Persian learning termed a must to understand Iqbal’s message

PESHAWAR: The speakers at a special function arranged Friday at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) laid stress on learning the Persian language to understand the great message contained in the poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

They were addressing the programme hosted by the Urdu Department of the SBBWU to mark Iqbal Day.

The speakers spotlighted various aspects of the work of the national poet of the country who enjoys wide respect in the Muslim world for being a great thinker and philosopher.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Razia Sultana chaired the special event while Prof Dr Izharullah was the chief guest.

A scholar of Persian language and an authority of Allama Iqbal’s Persian poetry, Prof Syed Ghayur Hussain, and Dr Naheed Rehman were was the guests of honour.

“Two-thirds poetry of Allama Iqbal is in Persian. You will have to learn the Persian language if you want to understand Iqbal well,” said Prof Syed Ghayur Hussain, an accomplished literatus from Astarzai in Kohat, who has been teaching the Persian language for the last almost four decades and has a number of books and publications to his credit.

Prof Ghayur Hussain pointed out that Allama Iqbal had composed as many as 15,000 poetic verses of which 9,000 were in Persian and 6,000 in Urdu.

“Iqbal’s verses are masterpieces which need to be grasped. You cannot understand Iqbal if you are not conversant with the Persian language,” insisted Syed Ghayur Hussain who has also designed Persian courses of studies and translated classic Persian poets into Urdu.

Prof Ghayur Hussain said Allama Iqbal had great contributions to Persian literature as he had the conviction that this language had the firmness to contain and spread philosophical thoughts.

He named the poetic collections of the great Muslim philosopher such as “Asrar-e-Khudi” (The secrets of the self which was published in 1915) and “ Rumuz-e-Bekhudi” (The secrets of the selflessness, of 1918) to elaborate on his points.

SBBWU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Razia Sultana said the youth could embark on the path to progress by understanding the poetry and acting upon the views of Allama Iqbal.

She was all-praise for Prof Dr Antal Zia, Chairperson of the Urdu Department of the university for her services and spoke well of Prof Syed Ghayyur Hussain for his role in the promotion of the Persian language in various capacities.

The vice-chancellor presented a set of books to Prof Syed Ghayur Hussain in recognition of his services to the Persian language promotion.