It is really very true that all love and sentiments are in fact expressed by Sufis in their poetry. This is a fact, whatever the type of poetry that is being written. They express their emotions, their feelings and love in their poetry. There can be no other description of love more powerful than the expression put by the Sufis.
Sufi poetry in Urdu is actually written in a group of languages including Urdu poetry Hindi, Sufi verses, Meinat Arabic, Punjabi verses, Tajweed Arabic, Hyderabadi verse, Akaba verse and many more. Each for individual verses and for hymns performed in accordance, in worship and for jurors, so that the meat and ulama (clerics) could benefit from it. Sufi verses and the forms of sufi poetry in Urdu have always been an integral part of the religion and lifestyle of Pakistan. The gently and kindly spoken utterances of the Sufi poets always helped the believers and the followers of Islam to gain a better sense of love, unity and goodness in their life.
The famous poet’s name is Bhiwah. Bhiwah means “one who has faith in God.” She is one of the most popular and respected poets of Pakistan and has many followers. Her most famous work is Humair-un-Nabi. It is a collection of more than 800 verses of deep religious wisdom that showcases her talent as a great poet.
Another great Sufi poet, also known as Bika, is known for her serene and beautiful lyrics and her serene style of delivering the words. She is a talented lady and a talented artist. She was born in Scotland, where she was brought up and had also studied music, painting, literature and of course music. She was called to the service when the British Army came to her rescue during the World War I and was given a free reign to speak her mind and write her poems.
Now in this day and age, we have some powerful and established Sufi poets like Bika and Humayun whose poetry has taken them to the path of saintliness. They are the living proof that art can bring the light and glory of god to every human being. These powerful women have inspired millions of people with their beauty and grace. The line – Ka beh khair tu shararna ini (Breath into My nostrils and see the beauty within) is one such amazing example of garden poetry.
Another great Sufi poetic masterpiece by a woman is Maqbool Fida Husain ‘Kutte Badman Chilla’. This is a penance poem written as a tribute to the heroic fighter pilot who died fighting against the British. The poetry is simply incredible and touching. The best part of it is that it was written only after the death of the great hero. A fine example of sufi poetry in Urdu is the line – Allah Ghazala Mian Zubahedeeni (I put the sword into my hand and face the enemy on the face of the earth)
Nowadays there are many poets who have put forth sufi poetry in Urdu. Most of them have been inspired by famous poets like Maqbool Fida Husain, Mumtaz Mahdawi and others. However, some of their poems are completely different from the others as they have created their own style of writing. There have been many examples of this. Some of these include – Ghazi sharifi qameer (Reverse the chain of death) by Mumtaz; Ghazi sharifi sed (chains of death) by Maqbool Fida Husain and Qasidaheeti sharifi qameer (chain of death and resurrection) by Zahid Ahmed.
Now all that is left for us to do is to enjoy this beautiful form of art which is a great source of inspiration and religious sentiments in many aspects of world culture. It is a great way to portray our emotions, dreams and wishful thinking in our writings. We have only scratched the surface of this beautiful genre of Indian and Persian poetry. It has a long way to go and as time goes by we will discover even more fascinating examples. In the meantime we should keep our eyes and ears open for any fresher and more interesting forms of Sufi poetry in Urdu.