Brief Description

Khwaja Altaf Hussain, better known by his pen name HALI (Modern or Contemporary) was born in the town of Panipat (in erstwhile Punjab, now Haryana, India) in 1837. Born into a family of teachers and scholars, he was a close associate of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. He began writing in ghazals using the conventional style of poetry but soon developed his own distinct style. With it he breathed new life into Urdu poetry. He chose the natural over ornate; simplicity over complex literary embellishments; social consciousness over romantic musings. His Muqaddama e Sher o Shairi is the first book of literary criticism in Urdu literature. He is the biographer of Mirza Ghalib, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and poet Sheikh Sadi. His most renowned work, however, is perhaps the 'Madd-o-jazr-i-Islam' or Musaddas-i-Hali through which he traced the rise and ebb of Islam. Below is an excerpt from the Musaddas (translated) wherein Hali shares his experience of writing this 294 canto poem.
 

Maulana Hali's own description of writing the Mussaddas.

After years of placidity there was a burst of exuberance. My heart and mind, which had been rendered useless with continuous bouts of illness, were put to work. The foundations of a 'musaddas' were laid. Still, there was little respite from the chores of daily living. Indisposition continued to dog my life. But the thought, once planted, never left me for a moment and at last by the grace of God a poem was composed. A poem with many shortcomings, prepared in accordance with the ability of this humble creature; at least I would now look at my kind benefactor in the eye. The long journey has been undertaken with this one hope since the final goal has not been sighted nor is there any hope of sighting it.

Khabarum neest ke manzil geh-e-maqsud kujast
Ein qadar hast ke bang-e-jarasey me ayad

The destination desired I know not where it lies
All I know is I hear the tinkle of the caravan bell.

At the beginning of the poem there are some stanzas about the deplorable state of the people of Arabia before the revelation of Islam. In Islamic history, this period was known as the Jahilliya. Then the Star of Islam rose in the firmament. The teachings of the Unlettered Prophet turned the barren landscape into a glorious garden of knowledge and wisdom. And then there is account of how this 'Cloud of Mercy' at the time of his death left his 'fields' (the Ummah) green and verdant. As a result the Muslims excelled the entire world in all matters, both temporal and spiritual. Next I have written about the beginning of their decline; with my unskilled hands I have built a house of mirrors in which the Quom may view its features and understand what it was once and what it is now. Although I am afraid that I have not done justice to the theme, I am the only one who knows how grueling and arduous was my task. But I am thankful because what has been accomplished is beyond expectation.

The people of refined taste in our country will not like this simple, lackluster and dull poem. All it has are historical accounts and translations of the Quran or Hadith plus the true picture of the contemporary state of the Quom. No delicate conceits, no embellishments, no flavour of exaggeration, no sweetness of artifice. There is in fact nothing here to which the ears and minds of my countrymen are tuned. There is no miracle 'which the eye has not beheld, the ear has not heard, the heart has not felt.' For the denizens of Delhi and Lucknow a table has been spread on which there is nothing but insipid, dull and bland dishes. But this poem has not been composed to titillate the senses and reap the applause of the audience. It is to make friends and kin experience shame and rage at the present condition. If they read and understand they will earn my gratitude. If not, I make no complaint.

Hafiz wazifa-e-tou dua guftan ast o-bas
Dar banda an mabaash ke nashneed ya shuneed.

Hafiz your task is to offer prayer
Whether it is heard or not, is not your worry."

Excerpted from Introduction to the First Edition of Musaddas, 1879

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