Hashim Shah (
Punjabi , ਹਾਸ਼ਿਮ ਸ਼ਾਹ ; b. 1735 d. 1843) was a
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
i writer and
Sufi poet, best known for his story ''
Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnuh or Sassui Punhun ( sd, سَسُئيِ پُنهوُن) is a love story from Punjabi, Sindhi, and Balochi folklore. The story is about a faithful lover who will endure any difficulty while seeking her beloved husband who was separated ...
'' (or ''Sassi Panhu''). His family migrated from Holy city Madina to Punjab,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, where they began living at Jagdev Kalan, the biggest village in
Ajnala tehsil,
Amritsar district
Amritsar district is one of the twenty three districts that make up the Indian state of Punjab. Located in the Majha region of Punjab, the city of Amritsar is the headquarters of this district.
As of 2011, it is the second most populous dist ...
. Hashim Shah was born in Jagdev Kalan in 1735 or 1752 and lived in that village his entire life.
He wrote three stories "Kissa Kaw" named ''Sassi Punnu'', ''
Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal or Suhni Mehar ( pa, , ਸੋਹਣੀ ਮਹੀਂਵਾਲ is one of the four popular tragic romances of Punjab including Sindh. In Sindh Sohni's shrine is in Shahdadpur Town of Sangar District. The others are Sassi Punnun, Mirz ...
'', and ''
Shirin Farhad''.
Hashim, besides following the family tradition of hikmat (physician), copunselling and Piri-Muridi, also worked as a carpenter for sustenance. He left the profession of carpentry when Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his courtiers extended their patronage to Hashim. Thereafter, he devoted his entire life to spiritual attainments and composing Sufistic (mystic) poetry.
Hashim Shah's poetry is unique in its own right. Credited as one of the best poets of his era many books have been written about him by his followers. His poetry has a certain style reverberating with description and sometimes sadness. The way he has narrated Sassi Punnu speaks for the depth in his words and the immense aptitude he had.
Sufism ran in Hashim's family. He, his father and grandfather practised piri-muridi. He took Sufism as an established belief. His Punjabi poetry reverberates with mysticism of high order and can be allegorically interpreted for Love Divine.
Hashim died in
Ajnala, 1843 or 1823 and was buried in Tharpal village in
Narowal District
Narowal District (Punjabi and ur, ), is a district in the province of Punjab of Pakistan. Narowal city is the capital of the district. During the British rule, Narowal was the town of Raya Khas tehsil of Sialkot District. Narowal District ...
where every year Urs was held on or about 21st of Jeth (end May – early June).
In his poetic compositions his prosody is Punjabi though his vocabulary abounds in Hindi, Persian and Arabic words He has written the following books:
*''Qissa Shirin Farhad''
*''Qissa Sohni Mahiwal''
*''Qissa Sassi Punnun''
*''Gyan Prakash''
*''Dohre''
References
*''Great Sufi Poets of The Punjab'' by R. M. Chopra, (1999), Iran Society, Kolkata.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hashim
Punjabi-language poets
1735 births
1843 deaths
Punjabi people