DR ZEENAT BIBI, DR RAHEELA BIBI, SABA ALI , DR. MUHAMMAD NASIR AFRIDI , SAMEEQA WAHEED , DR JAMILA GUL
DOI: https://doi.org/Sufi consciousness in the poetry of Khwaja Mir Dard against the historical and literary background of eighteenth-century Delhi. In an age marked by political decline, social uncertainty, and cultural anxiety, Dard’s poetry reflects a decisive inward turn. Rather than responding to external disorder through direct commentary, he transforms historical unrest into an interior spiritual quest. His affiliation with the Naqshbandi Sufi order rooted in silent remembrance, self-discipline, and purification of the heart—profoundly shapes both the themes and texture of his verse.In Dard’s ghazals, central Sufi concepts such as ishq (love), fana (annihilation of the self), baqa (subsistence in God), hijr (separation), and visal (union) transcend their conventional romantic meanings and signify stages of spiritual realization. His poetic language remains outwardly simple and aligned with the classical Urdu ghazal tradition, yet it carries layered mystical resonances. Symbolic motifs such as wine, the cupbearer, and the tavern function not as decorative imagery but as metaphors of spiritual knowledge, guidance, and inner awakening. At the heart of Dard’s vision lies the concept of wahdat (unity), the perception that all multiplicity conceals a single ultimate reality. Importantly, he presents this idea not as abstract metaphysics but as lived spiritual experience. Through restraint, subtlety, and inward depth, Dard fuses romantic expression with mystical insight, creating a body of work that transforms personal sorrow into a profound exploration of spiritual truth.
