Shafiq-ur-Rahman (humorist) facts for kids

Shafiq-ur-Rahman (Urdu: شفیق الرحمن) (born November 9, 1920 – died March 19, 2000) was a famous Pakistani writer. He was known for his funny stories and short stories in the Urdu language. Many people loved his writing. He was like famous humorists Mark Twain and Stephen Leacock.

Besides being a writer, he was also a medical doctor. He worked in the Pakistan Army. He received a special award called Hilal-e-Imtiaz for his work. Many other writers and critics in Urdu literature admired his work.

Life Story of Shafiq-ur-Rahman

Shafiq-ur-Rahman was born on November 9, 1920. His family lived in a place called Kalanaur in British India. He went to school in Bahawalpur. He studied medicine and became a doctor in 1942. Later, he studied more about tropical medicine in Edinburgh.

He started writing funny stories when he was still in school. His stories appeared in a magazine called Khayyam. His first book, Kirneyn, was published in 1938. This was even before he finished medical college.

His Military Career and Books

Rahman joined the Indian Army Medical Corps. He served in different places during the Second World War. After Pakistan became independent in 1947, he joined the Pakistan Army. He became a general in the army.

While he was in the army, he wrote many important books. These included Shagufay, Lehrein, Parvaaz, and Hamaqatein. In 1954, he published another collection of funny essays called Mazeed Hamaqatein.

From 1980 to 1985, he was the chairman of the Academy of Letters of Pakistan. This is an important group for writers. He kept writing until he passed away. Shafiq-ur-Rahman had three sons: Attique, Khalique, and Ameen. He died on March 19, 2000, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

His Writing Style and Characters

Shafiq-ur-Rahman's writing brought a new kind of humor to Urdu literature. He created a world that felt very real. It showed both the happy and sad parts of life. His stories celebrated life and important human values. These values included kindness, caring for others, and respect.

Even in simple or silly situations, his stories had deeper meanings. They explored how people think and feel. His language was easy to understand and very natural. He created many memorable characters. Some of these were Razia, Shaitaan, Hukoomat Aapa, Maqsood Ghora, and Buddy. He also wrote about girls like Sarwat, Kishwer, and Nasreen.

Awards and Special Recognition

Shafiq-ur-Rahman received a very high award. It was called the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) Award. The President of Pakistan gave him this award. He received it after his death on March 23, 2001. It was given for his service in the military and as a civilian.

What Others Said About His Work

In 2015, the Dawn Newspaper listed his book Parvaaz as one of "The 100 best Urdu books." Many Urdu writers praised Shafiq-ur-Rahman.

One writer said that Shafiq's humor was clever. It used jokes but always stopped before becoming sad. He was also very good at writing parodies, which are funny imitations of other works.

Another writer mentioned that he often shared thoughts about happiness and sadness. He made young readers feel hopeful and sometimes a little sad. He gave half-philosophical, half-romantic answers to questions that young people often have. Many of his essays were collections of jokes. His unique and funny characters, like Rufi or Shaitaan, made reading his stories enjoyable.

A Funny Poem Example

Owais Mughal, another writer, talked about Shafiq-ur-Rahman's humor. He remembered a funny poem from Shafiq-ur-Rahman's book Lehrein. This poem is a funny take on modern poets who write "free verse" poems. The poem describes cats fighting in a garden. It is meant to make people smile.

Here is a simple translation of the poem:

Cats are fighting Oh Cats Caaaa… …tsss Maybe cats are fighting in the garden now There is the haze of dusk It is time to rest to work to get rewarded

And cats are fighting Maybe they are 4 in number or maybe 3 But this little doubt has made a home in my heart that the cats are 5 in number and definitely they cannot be 6 and the night is glowing in moonlight and the moon is shining bright and the moonlight is everywhere and this moonlight will only last for a little while and then there is a very dark night ahead

What was I saying? Oh, it just slipped out of my mind What happened to my memory? Only God can fix it Oh Yes, I just remembered! the cats are fighting Cats are probably fighting in the garden now!