Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Poet, Philosopher, Mystic, Saint
Shah
Abdul Latif Bhittai (also referred to by the honorifics Lakhino Latif, Latif
Ghot, Bhittai, and Bhitt Jo Shah) (1689 – 1752) was a Sindhi Sufi scholar,
mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the
greatest poets of the Sindhi language. 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 frequently has been
compared to that of Rūmī: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington
University, described
Shah Latif as a “direct emanation Rūmī’s spirituality in the Indian world.”*Ref
He
settled in the town of Bhit Shah in Matiari, Pakistan
where his shrine is located. The major themes of his poetry include Unity of
God, love for Prophet, religious tolerance and humanistic values.
Shah
Abdul Latif Bhittai was born in 1689 in Hala Haveli’s village Sui-Qandar
located near Hyderabad, Pakistan. Shah Abdul Latif was son
of Syed Habibullah and grandson of Syed Abdul Quddus Shah.
