Baba Bulleh Shah: A Personal Interpretation

Baba Bulleh Shah is one of the greatest Sufi poets to have come out of Punjab. He holds a unique place amongst Sufis of the region, in that on the one hand he was a mystic Sufi who devoted his life to finding God, and on the other he cared deeply about social issues and the well being of the people. He was outspoken against oppression, social injustice, inequality, corruption and nepotism. He highlighted the hypocrisy of Muslim religious orthodoxy, and tried to teach people that merely following rituals, without having true intent, is meaningless. He respected all faiths and warned people not to be manipulated into sectarian violence.

Sufi poetry is devotional in nature, with the Supreme being the object of adulation. Sufism uses many terms and concepts to convey that the universe, and all it contains, is part of God, and that God resides within each one of us, though He is veiled from us by our own ego.

Hence, translation alone of Baba Bulleh Shah’s poetry is not sufficient to explain his message. A knowledge of Sufi ideas and vocabulary, together with the history of his life and times, is also essential.

Building on the translation provided in the first book, forty of Baba Bulleh Shah’s most famous poems have been translated. Dr. Ahmed has meticulously presented an explanation of each of the poems, taking care to describe the Sufi, religious aspects of the poetry together with the social, political background being addressed. Each poem is explained in its own right, so the reader can pick and choose which poem to read and contemplate first.