ay athra ishq naeen saun denda
Ishq Vol 60 — Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Classic Qawwali MP3
Volume 60 of a series titled simply Ishq — love — tells you something about the centrality of this theme to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's entire career. Ishq is the Arabic-origin word for love in its most intense form — not the affectionate or companionate love of Arabic hubb, but the consuming, overwhelming love that the sufi tradition treats as the mechanism of spiritual transformation. Sixty volumes devoted to this single theme is not repetition. The tradition has that much to say about it.
Nusrat's Relationship to the Ishq Theme
He earned great respect in the qawwali community quickly due to his calm nature and powerful voice, and his performances of ishq material have a particular quality: he never sentimentalizes it. The love he performs is not soft. It is the love that the tradition describes as a fire, as an ailment, as an experience that destroys the ordinary self to make room for something more real. His audio and video formats are all available on iRulz without any additional software required, and he has paid homage to this tradition through a complete recording career centered on its themes.
Vocal Art of Sufis Vol 1 and Mix Qawalian both offer complementary perspectives on the same thematic territory. The Best of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Vol 1 is a more curated entry point for listeners coming to the ishq theme without prior familiarity.
Free Download and Streaming
Ishq Vol 60 is available on iRulz for free streaming and download. The complete Nusrat catalogue across all 60+ volumes of this series and others is in the same library.
FAQ
What is the difference between ishq and muhabbat in Arabic/Urdu? Both mean love, but ishq carries the connotation of passionate, consuming, potentially overwhelming love — the kind associated with the sufi tradition's understanding of divine love. Muhabbat is more general.
Does the series run to more than 60 volumes? Given Nusrat's prolific output, it is likely that the ishq-themed material spans well beyond 60 sessions. The numbering reflects a specific compilation project rather than the limits of the archive.
How do I navigate such an extensive catalogue? The iRulz library provides individual track pages. Starting with The Best of Nusrat and working from there based on thematic or stylistic interest is one approach.
You may also enjoy the qawwali of Vocal Art Of Sufis, Mix Qawalian, and Best of Nusrat Vol 1. Listen to more qawwali of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.