Shah Abdul Karim Bulri was a great Sindhi Sufi poet and was known as the first Sindhi Sufi poet from Sindh, Pakistan. He was born in 1536 in a small village named Bulri, near Thatta, Sindh. His poetry is only related to love for Allah. However, he guided people on how to live a better and a peaceful life.
Although he was the great-grandfather of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitta, who also chose the path of Sufism.
Early Years of Shah Abdul Karim Bulri
He was born in a time when the Sindhi language was spoken, but not frequently used in writing. He loves to read the Holy Quran and started learning Islam at a young age. Despite his young age, he used to go and sit with faqeers, also known as Sufi saints, and began to learn from their stories.
Poetry of Shah Abdul Karim
He wrote his poetry in a very simple tone, but they have very deep meanings, taking words from the Sindhi, Arabic, and Persian languages for his poetry. His poems were short, but they had depth. Such as:
“Keep your heart clean, speak with love, and remember Allah all the time.”
His poetry topics were:
- Being thankful
- Helping the poor
- Kindness to others
- Love for Allah
- Staying away from greed and pride
He used native stories, nature, and daily life to define spiritual facts. He used this way to make it easy for people to understand his message.
Teaching of Shah Abdul Karim
Important messages that he explained through his verses:
Love is the Key
The real love is only love of Allah, no one loves us more than Allah, and when we started loving Allah, we love his creation- humans, animals, and nature.
Be Modest
He tried to warn people not to be proud of their wealth, power, or knowledge. The things you have come from Allah. We should do shukar, be humble, and help those who don’t have the luxury to get it.
Live a simple life
Shah Abdul Karim always preferred to live his life with simplicity. He felt that sukoon comes from desiring less, not from wealth or fame.
Pure the Heart
He believed that to finding Allah first step is to we must kill anger, hate, and jealousy from our hearts and grow kindness and love in ourselves.
Shah Abdul Karim Shrine
In the year 1623, he passed away from this world. He was buried in Bulri, known as Bulri Shah Karim in Sindh province. Most people go to his shrine to seek peace, listen to his poetry, and pray.
To remember his teachings, every year people celebrate his Urs. They appear there to pay respect, sing his poems, and pray together.
Importance of Shah Karim in Today’s World
Despite the fact, he died more than 400 years ago, his words still make a big statement when living in a world filled with stress, hate, and ego; his teachings remind us to:
- Be Humble and spread love
- Be honest and live simply
- Always thankful to Allah
- Respect every human being
Conclusion
Shah Abdul Karim Bulri was a hope for peace, love, and truth. His teachings taught many of us to connect with Allah by doing good deeds and being kind to others. He was not only a Sufi, but also the first Sindhi poet who inspired us from his poems, and his words make a big impression on today’s youth.
If we want to make this world a better place for our children, we need to follow Shah Karim’s path and ensure to engage with love and kindness with our fellow humans.
