WHILE talking about Maulana Chiragh Hasan Hasrat last week, I was reminded of a number of maulanas belonging to the world of literature and journalism. Out of them, I have, at the moment, chosen Maulana Salahuddin Ahmad to talk about. I have also found a reason for that. Some research work on him has been done in recent years. I have before me two volumes published under the titles Maulana Salahuddin Ahmad: Shakhsiat aur Fun and Maulana Salahuddin Ahmad ka Khiyalistan.
These two volumes may be taken as research work done by Atika Siddiqa. They are the products of long years of research by a devoted soul. This devotion goes back to the days when she had chosen the Maulana as a subject for her MA thesis. While collecting facts about his life and work, she developed a devotion for him, which persisted long after she had done her MA. She went to US and settled there, but her involvement in the personality and works of the Maulana remained alive. She went on with her research work. As has been stated by Wazir Agha in his foreword, she took about 35 years in the research.
During her research, Atika Siddiqa was able to unearth what should be deemed as the Maulana’s first venture in literary journalism. It was on a footpath in Old Anarkali that she stumbled on an issue of the defunct Khyalistan. This was a literary journal brought out by the Maulana in his early years. In fact, with this journal, he made entry in the world of literature. Atika Siddiqa rightly treated it as a precious document and presented it in a separate volume.
But I read with greater interest the first volume, where we find a full account of the Maulana’s life along with a portrayal of his personality. I wish she had devoted more pages to this part of the book. The Maulana’s life and personality deserved a much more detailed study.
What a fine man he was. A perfect gentleman, with regard for all and malice towards none. He was all affection for the young. And so young writers in his time turned to him, expecting patronage and encouragement, which they inevitably got.
Maulana Salahuddin had developed a mannerism peculiar to him. For instance, he was a habitual pedestrian in western dress irrespective of the weather. Even in June and July, he was dressed in jacket, necktie and trousers and was seen walking on the footpaths on the Mall. Usually, at noon, he was fully dressed and with a stick in hand, came out from his office of Adabi Duniya on the Mall. His destination was Nagina Bakery, a small tea house in Old Anarkali, a favourite haunt of the scholars associated with the Punjab University. There, he joined his friends over a cup of tea. He always walked slowly. He was never in a hurry. He abhorred speed. Atika Siddiqa tells us that he regarded speed as a sign of violence. Walking and talking in a slow way was, for him, a sign of being cultured and civilized. Even in the heat of controversy, he spoke with composure. His speech was always punctuated with pauses.
But that doesn’t mean that he did not feel intensely. He was, in general, a peace-loving man and was always ready to give concessions to the adversary but, as pointed out by Atika Siddiqa, he was very sensitive on three issues — Islam, democracy and Urdu.
On these three issues, he was uncompromising and unflinching. It was because of his commitment to these issues that he raised his voice against the dictatorship of Gen Ayub Khan. When an occasion arose, he, in the very presence of Ayub Khan, stood resolute and spoke his mind to the great annoyance of the dictator.
His refusal to participate in the writers’ convention of 1959 and to join the Pakistan Writers Guild, which had come into existence in consequence of this convention, speaks of his deep faith in the freedom of expression in literature. After this refusal, he chose the Halqa-i-Arbab-i-Zauq to explain his point of view. While delivering his presidential address, he spoke on the subject of the Writers Guild formed with the blessings of Ayub Khan. He said that poetry formed part of prophethood, according to Roomi. And the prophets never tried to form a guild.
As for Urdu, his passion for this language is known to us all. Urdu was, in fact, an article of faith with him.
Adabi Duniya was a literary journal published under his editorship. The relationship of the editor with the journal developed to the point that the two came to be known as inseparable. This journal was devoted to the promotion of new trends in our literature, more particularly in the realm of the short story. And Maulana Salahuddin had always words of encouragement for the young short-story writers. The Urdu short story as known to us today owes much to Maulana Salahuddin and his Adabi Duniya.
WHILE talking about Maulana Chiragh Hasan Hasrat last week, I was reminded of a number of maulanas belonging to the world of literature and journalism. Out of them, I have, at the moment, chosen Maulana Salahuddin Ahmad to talk about. I have also found a reason for that. Some research work on him has been done in recent years. I have before me two volumes published under the titles Maulana Salahuddin Ahmad: Shakhsiat aur Fun and Maulana Salahuddin Ahmad ka Khiyalistan.
