Sheikhpura district of Bihar is richly ornamented with a great fraternity who have made significant contributions towards Sufism, literature, poetry, medicine, and music. Of these great figures, very much respected Saint of Qadiriyya–Abulolaiyya order Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Muhammad Munim Pak Baaz of the time of Jahangir is also notable. Of the Sufi writing tradition, the author of such works as “Makasifat-e-Munemi,” “Ilhamat-e-Munemi,” and “Mashahadat-e-Munemi” is Makhdoom Shah Muhammad Munim Pak Baaz.
Medicine and poetry, indeed, witnessed names like that of Hakim Shana, a student of Khwaja Wazir Lakhnawi; or Hakeem Syed Abdul Hai Hatif, a student of Mirza Daagh Dehlavi, shining their lights like the sun and moon.
The names of Amir Haider, Syed Ali Qadar, and Shah Hadi Hussain are remembered very well, especially in law, literature, and music, in the learned elders. Syed Abu Zafar Muhammad alias Waqif Bihari is one other young poet of this pedigree, born in 1898, who died all too soon at the tender age of 21; his untimely demise was a huge loss; however, he would never be forgotten for his eclectic intellectual and literary talents though his life was short-lived.
Zafaruddin Bihari: A Scholarly Luminary and Reviver of Islamic Knowledge in South Asia
Waqif did well to achieve excellent results in studies. He graduated (Bachelors of Arts) from Bhagalpur College and continued to earn a Master’s degree in English from Calcutta University. A victim of illness, Waqif died on 25 June 1920 at Madhupur and was buried in Munger.
His brief but eventful poetic career came during a time when Eastern and Western thought were converging into Urdu literature. His career coincided with other personalities like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Altaf Hussain Hali, Allamah Shibli Nomani, and others who worked so much to develop Urdu literature, particularly the ghazal and nazm forms.
Even though Waqif’s poetry was short-lived, it embodies the fiery emotional and strife of youth. His verses personify the mind of a pure-hearted lover who is concerned with dedication rather than personal desires; his love for beauty was deep. His work went all the way on personal expression despite all the sociopolitical chaos in his time.
Maulana Syed Sulaiman Ashraf Bihari: An Eminent Theologian and Voice of Freedom
While he could write just about a little over sixty pages on “Dard-e-Dil,” which he printed, his artistry encompasses it. Edited by a close friend Muhammad Sulaiman Asif Banarsi, the collection contains his ghazals, poetry, and works in Persian; however, this lot is not in circulation at present. Letters written in 1931 were compiled and published as the first edition of “Saaqi,” an anthology giving the reader glimpses of his later years, penned under sorrowful circumstances while at the same time affirming his great command of prose.
His letters were published under the title “Naye Riza Mina” in the magazine “Naqqad” by Shah Dilgeer Akbarabadi, who were his close friends in the year 1931 of Agra. Those were filled with poignant circumstances of his last days. But his elegant and attractive wordings are present throughout this letter. It has also been mentioned that his written works were published in Agra’s “Naqqad”, Meerut’s “Nazara”, and Calcutta’s “Akhtar”. He was also composing a play and was editing the journal “Saghir” in Calcutta. Unfortunately, the files of these magazines are no longer available, so further works cannot be collected. The files of Urdu magazines up to 1930 are also worthwhile in this regard. In the initial phases of his writing, he used to take poetic advice from his fellow countryman Hakim Syed Abdul Hai Hatif. He settled in Calcutta and became an important member of the group of Allama Wahshat’s followers.
A Bihari Deputy Collector sentenced to death for fighting the British Rule
Waqif’s works, which include a number of popular couplets, still inspire readers, so that his place in the regional literary tradition can be safely considered as guaranteed.
A well-known Ghazal by Syed Abu Zafar Waqif Bihari:
Hai mashq-e-jafa gher par andaaz to dekho
Aur karte nahin mujh pe sitam naaz to dekho.
Anjaam-e-mohabbat ki zara fikar nahin hai
Afsun dil aavizi aaghaz to dekho.
Unke lab khamosh ki afsana taraazi rangini tarz-e-sukhan raaz to dekho.
Is gosha-e-daman ke liye khaak hua hai tum hosla-e-aashiq jaanbaz to dekho.
Translation:
“Look at the way they practice cruelty on others.
And they do not impose their whims on me, just look.
There’s no concern for the outcome of love!
Just look at the charm of the beginnings that captivate the heart.”.
The silence of their lips weaves tales; look at the beauty of their style of expression.
For this corner of the cloak, I have turned to dust; look at the courage of the devoted lover.
