Sufi Tradition of Sindh and Shah Abdul Latif

Abstract

Sindh is the land of rich spiritual of mystical tradition. At the start of the thirteenth century when Sufi orders had started taking roots, Sindh including Multan region came in direct contact with the founder of Shaikh Shahab uddin Suhrawardi. However, before the arrival of Bahauddin Zakariya in Baghdad, Nuh Bhakkari hailing from Bhakkar, Sindh had already received mantle of Khalifa from Shaikh Shahabuddin in Baghdad. In the same century Sayyid Muhammad Makki the grandson of Shaikh Shahabuddin Suhrawardi came to Sindh and settled in Bhakkar. During this century Pir Patho, buried on a hillock near Thatta, was the most prominent Khalifa of Bahauddin Zakariya in Sindh. In this period Shah Jamial who belonged to Chishtiya order traveled from Girnar and reached Thatta to preach Chishtiya teachings in Sindh. Qadriya and Naqshbandiya orders started flourishing in Sindh during the tenth and eleventh centuries. It was scholar turned Sufi Qazi Qadan who composed Sindhi verses of high mystical concepts which were recited by Shah Abdul Karim of Bulri and were included along with his own verses in his malfuzat “Bayan al Arifin”. Shah Lutfullah Qadir and Shah Inayat Rizvi are the two most illustrious poets of the Sufi tradition in Sindh, whose all-round poetic influence is discernible in the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif. Miyan Shah Inayat Rizvi was the real predecessor of Shah Abdul Latif in many respects. Shah Abdul Latif was the great grandson of Shah Abdul Karim of Bulri, as such he inherited the great Sufi tradition of Sindh as his family tradition. In Shah Abdul Latif, the mystical tradition of Sindh and its poetical exposition reaches its climax.