Ibrahim Ashk

Ibrahim Ashk’s Poetic Genius

Shaikh Mujeeb Shaikh Zameer Assistant Professor

A M College of Education, Malegaon

Biographical sketch of Ibrahim Ashk:

Ibrahim Ashk was born on 20 July1951in Badnagar of Dist. Ujjain in M.P.

His family originally belonged to Rajasthan. Shabrati khan was his father and Hasina Bi Bi was his mother. His mother had a deep influence on him. Ibrahim Ashk has complete his primary education in Badnagar. In his childhood, he was interested in wrestling.

He was a good singer too. He used to recite Hamd and Naat in the school programmes. In 1962, China attacked India and the country was filled with patriotic feelings. Ibrahim Ashk composed a poem (Geet) in Hindi. This was his first attempt as a poet. He has completed his intermediate through science stream and joined Islamiya Karimiya College. He was still in B.A II year when his financial difficulties made him work as a journalist for “Indore Samachar”. After wards, he became the sub-editor of it. During this period could foster his interest for literary works.

  In Badnagar, he had learned Arabic and Urdu. There was a poet in Badnagar whose name was hakim Gulam Abbas Asad Badnagari. Ibrahim Ashk was inspired by him to write poems. Hakim Asad also liked Ibrahim Ashk’s style and accepted him as a disciple. Ibrahim Ashk belonged to a line of great Urdu poets like Dard, Sauda, Mir Khalik, Mir Anis, mir Kaym Raza, Merza Wahid, Hakim Ainuddin Ain, Hakim Gulam Abbas Asad Badnagari. His stay in Indore, Ibrahim Ashk benefited from the literary circles, libraries and persons. One of such men was Prof. Shri Vyas a music teacher. His company gave Ibrahim Ashk a sense of music and guaranty of his being a successful lyricist.

  Ibrahim Ashk completed his M.A. Hindi and went to Delhi. There he worked as an editor for a popular film magazine in Urdu “Shama” his works started to appear in almost all the prominent literary journals of Urdu. He then turned to Bombay to find a career in film industry as a writer. In 1981, he first wrote the songs for a film by the producer “Taher Hussain”. Unfortunately, the film was not released. But Ibrahim Ashk got settled in Mumbai. Since them he has been writing for films and T V. Many of his Ghazals are singing by the prominent singers like, Ustad Gulam Mustafa Khan, Madhurani, Jagjit Singh, Chitra Singh, Anup Jalota, Anuradha Podwal, Talat Aziz, Chandan Das, Rupkumar Rathod and others.

Films have made him popular among the common people but his contribution to Urdu literature is not limited.

Ibrahim Ashk as a Ghazal poet:

  Ghazal is the most popular form of poetry in Urdu. Every major poet in Urdu has tried hand with this form. Ghazal develops with couplets. Every couplet has an independent and, couplet sense and existence.

  Ibrahim Ashk has written fine collections of poetry. Four of which have Ghazals as a major form. He has made Ghazal a medium for expressing the complexities of human psyche. At the same time, he puts question marks on the socio-political situation in the country and on the so-called progress.

  Ibrahim Ashk has given a new dimension to Ghazal by presenting both the problems inner and outer.These and many other completes reveal the depth of his experience of life. His Ghazals are traditional as well as modern traditional in form and modern in sense. In short, Ibrahim Ashk has been successful in maintaining the balance with linguistic capabilities and innovative potentialities.

Ibrahim Ashk as a Nazm poet:

  Nazm is a different form of poetry. Unlike Ghazals, Nazm has a continuity of thought and subject. In the beginning, the poets have followed the rules of poetry but after wards they accepted the sociopolitical and cultural changes around and the influence of western poetry. This transformed the style of poetry. These changes were seen in the form as well as the subject. So, in the 19th century free verse come forward. It was known as “Aazad Nazm” in Urdu.

  Ibrahim Ashk had done justice with the form of Nazm. His poetry has the depth of feeling and the height of thought. In his collections, we find sensual poems dealing with inner complexities and realities of life in such a simple and lucid way that they are imprinted on the minds of reader. Mother is a central character in his poems.

After reading Ibrahim Ashk’s poems we become aware of his honesty and sincerity. Ibrahim Ashk’s poems make us accept the honesty and sincerely of the poet.

Ibrahim Ashk as a Marsiya poet:

  The word “Marsiya” is taken from the Arabic word “Rasa” which means to mourn or cry. So, Marsiya is written on the death of some eminent person. According to Mulana Hali, the praise of the living one is Quasida and that of the dead ones is Marsiya, which has a sense of sorrow. In Urdu, Marsiya, Hamd and Naat are not simple forms. Even Galib and Mir did not dare to compose these poems. It is said that to write in these forms is like walking on the path thinner than lair and sharper than sword.

  In such a difficult form, Ibrahim Ashk has given fuel collection of Marsiya entitled as “Karbala” which is an example of his linguistic and artistic quest. His elegies fulfill all the parameters of a good elegy. They are especially remarkable for their pictorial effect.

Ibrahim Ashk is the first rate contemporary elegy poet. His contribution in the revival of Marsiya cannot be overlooked. His unique style has added glory to the poetic expressions in Marsiya.

Ibrahim Ashk as a Rubai poet:

  This form of poetry demands unequalled mastery over language and the art of poetry because it requires clarity and brevity of thought. But it is different from “Quata”. The first, second and forth, lines rhyme. The word “Rubai” is taken from Arabic, which means ‘having four’ or one forth this form needs depth of study, variety of observation of heart and a range of experiences.

Ibrahim Ashk’s art of Rubai writing, no doubt, testifies all these characteristics. His experiments with this form are praiseworthy. He has widened the scope of Rubai with contemporary issues and diction. His humanism finds manifestation in his Rubais.

All forms of poetry require practice. Everyone can be a Ghazal poet but Rubai is not every body’s cup of tea. In such a scenario, Ibrahim Ashk has a prominent position among the new Rubai poets. His subjects are morality, love, beauty, confidence and so on.

Thus, Ibrahim Ashk has taken Rubai seriously and sincerely. He made Rubai popular and Rubai has in turn made him popular among the readers.

Ibrahim Ashk’s creativity in other forms of poetry:

  In Urdu, Galib and Meer are known for Ghazal, Sawda for Qasida, Anis and Dabir for Marsiya, Mir hasan for Masnavi, Amjad Hyderabdi for Rubai and Iqbal for Nazm. But there are only a few poets who could equally handle more than one forms of poetry.

  Ibrahim Ashk is one of those few poets. He has composed Ghazals, Nazm, Marsiya, Rubai, Masnavi, and Geet alike. His songs and Qasidas are unparalleled. Doha is an old and unique form of Urdu poetry. His Dohas deserve praise for their subjects. Following Kabir, he has presented politics, Sufism, love, patriotism, and rustic life in a vivid manner.

  Ibrahim Ashk’s thoughtfulness can be seen in his song. It has both the joys and pains of love. This has made him a successful film lyricist. It takes him beyond his contemporaries.

Ibrahim Ashk’s contribution to Urdu prose:

  Creative, writings and criticism are the two sides of the same coin. According to T.S. Eliot, “honest criticism is required for the growth of creative writings”. Ibrahim Ashk is a rare genius.

  Ibrahim Ashk has written four books of criticism. They are “Andaze Bayan Aur, Muhafize millat Allama Iqbal, Tanqidi Shaur, and Maulana Azad Aur Musalman. He is short story writer also. His style is fresh and thought provoking. Humanism is at the center of all his stories. He has written 13 short stories which are collected in “Afsane Aur Tajziye” by Dr. Manazir Ashiq harganvi.  

  Ibrahim Ashk has worked as a journalist. At the age of 22, he had become the sub-editor of Indore Samachar. His bold and investigative writings are recorded in the pages of Indore Samachar and Shama.

Ibrahim Ashk’s contribution to Films:

  Ibrahim Ashk has given beautiful songs to the films like Kaho Na Pyar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya, Krish, Das Kahaniya, Jina Marna Tere sang, Aap Mujhe Acche Lagne Lage, Janashin. Among the T.V serials, he has written songs for Office Office, Shakuntala and Sanskar. Apart from this, the music companies like T.Series have released his albums. In 1984, Ibrahim Ashk wrote the songs and dialogues for the film, Geet mere pyar ka. Unfortunate the film was not released.

  Ibrahim Ashk’s film career is still on its top. He is writing songs for the films of many major production houses of Bollywood.

Conclusion:

  Ibrahim Ashk is a towering literary figure in Urdu. From childhood, he penned poems in Hindi. The influence of Hakim Gulam Abbas Asad Badnagari made him write in Urdu. “Ilham” is his first collection of poetry, which was published in June 1991. His poetry has confidence, self-esteem, meaningfulness, lucidity, simplicity, sensitivity, and truthfulness.His second collection of poetry was published in November 1916. It was entitled as “Aagahi”. His poetry fulfills all the demands of the new generation and represents the inner and outer experiences and observations, which can function as a lighthouse for the new travelers.

  Ibrahim Ashk’s poetry has form as well as meaning “Karbala” is the collection of elegies by him. He has not also presented the contemporary issues. His poetry reaches from mind to soul and vise- versa. His expression has freshness and novelty.  He has creative mind and critical diction. His prose works deal with social, political, historical, moral issues. He has written short stories, research and critical articles. In short, this chapter will summarize the achievements and lacunas of Ibrahim Ashk.