Faiz Ahmad Faiz: Through Mujtaba Hussain’s Lens

Mujtaba Hussain was an Indian writer and satirist of Urdu literature and a Padma Shri-honoured figure for his contributions to Urdu literature. His compilation of character sketches, “So Hai Woh Bhi Aadmi,” describes many mesmerising figures, not only those who were related to Urdu but also those who were close to any art form, like Sadiqeen. His character sketch of Faiz Ahmed Faiz gives a bright vision of him. Hussian feels a connection with Faiz, and I, as a reader and a writer, also feel this deep connection with him: there is this sense of belonging in his character. Through this character sketch by Mujtaba Hussain, I could feel what Hussain felt about Faiz. Faiz feels personal, like family; his words embrace the readers, and he clearly shows up as the ‘poet for the people and poet of the people.’ Faiz, of course, left the world, but his poems still embrace us all.

Mujtaba Hussain was a prominent writer who wrote mostly in the genre of humour and satire in the Urdu language. He wrote many character sketches, and one of the most brilliant character sketches he wrote in his compilation of character sketches, So Hai Woh Bhi Aadmi, was of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Mujtaba Hussain writes about Faiz in such a way that we all wish to see him once in person. 

Faiz, as I learnt from the writings of Mujtaba Hussain, was a man of quiet demeanour, a pure heart, and immense knowledge. Hussain writes: “Two years ago, I was travelling by bus from London to Paris and saw a girl sitting in front of me. After a while, I greeted her, and she greeted me back. She asked about my country and my profession. I told her I am from India and write in a language called Urdu. She looked at me and asked, ‘Is that the same language Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote in?”

This encounter left me wondering: should Urdu be thankful to Faiz, or should Faiz be thankful to Urdu? It’s rare when a language becomes known by a poet’s name. That, in itself, is an epitome of love.

Hussain also mentions that Faiz was not just a poet but a revolutionary figure. When he speaks of “baad-e-naseem” and “dast-e-saba,” it feels as though he taught these winds to flow in the direction of revolution. His sense of socialism and humanity permeates even the love poems he wrote. Faiz had a remarkable way of blending personal emotion with social commentary.

During the era when Faiz and Makhdoom Mohiuddin wrote, their words stirred the masses, and people waited for revolution with every verse. Hussain, reflecting on Faiz’s “dast-e-saba,” writes, “I felt that revolution was coming closer to my empty soul, knocking at my door.”

Hussain writes that Faiz was more like a piece of art; one would love to see him, more than one would love to listen. People would sometimes ask Faiz if he could recite a nazm (poem) that is sung by Noor Jahan, Mehdi Hassan, or Nayyara Noor, and he would smile and recite each of those poems in a very kind but raspy voice and in a low tone as well.

Writing about Faiz is no easy task—it’s beautiful but also deeply emotional. I regard him as a once-in-a-lifetime figure in a materialistic world, a man who loved everyone as deeply as he loved his beloved. Through poems like “Do Ishq” and his anthem of resistance, “Hum Dekhenge”, Faiz gave voice to the oppressed and inspired hope. His call to action in “Bol” still resonates.

As Hussain recalls the death of Faiz, he writes, “On 20th November 1984, Faiz left this world, the voice which was echoing in each corner from the city of Sialkot to the streets and stations of London became silent. People say that the death of a wonderful poet brings glory to Him, but the truth is that Faiz is still here, here with all of us, there is not a single day when I don’t read and remember his poetry.”

He ends the character sketch with this verse of Faiz:

تمہاری یاد کے جب زخم بھرنے لگتے ہیں

کسی بہانے تمہیں یاد کرنے لگتے ہیں

(Tumhari yaad ke jab zakhm bharne lagte hain, kisi bahane tumhe yaad karne lagte hain) 

Faiz, as Hussain puts it, was not only a poet but a person who would hug the unconsoled through his poems, and I, as a reader of both Faiz and Hussain, feel these lines too deeply. 

The world will never see another man like Faiz. Faiz lives on in my thoughts, flows through my existence, and sometimes escapes through my tears. Faiz is alive in the very idea of revolution itself.

Tabinah Shabir is a student pursuing Urdu from Jamia Millia Islamia. 

Edited By: Sidra Aman