July 20, 2008

Muniruddin Ahmad is known to us as a short story writer who has a number of collections published so far. In addition to this, he also enjoys the reputation of a translator specialising in translating German into Urdu. Settled in Germany and working as an academician, he has developed a deep insight into German literature and chose to translate German fiction and poetry into Urdu. So far he has about seven such collections to his credit.

Now he has come out with his autobiography published by Qosain, Lahore, under the title Dhaltai Saiy. In it he comes across to the reader as a rebel telling the story of his break-away from his community. Writers are known to us because of their literary achievements; we care to know little about their sectarian origins. It is mostly left up to researchers and critics to probe the religious and ethnic background of a writer when dealing with his life or making an analytical study of his work.

But a writer engaged in writing his autobiography takes this job in his own hand. So, as told by him, we now know that Muniruddin belongs to the Ahmaddiya sect. At one stage he felt that he could not reconcile with the orders given to him by the high-ups of his community. He refused to obey them and decided to break away from the sect. Now, in the autobiography, he has chosen to reveal details of his experience of living within the minority community he was born in, and his consequent disenchantment. He should be well aware of the consequences of this act so far as his community is concerned. But he also knows that his story will sell well in Pakistan. So all in all, it is not a bad bargain.

What he tells us about the ways and methods of the Ahmaddiya is understandable. It seems quite natural for a small sect living in hostile conditions to develop an acute sense of insecurity. It regards it its responsibility to take care of each and every member of the community and to help them, particularly the younger ones in their pursuits. In response to it they are expected to carry out orders given to them and serve the community with a missionary zeal. Such communities can hardly afford the luxury of individual liberty. They become coercive and dictatorial in their behaviour. But what irked Muniruddin was the dictatorial behaviour of community elders. He seems to be indifferent to the religious beliefs, whatever they are. He censures his community harshly for its behaviour as it is detrimental to individual liberty. He revolts against it and eventually cuts himself of from the community.
 

In his autobiography, Muniruddin has chosen to reveal details of his experience of living within the minority community he was born in, and his consequent disenchantment.
 

This story, as narrated by him, offers much food for thought for people who are interested in the subject. Others may not relish it much.

However, this account can help them in understanding the psychology and the consequent behaviour of a small minority living in the midst of a hostile majority.

Living abroad, Munir-uddin appears to be in a better mood. Now he seems to be enjoying individual liberty after shirking off the pressure from his community. He is seen moving freely from one country to the other and enjoying life in accordance with his own wishes. He has gained the status of a scholar and receives invitations from universities and academic bodies in different corners of the world. This provides him with the opportunity to visit various countries in the West and the East, and to come in contact with scholars and writers of different languages and cultures.

In fact, the book may be read as a long travelogue. While still based in Germany, he is constantly on the move travelling far and wide across the world. He has picked out some strange experiences from different lands to narrate to readers.

His visit to Yemen in particular attracted my attention. For here he was able to unearth a strange legend which imparts a new dimension and a new charm to the legend of the Queen of Sheba or, to be more precise, to the legend of Queen Bilquees and King Solomon. Here he got hold of an old book belonging to the 12th century. The story narrated here is as follows that Alkhada, the king of Maarab, while in pursuit of a game, saw in the thick forest a wolf in hot pursuit of a doe. He killed the wolf and turned towards the doe. But now the doe was nowhere to be seen. While he was wandering in search of the doe, all of a sudden he found himself in front of a splendid metallic city. He was wonderstruck. At that very moment a man came out of the city and introduced himself as the king of the city, which, as told by him, was a city of djinns. And at that very moment, he saw a beautiful damsel going inside the city.

The king of djinus told Alkhada that ‘this damsel is my daughter. She is the same doe you had saved from the clutches of the wolf.’ This damsel was a fairy. Alkhada asked for her and was married to her. Soon she gave birth to a child. This child bore the name of Bilqees. This story may be read as a tale of the legendary Queen Bilqees, who was married to King Solomon.