Sarojini Naidu: A Journey of Devotion in her selected poems The Prayer of Islam and The Imam Bara

 

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

Mrs. FARHAT FATIMA

Research Scholar, Department of H & SS

JNTUH, College of Engineering

JNTUH, Kukatpally, Hyderabad-85

E-mail: farhat_fatima5@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Sarojini Naidu was not only well versed in Vedic Concepts of Indian Mythology but also in Islamic Beliefs. She was a great lover of Almighty God (Allah in Arabic) and Ahle Bait (The family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny).  She was born on 13^th February, 1879 in Hyderabad and expired on 2^nd March, 1949 in Lucknow. She was popularly known as ‘Bharat Kokila’ or ‘the Nightingale of India’.  Her poetic lines had bird like quality with swiftness and sophistication.   She has written three volumes of poetry, The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912) and The Broken Wing (1917).  Her poetic volumes occupy an eminent place in the anthologies of Indo-Anglican poetry.  Her poems that portray Muslim life and Islamic culture include i) The Pardah Nashin  ii) A Song from Shiraz   iii) The Imambara iv) The Prayer of Islam v) Wandering Beggars and vi) The Old Woman.  The poem titled ‘The prayer of Islam’ was composed by Sarojini Naidu on Id-Uz-Zoha in the year 1915.  It is taken from her volume ‘The Broken Wing’. This poem depicts us an insight into the well-acquaintance of Sarojini Naidu with Islamic mode of worship. The subsequent poem ‘Imam Bara’ is also taken from Sarojini Naidu’s volume The Broken Wing (1917).   It is of twenty four lines and is divided into two stanzas of twelve lines each.  This paper aims to portray through her poems the devotion and reverence Sarojini Naidu had in Islamic Beliefs and the Ahle Bait (the family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny)

Keywords: Prayer, Imam Bara, Islamic Beliefs, Ahle Bait, Names of Allah (God)

Prologue

The spiritualist bent in Sarojini Naidu’s poems bear the seal of not only Vedic Concepts but also of Buddhist and Islamic beliefs.  She was well versed in Islamic values and a great follower of God (Allah in Arabic) and Ahle Bait (The family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny). She was one of those exceptional artists who possess the art and style of weaving words with excellence, dedication and aestheticism. She has always been a gifted bard, politician, orator and administrator.  She was born on 13^th February, 1879 in Hyderabad and expired on 2^nd March, 1949 in Lucknow. She was popularly known as ‘Bharat Kokila’ or ‘the Nightingale of India’.  Her poetic lines had bird like eminence with quickness and style.   She has written three volumes of poetry, The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912) and The Broken Wing (1917).  Her poetic volumes occupy a prominent place in the anthologies of Indo-Anglican poetry. Sarojini has the quality of imagery, symbolism, native fervor and spirituality with poetic strokes.  Her poetry on mysticism is not only based on Indian Mythology but also on Islamic Beliefs.  This paper aims to portray through her poems the devotion and reverence Sarojini Naidu had in Islamic Beliefs and the Ahle Bait (the family of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny)

Sarojini Naidu belonged to a Bengali family of Kulin Brahmins. Her father’s name was Agorenath Chattopadhyaya and mother was Barada Sundari Devi.  Sarojini Naidu’s mother was also a poet and used to write poems in Bengali. Sarojini Naidu was born and brought up in Hyderabad therefore she had a large influence of not only her Brahmin household but also of Muslim community and culture. She was a multi-lingual person and was proficient in Bengali, Persian, Telugu, English and Urdu.  She was a Brilliant student topped in her matriculation examination and was interested in writing poetry.  She wrote her first Persian play at the age of fourteen years known as ‘Meher Muneer’ in Persian language. This play was of four thousand lines.   Her father sent a copy of the Persian play to the Nizam of Hyderabad. Impressed by the work of the little child, the Nizam granted her a scholarship to study abroad.  At the age of sixteen she joined ‘The Kings College of England’ for higher studies.   After completion of her education she returned to India and involved herself in Indian freedom struggle and became an Indian independence activist.  She joined politics and became the first woman president of Indian National Congress and after Independence; she became the first woman to be appointed as Governor of Utter Pradesh. 

Sarojini Naidu had a multi-ethnic outlook and she was broad-minded in her poetic stance and approach towards different religions of India.  She was a true patriot and worked for the Hindu-Muslim Unity.  She was a Hindu poet very much at home in her Muslim environment.  She was greatly influenced by the Persian poetry, especially the Poetry of Hafiz, Khayyam and Rumi.  She has been able to reflect in her work some of the viewpoints and beliefs of Islam and Islamic culture.   Her poems that portray Muslim life and Islamic culture include i) The Pardah Nashin  ii) A Song from Shiraz   iii) The Imambara iv) The Prayer of Islam v) Wandering Beggars and vi) The Old Woman

Scrutiny of stanzas

Sarojini Naidu's spiritual Poems are an expedition from trance to contentment and from dedication to commitment. They are also picturesque and melodious.  Some of the traits of her poems are imagery, mysticism, symbolism, lyricism and native fervor. Naidu dealt with themes of scenery, folk life, adoration, existence and bereavement and mysticism. "Mysticism is a temper, a mood, rather than a doctrine or a systematized philosophy of life . . ." (Khanna, 76)  The poem titled ‘The prayer of Islam’ was composed by Sarojini Naidu on Id-Uz-Zoha in the year 1915.  It is taken from her volume ‘The Broken Wing’. This poem depicts us an insight into the well-acquaintance of Sarojini Naidu with Islamic mode of worship. According to Islamic Beliefs Allah is All-Knowing, Omnipresent and Omniscient. There are ninety nine beautiful Arabic names of Allah that are recited by the followers of Islam. “Allah, the Blessed, affirms how His Names are Husna which is translated as Most Perfect and describes beauty, perfection and excellence . . . "(Khan, 11) Sarojini Naidu has used some of these names in her poem ‘The Prayer of Islam’ like Ya Rahman, Ya Raheem, and Ya Quadeer, Ya Quavi etc:  This poem is of twenty lines and is divided into five stanzas and each stanza comprises of four lines.  A brief discussion of the five stanzas follows:

The stunning lines of the first stanza of the poem The Prayer of Islam from the Volume The Broken Wing are as follows:

We praise Thee, O Compassionate!

Master of Life and Time and Fate,

Lord of the labouring winds and seas,

Ya Hameed! Ya Hafeez!  (Naidu, The Prayer of Islam 41)

The lyrics, of Sarojini Naidu portray that she was a poet of elevated responsiveness and imagination. In the above lines Sarojini Naidu is praising Lord Almighty Allah (God) and says oh kind and sympathetic Lord!, you are a great spirit of all the living things and are the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole and you alone are the writer of destinies i.e. our lives are administered by the Almighty.  You have obsolete power over strong blowing winds and over the seas i.e the expanse of salt water spread over the earth. She admires Allah (God) by his Arabic names and says you are ‘Hameed’ or ‘The Praise Worthy’ and ‘Hafeez’ or ‘The Protector’. Thus Sarojini Naidu is praising the lord Almighty Allah as it is said these two names ‘Hameed’ and ‘Hafeez’ when recited gives a person good qualities over bad qualities and protection from all hazards, losses and harmful things.

Sarojini Naidu crafts and expresses her lines of poem quite proficiently.  The subsequent is her skillfully phrased stanza:

Thou art the Radiance of our ways,

Thou art the Pardon of our days,

Whose name is known from star to star,

Ya Ghani! Ya Ghaffar! (Naidu, The Prayer of Islam 41)

In the above stanza of the poem ‘The Prayer of Islam’ from her volume ‘The Broken Wing ‘Sarojini Naidu proclaims to Almighty Lord Allah and says to him you are happiness or sparkle of our typical pattern of life and you are also the pardoner of our sins of this short life(numbered days).  She further praises Allah and says your name is known throughout the galaxy from star to star as you are ‘free from need’ and ‘exceedingly forgiving’.  Thus a person recites these names of Allah (God) ‘Ghani ‘or ‘Self-sufficiency’ and ‘Ghaffar’ or ‘abundance’ to acquire self-reliance and profusion in wealth and to seek the forgiveness of Allah (God) the Omnipotent.

Sarojini Naidu has the superb art of praising the almighty.  Her love and devotion to the supreme power the almighty Allah (God) is apparent in her third stanza of the poem The Prayer of Islam this is as follows

Thou art the Goal for which we long,

Thou art our Silence and our Song,

Life of the sunbeam and the seed —

Ya Wahab! Ya Waheed! (Naidu, The Prayer of Islam 41)

In the third verse of the poem ‘The Prayer of Islam’ from her volume ‘The Broken Wing ‘Sarojini Naidu declares to Almighty Allah that you are the object of our ambitions that we desire to be fulfilled, you are not only our tranquility and melody but also the ray of our life’s sunlight and brightness.  You are the germ or kernel that gives us light as you are giver of all things and the one unequalled.  Thus the recitation of these Arabic names of Allah ‘Wahab’ or ‘remover of poverty’ and ‘Waheed’ or ‘fulfiller of needs’ removes poverty from the reciter’s life and fulfills all his/her needs and also removes fear and the love of material things.  Sarojini Naidu had command on her lines and had in-depth knowledge of the Islamic beliefs and a devotion to match these beliefs.

The following are the arresting lines of her fourth canto:

Thou dost transmute from hour to hour

Our mortal weakness into power

Our bondage into liberty,

Ya Quadeer! Ya Quavi! (Naidu, The Prayer of Islam 42)

In the fourth canto of the poem ‘The Prayer of Islam’ Sarojini Naidu praises the power of the Almighty Allah (God) and speaks to him and says, you do change in form, nature or substance every hour, the perishable frail body we have, enclosed into potential power. Though, the soul belonging to the body is in the state of being a slave but you gave it power to express its movements independently.  This is because you are ‘Quadeer’ or ‘the all powerful’ and ‘Quavi’ or ‘Almighty’.  Thus Sarojini Naidu conveys to the reader through her beautiful lines that Allah (God) is omnipotent. He can do whatever he wants. Consequently the recitation of the Arabic names ‘Quadeer’ and ‘Quavi’ removes difficulties and protects the reciter from oppressive personalities.

The following are the impressive lines of the last stanza of the poem The Prayer of Islam from her Volume The Broken Wing

We are the shadows of Thy light,

We are the secrets of Thy might,

The visions of thy primal dream,

Ya Rahman! Ya Raheem! (Naidu, The Prayer of Islam 42)

In the above lines of the stanza Sarojini Naidu talks to Almighty Allah (God) and says to him that we (human beings) are the silhouette of your radiance and we are also the puzzle of your strength and spiritual ability.  She further says that we are the innovation of your original or primary aspiration as you are ‘Rahman’ or ‘The compassionate’ and ‘Raheem’ or ‘The most merciful’.  Thus the Arabic names of Allah ‘Rahman’ and ‘Raheem’ are recited to remove hard-heartedness and negligence from the reciter’s heart and safe-guard the reciter from all calamities and remedies.

Thus in the above poem ‘The Prayer of Islam’ Sarojini Naidu continuously speaks of the Universal reality and that the Almighty Allah (God) is the source of all creation.

The subsequent poem under discussion of Sarojini Naidu is ‘The Imam Bara’: 

As Sarojini Naidu was born and brought up in Hyderabad, a city well-known for its Muharram rituals, she imbibed the best of Hindu and Muslim culture. She was well-acquainted with the tragedy of Karbala and wholly stirred by the martyrdom of Husain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.}  To show her love for Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam means 'peace be upon him'), she even composed poetry on Muharram. Her poem titled ‘Imam Bara’ portrays her love and devotion towards Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.}  The words of the poem bear testimony to the fact that how much in-depth knowledge Sarojini Naidu had about Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} and ‘the battle of Karbala’.  In the article ‘Ashura’ by Fakhr-Rohani the words of Narvene are quoted as "Sarojini Naidu had a particularly close rapport with Islam and was informed of Muharram" (Fakhr, 242)

This poem Imam Bara is taken from Sarojini Naidu’s volume The Broken Wing (1917).  It is of twenty four lines and is divided into two stanzas of twelve lines each.   The last lines of both the paragraphs are a catching and rhyming phrase Ali, Hasan and Hussain. {Ali (Alaihis Salaam), is the cousin and later son in law of Prophet Mohammad, Hasan (Alaihis Salaam),  is the eldest grandson of Prophet Mohammad and Hussain (Alaihis Salaam) is the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad.}  The title of the poem ‘Imam Bara’ portrays the significance of the theme.  Imambara (also known as Ashurkhana or Imambargah or Hussainia) is a congregation hall for Shia Muslim’s commemoration ceremonies (Majalis), especially those associated with the Remembrance of Moharram.  The name Imambara comes from the third Imam of Shia Muslims, Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} Imambara is different from mosque in Shia Islam.  A mosque is used for Namaz, whereas Imambara is for preaching Islam.

In the given poem ‘The Imam Bara’ Sarojini Naidu has described the Imam Bara of Lucknow.  This Bara Imam Bara of Lucknow was built by Asif-ud-daula, the fourth Nawab Vazir of Awadh.  According to the footnote of Sarojini Naidu poem ‘the Imam Bara is a chapel of lamentation where Shia community celebrates the tragic martyrdom of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam),  and his seventy one companions during the mournful month of Moharram’.  Regrettably the word in the footnote ‘celebrates’ is imperfect and Shia’s do not ‘celebrate’ Moharram they commemorate the tragedy of Karbala.   Moharram is a month of remembrance of the tragic martyrdom of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), in the battle of Karbala; on the banks of the river Euphrates by the oppressor King Yazid bin Mawviya (the Umayyad Caliph) and his blood thirsty army. 

The Tragedy of Karbala is a symbol of struggle against injustice, tyranny and oppression by Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam),  and his seventy one companions.  It was a battle between good and evil. Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), representing all good and Yazid bin Mawviya representing all evil.  Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), sacrificed his life to protect the principles of Islam and fought to keep the Muslim religion untainted by the corruption and greed of Yazid Ibn Mawviya the unjust and corrupt despot.  Mawviya was unethical, unprincipled and wanted to use Islam for his personnel greed  (Fatima, 9)

In the month of Moharram and especially on the day of Ashura (tenth day of Moharram means Ashura) shia’s consign themselves completely to the mourning of Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.} they mourn by crying and listening to recollection of the tragedy of Karbala through sermons on how Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), and his seventy one companions were martyred in the battle of Karbala.  These congregations are intended to connect them with Hussain’s suffering and martyrdom.  On this day Shiite Muslims take out processions wearing black clothes crying and flagellating themselves and lamenting Nohas (a mournful dirge).  Sarojini Naidu in this poem ‘The Imam Bara’ portrays a picture of the mourning procession which is moving in the remembrance of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. }

Let us see some lines of her mystic poem The Imam Bara from the volume The Broken Wing. The poem reads like:

Out of the sombre shadows,

Over the sunlit grass,

Slow in a sad procession

The shadowy pageants pass

Mournful, majestic, and solemn,

Stricken and pale and dumb,

Crowned in their peerless anguish

The sacred martyrs come.

Hark, from the brooding silence

Breaks the wild cry of pain

Wrung from the heart of the ages

Ali! Hassan! Hussain! (Naidu, The Imam Bara 24) 

In the above lines of the poem Sarojini Naidu portrays quite marvelously the mourning procession and she says the mourners are moving out of dull silhouette enveloped in shadows.  They are decked up with black clothes, bare-footed and moving on the grass which is illuminated by sun.  They are walking slowly with grief on their faces in a nostalgic procession.  These mourners pass in a dim, hazy and dull representation.  They appear to be melancholic, inducing sadness and showing impressive and exalted beauty ceremoniously.  They are seriously afflicted by a gloomy feeling of half-heartedness and are silent.  These mourners are ordained with unsurpassable heartache.  They recall the holy martyrs, Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), and his seventy one companions martyred in the battle of Karbala with reverence of love, respect and commitment.  They are flagellating their chests and washing their faces with tears of anguish continuously in remembrance of Hussain Ibn Ali (Alaihis Salaam), who was a picture of grief and sorrow.  They are drawing attention by portraying deep thought and tranquility by their chanting Ali, Hasan and Hussain {Ali (Alaihis Salaam),  is cousin and son in law of Prophet Mohammad, Hasan (Alaihis Salaam) is the eldest grandson of Prophet Mohammad and Hussain (Alaihis Salaam), is the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him. }

Sarojini Naidu has a knack of portraying her verses with magical reality that her imagery gave us a picture as if the scene was laid down in front of us.  The following are the striking lines of her second stanza of the poem The Imam Bara which is taken from her Volume The Broken Wing

Come from this tomb of shadows,

Come from this tragic shrine

That throbs with the deathless sorrow

Of a long-dead martyr line.

Love! Let the living sunlight

Kindle your splendid eyes

Ablaze with the steadfast triumph

Of the spirit that never dies.

So may the hope of new ages

Comfort the mystic pain 

That cries from the ancient silence Ali! Hassan! Hussain! (Naidu, The Imam Bara 25)

In the second stanza of the poem Sarojini Naidu strikes a further note of mysticism and describes the mourners coming from the Imam Bara or Mausoleum of Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. } appears to be as a penumbra or silhouette of sadness and grief. They are coming from the cataclysmic holy place that pulsates with eternal despondency of the grief of the Martyrs of Karbala and Hussain Ibn Ali {(Alaihis Salaam), The youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.}  These immortals were martyred fourteen hundred years back but still their grief is alive with us. Sarojini Naidu further laments that let the love for the martyrs of Karbala bring tears to your resplendent eyes.   Ablaze or alight yourself with the steadfast triumph of spirit that never dies and be loyal and committed in your love for Ahl al Bayt (People or family of the house of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny) and the Martyrs of Karbala.  So let the psyche of the new and coming generations get solace and attains an insight into this mystery of anguish of the Martyrs of Karbala. Let the moaning of their ancestors from the past bring a new hope and comfort in their lives by chanting Ali, Hasan and Hussain. {Ali (Alaihis Salaam)  is cousin and son in law of Prophet Mohammad, Hasan (Alaihis Salaam)  is the eldest grandson of Prophet Mohammad and Hussain (Alaihis Salaam)  is the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.}

Thus we can say that Unity in Diversity and integrity and culmination flows in the blood of Indians, hence Sarojini Naidu remained successful to convey the religious beliefs and faiths of Indian people of all religions through her poems.  This luminary passed away on Wednesday, 2nd March 1949 leaving behind an opulence of poetry to cherish by her readers.

References

Fatima, Farhat A Contemporary Poet of Hyderabad e Deccan: Syed Akhtar Zaidi ed. Chougule Ramesh & Subbiah. S.  Literary Endeavour: A Quarterly International Referred Journal of English Language, Literature and Criticism Sou. Bhagyashri Ramesh Chougule Vol.VIII No.2 (Jan, 2017) 9 Print

Hasan, Mushirul Sarojini Naidu: Her way with words Niyogi Books (2012) Print

Khan, Kamillah The Beautiful Names of Allah: Knowing God by His Names Tawakkal Publications, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA (July, 2013) 11 Print

Khanna, Meeta Ajay Sarojini Naidu’s Mystical Poems: Journey from Reverie to Ecstacy and Passion to Devotion JLCMS Vol III (5-6^th Jan-Dec 2011) p.76 https://www.inflibnet.ac.in/ojs/index.php/JLCMS/article/view/1076 09/08/2017 Web

Rohani,  Fakhr Ashura ed. Morrow, John Andrew Islamic Images and Ideas: Essays on Sacred Symbolism Mc Farland and Company, Inc Publishers, Jafferson, North Carolina and London  (2014) p.242 https://books.google.co.in/books?id=W6dAAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA242&lpg=PA242&dq=What+is+Imam+Bara+according+to+sarojini+naidu&source=bl&ots=28/08/2017  Web

Naidu, Sarojini The Imam Bara Vol III The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and Destiny New York, John Lane Company (1917) 24 Print

   ---.        The Imam Bara Vol III The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and Destiny New York, John Lane Company (1917) 25 Print

Naidu, Sarojini The Prayer of Islam Vol III The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and Destiny New York, John Lane Company (1917) 41 print

  ---.         The Prayer of Islam Vol III The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and Destiny New York, John Lane Company (1917) 42 print

This Paper has been published in IJELLH - International Journal of English Language, Literature in Humanities (UGC Approved Journal) ISSN-2321-7065. Impact Factor: 5.27 Volume V, Issue VIII August 2017 pg.806-815 www.ijellh.com

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