Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri ( pa, ; ; 1680–1757), known popularly as Bulleh Shah ( pa, ; ) and Bulleya, was a

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

and Sufi poet during 17th-century

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

. His ancestors had migrated from

Bukhara Bukhara ( Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and the city ...

(modern-day

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...

) some three hundred years earlier. His first spiritual teacher was

Shah Inayat Qadiri Baba Shah Inayat Qadiri Shatari ( pa, شاه عنایت قادري , also called ''Enayat Shah'' (1643–1728) was a Sufi scholar and saint of the Qadiri-Shatari ''silsila'' (lineage). Shah Inayat Qadiri is famous as the spiritual guide ...

, a

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

murshid of

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

. He was a mystic poet and is universally regarded as "The Father of Punjabi Enlightenment". He lived and was buried in Kasur.

Biography

He was born in 1680 in Uch, Multan province, Mughal Empire (present day

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

). Bulleh Shah was an eminent scholar of

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and Persian. After his early education, he went to

where he met Inayat Qadri, and became his disciple. Bulleh Shah's father, Shah Muhammad Darwaish, was well-versed in

, Persian, and the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , ...

. Due to uncertain reasons, he had to move to Malakwal, a village of Sahiwal. Later, when Bulleh Shah was six years old, his family moved to Pandoke, which is 50 miles southeast of Kasur. Bulleh Shah was schooled by his father, along with the other children of the village. Most sources confirm that Bulleh Shah had to work as a child and adolescent

herder A herder is a pastoral worker responsible for the care and management of a herd or flock of domestic animals, usually on open pasture. It is particularly associated with nomadic or transhumant management of stock, or with common land grazi ...

in the village. It is confirmed that he received his higher education in Kasur. Some historians claim that Bulleh Shah received his education at a highly reputed madrassa run by

Hafiz Ghulam Murtaza Hafiz Ghulam Murtaza was a 17th-century Sufi saint and scholar of the Qadiri-Chishti Sufi order, living in Kasur, Punjab. He was also the teacher of the poets Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah. He was the Imam (main spiritual head) of the city of Kasur ...

where he taught for some time after his graduation. After his early education, he went to

where he met Inayat Arian, and became his disciple. He died in 1757, at the age of 77 and was buried in Kasur, where he had spent most of his life. A

dargah A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...

was built over his grave. He was declared non-Muslim by a few literalist "

Mullah Mullah (; ) is an honorific title for Shia and Sunni Muslim clergy or a Muslim mosque leader. The term is also sometimes used for a person who has higher education in Islamic theology and sharia law. The title has also been used in some M ...

" of Kasur and they had claimed it was prohibited to offer the funeral prayer of Bulleh Shah due to

Kufr Kafir ( ar, كافر '; plural ', ' or '; feminine '; feminine plural ' or ') is an Arabic and Islamic term which, in the Islamic tradition, refers to a person who disbelieves in God as per Islam, or denies his authority, or rejects ...

fatwa A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist ...

(allegations) put on him by extremists. His funeral prayer was led by Qazi Hafiz Syed Zahid Hamdani, a great religious personality of Kasur. He was buried in Kasur when he died in 1757. File:Bulleh Shah's Shrine.JPG File:Grave of Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah.jpg File:Bulleh Shah's grave.JPG File:Bullay Shah ibsisayndija2.jpg File:Shrine Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah.jpg

Poetry

Bulleh Shah lived after the Punjabi Sufi poet and saint

Fariduddin Ganjshakar Farīd al-Dīn Masʿūd Ganj-i-Shakar ( ; – 7 May 1266) was a 13th-century Punjabi Sunni Muslim preacher and mystic, who was one of the most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics of the medieval period. He is known reverentially as B� ...

(1179–1266) and lived in the same period as other Punjabi Sufi poet Sultan Bahu (1629–1691). His lifespan also overlapped with the Punjabi poet

Waris Shah Waris Shah ( pa, ; ; 1722–1798) was a Punjabi Sufi poet of the Chishti order, known for his contribution to Punjabi literature. He is primarily known as the author of ''Heer Ranjha'' . Background Waris Shah was born in Jandiala Sher Kh ...

(1722–1799), of ''

Heer Ranjha ''Heer Ranjha'' (or ''Heer and Ranjha'') ( pnb, , ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ) is one of several popular tragic romances of Punjab, other important ones being "Sohni Mahiwal", " Mirza Sahiban" and " Sassi Punnhun". There are several poetic ...

'' fame and the Sindhi Sufi poet Abdul Wahab (1739–1829), better known by his pen name Sachal Sarmast. Amongst

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Mir Taqi Mir Mir Muhammad Taqi (February 1723 – 20 September 1810), known as Mir Taqi Mir (also spelled Meer Taqi Meer), was an Urdu poet of the 18th century Mughal era in the Subcontinent and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language i ...

(1723–1810) of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

. Bulleh Shah practised the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry established by poets like

Shah Hussain Shah Hussain ( pa, ; ; 1538–1599), also known as Madhoo Lal Hussain, was a 16th-century Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet who is regarded as a pioneer of the Kafi form of Punjabi poetry. He lived during the ruling periods of Mughal emperors Akbar ...

(1538–1599), Sultan Bahu (1629–1691), and

Shah Sharaf Shah Sharaf (1640–1724) is a famous Punjabi Sufi Poet who wrote his work in Kafi style. He also wrote Dohras, and Shuturnama. Among the people whom his poetry influenced Bulleh Shah is the most popular. See also * Baba Bulleh Shah *Punjabi la ...

(1640–1724). The verse form Bulleh Shah primarily employed is the Kafi, popular in

and

Sindhi Sindhi may refer to: *something from, or related to Sindh, a province of Pakistan * Sindhi people, an ethnic group from the Sindh region * Sindhi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them People with the name * Sarkash Sindhi (1940–2012 ...

poetry. Many people have put his Kafis to music, from humble street-singers to renowned Sufi singers like

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( pa, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997) was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. He was primarily a singer of qawwali — a form of Sufi devotional music. Sometimes ...

Fareed Ayaz Ghulam Fariduddin Ayaz Al-Hussaini Qawwal (born in Hyderabad, India) is a Pakistani Sufi devotional singer. He belongs to the ''Qawwal Bachchon Ka Gharana'' of Delhi. He and his relatives are the flag-bearers of that school of music ( ghara ...

Pathanay Khan Pathanay Khan or Pathane Khan (Urdu: پٹھانے خان ; born Ghulam Mohammad; 1926 – 2000) was a legendary Saraiki folk singer from Pakistan. He mostly sang Kafis or Ghazals (in Saraiki), usually drawing on the Sufi poetry of Kh ...

Abida Parveen Abida Parveen ( Urdu, sd, ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer and musician of Sufi music. She is also a painter and entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music has earned ...

, the Waddali Brothers and Sain Zahoor, from the synthesised techno

qawwali Qawwali (Punjabi language, Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nastaʿlīq, Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali language, Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali alphabet, Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Isl ...

remixes of UK-based Asian artists to the Pakistani rock band Junoon.

Modern renderings

Bands and albums

In the 1990s, Junoon, a rock band from Pakistan, rendered his poems "

Bullah Ki Jaana ''Bullah Ki Jaana'' ( pa, بُلّھا کیہ جاݨاں (Shahmukhi), ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹਾ ਕੀ ਜਾਣਾਂ (Gurmukhi)) is one of the most-known Kafi poems written by the Punjabi Sufi saint Bulleh Shah. In the 1990s Junoon, a rock band f ...

" and "Aleph" ("Ilmon Bas Kareen O Yaar"). In 2004,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

n musician Rabbi Shergill turned the abstruse metaphysical poem "Bullah Ki Jaana" into a rock/fusion song in his debut album ''

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

''; the song was a chart-topper in 2005, helping the album to eventually sell over 10,000 copies and became immensely popular in India and Pakistan. The Wadali Bandhu, a Punjabi Sufi group from India, have also released a version of "Bullah Ki Jaana" in their album ''Aa Mil Yaar... Call of the Beloved''. Another version was performed by

Lakhwinder Wadali Lakhwinder Wadali is an Indian musician and singer, who hails from a family of musicians from Punjab, India.His grandfather Thakur Dass Wadali was a renowned vocalist and his father and uncle formed a Sufi qawwali duo, the Wadali brothers. Lakhw ...

and entitled "Bullah".

Dama Dam Mast Qalandar ''Dama Dam Mast Qalandar'' () is a spiritual Sufi qawwali written in the honour of the most revered Sufi saint of Sindh, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (1177–1274) of Sehwan Sharif. The original poem was initially written by the 13th-century Sufi poe ...

, a

composed in honour of Shahbaz Qalandar, has been one of Bulleh Shah's most popular poems and has been frequently rendered by many Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi singers including

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan (Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Press ...

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( pa, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997) was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. He was primarily a singer of qawwali — a form of Sufi devotional music. Sometimes ...

Sabri Brothers The Sabri Brothers (Punjabi, ) were a musical band from Pakistan who were performers of Sufi qawwali music and were closely connected to the Chishti Order. They are considered as one of the greatest Sufi qawwali singers of all times. The Sab ...

, Wadali brothers, Reshman and Runa Laila. Other qawwali songs by Bulleh Shah, include "

Sade Vehre Aya Kar Sade Vehre Aya Kar ( pa, ) is a Punjabi Sufi poem written by noted Punjabi poet, Baba Bulleh Shah. It garnered exceptional fame when Abida Parveen Abida Parveen (Urdu, sd, ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer and mu ...

" and " Mera Piya Ghar Aaya". In 2008, a version of Bulleh Shah's famous verse, ''Aao Saiyo Ral Deyo Ni Wadhai'', was sung by

Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan ( ur, ; ; born 26 February 1965) is a Pakistani pop and classical singer, songwriter, and composer belonging to the Patiala Gharana tradition of music. He was the lead vocalist of the Pakistani pop rock band Fuzön u ...

, for his debut solo album, '' Tabeer''. Ali named the song "Bulleh Shah" in honor of the poet. Also in 2016, a collaboration between two EDM artists ( Headhunterz and Skytech) named "Kundalini" used words created by Bulleh Shah, as well as having the words Bulleh Shah in the lyrics. Bulleh Shah's verses have been an inspiration to painters as well, as in the two series of paintings (''Jogia Dhoop'' and ''Shah Shabad'') by an Indian painter

Geeta Vadhera Geeta Vadhera is an Indian artist. She has exhibited her oil paintings and has published a book of poetry. Early life Geeta Vadhera was born in India to a father who was a poet and a mother who was an artist. She studied for a Bachelor of A ...

inspired by the poetry of Bulleh Shah and other Sufi poets and saints. In 2017, British Pakistani singer Yasir Akhtar used Bulleh Shah's poetry in his song "Araam Naal Kar – Take it Easy". In 2019, Sona Mohapatra used a

Kalam ''ʿIlm al-Kalām'' ( ar, عِلْم الكَلام, literally "science of discourse"), usually foreshortened to ''Kalām'' and sometimes called "Islamic scholastic theology" or "speculative theology", is the philosophical study of Islamic doc ...

of Bulleh Shah in her song "R.A.T Mashup".

Films

The 1973 movie Bobby song by

Narendra Chanchal Narendra Chanchal (16 October 1940 – 22 January 2021) was an Indian singer who specialized in religious songs and hymns. Besides several ''bhajans,'' Chanchal had also sung songs in Hindi films as well. He was the singer of many iconic bha ...

starts with the verse ''Beshaq mandir masjid todo, Bulleh Shah ye kahta''. Some of Bulleh Shah's verses, including " Tere Ishq Nachaya", have been adapted and used in

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" ...

film songs including "

Chaiyya Chaiyya "Chaiyya Chaiyya" (" alkin shade") is an Indian pop-folk song, featured in the soundtrack of the Bollywood film '' Dil Se..'', released in 1998. Based on Sufi music and Urdu poetry, the single was composed by A.R. Rahman, written by Gulzar, a ...

" and "Thayya Thayya" in the 1998 film '' Dil Se..'', "Tere Ishq Nachaya" in the 2002 film ''

Shaheed-E-Azam Shaahed-E-Azam is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language biographical film directed by Sukumar Nair. The film was released on 31 May 2002. The film, based upon the life of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, caused some controversy as the Punjab and Haryana High Cou ...

'' and "Ranjha Ranjha" in the 2010 film '' Raavan''. The 2007 Pakistani movie '' Khuda Kay Liye'' includes Bulleh Shah's poetry in the song "Bandeya Ho". The 2008

film, ''A Wednesday'', included a song titled "Bulle Shah, O Yaar Mere". In 2014,

Ali Zafar Ali Zafar ( pa, ; born 18 May 1980) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, model, actor, producer, screenwriter and painter. Zafar started out on Pakistani television before becoming a popular musician. He later also established a career in Bol ...

sung some of his verses as " Chal Buleya" for Bollywood soundtrack album '' Total Siyapaa'', and the song was reprised by Zafar same year in '' Pakistan Idol''. The 2016 Bollywood films "

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

" and ''

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ''Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'' (), also known as ''ADHM'', is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film directed, produced and written by Karan Johar. The music is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The film star ...

'' feature the song "Bulleya", sung by Papon and Amit Mishra respectively, which is short for Bulleh Shah. Poetry of Bulleh Shah was also used in 2015 film ''

Wedding Pullav ''Wedding Pullav'' () is an Indian romantic comedy film, directed by Binod Pradhan and produced by Shashi Ranjan and Anu Ranjan. The film stars debutants Kannada actor Diganth, Anushka Ranjan, Sonnalli Seygall and Karan V. Grover in lead rol ...

'' composed by Salim–Sulaiman. A song "Hun Kis Theen" based on his poetry was also featured in Punjabi animated film '' Chaar Sahibzaade: Rise of Banda Singh Bahadur''.

Coke Studio (Pakistan)

In 2009, the

season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also

* {{disambig ...

of ''

Coke Studio Coke Studio may refer to: * ''Coke Studio'' (Pakistan), a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio'' (India), an Indian television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio Bangla'', a Banglade ...

'' featured "Aik Alif" performed by Sain Zahoor and

Noori Noori ( ) is a Pakistani rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, formed in 1996. The group was formed by songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist, Ali Noor, along with his younger brother Ali Hamza, who were soon joined by bassist Muhammad ...

. Ali Zafar also used some of Bulleh Shah and

's verses in his "Dastan-e-Ishq". In 2010, the season 3 featured "Na Raindee Hai" and "Makke Gayaan Gal Mukdi Nahi" performed by

Arieb Azhar Arieb Azhar (born 1972) is a Pakistani musician known for his renderings of traditional Sufi poetry and folk songs. Early life Arieb Azhar was born on 30 June 1972 at Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He is the second son of Aslam Azhar, known as the fath ...

. In 2012, Shah's poetry was featured with

Hadiqa Kiani Hadiqa Kiani (in Punjabi and ur, ) is a Pakistani singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, composer, actress, and philanthropist. She has received numerous local and international awards and also has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and The Kennedy ...

performing "Kamlee". In 2016,

Ahmed Jahanzeb Ahmed Jahanzeb Usmani ( ur, ; born 28 May 1978) is a Pakistani pop singer and composer.Umair Jaswal performed "Khaki Banda"; and

Rizwan Butt Rizwan Butt is a Pakistani singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as a lead vocalist and guitarist of music reality series ''Nescafé Basement''. With the career over decade Butt has collaborated with many artists as their music direct ...

and Sara Haider performed "Meri Meri", In third episode of season 11 Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad Qawal & Brothers performed a

Qawwali Qawwali (Punjabi language, Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nastaʿlīq, Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali language, Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali alphabet, Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Isl ...

based on

by Bulleh Shah. In season 12

used verses of Bulleh Shah in the song "Daachi Waaleya".

Legacy

In 2012, the government of

, most populous province of

, renamed an important road in the provincial capital

to "Bulleh Shah Road". In 2021, the government of

also approved his name for a road in the country. Pakistan's "largest renewable packaging facility" is also named after him. In 2007, Pakistani senator Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed raised the proposal for establishment of Bulleh Shah University in Kasur.

References

External links

Complete poetry of Bulleh Shah in Shahmukhi

Punjabi Poetry of Bulleh Shah

Kulliyat e Bulleh Shah

Works online

Articles on Bulleh Shah's life and poetry (apna.org)

Bulleh Shah: Poems (English translations) and Biography (poetry-chaikhana.com)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulleh Shah 1680 births 1757 deaths Mughal Empire poets Mughal Empire Sufis People from Kasur District Punjabi-language poets Punjabi Sufi saints Punjabi people Sufi mystics Sufi poets Sufism Sufism in Pakistan Sufi shrines in Pakistan Muslim mystics