Book on Sufi saints published

PESHAWAR: A Hindko language book on Sufi saints has been published which highlights the role of the great spiritual figures in spreading Islamic teachings in the subcontinent.

The 209 -page publication titled” Roshni Dey Safeer” (Ambassadors of brightness) has been authored by Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, who is a noted businessman, having headed several business bodies but has a passion for writing as well.

Gandhara Hindko Academy, Peshawar, has brought the work in the fine print. The cover page sketch has been prepared by a young artist, Saqib Hussain.In the preface to the publication, the author says that Sufi saints played a great role in spreading the teachings of Islam in the subcontinent.

“I have made a humble effort to pay my respect to them in the briefest words as the great task which they performed so effectively cannot be described in a single publication like this one,” says Sarhadi who hails from Peshawar and has remained associated with the business chambers and other commercial bodies in various capacities and enjoys respect for that.

The book, in fact, is an anthology of the columns on the subject which the author contributed to various publications from time to time after gathering information and visiting the shrines of the Sufi saints in the country and abroad. He has thanked all those who helped him with converting these columns into a book form after making necessary changes.

A number of persons conversant with Sufi orders and others inclined to mystic teachings have commented on the book. These comments have been made part of the publication and add to the understanding of the readers.

Hafiz Syed Abdus Sammad Shah, the caretaker of Syed Abdusattar Shah Badshah (rahmatullah alaih) shrine, has praised the publication for having information on even those mystics who are not widely known.

Syed Noorul Hassnain Gilani, Syed Sajjad Badshah of Tambarpura Sharif, Syed Peer Inayat Ali Shah, Prof Dr Khalid Mufti and Muhammad Ziauddin have praised the author for the work.

Muhammad Ziauddin, a Hindko language writer, poet and research scholar, says the Sarhadi has a dedicated love for mysticism and this book vividly shows that. He says this book has already been published in Urdu.