Muhammad Mujahid Syed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — “Ghazal is still the most popular genre of Urdu poetry that attracts most of the poets. Its sonority and ability to express different moods and shades of life is the prime draw. In addition, its different modulations have kept the poets, readers and audiences captive to its beauty for centuries,” said Dr. Tabish Mehdi. Tabish is in the Kingdom to participate in the Consulate General of India, Jeddah, Annual Mushaira. A famous poet and editor, Tabish, has penned down 33 books, 144 essays and articles and more than 80 prefaces and 200 book reviews till now. A doyen of Urdu poetry, he is invited to almost all international Mushairas. It is his simplicity and melodious voice that enchants all. Tabish was born in Partapgarh, UP, on July 3, 1951. His father Rafiuddin was a farmer. Tabish spent his childhood with his maternal grandfather Sufi Muhammad Sabit Najih Puri. He completed his primary education, and then passed middle school (Class VIII) examination. He then went to Madrasah Subhaniyah Allahabad in 1965 to learn qir'at and tajweed of the Holy Qur'an. He finished his primary Arabic learning there. In 1966 he learned qir'at from Qari Shaukat Ali in Hasanpur, Moradabad. Later in 1967 He went to learn Persian from Allama Bilali Aliabadi of Nawab Ganj, Bahraich. He learned the basics of Urdu poetry from Maulana Bilali. Tabish taught there too. In 1969-70 he completed his Arabic secondary classes from Markaz Uloom-e-Qur'aniyah Jamiussharq, Jaunpur. He passed his Maulvi and Alim examinations from there. Later, he came to Amroha where he enhanced his poetic skills under the tutelage of famous poet Shahbaz Amrovi. Shahbaz proved to be his mentor and guide in Urdu poetry but unlike his mentor, who made his mark in humor and satire, Tabish preferred serious Urdu Ghazal. Shahbaz taught him English too and encouraged him to pass Persian language Munshi and Kamil examinations from Allahabad Board. That he did. In Amroha Tabish learned Urdu poetry's meters from Shahbaz. He passed Adib, Adib Mahir, Adib Kamil examinations from Jamia Urdu Aligarh and passed MA (Urdu) in 1990 from Agra University. He did his doctorate in Urdu literature from Jamia Millia Islamiyah, New Delhi. After leaving Amroha he went to Rampur and edited Zikra magazine there. In August 1978 he went to Deoband as a sub-editor of Tajalli and later editor in chief of its sister magazine fortnightly Ijtema. During his Deoband stay he got married on May 18, 1979. Tabish's independent thinking made him rise to the challenge to publish his own Al-Iman magazine from Deoband with the help of Dr. Abdul Rahman Da'ei of a Nigerian university. Tabish established Maktaba Al-Iman too. During his Deoband stay, as he didn't find the atmosphere conducive for his professional life, he went to Bilaria Ganj, Azamgarh in June 1986. He taught tajweed there for four years. He was the part of editorial staff of the magazine Zindagi-e-Nau for one year in Aligarh. He bought a small house in Abul Fazl Enclave, New Delhi. He joined Markazi Maktaba Islami Publishers in 1991 and worked with it till July 3, 2009. On July 16, 2009 Tabish joined Zindagi-e-Nau as an assistant editor. Tabish has two sons and 4 daughters. All his children, the sons and daughters have literary inclinations. Tabish has published 8 poetry collections Naqsh-e-Awwal, Limaate Haram, Surood-e-Hijaz, Taabeer, Kankar Bolte Hain, Salsabeel, Subhe Sadiq, and Ghazalnama. As a critic and religious scholar he has written couple of books. His travelogues are popular too. “My essays shed light on the life of many famous personalities and poets including Jigar Moradabadi, Shafiq Jaun Puri, Iqbal Suhel, Sikander Ali Wajd; critics like Niyaz Fateh Puri, Rasheed Ahmad Siddiqui, Ehtesham Hussain, Ejaz Hussain, Ale Ahmad Suroor and religious scholars, leaders and journalists like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Shah Moinuddin Nadwi and Haytullah Ansari. “In the field of poetry I am influenced by the modulation of Allama Shahbaz Amrohvi and Abul Mujahid Zahid. I am so lucky that I have good relations with the Urdu literary community and most of the famous critics, literary figures and journalist have reviewed my books. I am thankful to all for their support,” he said. “The script of the Urdu language is its soul; any change in it will kill Urdu language and cut relation of its readers with the golden period of Urdu language of the past, poetry and literature. In Uttar Pradesh this horrific experiment was carried out that almost killed Urdu language there. Maharashtra is the best state to serve Urdu language. Its Urdu-medium schools have saved Urdu in India,” Tabish said. Tabish was all praise for Maulana Azad University, Hyderabad, and hoped that in Lucknow Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Arabic, Persian and Urdu University will also serve the students in the best possible way. He hoped that Urdu language that has got boost due to Urdu newspapers and magazines will progress due to provincial and central government's interest. But he warned Urdu-speaking community to teach Urdu to its children. He has just arrived from a Mushaira trip from the United Kingdom and was happy to see Urdu as a language of communication next to English. Examples of his poetry: Dushman se fuzoon tar hai nigehban ki quwwat Shayed mere dushman ne yeh socha bhi nahin hai Qatil ki han men han jo milata raha tha kal Logon ko aaj uske bhi sar ka pata nahin Mere halat per hain tanqeeden Tum kabhi khud ko bhi tatolo ho Who aadmi jo tabassum ke aabshar men hai Na jane kitne ghamo ranj ke hisar men hai Log apne karnamon ke tufail Khak men mil ker bhi tabinda rahe Taghazzul se pur hai teri her ada Meri — jaan too hai mukammal Ghazal Yeh taaj kya hai ek numaish hai ishq ki Yeh koozah tere saamne sager hai too Ghazal Tera khayal rahta hai her waqt mere sath Kaise kahoon ke khalwat-o-tanhai hai Ghazal.
