Book & Author
Abdul Jabar: “Not of an Age, but for All Time” — Revolutionary Humanism in Iqbal, Manto, and Faiz
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL
Human beings are members of a whole,
in creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
Do not deserve to be called human.
Bani Adam (Humankind) — Saadi Shirazi
From antiquity to the present, observing, analyzing and categorizing the world around us has been a significant part of humanist thought. Writers and poets — from the East and the West — have championed humanism for the propagation and promotion of peace, love, and coexistence. In the East, Rumi (1207-1273), Saadi (1210 - 1291/1292), and Hafez Shirazi (1325 -1390) wrote eloquent poetry promoting humanism, and in the West, the humanist work of scholars and scientists like Desiderius Erasmus (1469 -1536) and Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) led to the Renaissance.
Perhaps the greatest contribution humanism made to science was its thirst for answers and the confidence that answers could be found through human endeavor. In the recent past, poets and writers of south Asia, such as Muhammad Iqbal, Sadat Hasan Manto, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, have excelled in offering solutions to human and societal problems based on humanism.
Dr Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) aka Shair-e-Mashriq (the poet of the East) — one of the great thinkers of the 20th century — was an amalgam of oracle, seer, poet, and philosopher. Dr Annemarie Schimmel (1922-2003), an internationally acclaimed scholar commenting on Iqbal, observes: “My long-lasting love of Iqbal has led me to publish a number of works which are more or less relevant for a study of his contribution to Muslim thought…In many articles I have tried to show Iqbal in the context of Islamic modernism…” The message and the writings of Iqbal have many dimensions: literary, religious, political, social, educational, and economic. Iqbal’s poetry and philosophy are aimed at humanizing the world.
Sadat Hasan Manto (1912-1955) was one of the greatest short story writers of the twentieth century. Manto’s progressive vision, delicate sensitivity for societal equity, and love for humanity made him a writer ahead of his times. He chronicled the social, political, and economic trials and tribulations of ordinary people, and, in the process of developing his vision, Sadat Hasan passed away, but Manto became immortal.
Manto’s stories covered a wide spectrum of topics dealing with societal inequities and injustices, British Raj issues, geo-political realities, and cultural contrasts between East and West. The stories reflected his sensitivity towards societal injustices and his strong observations of human behavior through a humanist lens.
Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) was one of the great poets of the 20th century. Faiz was a multi-faceted genius and a true humanitarian who cared for humanity without any barriers of culture, faith, and language. He is considered the successor to the master Urdu poets – Ghalib, Mir, and Iqbal. Faiz’s verse is rooted in tradition, but his innovations in combining social issues with romantic themes, via a melodious vocabulary, make his poetry resonate across the globe. Prominent scholar, Edward Said, commenting on the stature Faiz had observed: “[Faiz] was read and listened to both by the literary elite and by the masses.... He was … one of the greatest poets of this century [twentieth century], and was honored as such throughout the major part of Asia and Africa.” Today, Faiz remains a truly universal poet who provides solace to millions of techno-stressed beings around the world, who long for love, peace, and a humanist vision.
“Not of an Age, but for all Time”— Revolutionary Humanism in Iqbal, Manto, and Faiz by Abdul Jabar chronicles works of three of the most important and renowned twentieth-century literary figures of South Asia: Muhammad Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and Saadat Hasan Manto. The book promotes the idea of win-win solutions to conflicts via the humanism propagated by the poetry and prose of these literary giants, who lived through the challenging times of their eras: Iqbal (WWI and pre-WWII), Manto and Faiz (British Raj and partition of British India). The book also deflates the myths associated with the three authors: Iqbal (anti-West), Manto (sensationalism and perversion) and Faiz (unpatriotic).
The book is organized in three chapters: I. Self, Nation, World: Iqbal’s Vision for Peace (1877–1938). II. Holding up a Mirror to Society: Manto’s Stark Realism (1912–1955), and III. Poetry of Faiz: A Charter for Compassion (1911–1984). A conclusion section, as well as suggestions and additional resources, are provided.
The author has unique credentials — a multicultural background, academic training and bilingual proficiency in English and Urdu — to introduce Iqbal, Mano, and Faiz to a global audience and especially readers in the West. Abdul Jabbar received a PhD in English from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and is currently Emeritus Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at City College of San Francisco. He is the recipient of a Fulbright scholarship and two National Endowment for the Humanities awards; he has also authored Reading and Writing with Multicultural Literature.
Expounding on the objective of the book, the author notes: “This monograph aims to draw attention to these three authors’ messages of peace, universal brotherhood, freedom, pluralism, and egalitarianism. Their principled stance on the problems of the world, such as militarism, intolerance, racism, poverty, hunger, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, imperialism, colonialism, elitism, and the West’s double standards, is covered in depth, together with the suggested solutions. In the process of getting to know these authors’ hearts and minds, readers can also enjoy the captivating artistry of their creations. It is hoped that the reader will find the company of the three literary luminaries interesting and rewarding.”
In his preface, the author addresses the question: “Why should we read the authors that are included in this book?” He observes: “The selected authors’ messages were revolutionary for their times. It is a sad reflection on the state of the world that they remain revolutionary even today. Ben Jonson’s tribute to Shakespeare – ‘Not of an age, but for all time’ – also applies to Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938), Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911–1984), and Saadat Hasan Manto (1912–1955). The writings of these three of the most important literary voices of the twentieth century have enduring global relevance…This book is a discussion of their selected works. All three are known for their revolutionary humanistic political views and their passionate concern for the masses. Even though they are three of the most prominent, popular, and influential authors of South Asia and the Islamic world, limiting them just to that world would be unfair because their themes and messages are meant for the entire humanity. The Islamic values of pluralism, egalitarianism, justice, and compassion that the three authors espoused are also universal values.”
For promoting Iqbal, Manto, and Faiz at the global level, the author urges that good translations of their works be made available in print and online formats. The author notes that technology has made electronic access to these authors and their works easier; besides e-books that libraries are now acquiring, there are helpful websites for Muhammad Iqbal and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, but there are none for Saadat Hasan Manto; and this gap needs to be filled. Moreover, he argues, the works of Iqbal, Manto and Faiz ought to be included in the undergraduate and graduate curricula of humanities programs of colleges and universities.
To conclude his book, the author summarizes the highlights of the works of the three authors. For Iqbal, the author notes: “Muhammad Iqbal’s New Year’s message to the world, delivered on January 1, 1938, teaches that without infusion of compassion and justice in the world’s political and economic systems, the noble ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity will remain out of reach. His philosophical writings, both in prose and poetry, written in English, Urdu, and Persian, emphasize love and compassion as the world’s uniting forces. Those qualities can end internecine warfare that makes human beings look like ‘beasts of prey,’ not vicegerents of the Creator that they can be. Seldom in history have individuals combined such deep philosophy with ‘heart-caching,’ beautiful poetry carrying themes of common human needs, such as making the idea of universal brotherhood a reality and finding alternatives to war to solve political conflicts and end discrimination.”
For Saadat Hasan Manto, the author observes: “[He] wrote his perfectly crafted stories primarily about the lives of victims of one system or another. He also wrote about the Partition of India, in which close to one million people were killed and over ten million made refugees. He experienced the trauma of that cataclysmic convulsion personally. It may be because of that reason, combined with his unrivalled artistic talent, that his Partition stories, such as ‘Cold Flesh,’ ‘Open Up,’ ‘Toba Tek Singh,’ ‘The Assignment,’ ‘A Tale of 1947,’ ‘Mozail,’ ‘For Necessary Action,’ ‘Bitter Harvest,’ ‘The Dog of Tithwal,’ and ‘The Last Salute’ are so gripping. His words, chosen as the epigraph for this book, define the role of a true revolutionary.”
And for Faiz, the author observes: “Faiz Ahmed Faiz, who revered Iqbal as his mentor, carried on the preceding two authors’ mission and struggle for global justice, an end to warfare, and political, economic, and societal reforms. His poetry deserves the title of ‘a charter for compassion.’ Known primarily as a love poet with a rare gift for plumbing the deepest reaches of the human heart, he wrote poems of stunning beauty, using words as a jeweler uses gems. He showed us how to bridge the human-made East-West and socialist-capitalist divides. For his accomplishments, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize and won a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.”
The author, through his bilingual proficiency, dedication, and conviction, succeeded in keeping the translation of Faiz’s poetry faithful to its true spirit. The following two samples of his work illustrate the high fidelity of his craft.
Trace of Blood (Lahoo ka suragh)
This famous poem addresses the tragedy of not taking a common person’s murder seriously. Many times, the murderer is known, but because of his power and influence, all evidence of his crime is erased, and no one is convicted.
No trace of blood anywhere!
No trace on the murderer’s hands or nails or sleeves,
No trace on the knife’s lips,
No trace on the tip of the lance,
No blood stain on the floor or ceiling.
Nowhere is found any trace of blood.
It was not shed in the service of royalty
To qualify for ransom,
Nor offered in fealty to religion
To earn an honorable award,
Nor shed on the battlefield
To earn prestige,
Not used to color a flag
To earn fame.
That helpless, orphan blood went on screaming,
But no one had the time, nor gave it a thought.
No plaintiff, no witness, case dismissed.
That blood was of the earth’s lowly
And became fodder for the earth .
Speak Up (Bole)
This poem is an exhortation to people to speak up before it is too late. Its fast pace goes perfectly with the urgency of its message.
Speak out, for your lips are free!
Speak out! Your tongue is still yours.
Your supple body is still yours.
Speak out! Your life is still your own!
Look! In the blacksmith’s forge,
The flames leap up, the iron is red hot,
Forcing open the padlock’s jaws.
Every chain is spreading its hem.
Speak out! This little time is plenty
Before the death of body and tongue.
Speak out, for truth still lives.
Speak! Say whatever you must.
To compare and sum up the messages of Iqbal, Manto, and Faiz, the author observes: “Sa’adi’s poem —posted at the entrance of the Hall of Nations of the United Nations headquarters in New York — articulates very well a focal point of Iqbal, Manto, and Faiz and invites us back to hear the voices of the three authors who have graced the pages of this book. Their following lines relate to this book’s theme of revolutionary humanism. They reflect each author’s unique tone and style: ‘Rise and wake up the poor of the world. / Shake up the palace gates and walls of the rich..../ Burn down every sheaf of wheat in the field/ That denies the toiling farmer his daily bread.’ (Iqbal) ‘For long the sky-ripping screams of your downtrodden brothers and sisters have been hitting your ears but with no effect on your somnolent ears.’ (Manto’s mad poet) ‘If my assets of pen and paper are snatched from me, so what! My blood will be my ink. If my tongue is sealed, so what! Each link in my chain will utter my words!’ (Faiz).”
“Not of an Age, but for All Time” — Revolutionary Humanism in Iqbal, Manto, and Faiz, by Abdul Jabar is an important work that builds a bridge across cultures — between East and West — to promote peace, harmony, coexistence, and humanism. Through his command of both English and Urdu, the author has done an excellent job presenting the message of Muhammad Iqbal, Saadat Hasan Manto, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz to a global audience, namely that the world should be led by the humanist principles that transcend fabricated social, economic, religious, and cultural divides. The book is an absorbing resource for students of literature and history. It is a mini course on the works of Iqbal, Manto and Faiz that can be incorporated into the curricula of humanities courses in colleges and universities.
(Dr. Ahmed S. Khan - dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org - is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar)
