Taqi Abedi

Syed Taqi Hassan Abedi (Urdu: سید تقی حسن عابدی ‎; born 1 March 1951, Hyderabad, India) is an Indian Canadian physician and literary personality, who is not only a poet but also a scholar of the Urdu language. After obtaining his MBBS degree from Hyderabad, India, he acquired his MS, FCAP and FRCP from the UK, the US, and Canada, respectively. Dr. Abedi is a pathologist and serving physician in a Canadian hospital. He also promotes Urdu literature, both prose and poetry, and is known as a scholar in Urdu literature and reference for critics and research.

Family

Abedi is a syed, descendent from the 4th Imam of Twelver Shi'a Islam, Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin. He is married and has two sons and two daughters. His wife Geeti, born in Iran, inspired her husband to learn Persian.

Education and thesis

• 1975 MBBS from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India
• 1987 MSc,(Pathology) from Glasgow University, U.K
• 1995 FCAP, from Diplomat of the American Board of Pathology, US
• 2001 Fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada

• Thesis approved for award of degree of MSc (Pathology) from Glasgow University
• Abstract The Value of AgNOR's in liver tumours, published in the Journal of Hepatology, Oct. 1989
• Published in Modern Pathology in November 1993 – distinctive case Perforation of the Ileium Secondary to Enterobius Vermicularis

Contribution

Although Dr. Abedi is a physician by profession who has worked in Iran, England, US, and at present in Toronto, Canada, he has written many books on prose, poetry, and criticism. Though most of his literary work is in Urdu and Persian, he has more recently started writing in English.

His research work began in the field of Marsia with Rubais of Mirza Dabeer, compiling lost poetic material. He continued his work in this genre and wrote a number of articles which were published in Urdu literary circles, and has become a well-appreciated literary personality of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian origin. With this forum he extended his field of study and has written about 40 books released by various publishers.

Compilation in Persian literature

Dr. Abedi compiled a two-volume book "Kuliyat-e-Ghalib Farsi" collecting the poetry of Mirza Ghalib in Persian, which was published through Ghalib Institute Delhi. The release ceremony of the book was organised at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). In his speech at the function Dr. Abedi stated that while Mughal-era writer "Mirza Ghalib" was well known for his poetry in Urdu, he was more inclined towards Persian and composed excellent poems in that language.^[1]

In collaboration with Iran's Ministry of Arts and Culture, Indian & Pakistani ambassadors jointly organised a ceremony at Tehran in September 2010 for release of Dr. Abedi's "Kulliyat-e-Ghalib" in Persian. Speaking on the occasion, he pointed out that publishing of Mirza Ghalib's Persian poetry book in Iran would provide a new path for closer relationships between Indo-Iranian literary circles. Referring to Persian poetry by Mirza Dabeer and Mir Anees, he also stated that the unknown feature of Ghalib's Persian poetry was his couplets which were far greater in number than his couplets in Urdu.^[2]

Work on Hindu religion Poets

Dr. Abedi has researched poetry in praise of the Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt by various Hindu poets, and compiled some booklets containing Naats, Marsias, Soaz and Salam, like Gopi Nath Aman, Kalidas Gupta Raza and Dalloo Ram Kausari. He especially selected the female Hindu poet "Roop Kunwar Kumari" and highlighted her devotion for Prophet Muhammad; his book on her, "Roop Kunwar Kumari," was published in Multan, Pakistan. It provides a detailed anthology of this female Urdu poet and her undiscovered poetic devotion to Ahl al-Bayt. Dr. Abedi also discusses her mode of expression with Hindised Bhakti terminology in a Persianised style for her poetry in Soaz, Salam and Marsia. This combination of expressive styles distinguished her among her contemporaries. A sample couplet:^[3][4]

Work on Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer

It pertains to Mujtahid Nazm Mirza Debeer (a poem by Dabeer) compiled by Dr. Abedi & complimented to Late religious cleric

Dr. Abedi's 500-page book "Kulliyat-e-Anees" consists of 579 Rubais of Mir Anis with a 150-page preface discussing the different aspects of poetry of Anis.^[5] Part of his research on Anis was the publication of "Tajzia-e-Yadgar Marsia".^[6] The work of Dr. Abedi on Mir Anis was an attempt to trace out the hidden facets of his life, illness, death and behavior with discipline.

He also compiled a book "Rubayat-e-Dabeer" and presented selected collection of Salams and Rubais from the treasury of Mirza Dabeer's poetry. Speaking to a seminar at Karachi he discussed some features of his new compilations containing therein comparison between Anis and Dabeer and also stated that comparative analysis of both these contemporary poets was not new for Urdu literary circle and gave the reference of 100-year-old publication "Mawazna-i-Anees-o-Dabeer" written by Shibli Nomani. Dr. Abedi also provided amazing similarities between the two poets that both had total age of 72 years, born with gape of one year i.e. 1802 and 1803, and died in 1874 and 1875 respectively. Anis and Dabeer were masters of their similar field and they were never disrespectful to one another. However, it was the lifestyle of Lucknow in which we noticed about the people who began to admire Anis and Dabeer according to their own choices but both poets never encouraged the contemporary development and success of grouping.^[7]

Work on Poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz

• Faiz Fahmi— Encyclopaedic work on life & thought of Faiz Ahmed Faiz
• More than 1400 pages
• 162 articles written on and about Faiz collected from all over the world
• Dr Abedi himself has writeen 40 articles. Includes photographs, paintings & verses of Faiz.

Although different scholars including Gopi Chand Narang, Shams ur Rahman Faruqi, Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Shamim Hanafi, Sajjad Zaheer, etc. have written various articles on different aspects of Faiz, in the compiled book "Faiz Fahmi" consisting of 162 articles in total, in this book 41 articles have been written by Dr. Taqi which discussed undisclosed aspect of Faiz. He also analysed unbiased characters of Faiz thoughts and message by dedicating a chapter "mistakes in Faiz poetry" and a comparison with Josh Malihabadi.^[8][9]

Five articles written by Faiz i.e. (i) progressive literary ideology (ii)Josh as a revolutionary poet (iii)films and culture (iv) Beirut under the Israeli attack, and (v) Lenin Peace Award ceremony, have been incorporated in the Faiz Fahmi. This book is an encyclopedia to understand the theme and work of Faiz, it also contains some rare pictures which provide a background of the scene.^[10]

Dr. Taqi Abedi in his book “Faiz fahmi” presented him as a poet whose poetry had remained unstudied. His multiple layered theme and style of poetry suggests that one might obtain Ph.D in his poems. In his book, he negates the views of some writers about no-use of Persian words by Faiz in his poetry and clarified that Faiz had used most Persian words, but the way of applying Persian was much simpler as compared to poet "Muhammad Iqbal". While delivering a lecture on his book "Faiz Fahmi" organized in 2011 at Alhamra Arts Council by Lahore Arts Council, he revealed that 1,800 books have been written on Faiz but it was misfortune that we ourselves never studied and learnt about our Urdu writers and poets. On the other hand, if Faiz were a Persian at least 4000 books might have been written on his subjects and personality.^[11] Recently new book "Faiz Shanasi – (knowing Faiz)" by Dr. Taqi has also been published.^[12][13]

Research on Allama Iqbal

Title page of Urdu Language Book "Choon Marg Ayed" pertains to Muhammad Iqbal by Iqbal Academy

While delivering lectures on Allama Iqbal Day at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, India in October-2009, Dr. Taqi highlighted the "Iqbal Ka Falsafa-e-Ishq" that Iqbal was influenced with Maulana Room and followed his philosophy of "Ishq" in his prose and poetry.^[14]

Referring his two Urdu language compilations "Choon Marg Ayed" and "Iqbal Kay Irfani Zaweye" as a keynote speaker on Allama Iqbal Annual Day organized in November 2010 at East-West University, Chicago, Dr. Taqi pointed out that "Javaid Nama" written by Allama Iqbal can be selected and discussed as one of the classic work in line with the importance of books "Gulistan and Diwan-e-Hafiz" by Saadi and "Shahnama" of Firdausi. He also referred the Maulana Room's Masnavi for the same comparison. During his speech he also brought forward that his book "Choon Marg Ayed" (diseases suffered by Allama Iqbal) was published by Iqbal Academy which was established by the Government of Pakistan. In this Book he has composed extracts from the various letters written by Allama Iqbal in order to provide a picture of disease and their impact on the life of Iqbal.^[15][16][17]

Books written and compiled

Researched based writing and compiling from the 1970s, Dr. Taqi Abedi had over 36 books at his credit. Brief description of his books/compilation/translation is tabulated here under:^[18]

News Clipping appeared in Urdu Language Daily of Pakistan

Urdu Literature Seminars and workshop

Dr. Taqi Abedi has attended and organised a number of seminars, in addition to his researched lectures at various institutions and universities. Following are some seminars attended by him:

• Dr. Taqi Abedi presented a review of Dabeer’s quatrains at an International Seminar on “Position of Anis and Dabir in Urdu literature” organised by Anis and Dabeer Academy, London on the occasion of bicentennial birthday celebrations of Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer.^[26]

• He has served as convener of a three-day international Urdu conference held in Toronto 17–19 June 2005. The conference, organised by the Urdu Times, was attended by well-known poets, writers, and journalists from India, Pakistan, the UK, France, and Canada. Sessions were held on literature and modern trends, iqbal studies, Ghalib studies, Urdu media's new challenges, religious poetry, and women's Urdu literature.^[27]

• On special invitation, he participated in the International Memorial Seminar titled " Personality of Mirza Dabeer and his Contribution" organised in December-2008 by International Literary Association of Pakistan and Public Literature Society (Pakistan).^[28]

• Seminar titled “Marsia aur adab-i-aali”, organised by the Urdu department of Karachi University in its arts auditorium on 27 October 2009. After the papers were read, a question-answer session was held in which Urdu department students put quite a few questions, mainly to Dr Taqi Abidi.^[29]

• Presided over the first part of Event of celebration of the work of great Poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz arranged by the "Gehwara-e- Adab" Canada at a local Toronto Hotel, on 20 April 2011^[30]

Speeches and Lectures by Dr. Taqi Abedi

• keynote speaker at Annual Allama Iqbal Day celebrated by Iqbal Society of Chicago, on 20 November 2010, in the Auditorium of the East-West University, Chicago, attended by many Iqbal scholars of the Metropolitan Chicago area.

• Delivered extension lecture on "Javednama – Masterpiece of Human building" conducted at Hyderabad on 15 April 2012, Under the auspices of Maulana Azad club and in collaboration with Iqbal Academy, Hyderabad.^[31]

• Delivered a Lecture on "Galib ka Natiya Kalam in Urdu" (Ghalib's poetic praise to Holy Prophet Muhammad) at Lucknow, India^[32]

Awards

Mir Taqi Mir Award was given to Dr.Taqi Abedi^[33] for his many contributions as a critic, author, researcher, poet and active promoter of Urdu in the West. The Mir Taqi Mir Award is handed out each year to a person making outstanding contributions to Urdu language and literature. Besides, he has received several awards(some may be seen at^[34]) in India, Pakistan, USA and Canada, presented to him by different institutions/organisations are listed below:

References