JEDDAH — The North Indian Fraternity Forum (NIFF) Jeddah recently organized an ‘Adabi Nashist’ (literary sittings) in honor of visiting Urdu poet Dr. Nawaz Deobandi. NIFF members and the elite of Jeddah’s Urdu lovers invited by NIFF attended the august gathering and applauded Dr. Nawaz on his each and every couplet.

The ‘Adabi Nashist’ was presided over by Zia Nadwi and guest of honour was IISJ Canagement Committee Chairman Asif Daudi. The nashist began with recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an by Fraz Jawed and hosted by NIFF Program Coordinator S.P. Singh, in Urdu, providing a brief description about Dr. Nawaz Deobandi and his social work which mainly focuses on upliftment of basic education of girls. Singh narrated Dr. Nawaz work quoting his famous couplet;

Ek aankhon ke paas hai; ek aankhon se door,

Beta heera hota hai, aur betee Koh-e-noor!!

(One is near my eye, another far; the boy a diamond and the girl a Kohinoor)

Dr. Nawaz Deobandi is a poet in his own inimitable style. He talked of romantic love, current affairs and relationships and many more aspects of life. It was his rendering in his style that evoked thunderous response. His booming voice, his chest thumping presentation, his pauses, his flow meant that there was never a dull moment when he had the mike in his hand. His writings had metaphorical substance, his presentation style.

He rendered some of his best poetry/ghazals to a receptive audience. For each one of them was received with adulation.

He was applauded thunderously when he recited:

Doston ka koi ehsaan na rakha jaye;

Zakhm ke paas namakdaan na rakha jaye....

(Do not keep any obligation of any friends; similarly do not keep salt near wounds)

His poetry also offered a perceptive look on our times:

Agar bikne pe aa jao to ghat jaate hai dam aksar;

Na bikna ka iraada ho to qimat aur badhti hai.....

(If you are ready to sell yourself, the price offered get cut; but if person even thinks of holding out, the price to buy him skyrockets)

Nawaz also invoked love but dealt with it in his own style:

Sawaal bheje they kal khat mein likh ke kuch usko;

Hamarey sher hi usney jawaab mein likhey.....

(Sent questions in a letter to her yesterday, and in reply she wrote back to the whole town)

He also described truth and life and recited:

Baap aur beta pahle aaye to phir pota aata hai....

Aaney ki tarteeb hai lekin janey ki tarteeb nahi....

(First come Father and son then only the grandson; There is a sequence in arrival in life, but not in death)

On present day situation, he narrated:

Qatil se bhi yaari ho to achcha lagta hai;

Marney ki tayyari ho to achcha lagta hai.

(I like being friends with killers; but I have to like and be ready to die too)

Bheek ka milna ya na milna yeh to qismat ki baat hai;

Lahjey mein khuddari ho to achcha lagta hai.....

(Getting alms/succor is in one’s fate; but one likes if a person has self-respect in his style)

His views on gratitude described in his below couplet:

Jin par loota chuka tha

duniya ki daulaton;

un warison ne mujh ko kafan nap kar diya!

(On whom I showered all my wordly wealth; my heirs measured my coffin in return)

Nawaz Deobandi was commemorated with “Yash Bharti’ award by UP government in 2016, which is one of the highest state-level award conferred for excellence in literature, art, culture & sports.

In the previous years, NIFF has organized ‘adabi nashist’ for visiting poets from India like Padma Shree awardee late Dr. Kalim Ajiz, Jarrar Akbarabadi, Mahsher Afridi, Imran Pratapgarhi, Nuzhat Anjum and Saba Balrampuri.

The successful ‘Adabi Nashist’ would not have been possible without the support of Zia Nadwi, Aziz Kidwai, Mohamad Sohail, Shavez Khwaja, Fraz Javed & Javed Alam, Hasan Bayazid, Fuzail Ahmad, Iqbal Siddiqui and Khwaja Nasir Jamal.