Hakim Ahmad Shuja facts for kids

Hakim Ahmad Shuja (born November 4, 1893 – died January 4, 1969) was a very talented writer from what was once British India, and later Pakistan. He was known as a poet, someone who wrote plays, stories, and even songs for movies. He was also a deep thinker and a scholar.

Who Was Hakim Ahmad Shuja?

Hakim Ahmad Shuja came from a very old and important family. His family included mystics (people who seek spiritual truth) and religious scholars. They had moved to India from places like Arabia, Afghanistan, and Turkey many centuries ago.

His family became well-known during the time of the Sultans of Delhi. They were respected religious leaders and Hakims. A Hakim is someone who practices Hikmat, which is a traditional system of medicine similar to ancient Greek medicine.

By the time of the Mughal Empire and Emperor Akbar the Great, his family worked as doctors for the royal court in Lahore. Later, some family members became chief judges in Lahore and Kashmir. Others served as ministers during the rule of Ranjit Singh.

Hakim Ahmad Shuja's father, Hakim Shuja-ed-din, was a Sufi mystic. He was also one of the first people to publish Urdu literary magazines in Lahore.

Early Life and Education

Hakim Ahmad Shuja was the only child of his parents. Sadly, both his parents passed away when he was still young. He was mostly raised by his older cousin, Hakim Amin-ed-din, who was a lawyer.

He first studied Arabic and the Quran at home. He also received early training in Sufism, which is a spiritual path within Islam. After this, he went to the Central Model School, Lahore for an "English education."

He later attended the famous Aligarh Muslim University, where he graduated with honors. For a short time, he worked as a teacher at Osmania University. However, he decided to return to Lahore.

After trying different jobs in journalism and academics, he became the editor of an Urdu literary magazine called Hazar Dastaan. Eventually, he found a steady job in the government. He worked for the Punjab Legislative Assembly and retired as its Secretary in the 1950s.

Amazing Writings and Poetry

Hakim Ahmad Shuja was a very busy and creative writer. He wrote many collections of Urdu and Persian poetry. He also wrote countless essays and articles for newspapers and magazines across India and Pakistan.

One of his big achievements was translating the Quran into the Punjabi language. He also worked with famous playwrights like Imtiaz Ali Taj and Agha Hashar Kashmiri to create dramatic plays.

Later in his career, he wrote screenplays and song lyrics for early movies in India and Pakistan. His most famous works include:

• "Lahore ka Chelsea" (1967): This book shares his memories of Old Lahore.
• "Khoon-Baha" (1962): This is another collection of his personal memories.
• "Gard-i-Karvan" (1950s): This book contains poems and essays praising the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
• His beautiful, lyrical poems: Some of these were later turned into popular film songs.

His writings show his deep faith and his romantic style. He was influenced by both traditional Urdu and Persian poetry, as well as Western writers like Percy Bysshe Shelley and Victor Hugo.

Influence on Film and Language

Hakim Ahmad Shuja continued to write until he passed away in 1969. In his later years, he became very interested in filmmaking and cinema. This was partly because his son, Anwar Kamal Pasha, became one of South Asia's most famous film directors.

Many popular songs from films, like Tu Laakh Challay Ri Gori, were originally poems written by Shuja. He and his team then adapted them for movies. He also wrote stories for early Indian Bollywood films such as Behram Khan and Sheesh Mahal. He also wrote for the early Pakistani film Shahida (1949).

Because of his work, he had a direct impact on the growth of early Indian and Pakistani literature and cinema.

He also played a big role in developing the Urdu language. He was a permanent secretary and one of the main editors for Pakistan's Official Language Committee in 1949. This committee worked to standardize official terms from English into Urdu.

Shuja was friends with and worked alongside many important people of his time. These included Agha Hashar Kashmiri, Imtiaz Ali Taj, Abul Kalam Azad, and Allama Iqbal.

See also

• Ghaus-e-Azam
• Khwaja Abdullah Ansari
• Urdu literature
• Anwar Kamal Pasha
• Riffat Hassan
• Yawar Hayat Khan