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The Lamp of Love: Journeying with the Sabri Brothers
The Lamp of Journeying with the Sabri Brothers recounts the journey of an Australian Sufi woman whose devotion to the powerful and ecstatic music of Pakistan's legendary qawwals (Sufi singers), the Sabri Brothers, drew her from the tranquility of the Australian countryside to settle in
the midst of overpopulated Karachi, so that she could immerse herself more deeply in the Sufi tradition.
the midst of overpopulated Karachi, so that she could immerse herself more deeply in the Sufi tradition.
- GenresPakistan
174 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 31, 2015
As a member of a Sufi order myself and a great fan of the late Sabri Brothers and their qawwali music since my childhood -- my whole
family practises a strongly Sufistic, mystical Islam centred around Love of Allah, The Prophet, Saints and mystics and visiting shrines--albeit
within the large ambit of Sunni Islam --I was excited to find that someone had written a book about the Sabri brothers and the Sufi shrines
of Pakistan (and to a lesser extent India); this book is an enjoyable travelogue with mystical commentary from the great saints of Islam thrown in.
I raced through this --to me--familiar territory and greatly enjoyed it although it ended too suddenly and could have been more descriptive and detailed.
It was obviously very personal and hence one felt the author left a lot of ellipsis in the text. For example, it is only hinted that she fell in love
with Mehboob Sabri whereas in reality she married him! I found this out via a Youtube interview of the author!
For first time readers not from a similar background it could prove a little heavy going in places. For those who love Islamic spirituality
and qawwali music it is a must-read!
family practises a strongly Sufistic, mystical Islam centred around Love of Allah, The Prophet, Saints and mystics and visiting shrines--albeit
within the large ambit of Sunni Islam --I was excited to find that someone had written a book about the Sabri brothers and the Sufi shrines
of Pakistan (and to a lesser extent India); this book is an enjoyable travelogue with mystical commentary from the great saints of Islam thrown in.
I raced through this --to me--familiar territory and greatly enjoyed it although it ended too suddenly and could have been more descriptive and detailed.
It was obviously very personal and hence one felt the author left a lot of ellipsis in the text. For example, it is only hinted that she fell in love
with Mehboob Sabri whereas in reality she married him! I found this out via a Youtube interview of the author!
For first time readers not from a similar background it could prove a little heavy going in places. For those who love Islamic spirituality
and qawwali music it is a must-read!
February 5, 2015
Sabri brothers were always my favourites, with their catchy tunes of 'chalo madinay chalien' and the ultimate 'tajdare haram'. This book is a unique and exquisite insight into the lives of this very humble and mystical family of dervaish's. Its like reading a magical story about an Australian woman inspired by Nusrat and Sabri sahib to leave everything behind and come to live in Karachi to be near her peers.
Qismat me meri chain se jina likhday
dobay na kibhi mera safina likhday
janat bhi guwara hei magar meray liya
aei katibe taqdeer Madina likhday
tajdarey haram
nighae karam
hum gharibon key din bhi sawar jain gey
While listening to this great qawali on Youtube I could not help reading some of the comments left by young Pakistani Muslims. It pains me to report that Sufism is dying in the youth of today.
Qismat me meri chain se jina likhday
dobay na kibhi mera safina likhday
janat bhi guwara hei magar meray liya
aei katibe taqdeer Madina likhday
tajdarey haram
nighae karam
hum gharibon key din bhi sawar jain gey
While listening to this great qawali on Youtube I could not help reading some of the comments left by young Pakistani Muslims. It pains me to report that Sufism is dying in the youth of today.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews