Waris Shah


Waris Shah, ਵਾਰਿਸ ਸ਼ਾਹ was a Punjabi Sufi poet of the Chishti order, known for his contribution to Punjabi literature.

Background

Waris Shah was born in Jandiala Sher Khan, Punjab, present-day Pakistan into a reputed Sayyid family and was a descendant of Sayyid Muhammad Al-Makki through his son Sayyid Badruddin. His father's name was Gulsher Shah and mother's name was Kamal Banu. Waris's parents are said to have died when he was young. Waris spent years in search of the perfect spiritual guide. Waris Shah acknowledged himself to be a disciple of an ustad from Kasur, namely Hafiz Ghulam Murtaza from whom he received his education. After completing his education, Waris moved to Malka Hans, a village twelve kilometres north of Pakpattan. Here he resided in a small room, adjacent to a historic mosque now called Masjid Waris Shah, until his death.
Other poets later added their own verses in Qissa Waris Shah throughout the history. It is estimated that there are 11069 forged verses in the commonly available Qissa Waris Shah. One of the oldest and most accurate copy of Qissa Waris Shah published by Kripa Ram in 1916 is available in the Punjab Public Library in Lahore.

Works

Waris Shah is primarily known as the author of Heer Ranjha.

Examples

Many verses of Waris Shah are widely used in Punjab in a moral context, for instance:
Waris Shah's life has been fictionalised in Punjabi-language films. A 1964 Pakistani film titled Waris Shah featured Inayat Hussain Bhatti in the title role. Another movie on the life of Waris Shah was released in India in 2006 with Gurdas Mann as Waris Shah.