Shabib Rizvi A Revered Scholar & Elegist

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Shabib Rizvi

By Mohammed Saleem

Sayyid Mohammed Shabib Rizvi, fondly known Shabib Sahib, visited Kashmir around 1961, married and settled here for good. He spent his early days at Khanqah e Sokhta with late Moulana Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, being his classmate at Sultanul Madaris Lucknow, and finally shifted to Kathidarwaza. Besides being an effective Unani doctor, he was a learned Islamic scholar. He served in the J&K State health Department, ISM, for 30 years and retired as Asstt. Director. Poetry, marsiya nigari, maada-e-tareekh (set of words in which abjad numbers associated with each letter are added to get a certain year) and calligraphy remained his gems. Had mastery over Urdu, Persian and Arabic languages, though chose to write in Urdu and Persian. He started poetry at the age of 11 years. His father and elder brother have been the poets. His contemporaries and admirers admit that Shabib Sahib's poetry possess magical metre, basic rhythmic structure of verse. His nasr, rubayaat, ghazals, qasidas, nouhas and even letters reflect beauty of articulation and persianised Urdu form which mesmerise the readers – Urdu and Persian alike.

Shabib Sahib remained involved with DDK & Radio Kashmir for about 50 years and gave nearly 400 programs on Radio Kashmir over Sehat e Urdu Zuban and oftently participated in Mushairas even of national level held once at Tourist Reception Centre. These institutions were his second home, all had reverence for this man of letters from gatemen to directors. His contemporaries too loved his scholarship, simplicity and manners. Some of his notable fellow poets and scholars include: Farooq Nazki, Mohammand Amin Indrabi, Mohammed Yousuf Teng, Shafaq Sopori, Mohammed Zaman Azurda, Syed Muhammed Reza, Rukhsana Jabeen, Akbar Jaipuri, Margoob Banhali, , Akbar Ali Ansari (Shahbaz Premi), Showkat Ansari, Zamir Ansari, Nishat Kishtwari etc. Among the seniors, Ali Sardar Jafri, K (former Director Radio Kashmir), Kamal Ahmed Siddiqui, Firakh Gorakhpori, Sagar Nizami, Aal e Ahmed Saroor, Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki, Tanha Ansari, Rasa Javedani, Ghulam Rasool Kamgaar etc.
During my youth like others, I would oftently participate in the Muharram procession daera (orbicular grouping) of Bota Rajas of Kathidarwaza as elegy lyrics and message of Karbala in their Nouhas would invite attention and melodious voice of Raja Jahangir and others would fill the air with notes of devoutness and valour of the martyrs. Later I came to know about the poet behind it – Shabib Sahib! He penned the pain and chivalry of the martyrs of Karbala and their accomplices in a most symbolic manner and portrayed the canvass of tragedies, exemplary patience, willingness, sacrifice of Aale Abba, alyhissalam, in a dignified manner.

First time
I
met Shabib Sahib in 1988 perhaps in Radio Kashmir. A humble and
a
noble soul
with
captivating
voice and a bit of humour. Ever since
we
met frequently. In our journey of affinity, we
met
another friend,
late
Prof. Syed Mohammed Reza, an able Urdu
scholar
and
articulate
Kashmiri Marsiya Nigar. We
were fortunate to work together around 1999 to 2003
regarding Moharram programs
on DDK, Radio Kashmir & local cable networks – a novice venture then.
Around
2000 AD Shabib Sahib headed the Imam Hussain (a.s.) Chair of Educational Trust Kashmir and I served
its
Secretary.
Oftently we
would meet
Director DDK
and
Radio Kashmir on Muharram program
formats and speakers. Two TV programs were conceived
and
produced
by us
in the process – Yaadein Shahidoon Ki (6 epidodes)
and
Shyam Hoyee Sahra Sahra (2 episodes),
both were repeatedly telecast on DDK & local cable networks. We
shortlisted
Urdu & Kashmiri
Nouhas (recited decades back
during
the
Muharram processions),
discussion
topics,
speakers, graphics, fills
etc. Challenge remained the vocalists
/
nouha
khwans
to recite
around
typical central tunes
of the Nouhas. We involved the best vocalists
and
traditional nouha khwans, young & old.
For Kashmiri Salam late Molvi Manzoor Ahmad of Pampore and for Arabic Salam
Molvi Nasir Ali Nasri of Leh.
Late Akhtar Rasool did graphics part.
Shabib
Sahib,
late
Syed Yaqoob Dilkash
and
I
tirelessly
attended the Audio Lab of NA
Qazi & Waheed Jeelani at Zero Bridge
for
continuous
audio recordings
during
chilling cold
winters.
Then followed
hectic
professonal
videography at Imambara Zadibal & Iqbal Khomeini Hall
with
enormous
men & material. Shabib Sahib was
warmly active
and keenly
oversaw the
process.
Subsequently,
on my request, he
wrote
brief
events of Karbala based on authentic sources
and named it
“ Mukhtasar Waqayat e Karbala”. I
got
his voice
recorded.

Subsequently,
in a Hussaini Conference organised by Mohibbane Ahlulbayt
at SKICC Srinagar in November 2012
we chose to show the Persian Musaddas of
Sheikh
Saidi on the Twelve Imams, a.s., with Urdu translation. Shabib Sahib was kind enough to recite the Persian Musadas in an audio lab for graphic portrayal which was immensely liked by the audience.

Shabib Sahib would oftently read magazines like Mahnam e Islah, Shab o Roz, Hadees etc.
A newspaper
street
vendor
namedShowkat on footpath side opposite Tyndale Biscoe School would specially get him copies of Hadees magazine for its rare readership.
Shabib Sahib
would easily convert Islamic calendar dates into Gregorian and vice versa;
before onset of internet and google it was an art. He had
excellent
knowledge of geometrical sequence of numbers called
abjad.

The published works of Shabib Sahib include:
Four
Elegy
Compilations (Rasaee
Majmooye, 1961), Aatash e Chinar, selection of Nazms & Ghazals (1969), Harf e Farozaan on
Hamd,
Naat
& Manqabat (2000), Bachoon ke Mushairey
(2010), Laho Laho Ghazal, selection of Ghazals (2012), Mouj
e Furaat, Compilation of Nouhas (2016), Abshaar e Noor, Urdu translation of Kalam e Shaikhul Alam (2017) published by J&K Cultural Academy, Nagma'e Kohsaar, Nazms about Kashmir
(2021) – 150 nazms
by him
on Kashmir in Urdu being highest.
And wrote morethan 65,000
couplets and nearly 1,000
maada'e tareekh. He contributed
immensely
to Urdu literature in Kashmir and remained closely associated with J&K Cultural Academy, Door Darshan and Radio Kashmir.
During my last posting he was honoured by the Cultural Academy in a
special
programme
“Meet the Urdu Poet & Scholar” in presence of
eminent
scholars.
I was fortunate to be present there as Government Secretary.

Best tribute to Shabib Sahib would be to bring forth his unpublished writings to the charm of readers and his eldest son Sayyid Shamim Rizvi seems able to do it.

To conclude
in
his words:

Faasla ta ba
sarre
hadey nazar kitna hai

Kis se poochein
ke abhi aur safar kitna hai

• The author is Former Commissioner/Secretary to J&K Government Culture Department

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