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 thegrandson of Syed Abdul Quddus Shah. He received little formal education and was mostly self-educated, Bhittai was wellversedin severallanguages,including Arabic and Persian. His poetry contains accounts of his adventures and travels.

Despite his wealthy origins, even as a young man he was known for his piety, ascetic habits and devotion to prayer.

He denounced extravagance, injustice and exploitation in all forms and at all levels, and praised simplicity and hospitality. People from far and near respected and loved this man as a saint, a Sufi and a spiritual guide. Not much is written about the early life of this noble son of Sindh. Most of the information that has come down to us has been collected from oral traditions.

Sikandar Sajjad Karachi