"Peish ehsaas ki tasveer kia karta ha
Dil key jazbaat ki tafseer kia karta ha
Wo Piroota ha nafasat sey adad key moti
Iss tarha sher wo tehreer karta hay"
In an era where the young generation hardly cares to read literature in the National language, Azad Iqbal has risen with a mission to revive the magnificent period of Urdu poetry with his poetic gift Daana-e-Raaz. Being the grandson of Allama Iqbal ultimately creates high hopes with Azad, but it's safe to say he proved to be a chip off the old block.
However, some readers may commence their reading with the expectation to witness a work close to Allama Iqbal. But those readers should realize that just like a star cannot be compared to a galaxy; similarly, Azad Iqbal's poetry should not be juxtaposed with the poetry of Allam Iqbal.
As a reader, one should be prepared to see several verses having the fragrance of Allama Iqbal's work, as it's evident that Azad Iqbal's biggest inspiration has been his grandfather. It seems that the poet is also highly influenced by the work of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmed Faraz, and even Parveen Shakar, which helps the reader to connect with the content very quickly.
The book contains three critique essays by Professor Khayal Afaqi, Advocate Ilyas Khokar, and poet Rao Tehzeeb Hussain Tehzeeb, who have evaluated Azad's work. The 93 mesmerizing poems create the soul of the book, including some of the trickiest forms of Urdu poetry known as Rubai and Musaddas. Some may find it disappointing, but it's a relief that the poet has not tried to design a Ghazal as many aspiring poets have tried their hands and not succeeded. He has kept the focus to create beautiful & easy to understand poems having a clear and concise tone.
Message for Ummah
Azad starts the conversation by extending the legacy of his grandfather and other respectful poets of the subcontinent. Poetry has been a useful tool in the history of the subcontinent to call out Muslims and talk with them regarding their condition, motivate them and reiterate the message of the Holy Quran. From the first poem, he recalls the Muslims, explaining to them the qualities they possess and how believing in all mighty Allah makes a Muslim different from any person.
In his opening piece, Quwat-e-Emaan, he converses in a way that hooks a person to the words and urges the reader to not only read but listen to the message of Azad,
"Ikhlas ke sanche me amal dhalta ha iss ka
Har baat me pakeezgi, har shey mey taharat
Ye mard-e-Khuda, Taqaat emaan sey apni
Nakaam banna deta hey batil ki sharaarat"
The poet carries the message in Ehsaas-e-Zindagi, where the verses feel like an address to a large gathering by a person who hid the pain of losing the glory entitled to the Muslims.
"Hay ab bhi waqt key bedaar ho ja khuwab-e-ghaflat se
Haqeeqat bhi koi hoti hey khuwabo ke nazaro me
Zameen-o-asmaan jhuk sakte hay ab bhi tere agay
Tu shamil ho agar husan-e-amal key pukhta karo mey"
Sculpting Muqalma in poem
One-to-one conversation or popularly known as Muqalma nigari has been a popular style in Urdu literature. The author creates two characters out of manifestation and sparks a debate among them. We had the privilege to witness Allama Iqbal's work in which he establishes two characters and lures the message underneath their conversation. The most prominent and worth mentioning work includes poems for children like Pahar aur Gulehri, Makhi aur Makraa, and Bulbul aur Jugnuu. All these short poems follow a series of real-life characters & creatures having a productive and thought-provoking conversation.
Azad Iqbal has taken the exact style as an inspiration and used characters one cannot easily imagine having an interesting debate. He designed a beautiful conversation between a stunning rose and a thorn attached to it in his work Phool aur Kantaay ki batain. Their discussion will not only entertain the readers but urge them to look at the world from a different angle. Without spoiling anything for new readers, an amusing part of the conversation between them went like this,
The majestic red rose says to the thorn:
"Mere chehray sey ayain ha sinat-e-hussan azal
Door tak jata ha meri booye khush tar ka asar
Teri surat dekhina kis ko gawara ha bata
Log seenay sey laga letay hey mujh ko choom kar"
A befitting reply from the thorn:
"Aay Gul-e-nadaan! meri ungli hey sooye asmaan
Mey gawahi dey raha hoon ek ha rab-e-jahan
Tu haqeeqat ki nazar sey dekhta mujh ko agar
meri hasti me tujhe milta mujahid ka nishaan"
A worth reading piece that deserves a mention, is a face to face debate between life & death. How the horror concept of 'death' puts forward its case and confronts 'life' will leave the reader thinking and re-evaluating the beliefs we have grown up.
Motivating Iqbal's Shaheen
"Khudaar ho to chalta ha achaay asool par
leta nahi ha mufat ka ehsaan aadmi
Aghiyar sey saharo ki rakhta nahi ha aas
karta ha khud hi mushkiley asaan aadmi"
Azad Iqbal's pen couldn't hold itself to follow the shadow of footsteps left by Allama Iqbal and jot down the messages for the young generation. The poems are a missive teaching motivation, providing guidance and acting as a road map to deal with challenges thrown at us by life.
"Ibadat ke liye jaise wazoo ki sharat hoti ha
Mohabat ke liye bhi aabroo ki sharat hoti ha
Jise raz-e-khudi ab tak nahi maloom wo sun ley
Khabar ke silselay mey justoojo ki sharat hoti ha"
Few of the verses give a feeling that the poet has started to lose his temper after witnessing the cliche thoughts when it comes to bringing a change. He beautifully provides a straightforward answer through Khayalaat on how society can evolve and progress,
"Agar chahate hey ke din raat badle
To phir log apne khayalat badle
Dilo me karey wusaat paida
Taraqi kare, apne halaat badle"
The stanzas do not only call the youngsters but also tap the shoulders of society and try to guide them towards the path of morality, humanity, justice and equality for all. Though the youngsters will lay the foundation of upcoming society, the poet firmly believes that every individual of all ages must play their part to uplift the community.
Hint of Wittiness
"Qasrat-e-Azwaaj key hain dil se qail sheikh ji
Kis qadar malhooz wo rakhte hain mazhab dekhiye"
Those who are a fan of humorous poetry and enjoy the work of Akbar Allahabadi or Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi will find some amusing poetry by Azad in this book.
By the end of Daana-e-Raaz, a reader will know Azad Iqbal as a person possessing serious nature and fikar-e-Iqbal but also a human with a quick wit and joyful nature.
A sprinkle of political satire can be sensed in some lines
"Agay peechay jab nazar aajaye notoy ki jhalak
Naukri phir kia zaroori ha key sarkari karen"
Meanwhile, Azad also took a hilarious critique on the folklore Laila Majnu with his laughable conversation with historical character Qais (Majnu),
"Sang rezi bhi hui hogi sar-e-nazuk par
Aap ko laila ke kunbay nay bhi jhaara hoga
Aisa lagta ha kay aghiyar nay yakjaa ho kar
Aap ka huliya buri tarha bigara hoga"
A sad norm that prevailed in all forms of art is to discourage and belittle humour. Currently, humour writers, directors and other artists are not taken seriously, and most of them end up receiving the least amount of pay. Hopefully, after seeing witty content in Azad Iqbal's book, the industry would think to re-set its standards.
Marsiya Nigari
Through Daana-e-Raaz, not only does a reader enjoys quality poetry, but also gets to know the family circle of the poet. A very adorable collection of poems are present in the middle part of the book written by Azad for his niece and nephew, who would adore and cherish this beautiful gift.
But, on the other hand, few of the verses are written in the memory of his beloveds who have passed away. This typical part expresses the sensitive and depressed side of the poet. Unlike other poets, who expresses the sorrow of failed romantic relations, Azad shares the loss of his family members.
By writing down his grievances, Azad has touched another important area of Urdu poetry known as Marsiya Nigari. For those who do not know, Marsiya is a typical form of poetry, written and said over the death of a person close to someone. Historically, many poets have said Marsiya for Sufi saints, religious personalities and family members.
In past years, many poets have released or published their Deewan, but hardly anyone has tried to rejuvenate Marsiya Nigari as it requires a pain that could only be felt on the demise of a close relation. However, it's refreshing to see that Azad has shown the courage to share a personal loss and open his heart out to the readers.
Significance of Daana-e-Raaz
In a world where the Urdu language is in a quest for its future, the poetic gift by Azaad Iqbal serves as a fresh breeze of air.
If we examine at a grass-root level (high schools and colleges), the content in both Nasar and Nazam may interest only a few students because of its rich quality. Most of the material available to students roam around veterans & legends like Meer Taqi Meer, Meer Dard, Mirza Ghalib, Josh Maleeh Abadi, Maulvi Nazir Ahmed Dehlvi, etc that has a strong essence of Farsi and sometimes Arabic as well.
On the other hand, Daana-e-Raaz has followed the footsteps of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and designed a book that can reach out to a larger audience, especially young adults and teenagers. So in terms of education and training, Azad's verses can be used as a starting point for students aged 12-18 and reveal them to a good; and yet simple form of Urdu poetry.