Waris Shah (Punjabi: وارث شاہ) was a Punjabi Muslim poet, born in what is now Pakistani Punjab, living from 1722 – 1798. He is best-known for his seminal work Heer Ranjha, based on the traditional folk tale of Heer and her lover Ranjha. Heer is considered one of the quintessential works of classical Punjabi literature. The story of Heer was also put to paper by several other writers, including Damodar Das, Mukbal, and Ahmed Gujjar, but Waris Shah's version is by far the most popular today. Shah who was born in Jandiala Sher Khan is popular in India and Pakistan, especially in the Punjab region. 
Waris Shah was born into a reputed Syed family, the descendant of Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was born in the village of Jandiala Sher Khan, Sheikhupura District, Punjab in or around 1722. His father's name was Gulshar Shah. Waris Shah acknowledged himself as a disciple of Pir Makhdum of Kasur. Waris Shah's parents are said to have died when he was in his early years and he probably received his education at the shrine of his preceptor. After completing his education in Kasur, he shifted his residence to Malkahans, a town twelve kilometres in the north of Pakpattan. Here, he resided in a small room, adjacent to a historic mosque. Waris Shah died in or around 1798. His mausoleum is a place of pilgrimage today, especially for those in love.
He was a consummate artiste, deeply learned in Sufi and domestic cultural lore. His verse is a treasure-trove of Punjabi phrases, idioms and sayings. His minute and realistic depiction of each detail of Punjabi life and the political situation in the 1700s, remains unique. Waris Shah also sublimated his own unrequited love for a girl (Bhag Bhari) in writing romance. The amazing poetic mould that he worked within has not been bettered by any of his successors till date.
Many verses of Waris Shah are widely used in Punjab in a moral context.One of the more popular is
"Waris Shah; Naa adataan jaandiyan ne, Bhavein katiye pora pora ji"