Introduction Of Architectural Role in Modern Na’t.
The history of Urdu poetry reveals that despite great poets’ creative verve to produce Na’t, it was not considered a literary genre and was only regarded as a form of religious poetry. The senior and eminent literary critics booked Na’t as unassuming and unliterary product. The critical and analytical study of Na’t which we find currently in vogue did not exist. A state of inertia had blocked all paths of literary criticism of Na’t poetry, which had to be eliminated to make Na’t grow and prosper as a literary genre at national as well as global levels. Sabih Rehmani noticed it and, though quite young with scarce resources, took a firm decision to eliminate this scenario. A born hard-task master, he would come in grips with difficulties and elbow his way through all thick and thin.
Just 29 years old, he brought out Na’t Rang in 1995 and invited all creative minds to come forward and join this movement to make Na’t a literary genre like other genres of Urdu literature. Soon his charisma worked and all brains, senior intellectuals and literary scholars from Pakistan and India joined his revolutionary struggle and made solid contributions in the form of research and criticism studies and dissertations. His book serial Na’t Rang, Na’t Research Center and research activity are now heading towards setting up a global Na’t foundation. This is a success story that has many spiritual, aesthetic,
creative, socio-psychological, leadership, inherent and acquired aspects to it.
Today we find great literary scholars and seats of learning conducting research works, PhD and MPhil theses, and producing special papers and journals on his valiant struggle and unparalleled achievements. They discuss his strategies, managerial skills, creative sublimity, quality as well as 14 | Introduction quantity of work and scholarly demeanor he employed to explore and disseminate knowledge about the literary genetics of Na’t. His venture has indeed scored incredible victories.
When I came across Sabih Rehmani, I felt moved to pen his tale of playing an effective role in architecting modern Na’t which universities and scholars are now studying and probing and which was not in sight when he took off his solo flight, later joined by heavy flanks. I expect my readers will find this success story of a diligent literary expert informative and interesting. Sabih Rehmani has dedicated whole of his life to strengthen our link with the beloved Messenger of Allah a to earn us deliverance. He has performed a miraculous task in just three decades which literary intellectuals, scholars and poets could not even think of in past three centuries. His role in enhancing the literary status of Na’t is simply historic.
Beside numerous works of eminent scholars, the books I have benefitted the maximum in my work include Dr Afzaal Ahmed Anwar’s Fann-e-Adariya Nawisi awr Mudir Na’t Rang ki Adarti Khidmat —The Art of Editorial Writing and editing services of the Editor Na’t Rang; Dr Abrar Abdussalam’s Na’tiya Adab: Masail-o-Mubahis—Na’t Literature: Issues and Premises; Dr Tahira In’am’s Talifat-eSabih Rehmani, naqd-e-Na’t ki nai Tashkeel— Compilations of Sabih Rehmani: Forming up of
New Na’t Criticism, and Sabih Rehmani ki Na’tia Sha’eri, Fikri w Tanqidi Tanazur— Sabih Rehmani’s Na’t Poetry by Dr Shama’ Feroze. May Allah Almighty bless them all with his mercy and favors!
Shaykh Abdul Aziz Dabbagh
