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Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

Sindhi Sufi and poet (1689/1690–1752)

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Born to a Kazmi Sayyid family of Hala Haweli originating from Herat, near modern-day Hala, Bhittai grew up in the nearby town of Kotri Mughal. At the age of around 20, he left home and traveled throughout Sindh and neighboring lands, and met many mystics and Jogis, whose influence is evident in his poetry. Returning home after three years, he was married into an aristocratic family, but was widowed shortly afterwards and did not remarry. His piety and spirituality attracted a large following as well as the hostility of a few. Spending the last years of his life at Bhit (Bhit Shah), he died in 1752. A mausoleum was built over his grave in subsequent years and became a popular pilgrimage site.

His poems were compiled by his disciples in his Shah Jo Risalo. It was first published in 1866. Several Urdu and English translations of the work have been published since. Bhittai's poetry is popular among the people of Sindh and he is venerated throughout the province.

Life

Tuhfat al-Kiram and Maqalat al-shu'ara, written by Mir Ali Sher Qani Thattvi, a contemporary of Shah Abdul Latif, some fifteen years after the death of the Muslim Saint, gives some basic details of his life. Other than these, however, few written records exist from the early period and most of what has been reported about his ife was transmitted orally through generations. The oral traditions were collected and documented in the late 19th century by Mirza Qalich Beg and Mir Abd al-Husayn Sangi. Together with Thattwi's works, these form the basis for the outline of the poet's life.

Bhittai was born in 1689 or 1690 in Hala Haweli near modern-day Hala, to Shah Habib, a great-grandson of the Sufi poet Shah Abdul Karim Bulri. His ancestors traced their lineage back to the fourth caliph Ali and Fatima, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. They had emigrated to Sindh from Herat during the late 14th century. He was born as one of the privileged classes treated with reverence and superstition.

Bhittai spent the early years of his childhood in Hala Haweli, but the family then relocated to the nearby town of Kotri Mughal. Local tradition holds that he was illiterate, however his use of Arabic and Persian in his poetry and the evident influence of the Persian poet Rumi on his thought show that he was well educated. According to Nabi Bakhsh Baloch, Bhittai was socialized in a religious culture dominated by Sayyid sages and in spaces dotted with graves and tombs of saints.

At the age of around 20, he fell in love with Saida Begum, a daughter of an Arghun aristocrat of Kotri Mughal, Mirza Mughal Beg, which landed Bhittai's family in trouble and caused them return to Hala Haweli. Her love, however, had a deep impact on young Bhittai and he left home wandering deserts and embarking on travel through Sindh and adjacent lands. However this unorthodox view of Bhittai's life has been challenged by Nabi Bakhsh Baloch who has said that Bhittai did not fall in love but his father had already married from this Arghun clan, this is more in line with the era and Bhittai's sociality.

According to Motilal Jotwani, it was perhaps during these travels that his poetic nature came to the fore. He mentions the places he visited in his poems. First he went to Ganjo Hill near what is now Hyderabad, thereafter traveling to Kalachi (modern Karachi) through Thatta and Banbhore. On the journey he met Jogis and accompanied them to Hinglaj in the mountains of southern Balochistan. On his return east, he visited Lahut in Lasbela, and then travelled across to Dwarka, Porbandar, Junagadh, and several other places in the Kutch region. Returning west, he visited Karoonjhar Mountains in Nagarparkar. Parting ways with the Jogis in Thar, he went to Jaisalmer before returning to Thatta and then home. His travels seem to have had a strong influence on his poetry.

Those who get acquainted with Ganja Hill,
Become Yogis, forsaking all books and scriptures.

Bhittai returned home after three years.

In 1713 Mirza Mughal Beg (son of Mirza Jani Beg), was killed while in pursuit of robbers who had looted his house. After this incident, Bhittai was married to Saida Begum, the woman whom he had been in love with. The marriage did not result in any offspring and Saida Begum died a few years into the marriage. Bhittai did not remarry and remained childless his entire life.

He now seems to have settled down and devoted to prayer and worship. His piety attracted a large following, which reportedly earned him the hostility of nobles and Noor Mohammad Kalhoro, the ruler of Sindh, who is said to have unsuccessfully tried to assassinate him by poisoning. Noor Mohammad later repented of his treacherous acts and became his disciple. He also provided Bhittai with a copy of Masnavi-e-Ma'navi. It was through Bhittai's blessings that Ghulam Shah was born to Noor Mohammad.

Some ten years before his death, Bhittai left his home, relocating to a sandhill a few miles from Hala Haweli, which later became known as Bhit Shah (Mound of Shah), hence his title Bhittai (the dweller of Bhit). Bhittai died at Bhit on 21 December 1752 (14 Safar 1166 AH) at the age of 63 and was buried there. A tomb was built over his grave by the then ruler of Sindh Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro in 1754, or 1765.

Accquaintances

During his life, Bhittai visited and frequented many orthodox Sunni theologians such as Muhammad Hashim Thattvi (a Qadri), Khawaja Muhammad Zaman of Luari (a Naqshbandi), and Muhammad Muin Thattvi (a Naqshbandi).

Muhammad Muin Thattvi was a Murid in the Naqshbandi Tariqa of Mian Abu'l Qasim Naqshbandi. He was a great theologian, scholar and Sufi of his time. Muhammad Muin Thattvi and Bhittai were close friends. Bhittai often relied and trusted on Muin's theological, jurisprudential and Shari'i knowledge.

Risalah-i-Owaisi

Nabi Bakhsh Baloch during his academic career and research on Bhittai reproduced this Persian letter known as "Risalah-i-Owaisi" which Bhittai sent to Muhammad Muin Thattvi asking about jurisprudential matters.

In the letter, Bhittai asks Muhammad Muin regarding if the Islamic law (Shari'ah) allows the Owaisi type of transmission in silsila without need for the presence of a physical Murshid to receive silsila from. Bhittai presents five questions in the letter. Bhittai starts off by addressing and asking Muhammad Muin about the opinion of the "Ulama-i-Kiram" regarding the word "Owaisi" which appears in some poems of the Sufis. Bhittai asks in the second question if it is logical and allowed by Shari'ah to take one who is already in the Barzakh as a Murshid. In the third question, Bhittai asks if the "Ulama (theologians)" are opposed to the perspectives of Faqr (asceticism) and Sulook (Sufi path) or not. Bhittai in the fourth question asks regarding and providing an example of a great Wali who does miracles (karamat) and has Murids but he is not associated to any major tariqah (Bhittai gives the example of Naqshbandi and Qadri), so he questions if this can be seen as the Wali's weakness and no foundation within Tariqa. In the fifth question, Bhittai concludes by saying that he asks the scholars of the faith who separate falsehood from truth regarding these questions and hopes for an answer. He also states he has written the letter in simple Persian so that common people may benefit from the letter and makes a short prayer of well-being for Muhammad Muin.

Muhammad Muin begins his response to Bhittai's letter by sending blessings upon Muhammad, his family and his Sahabah (companions). He answers the first question by stating that the term "Owaisi" is for those who gain spiritual guidance from souls. His answer to the second question states that it is allowed by logic and Shari'ah to take someone who has passed away as a Murshid and states many great Saints have done such and this is common among Sufis. He states in the third question's answer that opposition of the sayings of theologians to the perspectives of "Faqr" and "Sulook" are meaningless as in the Shari'ah there is an exception for "Faqr" and "Sulook". In the fourth question's answer, he states that many saints have been in history who did not have a notable silsila and states that these "friends of Allah" spent their life in no fame or notability but were saints, he continues and speaks of Imam Ya'fi's book "Rawdh al-Riyaheen" and says that there is much mention of such saints in the book along with their silsilahs, he also states that men like Hafez's Murshids are not well known and cites Jami to say that there is no obligation for a saint or Sufi to have a manifest Murshid and to say that these saint's Turooq are without foundation is blasphemy. In the answer to the fifth question, he states that research in theology is good to clarify matters and ends off his letter response with his name and mention of himself as a unknowledgeable one.

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