“A great philosopher, Imam Muhammad Ghazali, told Muslim believers that you may think that Islam is all about praying, fasting, charity and going to Haj. But these are mere rituals. The essence of Islam is something else. To be a true believer, there are six milestones you must cross.” - Abdullah Hussain Turk
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Find many other reflections on mystic poem and thought at [ Ссылка ]
Discover a universe of Bhakti, Sufi, Baul poetry and music at [ Ссылка ].
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Abdullah Hussain Turk, or 'Bawa Bha' as he was fondly called in Kutch, Gujarat, was a man whose heart was steeped in the poetry of the famous 18th century Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and the sounds of the Kutchi Sindhi raag. Abdullah bhai lived in a small village called Dhrab near Mundra in Kutch. He started singing at the young age of 10 and remained completely absorbed in Sufi thought and poetry ever since. Through his renditions of the songs, he could interpret profound ideas in Latif’s poetry in simple uncomplicated terms for his audience. He was also a wonderful raconteur, organiser of festivals bringing together Kutchi folk and Sufi artists, and a guru to several young singers. Abdullah bhai passed away in 2015. He is remembered in Kutch as ‘Ghazi’, the fighter.
(Click on Settings for subtitles in English.)
This is one of a series of uploads for Ajab Shahar, a webspace dedicated to mystic poem and song, created by the Kabir Project team ([ Ссылка ] ; [ Ссылка ]).
Translation: Prashant Parvataneni
Translation Assistance: Anwar Lohar
Video Credits:
Interview by: Shabnam Virmani
Camera: Manjushree Abhinav, Shabnam Virmani
Editing: Yashaswini Raghunandan
Sub-Titling: Prashant Parvataneni
Collection: The Kabir Project
Place of Recording: School for Ancient Wisdom, Bangalore
Date of Recording: 2010
