Monday, November 18, 2024
The Poet Who Wrote Pakistan’s Anthem and Revered Hindu Deities: Hafeez Jalandhari’s Role in Cultural Unity
By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam
18 November 2024
Hafeez Jalandhari, Renowned For Composing Pakistan’s National Anthem, Used His Poetry To Promote Cultural Unity And Religious Pluralism. His Works, Like "Krishna Kanhaiya," Bridge Hindu And Islamic Traditions, Advocating Empathy, Spiritual Connection, And Transcendence Of Sectarian Divides
Main Points:
1. Hafeez Jalandhari's poetry bridges cultural and religious divides, emphasizing shared spiritual heritage between Islam and Hinduism.
2. His works, like "Krishna Kanhaiya," reflect respect for Hindu deities and practices, promoting a vision of spiritual unity.
3. While a supporter of the Pakistan Movement, Jalandhari’s poetry transcends political identity, focusing on universal values of empathy and humanity.
4. His writing explores the divine mystery of figures like Krishna, blending Islamic and Hindu metaphysical ideas.
5. Jalandhari's poetry advocates for religious tolerance and spiritual understanding, offering a message of unity in a polarized world.
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(Hafeez Jalandhari from Files)
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In a climate so ominously divided between religious identifications, the works of Hafeez Jalandhari, who was perhaps among the greatest Urdu poets of the 20th century, stand as a remarkable testimony to the bonding of cultures and spirits overcoming the barriers of sects. Known for composing the national anthem of Pakistan, Jalandhari's poetic legacy extends far beyond his political contributions: it encompasses common cultural heritage, religious pluralism, and human empathy. His poetry is certainly replete with mentions of Hindu deities, Indian cultural practices, and the deep moral values drawn from the Hindu epics. This harmonious reworking of Islamic thought with Hindu symbols challenges prevailing stereotypes and offers a vision of spiritual unity that is particularly relevant in today's socio-political climate.
Hafeez Jalandhari: The Poet and Nationalist
Hafeez Jalandhari was born on January 14, 1900, in Jalandhar (now part of India) to a devout Muslim family. His father, Shams-ud-Din, was a Hafiz-e-Quran, and his early education focused on Islamic studies. But the intellectual and creative outlooks of Jalandhari led him to Urdu poetry. A voracious reader and self-taught poet, Hafeez soon became a disciple of one of the celebrated Persian poets Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Qadir Bilgrami and his early works reflected intense involvement with Islamic thought as well as broader cultural currents of the Indian subcontinent.
Literary contributions of Jalandhari cut across all disciplines from patriotic songs to religious and philosophical works. He was a supporter of the Pakistan Movement, which fought for a homeland aside from others for the Muslims of the subcontinent, and through his writings, he represented the cause of Pakistan. His career flourished after he moved to Lahore in 1947 after the partition of India and Pakistan. Of course, the most abiding legacy is there in the national anthem of Pakistan, Qaumi Taranah. Penned down in 1952, it was the only national anthem of Pakistan as such until 1956 and after being suppressed during military rule, it was used again.
Yet, in works that reveal a deep humanism and nuance far from the sectarian religious binary, Jalandhari's life and work as a nationalist poet surprisingly belie the stereotypical notion of his work. Poetic visions drawn from both Islamic and Hindu sources are common, reflecting a shared cultural heritage extending over centuries of interrelated living and mutual influence between these two religious groups.
A Purificatory Respect for Hinduism
Jalandhari's appreciation for the Hindu deities may well be understood through his Nazm "Krishna Kanhaiya," which essentially is a devotional poem about the Hindu god Krishna. That was a time when the interrelation between Muslims and Hindus in the subcontinent ran high, with political implications. Hence, Jalandhari's work did provide a vision of cultural and spiritual unity as it rose above sectarian divisions.
The Nazm opens with the lines, "Ai Dekhne Waalo, Is Husn Ko Dekho" ("O onlookers, behold this beauty"), asking the readers to participate in the process of Darshan, which forms the very fabric of Hindu thought; whereby devotees "see" the divine in the forms of idols or deities. Again, by using the word "onlookers," Jalandhari emphasises the value of vision—not only on the literal plane but as a form of religious interaction with the divine.
Continuing in this questioning vein, the poet tackles Krishna's "nature": "Yeh Naar Hai Ya Noor" ("Is he fire or light?"), reflecting philosophical ambiguity surrounding the figure of Krishna. Is it divine light, a mortal, or a symbol of both? Jalandhari makes use of all these questions to convey both admiration and mystery, formulating Krishna as the embodiment of God's glory with all aspects of his divine nature.
In one of the most important lines of the poem, Jalandhari portrays Krishna as "Gokul Ka Gwala"—the cowherd of Gokul—a nod to Krishna's Gokul childhood, but he did not let it go at that; he elevated Krishna's role as "Ik Shan-E-Khudah Hai" (majesty of God). While stopping just shy of equating Krishna with God, Jalandhari clearly sees in Krishna a reflection of divine glory and, in doing so, highlights a shared appreciation for the divine across religious boundaries.
This is one of the most powerful lines in the poem—this, that Jalandhari says while writing on this idol worship in Hindu temples: "Butkhane Ke Andar, Khud Husn Ka But-Gar, But Ban Gaya Aa Kar" ("Inside the temple, the sculptor of beauty himself entered and became the idol"). This line is a direct reference to Hindu ritual of Prana-Pratistha, wherein an idol inaugurated becomes the breathing and alive form of the deity. Jalandhari's acquaintance with Hindu temple rituals reflects his respect towards Hindu spirituality and subtle cognizance of how religious fervour is tied up with cultural practices.
Krishna Kanhaiya: The Poem
Ai Dekhne Waalo, Is Husn Ko Dekho
Is Raaz Ko Samjho, Ye Naqsh-E-Ḳhayālī
Ye Fikrat-E-Ālī, Ye Paikar-E-Tanvīr
Ye Krishn Kī Tasvīr, Ma.Anī Hai Ki Sūrat
San.At Hai Ki Fitrat, Zāhir Hai Ki Mastūr
Nazdīk Hai Yā Duur, Ye Naar Hai Yā Nuur
Duniyā Se Nirālā, Ye Bāñsurī Vaalā
Gokul Kā Gvālā, Hai Sehr Ki E.Ajāz
Khultā Hī Nahīñ Raaz, Kyā Shaan Hai Vallāh
Kyā Aan Hai Vallāh, Hairān Huuñ Kyā Hai
Ik Shān-E-Ḳhudā Hai, But-Ḳhāne Ke Andar
Ḳhud Husn Kā But-Gar, But Ban Gayā Ā Kar
Interpretation
1. "Ai Dekhne Waalo, Is Husn Ko Dekho" (O onlookers, behold this beauty)
Jalandhari starts his poem by directly addressing the readers as "onlookers," with a deeper symbolism drawn from the Hindu tradition of darshan, wherein seeing the deity in a temple forms part of that religious connection. The "beauty" in question is Krishna's divine form, to which the poet implores the reader to give some thought.
2. "Ye Naqsh-E-Ḳhayālī, Ye Fikrat-E-Ālī, Ye Paikar-E-Tanvīr" (This is a depiction of the mind, a thought of the noble, a form of light)
The poet says that Krishna is not only an earthly being but also an idea and a spiritual one as well. As per him, it is this spiritual "light" (tanveer), which is divine, forms the core of Krishna.
3. "Ma.Anī Hai Ki Sūrat, San.At Hai Ki Fitrat" (Is it a reality or merely a form, an art or a nature?)
Here, Jalandhari is speculating over the philosophical dimensions of Krishna—is he a real form or just a personification of divine qualities? The question has much to do with some metaphysical questioning that arises both in Hinduism and in Islamic mysticism.
4. "Ye Naar Hai Yā Nuur" (Is he fire or light?)
This is reminiscent of Islamic views of God's essence, wherein light becomes a metaphor for divinity, but this line as well refers to the luminous and transcendental nature of Krishna in Hindu mythology.
5. "Duniyā Se Nirālā, Ye Bāñsurī Vaalā, Gokul Kā Gvālā" (This one is unique, the flute player, the cowherd of Gokul)
The poem then narrows it down to a more specific identification of Krishna, referring to his role as the divine cowherd and the flute player from Gokul—the village where Krishna spent his early years.
Krishna is a mystifying and mystical figure, whose divine mystery can never be comprehended entirely. This might just be where the profound awe and reverence for the god himself lie.
6. "Kyā Shaan Hai Vallāh, Kyā Aan Hai Vallāh" (What glory, by God! What majesty, by God!)
This is how Jalandhari describes the majesty of Krishna with an exclamation of awe, often coined for Islamic praise, which is applied once again to Krishna, another testament to his syncretic nature.
7. "But-Ḳhāne Ke Andar, Ḳhud Husn Kā But-Gar, But Ban Gayā Ā Kar" (Inside the temple, the sculptor of beauty himself entered and became the idol)
It is at the final line where Prana-Pratishtha—the consecration of idols in Hindu temples—where it is Krishna himself who, through divine presence, transforms the idol into a living embodiment of divinity. This line reflects Jalandhari's understanding of Hindu ritual practices and reflects a sense of veneration for Krishna not just as a god but as the epitome of divine beauty and power. Recognising the idol to be an implement of the presence of the god, it is later transcended in the symbol by the actual force of the divine self, just as religious icons are held sacred in Hindu worship itself.
The Larger Implication of Jalandhari's Poetic Synthesis
Jalandhari's Nazm "Krishn Kanhaiya" is more than just a devotional poem on one of the Hindu gods; it’s a poetic synthesis of religious understanding, cultural respect, and spiritual unity. In these lines, using Hindu imagery and symbolism, Jalandhari vividly depicts the common cultural and spiritual heritage of India, where for centuries, lives have intertwined between Hindu and Muslim communities. His characterisation of Krishna as an incarnation of divine splendour functions as much as a political gesture as aesthetic expression, one that transcends the battlegrounds colonialism and religious identity have constructed.
At the time Jalandhari would write this, the subcontinent was starkly divided along religious lines. The partition of India in 1947 had left deep scars, and, often, religious identity became both a potential cause of friction and conflict. In this context, the act of Jalandhari meeting Hindu deities through his art was bold and progressive. His writings reminded the later generation that what is considered spirit and moral values is universalised, and that questions of truth, goodness, and beauty can be found in most religious traditions.
Works of Jalandhari, especially his Nazm on Krishna, testify that respect for other religious traditions cannot be deemed as part of mere cultural tolerance but constitutes a necessity in this shared human experience. Compassion, empathy, and religiously requisite reverence for the divine—profound values he respected—are not exclusive to any one faith. Through Jalandhari's poems, he called out to his readers to toss off the covers of strict religious identity and understand the shared spiritual heritage that binds human beings together.
Relevance of Jalandhari's Legacy Today
In today's world, where religious identities often seem to provoke divisions and conflicts, the poetry of Hafeez Jalandhari represents a real hope for mankind. He calls us to step beyond the labels dividing people and towards moral values common to all human beings. His glorification of Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, and other Hindu deities—combined with his deep veneration for Islam—provided a message of pluralism and coexistence that the world so urgently needed at a time when religion is defined by difference and polarisation.
Jalandhari's poems, especially about Hindu gods, remind us that God cannot be encompassed within religious boundaries. For instance, his tribute to Krishna upgrades the whole idea of gods to a generic one in which all gods—be they Hindu or Muslim—synthesise and manifest aspects of a unitary and transcendent reality. That vision is certainly tied to tawhid, the Islamic concept of the unity of God, but it resonates strongly with the pluralistic traditions of Hinduism, in which divine attributes are embodied in thousands of forms.
The Nazm by Jalandhari is a call for sympathy and understanding. It encourages people to understand and appreciate the spiritual practices of others, to see beauty in their faith, and to recognise a common human quest for truth and virtue. In today's times of growing religious nationalism and sectarian violence, this message rings truer than ever.
Conclusion: Hafeez Jalandhari's Timeless Contribution
Hafeez Jalandhari's contribution to the world of South Asian literature and poetry stretches far beyond his role in creating Pakistan's national anthem. His deep understanding of both the Islamic and Hindu traditions, along with his ability to display profound spiritual truths through his poems, marks him as one of the greatest poets the subcontinent has ever seen. Through works like "Krishn Kanhaiya" and others, Jalandhari showed that religion and culture, far from being sources of division, can be bridges to greater understanding and unity.
At a time when it seems the lines between faith are drawn so starkly and unyieldingly in the world, the poetic vision of Jalandhari, no doubt aspired by many to ever be more idealistic, would leave a world of wonder—beautiful beliefs, respect for the faith of each other, and even the plural and exuberant nature of the divine. In this direction, the anthology is especially seen through the poem "Krishn Kanhaiya," which asserts that this entire embrace is a total vision, being able to kindle light, love, and unity out of any manifestation of the divine offered.
Jalandhari's legacy is neither political nor nationalistic but deeply human, thus inviting each one of us to transcend our differences in the shared pursuit of truth, beauty, and divine connection. His poetry continues to inspire readers today and reminds them of the timeless relevance of empathy, respect, and spiritual bonding amidst a broken world.
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Syed Amjad Hussain is an Author and Independent Research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is currently working on his book ‘Bihar Aur Sufivad’, based on History of Sufism in Bihar.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/pakistan-anthem-hindu-deities-hafeez-jalandhari-cultural/d/133739
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