Sufi poetry

Sufi poetry has been written in many languages, both for private devotional reading and as lyrics for music played during worship, or dhikr. Themes and styles established in Punjabi poetry, Sindhi poetry, Arabic poetry and mostly Persian poetry have had an enormous influence on Sufi poetry throughout the Islamic world, and is often part of the Sufi music. In Punjab, Sindh and other provinces of India Sufi poetry played a singular role in maintaining communal harmony in turbulent times. Sufi poetry in most of the regional languages and vernaculars of India, by the nobility of its pious feelings and rhythmic rendition, has inspired the people to seek the Love Divine. The friendly and tolerant utterances of the Sufis retained the favour of both the Hindus as well as the Muslims and influenced the people's thought and sent the message of peace, love, fellowship, understanding and amity. Sufi poetry has bestowed a remarkable legacy of communal harmony for posterity. The love of young boys is an important part of Sufi poetry. The boy was the most beautiful thing that God ever created, and to contemplate the boy was to meditate on God. "In Sufi poetry the love of boys IS the love of God."

Some of the most famous works, both poetry and prose, in Sufi literature are:

• The Mathnawī and Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i of Rūmī
• The Dīwān of Yūnūs by Yunus Emre
• The Qaṣīdat-ul-Burda ("Poem of the Mantle") of al-Buṣīrī
• Dīwān of Hāfez by Hafiz Shirazi
• Asrār-ut-Tawḥīd ("The Secrets of Unity") by Shaikh Abū Sa`īd Abū-l-Khair
• The Conference of the Birds by Farid al-Din Attar
• Fuṣūṣ-ul-Ḥikam ("The Bezels of Wisdom") and Tarjumān al-Ashwāq ("The Interpreter of Desires") by Ibn Arabi
• Kimiya-yi sa'ādat ("The Alchemy of Happiness") by Al-Ghazali
• Lataife Ashrafi by Ashraf Jahangir Semnani
• Dala’il al-Barakat by Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri
• "Kulliyyat-e-Hasrat" by Muhammad Abdul Qadeer Siddiqi Qadri 'Hasrat'
• Diwan-e-Akhtar by Hazrat Hakim Akhtar
• Tassawwuff by Syed Waheed Ashraf
• the poem of Sultan Bahu
• al-Fatḥ al-mubīn fī madḥ al-amīn ("Clear Inspiration, on Praise of the Trusted One") by ʿĀ’ishah bint Yūsuf al-Bāʿūniyyah

See also

• Durood
• Hamd
• Islamic poetry
• Islamic music
• Mawlid
• Mehfil
• Na'at
• Nasheed
• History of Sufism
• Persian literature
• Sufism
• Suzy Kassem

Further reading

• "Great Sufi Poets of The Punjab" by R. M. Chopra, (1999), Iran Society, Calcutta.