SACHAL SARMAST and The Hallaj of Sind
Abstract
Abdul Wahab Sachal Sarmast (1739-1826) is the everlasting symbol of Pakistan's cultural unity in diversity. His creative genius found expression in a number of folk languages spoken in different regions of present day Pakistan. He has composed poetry in the elite languages of Persian and Urdu as well as in the folk idiom of all the regional languages. Sarmast is known as the poet of seven languages (Shair-e-Haft Zaban). He adopted his penname Ashakar (open/revealer) in his Persian poetic collection entitled Dewan-e-Ashakar. His Persian and Urdu poetry is of scholarly interest but his fame rests on his poetry in almost all the popular folk languages of Pakistan. His penname Sachal seemed to be derived from the word ana'l-Haqq (I am the absolute Truth) uttered by Mansoor al-Hallaj. After the execution of Shah Inayat of Jhok, Mansoor Hallaj's name looms large in the popular folk poetry of Sind.
He was born and brought up in a pious family with sacred lineage. His forefathers had migrated to Sind in the wake of Muhammad Bin Qasim's conquest and settled in Khairpur. He was orphaned at an early stage of childhood. Thereafter he was taken care of by his uncle, Pir Abdul Haq, an ardent follower of Chishti Sufi order. Sachal regarded him as his Murshid as well
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’’میں نے بیچ دریا ایک کشتی دیکھی جس میں ماہر ملاح سوار تھے۔ یہ لوگ خود کو سمندر کا حاکم سمجھتے ہیں اور اپنے آپ کو اس قدر بہادر تصور کرتے ہیں کہ ہند اور سندھ ان کی نظروں میں کوئی حیثیت نہیں رکھتے۔ انہیں اپنے آپ پر بہت فخر ہے اور خود کو بادشاہ سمجھتے ہیں حالانکہ وہ بہت ہی مکار اور دغاباز ہیں اور جب انہیں موقع ملتا ہے تو وہ مچھلیاں شکار کرنے یعنی دوسروں کا مال ہڑپ کرنے میں کوئی پس و پیش نہیں کرتے۔ افسوس سادہ لوگ ان پر بڑا ہی اعتماد کرتے ہیں۔ تاہم انہیں (مقامی لوگوں کو)اللہ پر اعتماد ہے۔ وہ انہیں ان (فرنگیوں) ظالموں کے ظلم سے بچائے رکھے گا۔‘‘
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