Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
Born in 1689 in Hala Haveli’s village called Sui Qandar which is located near Hyderabad, Sindh, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai was a renowned Sindhi poet, a mystic, a saint, a scholar and a musician. Considered to be one of the greatest literary figures of Sindhi language, his work has often been compared to the famous poet and scholar Rumi. A famous Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, described Shah Latif Bhitai as a ‘direct emanation of Rumi’s spirituality in the Indian World’.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (1689 – 1752) was the son of Syed Habibullah and the grandson of Syed Abdul Quddus Shah. Being born in a family of Sufis, Shah Bhitai was inclined towards Sufism and mysticism since his childhood. He was deeply attached to his religion which is reflected in his poetry as well. The main themes of his poetic work display his love for Allah and for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In his poetry, he has emphasized and focused much on various social issues like religious intolerance in the society and the moral values.
Shah Bhitai received his early education during the golden era of Sindhi culture which made him more inclined towards the rich Sindhi literature. He was very much well-versed in Arabic and Persian language and got a profound knowledge of Quran and Hadiths. He studied the Masnawi of Maualana Rumi and Shah Innayatullah in detail. He was famous for his calligraphic skills and made several copies of Quran by himself. In his quest for knowledge and to learn more about Islam, he traveled to far off places of Sindh and even came as far as to Multan while preaching the religious teachings to people along the way.
His famous shrine is located in the town of Bhit Shah in Matiari, Sindh where he was settled for all his life. Every year, thousands of Shah’s devotees visit his shrine and pay homage and tributes to this famous Sufi of our times. His ‘Urs’ is celebrated as a grand festival every year and with much respect. People from all over Pakistan and the world including the rich, the poor, the young, the old, the scholars, the poets, the artists and many more. The Urs starts on 14th Safar (2nd Islamic month of Hijri calendar) and it lasts with all its glory for three days.
Lots of cultural activities can be observed in the Urs days ranging from food fairs, Ghazals and Qawali nights, open- air markets and many other entertaining feats. A literary meeting or get together is also organized every year where famous scholars, poets and artists gather around to display and present their research work done on the life and contributions of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. The collected compilation of Shah Bhitai’s work is called Shah Jo Risalo, which has been translated into many languages.
