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The most famous Punjabi Sufi poet, author of 'Bulleya ki jaana main kaun'
Bulleya ki jaana main kaun
"Bulleh, what do I know of who I am?"
Syed Abdullah Shah, known as Bulleh Shah, was born into a respected family of Syeds and grew up in Pandoke near Kasur, where his father was a mosque leader and teacher. He studied Arabic, Persian and religious sciences in Kasur and became a learned scholar.
In search of spiritual truth he became a disciple of Shah Inayat Qadiri of Lahore, a gardener by caste (Arain). His family were shocked that a Syed would follow a man of 'lower' caste, but Bulleh Shah rejected their objections, and much of his poetry attacks such pride of birth.
When his master was once displeased with him, Bulleh Shah is said to have learned dancing and sung in the streets to win back his favour, a story often told in qawwalis. He spent his last years in Kasur, during a time of political turmoil in Punjab.
Bulleh Shah mocked hypocrisy, empty ritual and narrow-minded religious authority, and rejected divisions of caste and creed. He wrote about finding God within oneself through love and about the unity of all existence, often in the voice of Heer longing for Ranjha.
His poetry is loved on both sides of the border and is constantly performed by artists such as Abida Parveen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and many modern singers. His shrine in Kasur draws large crowds at his urs, and his verses are a symbol of tolerance in Punjabi culture.