LEADERSHIP by HAFIZ TA’IB

When Sabih Rahmani had started composing “Na`t” during the period he was reciting Na`t, how people would have been wonderstruck. Truly speaking, I am still wonderstruck as to how this youngman in so young an age became well acquainted with the love and respect of the Messenger of Allah
(صَلَّی اللہُ عَلیۡہِ وَآلِہ وَسَلَّم). How blissful was the atmosphere in which his passions grew and how he became so much acquainted with the letters that could provide a language to so high passions. How full innocence he appears saying:

خدا ھی جانے ھمیں کیا خبر کہ کب سے ھے
جو ان کے ذکر کا رشتہ ھمارے لب سے ھے
Khuda hi janay hamayn kiya khabar keh kab say hay
Jo ‘un kay zikr ka rishtah hamary lab say hay

In other words, the great favour of “Na`t” was bestowed upon him while he was not yet reached the age of adolescence. Further, it is also not known who were the elders and godly favoured persons who had wisahed him goodness looking to his innocence and humility as a result of which he was blessed with full creative faculties. He was also gifted with the earnest involvement in mending and shining this God given endowment. And this is always a fact that such taaste and fondness do not develop without the kind attention of the Messenger of Allah (صَلَّی اللہُ عَلیۡہِ وَآلِہ وَسَلَّم).
Where a poet of na`t is blessed with the wealth of humility and humbleness, it serves him the most. Sabih Rahmani has been fortunate to have this richness to the maximum. it is for this reason that he could say:
کہاں ھم اور کہاں مدحت رسول صبیح
اک ارتعاش سا قلب و جگر مین رکھتے ھیں
Kahan ham aur kahan midhat-i-rasul Sabih
Ik irti`ash sa qalb-o-jigar mayn rakhtay hayn.

This “irti`ash of qalb-o-jigar” is not the lot of every one while a “Na`t” of the highest quality flows out of this “irti`ash”. Greetings be to Sabih for this “irti`ash”. He side by side also informs:

زباں کو مدحت کی آرزو ھے
لہو میں نغمے مہک رھے ھیں
Zuban ko midhat ki arzu hay
Lahu mayn naghmay mahak rahay hayn.

He addresses the Lord of the Voice and the Call !
ذکر اس نور مجسم کا ھے کرنا مقصود
مالک لوح و قلم تو مرے لفظوں کو اجال
Zikr ’us nur-i-mujassam ka hay karna maqsud
Malik-i-lauh-o-qalam tu meray lafzon ko ‘ujal

قلم خوشبو کا ھو اور اس سے دل پر روشنی لکھوں
مجھے توفیق دے یا رب کہ میں نعت نبی لکھوں
Qalam khushbu ka ho aur ‘us say dil par roshni likhkhun
Mujhay taufiq day ya rabb keh mayn na`t-i-nabi likhkhun

Many such longings of Sabih Rahmani are a guarantee for “Na`ts” containing an extremely high and very vast field which are seen in his kalam. Further more, it augurs well when he says:

قلم کی پیاس بجھتی ھی نہیں مدح محمد میں
Qalam ki piyas bujhti hi nahin madh-i-Muhammad mayn

About half of the poetry in Jada-i-Rahmat is in the style of ghazal while the rest half of the collection consists of free and restricted na`tiyyah poems. Both parts provide evidence that Sabih Rahmani fully understands the temperament and requirements of ghazal and nazm. Moreover, he does not want to see the Na`t lesser in rank to which common ode (ghazal) and poem (nazm) have reached. Thus he acquaints his power of speech with the novelty and adornes his Na`t with the styles and inclinations of the modern age. He has also achieved a visible success in developing his own distinct individual language and accent.
The impacts brought by the messengership of the Messenger of Allah (صَلَّی اللہُ عَلیۡہِ وَآلِہ وَسَلَّم) on the world history are the most significant subject of the Na`t. It is the greatest trial of a poet of Na`t to express those realities in a lovely manner. Sabih Rahmani has been granted the certificatge of perfection for covering these seven seas with full grace. For example:

اتارے جسم و جاں پر اس نے موسم شادمانی کے
بدل دی شہر ھستی کی فضا اول سے آخر تک
Utaray jism-o-jan par ‘us nay mausam shadmani kay
Badal di shahr-i-hasti ki fiza ‘awwal say ‘akhir tak

جگائے علم کے سورج سکھائی لفظ کوحرمت
کئے وا آگہی کے سارے در آھستہ آھستہ
Jaga’ay `ilm kay suraj sikha’i lafz ko hurmat
Ki’ay wa agahi kay saray dar ahistah ahistah


فرش پر عرش کے حالات سنائے ھم کو
ان کے آنے سے گیا بے خبری کا موسم
Farsh par `arsh kay halat suna’ay ham ko
‘un kay ‘anay say gaya bay khabari ka mausam


Sabih Rahmani sees the prophetic blessings (فیوض رسالت) spread from eternity to eternity
(ازل سے ابد تک) and with personalreferncesdescribe as to how the people are being benefited from the Messenger of Allah (صَلَّی اللہُ عَلیۡہِ وَآلِہ وَسَلَّم).

انکی نسبت سے دعاؤں کا شجر سبز ھوا
ورنہ ٹلتا ھی نہ تھا بے ثمری کا موسم
’Un ki nisbat say du`a’on ka shajar sabz huwa
Warnah talta hi nah tha bay thamari ka mausam

خواب روشن ھوگئے مہکا بصیرت کا گلاب
جب کھلا شاخ نظر پر ان کی رویت کا گلاب
Khawab roshan ho ga’ay mehka basirat ka gulab
Jab khila shakh-i-nazar par ‘un ki ru’yat ka gulab


ازل بھی انکا ابد بھی انکا
سب آئینوں میں جھلک رھے ھیں
Azal bhi ‘un ka abad bhi ‘un ka
Sab a’inon mayn jhalak rahay hayn

Na`t of Sabih Rahmani is fully drowned in love and ecstacy but not alien to the spirit of the contemporary age. In the poem part the spirit of the contemporary age is much conspicuous while communicative indications of it are available in ghazaliyyah Na`ts.
اس عہد جبر مین ھر طرف محبت کی اذاں گونجے
ھمیں ایسی دعا پھر اے حبیب کبریا دےدے
Is `ahd-i-jabr mayn har su muhabbat ki azan gunjay
hmayn ‘aysi du`a phir ‘ay habib-i-kibriya day day

نور سرکار دو عالم کہ پکارا میں نے
جب اندھیروں کے قدم وادیء جاں تک پہنچے
Nur-i-sarkar-i-do `alam ko pukara mayn nayn
Jab andhayron kay qadam wadiy-i-jan tak pohanchay

Longing for and states of attendence and audience are the great topic of Na`t. In the Na`ts of Sabih Rahmani also this topic has been described in an attractive manner though still he has not been blessed with an attendance. However his passions are disclosing that the door of attendance is about to open for him.

حضور ایسا کوئی انتظام ھو جائے
سلام کے لئے حاضر غلام ھو جائے
Hudur ‘aysa ko’i intizam ho ja’ay
Salam kay li’ay hazir ghulam ho ja’ay


جو اھل دل ھیں مدینے کی سمت جاتے ھیں
متاع نعت بھی زاد سفر مین رکھتے ھیں
Jo ahl-i-dil hayn madinay ki simt jatay hu’ay
mata`-i-na`t bhi zad-i-safar mayn rakhtay hayn


ختم ھونے کو ھی ھے در بدری کا موسم
جلد دیکھونگا میں شہر نبوی کا موسم
Khatam honay hi ko hay dar badari ka mausam
Jald daykhun ga mayn shahr-i-nabawi ka mausam

زباں کو تاب گویائی نہیں رھتی مدینے میں
سدا دیتی ھے لیکن چشم تر آھستہ آھستہ
Zuban ko tab-i-goya’i nahin rahti madinay mayn
sada dayti hay laykin chashm-i-tar ‘ahistah ‘ahistah

The canvass of poems is comparatively vast and in it almost all the problems of the followers of the Messenger of Allah (صَلَّی اللہُ عَلیۡہِ وَآلِہ وَسَلَّم) have been referred to. Mercy has been demanded with reference to the injustices and oppression committed from the compound of masjid al-Aqsa to the threshold of Kashmir. Hypocricy among the Muslim Ummah has also been acknowledged. An echo of the deplorable conditions of person and conduct of a human being can also be heard in his poetry. A deep urge or longing for the path of good and excellence is available within the lines in his poems every where but at places this longing has become extremely evident.
Due to my illness, I could not do justice with this beautiful and graceful collection of Na`t but after going through it I have concluded that Jada-i-Rahmat is a dimension showing addition in our Na`t literature and the people of literature must give it a place in their hearts.

Zuban ko taab e goya i nahin rehti madiney mein
Sada deti hey lekin chashm e tar ahista ahista

Very nice Subhanallah