Sayed Nafees al-Hussaini

Syed Nafees Al-Hussaini, (also spelled Sayyid Nafis Shah al-Husayni, or simply Nafees Shah (Urdu: سید نفیس الحسینی) (died 26th of Muharram, 1429 (11 March 1933 – 5 Feb 2008) in Lahore, Pakistan) was a Pakistani calligrapher, writer, poet and a renowned Sufi Sheikh. He had been awarded Pride of Performance, one of the highest awards by Government of Pakistan, for his calligraphic work.

Foreword

Due to technological advancement in computer science there has been steady decline in the art of calligraphy as a profession and few skilled artist remain. Despite the decline amateur calligraphers are keeping this Islamic Art alive. One such skilled calligrapher was Syed Anwar Hussain Nafees Ul Hussaini (Nafees Raqam), who has devoted all of his life to this Islamic Art.

The early years

Sayed Nafees Al-Hussaini belonged to a known Sufi Syed dynasty, Gesu Daraz, which is renowned in the sub-continent due to the famous Sufi saint Khawaja Muhammad Gesudraz of Gulbarga. Syed Nafees shah sahib was born at village Gadiala district Sialkot on 11 March 1933. He studied at Faisalabad and passed Matriculation examination from city Muslim high school there with distinction. He passed intermediate in 1950 from Govt. college Lyalpur (now Faisalabad). Shah sahib shifted to Lahore and studied Urdu and Persian languages at Oriental College, Lahore.

He learn art of writing in Hindi script as well. He could read and write almost all languages of sub-continent in their particular script including Bengali, Sanskrit, Hindi and Gurmukhi languages. On literary side he knows English, Persian, Arabic and Punjabi languages and produced literature in all these languages.

Having passed Matriculation he pursued studies set out to learn art of calligraphy from his father. His father Syed Muhammad Ashraf Ali Syed ul Qalm and his father in law Hakeem Syed Naik Alam were great calligraphers of their times and Arabic calligraphy was their main forte.

Beginning of calligraphy

He wrote famous poems of Allama Iqbal "LalLaHa ILLALLAH" on front page of the first issue of Daily Insaf. The first book he inscribed was Rehmat ul Lil Alameen on the life of the Prophet. He served daily Nawa-i-waqt as head calligrapher from 1952 to 1956. He then worked as freelance calligrapher with office at Chattan Building Lahore up to 1970. Daily papers of repute used to have head lines written by Shah Sahib. He trained hundreds of pupils in the art of calligraphy. He used to train pupils firstly in Khat-t-Nasakh so that more and more calligraphers could learn to inscribe Quraan sharif. He restricted himself to writing titles preferably in Nastaliq Genre. Nevertheless he was equally good as a master of other genres like Thuluth, Naskh, Diwani, Riqa and Kufic.

Famous titles

The famous titles he has written include those of Punjab University, Majlis-e-Taraqi-e-Adab, Majlis-e-Tehqiqat Farsi Iran and Pakistan, Idara Tul Quraan, Adara-e-Islamiat, Maktaba-e-Madnia, Maktab-e-Rashidia, Maktaba-e-Syed Ahmad Shaheed, Idara-e-Adab, Markazi Anjuman-e-Khudam-ul-Quraan, Maktaba Binat, Maktab-e-Ahli Sunnah, Dar-ul-Ishaat and Majlish-e- Nashariat-ul-Islam among scores of others.

Miscellaneous calligraphic services

Syed Sahib compiled a text book on calligraphy himself at the behest of Text Book Board. He also inscribed rare write-ups on stone plates which include Masjid-e-Salah-ud-din Lahore, Masjid-e-Hazrat Ali Mohani Road Lahore, Masjid-e-Faiz ul Islam, Masjid Chaudhry Hospital, Sumit Minar and epitaphs on the graves of Professor Hameed Ahmed Khan and Editor Monthly Naqoosh Mohammad Tufail. He also inscribed on steel plates at Allama Iqbal Museum and wrote famous poems of Allama Iqbal on 50 canvas sheets in Khat-e Nastaliq at Aewan-e-Iqbal. Besides being a calligrapher of the highest order Syed Nafees Shah was a lettered person and had a large collection of books on literature and religion many of them authored by him.

Biography

Syed Nafees Raqam passed many phases and improved himself with every passing day. Syed Nafees Raqam studied works of lamination of his time including Meer Ali Harvi and Jmadul Hassan besides Perveen Raqam and then developed his own style of calligraphic art. He has now developed a skill in Irani Nastaliq, while previously he mastered the Parveeni Nastaliq style. Famous works of Shah Sahib include Dewan-e-Ghalib published under auspices of Punjab University in 1969.

Dewan-e-Bulhay Shah published under the aegis of Packages Limited, Kulyat-e-Meer compiled by Dr. Ibadat Barelvi and others. He continued inscribing Holy Quraan which is his main occupation and fondness. Syed Anwar Hussain also prepared a font of computer which is adopted by well-known organization FAST and named as "Khat-e-Nafees", Karachi Nizami computer also used fonts prepared by him,in the their products named Urdu Mahir and Urdu 98 etc.

Prizes awarded in recognition of his art

Syed Nafees Shah was awarded several prizes in recognition of his art. These include:-

  1. Pride of performance.
  2. First prize in Pakistan Arts Council Exhibition 1980.
  3. First prize in all Pakistan Exhibition 1982.
  4. Selected as Judge of International competition held in Turkey by IRCICA and ICIPICH in 1988–1989 and later at Baghdad (Iraq).

His personal virtue apart, He was a great spiritual leader and a Sufi of highest order. Thousands of his followers regularly visit him for occasion.

Further reading

External links