{"id":16284,"date":"2025-08-10T12:05:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T12:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=16284"},"modified":"2025-08-10T12:05:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T12:05:12","slug":"amjad-islam-amjad-the-man-behind-the-metaphors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=16284","title":{"rendered":"Amjad Islam Amjad: the man behind the metaphors"},"content":{"rendered":"
Despite a number of books, volumes, reviews and articles penned on the late Amjad Islam Amjad, legendary poet, playwright and author, this is my humble attempt to pay a tribute to him, as his 81st birthday fell earlier this week on August 4. I feel that there is a dire need to explore several less-highlighted aspects of his life and character. A number of his classmates, friends, and his family members shared their warm and kind views, memories and observations about Amjad sahib as a human, husband, friend, class fellow and father.<\/p>\n

Anwar Masood was not only a close friend of Amjad sahib, but is also the father-in-law of Amjad sahib\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a person, a scholar, and a literary figure of such stature that he has been the subject of various books \u2014 most notably the comprehensive volume Amjad Fehmi, which serves as an encyclopaedia on his life and work,\u201d says Maqsood. \u201cIt stands as a testament to the unique artistic pedestal that Amjad occupied in the world of literature. Amjad sahib is globally recognised and deeply loved not only as an inspiring playwright, but also as a distinguished columnist, travel writer, analyst, translator, and poet. He is at par in all the fields, so I must call him the \u2018Field Marshal of Literature.\u2019 He was blessed with the public’s love, widespread popularity, fame, and reverence \u2014 all of which were earned through his unwavering dedication, consistent effort, and of course, the will and help of the Almighty, Who granted him strength and motivation to continue his work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmjad believed in continuous growth and constant action \u2014 a message deeply echoed in the philosophy of Allama Iqbal,\u201d added Maqsood. \u201cIt is through hard work and movement that one achieves success. Even a tree that stops growing begins to decay and wither within days. Amjad\u2019s pen never paused or faltered, regardless of the genre he explored. I wrote many stanzas and poetic lines on him and his versatility with depth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ayub Khawer, playwright, director and producer shares some unforgettable moments spent with Amjad sahib. \u201cAmjad\u2019s death was a great loss not only for the world of literature, but for entire humanity in terms of selfless friendship,\u201d he begins. \u201cI cannot recall or describe since when our companionship began to blossom but our relationship and bond have always been beyond the professional or literary confinements. We were in harmony like two mutually understanding, caring, sharing and supporting human beings and buddies. The reason behind our unique success was our spiritual and pure concord of attachment to each other, like two souls in a body. At the Karachi University, I joined this wonderful comrades\u2019 circle of Ashraf, Qasmi, Sohail, and others, at a later stage. I wish I were amongst them since my childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khawer says that if he recalls any specific incident or moment of Amjad\u2019s humanitarian and sympathetic considerations for others, it will need a book or more than that to pen down. \u201cHe was a down-to-earth human being and an altruistic friend,\u201d he adds. \u201cWe supported each other in ups and downs of life, attended international events, and enjoyed the music of life together. In the recent past neither he did nor I produced any work because the present environment didn\u2019t appeal to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Muhammad Ashraf Shaheen, businessman, banker, and literary figure, was a class fellow of Amjad Islam Amjad at Punjab University Oriental College, Lahore. \u201cAfter graduation, I moved to Lahore from Khushab, and secured admission to Punjab University\u2019s Oriental College in 1966, where I met Amjad Islam Amjad, Ata-ul-Haq Qasmi, and Dr Sohail Ahmed, who greatly helped me, a mere stranger to them, through the admission process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I had no friends or relatives in Lahore, I initially felt a bit lost,\u201d says Shaheen. \u201cBut after meeting these wonderful people, it felt like I was among family. Our friendship blossomed, and continued to grow stronger with every passing day. With their support, I even won the election for general secretary of the Oriental College Students’ Union.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amjad, in particular, was the embodiment of humility and kindness \u2014 an incarnation of love and compassion. \u201cI still remember when he got married,\u201d recalls Shaheen. \u201cI was already married by then and posted as branch manager in Abbottabad. I invited the couple for their honeymoon trip, and they visited us. Over the years, I don\u2019t recall a single occasion when Amjad visited Karachi and left without spending time at our home, no matter how brief his stay. I did the same whenever I was in Lahore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaheen would often host lunches, brunches, and dinners in honour of Amjad and other distinguished guests visiting Karachi for Urdu conferences, literary festivals, and similar events. These gatherings always turned into warm, informal get-togethers.<\/p>\n

I also had the privilege of being a part of baithaks or gatherings with Amjad sahib, Anwar Masood, Shahid Siddiqi, Ata-ul-Haq Qasmi, and Akhtar Hussain Jafferi. The conversations were light-hearted, filled with banter, friendly teasing, and uninhibited laughter, never constrained by formality or decorum.<\/p>\n

Amjad sahib would say, \u201cIf friendly conversation, light jokes, and playful teasing are missing from such gatherings of friends, life would become unbearably dull and stressful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amjad sahib was not only a poet of love but also a loving husband and a compassionate father. His married life with Firdous Amjad, who stood by him in all the ups and downs, was a symbol of dignity and strength. They had three children: Rosheen Amjad, Tehseen Amjad, and Ali Zeeshan Amjad.<\/p>\n

The personality and love of Amjad Islam Amjad, so vivid in his writing, were equally prominent in his family life. The atmosphere at home was full of literature, morality, and love. His children grew up in a cultured, knowledge-rich environment \u2014 an environment that nourished and sustained his creative spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a daughter to endure the separation from her beloved father, and then to put that grief and shock into words, is such a difficult stage that no language has vocabulary to describe it,\u201d says Rosheen Aqib, his daughter who is a professor at Islamabad Women University. \u201cSorrow embedded in the depths of the soul cannot be converted into words or put down on paper. Papa was not merely an individual but a multidimensional persona \u2014 with so many facets and colours that, if each were written separately, it would take an entire office with all its paraphernalia to contain them. He was a unique person, a creative genius, a best friend, and an immensely loving father and husband. As children, we may not have realised this connection, but as our eyes of awareness opened, the feeling grew stronger: we were the children of an extraordinary person \u2014 a perfect example of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talking about his work, she says, \u201cHis contribution to every genre of literature \u2014 poetry, prose, columns, drama, travelogue, literary criticism \u2014 is worth weighing in pearls. His writings were a mirror of truth, candour and spontaneity. He never compromised on principles. Pick up his plays and study his characterisation \u2014 every character is earthly; the people around us talk to us, explain our problems, and speak our language. We are familiar with all these characters because they are not apart from us \u2014 they are us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rosheen described her father\u2019s poetry being different with metaphors like dreams, rain, sea, time, and love finding new dimensions through his pen. \u201cHis poems, such as Nature of Love and The Tragedy of Self-Made People, describe bitter realities.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the real greatness of any personality lies more in character than in creation. \u201cIf that is the measure, then Papa was a class of his own, she adds. \u201cI have never seen a more transparent-hearted, forgiving, and pure person than him. He always used to say, \u2018Never remember your own goodness and never forget that of others.\u2019 And he did not just say this \u2014 he lived it. Even if someone wronged him, he would not only forgive but also forget it immediately. If the matter came up again, he would defend that person like a lawyer. The hardest thing for him was to see someone in pain \u2014 he would instinctively share the sorrow of others.\u201d<\/p>\n

No worldly loss ever shook him. His motto was: \u2018Remember what you got, forget what you didn\u2019t get.\u2019<\/p>\n

And this is not just a line \u2014 it is the summary of his entire life.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe dedicated his life to our comfort,\u201d says Rosheen. \u201cHe was a shady tree for all his siblings, relatives, and friends. If someone expressed a problem to him, they would feel relieved, and Papa would not rest until he found a solution.\u201d<\/p>\n

After his departure, Amjad sahib\u2019s wife did not live even a year without him beside her. Rosheen feels that her mother probably could not comprehend how the person who loved her more than the whole world \u2014 who became her shield in every difficulty and who was her smile \u2014 could leave her. \u201cPapa never hurt anyone in his life,\u201d she adds. \u201cHe was not used to anyone doing anything for him. He was not just our father, but a light that still burns in the depths of our hearts and never fades for a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali Zeeshan Amjad, TV and film director\/CEO AIM Productions, shared some beautiful word for his father. \u201cIf I sum it up in one word, it would be love. Papa was love incarnate. His life, his diction, his smile \u2014 everything was tinged with the colour of love. He himself said, \u201cWhatever there is, it is an extension of love.\u201d And this is not a claim \u2014 it is the testimony of every person who knew him closely and experienced his compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone who encountered him felt that Amjad Sahib was most kind to them. \u201cIf anyone in our family was in some difficulty, they were certain that Amjad Sahib\u2019s arms would be open for them. And indeed, he consoled every broken heart. Today, Papa\u2019s poetry is a luminous reference in Urdu literature for expressing universal themes like love, emotions, life, time, dreams, and humanity. In his poetry, love emerges not only as a personal emotion but as a broad human value. It reflects the true picture of the sorrows, joys, dreams, hopes, and defeats of the common man.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was blessed with fifty years of uninterrupted fame \u2014 a gift very few are granted. And we witnessed a miracle: the more Allah blessed him, the more humble he became \u2014 the very embodiment of humility.<\/p>\n

And now, as long as the Urdu language is alive, Amjad Islam Amjad will be remembered.<\/p>\n

We shall not mourn him \u2014 we shall celebrate his life. Because such personalities never truly leave \u2014 they live on in our hearts and in every word ever written about love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Economist and analyst Dr Shujat Mubarik, Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, and visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge, UK, recalls the warmth of Amjad Sahib\u2019s personality. I introduced Dr Mubarik Dr Rana Tariq Mahmood to Amjad sahib and in Karachi. \u201cI vividly remember our first meeting at the Marriott Hotel \u2014 his humility and candidness left a lasting impression on me,\u201d shares Dr Mubarik. \u201cI was awestruck by how someone of such stature in Urdu literature \u2014 a writer of iconic drama serials like Waris, Samundar, Dehleez and many more \u2014 could speak so simply and kindly. It\u2019s rare to find someone so grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n

From that day on, it became a tradition: whenever he visited Karachi, we would meet him, share dinners, and attend gatherings at the Arts Council. Those evenings were magical \u2014 as if time slowed down just to let us absorb the wisdom in every word he shared. I often told others: \u201cHis words were like diamonds; every sentence carried depth and meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

To the youth, his message was, \u201cFollow the right path, even if it\u2019s longer, don\u2019t go for shortcuts.\u201d That single sentence has stayed with me as a timeless reminder of integrity and perseverance<\/p>\n

Amjad sahib was one of the most genuine, humble, and kind-hearted souls I have ever met. His passion for literature, unwavering principles, and ability to make others feel seen and valued will forever remain in my heart. Our last meeting was at an Urdu Conference in Karachi. Just two months later, we were devastated by the news of his passing.\u201d<\/p>\n

I will forever cherish a verse he often recited to us \u2014 one that captured his profound insight:<\/p>\n

Pair ko deemak lag jayay, ya adamzad ko gham<\/p>\n

Dono hi ko Amjad ham ne bachtay dekha kam<\/p>\n

He would speak these lines with such gravity that you could feel the weight of his lived experience. His memory lives on \u2014 not only in his poetry, but in the hearts of all those who had the privilege of knowing him. As I write these words, it is difficult to hold back tears \u2014 a testament to how deeply Amjad sahib continues to live in our hearts.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Muttahir Ahmed Khan is an author, analyst, educationist, can be reached at muttahirahmedkhan@gmail.com<\/p>\n

All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite a number of books, volumes, reviews and articles penned on the late Amjad Islam Amjad, legendary poet, playwright and author, this is my humble attempt to pay a tribute to him, as his 81st birthday fell earlier this week on August 4. I feel that there is a dire need to explore several less-highlighted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16284\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}