Screed of Love

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 25 July 2024 Bibliophiles are acquainted with a famous quote, rather an aphorism, that, "A big book is an evil. " Though 'evil' is too harsh a word, there's no doubting the fact that a big book is often boring. But the same cannot be said about Rakshanda Jalil's recent book 'Love in The Time of Hate in The Mirror of Urdu. ' Despite its 427 pages, readers remain glued to it till the end and there's never a ho-hum moment in the book. Rakhshanda Jalil's Book, Love In The Time Of Hate ------- Rakshanda, as her name suggests, is an ' effulgent ' and 'resplendent' writer, translator and literary historian with a universal vision that transcends country and creed. Her sane voice wafts through the dense clouds of hatred, violence and insanity like a whiff of fresh air. The sensitive and erudite author knows that it's the overwhelming power of love that has always triumphed in all ages and eras. So, she has penned this book that revolves around the universality of love. Just the way, Chilean Nobel laureate and the wizard of love poetry, Pablo Neruda believed that love would have the last laugh, Rakshanda also believes that at the end of the day, it's the all pervasiveness of love that will eclipse the darkness of rancour, resentment and retribution. To disseminate the seeds of love, she has chosen Urdu, the language tailor-made for poetry, literature and all that's soul-gladdening and mind-uplifting. How Urdu, particularly Urdu poetry, has been a catalyst in building bridges and demolishing all barriers, has been well described and documented by the author. This fascinating language of the subcontinent has witnessed the best and worst periods in the chequered history of the subcontinent. The cavalcade of Urdu language, poetry and literature has seen all the vicissitudes of time like a dispassionate spectator, nay chronicler. All those events, episodes and experiences have been incorporated in the book in a spectacular manner. The book is divided into four sections: politics, people, passions and places. The cherry-picked Urdu couplets in the book not only ram home the point, they make you think deeply. Of late, a sense of alienation, rather deracination, has engulfed Muslims. The murky politics is aggravating the sentiments and widening the chasm. But, Rakshanda hasn't gone into political machinations and delved into the bowels of political power play. She has tried to bring back the estranged sanity in a sane and sensible voice and manner. There's no mud-slinging and unnecessary lamentation. She doesn't cast opprobrium on any community. The tone of Love in the time of hate is not lacerating. Rakshanda doesn't play to the gallery and instigate readers to take drastic steps. Love is always gentle and sober. So is her message through this book. She advocates peace, unity, bonhomie, hope, optimism and stability. This book is a treasure-trove for the connoisseurs of Urdu poetry and a screed of love for all those who're above all sorts of pettiness and puerile thoughts. One must read Jalil's unputdownable book in these turbulent times of 'otherness' to feel oneness. Reasonably priced (Rupees 699) and published by Simon & Schuster India, Rakhshanda's thought-stirring tome will dispel the miasma of hatred, prejudices and bitterness. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/books-documents/screed-love-hate-rakhshanda/d/132782 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism