About the Book: Risalo
Shah Abdul Latifs Risalo is acknowledged across Pakistan and the wider diaspora
as the greatest classic of Sindhi literature. In this collection of short Sufi
verses, originally composed for musical performance, the poet creates a vast
imaginative world of interlocking references to traditional Islamic themes of
mystical and divine love and the scenery, society, and legends of the Sindh
region.
Latif (16891752), a contemporary of the Panjabi poet Bullhe Shah, belonged to
the class of Sufi saints whose shrines remain prominent features of the Sindhi
landscape. The Risalo reflects Latifs profound engagement with the fundamental
literature of Islam as well as his openness to varied