By S Hasan Zia Rizvi, TwoCircles.net,
It is not inappropriate to call Syed Sibte Jafar Zaidi the Meer Anees of our time; He maintained and carried forward the hertitage of the classical tradition and culture of Sozkhwani and Marsiyakhwani. These arts were all but vanishing but Zaidi, who was recently murdered in Pakistan on March 18, 2013 was an important figure in keeping these religio-cultural traditions alive.
[Courtesy: soazkhwani.com]
He was known as ‘Ustad’ because he trained many Nauhakhwans, ManqabatKhwans and many poets. Renowned Nauhakhwans like Mir Hasan Mir, Irfan Haider, Farhan Ali, Shadman Raza were used to recite his poetry.
An important feature of his poetry is that he uses the simple conversational urdu in his couplets making it accessible for everyone.
There are important messages in his poetry like-
Ehde nabawi alavi daure hasani ke baad
islam tane bejaan iksatth hijri ke baad
tere naam se zinda tha tere naam se zinda hai
Baiyat bhi na le paya sar bhi na jhuka paya
zalim ko kia ruswa Sarwar(as) ne sare-naiyza
Quran bhi aye aaqa tere naam se zinda hai
Shabbir(as) ka marsiyakhwan Shabbir(as) ka shayar bhi
pehchaan yahi hai ab tere Sibte Jafar ki
sad shukr tera banda tere naam se zinda hai
Syed Sibte Jafar Zaidi was Principal of Liaquatabad College in Karachi.
He was shot and killed while returning home from the college, another victim of anti-Shia killings in Pakistan. Jafar is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.
Shaheed Jafar had written number of books and also established an institute the art of writing and reciting marsiyas.
His highly touching and most remembered couplet:
“Ghusle-Mayyat na kehna mere ghusl ko
Ujle-Malboos ko mat kafan naam do
Main Chala hun Ali(as) se Mulaqat ko
Jiski thi arzoo Woh Ghadi agayi”
(“Don’t call it washing of the dead body; don’t call the white clothes a shroud; I am on my way to meet Ali, what I had desired that opportunity has come.”)
Link:
http://www.soazkhwani.com/