A valuable accretion to Latifian studies and comparative literary criticism
Prof Noor Ahmad Janjhi is an inveterate writer on bonafide Sufism in many languages. Sindhi being closest to Bhittai's poetic excellence, he has chosen it for aesthetic self -actualization and sublimation in this book. He calls it Latif Shanasi: identifying Latif. The classic Sindhi poet of the feudalistic eighteenth century of the Kalhoro rulers, like his master and mentor Maulana Rumi, is a multi-coloured over- arching dome of exquisite opaque resplendent glass, reflecting myriad of esoteric, mystifying images. These immaculately composed essays before us are author’s introspective peeps into this world of opacity and present a persistent interpretative perspective as his version of literary truth. His preface is indeed a scholarly introduction to Latif's world of linguistics and aesthetics and indubitably one finds it as a veritable prelude to the realm of awe and wonder awaiting the uninitiated seeker- the proverbial Salik. Prof Noor Ahmad Janjhi meticulously deliberates on the quintessential paradigm of Bhittai’s poetic genius ,commencing his informed discussion with inalienable theological concept of Wahdat (unity of the Creator), inevitable passionate eulogy of the Prophet, followed by abundant literary allusions to the Holy Quran,impact of Arabic,with invariably concomitant semantic and textual variations and subtle accretion, borrowings, spiritual verisimilitudes, literal cross references, universalisations, assimilations are discussed as primal leitmotif of the Latifian thought and art. Persian poetry with larger than life presence of Rumi in the poetic compendium of Shah has been accurately described with inspirational references from the mystic predecessors so explicitly evident in the celestial verses. Janjhi has felt in his musings that socio-cultural, sexual, psychological, gender oriented aspects need to be explored in Latif now along with environmental and historical, genre based questions.
My humble submission is that who can be more competent to undertake this ticklish and challenging task than the learned writer himself. The book comprises 27 thought provoking essays of abiding erudition,steeped in philosophic insight in a little ,not often but sometimes ,for me at least ,arcane, effusive,dialectic with overwrought, outlandish expressions, yet in a sophisticated idiom. Latif is our well of wisdom undefiled, though efforts are being made him to divest him of the Islamic Wahdatul Wajudi pantheistic hue and fragrance, redolent of Ibnul Arabi's intellectual vintage. The book is a layman's guide to know the message of the Master, it is an easy to read manual, to imbibe, and comprehend the secrets of Sufism as expostulated in poetic figures of speech, the pre -requisite canons of prosodiccraft. Noor Ahmad's prose is of classic standard in stark comparison with his lesser known contemporaries and this enhances the inherent value and worth of this compendium of literary assessment and evaluation.The prolificacy and spontaneity of the author has always amazed his colleagues but being an impeccable, methodical person of perspicuous vision and awesome commitment to research, this latest labour of love is another feather in his cap. He has done commendable work on Rumi, Kabir and Latif and one expects him to write more on the Vedantic Sami, Sachal, Shah Karim, Lutfullah Qadri et al, and other classical poets of the sub-continent in his new characteristic diction, flight of phrases, conscientious mode of argumentative rationalism and passionate style. The present work is a valuable accretion to the domain of the Latifian studies and comparative literary criticism.
Gul Mohammad Umrani