Dil Se Dil Tak

I am here as love-messenger, says Pakistani Qawwal FARID AYAZ to MONA MEHTAQawwal Farid Ayaz quickly recites a short prayer from the Quran, seeking the blessings of the Most Merciful Allah for protection and courage,and concludes with his own words, also invoking Ram for support (...Ram bhali karenge) — before he turns to face reporters vying for an interview with him. He has chosen to come here despite the recent cancellation of a music concert in Mumbai where a ghazal singer from Pakistan was meant to perform.“A qawwali is a paigam — a message of love for the Divine,” he says, “and for a higher purpose,you sometimes have to ignore such minor irritants... I am here to do what a qawwal does — spread the message of love. While my government in Pakistan was worried about my safety and warned me against going to India, I am here, because I know that there are more people here who love me than those who don’t.When I have hundreds who shower their love on me, why should I be scared of let’s say, three people, who don’t? I wish to spread love to those three, too.” Dressed in a long, black-andwhite robe, a red-and-blue printed chador thrown around his shoulders, Farid Ayaz, formally known as Ustad Ghulam Fariduddin Ayaz Al- Hussaini Qawwal, is in Delhi for a curtain-raiser on Taali Ho, the first international qawwali festival, being organised by Krishna Prerna Charitable Trust and Arun Budhiraja, early next year. Responding to questions on the November 2015 Paris attacks,he says: “Music is the language of mohabbat (love); wherever there is mohabbat, no naffrat or hatred can exist.” He quotes from Kabir: Dekhat dekhat aisa dekh, mitt jaye dhokha, reh jaye aik — look at things with such intensity that all illusions,duality and deceptions drop and only the One remains.“We were one,we are one, we will be one — and we have to go on being one.The manzil or destination of Sufism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other faiths are one. We all are co-travellers,” he says. The Qawwal traces his roots to Samaat Bin Ibrahim, the first disciple of Sufi master Amir Khusrau who lived in Delhi some 750 years ago. “Delhi is the place where qawwali was born and nurtured. Subsequently, families spread out to other parts of India, and post-Partition, almost the entire surviving clan of Samaat Bin Ibrahim migrated to Pakistan and continued the tradition of singing qawwalis there,” he says. Qawwali is Sufi invocation,much like bhajans in Hinduism. Farid Ayaz is convinced that it has the potential to take one to enlightenment. “Qawwali singing cannot be learnt through classes held thrice a week, for instance; that is a way to learn gaana — songs, whereas qawwali singing is a way of life.You live it and learn it.It is a lifelong process.To sing a qawwali, you cover your head, for instance,” he says pointing to the silver Sindhi topi on his head,“cleanse yourself internally, not indulge in sharab, kabab, shabab — intoxicants, rich food,and lustful pursuits. For a qawwali you have to be a fakir, a Sufi.” How can listeners connect with the qawwal’s spiritual experience? In reply,Farid Ayaz recites a couplet by a Sufi master and says:“Na tanha ishq asdeedaar khezad,baasey e daulat,asdeedaar khezad — Love does not happen simply by the khwaish e deedar (desire to get a glimpse of something),it happens also by hearing about it. Khwaish is another name for mohabbat, and mohabbat takes you there. In the same way, when a qawwal describes the beauty of his mehboob,lover,or everyone’s Mehboob — the Divine Lover — a desire to get a glimpse of Him arises in the listener.The listener doesn’t have to open his eyes to visualise Him. He keeps them closed, and slowly,the chhabi or image that he has in his mind starts to surface. As he continues to hear the qawwal’s description of His divine beauty,the listener keeps adding to the image he has formed in his mind, till he finds his ideal,and when that happens,woh ghoom jata hai — he is ecstatic.” The spiritual effect of a qawwali is difficult to tell. It is like using words to describe the taste of a lemon. “I cannot explain the taste of a lemon to you in words; you have to taste it to know it and even then, words are na-kafi — not enough.There is a verse ‘Na janey jalwa-e-jana kahan se hai, kahan tak hai, wahin takk dekh sakta hai, nazar jis ki jahan tak hai — I don’t know what is the extent of this show of life; you can know only as far as your eyes can see.’ Spiritual experiences are like that; they cannot be described in words. In Arabic, it is called kafeeyet maalaa kooti — you cannot define them, you can only experience them.Both, qawwali and spirituality, are meant to be experienced,” he says. A qawwali is not a commercial concert. Whenever a mehfil or qawwali concert is organised, people meet each other, spread love,and they receive love. It creates latafat or softness inside, he says. “Dil naram hota hai — the heart softens, and when this happens, you are able to understand others’ points of view and are able to remove their sakhtee or rigidity.”