Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
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In the sense that it can’t address today’s challenges. Do Shakepeare’s poetry is relevant for today’s times or its all wastage of time?

Do thoughts like communal harmony, tolerance, simplicity, conveyed in Sufi poetry become irrelevant in materialist world? Are there any absurd ideas promoted by Sufis through their poetry?

What kind of poetry and which poets (in any language) are catering today’s needs?

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

Yes, will add more with references later...

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

I'll wait for your response with references too :)

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

....

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

I don’t think the primary aim of poetry is to address the society’s challenges. It does make you ponder and contemplate but that goes for most other forms of poetry as well, not just sufi poetry.

I think the words of baba bulleh shah, for example, are evergreen and will never lose their meaning/relevance whether it’s 1700 or 2013. Like the “parh parh ilm hazaar kitaaban” poem is so relevant to the present society. But what’s missing is people’s ability to understand and reflect on poetry. Perhaps language barriers are to blame. I don’t understand Shakespearean English or Sufi Punjabi as much as my elders or their elders do and neither am I as much interested in poetry as they are. They used to spend their free time reading books or playing sports most of the times whereas we try to avoid both of these as much as possible today. :hehe:

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

^ how about if they compare a female character as human and male character as God?

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

I’m not sure what you’re referring to :hmmm: I know some of bulleh shah’s writings were quite controversial.

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

There is a term called 'Ista'ara' in poetry where we borrow a statement to convey our message. I don't know which poet and which particular line you are referring here, but Shah Latif also used Ista'ara in his kalam. He portrayed Sassi (as salik / talib- one who is in need / searcher for some thing) and Punhoo as Matloob- destiny and if in some shair he uses ista'ara to denote sassi's struggle in search of Punhoo as human beings struggle to reach the ultimate destiny of (God), its not blasphemous. As these poets didn't specifically call any of their characters equal to God and worth worshiping.

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

well said. basic human psyche has not changed, so the universal message by sufis like Bulleh Shah is very much relevant IMO.

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

I know by mentioning it "Not blasphemous" can get you some point. But it is outdated thought and a disgrace to woman...
I will give you particular lines..

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

get me some points? :confused:

How portrayal of struggling lady like Sassi is disgrace to woman? :konfused:

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

Sassi’s struggle to reach the Punu is portrayed as human’s strugle to reach the God. So sassi is human and Punu is God, it is disgrace to woman.

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

didn't make sense to me. A struggling woman is basically a taboo for orthodox clergy thats why when sufis presented woman as independent and struggling, it is conceived as disgrace.

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

:cb: Brings back the memories,In college Our urdu teacher while explaining tashreeh used to say is shair me Ista’ara hy .Next day the first 15 minutes of the lecture used to be revision of previous lecture and when she asked us to explain the shair, we replied instantly is shair me Ista’ara hy and she said SHABASH.

P.S: sorry for intrusion

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

Gulab Hath main ho aankh main sitara ho
koi wajood muhabbat ka ista’aara ho

Thanks for your comments.

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

lol…is me bhe Ista’ara hy :hayaa:

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

lo gi apni marzi k meanings...
sufis are greater women haters,

as i said in other thread...
sultan bahu says, the "Napaki" of the world is as worst as the "Napaki" of woman during menstrual cycle. I will give more example of such stupid comparisons...

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

the Sufi I know are not women haters. Shah Latif got seven Surmis (heroines) not heroes. male characters are Shah latif got recognition who they sacrifice their status for these ladies. have you heard Amarta Preetam calling Waris Shah:

'Aj aakhan waris Shah nu Aj aakhan waaris shah noo kito.N qabra.N vicho.N bol!
Te aj kitab-e-ishq da koi agla varka phol! Ik roi si dhii punjab dii tuu likh-likh mare vain
Aj lakkha.N dheeyan rondian tainuu.N waaris shah noon kahan'

This proves modern woman's trust on Sufi poets rather than orthodox for whom women always been pendora box who got evicted Adam from paradise :)

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

how does your answer refute the (hateful)meaning of line by sultan bahu I tell you?

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Re: Has Sufi Poetry become outdated and irrelavant?

I already said, till I get complete line, I'm unable to comment (considering interpretation / twisted logic issues with poetry especially when it comes from a person / group of person whose ideology differs from you)