Bhittai's genuis.

Byline: Sikandar Sajjad - Karachi

WE recently observed the urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, a Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of Sindh. His collected poems were assembled in the compilation Shah Jo Risalo, which exists in numerous versions and has been translated to English, Urdu and other languages. His work has frequently been compared to that of Rumi. A professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University described Bhittai as a 'direct emanation of Rumi's spirituality in South Asia'.

He settled in the town of Bhit Shah in Matiari, Sindh, where his shrine is located. The major themes of his poetry include the oneness of God, religious tolerance and humanistic values.

Bhittai was born in 1689 in Hala Haveli's village Sui Qandar located near Hyderabad. He was the son of Syed Habibullah and the grandson of Syed Abdul Quddus Shah. He received...