EARLIER this year, I had expressed my dismay over the lukewarm reception that Hasan Askari’s centennial received from literary circles (Dawn, Jan 28, 2020).
Askari’s birth centenary passed away almost quietly in November 2019 and aside from a couple of books and a special issue or two by literary magazines, not much was published. Nor did any literary organisation show any enthusiasm to commemorate the centennial of a literary giant like Hasan Askari, though centennials of other literary figures are usually marked with much fervour. The same indifference was noted on the occasions of Hali’s and Shibli’s centennials. And it doesn’t take much to figure out why.
Karachi University’s Urdu department had planned, albeit belatedly, a symposium to mark Askari’s centenary, but it had to be postponed due to the pandemic. One hopes that Karachi Arts Council would arrange a session in honour of Hasan Askari at its international Urdu conference expected to be held later this year — if and when it takes place, that is. One does hope that at least Akbar Allahabadi’s 100th death anniversary would not be missed by literary circles in 2021.
But it is heartening to note that Ishtiaq Ahmed has come up with yet another book on Askari. Titled Muhammad Hasan Askari Aur Jadeediyet (Muhammad Hasan Askari and Modernism), the book is a collection of articles by renowned writers and intellectuals and is published by Lahore’s Kitab Sarai. The articles included in the book are written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sibt-i-Hasan, Dr Muhammad Ajmal, Tehseen Firaqi, Jamal Panipati, Shehzad Manzar, Suhail Umar, Siraj-i-Muneer, Muhammad Ali Siddiqi, Shameem Ahmed, Syed Khalid Jama’i and some others.
One of the most striking arguments in the book is on Askari’s book Jadeediyet Ya Maghribi Gumrahiyyon Ka Khaka (Modernism or an Outline of Western Apostasies). In his intro Ishtiaq Ahmed says that “Askari in the first part of his book Jadeediyet has discussed the intellectual decline of the West and in the second he has compiled a list of apostasies that create misconceptions about religion”. Interestingly, the book was made a part of the prescribed syllabi taught at Mufti Taqi Usmani’s madressah at Karachi, but later on its teaching was discontinued.
Askari’s book created quite a splash and the waves kept on hitting the shores long after its publication and ultimate removal from the syllabi. Though not a literary work, Urdu’s literary magazines, such as Funoon (Lahore) and Rivayet (Lahore), carried articles that either criticised or appreciated Askari’s book. In the early 2000s, Sahil, a magazine published from Karachi, rekindled the debate and ignited a renewed interest in Askari and issue of teaching modern philosophy to the students of madressahs.
One of our scholars who had an equal command over psychology and esoteric philosophical debates was Dr Muhammad Ajmal (1919-1994). He had penned the foreword to Askari’s book Jadeediyet and this brief but weighty piece is also made a part of the book under review. Dr Ajmal has appreciated some of Askari’s views. For instance, when Askari says that the West’s materialism is disguised as spiritual philosophies, Ajmal agrees and says we can find such notions in the philosophies proffered by Bergson or William James. Askari has criticised both Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, but while his criticism on Freud is justified, says Ajmal, most of Askari’s critical views on Jung cannot be considered correct. But it is surprising that Askari has so well and briefly summed up the Western fallacies that pose a threat to spiritual life, adds Ajmal.
We know that Askari Sahib was much impressed and inspired by Rene Guenon (1886-1951), the French writer who wrote on mysticism. Guenon embraced Islam and was known as Abdul Wahid Yahya after conversion. One of the notable pieces made part of the book compares Rene Guenon and his concept of Traditionalism with Askari Sahib’s idea of Traditionalism. Written by Syed Khalid Jama’i, it raises many questions about Guenon’s religious beliefs and practices that he continued even after his conversion to Islam. It also weighs the decision of Maulana Taqi Usmani’s madressah to discontinue the teaching of Askari’s book on Western apostasies. Khalid Jama’i feels that Askari, despite his renunciation of Modernist ideas and accepting mysticism as a way of life, could not get rid of many notions that are originally part of Modernism. Askari could not read Guenon’s entire works and was not aware how Guenon blatantly disregarded some of the basic Islamic beliefs, adds Jama’i. This article opens the doors of some new debates for those who favour Askari’s Traditionalist school of criticism in Urdu, since Jama’i says Guenon’s idea of Tradition was much different from that of Askari’s. Another piece in the book, discussing the concept of Tradition in Askari’s writings, is by Tehseen Firaqi. He says Askari’s concept of Tradition is related to metaphysical ideas.
Ishtiaq Ahmed has compiled over a dozen books and three of them are on Askari. Ahmed teaches Urdu at Government Islamia College, Kasur, and his works show his deep interest in criticism and his vast reading.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2020
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