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The renowned Persian poet and mystic, Sana'i Ghaznavi
Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On 28th of the Islamic month of Shawwal in 467 AH, the renowned Persian poet and mystic, Majd od-Din ibn Adam Sana'i Ghaznavi, was born in Ghazni in what is now Afghanistan. He was connected with the court of the Ghaznavid king, Bahram Shah, who ruled for 35 years.
When accompanying the king on a military campaign to India, Sana'i met the Sufi teacher Lai-Khur, and immediately quit royal service as a court poet even though he was promised wealth and the king's daughter in marriage. He now started serving the people and criticized the unjust and corrupt rulers in his poems. He was a trend-setter in the style of Persian poetry.
His most important work is “Hadiqat-al-Haqiqah†(Walled Garden of Truth), which is in the form of odes, reflecting his ethical and Gnostic thoughts. Among his other works, one can mention “Ilahi Namah†and “Tariq at-Tahqiqâ€. He has written some excellent panegyrics in praise of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). For the past nine centuries Sana'i has had a tremendous influence on Persian literature, and along with Shaikh Farid od-Din Attar, was regarded by Mowlana Jalal od-Din Roumi as an inspiration.
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