last night the following piece was recited to me by a retired professor of english from punjab unviersity. these are the lines of famous sufi poet and saint of punjab, Hazrat Sultan Bahu (famous for his poetic style of Hu ). Sultan Bahu was a contemporary of Bulle Shah (17th century) and like him was strongly against religious preachings of that time. Like Bulle Shah he too was in "Ishq" (not to be confused with love) with the Supreme, whom he addressed as his Beloved. The lines go like this:
Gaya imaan ishqey de paron, ho ke kafir rahiye hu
Ghhat junaar kufar da gal vich, butkhanney vich bahiye hu
Jis jah jaani nazar na aavey, sajda mool na daiey hu
Jan kar jaani nazar na aawey, Kalma mool na kahiye hu
Sultan Bahu says if you have to give up your din and imaan (community and beilefs) for your ishq, than give it up happily and be against that belief. And even if being, what I am, I have to wear a Janeu (sacred thread) in my neck and have to move into a temple to seek my beloved, I will. And if I cannot meet or see my beloved at the place of worship I'll not bow or offer prayers there. And if I cannot find my beloved, there is no point in reciting the religious text.