Tragic Romances as a Manifestation of Fanaa

This paper seeks to explain how Sufi saints inspired mysticism by allegorizing secular works as spiritual works through the recounting of tales of tragic romance. This paper will be looking into the Sufi influences in the oral and written tradition of the Punjab and the Sindh region which include the tales of Heer-Ranjha, Sassi-Punnu, Mirza-Sahibann, and Sohni-Mahiwal. The Sufi concept of fanaa will be explored through the tragic romances which were immensely popular at a time that Sufism was making itself known in India. The primary focus of this paper will be on how the lovers depicted in these tragic romances are annihilated in their quest for love, and that is essentially what the notion of fanaa is about