Dil-e-Shahana---Bahadur Shah Zaffar

The last Mughal emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar II (1775-1862) was born Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar and was a very famous Urdu poet in his times. His poems are still read with much enthusiasm and admiration among the numerous Urdu poetry fans. The life history of Bahadur Shah Zafar is very interesting and is read with much enthusiasm by all. Read on further about Bahadur Shah Zafar biography and learn more about this Mughal emperor who was a genius poet.

Regarded as one of the greatest Urdu poets in the history of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar wrote a large number of Urdu Ghazals most of which were lost during wars fought in the year 1857. Yet, many of them were saved and were later on compiled as Kulliyat-I-Zafar. His Ghazals are a beautiful collection of words that spell magic and are read with awe and admiration even today. 

Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last and the weakest Mughal emperor. Even then he was considered a hero and was portrayed like one in many Hindi films. A road has been named in his honor in New Delhi, India. His valuable contribution in the Indian freedom struggle is very much acknowledged and he is known as a nationalist in modern India.

He was not a very able emperor and his empire had a lot of chaos and unrest. He was defeated and was sent on an exile in Rangoon. He died over there in the year 1862 and a tomb was built in his honor, which exists even today.

Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar, also known as Bahadur Shah or Bahadur Shah II was the last of the Mughal emperors in India, as well as the last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty. He was the son of Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu Rajput. He became the Mughal Emperor upon his father's death on 28 September 1837. Zafar ,meaning “victory” was his 'nom de plume' (takhallus) as an Urdu poet.
He has written many Urdu ghazals. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the British Administration exiled him from Delhi.

Ascent to the Throne / Masnad
--------------------------------

Zafar's father, Akbar Shah Saani II, ruled over a rapidly disintegrating empire between 1806 to 1837. It was during his time that the East India Company dispensed with even the fig leaf of ruling in the name of the Mughal monarch and removed his name from the Persian texts that appeared on the coins struck by the company in the areas under their control.

Bahadur Shah Zafar who succeeded him was not Akbar Shah Saani’s choice as his successor. Akbar Shah was, in fact, under great pressure by one of his queens, Mumtaz Begum to declare her son Mirza Jahangir as the successor. Akbar Shah would have probably accepted this demand but Mirza Jahangir had fallen afoul of the British and they would have none of this.

As Emperor
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Bahadur Shah Zafar presided over a Mughal empire that barely extended beyond Delhi's Red Fort. The East India Company were the dominant political and military power in mid 19th-century India. Outside British India, hundreds of kingdoms and principalities, from the large to the small, fragmented the land. The emperor in Delhi was paid some respect by the Company and allowed a pension, the authority to collect some taxes, and to maintain a small military force in Delhi, but he posed no threat to any power in India. Bahadur Shah II himself did not take an interest in statecraft or possess any imperial ambitions. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the British Administration exiled him from Delhi.

Emperor Bahadur Shah is seen by some in India as a freedom fighter (he was Commander-In-Chief of the mutiny army), fighting for India's independence from the Company. As the last ruling member of the imperial Timurid Dynasty he was surprisingly composed and calm when Major Hodson presented decapitated heads of his own sons to him as Nowruz gifts. He is famously remembered to have said.
"Praise be to Allah, that descendents of Timur always come in front of their fathers in this way."
As Poet
--------------

Bahadur Shah Zafar was a noted Urdu poet, and wrote a large number of Urdu ghazals. While some part of his opus was lost or destroyed during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a large collection did survive, and was later compiled into the Kulliyyat-i-Zafar. The court that he maintained, although somewhat decadent and arguably pretentious for someone who was effectively a pensioner of the British East India Company, was home to several Urdu writers of high standing, including Ghalib, Dagh, Mumin, and Zauq.

Religious Attitudes
-------------------------

Bahadur Shah Zafar was a devout Sufi. Zafar was himself regarded as a Sufi Pir and used to accept murids or pupils.The loyalist newspaper Delhi Urdu Akhbaar once called him one of the leading saints of the age, approved of by the divine court. Prior to his accession, in his youth he made it a point to live and look like a poor scholar and dervish, in stark contrast to his three well dressed dandy brothers, Mirza Jahangir, Salim and Babur. In 1828, when Zafar was 53 and a decade before he succeeded the throne, Major Archer reported, "Zafar is a man of spare figure and stature, plainly apparelled, almost approaching to meanness. His appearance is that of an indigent munshi or teacher of languages".

As a poet and dervish, Zafar imbibed the highest subtleties of mystical Sufi teachings.At the same time, he was deeply susceptible to the magical and superstitious side of Orthodox Sufism. Like many of his followers, he believed that his position as both a Sufi pir and emperor gave him tangible spiritual powers. In an incident in which one of his followers was bitten by a snake, Zafar attempted to cure him by sending a "seal of Bezoar" (a stone antidote to poison) and some water on which he had breathed, and giving it to the man to drink.

Death
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Bahadur Shah died in exile on 7 November 1862. He was buried near the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, at the site that later became known as Bahadur Shah Zafar Dargah. His wife Zeenat Mahal died in 1886.

In a marble enclosure adjoining the dargah of Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli, an empty grave or Sardgah marks the site where he had willed to be buried along with some of his Mughal predecessors, Akbar Shah II, Bahadur Shah I (also known as Shah Alam I) and Shah Alam II.

lagtā nahīń hé jī mérā ūjař'é dayār méń

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Lagta nahi hai ji mera ujre dayar men

kiskī banī hé ālam-e-nā-pāyedār méń

būlbūl ko pāsbāń se na saiyyād se gilā

qismet méń qaid likhī tthī fasl-e-bahār méń

kaeh do in hassretoń se kahīń aur jā bas'

éńitnī jageh kahāń hé dil-e-dāGhdār méń

ik shāKh-e-gūl pe baiTh ke būlbūl hé shādmāń

kānTe bichā diye héń dil-e-lālāzār méń

umr-e-darāz māńg ke lāye tthe chār din

do ārzū méń kaT gayé do intezār méń

din zindagī ke Khatm hué shām ho gayī

p'hailā ke pāoń soyeń-ge kūńj-e-mazaar méń

kitnā hé bad-naseeb zafar dafn ke liye

do gaz zamīn bhī na milī kū-e-yār méń

baat karanii mujhe mushkil kabhii aisii to na thii

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baat karanii mujhe mushkil kabhii aisii to na thii
jaisii ab hai terii mahafil kabhii aisii to na thii
le gayaa chhiin ke kaun aaj teraa sabr-o-qarar
beqaraarii tujhe ai dil kabhii aisii to na thii
chashm-e-qaatil merii dushman thii hameshaa lekin
jaise ab ho ga_ii qaatil kabhii aisii to na thii
un kii aa.Nkho.n ne Khudaa jaane kiyaa kyaa jaaduu
ke tabiiyat merii maa_il kabhii aisii to na thii
aks-e-ruKh-e-yaar ne kis se hai tujhe chamakaayaa
taab tujh me.n maah-e-kaamil kabhii aisii to na thii
kyaa sabab tuu jo biga.Dataa hai "Zafar" se har baar
Khuu terii huur-e-shamaa_il kabhii aisii to na thii

biich me.n pardaa du_ii kaa thaa jo haayal uTh gayaa

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biich me.n pardaa du_ii kaa thaa jo haayal uTh gayaa
aisaa kuchh dekhaa ke duniyaa se meraa dil uTh gayaa
shamaa ne ro ro ke kaaTii raat suulii par tamaam
shab ko jo mahafil se terii ai zeb-e-mahafil uTh gayaa
merii aa.Nkho.n me.n samaayaa us kaa aisaa nuur-e-haq
shauq-e-nazzaaraa ai badr-e-kaamil uTh gayaa
ai Zafar kyaa puuchhataa hai begunaah-o-bar-gunah
uTh gayaa ab jidhar ko vaaste qaatil uTh gayaa

hamane duniyaa me.n aake kyaa dekhaa

------------------------------------------

hamane duniyaa me.n aake kyaa dekhaa
dekhaa jo kuchh so Khvaab-saa dekhaa
hai to insaan Khaak kaa putalaa
lek paanii kaa bul-bulaa dekhaa
Khuub dekhaa jahaa.N ke Khuubaa.N ko
ek tujh saa na duusaraa dekhaa
ek dam par havaa na baa.Ndh habaab
dam ko dam bhar me.n yaa.N havaa dekhaa
na huye terii Khaak-e-paa ham ne
Khaak me.n aap ko milaa dekhaa
ab na diije "Zafar" kisii ko dil
ki jise dekhaa bevafaa dekhaa

khulataa nahii.n hai haal kisii par kahe baGair

---------------------------------------------

khulataa nahii.n hai haal kisii par kahe baGair
par dil kii jaan lete hai.n dil_bar kahe baGair
mai.n kyuu.Nkar kahuu.N tum aao ki dil kii kashish se 

vo aayeNge dau.De aap mere ghar kahe baGair
kyaa taab kyaa majaal hamaarii ki bosaa le.n
lab ko tumhaare lab se milaakar kahe baGair
bedard tuu sune naa sune lek dard-e-dil
rahataa nahii.n hai aashiq-e-muztar kahe baGair
taqdiir ke sivaa nahii.n milataa kahii.n se bhii
dilavaataa ai "Zafar" hai muqaddar kahe baGair

na kisii kii aa.Nkh kaa nuur huu.N na kisii ke dil kaa qaraar huu.N

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na kisii kii aa.Nkh kaa nuur huu.N na kisii ke dil kaa qaraar huu.N
jo kisii ke kaam na aa sake mai.n vo ek musht-e-Gubaar huu.N
na to mai.n kisii kaa habiib huu.N na to mai.n kisii kaa raqiib huu.N
jo biga.D gayaa vo nasiib huu.N jo uja.D gayaa vo dayaar huu.N
meraa rang-ruup biga.D gayaa meraa yaar mujh se bichha.D gayaa
jo chaman fizaa.N me.n uja.D gayaa mai.n usii kii fasl-e-bahaar huu.N
paye faatehaa ko_ii aaye kyuu.N ko_ii chaar phuul cha.Daaye kyuu.N
ko_ii aake shammaa jalaaye kyuu.N mai.n vo bekasii kaa mazaar huu.N
mai.n nahii.n huu.N naGmaa-e-jaa.N_fishaa.N mujhe sun ke ko_ii karegaa kyaa
mai.n ba.De barog kii huu.N sadaa main ba.De dukh kii pukaar huu.N

subah ro ro ke shaam hotii hai

------------------------------

subah ro ro ke shaam hotii hai
shab ta.Dap kar tamaam hotii hai
saamane chashm-e-mast ke saaqii
kis ko parvaah-e-jaam hotii hai
ko_ii Gunchaa khilaa ke bul-bul ko
bekalii zar-e-daam hotii hai
ham jo kahate hai.n kuchh ishaaro.n se
ye Khataa laa-kalaam hotii hai

Sufism in Urdu poetry

Khwaja Mir Dard

Urdu language and literature is the symbol and heritage of the composite culture of India. The literature represents centuries old civilization and cultural history of the sub-continent. This is the reason; it contains not only the colors of sub-continental life but also the best intellectual assets of its time. Urdu has emerged with the beginning of composite culture and consequently its literature depicts the glimpses of the composite life which makes the canvas of Urdu literature larger than any other literature in India. Classical heritage of Urdu is very important in this regard. Urdu classical literature, especially its poetry was a medium of representing global thoughts. While doing this, most poets gave ample space to Sufism in their creations.



Another reason for presenting Sufi thoughts was the impact of Persian poetry on early Urdu poetry, and in Persian poetry Hafiz Shirazi and Maulana Rūm were popular due to their Sufi poetry. Therefore, early poets of Urdu also adopted Sufism as their means of communication. The main reason of flourishing such thoughts in India is that the Indian soil itself has a spiritual history which can be found in Upnishadas. Founder of Buddhist religion, Gautam Buddha also paved the way for Sufism. This was the reason why Sufis and saints were very popular figures in Indian society. After that, when Islam came to India, it introduced Sufism in its own way. As such, when we study the cultural history of India, we find that mystics, saints and Muslim Sufis played an important role in building Indian nation.



India is called a ‘land of devotion and love’ due to these Sufis and saints. Messages of Sufism and its traditions like Khanqah, Peer, Murshid, Ibadat, Riyazat, message of humanity, etc. were so popular in those days that religious leaders, poets and academicians also gave much importance to Sufism in their works. We see its impact on every Indian literature. Urdu was a lingua franca for a long period and was also an official language of India in the beginning. But, after the partition, Urdu got badly affected by linguistic discrimination, but is still a language of common people in India. This is the reason why Urdu gave space to the thoughts of every section of the society and also influenced by Persian and Arabic literatures. Urdu was under the influence of Persian from the very beginning and it also borrowed grammatical setting as well as intellectual trends from Persian. The time when Persian had achieved its universal status, Urdu was in its early stage. Hafiz Shirazi, Maulana Rūm and Umar Khayyam were known and read in India at that time too, and they are equally important even today. So, their views about Sufism were transferred into Urdu through them only. In India, Sufi movement was carried ahead by Amir Khusro, Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gesu Daraz, Shaikh Bahauddin, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Nizamuddin Aulia, Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki and so on. After that some Urdu poets gave space to Sufism in their poetry and included human life and other such issues in their works. Sufi poetry then became an important trend in Urdu literature and get popularity among Urdu poets.
Khwaja Mir Dard was also among such poets. His name was Syed Khwaja Mir and ‘Dard’ was his Pseudonym. His father Khwaja Mohammad Nasir was a good Persian poet whose Pseudonym was ‘Andalib’. Khwaja Mir Dard born in Delhi in 1720 A.D. and received all types of traditional education of that time, and spiritual education and training, from his father. Due to mystic education he spent his entire life on the footprints of Sufism. By profession he was a soldier in his adulthood. But, after the death of his father he became a Sajjadanashin (head of Khanqah). He inherited poetry and Tasawwuf from his father. He was respected by all whether poor or rich, king or beggar as he was a Sufi by nature. He left all worldliness and chose to a life of a mystic.



He witnessed the age of political and cultural anarchy in Delhi where everyone was suffering from pain and misery. In that situation only Tasawwuf (mysticism) could give them relief and peace. This is the reason why Sufi movement reached on its zenith in 18^th century. Delhi at that time was a centre of insurgency, so the residents of Delhi were heading towards Awadh and Rampur states after suffering from poverty, misery and economic insecurity. But, these things did not put any impact on ‘Dard’ and he remained in Delhi till his last time. He died in 1785 and buried in Delhi itself. Dard was fond of reading and writing from his childhood. He wrote various books. One of his Diwan (collection of poetry) is in Persian and one is in Urdu. His critics are of the opinion no other Urdu poet presented Sufism as clearly in his poetry as ‘Dard’ did.
According to Maulana Mohammad Husain Azad:



“As was written by him (Dard) on Tasawwuf, done by none.” (Aab-e-Hayat)
Imam Asar writes that:
“On the subject of Tasawwuf, none was such a great poet in Urdu as was he (Dard).” (Kashif-ul-Haqaiq)



Before putting some light on the Tasawwuf of Khwaja Mir Dard, let us find out what is Tasawwuf. Tasawwuf basically is an internal revolt of human conscience against overall injustice. In human history, Tasawwuf or Sufism has been a universal movement. We find Sufi tradition in most religions of the world. These traditions were prior to Islam. Tasawwuf, in a sense, is a way of prayer based on some principles. The evolution of Sufism can be understood through various schools of thoughts. Major trends of Sufism can be found among Jews, Christians, Zoroastrianism, Buddhists as well as Hindus. It is found in many small religions of the world also. As a whole, we find two extremely important trends in human life – one is linked with this world, to get more and more wealth and pomp and show, and the other is linked with monasticism where man does not like this world and wants to live a peaceful life away from population and thus takes shelter in forests and mountains. Both these trends have been there in human life from the beginning. Those who preferred to live a monastic life left this world and went to forests and mountains in search of God. On the other hand, Muslim saints and Sufis did not boycott this world. They followed Islamic principles and did not think to boycott social life for their prayers. They not only preached Islamic way of life but also gave a message of humanity to the world. They played the role of social reformer and removed various ill-wills from the society. Their institutions were of social importance in that age. These institutions not only played a major role in the building of Indian nation but also provided a different and special image to India on international map. Due to their efforts communal harmony, brotherhood, love and peace still exist in India. Khwaja Mir Dard was the follower of same route.



Famous Sufi and Urdu poet Sirajuddin Ali Khan once said about Khwaja Mir Dard after seeing him in his early adulthood:



“He is a talented youth. What I see in him, if followed in practical life, then with the grace of God he will find a prominent place in Sufism.” ( Tazkera)
No other Urdu poet gets as much name and fame in Sufi poetry as was received by Dard. We do not find such beautiful couplets on Sufism other than the poetry of Khwaja Mir Dard. There are various reasons to this: Dard was by birth a Sufi. His father Khwaja Nasir Andalib was one of the eminent Sufis of Delhi. His whole life passed while delivering the message of love and peace. Khanqah of Khwaja Nasir in Delhi was the centre of Sufis. Dard also got this spiritual education from his father. During his adulthood, Khwaja Mir Dard spent some time in some services, but he left all these things soon and became a Sufi saint and spent the rest of his life on this line. This was the reason behind his successful Sufi poetry. And that is why his poetry has ever lasting impact on its readers. His poems are totally based on his practical life and whatever he felt in real life. His philosophy doe not teach the lesson of monasticism or leaving social life.



Sufi poets give much importance to the practice of love. Bearing the difficulties of love is mandatory for them. Dard also represents same love. Love is that oven which produces sacred human being or Sufi. Dard describes some of these difficulties in his poetry:

درد کا حال کچھ نہ پوچھو تم

وہی رونا ہے نت وہی غم ہے

Don’t ask the condition of “Dard”
Wailing on the pain and the pain is there again



Sufi lit a fire of love in his heart and tries to get a shelter in this fire and then gets access to Allah. But, this is possible only when your heart is clear like a mirror. Heart becomes clear only when it keeps itself from all desires of life and comes to spiritual world after leaving behind all material wishes. After passing this stage the heart gets the ability for the perception of reality. He then finds a window in his heart from where he can see his Creator, the Almighty God. As Dard says:

ارض و سماں کہاں تیری وسعت کو پاسکے
میرا ہی دل ہے وہ کہ جہاں تو سماں سکے

Earth and sky are too small for you

It’s only my heart capable of accommodating you.

It gives him specialty to keep himself away from all wrong doings. He then lives in this world as a friend of all human beings.



These prints are amply available in Dard’s poetry. His poems are full of search and seeking because it is seeking which comes first in the way of Sufism and then starts the spiritual struggles. This is the reason why we see a lot of questions and queries in Dard’s poetry. These things are related to the Creator of Universe. These couplets are some examples:

درد کچھ معلوم ہے یہ لوگ سب
کس طرف سے آئے تھے کدھر چلے

زندگی ہے یا کوئی طوفان ہے
ہم تو اس جینے کے ہاتھوں مرچلے

Dard is trying to understand world through these couplets. These questions have their answers hidden in them that this world is temporary and man spends only some time in this world. So, it is important for him to be happy which is possible only when his society is peaceful. And peace and harmony are created by humans only. If all human beings of this world try to maintain peace and harmony, they can live a happy and better life.



Khwaja Mir Dard did not accept Tasawwuf as only a tradition. In case of not being a poet he might be a practical Sufi. According to him all knowledge is associated with three main subjects: God, Human being and Universe.

1. What is God, and where is he?
2. What is the reality of man, his position in the universe, and his relation with God?
3. What is the relation between Universe and Human being, and what is the relation between the Universe and God?

After the concept of God, next issue is the relation between man and God. Some qualities are common between man and God. Then the question arises as whether man is parallel to God? In reality, man is not parallel to God instead his qualities are from God. He is the mirror of God and thus is a needy of God. God has created man for his expressions. God expects from man that he will maintain peace and harmony and create an atmosphere of love on Earth as God loves his creations.



According to Sufis God is free from all sins and if there is a sin in anything it has been created by us only. God has left us free for good and bad. Then comes the question as how much the man is responsible for his doings? There are two groups on this issue. One group thinks that man is in the control of his saying and doing, while the other group thinks that man is just dependent. Both these groups exist among Sufis. But, both of them agree with the conclusion that man creates his own world through his doings. Faults and errors of this world are created by us. His life will be that much peaceful as much he loves cares and sympathizes with his fellow human beings.



According to Sufis this world cannot go well without love. Love is the necessity of life both from material and spiritual point of view. Man can reach to God only through love. System of this universe cannot perform its functions without the warmth of love.



Khwaja Mir Dard also recognizes this fact. He also agrees that without loving human beings we cannot love God in true sense. The same message of love makes a man a true human being and gives everyone the right to live an equal life. The man who fears from his God will never become cruel to others and will never exploit others.



This is the same message of love for which Sufis are respected even today.



Poetry of Khwaja Mir Dard is full of such messages and feelings like:

باوجود یکہ پرو بال نہ تھے آدم کے

وہاں پہنچا کہ فرشتے کا بھی مقدور نہ تھا

Though Adam didn’t have the wings and furs

But he reached beyond the imagination of angels

Here Khwaja Mir Dard depicts the greatness of human being in his own style. It’s not in symbols like (عطار) Attar has expressed in his Mantiq-ut-tair but a direct expression of the greatness of human being. Sufis have always recognized the importance of mankind and it was known to them that human is different from other creations but they have always insisted on minimizing the feelings of being special.



Dard has also thrown lights on the realities of life. He has also presented the sadness of this life through his poetry. He also talks on moral subjects along with the greatness of humanity. His age was an age of moral degradation, so he tried to give the lesson of the greatness of humanity and that of goodness.



According to Dr. Abdullah:


“Tasawwuf is that part of Dard’s poetry due to which he got respect from his age and became a great poet and this is a reality that if Dard were not a poet (and a Sufi) then also he would have got a prominent place among the great poets of his age. We cannot deny the fact that his virtual poetry has also special values and ethos which shows that his Sufi training is stopping him from the wrong path.”



(Urdu Adab ki Ek Sadi)



Dard’s age was full of insurgency and emergency. Mass killing was everywhere. Delhi was looted several times. Throne of many kings were snatched and they were forced to live a miserable life. Such happenings gave rise to the feeling of sadness and negativity. These things also got place in Urdu poetry of that time, and Dard was also not any exception. But he described these aspects in a positive sense that the world and human beings are also not survive for ever only God will survive, so in a very small span of time we should spend our life a memorable and use full life.

نے گل کو ہے ثبات نہ ہم کو ہی اعتبار
کس بات پر چمن ہوس رنگ و بوکریں

زندگی ہے يا کوئی طوفان ہے
ہم تو اس جينے کے ہاتھوں مر چلے

In conclusion, we can say that as Khwaja Mir Dard was associated with Sufi Khanqah, so he gave message of peace and love through his poetry. Many people were associated with his Khanqah who were also overwhelmed by his thoughts. Most of the poets of 18^th century also tried to understand life and the existence of human being and they recognized the importance of human love and friendship with fellow human beings. And, actually this is the lesson of Sufism. Urdu poetry is full of these feelings and there is a strong tradition of Sufi poetry in Urdu literature.

                   

Muzaffar Warsi--- Kaaba-e-Ishq

Muzaffar Warsi (born 20 December 1933 in Meerath, India died 28 January 2011) was a prominent Urdu poet, critic, essayist, a lyricist par excellence, and scholar of Pakistan. He was one whose work never fails to surprise. A humble man with humble beginnings who is unafraid of experimenting. He began more than five decades ago comprises a rich repertoire of not just Naats, but also authoring several anthologies of Ghazals, Nazms & hycoes including his autobiography Gaye dinon ka suraagh which is considered to be a classic. He was writing quatrains every day for Pakistan's Renowned daily newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt.

Muzaffar Warsi was born as Muhammad Muzaffar ud Din siddiqui into the family of Alhaaj Muhammad Sharf ud Din Ahmad known as Sufi Warsi (Urdu: صوفی وارثی). It was a family of landlords of Meerath. Sufi Warsi was a scholar of Islam, a doctor and poet. He received two titles: Faseeh ul Hind & Sharaf u shu'ara. He was the friend of Sir Muhammad Iqbal {(Allama Iqbal (علامہ اقبال‎)}, Akbar Warsi, Hasrat Mohani, Josh Malih Abadi, Ahsan Danish, Abul Kalaam Azad and Mahindar Singh Bedi. The family raised him with deep religious grounding. He has one brother namely Dr. M. S. Zafar Warsi who was also associated with State Bank as Assistant Director. Muzaffar Warsi's Nephew Usman Warsi is a Singer, Music Composer and a Poet. Usman's videos are available online as well. Muzaffar Warsi remained attached to State Bank of Pakistan (the Central Bank of Pakistan) as Deputy Treasurer. Muzaffar Warsi started his poetry by writing lyrics for songs for Pakistani movies but gradually changed direction and his style of poetry became more oriented towards praising Allah and the Islamic prophet Muhammad or in other words he started writing Hamd and Naats. He also wrote, regularly, a stanza or two on current affairs in the Newspaper Nawa-e-Waqt until recently.He died on 28-01-2011 in Lahore Pakistan.

Literary work

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Barf ki Nao

 Baab-e-Haram

 Lehja

 Noor-e-Azal

 Alhamd

 Hisaar

 Lahoo ki Haryali

 Sitaron ki Aabjoo

 Kaaba-e-Ishq

 Khule dareechey band hawa

 Dil sey dar-e-Nabi tak

 Zulm na sehna

 Kamand

Kalaam

ab ke barasaat kii rut aur bhii bhaDakiilii hai

jism se aag nikalatii hai, qabaa giilii hai

sochataa huuN ke ab anjaam-e-safar kyaa hogaa

log bhii kaaNch ke hain, raah bhii pathariilii hai

shiddat-e-karb men to haNsanaa karb hai meraa

haath hii saKht hain zanjiir kahaaN Dhiilii hai

gard aaNkhon men sahii daaG to chehare pe nahiin

lafz dhuNdhale hain magar fikr to chamakiilii hai

ghol detaa hai sama'at men vo miiThaa lahajaa

kis ko maaluum ke ye qind bhii zahariilii hai

pahale rag-rag se merii Khuun nichoDaa us ne

ab ye kahataa hai ke rangat hii merii piilii hai

mujhako be-rang hii na karade kahiin rang itane

sabz mausam hai, hawaa surKh, fizaa niilii hai

merii paravaaz kisii ko nahiin bhaatii to na bhaaye

kyaa karuuN zehan "Muzaffar" meraa jibariilii hai

kyaa bhalaa mujhako paraKhane ke natiijaa nikalaa

zaKhm-e-dil aap kii nazaron se bhii geharaa nikalaa

toDakar dekh liyaa aaiinaa-e-dil tuune

terii suurat ke sivaa aur bataa kyaa nikalaa

tishnagii jam gaii patthar kii tarah honTon par

Duub kar tere dariyaa men main pyaasaa nikalaa

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lab-e-Khaamosh se izhaar-e-tamannaa chaahe

baat karane ko bhii tasviir kaa lahajaa chaahe

tu chale saath to aahaT bhii na aaye apanii

daramiyaaN ham bhii na ho yuuN tujhe tanhaa chaahe

zaahiirii aaNkhon se kyaa dekh sakegaa koii

apane baaton pe bhii ham faash honaa chaahe

jism-poshii ko mile chaadar-e-aflaak hamen

sar chhupaane ke liye vusa'at -e-seharaa chaahe

Khvaab men roye to ehasaas ho sairaabii kaa

ret par soyen magar aaNkh men dariyaa chaahe

bheNT chaD jaauuN na main apane hii Khair-o-shar kii

Khuun-e-dil zabt kare zaKhm tamaashaa chaahe

zindagii aaNkh se ojhal ho magar Khatm na ho

ek jahaaN aur pas-e-pardaa-e-duniyaa chaahe

aaj kaa din to chalo kaT hii gayaa jaise bhii kaTaa

ab Khudaa-band se Khairiyat-e-fardaa chaahe

aise tairaak bhii dekhe hain 'Muzaffar' hamane

Garq hone ke liye bhii jo saharaa chaahe

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maanaa ke musht-e-Khaak se baDakar nahiin huuN main

lekin havaa ke raham-o-karam par nahiin huuN main

insaan huuN dhaDakate huye dil pe haath rakh

yuuN Duubakar na dekh samundar nahiin huuN main

chehare pe mal rahaa huuN siyaahii nasiib kii

aaiinaa haath men hai sikander nahiin huuN main

Gaalib terii zamiin mein likkhii to hai Gazal

tere kad-e-suKhan ke baraabar nahiin huuN main

merii zindagii kisii aur kii, mere naam kaa koii aur hai

mera aks hai sar-e-aaiinaa, pase aaiinaa koii aur hai

merii dhaDakanon men hai chaap sii, ye judaaii bhii hai milaap sii

mujhe kyaa pataa, mere dil bataa, mere saath kyaa koii aur hai

na gae dinon ko Khabar merii, na shariik-e-haal nazar terii

tere des men, mere bhes men, koii aur thaa koii aur hai

vo merii taraf nigaraaN rahe, meraa dhyaan jaane kahaaN rahe

merii aaNkh men kaii suuraten, mujhe chaahataa koii aur hai

sholaa huuN bhadakane kii guzaarish nahiin karataa

sach muuNh se nikal jaataa hai koshish nahiin karataa

giratii hui diivaar kaa hamdard huuN lekin

chaDate hue suuraj kii parastish nahiin karataa

maathe ke pasiine kii mahak aaye to dekhen

vo Khuun mere jism men gardish nahiin karataa

hamdardii-e-ahabaab se Darataa huuN 'Muzaffar'

main zaKhm to rakhataa huuN numaaish nahiin karataa

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zaKhm-e-tanhaa_ii men Khushbuu-e-hinaa kisakii thii
saayaa diivaar pe meraa thaa sadaa kisakii thii

uskii raftaar se lipaTii rahii merii aaNkhen
us ne muD kar bhii na dekhaa ki vafaa kis kii thii

vaqt kii tarah dabe paaNv ye kaun aayaa hai
main aNdheraa jise samajhaa vo qabaa kis kii thii

aaNsuon se hii sahii bhar gayaa daaman meraa
haath to main ne uThaaye the duaa kisakii thii

merii aahon kii zabaan koii samajhataa kaise
zindagii itanii dukhii mere sivaa kisakii thii

aag se dostii us kii thii jalaa ghar meraa
dii ga_ii kis ko sazaa aur Khataa kisakii thii

main ne biinaaiyaaN bo kar bhii andhere kaaTe
kis ke bas men thii zamiin abr-o-havaa kis kii thii

chhoD dii kis liye tuu ne "Muzaffar" duniyaa
justjuu sii tujhe har vaqt bataa kisakii thii

zaKhm-e-tanhaa_ii men Khushbuu-e-hinaa kisakii thii

saayaa diivaar pe meraa thaa sadaa kisakii thii

uskii raftaar se lipaTii rahii merii aaNkhen

us ne muD kar bhii na dekhaa ki vafaa kis kii thii

vaqt kii tarah dabe paaNv ye kaun aayaa hai

main aNdheraa jise samajhaa vo qabaa kis kii thii

aaNsuo.n se hii sahii bhar gayaa daaman meraa

haath to main ne uThaaye the duaa kisakii thii

merii aahon kii zabaan koii samajhataa kaise

zindagii itanii dukhii mere sivaa kisakii thii

aag se dostii us kii thii jalaa ghar meraa

dii gaii kis ko sazaa aur Khataa kisakii thii

main ne biinaa_iyaaN bo kar bhii a.ndhere kaaTe

kis ke bas men thii zamiin abr-o-havaa kis kii thii

chhoD dii kis liye tuu ne "Muzaffar" duniyaa

justjuu sii tujhe har vaqt bataa kisakii thii

Urdu Language

The term ‘Urdu’ and its origin

The term Urdu derives from a Turkish word ordu meaning camp or army. The Urdu language developed between the Muslim soldiers of the Mughals armies who belonged to various ethnicities like Turks, Arabs, Persians, Pathans, Balochis, Rajputs, Jats and Afghans. These soldiers lived in close contact with each other and communicated in different dialects, which slowly and gradually evolved into present day Urdu. It is for this reason that Urdu is also referred to as Lashkari Zaban or language of the army.
During its development Urdu language also assumed various names like the term Urdu-e-Maullah meaning the exalted army which was given by Emperor Shah Jahan and the term Rekhta meaning scattered (with Persian words) which was coined by the scholars for Urdu poetry.

History and Evolution of Urdu Language

Evolution and development of any language is dependent on the evolution and development of a society where that language is spoken. Various invasions and conquests on a place affect the development of its language. Urdu is no exception as it also underwent various stages of development.

Urdu belongs to the Indo-Aryan family of languages. Urdu by origin is considered to be a descendent of Saur Senic Prakrit. The term Prakrriti means root or basis. It is a later version of Sanskrit. As Prakrit language began to develop, it was influenced by Western Hindi dialects of Khari Boli, Brij Bhasa and Haryanvi.

With the coming of Insha’s Darya-e-Latafat*, a need was felt to differentiate Urdu with other languages especially Hindi. It became a Hindi-Urdu controversy and as a result Khari Boli and Devanagari became the identity of Indians while Urdu and Persian of Muslims. In this context, Persian and Arabic words replaced with Sanskrit served the purpose of differentiating Hindi from Urdu.

Urdu emerged as a distinct language after 1193 AD – the time of the Muslims conquest. When the Muslims conquered this part of the continent, they made Persian the official and cultural language of India. As a result of the amalgamation of local dialects and the language of the invaders – which was either Persian, Arabic and Turkish, a new language evolved which later became Urdu. During the Mughals reign, Urdu was spoken in palaces and court and till the end of the Mughal rule; Urdu was the official language of most of Mughal states. This was the time when Urdu had become Persianized and enriched with Persian words, phrases and even script and grammar. With the coming of the British, new English words also became part of the Urdu language. Many English words were accepted in their real form while others were accepted after some modifications.

Currently, Urdu vocabulary contains approximately 70% of Persian words and the rest are a mixture of Arabic and Turkish words. However, there are also traces of the French, Portuguese and Dutch language in Urdu. But these influences are little.
Urdu was taken to other parts of the country by soldiers, saints and sufis and by the common people. As a result of the political, social and cultural contacts amongst the people of different speech and dialects, a mixed form of language formed called ‘Rekhta’ (Urdu and Persian in mixed form). Soon people started to use the new language in their speech and in literature which resulted in the enrichment of Urdu language and literature.

Urdu Literature

The origin of Urdu literature dates back to the 13th century in India during the Mughal rule. One of the most eminent earliest poets who made usage of Urdu in his poetry is Amir Khusro who can be called the father of Urdu language. In literature, Urdu was usually used along side Persian. Mughal kings were the great patrons of art and literature and it was under their rule that Urdu language reached its zenith. There used to be a tradition of ‘Sheri Mehfils’ (poetic gatherings) in the kings’ courts. Abul Fazal Faizi and Abdul Rahim Khankhana were the famous Urdu poets of Mughal court. Likewise, Mirza Ghalib, Allama Iqbal, Hakim Momin, Ibrahim Zauq, Mir Taqi Mir, Sauda, Ibn-e-Insha and Faiz Ahmed Faiz have contributed to the evolution of Urdu language through their literary works.

It is indeed true that Hindi and Urdu are descendents of the same language i.e. Prakrit, but where the Hindi took influence from Sanskrit and adopted Devanagri script of writing, Urdu absorbed words from Persian, Turkish and Arabic languages and adopted Persian-Arabic script and Nastaliq calligraphic style of writing and emerged as a separate language. But beside common ancestry, the two languages are as different as can be. There are marked grammatical, phonological and lexical differences in both languages.

Urdu was also used as a tool by the Muslims for freedom struggle and for creating awareness among Muslim communities in South Asia to unite under the banner of Independence from British Raj. For this, services of Maulana Hali, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Allama Iqbal are notable, who through their poetry and prose provoked the necessary spark in the lives of the Muslims. Urdu was chosen to become the national language of Pakistan at the time of Independence from British. Urdu is now the national language of Pakistan, spoken and understood thoroughly by majority of the population.

A book by Ibn-e-Insha, dealing with phonetic and linguistic characteristics of Urdu and a variety of work formations and rhetorical expressions.

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The word ‘ Urdu ‘ is derived from Turkish word ‘ Ordu ‘ meaning ‘ Army Camp ‘ or ‘Lashkar ‘ . Exact origin of ‘ Urdu ‘ is some what difficult to trace; but many different theories have been developed to explain it. Mohammad Hussain Azad, an eminent Indian scholar, believes that Brij Bhasha, a dialect of Western Hindi, is the mother language of Urdu. Later on the invasion of Delhi by Muslims engrafted many Persian elements, which resulted in the creation of a new hybrid language called Urdu.

Mehmud Sherani, on the contrary, maintains that Urdu language originated due to the interaction and intermixing of Muslim soldiers and locals (Hindus) after the conquest of Punjab and sindh by Mehmud of Ghazni. During this era many Punjabi words and idioms got interwoven in Hindi of Delhi and thus a new language came into being.

But the most established theory relating the origination, evolution and development of Urdu language is that Urdu is a conglomeration of many different languages manly Arabic, Persian, Pashtu, Turkish, Hindi and some local dialects of India. Muslims ruled over India for about 1,000 years. Muslim army comprised of soldiers of different origins and nationalities speaking different languages. Interaction among these soldiers and with the locals led to the development of a new language, mutually understood by all. This new language named as ‘ Urdu ‘ proved to be a unifying communication tool between the Muslim soldiers during their conquest of ancient India (including Mayanmar).

Languages do not originate overnight, they take centuries to evolve and develop, similarly it took about 5 to 6 centuries to standardize grammatical structure of urdu. Origin of Urdu is traced back to the mid of 10th and beginning of 11th century, but these were the formative years of Urdu language and no significant either literary or grammatical work was done during this period; in the initial years of its birth it was only used as a communication lingo. This hybrid language was called ‘ Hindvi ‘ or ‘ Dehlvi ‘ and was written in ‘ Devnagri ‘ Script. Later on in 14th century this language was introduced in Southern India (Hyderabad Deccan), here also the vocabulary of hindvi expanded many words and idioms of local languages were embedded. People start calling this new version of language spoken in Southern India as ‘ Deccani ‘ . The expansion of vocabulary continued and it changed from ‘ Deccani ‘ to ‘ Rekhta ‘ , and this Rekhta is believed to be the forerunner of modern Urdu language. The standardization of Rekhta(Urdu) took place in 16th and 17th century during the reign of Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb Alamgir, when synthetic character of Urdu acquired a complete form and greater content and power.

Like most other languages of the world, Urdu also started its literature through poetry.

Amir Khusro(1253-1325) a remarkable scholar of Persian and Arabic is considered to be the first ever poet of urdu language. He composed his poems in the then prevailing ‘ Hindvi ‘ language. Wali Deccani (1635-1707) and Quli Qutab Shah are believed to be the predecessors of Amir Khusro. Other eminent poets of this era were

Mir Taqi Mir(1727-1810)

Mushafi(1750-1785)

Mir Dard(1720-1785)

Qaim Chand Puri(1724-1794)

Haider Ali Atish(1778-1846)

Ustad Zauk

Mir Babr Ali Anis(1802-74)

Mirza Asad Ullah Khan Galib(1797-1869) is the greatest poet of urdu language .

He was a specialized Ghazal poet and his work is still popular among the masses.

Urdu poetry did not take his final form until 17th century when it was declared the official language of court. The 18th century saw a phenomenal rise in urdu literature especially urdu poetry. It was at this time when Urdu replaced Persian as lingua franca of the region.

Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is also highly esteemed among urdu poets because of his unique style. Amongst the poets of 19th century Allama Mohamad Iqbal(1877-1938) stands out, because he was the first one who introduced revolutionary concepts and ideas in his poetry. Faiz Ahmad Faiz is the most well-known and an distinguished poet of modern era. His work revolves around the concepts of communism and social justice. Beside others Sufi Saints have also contributed a lot in Urdu poetry.

The short story in Urdu began with Munshi Premchand ‘ s ‘ Soz-e-Vatan ‘ . Mohammad Hasan Askari, Sajjad Zaheer, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Krishan Chandar, Saddat Hassan Manto, Ismat Chugtaii, Mumtaz Muffati, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Ashafaq Ahmad are counted among leading lights of Urdu short story.

Novel writing in Urdu can be traced to Nazir Ahmed (1836-1912 CE) who composed several novels like Mirat-ul-Urus (1869 CE), Banat-un-Nash (1873 CE), Taubat-un-Nasuh (1877 CE) etc. Realism in urdu novel was introduced by PremChand. Mirza Mohamad Hadi Ruswa, Sajjad Haider Yaldrem, Niaz Fateh Puri, Abdul Haleem Sharar, Ratan Nath Sharshar are the pioneer Urdu novelists. Khadija mastur, Intizar Hussain, Bano Qudssiya, Aziz Ahmed are the urdu novel writers of modern times.

Akbar Allahabadi (1846-1921) was the pioneer among the Urdu humorists and satirists. Majeed Lahori, Mehdi Ali Khan, Patras Bokhari (1898-1958), Mirza Farhatullah Beg, Shafiq-ur-Rahman, Azim Baig Chughtai, Ibn-e-Insha, Mushfiq Khwaja, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousifi, K.L.Kapur, Amjad Hussain, Mujtaba Hussain, Himayatullah and Talib Khundmeri are the other leading names in the field of humour

In the first half of the nineteenth century, drama started appearing at Urdu scene. The first dramatist is believed to be Amant Lucknowi, and his drama Indar Sabha is considered as the first Urdu drama. Urdu drama has made a lot of progress in recent years. Imtiaz Ali Taj, Agha Hashar Kashmiri, Amjad Islam Amjad, Haseena Moin, Fatim Suriya Bajiha are the most distinguished play writers of present day.

The word ‘ Urdu ‘ is derived from Turkish word ‘ Ordu ‘ meaning ‘ Army Camp ‘ or ‘Lashkar ‘ . Exact origin of ‘ Urdu ‘ is some what difficult to trace; but many different theories have been developed to explain it. Mohammad Hussain Azad, an eminent Indian scholar, believes that Brij Bhasha, a dialect of Western Hindi, is the mother language of Urdu. Later on the invasion of Delhi by Muslims engrafted many Persian elements, which resulted in the creation of a new hybrid language called Urdu. Mehmud Sherani, on the contrary, maintains that Urdu language originated due to the interaction and intermixing of Muslim soldiers and locals (Hindus) after the conquest of Punjab and sindh by Mehmud of Ghazni. During this era many Punjabi words and idioms got interwoven in Hindi of Delhi and thus a new language came into being. But the most established theory relating the origination, evolution and development of Urdu language is that Urdu is a conglomeration of many different languages manly Arabic, Persian, Pashtu, Turkish, Hindi and some local dialects of India. Muslims ruled over India for about 1,000 years. Muslim army comprised of soldiers of different origins and nationalities speaking different languages. Interaction among these soldiers and with the locals led to the development of a new language, mutually understood by all. This new language named as ‘ Urdu ‘ proved to be a unifying communication tool between the Muslim soldiers during their conquest of ancient India (including Mayanmar). Languages do not originate overnight, they take centuries to evolve and develop, similarly it took about 5 to 6 centuries to standardize grammatical structure of urdu. Origin of Urdu is traced back to the mid of 10th and beginning of 11th century, but these were the formative years of Urdu language and no significant either literary or grammatical work was done during this period; in the initial years of its birth it was only used as a communication lingo. This hybrid language was called ‘ Hindvi ‘ or ‘ Dehlvi ‘ and was written in ‘ Devnagri ‘ Script. Later on in 14th century this language was introduced in Southern India (Hyderabad Deccan), here also the vocabulary of hindvi expanded many words and idioms of local languages were embedded. People start calling this new version of language spoken in Southern India as ‘ Deccani ‘ . The expansion of vocabulary continued and it changed from ‘ Deccani ‘ to ‘ Rekhta ‘ , and this Rekhta is believed to be the forerunner of modern Urdu language. The standardization of Rekhta(Urdu) took place in 16th and 17th century during the reign of Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb Alamgir, when synthetic character of Urdu acquired a complete form and greater content and power. Like most other languages of the world, Urdu also started its literature through poetry.

Amir Khusro(1253-1325) a remarkable scholar of Persian and Arabic is considered to be the first ever poet of urdu language. He composed his poems in the then prevailing ‘ Hindvi ‘ language. Wali Deccani (1635-1707) and Quli Qutab Shah are believed to be the predecessors of Amir Khusro. Other eminent poets of this era wereMir Taqi Mir(1727-1810)Mushafi(1750-1785)Mir Dard(1720-1785)Qaim Chand Puri(1724-1794)Haider Ali Atish(1778-1846)Ustad ZaukMir Babr Ali Anis(1802-74)Mirza Asad Ullah Khan Galib(1797-1869) is the greatest poet of urdu language . He was a specialized Ghazal poet and his work is still popular among the masses.Urdu poetry did not take his final form until 17th century when it was declared the official language of court.

The 18th century saw a phenomenal rise in urdu literature especially urdu poetry. It was at this time when Urdu replaced Persian as lingua franca of the region. Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is also highly esteemed among urdu poets because of his unique style. Amongst the poets of 19th century Allama Mohamad Iqbal(1877-1938) stands out, because he was the first one who introduced revolutionary concepts and ideas in his poetry. Faiz Ahmad Faiz is the most well-known and an distinguished poet of modern era. His work revolves around the concepts of communism and social justice. Beside others Sufi Saints have also contributed a lot in Urdu poetry. The short story in Urdu began with Munshi Premchand ‘ s ‘ Soz-e-Vatan ‘ . Mohammad Hasan Askari, Sajjad Zaheer, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Krishan Chandar, Saddat Hassan Manto, Ismat Chugtaii, Mumtaz Muffati, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Ashafaq Ahmad are counted among leading lights of Urdu short story. Novel writing in Urdu can be traced to Nazir Ahmed (1836-1912 CE) who composed several novels like Mirat-ul-Urus (1869 CE), Banat-un-Nash (1873 CE), Taubat-un-Nasuh (1877 CE) etc.

Realism in urdu novel was introduced by PremChand. Mirza Mohamad Hadi Ruswa, Sajjad Haider Yaldrem, Niaz Fateh Puri, Abdul Haleem Sharar, Ratan Nath Sharshar are the pioneer Urdu novelists. Khadija mastur, Intizar Hussain, Bano Qudssiya, Aziz Ahmed are the urdu novel writers of modern times. Akbar Allahabadi (1846-1921) was the pioneer among the Urdu humorists and satirists. Majeed Lahori, Mehdi Ali Khan, Patras Bokhari (1898-1958), Mirza Farhatullah Beg, Shafiq-ur-Rahman, Azim Baig Chughtai, Ibn-e-Insha, Mushfiq Khwaja, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousifi, K.L.Kapur, Amjad Hussain, Mujtaba Hussain, Himayatullah and Talib Khundmeri are the other leading names in the field of humour In the first half of the nineteenth century, drama started appearing at Urdu scene. The first dramatist is believed to be Amant Lucknowi, and his drama Indar Sabha is considered as the first Urdu drama. Urdu drama has made a lot of progress in recent years. Imtiaz Ali Taj, Agha Hashar Kashmiri, Amjad Islam Amjad, Haseena Moin, Fatim Suriya Bajiha are the most distinguished play writers of present day.