Cultural icon: Revisiting Rahman Baba’s poetry

Speakers recommend readers take guidance from the legend

LAHORE: Rahman Baba was a legendary Sufi poet of Pashto who spoke on humanity and women’s rights in his work, said speakers in a mushaira (poetry recitation) at the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF). The speakers said readers should take guidance from his poetry to understand society and the true meaning of life.

The speakers expressed these views while discussing various aspects of the legend's poetry

at the ‘Legacy of Rahman Baba’s Timeless Poetry’ session held at Alhamra Hall 2. The keynote speakers included Abaseen Yousafzai, Shahida Shah, Akbar Hoti and Dr Azmat Rubab. Strict security arrangements, including female guards, were made by the administration for the event.

Rubab said Baba was among those great poets of the country whose poetry is an inspiration to people of other languages. “It is the great work of Rahman Baba that today his poetry was translated in many languages including local languages of Pakistan.” His poetry was also available in the form of poems and other genres of literature, she added. “He was basically a Sufi poet whose centre of poetry was tasawwuf and his poetry impressed generations in the establishment of a constructive society.”

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Rahman Baba is, no doubt, one of the top poets of Pashto language and it is worth of his poetry that today he is also considered one of the great poets of Pakistan, she further said. “He was a poet of Sufi and spiritual class of society. Due to his grip over various aspects of society, we can read his poetry to understand aspects of our social life.”

As compared to other Pashto poets of that era, Rahman Baba did not talk about groups but talked about humanity, said Abaseen. “Rahman Baba always talked about love, peace, humanity and women’s rights in his poetry. He opposed violence and power in his poetry and gave the message of equal rights for all.”

Today, people talk about the rights of women but it was Rahman Baba who raised his voice for women’s rights in the 17th century, said Shahida. “This is the proof of his great vision regarding the rights of women,” she added.

Today, there is a need for our youth to first understand who was Rahman Baba and what he did through his poetry as there are many who learned his name but do not know what his contribution in the field of poetry is, she remarked. “Rahman Baba was a scholar and a poet of humanity who always talked about peace. Today, people talk about peace but it was Rahman Baba who first understood that a time will come when there will be need of peace in this world.” Rahman Baba’s poetry shares the message of peace. Besides this, he always talked about Wahdatul Wajood and Wahdatul Shahood.”

His poetry attracts humans towards the teachings of Islam, said Akbar.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2020.