On the struggle over Sufi poetry and music

 

Raziuddin Aquil 

In continuation with the debate and discussion on the permissibility or otherwise of sama', listening to devotional poetry, an irritated Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya quoted this couplet:

دنیا طلبا جهان بکامت بادا 

و این جیفه مردار بدامت بادا 

گفتی که به نزد من حرامست سماع 

گر بر تو حرامست حرامت بادا 

Duniya talaba jahaan be-kaamat baada 

Wa in jifae murdaar be-daamat baada

Gufti ke beh nazade man haraamast sama'

Gar bar tu haraamast haraamat baada 

(O seeker of the world, your desire for the world may be fulfilled 

And, this rotten corpse may remain snared in your trap

You say sama' is forbidden for you

If it's forbidden for you, let it remain forbidden to you)