Role of mystics in spread of enlightenment highlighted  

 WASHINGTON, Jun 12 (APP)- Speakers at a discussion on Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai held under the auspices of Academy of the Punjab in North America (APNA) Saturday, eulogized the role of mystics for spread of enlightenment, love and affection for humanity.

The speakers said it was the rivuleting stream approach of endearing the common man that made the sufi school of thought popular, all embracing and enduring.

They cited spread of knowledge of religion, tolerance and piety in the subcontinent by ystic saints. The foremost stress of a mystic was to purge himself of all worldly sins and biases, and to rise and attain status of service to humanity, at large.

Prof. Javed Bhutto, a noted scholar, was the keynote speaker while those attending included Dr. Manzoor Ejaz, Khalid Hasan, Sarfaraz Memon, Safir Rammah, Munawar Laghari, Nafisa Hoodbhoy, Khalid Hashmani, Murtaza Solangi, Anwar Iqbal, Badar Shaikh,  Jamshed Uppal and Ahmad Shakil Mian, and many others. Prof. Bhutto paid glowing tributes to Shah Bhitai, whom he called," the soul of Sindh."  The Saint-poet (1689-1752 AD), he said, has a legendary status like those of Sachal Sarmast, Shah Inayat and Sami in Sindh; and Baba Bulleh Shah, Sultan Bahoo and Waris Shah; Khshhal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba and Mast Tawakli.

He traced history and anthropology, and dwelt at length over the qualities of rich diction, music and content of 'Shah-jo-Risalo,'  which is an influential source of Sindhi folklore.
 

Mystics, he said portrayed the folk tales and through forceful poetry, and projected ideals of humanity through humble approach. One thing common to these poets of various regions is that they made heroines of folklore as their subjects of glorification, like sohni, momal, Marui.
Shah Bhitai, he added, paints sorrows of the common man, glorifies heroines of Sindh and common man, gives lessons in dignity of humanity, courage, piety, and self-consciousness through introspect.
 
"It is the total world view, which makes Shah Latif a saint-poet," Prof. Bhutto said, and is depictive of the periods of Budhism and Islam. 
 
 "The 4410 couplets and 30 'surs' of 'Shah-jo-Risalo' which are 'bait', 'waiyoon' and 'kafiyoon'- are popular and are being sung with the same devotion, because these are tales of everlasting truth," he said, adding, it was a powerful poetry catering basically to the population inhabiting arid zone, Kohistan, Thar desert, rivers and shores- but in content, it, in fact, is all-embracing and universal. It's impact is visible to date from Karoonjhar to Hinglaj, and from Kashmore to Ketibadar. 
 
He said that Holy Quran, poetry of Maulana Rome and Vedanta were the three main sources of 'Shah-jo-Risalo.'    
 
 Shah Latif lived during the period of turmoil of emperor Aurangzeb in the subcontinent, while as earlier as governors of the region now Pakistan, Aurangzeb and Darashikoh fought fierce wars, which caused vast scale
destruction of Sindh.

Following a question-answer session, music of Shah Bhitai was sung.  Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr. Manzur Ejaz, who presided over, said Shah latif and Bulleh Shah and Sachal and Waris Shah and Mir Dard
were contemporaries, and the heritage of all mystics seemed to be common. The discussion program was being held to pay tributes to Shah Latif Bhitai, continuing series of 'mehfils' on various classical poets of Punjab and Sindh.
 
Prof. Bhutto has been the chairperson of Philosophy Department of Sindh University, Jamshoro.

The discussion program was being held to pay tributes to Shah Latif Bhitai, continuing series of 'mehfils' on various classical poets of Punjab and Sindh.
 
Prof. Bhutto has been the chairperson of Philosophy Department of Sindh University, Jamshoro.

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