Shrine of Sachal Sarmast

Shrine of Sachal Sarmast, Sindh

The Shrine of Sachal Sarmast is a highly revered Sufi shrine located in Daraza Sharif, a village near Ranipur in the Khairpur district of Sindh, Pakistan. It is dedicated to the 18th-century Sufi mystic and poet Sachal Sarmast, who remains one of the most celebrated Sufi saints of the region.
Sachal Sarmast was born in 1739 in Daraza Sharif, a village situated between Gambat and Ranipur. His birth name was Abdul Wahab Farooqi, named after his great-grandfather. He belonged to the Farooqi lineage of mystics, also known as the' Darazai Dervishes' belonging to the Darzai Sufi school of thought. He was known as 'Sachal Sarmast'. ‘Sachal’ meaning ‘Truthful’ and ‘Sarmast’ meaning ‘Ecstatic,’ with Sachal Sarmast meaning 'Truth speaking Ecstatic.'
Following the death of his father when he was six years old, Sachal Sarmast was raised and mentored by his uncle, Khwaja Abdul Haq I, who also became his spiritual guide and later his father-in-law. Under his guidance, Sachal Sarmast memorized the Holy Quran, earning him the title ‘Hafiz Darzai.’ By the age of twelve, he had attained proficiency in various fields of knowledge.
According to historical tradition, the esteemed Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai once visited Daraza Sharif to pay respects to Khwaja Muhammad Hafiz, the patron master of the Darzai Sufi order. During this visit, Bhittai encountered the 7 year old Sachal Sarmast and, impressed by his spiritual depth, predicted that the child would one day unveil divine secrets that even he had chosen to keep concealed. This prophecy was later fulfilled as Sachal Sarmast emerged as one of the most profound and fearless exponents of Sufi philosophy.
During his youth, Sachal Sarmast led a largely solitary and contemplative life, ultimately attaining divine enlightenment. He described his transformation in his own words:
"For many years, I was a strict religious man. I counted the beads of the rosary regularly. I was fully occupied in the mosque and sacred writings. I passed many years in penance and austerity. I spent most of my time in abstinence, discipline, and chanting the divine names. Everybody appreciated me a lot for doing so. But one day, I happened to be in the presence of Master Abdul Haq and abandoned everything except eternal union. He dipped me into the Ocean of Unity and filled my heart with the treasure of divine pain. He blessed me with excessive love and sainthood and gladdened my barren heart with eternal joy."

Sachal Sarmast remains one of the most distinguished Sufi poets and saints of Sindh. He composed poetry in multiple languages, including Sindhi, Siraiki, Persian, and Urdu. His works, deeply embedded in the folk traditions of Sindh, continue to be celebrated in devotional music and poetry. Some of his notable literary contributions include Diwan Ashkar, Masnavi Dard Nama, Masnavi Wahdat Nama (Song of Unity), Diwan-i-Khudai (Poetry of Divinity), and Nukta-i-Tasawwuf (Mystic Teachings). In Urdu poetry, he was a master of both the Ghazal and Kafi forms, bringing a new vibrancy to these literary traditions.

Sachal Sarmast was known for his revolutionary and intense Sufi beliefs, particularly his advocacy of Wahdat-ul-Wujud (Unity of Being), a philosophy asserting the interconnectedness of all existence. His ideas were deeply influenced by earlier Sufi thinkers such as Mansur Al-Hallaj and Farid ud-Din Attar, of Nasharpur earning him the titles ‘Mansur Sani’ (The Second Mansur) and ‘Attar of Sindh.’
His reverence for other religious traditions was evident in his actions and teachings. He instructed one of his disciples, Faqir Nanak Yousaf, to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar as a mark of respect for Sikhism. In honor of Guru Nanak, he referred to his disciple as ‘Nanak Yousaf.’
Sachal Sarmast passed away in Daraza Sharif on the 14th of Ramadan in 1825 AD. His tomb is believed to have been constructed by Mir Rustam Khan Talpur, one of the Talpur rulers. Later, the mausoleum was renovated and adorned with Kashi Kari glazed tiles by Sakhi Qabool Muhammad II.

Sachal Sarmast remains one of the most revered Sufi Saints of Sindh.