Pain And Grace

Khawaja Mir Dard (1721 - 1785), the saint of Delhi and first truly mystical poet of the Urdu language, and Shah Abdul Latif (1689 - 1752), the greatest mystical poet of the Lower Indus valley, were Indian Muslims, deeply steeped in the tradition of Sufism, particularly in its Persian expression; both produced exquisite mystical poetry in their mother tongues and both were fond of music and knew the effect of the celestial harmony on man’s heart. The studies in this book sum up the central ideas of both writers, ideas which they have expressed in various forms i.e., that suffering is the prerequisite of spiritual bliss, and that Divine grace will descend upon those who rejoice in the tribulations which they undergo while traveling through the constantly shifting sand dunes of this created world, hoping for the city of God at the end of the road.