Bulleh Shah Research Paper

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“Who is Bulleh Shah? Hindu, Muslim, both or none?” Bulleh Shah is neither Hindu nor Muslim. He believed in mysticism where one focused on their relationship with God spiritually. In fact, as we discussed in class, he would criticize both religions for the rituals they would “blindly” follow. Why did people think he was not a Muslim? According to the reading by Robin Rinehart, Bulleh Shah “…neglected to follow all the dictates of Islamic law”, and he “learned to sing and dance”. During the class discussion, I remember Dr. Bhatt mentioning that Islamic laws prohibit singing and dancing to take place in Islamic society. Bulleh Shah also claimed that he did not believe that completing a pilgrimage in Mecca as a duty for a Muslim, would bring him closer to God. …show more content…

What sets Bulleh Shah apart from these two religions is that during his third phase of life, Krishnas’ study demonstrated how Bulleh Shah was a firm believer in “Avaita”, which means that he saw God “in all and independently of all religions”. He believed that God was everywhere rather than compartmentalized into various religions and religious sects. Apart from evidence suggesting whether Bulleh Shah was Hindu or Muslim, his poetry greatly portrayed a man who was more of a humanist and mystic that is seeking a “personal experience” with God rather than being a refined Muslim or Hindu. In one of his poems, Bulleh shah expresses how he is from no religion but rather, he is a part of a state of consciousness knowing that God is all around, and one must be devoted to God spiritually. In Shahs’ poem, “Ishq di navio navi bahar”, he says “I grew tired reciting Vedas and Qurans I wore down my forehead performing

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