The Endearing Irreverence of Hafiz Shirazi
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
15 January 2026
" Stain your prayer-mat with wine if the Master tells you: That seasoned voyager knows the ways of the road."
Hafiz Shirazi
Hafiz Shirazi's aforementioned statement has always appealed to me, for the poet suggests that true wisdom and understanding come from experience rather than strict adherence to dogma. Embracing life's pleasures, even those frowned upon, can lead to spiritual growth. It speaks to the idea that sometimes we must break societal norms to find our path. Hafiz-e-Shiraz was a Sufi who disliked dogmas and conventional ways of showing reverence to the Almighty. Elsewhere, he says, " Come, let’s get drunk, even if it is our ruin: For sometimes under ruins one finds treasure." Here, Hafiz invites us to embrace life's experiences fully, even the reckless ones, because they might lead to unexpected discoveries of value and meaning. It highlights that through chaos and destruction, one might uncover new wisdom or deeper insights that can ultimately enrich the soul.
Hafiz's love for the Supreme being was so unconventional that he could dare say, " Hafiz, drink wine, and be glad and reckless; but don’t copy those Who make reciting the Book a cover for lies." In this passage, the poet encourages embracing joy and spontaneity in life. It stands as a critique of hypocrisy, warning against those who misuse spirituality for self-serving purposes. It advocates for authenticity and the celebration of life in its truest form. In some literary and mystic circles in Iran, Hafiz is called, Shayar-e-Gustaakh (an audacious poet). Yet, Hafiz is a universally affable character whose 'irreverent' love poetry endears him to all. While wine and drinking were later explained (away) as metaphorical symbols of mysticism, Hafiz himself insisted on their literal meanings because he (Hafiz) believed that unbridled joys of Paradise might be an illusion, whereas what's available here is a reality.
To quote Abdul Hameed 'Adam', " Pee le yahan jitni pee sake tu / Kya baawar ke wahan aab ki bhi ho justaju " (Drink here to the lees whatever you can / You might even be in quest of water over there - in Paradise).
It shows the pragmatism of Sufism and also the revolutionary streak in it. It must be mentioned that the Pakistani poet Abdul Hameed 'Adam' translated Hafiz's Persian Sufi and love poetry into Urdu. But it's humdrum. Hafiz's metaphors (Ist'aara/Alamat) were worldly metaphors. En passant, I read 'Ist'aara of Hafiz' (Hafiz’s metaphors) in original Persian. But I'm told, the great English scholar of Persian Reynold A Nicholson translated it into English as 'Hafiz's Metaphors.' It's a slim book which has been out of print for many years.
I checked with the University of Cambridge's Persian department where Nicholson taught Persian and Islamic mysticism. But even they couldn't help me procure the book. Do let me know if anyone has any idea of the English translation which's also equally sublime.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/endearing-irreverence-of-hafiz-shirazi-/d/138441
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