About me
Raza Rumi is a Pakistani writer who has been contributing regularly for the Pakistani weekly The Friday Times ,Express Tribune, The News and Daily DAWN on myriad topics such as history, arts, literature and society. Jahane Rumi started as a blog and now a personal a website devoted to Sufi thought, the arts, literature, and cultures of South Asia. Raza also blogs at cyber-magazines Pak Tea House & Lahore Nama; and compiles the Development Industry blog . He is also a self-taught painter and his works can be seen at the online Saatchi Gallery. Check him out on flickr too. Raza’s interests include writing, literature, world civilizations and cultures, politics, travel, painting and mysticism. Academically, he is trained in economics, social development, law and public administration.
‘Raza Rumi’ is a nom de plume to keep his day job separate from his work as a policy adviser and development practitioner. As a policy expert, Raza has worked with several international development institutions, government agencies and leading Pakistani NGOs. Raza Rumi’s alter-ego has several development reports, academic and policy publications to his credit.
Salams,
Sir I was just wondering that this other blog “Pak Tea House”, also run by you(if I am correct), mostly has stories/articles on Pakistan written by many Indian writers/journalists. I am happy that many Indians have a lots of interest that what’s going on in Pakistan. I am also surprised to see their thorough researches on Pakistan and it’s affairs. Wouldn’t be it nice if we can also know what’s going on in India too, instead of just negative articles about Pakistan. I felt that some articles can just increase disbelieve among many Pakistanis.
Take it as my humble request, I would love to read articles about India where some one is trying to open “inn k kacchey chatthey” also.
Thank you
Khush rahein,
sabb k hath me Pakistan ka topic aaya hua hey, behti ganga mein nahaney bethey huey hein sab….!
I wished to share this poem from Faiz with you..
My Window
Many crosses have been planted before my window;
Each is marked with the blood of its messiah to be
And yearns to unite with its divinity.
On one they sacrifice the clouds of spring
On another the shining moon is murdered,
A grove of proud trees is cut in two on a third,
On yet another dies the soft breeze of morning.
Time and again,these gods of love and beauty
Drowned in blood,find thier way to my sorrowful cell,
And each time, before my eyes, thier martyred bodies
Are taken away, whole and well
Faiz Ahmad Faiz
You are an intellectual man and a polymath. Keep rocking.
Wow! Such a versatile personality – especially in art and literature is rarely to be found even in the distant past what to speak of the present age of media. We, Pakistani writers, artists, classical singers, and intellectuals must feel proud to have such a matchless living legendry amongst our social life. Raza Rumi! My hat off to your sublimity and deep involvement in the field of cultural activities.
Because our so-called intelligentsia is cocooned in only self-projection with hackneyed tactics to say the least.Very very few writers and intellectuals have touched the subjects relating to our Singers and Musicians for obvious reasons apart from religious constraints.
r
You are an intellectual man and a polymath. Keep rocking.
WAR
If glory be in war;
Call to fighting cause.
Sounding trumpet, bugle blare;
Forward body, nation’s duty, spirited care.
Arms and regiments, bodies dead with empty stares.
Held with spellbound stare;
Pausing, thinking, wondering, looking, hoping.
Regal dress, early morn;
Firm bodies lined in splendid form.
On fields with buttons ready – press!
Leaders, heroes, wealthy dealers;
Spurring, urging, telling, convincing – fight!
Just cause at dawn;
Belief, action, halt, retreat.
Life has lost its normal beat.
Horror at sights in view;
Crying, wailing, maiming, slaughter, death!
History speaks, sad regrets.
History speaks sad regrets.
Victor, vanquished, tears of fear, hearts upset.
Count the dead, write strategies won;
Planning, removing, rebuilding, stop killing!
Another wrong, and convolute;
Duty, action, questions fall.
Human beings dead, lies fed – salute!
Poem by Courtenay Francis Raymond Barnett
Razi Sahab. Happy to see you still holding the fort. Will soon inshallah contribute some thing in Sufi peotry.
Take care
Shahidain – thanks for coming back. Please send the contributions. You have been missing ….
[...] Raza Rumi – chief editor/founder Pak Tea House blog-zine [...]
A Bait from Sultan Bahu. Raza may like to dish this out.
“Haafiz parh parh karan takabbur,
mullaan karan vadaaee hoo
Saavan maah de badalaan vaangoon
phiran kitaabaan chaaee hoo
Jithe wekhan changaa chokhaa
parhn kalaam savaaee hoo
Doheen jahaaneen mutthe jihnaan
khaadhee wech kamaaee hoo”
The Hafiz is proud of of his learning
the priest thrives on self promotion
Like monsoon clouds they are continuously on the move
with books under arms, selling their honour
Wherever they find a promising household
they read scripture in loud, fervent strains
for lucrative commission.
O Bahu! They have put God’s name on sale
just to make a living.
In this world they live spiritually bankrupt
robbed of all honour, they go to the one beyond
(Translation by J.R.Puri/K.S.Khak)
For urdu or shahmukhi, the reader may use this
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu38.html
Raza sahab. I sent a biat from Sultan Bahu for posting in blog. Please confirm the receipt. Thanks
Another bait from Sultan Bahu for my friend Sammad Waheed
“Dil dariaa samundron doonghe,
kaun dilaan dee jane hoo
wiche berre, wiche jherre,
wiche vanjh muhaane hoo
Chaudaan tabq dile de andar,
tamboo vaangan taane hoo
Joee dil daa maihram hove,
soee Rabb pachhaane hoo
The heart is deeper than the ocean—
who can fathom its mysteries?
Storms come and go on its surface,
while fleets sail through it,
their crews wielding their oars.
inside the heart are the fourteen realms,
stretched like canvas tents,
Only the one who knows
these deeper secrets of the heart
can know the Creator, O Bahu
Translation by J.R.Puri/K.S.Khak)
For urdu or shahmukhi, the reader may use this
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu38.html
“
Bait from Sultan Bahu by Shahidain
My Master has planted in my heart the jasmine of Allah Name.
” Alif-Allaah chambe dee bootee
murshid man wich laee hoo
Naffee asbat daa panee milias
har rage har jaaee hoo
Andar bootee mushk machaaiaa
jaan phullan te aaee hoo
Jeeve murshid kaamil Baahoo
jain eh bootee laaee hoo
Alif-Allaah chambe dee bootee
murshid man wich laandaa hoo
Jis gatt utte sohanaa raazee
oho gatt sikhaandaa hoo
Hardam yaad rakhe har wele
sohanaa uthdaa bahndaa hoo
Aap samjh samjhendaa Bahoo!
aap aape ban jaandaa hoo
My Master has planted in my heart
the jasmine of Allah Name.
Both denial that the creation is real
and my embracing of God, the only reality
have nourished the seedling down to its core
When the buds of mystery unfolded
into the blossoms of revelation
my entire being was filled with Gods fragrance
May the perfect Master
who planted this jasmine in my heart
be ever blessed, O Bahu
My Master has sown in my heart
the jasmine of Allah Name.
He has taught me how to captivate
the heart of my charming Beloved
He keeps me in his thoughts eternally
He always makes me do his will
He himself grants me his wisdom, O Bahu
He himself molds me into his own real Self.
(Translation by J.R.Puri/K.S.Khak)
For urdu or shahmukhi, the reader may use this
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu4.html
SULTAN BAHU – BY Shahidain
“Parh parh aalim karan takabbur,
haaftz karan vadaaee hoo
Galiaan de wich phiran nimaane,
baghal kitaabaan chaaee hoo
Jithe wekhan changaa chokhaa,
Parhan kalaam savaaee hoo
Doheen jahaaneen mutthe jihnaan
Khaadhee vech kamaaee hoo”
The scholar is proud of his learning,
The hafiz thrives on self-promotion!
With books under their arms
They swan around, selling their honour,
Wherever they find a promising household,
They read the scripture in loud, fervent strains
for a lucrative commission.
O Bahu! They have put God’s name on sale
just to make a living.
In this world they live spiritually bankrupt;
robbed of all honour, they go to the one beyond.
(J.R.Puri/K.S.Khak)
Raza sahab, You may like to post these Abayat from Sultan Bahu on Priests and Scholars- Shahidain
“Parh parh ilam mulook rijhaavan,
kiaa hoiaa is parhiaan hoo
Hargiz makkhan mool nah aave,
phitte dudh de karhiaan hoo
Aakh chandooraa hath keeh aaiaa,
es angooree phariaan hoo
Hik dil khastaa raazee rakkheen,
laieen ibaadat varahian hoo”
Priests and scholars parade their learning
to please the kings –
of what avail is such erudition?
Reading scriptures is like boiling curdled milk
in the false hope of obtaining butter.
No more profitable to them is their chanting
than is chirping to the mimicking chandoor.
If you bring inner comfort to a heart in distress,
you will earn the merit of years of worship.
“Parh parh ilam mushaikh sadaavan,
karan ibaadat dohree hoo
Andar jhuggee paee luteeve,
tan man khabar nah moree hoo
Maulaa waalee sadaa sukhaalee,
dil ton laah takoree hoo
Rabb tihnaan noon haasil, jihnaan
jag nah keetee choree hoo”
They think they have acquired great learning;
they call themselves sheikhs.
While they perform much outside worship,
they do not know the manner in which temptation,
like a thief, enters to ravage their hearts.
The soul that has attached herself to God
is forever at peace —
the smoke screen of illusion is lifted from her eyes.
Only they realize God, O Bahu,
whose hearts the world has not seduced.
(Translation by J.R.Puri/K.S.Khak)
For urdu or shahmukhi, the reader may use this
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu19.html
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu18.html
#
shahidainDecember 15, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Sultan Bahu
“Parhiaa ilam te vadhi maghrooree,
aqal bhee giaa talohaan hoo
Bhullaa raah hidaayat waala,
nafaa nah keetaa dohaan hoo
Sir dittiaan jee sir hath aave,
saudaa haar nah tohaan hoo
Varreen bazaar muhabbat waale,
raihbar laike soohan hoo”
You acquired learning, your pride swelled,
and your mind took a downward course.
You strayed from the path of living guidance —
none of your learning or pride did you any good.
If you gain the inner secret by selling off your head,
you will not be the loser in the deal.
But when you enter the marketplace of love,
be sure to have a Guide who knows this inner secret.
For urdu or shahmukhi, the reader may use this
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu19.html
Abayat of Sultan Bahu by Shahidain for posting
“Eh tan meraa chashmaan hove,
Murshid wekh nah rajjaan hoo
Loon loon de mudh lakh lakh chashmaan,
Hik kholaan hik kajjaan hoo
Itniaan dithiaan sabar nah aave,
Hor kite val bhajjan hoo
Murshid daa deedaar hai Baahoo,
Lakh karorraan hajjaan hoo”
Were my whole body festooned with eyes,
I would gaze at my Master with untiring zeal,
O, how I wish that every pore of my body
Would turn into a million eyes—
Then, as some closed to blink, others would open to see!
But even then my thirst to see him
Might remain unquenched.
What else am I to do?
To me, O Bahu, a glimpse of my Master
is worth millions of pilgrimages to the holy Ka’ba!
” Eh tan Rabb sachche daa hujraa,
Wich paa faqeeraa jhaatee hoo
Naah kar minnat khwaaj khizr dee,
Tain andar aab hayaatee hoo
Shauq daa deevaa baal hanere,
Mat labbhee vast kharraatee hoo
Marn theen agge mar rahe jihnaan
Haqq dee ramz pachhaatee hoo”
This body is the temple of the true Lord;
Peep within it, hermit!
You need no help from khwaja Khizr:
The water of life is already within you.
Light the lamp of love in your heart
to dispel the darkness within
and discover the long-lost treasure.
Those who realize the secret of God
Die before death and find everlasting life
(Translation by J.R.Puri/K.S.Khak)
For urdu or shahmukhi, the reader may use this
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu9.html
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu10.html
[...] By Raza Rumi [...]
few abayats from Sultan Bahu
Allaah parhion hafiz hoion,
Nah giaa hijaabon pardaa hoo
Parh Parh aalim faazil hoion,
Taalib hoion zar daa hoo
Lakh hazaar kitaabaan pahiaan,
Zaalim nafs na mardaa hoo
Baajh faqeeraan koee nah mare,
Eho chor andar daa hoo
You have read the name of God over and over,
You have stored the Holy Qur’an in your memory,
But this has still not the hidden mystery.
Instead, your learning and scholarship
Have sharpened your greed for worldly things.
None of the countless books you’ve read in your life
Has destroyed your brutal ego.
Indeed, none but the Saints can kill this inner thief,
For it ravages the very house in which it lives.
Eh tan meraa chashmaan hove,
Murshid wekh nah rajjaan hoo
Loon loon de mudh lakh lakh chashmaan,
Hik kholaan hik kajjaan hoo
Itniaan dithiaan sabar nah aave,
Hor kite val bhajjan hoo
Murshid daa deedaar hai Baahoo,
Lakh karorraan hajjaan hoo
Were my whole body festooned with eyes,
I would gaze at my Master with untiring zeal,
O, how I wish that every pore of my body
Would turn into a million eyes—
Then, as some closed to blink, others would open to see!
But even then my thirst to see him
Might remain unquenched.
What else am I to do?
To me, O Bahu, a glimpse of my Master
is worth millions of pilgrimages to the holy Ka’ba!
Andar wich namaaz asaadee,
Hikse jaa niteeve hoo
Naal qiam rakooa sajoode,
Kar takraar parheeve hoo
Eh dil hijar firaaqon sarriaa,
Eh dam mare nah jeeve hoo
Sachchaa raah Mohammad waalaa,
Jain wich Rabb labheeve hoo
I offer my prayer in the temple of my heart—
The only true place to worship God.
I stand in supplication, I bow in obeisance,
I tender my prayer without break in its repetition.
Hanging between life and death
My heart burns in the fire of separation from him.
The path indicated by the Prophet is true O Bahu:
Following it one can find God.
Your appearance on Dunya Today to defend the murderer raymond davis was pathetic… to put everything in a nutshell your argument suggests that if a US diplomat screws your sister than according to Vienna convention he should be free to do so..
Raza Rumi wrote:
“we’re seeing more radicalization of the urban middle and upper class. I look at my own extended family. When I was growing up, maybe one or two people had a beard. Last time I went to a family wedding I was shell-shocked. All these uncles and aunts who were regular Pakistanis watching cricket and Indian movies now all have beards or are in hijabs.”
so that is RAZA RUMI’S big parameter of checking increase in radicalization that his relatives starts to grow beards and woman started to wear hijab and they also stopped watching Indian movies …grow up
[...] Raza Rumi [...]
Its Very Nice Web…I really Like It……Rumi was In Face A great……Name In All Over The World……….In Computer age We Should Keep the People I Mean to Say Intlactuals Like Rumi And Iqbal In Front Of Us….always……For Smooth Living While Getting Knowledge….
Hafiz Muzaffar Mohsin
03009449527
muzafarmohsin.com
Your tweets are really nice and inspiring.
Hello Raza Bhai,
I am planning to write two books based on Pakistan.I am and was always fascinated by Pakistan- The Land of my forefathers;that touchy earthy feeling which Pakistan offers.
May be one day I visit your land and write my dreamworks and of course meet you too.
Looking forward to meet you,
Raminder Jit Singh
J&K India
uu the best writer …………keep updating thanx for sharing
Salams to everyone!
I have just discovered your blog and begun to explore it. I am from Turkey and writing an article about Pakistan. My subject is Pakistan’s religious identity and its impacts on the politics. I am interested in your lovely country and I have done some really nice readings about Pakistan. Unfortunately, sources about Pakistan are limited here. Could you recommend me some books, journals, articles or any other kinds? I would be greateful to you. Thank you in advance!
WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It Should B Up graded…..in my opinion……..