in vain. Wandering thus, she finally met with her
death somewhere in the hills of Sindh, near where Karachi is today. She asked the earth to
open up and receive her, leaving merely the tip of her scarf above ground.
When Punu finally received word of this, he came to look for her. On coming upon this
scene, he was so overcome with grief that he too died on the spot; and today their graves
lie side by side in Sindh at the spot where they died, united finally in their grief.
Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Art & Culture on May 6th, 2012
Born on November 9, 1877 in Sialkot, the Allama was a great representative of the subcontinent and an important personality for the Pakistan Movement, which is why he is also called Mufakir-i-Pakistan.
This is recording from program Aadab-e-Khud Aagahi for Iqbal’s Birthday special and Mian Yousuf Salahuddin tells that Rahat Himself asked to sing this Kalam. This ghazal is a humble request of Iqbal to Almighty Allah and it asks us to to take a pause of few minutes and think, are we able to understand te actual meninges of religious rituals. Kalam-e-Iqbal from book Bang-e-Dara PTV Program Virsa heritage revived Singer: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Host: Mian Yousaf salahuddin, Iffat Umar Though this ghazal is very popular it is full of mysticism. Each verse has a different theme. The ghazal as a whole defines the relationship between God and Man. Lyrics in Urdu script
کبھي اے حقيقت منتظر نظر لباس مجاز ميں کہ ہزاروں سجدے تڑپ رہے ہيں مري جبين نياز ميں تو بچابچا کے نہ رکھ اسے، ترا آئنہ ہے وہ آئنہ کہ شکستہ ہو تو عزيز تر ہے نگاہ آئنہ ساز ميں نہ کہيں جہاں ميں اماں ملي، جو اماں ملي تو کہاں ملي مرے جرم خانہ خراب کو ترے عفو بندہ نواز ميں نہ وہ عشق ميں رہيں گرمياں،نہ وہ حسن ميں رہيں شوخياں نہ
Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Book: Baang e Dara:
kabhii aye haqiiqat-e-muntazir nazar aa libaas-e-majaaz men ke hazaaron sajde tadap rahe hain terii jabiin-e-niyaaz men tarab aashanaa-e-Kharosh ho tuu navaa hai maharam-e-gosh ho vo suruur kyaa ke chaayaa hua ho sukuut-e-pardaa-o-saaz men tuu bachaa bachaa ke na rakh ise teraa aa_iinaa hai vo aa_iinaa ke shikastaa ho to aziiz tar hai nigaah-e-aa_iinaa-saaz men dam-e-tauf kar mak-e-shammaa ne ye kaha ke vo asr-e-kohan na terii hikaayat-e-soz men na merii hadiis-e-gudaaz men na kahiin jahaan men aman milii jo aman milii to kahaan milii mere jurm-e-KhaanaaKharaab ko tere azo-e-bandaa-navaaz men na vo ishq men rahiin garmiyaan na vo husn men rahiin shokhiyaan na vo Gazanavii men tadap rahii na vo kham hai zulf-e-ayaaz men jo main sar-ba-sajdaa kabhii huaa to zamiin se aane lagii sadaa teraa dil to hai sanam-aashanaaa tujhe kyaa milegaa namaaz men کبھی اے حقیقت منتظر نظر آ لباس مجاز میں کہ ہزاروں سجدے تڑپ رہے ہیںمیری جبین نیاز میں طرب آشنائے خروش ہو، تو نوا ہے محرم گوش ہو وہ سرور کیا کہ چھپا ہوا ہو سکوت پردہ ساز میں تو بچا بچا کہ نہ رکھ سے، ترا آئنہ ہے وہ آئنہ کہ شکستہ ہو تو عزیز تر ہے نگاہ آئنہ ساز میں نہ کہیں جہاں میں اماں ملی، جو اماں ملی تو کہاں ملی مرے جرم خانہ خراب کو ترے عفو بندہ نواز میں نہ وہ عشق میں رہیں گرمیاں، نہ وہ حسن میں رہیں شوخیاں نہ وہ غزنوی میں تڑپ رہی، نہ وہ خم ہے زلف ایاز میں
Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Art & Culture on May 6th, 2012
Baba Bulleh Shah is a Cultural Icon in the Heritage of Pakistani. His
Bulleh Shah (1680 – 1757) (Urdu/Punjabi بلہے شاہ,). His real name was Abdullah Shah. He was a Punjabi Sufi Poet, a Humanist and Philosopher. His thoughts and ideas were eons ahead of his time. He debunked the fanaticism and deviations which had infiltrated Islam. His message of Love
Background information
Born 1680
Uch, Bahawalpur, Punjab (Pakistan)
Died 1757 (aged 77)
Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan
Genres Ghazal, Khayal, Rubai
Occupations Musician, Poet
Early life and background
Bulleh Shah is believed to have been born in 1680, in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur, Punjab, now in Pakistan.
When he was six months old, his parents relocated to Malakwal. There his father, Shah Muhammad Darwaish, was a preacher in the village mosque and a teacher. His father later got a job in Pandoke, about 50 miles southeast of Kasur. Bulleh Shah received his early schooling in Pandoke, and moved to Kasur for higher education. He also received education from Maulana Mohiyuddin. His spiritual teacher was the eminent Sufi saint, Shah Inayat Qadri, from Arain tribe of Lahore Punjab.
Little is known about Bulleh Shah’s direct ancestors, except that they were migrants from Uzbekistan.However, Bulleh Shah’s family was directly descended from the Prophet Muhammad.
Career
A large amount of what is known about Bulleh Shah comes through legends, and is subjective; to the point that there isn’t even agreement among historians concerning his precise date and place of birth. Some “facts” about his life have been pieced together from his own writings. Other “facts” seem to have been passed down through oral traditions.
Bulleh Shah practiced the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry established by poets like Shah Hussain (1538 – 1599), Sultan Bahu (1629 – 1691), and Shah Sharaf (1640 – 1724).
Bulleh Shah lived in the same period as the Sindhi Sufi poet , Shah Abdul Latif Bhatai (1689 – 1752). His lifespan also overlapped with the Punjabi poet Waris Shah (1722 – 1798), of Heer Ranjha fame, and the Sindhi Sufi poet Abdul Wahab (1739 – 1829), better known by his pen-name, Sachal Sarmast (“truth seeking leader of the intoxicated ones”). Amongst Urdu poets, Bulleh Shah lived 400 miles away from Mir Taqi Mir (1723 – 1810) of Agra.
Poetry Style
The verse form Bulleh Shah primarily employed is called the Kafi, a style of Punjabi, Sindhi and Siraiki poetry used not only by the Sufis of Sindh and Punjab, but also by Sikh gurus.
Bulleh Shah’s poetry and philosophy strongly criticizes religious orthodoxy of his day.
A Beacon of Peace
Bulleh Shah’s time was marked with communal strife between Muslims and Sikhs. But in that age Baba Bulleh Shah was a beacon of hope and peace for the citizens of Punjab. While Bulleh Shah was in Pandoke, Muslims killed a young Sikh man who was riding through their village in retaliation for murder of some Muslims by Sikhs. Baba Bulleh Shah denounced the murder of an innocent Sikh and was censured by the mullas and muftis of Pandoke. Bulleh Shah maintained that violence was not the answer to violence. Bulleh Shah also hailed the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur as a Ghazi, or “religious warrior”, which caused controversy among Muslims of that time.
Humanist
Bulleh Shah’s writings represent him as a humanist, someone providing solutions to the sociological problems of the world around him as he lives through it, describing the turbulence his motherland of Punjab is passing through, while concurrently searching for God. His poetry highlights his mystical spiritual voyage through the four stages of Sufism: Shariat (Path), Tariqat (Observance), Haqiqat (Truth) and Marfat (Union). The simplicity with which Bulleh Shah has been able to address the complex fundamental issues of life and humanity is a large part of his appeal. Thus, many people have put his kafis to music, from humble street-singers to renowned Sufi singers like the Waddali Brothers, Abida Parveen and Pathanay Khan, from the synthesized techno qawwali remixes of UK-based Asian artists to the rock band Junoon.
Bulleh Shah’s popularity stretches uniformly across Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, to the point that much of the written material about this philosopher is from Hindu and Sikh authors.
Modern Renditions
In the 1990s Junoon, a rock band from Pakistan, rendered such poems as Aleph (Ilmon Bas Kareen O Yaar) and Bullah Ki Jaana. In 2004, Rabbi Shergill performed the unlikely feat of turning the abstruse metaphysical poem Bullah Ki Jaana into a Rock/Fusion song, which became hugely popular in India and Pakistan. he Wadali Bandhu, a Punjabi Sufi group from India, also released a version of Bullah Ki Jaana on their album Aa Mil Yaar…Call of the Beloved. Another version was performed by Lakhwinder Wadali titled Bullah. Bulleh Shah’s verses have also been adapted and used in Bollywood film songs. Examples include the songs “Chaiyya Chaiyya” and “Thayya Thayya” in the 1998 film Dil Se. The 2007 Pakistani movie Khuda Kay Liye includes Bulleh Shah’s poetry in the song “Bandeya Ho”. The 2008 film, A Wednesday, included a song titled “Bulle Shah, O Yaar Mere”. In 2009, Episode One of Pakistan’s Coke Studio Season 2 featured a collaboration between Sain Zahoor and Noori, “Aik Alif”. In June 2010 Coke Studio 3 Episode One featured “Na Raindee Hai” performed by Arieb Azhar.
Death
He died in 1757, and his tomb is located in Kasur, Pakistan
Such was the man whom Baba Bulleh Shah made his Murshid. This action of Baba Bulleh Shah, however, was highly displeasing to his family. His relatives tried to induce him to give up Inayat and find another murshid. But Baba Bulleh Shah was firm and paid no attention to them or to their wailings. The following will sufficiently demonstrate the indignation of the family:
Bulleh nu samjhawan aiyaan bhena te bharjhaiyaan
Aal nabi ullad Nabi nu tu kyun leekaan laaiyaan
Manlay Bulleya sada kehna chad de palla raiyaan
To Bulleh sisters and sisters-in-law came to explain (advise). Why, O Bulleh, have you blackened the family of the Prophet and the descendants of Ali? Listen to our advice, Bulleh, and leave the skirt of the aria.
To this reproach Baba Bulleh Shah firmly but indifferently replies:
Jehra sanu saiyad akkhe dozakh miln sazaiya
Jehra sanu rai akkhe bahishti piga paiya
Je tu lore bag bahara Bullhia Talib ho ja raiya.
He who calls me a Saiyyid, shall receive punishments in Hell, he who calls me an arai shall in heaven have swings; O Bulleh, if you want pleasures of the garden become a disciple of the aria.
Raeen saain sabhan thaain rab diyaan be parwaiyaan
Sohniyaan pare hataiyaan te khoojiyaan lay gall laiyaan
Arain and masters are born at every place, God does not discriminate against anyone.
Wise people don’t care for such differences, only the ugly ones do
Je tu loorain baag baharaan chaakar hoo ja raiyaan
Bulleh Shah di zaat ki puchni shakar ho razaiyaan
If you seek to the gardens of heaven, become a servant to the ‘Arains’. Why ask about the caste of Bulleh Shah? Instead be grateful in the God’s will.
Baba Bulleh Shah seems to have suffered at the hands of his family, as he has once or twice mentioned in his poetry. In the end, being convinced of the sincere love and regard of their child for Inayat Shah, the family left him alone. It is said that one of his sisters, who understood her brother, gave him her support and encouraged him in his search for truth.
After the demise of Hadrat Shah Inayat, Baba Bullhe Shah returned to Kasur. He remained faithful to his Beloved and to himself by not marrying. The sister who understood him also remained single and kept him company in his last years. He died in A.D. 1758 and was buried in Kasur, where his tomb still exists.
May Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta’ala elevate his Status and bless with a part from the Divine Love of Hadrat Sayyid Abdullah Shah Qadiri that he had for HIM (Almighty) and accept our remembrance of the Great Wali and the Sufi Master and make it a medium for us to receive his divine mercy and blessings… Aameen!!
Jey mein vekhan mere bahir Tu ain
Tey Mere under kon samana
Jey mein vekhan mere under tu ain
Te taan muqayad jana
Bus bahir Tu ain mere man wich Tu ain
Mein v Tu, tey Tu v Tu ain
Wich Bulha kon namana
Nafs paleed, paleed jey keeta
Bulhaya asal paleed tey na sey
La makan makan aye sada
Eithey aan butan wich phasay
|
||
Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Art & Culture on May 6th, 2012
THE HEAVENLY VOICE OF IMMORTAL AFGHAN SINGER
USTAD NASHENAS
Nashenas (Pashto/Farsi: ناشناس), born as Sadiq Fitrat, (Pashto/Farsi: صادق فطرت) is a famous Afghan singer since the 1970s whose albums consist of Pashto, Dari, and some Urdu songs. Nashenas was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan.His native tongue is Pashto but can also sing in Dari and Urdu. He is believed to be currently residing in London, England. He is popular among the populations of both Afghanistan and Pakistan, specially in the Pashto-speaking areas like the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Quetta and other cities with large number of Afghans and Pashtuns. He is also popular because he sang Ghazal of Iqbal (Allama Iqbal).[citation needed] He has many fans among the Dari-speaking people of Afghanistan. He has a following among new singers as well, who are noted to imitate his style of singing. Nashenas had his final round of concerts in 2004, touring California, New York, Washington D.C and also Canada.
© 2025, All Rights Reserved by Pakistan Think Tank.
