Taqi Abedi

Syed Taqi Hassan Abedi (Urdu: سید تقی حسن عابدی ‎; born March 1952, Delhi India) is a Toronto-based physician and literary personality, and an Urdu poet and scholar. He graduated in medical (MBBS) from Hyderabad India, and acquired MS from UK, FCAP (US) and FRCP from Canada. Professionally, a Pathologist and serving physician at a Canadian Hospital, Urdu literature can be termed the real life of Abedi, making a distinction between promotion of profession and contribution to special interest in Urdu literature. His health and wealth of books with poetic thrust proves him to be a master of maintaining equilibrium of livelihood and literary curiosity.

Sincere efforts and true love both are one point spherical poles of success and dignity, that is why Abedi has travelled the long distance in a short span of 30 years by rendering his tireless services to the Urdu literature far from real motherland and coherence environment, which is a dream for most of the present day prose and poetry writers. He has in his hand the flag of good scholar in Urdu literature and source of reference for critics and research.

Family

Abedi, 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

Born in Delhi graduated (MBBS) from Hyderabad, India with a creative literary and poetic mind; wrote more than 37 books in different subjects of prose, poetry, and critiques with creative research and vision. Physician by profession has worked in Iran, England, US, and at present at a Toronto Hospital. Though most of the poetic and literature work is in Urdu and Persian, now started book writing in English as well.

Dr. Taqi Abedi first researched the Rubais of Mirza Dabeer. He retrieved most of what appeared lost and brought out the collection "Rubaiyat-i-Dabeer" (a book on Rubais of Mirza Dabeer) along with a detailed preface in which he discussed the origin of this genre and Dabeer's achievement in this field. He started out as a researcher in the field of Marsia. Soon after, he extended his area of study to other kinds of poetry. Besides researched articles, he has compiled/written about forty books in Urdu literature and is well a known personality of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin. He shares due recognition in the Urdu Literature of Indo-Pak as a person making outstanding contributions to Urdu language and literature. Professionally he is engaged in Medicine and serves as Pathologist in Canada .

Compilation Work in Persian Language

Two volumes of Mirza Ghalib's Persian poetry Kuliyat-e-Ghalib Farsi were released by Shiv Raman Gaud. Earlier Dr Shahid Mahauli, Director of Ghalib institute in Delhi, Dr SK Taneja and Padmashri Dr KL Zakir shared their views...^[1] Kulliyat-e-Ghalib Farsi, an anthology of Persian poetry of well-known Urdu poet Mirza Asadullal Khan Ghalib was released at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Abedi said study of Ghalib would be incomplete without his Persian poetry. "Although Ghalib had earned his reputation in Urdu Literature, the poet of Mughal era was more inclined towards Persian and produced high-order poetry in that language"^[1]

Ambassadors of India and Pakistan jointly released Dr Taqi Abedi's well-researched, compiled and published book Kulliyat-e-Ghalib Farsi at a function sponsored by Iranian Ministry of Arts and Culture in Tehran on 20 September 2010. Chairman of Tehran's famous Publishing House, Dr Ameeri has published this book in large number. The book also contains a Foreword by Abedi in Urdu. Two books written by Iran's present expert on Ghalib's Persian poetry Muhammad Hasan Haairi have already been published in this country. Speaking on this occasion Dr Taqi Abedi said that with the publication of this book here (in Iran) avenues for popularisation and familiarisation of Ghalib's poetry in Persian language among the people of Iran have been paved and people in larger number will be able to read Ghalib's poetry composed by him in Persian language. It may be incidentally mentioned in this connection that Ghalib's couplets in Persian are in far greater number than in Urdu which are almost unknown in both India as well as in Pakistan.^[2] Besides, He has also compiled Persian poetry by Mirza Dabeer and Mir Anis.

Work on Hindu religion Poets

With laborious research, he has the credit of compiling admirable poetic praise by Hindu religion followers Poets as devotees of Prophet Muhammad and his progeny ( Ahl al-Bayt ) which may be seen at Dr. Taqi Abedi's official website available in a compiled leaflet as a selected Naats, Marsias, Soaz and Salams by 40 Hindu poets, such as Gopi Nath Aman, Kalidas Gupta Raza and Dalloo Ram Kausari.

In his research based compilation "Roop Kunwar Kumari" of female Urdu Poet of Hindu faith and devotee of Ahle-ul-Bayt, published in Multan, Pakistan, presented biographic and poetic details and undiscovered facts about this female poet; Dr. Abedi made it clear that this poet was female and not male, as most of the critiques were confused about the gender of poet. This anthology is a mini encyclopaedia on this female Hindu poet of Urdu Language, highlighting her Marsias because of her expression being steeped in the cultural tradition she had inherited from her faith. She^[3][4] had devised for herself a mode of expression wherein Hindised Bhakti terminology and Persianised expressions of Marsia's are seen blending together in a sound way. This blending of the two modes of expression imparts a new flavour to the Marsia and for this reason she stands distinguished among her contemporary writers. Here are some couplets which speak of her unique style:

Research and compilation on Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer

“Kulliyat-e-Anees" the book contains 579 Rubias of the famous Urdu poet Mir Anis spread over 500 pages. The preface of this book written by Dr. Taqi Abedi spreads over 150 pages.^[5] He has also published his researched compilation "Tajzia-e-Yadgar Marsia:^[6] Besides, the poetry of Mir Anis, Dr. Abedi has also tried to trace the minute details of the life of Anis like his appearance, costume, punctuality, sensitivity, behaviour and habits, first and last “Majlis” (sermons), prayers, illness and death.

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

While attended a seminar as an speaker in Karachi Dr. Taqi with reference to his latest publication on Mirza Dabeer, a collection of the poet's salaams and Rubais "Rubayat-e-Dabeer" expressed a notable view:^[7] Comparison between the two in literary circles of Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer is not new. It began perhaps with the publication of “Mawazna-i-Anees-o-Dabeer” by Shibli Nomani around a century back. Leaving aside the issue for a while, let me recall that there was another side of the Mawazna.

• Mir Anees was born in the year 1802 and died 72 years later in 1874. Mirza Dabeer was born in 1803, a year later than Anees, and died in 1875, also at the age of 72. This chronological closeness is amazing.
• To return to the comparison theme, two masters had much respect for each other. With their literary and cultural sophistications, they were never disrespectful to one another.
• But the Lucknow of those years – a seat of culture but with an ornate lifestyle and mannerisms – had its meaner side also. As some persons began to admire Anees, others went to support Dabeer. Soon, two rival groups emerged. The masters did not like the development but supporters on either side wanted the controversy to continue, taking much perverse pleasure in deriding and ridiculing each other's hero.

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.

This book^[8][9] consisted of 162 articles on various aspects of Faiz by both Dr. Taqi Abedi and other scholars including Gopi Chand Narang, Shams ur Rahman Faruqi, Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Shamim Hanafi, Sajjad Zaheer, etc. While all articles are worth reading, the 41 articles written by Dr. Abedi stand out for their exploration of many untouched aspects of Faiz. The anthology includes articles of stalwarts of Urdu literature from across the world including India, Pakistan, Russia, England, Canada, the United States and other countries. Articles of several English and Russian writers such as George Fisher, Alexander Surikov, Lyudmala Vasilyeva and world leaders like Yasser Arafat also embellish the book. On the sensitive issue of Faiz's religion, Abedi shows that despite his Marxist inclinations he remained a Muslim and often drew on Islamic themes in his poetry, all his life events, including his marriage to Ellis Catherine (Alys Faiz), were conducted according to Islamic rites . He has also compiled a list of all the books that Faiz had read in his later years. This gives keen insights into the development of his thought. Author admiration of Faiz does not in any way come in his unbiased analysis and is reflected in the chapter dedicated to "mistakes in Faiz poetry. In his comparison of Faiz and Josh Malihabadi he lists their strengths and weaknesses without falling in the groupist trap of "Faiz Bada Ya Josh Bada" (big one is Faiz or Josh).

The book also includes five articles by Faiz himself on a variety of topics such as the progressive literary ideology, Josh as a revolutionary poet, films and culture, Beirut under the Israeli attack and his speech at the Lenin Peace Award ceremony. To supplement the exhaustive text Faiz Fahmi comes with scores of rare pictures of Faiz with various luminaries. It also has illustrations of his works by Sadiquain and other prominent artists. This exhaustive work is truly an encyclopaedia and is destined to prove indispensable to anyone planning to understand Faiz.^[10]

Dr. Taqi Abedi in his book “Faiz fahmi” has brought forward Faiz as a man, but we have hardly studied his poetry, his personality and poetry are both equally important to know. But his poetry is so layered that we can attain a PhD degree in his Poems ”. Although some writers have said that he almost never used Persian words, this is wrong. Faiz probably used the most Persian words, but despite this, his allegories and his imagery was far easier to understand than was “Muhammad Iqbal' s". He pointed out '’Javednama'’ by Iqbal, where the poetry style is highly complex. "Faiz also wrote some splendid verses for the Iranians in Persian but they know nothing of it, until the author of "Faiz Fahmi" introduced these in Tehran some time back. We should bring forth our heroes so that others also know of them and their magnificence." in a lecture on his book "Faiz Fahmi" launch ceremony held at the Alhamra Arts Council, organised in 2011 by Lahore Arts Council, Dr. Taqi Abedi said that today about 1,800 books have been written on Faiz, but if he was a Persian, some 4,000 books would have been written. It was unfortunate that we ourselves never studied and learnt about our own writers.^[11] Recently his new book "Faiz Shanasi – (knowing Faiz)" has been published on Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.^[12][13]

Research on Allama Iqbal

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

As a keynote speaker at the Annual Day in November 2010 in the Auditorium of the East-West University, Chicago, writer of "Choon Marg Ayed" and "Iqbal Kay Irfani Zaweye" Dr. Taqi Abedi brought forward that Allama Iqbal's Javid Nama is at par with such other classic works as Saadi's Gulistan, Diwan-e-Hafez, Firdausi's Shahnama and Rumi's Masnavi.^[14]

Book “Choon Marg Ayed (Allama Iqbal key Amraz)” is the publication of Iqbal Academy a statutory body of the Government of Pakistan, established through the Iqbal Academy Ordinance No. XXVI of 1962, and a centre of excellence for Iqbal Studies.^[15] This compilation ^[16] by Dr. Taqi Abedi, composed of extracted contents from the various letters written by Allama Iqbal, provides detail of dissimilar diseases and the tolerance passion faced by Muhammad Iqbal during his life, is the heart of book and a source addition to biographic evaluation of Allama Iqbal. This book also highlights the grip of Dr. Taqi to his professional competency as Cardiologist and Physician.

In October 2009, at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad, India, Dr. Taqi Abedi has delivered extension lectures on Allama Iqbal on the chosen topic "Iqbal ka Falsafa-e-Ishq".^[17] According to academic research of Dr. Taqi, it is revealed that Iqbal was influenced with Maulana Rumi in his philosophy of "Ishq"(pure love/devotion above materialistic love) and used this Ishq more than thirty times in his poetry with a singular reference to Prophet Muhammad and Almighty. This Ishq classifies that there is no place in heart if it is inhabited by loved one, making it as a concern of supra knowledge.

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