Faiz Al-Najdi RIYADH — The 77th death anniversary of poet-philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal was observed in a solemn ceremony in Riyadh recently. The event was organized by Halqa Fikr-o-Fun and hosted by Dr. Riaz Chaudhry. Noted writer and poet Dr. Shahnaz Muzammil was the chief guest. President of Halqa Fikr-O-Fun Javed Akhter Javed welcomed the guests. “Allama Iqbal was a great poet and his works in Persian and Urdu have served to enlighten Muslim youths and has given them a sense of direction and a purpose of life,” Javed said. “Iqbal arse nau ki ghazal ka imam hae Iqbal ke beghaer ghazal na-tamam hae” (Iqbal is the leader of the new era ghazal and, without Iqbal ghazal is incomplete), said Javed, himself a noted poet. Farah Shamim commenced the proceedings with a lucidly narrated Hamd (eulogy for God) followed by the recitation of a Naat in eulogy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Shabbir Shaukat presented Iqbal's famous verses “Mard-e-Musalman” in his melodious rendition: Har lehza hae Momin ki nayee shaan nai aan Guftaar mein kirdaar mein Allah ki burhaan (Every moment of a true believer is a new grandeur By words and deeds he gives a proof of Mighty God, His reach and power). Noted poet Waqar Wamiq presented his poetry quatrains in Urdu. About Iqbal's poetry Wamiq said: “Iqbal ke afkaar kuch aise haen nirale Har lafz mein pinha haen ujale hee ujale” (Thoughts in Iqbal's poetry are unique Every word of it has treasures of light and wisdom hidden in it). Professor Maimoona Malik, a noted academic and Islamic scholar, presented a detailed study on Iqbal's life and poetry. She said Iqbal's poetry centered on man's self-esteem, his identity and his pursuit to learn about his relationship with God. “In Roman mythology man was described as social animal, Darwin described man's antecedents to be animals, all others degraded humans. In short, no one described human beings as human being except the prophets of God who described man to be the creation of God. The prophets relayed to humans their status before God. And in this century only Allama inculcated upon man his true status via his proposition of Irfan-e-Khudi or the concept of self-esteem,” Malik said. Professor Javed Iqbal described Iqbal as a poet of every era. “The youth of the yesteryears benefitted from Allama's thoughts and the youth of today can also do the same,” he remarked. Farah Shamim read out Iqbal's quatrains in her melodious tone: Yeh ghazi yeh tere purasraar bande Jinhein tune bakhsha hae zauq-e-Khudai (These warriors, victorious, these worshippers of Yours whom You have granted the will to win power in Your name). Abdur Razzak Tabassum, a noted Urdu and Punjabi poet, also read out Iqbal's quatrains in melody. He also read out his own lines eulogizing Iqbal. Dr. Chaudhry thanked everyone for attending the event. He paid glowing tribute to Allama Iqbal and suggested such literary gathering should be organized every now and then to remember the legacy of this great personality. Chief guest Muzammil read out her thesis on the life and works of Iqbal. “I have been an admirer of Allama since childhood and have derived inspirations from his poetry. My entire family has a long association with literature and Iqbal has been a source of inspiration for all of us,” Muzammil remarked. She concluded by reading her quatrains in praise of Iqbal. Ambreen Faiz, Sabra Aziz, Dr. Saeed Ahmad Waince, Faiz Al-Najdi, Sarwar Khan, Shamim Ahmed and Kamran Asghar also attended. Finally, a certificate of appreciation from Adab Sarae, a literary forum founded by Muzammil, was presented to Dr. Chaudhry.
