The
great saint Shah Abdul Latif was born in 1102 Hijra in a small village called
"Hala Haveli". His father's name was Shah Habib. He was the scholar
of Arabic and Persian. He was also a poet and musician. He was one of the
greatest saint who won people's hearts by his kind nature and gentle ways. Shah
Latif is lovingly called "Lal Latif" by his devotees. His ancestors
had migrated from Hirat (Afghanistan) to Sindh (Pakistan).
At
the age of twenty, he married a good lady. After the death of his father, he left
his home and went to live on a mound "Bhit" at a place a little
distant from his village. Shah Latif had a very sensitive mind. His heart was
filled with the love of God. There is a lake nearby the mound. He used to spend
much of his time sitting on the bank of this lake where he prayed to God and
composed poetry in his praise. He also invented a simple musical instrument
which had a single string to vibrate and he called it "Tambooro".
This musical instrument is still popular all over the Sindh.
Lal
Latif died in 1165 Hijra on the mound where he had lived and was buried there.
A famous king of Sindh, Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, was so devoted to him that he
built a shrine over his grave. Latif's devotees collected his poetry and this
collection came to be called the "Risalo Of Shah Abdul Latif".
Latif's "URS" is held at his shrine every year on 14th Safar.
Thousands of people gather, listen to the Saint's songs, sung while playing
"Tambooro" and offer their prayers. Recently a library, a rest house
and a museum have been built there.
Latif's
message is the message of love and equality. He believed in the brotherhood and
equality of humanbeing and in pleasing God by good deeds.
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