he journey along Bahawalpur Road, from Mozang to Chauburji, is often dull and uneventful. On the one side, Miani Sahib graveyard stretches endlessly; on the other, auto workshops and spare shops add to the dreary scene. However, right across the shrine of the Sufi poet Wasif Ali Wasif, you find happiness in the company of books at a library, poetically named Dar-i-Ehsas.

The library is a public welfare project dedicated to the memory of Wasif Ali Wasif. It’s the brainchild of Dr Azhar Waheed, a medical doctor who claims to be a follower of the poetry and philosophy of Wasif Ali Wasif.

Dr Waheed, together with fellow members of Majlis-i-Wasif, a group of like-minded people, undertook the task of preserving and promoting the legacy of the 20^th Century poet, teacher and the author of over a dozen books. Dar-i-Ehsas was established two years ago as a publishing house dedicated to reprinting the works of Wasif Ali Wasif. The creation of the library was a moment of glory for Dr Waheed, who regularly visits the shrine of his spiritual mentor.

Dr Waheed recalls how once he noticed the To-Let sign on a dilapidated workshop building opposite the shrine. Seeing the potential of this space, he, along with a friend, rented the workshop and transformed it into a library-cum-publishing-house-and-art gallery.

As you enter Dar-i-Ehsas, you are greeted by a meticulously curated collection of books. “The main purpose [of Dar-i-Ehsas] is to offer a calm and quiet space to students as well as the general public where they can read books.

Dr Waheed understands the financial challenges faced by small-town students who have to provide for their lodgings, meals and tuition fees. “This place is mainly for those who cannot afford [to buy] books or pay subscription fees of town libraries,” he says. “We don’t charge them anything. Besides, we arrange books as gifts for students who can’t afford them.”

The library has two sections: one where the books are available for purchase, and another which is a reading hall. The collection is categorised into Literature (English and Urdu), Personalities, Iqbaliyat, History, Philosophy, Tasawwuf and Ikhlaqiyat, Seerat and Hadith, Quran and Tafseer and Wasifiyat.

Dr Waheed reveals, “We haven’t spent a penny on [getting] these books; they’ve been donated by some friends. I also brought all the books that I ever bought or was gifted here.”

There are over 1,500 books at Dar-i-Ehsas. Books are added to the collection on a regular basis, and the library continues to grow. Books that are not for sale can’t be issued to the visitors either. These have to be read at the reading room. The rent is borne by Dr Waheed. Staff salaries and utility bills are paid from donations by Majlis-i-Wasif members.

Additionally, it boasts a gallery dedicated to calligraph-art. Dr Waheed says the section was created in the memory of his maternal grandfather Abdul Wahid Nadir Qalam, who was a famous calligraph-artist of his time. His work is on view at the Lahore Museum and Baab-i-Pakistan.

Since 2008, Dar-i-Ehsas has been taking out Wasif Khyal, a quarterly journal that seeks “to spread Wasif Ali Wasif’s message of love and peace.”

Dr Waheed says that since the library is home to some 30-35 books by the poet-writer that can’t be sold or gifted away, excerpts from these books are regularly printed in the journal.

Zeeshan Nadeem is the man behind Wasif Khyal. He spends much of his time at the library. He says the unique selling proposition of the place is its location: “It stands right in front of the shrine of Wasif Ali Wasif.”

According to Nadeem, several books in the collection are a collector’s treasure.

Dr Waheed seconds him by saying that Dar-i-Ehsas has ensured that the books are well preserved.

Talking about commercial gain, he says that earlier Wasif Ali Wasif’s books were printed by some publishers in the Urdu Bazaar who “often overlooked proofreading mistakes and didn’t seem to care about the presentation. Their goal was to make a quick buck.”

Dar-i-Ehsas also offers classes in Arabic and Persian languages as well as in calligraphy. Additionally, it boasts a gallery dedicated to calligraph-art. Dr Waheed says the section was created in the memory of his maternal grandfather Abdul Wahid Nadir Qalam, who was a famous calligraph-artist. His work is on view at the Lahore Museum and Baab-i-Pakistan.

Dar-i-Ehsas also organises naatiya mushaira every month. “The gatherings are aimed at promoting naat recitals,” Dr Waheed says, adding that he also dabbles in composing naats.

Ten years from now, Dr Waheed sees Dar-i-Ehsas as producing people who will contribute to a better society. He says, “We are on a mission to create the kind of people that are free from hatred. If this place can produce such people, it will mean our mission is successful.”

Ahsan Malik is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship