Maulana Altaf Husain Hali was born in Panipat in 1837. It was then part of Punjab state, now it falls in Haryana. His poetic magnum opus is Musaddas e Hali ''Ébb and Tide in Islam" a poem of 294 cantos which he wrote at the behest of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. It was a wake up call to the Muslims, an admonition which has sustained relevance to contemporary times. He was India's first feminist poet; his most famous works are Munajaat e Bewa (Lament of the Widow) and Chup ki Daad (In Praise of the Silent). His Muqaddama e Sher o Shairi is the first book of literary criticism in Urdu literature. He died in 1914.
The Hali Panipati Trust has been founded to share the writings and philosophy of this great Urdu poet, who conveyed the message of Reforms in Islam, national integration, communal harmony, empowerment of women and education through simple, heart warming verses, almost 150 years ago; ideas and ideals which hold valuable lessons for our world today.