Bulleh Shah

Bulleh Shah (1680 – 1757)(Punjabi: Shahmukhi: بلہے شاہ, Gurmukhi: ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹੇ ਸ਼ਾਹ), whose real name was Abdullah Shah, was a Punjabi Sufi poet and humanist. He is believed to have been born in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur in modern day Pakistan. His ancestors had migrated from Bukhara in modern Uzbekistan, in 1680. At the age of six months, his parents relocated to Malakwal. There his father 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 later moved to Kasur for higher education, to become a student of the prominent professor, Ghulam Murtaza. Bulleh Shah Sufi Poet This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Bulleh Shah Sufi Poet This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Punjabi redirects here. ... Shahmukhi (شاہ Ù…Ú©Ú¾ÛŒ) is a script used to record the Punjabi language. ... The Gurmukhi (ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ or ਗੁਰਮੁੱਖੀ) script, derived from the Later Sharada script and standardised by Guru Angad Dev in the 16th century, was designed to write the Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) language. ... Punjabi (also Panjabi; in GurmukhÄ«, PanjābÄ« in ShāhmukhÄ«) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Uch, also known as Alexandria at the Head of the Punjab, is a historical city in Pakistan. ... Bahawalpur (also Bhawalpur, Bhawulpore) (Urdu: بہاولپور ) is a city of (1998 pop. ... Bukhara (Bokhara in XIX century English, Buxoro or Бухоро in Uzbek (the Cyrillic alphabet was officially phased out for Uzbek after independence); بُخارا /Bukhârâ/ in Persian, Buhe/Puhe Tang Chinese, Бухара in Russian; also Boxara in Tatar) is the fifth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and capital of the Bukhara region (Bukhoro Wiloyati). ... Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ... Malakwal is a one of the a subdivisions of Pakistan, a tehsil of District Mandi Bahauddin. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Kasur (Urdu/Punjabi: قصور), the city of Bulleh Shah, located 55 km southeast of Lahore, is one of the oldest cities in Pakistan. ...

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). Shah Hussain (1538-1599) was a Punjabi poet and Sufi saint. ... Events Treaty of Nagyvarad. ... 1599 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Sultan Bahu (ca 1628 - 1691) was a Muslim Sufi and saint, who founded the Sarwari Qadiri sufi order. ... Events March 4 - Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal charter. ... Events March 5 - French troops under Marshal Louis-Francois de Boufflers besiege the Spanish-held town of Mons March 20 - Leislers Rebellion - New governor arrives in New York - Jacob Leisler surrenders after standoff of several hours March 29 - Siege of Mons ends to the city’s surrender May 6... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... Events January 14 - King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne February 20 - The premiere of Giulio Cesare, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, takes place in London June 23 - Treaty of Constantinople signed. ...

Bulleh Shah lived in the same period as the famous Sindhi Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhatai (1689 – 1752). His lifespan also overlapped with the legendary Punjabi poet Waris Shah (1722 – 1798), of Heer Ranjha fame, and the famous Sindhi Sufi poet Abdul Wahad (1739 – 1829), better known by his pen-name, Sachal Sarmast (“truth seeking leader of the intoxicated ones”). Amongst Urdu poets, Bulleh Shah lived a mere 400 miles from Mir Taqi Mir (1723 – 1810) of Agra. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (1689-1752), was a great Sufi scholar and saint, and is considered as the greatest poet of the Sindhi language. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Waris Shah (1719 or 1730–1790) was a Punjabi poet from the Punjab, most well-known for his seminal work Heer Ranjha, based on the traditional folk tale of Heer and her lover Ranjha. ... // Events Abraham De Moivre states De Moivres theorem connecting trigonometric functions and complex numbers Publication of the first book of Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier Fall of Persias Safavid dynasty during a bloody revolt of the Afghani people. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Heer Ranjha is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. ... Sindhi refers to an ethnic group of people originating in Sindh which is part of present day Pakistan. ... // About the number 1739 1739 is the smallest integer that can be written as sum of three perfect cubes, in two ways. ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Sachal Sarmast (1739-1829) (Sindhi: سچلُ سرمستُ ) was a renowned Sindhi Sufi poet during the Kalhora era. ... (اردو), historically spelled Ordu, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to Indo-European family of languages. ... Mir Taqi Mir was the leading Urdu poet of the eighteenth century, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. ... Events February 16 - Louis XV of France attains his majority Births February 24 - John Burgoyne, British general (d. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Agra   (Hindi: , Urdu: ‎), (IPA: ) is a medevial city on the banks of the Yamuna River in India. ...

Poetry Style

The verse form Bulleh Shah primarily employed is called the Kafi (Refrain), a traditional style of Punjabi poetry used by Punjabi Sufis and Sikh gurus (such as Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh). In Bulleh's time, Sufi poets often did not adopt the classical languages of Persian and Urdu, instead choosing to write their verses in Punjabi, Saraiki, and Sindhi – languages of the commonfolk amongst whom they lived. Although the number is disputed, Bulleh Shah is credited with authoring anywhere from 50 to 150 Kafi, 1 Athwara, 1 Baramah, 3 Siharfi, 49 Oeodh and 40 Gandhan. This appears to be a large body of work; however, this oeuvre is small enough that one could read it all in a few weeks. Kafi is a classical form of poetry originating from the Punjab. ... A Sikh (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent of Sikhism. ... Guru Nanak (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ, Devanagari: गुरु नानक) (20 October 1469 - 7 May 1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of the Sikhs, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana... Sobha Singh (painter)s impression of Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (Gurmukhi:ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਿਬੰਦ ਿਸੰਘ), (Born in Patna, Bihar, India, on 22 December 1666 as Gobind Rai – 7 October 1708, Nanded, Maharashtra, India) was the tenth and last of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on November 11, 1675 following... Look up Persian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... (اردو), historically spelled Ordu, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to Indo-European family of languages. ... ... SindhÄ« (सिन्धी, سنڌي) is the language of the Sindh region of South Asia, which is now a province of Pakistan. ... Kafi is a classical form of poetry originating from the Punjab. ...

What is most striking about Bulleh Shah’s poetry and philosophy is his audacious, almost egotistical critique of the religious orthodoxy of his day, particularly the Islamic religious orthodoxy. His poetry is filled with direct attacks on those who claim control over religion, to the point of comparing mullahs to barking dogs and crowing roosters. Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Mullahs in the court of a Qajar monarch, Iran. ...

Spiritual Purification

Sufis typically spend their lives trying to penetrate the meaning of life while searching for God. Those among them who were poets articulated this exploration through their poetry. ‘Who is the Creator?’ ‘What is the truth?’ ‘What is the meaning of life?’ ‘How can one find God?’ ‘Who am I?’ These are some of the questions Sufis have tried to answer, by dissociating themselves from worldly activity, and moving onto a saintly field where they are no longer bound by conventionally interpreted holy or material boundaries.

Bulleh Shah studied Arabic, Persian and the Quran under his traditional teachers. After that, in an attempt to move to the next level (of mystic realization), he searched for a spiritual guide. Ultimately he found his murshid, in the form of Inayat Shah Qadri. Inayat Shah Qadri (or Shah Inayat, as he is referred to in Bulleh Shah’s poetry) was a Sufi of the Qadri order, who authored many Persian books on mysticism. He was from the Arian cast and grew vegetables to earn a living. Paradoxically, Bulleh Shah was of the much higher Syed caste. Yet, in defiance of tradition, Bulleh Shah accepted Shah Inayat as his spiritual master, and subordinated his life to his lower-caste murshid. Much of Bulleh Shah’s verses about love are addressed directly to his spiritual guide, Shah Inayat. Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Look up Persian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Look up mystic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Murshid is the teacher and guide to his disciples (Mureedh). ... Qadiriyyah (Arabic: القادريه ) (also transliterated Qadiri), is one of the oldest Sufi tariqas, derives its name from Abdul Qadir Jilani (also transliterated other ways) (1077-1166), a native of the Iranian province of Gilan. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... Arian may refer to one of the following. ... Sayyid (Arabic: سيد ) Sayyid is an honorific title often given to claimed descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Husayn and Hasan, the sons of his daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib (who was Muhammads younger cousin and had been raised in his...

Religion

Despite being very critical of religion, Bulleh Shah does not denounce religion as a whole. Nor does he appear to be pushing any other structure of thought to supplant religious notions. His ideas, therefore, cannot be placed into the category of secularism or atheism. In reality, Bulleh Shah seems somewhat critical of all persons in authority - including intellectuals, academicians and jurists - who create obstacles and needless complexities for common people in discovering love, and through love, discovering God. Bulleh Shah preaches a uncomplicated conception of humanity, as the common connection through which persons of all faiths, creeds and opinions can attain a superior and more pure existence, eventually coming closer to God. Secularity is the state of being without religious or spiritual qualities. ... The 18th-century French author Baron dHolbach was one of the first self-described atheists. ...

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 and Abida Parveen, from the synthesized techno qawwali remixes of UK-based Asian artists to the rock band Junoon. Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to help a fellow man. ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... Tariqah ( translit: ; pl. ... Kafi is a classical form of poetry originating from the Punjab. ... The Wadali Brothers (Puranchand & Pyarelal Wadali) are Sufi singers and musicians from Guru ki Wadali in the Amritsar District in Punjab, India. ... Abida Parveen (Urdu: عابدہ پروین ), a Pakistani singer, is one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music. ... Qawwali (Arabic: قوٌالی ) is the devotional music of the Sufis. ... Junoon (Urdu: جنون) (meaning obsession in Urdu and craziness in Arabic) is one of Pakistan and South Asias most popular Rock bands, based out of Lahore, Pakistan, and formed in 1990 by guitarist/songwriter/medical doctor Salman Ahmad. ...

Bulleh Shah’s popularity stretches uniformly across Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, to the point that much of the written material about this Muslim thinker is from Hindu and Sikh authors. This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... A Sikh man wearing a turban The adherents of Sikhism are called Sikhs. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ...

Modern Renditions

In 2004, Rabbi Shergill successfully performed the unlikely feat of turning the abstruse metaphysical poem Bullah Ki Jaana into a Rock/Fusion song, which became hugely popular in India. Another version was performed by Lakhwinder Wadali titled simply Bulla. Junoon, Asia's biggest Sufi rock band, has also rendered such poems as Aleph (Ilmon Bas Kareen O Yaar) and Bullah Ki Jaana. Bulleh Shah's verses have also been adapted and used in Bollywood film songs. Examples include the songs Chhayya Chhayya and Thayya Thayya in the movie Dil Se. Rabbi Shergill (born 1975) is an Indian musician famous for his debut album Rabbi and the chart-topper song of 2005, Bulla Ki Jana. ... Junoon (Urdu: جنون) (meaning obsession in Urdu and craziness in Arabic) is one of Pakistan and South Asias most popular Rock bands, based out of Lahore, Pakistan, and formed in 1990 by guitarist/songwriter/medical doctor Salman Ahmad. ... Aleph or alef has several meanings: Aleph (letter) or Alef, the first letter of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet Aleph (Hebrew), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet Aleph or Alif (Arabic), the first letter of the Arabic alphabet Aleph, first letter of the Farsi (or Persian) alphabet Aleph, a shorthand... Dil Se (Devanagari दिल से) (1998) is a Hindi film directed by Mani Ratnam. ...

Tribute

Saad A.Javed:Bulleh shah is the most important son of Punjab.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan:Bulleh Shah was the prophet of truth.

See also

• Kasur, The City of Saint Bulleh Shah
• List of Punjabi language poets
• Sufism

Kasur (Urdu/Punjabi: قصور), the city of Bulleh Shah, located 55 km southeast of Lahore, is one of the oldest cities in Pakistan. ... This is a List of Punjabi poets: Farid Ganjshakar Hashim Shah Hussain Waris Shah Bulleh Shah Guru Nanak Sultan Bahu Khwaja Ghulam Farid Shiv Kumar Batalvi Amrita Pritam Mohan Singh Pash Dr. Harbhajan Singh Bhai Vir Singh Jagjit Brar Kadir Yaar Sukhbir See also Punjabi language, Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi Punjab... Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to help a fellow man. ...

External links

• Articles on Bulleh Shah's life and poetry (apna.org)
• Littérateurs of the Punjabi Language (sikhspectrum.com)
• Article on Bulleh Shah's life and poetry (kasur.20fr.com)
• Bulleh Shah: Poems (English translations) and Biography (poetry-chaikhana.com)
• English Transliterations Of Bulleh Shah's poetry (hungamaboards.com)