[Q 643] Ruling on Sufi Poetic Imagery

QUESTION:

How is it to read the following ash’ar? They are in Punjabi.
Ya rasul Allah
Tere hondeyan mai khane wal bhala jawan kiun mastane
Teri akhiyan de vich saki dub jande kai mai khane
Jede aawan dubde jawan ki apne te ki begane
Azam khair mai khane te sada peende ren dewane

I am asking because of its usage of mastane (people who drink) and mai khane (the place where people go to drink).

ANSWER:

Such expressions are used in Sufiyana (Sufi) poetry. By them is meant the pure wine of Ishq-e-Ilahi (Divine Love) and Muhabbat-e-Rasul (love of the Messenger) صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, which separates a person from the world and all that it contains and immerses him in true spiritual love. They do not refer to the unlawful and impure wine of this world. Likewise, Mai Khanah refers to the courts and gatherings of the Awliya Kiram (noble saints), through which a person quenches this spiritual thirst and proceeds upon this path.

In the mentioned quatrain, there is an indication towards the fact that when a fortunate person is blessed with the wine of the vision of Mustafa صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, how could he then turn towards the wine of this world (sins)?

Similar expressions are also found in the poetry of other poets. For example, Sayyidi A‘la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan عليه الرحمة said:

مے کدہ چھٹتا ہے لِلّٰہ ساقیا
اب کے ساغر سے نہ ہوں ہشیار ہم

And he also said:

شورِ مہِ نو سن کر تجھ تک میں دَواں آیا
ساقی میں ترے صدقے مے دے رمضاں آیا

Mufti-e-A‘zam Hind عليه الرحمة said:

جو ساقیٔ کوثر کے چہرے سے نقاب اُٹھے
ہر دل بنے مے خانہ ہر آنکھ ہو پیمانہ

سرشار مجھے کردے اِک جامِ لبالب سے
تا حشر رہے ساقی آباد یہ مے خانہ

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 4th June 2026.