Sayeed Shaheedi a Modern Urdu Poet of Hyderabad e Deccan

        In the name of Allah (s.w.t) the most Beneficent and Merciful                                      Peace be upon Mohammad e Mustafa and his progeny                                             

Sayeed Shaheedi

Mrs. FARHAT FATIMA

Research Scholar, Department of H & SS

JNTUH, College of Engineering

JNTUH, Kukatpally, Hyderabad-85

E-mail: farhat_fatima5@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Sayeed Shaheedi was an optimistic, spiritually strong, focused innovative versifier.  He has penned down different styles of poetry generally connected to Ahle Bait (family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny) like Salaam (a lyrical salutation), Marsia (i.e six line genre of poetry which is known as Musaddas), Noha (dirge or lamentation about Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} Naath (poetry in praise of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny), Manqabat (is a Sufi devotional poem, in praise of Ali ibn Abi Talib {(Alaihis Salaam means 'peace be upon him'), the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad, or of any Sufi saint}, Qasida (Poetry in praise of a noble personality), Ghaziliat (a set of two liner couplets. He has written more than 400 couplets of various form of poetry, more than 300 Ghaziliat and more than 100 Salaams (lyrical salutations) in Urdu. His work is compiled in five volumes acknowledged as Barq o Aashiyan, Shafaq, Aftab-e-Ghazal, Kaf-e-Gul Faroosh and Sare Shaam. The real name of the poet Sayeed Shaheedi was Mir Abid Ali. He was born on 14^th July 1914 and expired on 15^th May 2000. Sayeed Shaheedi is an Arabic utterance which translates itself as ‘A Happy martyr’.  A few of his contemporaries are Akhtar Zaidi, Baquer Amanathkhani, Sohail Afandi, Qawar Noori and Qairaat Hussain Natiq. This article highlights the diverse types of poetry written by Sayeed Shaheedi in Madi’h or praise of Ahle Bait (The family of Prophet Mohammad). 

Keywords   

Ghazal, Salam, Qasida, Marsia, Noha

 PREAMBLE

Sayeed Shaheedi is an Arabic word which translates itself as ‘A Happy martyr’.  It is the pen name of the poet and his real name is Mir Abid Ali.   He was born on 14^th July 1914 and expired on 15^th May 2000. He was a Syed (descendent of Prophet Mohammad’s family) and his line of succession starts from Hasan Ibn Ali { (Alaihis Salaam), The eldest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.}  Sayeed Shaheedi has completed his primary and secondary education from Madrasa e Aliya, Hyderabad and F.A (Equivalent to Intermediate) from Hyderabad.  He has worked in Excise Department on various posts in different districts and at the fag – end of his career he was posted to Hyderabad.

Poetry was present in the line of succession of Sayeed Shaheedi. His Paternal Great Grandfather used to pen down poems in Farsi or Persian and his takhallus (pen name) was Humdum and his Grand father Late Dr. Yousuf Ali also used to write poetry in Urdu.  This poetic instinct  also transferred to his father Mir Mehdi Ali, who was the advisor of seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan and was bestowed the laquab (description of a person) or title of Nawab Shaheed Yar Jung. His father was a renowned poet of his era. Not only was Sayeed Shaheedi’s father a good poet taking his takhallus as Shaheed but his paternal uncle, Late Hussain Shaheedi also was a poet and used to pen down verses in Hindi, taking his pen name as Sabeel Umme.

According to William Wordsworth poetry is ‘Spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings’.  Deep emotion is the basic condition of poetry.  Sayeed Shaheedi was blessed by the sense of powerful feelings and profound thought.  It was God’s gift to him being bestowed not only by sense of perception but also through blood.  Poetry was embedded in his blood from both paternal as well as from the maternal sides of the line of succession.   His maternal grand father Syed Asghar Hussain Naji was an eminent poet of Urdu.  His mother was Hayath Begum, a religious, God-fearing lady.  Both the parents of Sayeed Shaheedi took special interest in his upbringing, having groomed him well in manners and etiquette.  Mrs Zainab Begum (wife of Nawab Shaheed Yar Jung) also groomed Sayeed Shaheedi in etiquette and manners. By nature Sayeed Shaheedi was a quiet, humble, well-mannered and well behaved person.  He was acclaimed and highly praised in literary circles.  He always helped and appreciated new talent.  He was married to Fatima Begum, daughter of Poet Syed Sakhawat Ali Majeed. Sayeed Shaheedi’s wife too was a poet and had penned down few Nohas (Noha is dirge or lamentation about Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.}

Being a father is an emotional boon for a person.  Sayeed Shaheedi was blessed with two sons and four daughters namely Late Sajida Fatima, Late Mir Baquer Ali, Mir Jaffer Ali, Badar Fatima, Rabab Fatima and Sayeed Fatima.  Two of his children followed the footsteps of their father and became poets.  His second son named, Mir Jaffer Ali, takhallus or pen-name as Rasheed Shaheedi is also an excellent poet and has published two volumes of Ghazaliat and four volumes of religious poetry, penned down in praise of Ahle Bait (Family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny).  One of his daughters’ named Badar Fatima, takhallus or pen name Hina also is a good poet.  She has penned down Ghazaliat.

Sayeed Shaheedi devoted his flowing art of poetry through glowing imagery and immense aesthetic appeal.  He was a prolific versifier and has penned down various types of poetry like Salaam( a lyrical salutation), Marsia (i.e six line genre of poetry which is known as Musaddas), Noha (dirge or lamentation about Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.},  Naath (poetry in praise of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his poetry), Manqabat ( is a Sufi devotional poem, in praise of Ali ibn Abi Talib {(Alaihis Salaam), the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} or of any Sufi saint), Qasida(Poetry in praise of a noble personality), Ghaziliat (a set of two liner couplets.  A Ghazal is formed by four to five couplets).  He has written both general poetry (i.e. Ghazal’s) and poetry related to Ahle Bait (The family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him). He has penned down more than 400 couplets of various forms of poetry, more than 300 Ghaziliat and more than 100 Salaams (lyrical salutations) in Urdu. His work is compiled in five volumes known as Barq o Aashiyan, Shafaq, Aftab-e-Ghazal, Kaf-e-Gul Faroosh and Sare Shaam. Some of his contemporaries are Akhtar Zaidi, Baquer Amanathkhani, Sohail Afandi, Qawar Noori and Qairaat Hussain Natiq. This paper aims to portray the various forms of poetry written by Sayeed Shaheedi in Madi’h or praise of Ahle Bait (The family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny).

Analysis of Verses

Ghazal is one of the forms of verse writing which Sayeed Shaheedi has used considerably to portray his thoughts.  Most of the Ghazal’s he has written are based on love and bereavement.   At some places he has also portrayed the love of Ahle Bait (the family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny).  When the reader reads the Ghazal of Sayeed Shaheedi he is bound to admire the intellectual manner in which it is phrased.  Basically, the origin of Ghazal was from Arabic to Persian and then migrated to Urdu and Turkish languages.  It is a lyrical form with rhyming couplets and a catchphrase, every line sharing the similar meter. Some of the exponents of Ghazal writing are Hafez, Wali Mohammad Wali, Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Momin Khan Momin and Dagh Dehlvi.

A Ghazal typically should have minimum of five Sher or Couplets.  The rules of ‘Matla’, ‘Radif’, ‘Maqta’, ‘Beher’ and ‘Kaafiyaa’ must be followed sternly. ‘Matla’ is the opening Sher in the Ghazal and if all the subsequent lines of the Sher are ending with the same expression. These repeating common expressions are known as ‘Radif.’   The ‘Matla’ or opening Sher should have ‘Radif’ in its both lines. 'Maqta' means a Shayar or poet usually has an alias i.e. ‘Takhallus’ There is a Sher in a Ghazal, the last one, which has the Shayar’s or poet’s ‘takhallus’ in it. ‘Beher’ is meter or length of Sher.  A Ghazal is a collection of Sher of same Beher. 'Kaafiyaa’ is the rhyming pattern which all the words before Radif 'must have. Apart from these five components the Ghazal also has certain components as Khayal and Wazan. Khayal means a thought that inspires the poet to write the Ghazal and Wazan means the percentage of use of above features of the ghazal.   Every verse of a Ghazal is complete in itself. The general rhyming pattern of a Ghazal is aabacada. A ghazal may be understood as a lyrical expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain

The following is a beautiful couplet of Ghazal written by Sayeed Shaheedi

 میں اِس لےُ مرنے کی دُعا منگ  رہا  ہوں

 تو نزع میں آءے گا مِرے دل کو یقیں  ہے

Transliteration

Mein  Iss  Liye  Marne  Ki Dua Maang Raha Hoon

Tooh Nazza’ Mein Aayega Mere Dil Ko Yakheen Hai (Sayeed, Sare’ Shaam 35)

Therefore   for   this    reason   I    am    praying    to    breathe   last

As my heart is sure that you will come in the last transitive stage of my    soul’s    onward    journey  (Translated  by  Fatima, Farhat)

In the above lines of Ghazal, Sayeed Shaheedi portrays the total devotion, love and faith he has towards Ali Ibn e Abi Talib {(Alaihis Salaam) Cousin and later Son-In-Law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.}  It is a belief of Shia Muslims that Ali Ibn e Abi Talib {(Alaihis Salaam) Cousin and later Son-In-Law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. } will come in the last transitive stage of a person’s life known as nazza’ when he appears to everyone as dead but he is still alive and is ready to depart the body. The two angels known as Munkir and Nakir (both good and bad) respectively will come in the grave to calculate the deeds of the deceased person. At this moment the  soul of the deceased person will be in a state of fear and awe and at this moment Ali Ibn Abi Talib {(Alaihis Salaam), Cousin and later Son-In-Law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} will help the deceased person morally as he is a lover of Ahl e Bait( the family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him).   Thus Sayeed Shaheedi portrays in this Sher or Couplet of his Ghazal that he is looking forward to die as he knows Ali Ibn Abi Talib {(Alaihis Salaam), Cousin and later Son-In-Law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him.} will come to his rescue in grave.

Sayeed Shaheedi covered a broad spectrum of poetry but his significance lies chiefly in his Qasida’s. His mastery is reflected in his Qasida’s which portray stylistic embellishment. Usually, Qasida’s treat common thematic topics like happiness.  The Qasida was composed for public recitation on formal, ceremonial occasions. It features elevated pronunciation and an intricacy of manner frequently noticeable by the broad use of symbolic devices. Sayeed Shaheedi’s Qasida’s attractiveness lies not only in its indisputable literary qualities but also in the fact that it stands as a symbol of happy Shia tradition.  His Qasida verses cheerful in tone display a lot of originality especially in the portrayal of sequences.   A Qasida has a solo presiding theme, rationally developed and completed. Often it is an accolade or tribute, written in admiration of a nobleman, a genre known as ‘madīh’ or ‘praise’. 

The following lines portray a beautiful couplet of Qasida

گود میں لے کے کہہ رہے ہیں حُسیئن

مقصدِ     کربلا    کی     آمَد    ہے

Transliteration

Goad mein Leke kah rahein hain Hussain;

Maqsade  Karbala  ki  Amad  Hai  (Sayeed, Guldasta e mahfil 75)

 Hussain has taken into his lap and said

 Intention    of    Karbala    has   arrived (Translated by Fatima, Farhat)

The above lines of the Qasida portray the happiness of an elder brother Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} when Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), the step-brother of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam) is born.  Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), takes his younger brother in his lap and says with happiness that the aim and purpose of ‘the battle of Karbala’ Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam) has arrived.  It was foretold by Ali Ibn Abi Talib {(Alaihis Salaam) Cousin and later son in law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} that Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) has prophesied to him that his son Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), will help Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), in the battle of Karbala when Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), and his family and friends will be denied water and all humanitarian rights by the disruptive forces of the tormentor king Yazid. It will be Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), who will be the Commander and strength of Hussain Ibn Ali’s (Alaihis Salaam), army. It will be Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam) who will die thirsty and parched on the banks of the river Euphrates fighting to get water for Hussain Ibn Ali’s (Alaihis Salaam), children (Hyderi, Zikre Abbas 19)

The subsequent type of verse form used by Sayeed Shaheedi was his Salam’s.  In achieving lyrical skill, grammatical correctness is one of the vital components.  His focused and apt treatment of lexicon has enhanced the quality of his verses.  His Salam (a lyrical salutation) has melancholic effect on the reader and listener.

The following are the arresting lines of his Salam

  اکبُر کے بعد ذیست میں کیا دلکشی رہی

لیلَی   تمَام   عمر   یہی   سونچتی رہی  

Transliteration

Akber ke baad ziist mein kya dilkashi rahii

Laila   tamam   umr   yahi   sochti’i  rahii (Sayeed,Chasm-e-Aza 3)

After Akber, What is the attraction left in this existence?

Laila for  her entire life kept pondering (Translated by Fatima, Farhat)

The above lines of the Salam portray the grief of a mother after her adolescent eighteen years old son is martyred in the battle of Karbala.  Sayeed Shaheedi very artistically portrays the Stream of Consciousness of Laila (Wife of Hussain Ibn Ali, the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny).  Laila throughout her life contemplated to herself as to what charm is left in this life when her handsome, loving, obedient and chivalrous son is no more in this world.  To her eyes her existence had no meaning without her son. 

The next genre of verse writing of Sayeed Shaheedi is Noha (a lyrical dirge).  It is a dismal lament expressing mourning or grief about the tragedy of Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} in the battle of Karbala.  A noha has the historical and social setting of pre-Islamic Arabic and Persian ethnicity.  Noha is a sub-part of Marsia along with Soz.  Noha or a lyrical dirge is the poem and story that has been inspired from various authentic religious books like Maqtalul Hussain, which narrate the battle of Karbala and the martyrdom of Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him and his progeny.}  Usually the poet or the reciter reads the noha with nostalgic tempo.

The following is a skillfully phrased noha of Sayeed Shaheedi

دم توڑتی ہے خاک پہ نادان یا حُسیئن

سیدا نیاں ہیں ساری پریشان یا حُسیئن

Transliteration

Dum todhti  hai  qaak pe nadaan ya Hussain

Syedaniya hain sari pareshan ya Hussain (Sayeed, Shamsheer e Matam II Edition 389)

The naïve girl is breathing her last on the ash oh! Hussain

Syedaniya (Women of Prophet Mohammad’s household) are all nervous oh! Hussain (Translated by Fatima, Farhat)

After the battle of Karbala the women folk of Hussain Ibn Ali’s (Alaihis Salaam), household along with his eldest ailing son Zain ul Abedien (Alaihis Salaam), were shackled and chained and forcefully taken to Kufa and Shaam and lastly detained in the zindaan or dungeon of Shaam.  It was so dark and traumatic to live in the prison that the four years old daughter Sakina Bint Hussain, daughter of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), died in the dungeon. In the above noha the poet Sayeed Shaheedi is portraying magical realism, and he is speaking to Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} and narrating the happening of that moment when the little innocent girl, Sakina Bint Hussain, is breathing her last and all the Syedaniya (women of Prophet Mohammad’s household) are psychologically tensed and are feeling helpless and confused as they cannot do anything for the little girl in pain.

The next form of Poetry depiction by Sayeed Shaheedi was Marsia Nigari or six lines sestain or Misra which is done in Musaddas format. Marsia’s are recited in the mourning congregations or Majlis of the Shia Muslims. These gender segregated mourning congregations are held all through the year to commemorate the martyrdom of grandson and the members of prophet’s immediate kin but the chief spell starts for the Shia Muslims from the first Islamic  month, Moharram and continues till sixty eight days.  The core happening remembered during these ritual activities is the battle of Karbala in which Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest Grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. } and his 71 male followers were slain by the armed forces of Yazid, the Umayyad Caliph, in Karbala. After Hussain Ibn Ali’s (Alaihis Salaam.) bereavement, his enemies cruelly unveiled his female relatives, led them on a forced march to Damascus, and imprisoned them, but these morally strong women kept alive the memory of Hussain Ibn Ali’s (Alaihis Salaam) sacrifice.  Zainab Bint Ali (Granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad and sister of Hussain Ibn Ali) is ascribed with the very founding of the mourning congregations known as Majalis.  It is a believe among Shia Muslims that Zainab Bint Ali (Granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him) and Fatima Zehra (Daughter of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him) are present in the mourning gatherings.  The various genres of majalis poetry, like Soz, Salam, Marsia and Noha are recited in the Majlis gathering which portrays the masaib, the torments of Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the younger grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him.}  and his family, which rouse lamentation, sobbing, and weeping on the parts of both listeners and performers.

Sayeed Shaheedi’s marsia Nigari was picturesque and portrays rich excellence of words and phrases. When a reader read’s his marsia’s they are bound to admire the rational planning of his marsia’s as much as they do its spiritual quality.  His poetry has a unique space culturally and psychologically.  His verses gloss over on sub consciousness of the reader.  There is an inward pull towards humanity in his creative work.  He captures the scenes of the battle of Karbala and its aftermath as if they are picturised in reality that haunts the reader’s imagination.

جب ہوئی قیَد سے  رہا  زینب    

آے  سعّید  آئی   کربلا   زینب

پہنچی جب غم کی مبتلا زینب     

روکے دیتی تهی یہ صدا  زینب

             قیَدُ سے چُهٹ کے آئی ہوں بهَائی

             شام سے  لُٹ  کے آئی ہوں بهُآئی

Transliteration

Jab   Huwi   Qaid   se  Reha  Zainab                 

Aay  Sayeed    aa ii  Karbala Zainab

Pahonchi  jab gham ki mubtela Zainab 

Rokay   deti   thi   ye  sada   Zainab

       Qaid se chutke aa ii  hoon Bhai

        Shaam se lutke  aa ii hoon Bhai  (Sayeed, Bazm-e-Sayeed 35)

When    Zainab    was    released    from   detention  

Oh      Sayeed!      Zainab      came      to     Karbala

When Zainab reached filled in sorrow and adversity

Crying,            Zainab            was             lamenting

     I     am    released     from     imprisonment,   brother

   From Shaam I have come seized and robbed, brother (Translated by Fatima, Farhat) 

The captured and imprisoned family of Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), The youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} was released from detention after the four years old daughter of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), Sakina Bint Hussain, died in the cell unable to bear cruelty and sorrow anymore.  Then the people of Syria started revolting against the oppressor Umayyad Caliph Yazid Ibn Mawviya.  Fearing that the revolution might increase its momentum Yazid Ibn Mawviya called Zain ul Abedein (Alaihis Salaam), The eldest son of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam)  and asked him to leave Syria in the night itself and go to the destination of his choice.  Zain ul Abedien (Alaihis Salaam), The eldest son of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam) consulted his aunt Zainab Bint Ali (The eldest granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him) and according to her wishes they decided to leave to Medina via route of Karbala, Iraq.   Thus the poet in the above lines of Musaddas portrays the same account in verse form.  The Musaddas here is in the form of a Soliloquy. He says when Zainab (The eldest granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him) was released from detention she went towards Karbala and when grief-filled Zainab reached her brother’s grave in Karbala, she threw herself on the grave of her brother and lamented that she has returned after being detained for a year in prison and after being looted and robbed in Sham. 

Death is life’s supreme obscurity.  When we are faced with the death of a relative or a celebrated person we are astounded and overwhelmed with grief and distress.  But the real truth is that our soul knows of its eternal nature and accepts the ultimate truth of life and death.  On 15^th May 2000, Sayeed Shaheedi one of the finest poets of contemporary world passed away leaving behind his loved ones, a legacy of poetry, several admirers of strong receptiveness and contemplative minds with sturdy spiritual fervor and ardor.  His son Mir Jaffer Ali alias Rasheed Shaheedi who is a poet penned down two Nazms (descriptive rhymed verse) of bereavement for his father.

The following is one of the verses of Rasheed Shaheedi’s Noha which portrays the grief of Hussain Ibn Ali’s (Alaihis Salaam) eldest son Zain ul Abedien’s (Alaihis Salaam) grief, when he sees the trampled and severed body of his father on the eleventh of Moharram after the Battle of Karbala.

باپ کی لاش پہ بیمار  کہڑ  تهاا    رن  میں

بیڑیاں پاوُں میں اور طوقِ گراں گردن میں

بے  کفن  رہ  گیا  بهّیا  مِرا  کربل  بُن  میں

اب اُداسی ہے اندهیرے  ،یں ہمارے مَن میں

              بنتِ زهہرءا کا بیاں تها مِرے بهّیا عباّسُ

Transliteration

Baap  ki  laash  pe bimaar khada tha runn mein

Bediyaan paao’ mein aur tauqe giraa gardan mein

Be kafan rah gaya bhaiyya mera karbal ban mein

Ab  udaasi  hai andhere hain hamare mann mein

   Binte  Zehra  ka  bayaan  tha  mere  bhaiyya  Abbas                                                  (Rasheed Shaheedi, Namaz e Aza 42)

On his father’s corpse the ailing son was standing in the battle field

Legs   shackled   &   collar   of   heavy   iron   fetters   in   the  neck.

My   brother   remained   shroudless    in    the   forest   of   Karbala

Now      sadness      and      darkness     prevail     in     our      hearts

Zehra’s      daughter      cried      out     to     her      brother     Abbas (Translated by Fatima, Farhat)

The above lines of the noha portray the lamentation of Zainab Bint Ali (the eldest granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him).  The poet draws a picture of the scene when Zainab Bint Ali returns to the mausoleum of her younger brother Abbas Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), Son of Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Ali Ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and later Son in law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him} in Karbala.  She portrays the grief of Zain ul Abedien {(Alaihis Salaam), the eldest son of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam)} to her brother Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam)  She says to Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam) on the eleventh of Moharram when my nephew was chained and shackled and was dragged by the soldiers of the tyrant king Yazid, Her nephew saw the shroudless body of his father Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam)  and stood looking at his father’s dead body pale with sorrow as he was helpless to do the last rites of his father.  She further laments that my brother remained shroudless in the forest of Karbala.  Since then there is sadness, sorrow and darkness in our hearts. This was the lamentation of Zehra’s daughter, Zainab (Zehra is the daughter of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him) to her younger brother Abbas Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam.) 

It is a Shia Muslim’s belief that whenever calamities befall an individual, however harsh might be the severity of that calamity; the believer will take solace through the house of Ahle Bait (the family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him).  Whenever someone dies in the family, if it is a young man then they remember Ali Akber (Alaihis Salaam), the eighteen year old son of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), who was martyred by a spear pierced in his chest.  If a teenager dies then they remember the thirteen years old Khasim Ibn Hasan (Alaihis Salaam), nephew of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), whose body was trampled in his life in the battle of Karbala. When a baby dies then they remember the six month old son, Ali Asghar of Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him. } who was martyred by an arrow pierced in his neck by the disruptive forces of Yazid the tyrant king of Damascus.  Similarly after the expiry of a father the son takes solace in the grief of Zain ul Abedien (Alaihis Salaam) the twenty four year old son of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam).

In the mourning congregation they recite the calamities which have befallen Zain ul Abedien (Alaihis Salaam) starting on with the tenth of Moharram, when the large military forces of the tyrant Umayyad Caliph Yazid, brutally martyred Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), and his small group of 71 supporters and relatives in the Battle of Karbala because Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), refused to pay allegiance to a oppressor and bloodthirsty, unjust despot which was Yazid Ibn Muawiya.  Following the killing of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), and his male followers, they looted the tents and burnt them. All the women folk were tied up and Zain ul Abedien (Alaihis Salaam) was chained.  On the eleventh of Moharram when the caravan of the ladies along with Zain ul Abedien (Alaihis Salaam), was being taken towards Damascus through the battle field, Zain ul Abedien stood near the corpse of his father, he was chained and severely sick, grieved and pale with sorrow. Thus in the above stanza Rasheed Shaheedi portrays the grief of a son over the body of his father because he cannot perform the last rites of his father as he is chained.

Consequently, in the mourning gatherings when a person passes away they recite the grief of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), and his Akhroba (Family) and Ansaar (Friends).  When the happenings of Karbala are recited then the mourning person feels a solace in it. He/She compares they own grief and feels that our grief is so less compared to the grief of Prophet’s youngest grandson Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), and his Ansaar (friends) and Akhroba (family members)

Thus, Sayeed Shaheedi a glowing luminary whose heart was filled with intense love for Ahle Bait (family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny) has left his talent in the form of his verses and this legacy is further carried on by his son Rasheed Shaheedi and daughter Hina. He is buried in a graveyard called Daire Mir Momin in Sultan Shahi, Hyderabad.  His poetry has a culture of language, tranquility and a station of grief which has made a mark in the anthologies of Urdu Literature. 

References  

Dhawan, R.k & Puri, Sumita Indian and Comparative Literature New Insights Prestige Books International 2016 ed.Fatima,Farhat Mir Baber Ali Anis: A Living Legend of Urdu Literature 41 Print

Hyderi, Syed Azhar Hussain Zikre Abbas 1994 Hyderi Kutub Khana, Mumbai 19 Print     

  

Jalajel, David A Short History of the Ghazal The Ghazal Page, The International Journal of English Language Ghazal’s / Since 1999 http://ghazalpage.com/essay-history-of-ghazal-david-jalajel/28/03/2017 Web

Meisami, Julie Scott and Starkey, Paul Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature Volume 2 pg 639 Routledge Publisher  https://books.google.co.in/books?id=DbCFBX6b3eEC&pg=PA639&lpg=PA639&dq=book+in+which+qasida+is+defined&source=bl&ots=btzKMU-nlP&sig=DR9X7GWtzOTCoz4JsKN Web

Shaheedi, Sayeed Sare Shaam: Majmoo AA e Ghazaliat 1999 Razvi Prints 35 Print

Shaheedi, Sayeed Guldasta e Mahfil III Edition Salman Book Centre 75 Print

Shaheedi, Sayeed Bazm-e-Sayeed: Aay Raat Zara Ahista Guzar Syndicate Prints, Chatta Bazar 35 Print

Shaheedi, Sayeed Shamsheer e Matam II Part 15^th Edition 1995 Kutub Qaana e Hyderi 389 Print

Shaheedi, Sayeed Chasm-e-Aza Vol II Salman Book Centre 3 Print

Shaheedi, Rasheed Namaze Aza 1993 Daira Press, Chatta Bazar 42 Print

Wordsworth, William Lyrical Ballads with Pastoral and other Poems 1805 IV Edition Print

English Translation and Transliteration is done by Farhat Fatima, Research Scholar JNTUH, Kukatpally - Hyderabad.

This Paper has been published in Literary Endeavour (An International Journal of English Language, Literature & Criticism) by Chief Editor: Ramesh Chougule (ISSN 0976-299X) Volume VIII No.3 July 2017. UGC Approved Under Arts and Humanities Sl.No. 741 Journal No.44728. www.literaryendeavour.org  Pg.No.98-104