Daud Rahbar (1926 – 5 October 2013) was a Pakistani scholar of
comparative religions
Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...
,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
,
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
Indian classical music
Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...
. Rahbar is regarded as an accomplished essayist, poet, composer, short story writer, translator, philosopher, contributor to inter-civilization dialogue, musicologist, drummer, singer and guitarist. He converted to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
in the later years of his life. He translated his own Urdu works to English, such as ''The Cup of Jamshid: A Collection of Ghazal Poetry'' and then translated the '' Urdu letters of Mirzā Asadu'lldh Khān Ghālib''.
After a teaching career in England, Canada,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and the United States, he retired as Professor Emeritus of
Comparative religions
Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...
from
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
in 1991.
Early life
Daud Rahbar grew up in
Model Town, Lahore
Model Town Society ( Punjabi, ur, ) is a gated neighbourhood in Gulberg, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
History
Model Town, established in 1921, is a fruition of Dewan Khem Chand's lifelong dream to see the establishment of what he called “ ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
between 1929 and 1949. The town was the first cooperative society in the Indian subcontinent, a suburb based on the design of a Hindu architect, Divan Khem Chand. The town was autonomous from Lahore City's jurisdiction, and sectioned into blocks. Each block was populated by either
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
,
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
or
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
(where the Hindus constitute the largest community). He remarked that his close association with Hindus "made the love of Hindu communities a natural condition of issoul." His childhood was spent writing poetry (he took the pen name 'Rahbar' at the age of eight), gardening and walking with his father while discussing
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
and
Persian literature
Persian literature ( fa, ادبیات فارسی, Adabiyâte fârsi, ) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources h ...
.
Family
Rahbar's father, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (1894–1948), was named after
Sir Muhammad Iqbal
Sir Muhammad Iqbal ( ur, ; 9 November 187721 April 1938), was a South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...
. He graduated with an
M.A
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
and was the recipient of a State scholarship from the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. He studied under Arabist professors
Edward G. Browne
Edward Granville Browne FBA (7 February 1862 – 5 January 1926) was a British Iranologist. He published numerous articles and books, mainly in the areas of history and literature.
Life
Browne was born in Stouts Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire, En ...
Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and ...
at the
University of the Punjab
The University of the Punjab (Urdu, pnb, ), also referred to as Punjab University, is a public, research, coeducational higher education institution located in Lahore, Pakistan. Punjab University is the oldest public university in Pakistan. ...
in 1922 and remained for 26 years. He was later appointed President of
Oriental College, Lahore
University of the Punjab, Punjab University Oriental College, commonly known as Oriental College, is an institution of oriental studies in Lahore.
It is located next to Government College University, Lahore.
It was founded by Adi Brahmo Samaj pr ...
.
Rahbar had five siblings. Rahbar married Sabiha Ahmed on 9 April 1950. The couple had two daughters. Sabiha's father Aga Ghiassudin Ahmed, was a lawyer and botanist and President of Agricultural College in
Lyallpur
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...
(now
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
The University of Agriculture (UAF) is a public research university in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
History Origins
The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Urdu: ), (formerly: ''Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute''), is a univers ...
). Sabiha was a poet as well, although she never received recognition.
Education
Rahbar graduated from the
Government College, Lahore
The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002.
Overview
In 1864, Gov ...
with an M.A in Arabic in 1947. He received the McLeod Research Scholarship and was employed to teach
Arabic literature
Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...
at
Oriental College, Lahore
University of the Punjab, Punjab University Oriental College, commonly known as Oriental College, is an institution of oriental studies in Lahore.
It is located next to Government College University, Lahore.
It was founded by Adi Brahmo Samaj pr ...
, where his father was President. In 1949, Rahbar went to
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
and completed his PhD dissertation entitled ''Studies in the Ethical Doctrine of the Qur'an'' under the supervision of
Reuben Levy
Reuben Levy (28 April 1891 – 6 September 1966) was Professor of Persian at the University of Cambridge, who wrote on Persian literature and Islamic history.
Life
Levy was educated at the Friars School, Bangor, the University College of North ...
. After a short time in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, Rahbar accepted the position of Senior Teaching Fellow at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
, Canada, in 1954, at the invitation of
Wilfred Cantwell Smith
Wilfred Cantwell Smith (July 21, 1916 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian Islamicist, comparative religion scholar, and Presbyterian minister. He was the founder of the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Quebec and later th ...
. In 1956 he was appointed to the chair of Urdu and
Pakistan studies
Pakistan studies curriculum (Urdu: ') is the name of a curriculum of academic research and study that encompasses the culture, demographics, geography, history, International Relations and politics of Pakistan. The subject is widely research ...
at
Ankara University
Ankara University ( tr, Ankara Üniversitesi) is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the formation of the republic in 1923.
The university has 40 vocat ...
, Turkey, where he stayed until 1959. In 1959, he began lecturing in
Islamic studies
Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...
as well as enrolling in
Christian theology
Christian theology is the theology of Christianity, Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theology, theologian ...
seminars at the
Hartford Seminary Foundation
The Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly Hartford Seminary) is a private theological university in Hartford, Connecticut.
History
Hartford Seminary's origins date back to 1833 when the Pastoral Union of Connectic ...
, Connecticut, USA.
In 1962, he was appointed Visiting Professor of Urdu and Pakistan studies at
Hartford Seminary Foundation
The Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly Hartford Seminary) is a private theological university in Hartford, Connecticut.
History
Hartford Seminary's origins date back to 1833 when the Pastoral Union of Connectic ...
and was awarded tenure from 1962 to 1966. In 1964, he took a two-year leave to teach at
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...
, where he began a study of Indian and Western classical music, concentrating on achieving mastery of Indian classical vocal genres. In that same period, he began writing English poetry with the encouragement of
David McCord
David Thompson Watson McCord (November 15, 1897 in New York CityApril 13, 1997) was an American poet and college fundraiser.
Life
He grew up in Portland, Oregon and graduated from Harvard University. His work appeared in ''Harper's''.
He raised ...
and
Louis Untermeyer
Louis Untermeyer (October 1, 1885 – December 18, 1977) was an American poet, anthologist, critic, and editor. He was appointed the fourteenth Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1961.
Life and career
Untermeyer was born in New Y ...
.
In 1967, Rahbar joined the faculty of
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
where he taught until his retirement in 1991: initially at the School of Theology and from 1975 onwards at the Department of Religion in the College of Liberal Arts.
Lahore International Islamic Colloquium
On 2 January 1958, he presented a paper to the International Islamic Colloquium in Lahore, the second of its kind that brought scholars of Islamic subjects together from across the world. Rahbar's paper, entitled ''The Challenge of Muslim Ideas and Social Values to Muslim Society'' produced criticism from conference attendees, to the point that he was not allowed to return to the platform to explain his points. Rahbar maintains that it was "an innocent and mild statement" that he did not perceive to be "radically unorthodox." The opposing members of the conference asked the paper to be withdrawn later that day, but eventually agreed that an amended edition should be written. In the October 1958 issue of ''The Muslim World'', the paper was published with an introductory note outlining the objections of the council and the amendments made thereafter. In his introductory note, Rahbar explained that much of the controversy was due to the inherent brevity of the statements. Therefore, he hoped that the expanded treatment would clarify those objections raised at the colloquium.
Contributor to inter-civilisational and interfaith dialogue
Rahbar was raised as Muslim but converted to Christianity as a professor at
Ankara University
Ankara University ( tr, Ankara Üniversitesi) is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the formation of the republic in 1923.
The university has 40 vocat ...
. He records in his memoir that he was baptised as a Christian by a Protestant United States Air Force Chaplain, Meredith Smith, in Ankara, on 6 July 1959. Rahbar noted that his conversion was not a result of the 1958 Colloquium, but was more closely related to the memories of
Partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
and the then environment in Turkey. He stated that the "categorical mercy" of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
and the "Christian world seemed to...offer a spiritual home" from his growing pessimism. A couple of months later, Rahbar wrote ''A letter to Christian and Muslim Friends'' as a confession of faith.
This confession, however, was not fully accepted by some Muslim intellectuals. Khaled Ahmed, a Pakistani political and cultural analyst, stated that Rahbar's supposed conversion to Christianity was nothing more than a "myth created in Lahore" by those who did not fully understand "what he really stood for."Ahmed, Khaled. 30 June – 6 July 2000 He maintained that Rahbar's "entire career has been a defence of Islam" and that "anyone who has read his ''Kalchar Kay Ruhani Anasir'' (Spiritual Elements of Culture)" will no longer need to question his faith, but rather realise that "he is tolerant of all faiths because he known the essence of them all." His continued respect and appreciation for the Prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
is demonstrated in his published writings.
In the published version of his dissertation, ''God of Justice: A Study in the Ethical Doctrine of the Qur'an'' published by E. J. Brill in 1960, Rahbar advanced the position that God's mercy is always subordinate to justice, so mercy is only available to believers.
Contributions to poetry and classical music theory and composition
Throughout his academic career, Rahbar continued to make significant contributions to
Urdu literature
Urdu literature ( ur, , ) is literature in the Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by poetry, especially the verse forms of the ''ghazal '' غزل and ''nazm '' نظم, it has expanded into other styles of writing, including that of t ...
and music. He performed in concerts and poetry readings both in the United States and Pakistan. His love was for classical South Asian music, particularly the Agra School. His flair for poetic expression is infused throughout his autobiography, ''Memories and Meanings.'' "Music has been my solace for the last forty years," he wrote. "Without it I perhaps could not have been a friend to myself and to others. Music and poetry have made life easier for me everywhere and at every stage of my adult life.". His published works in the field of
Urdu literature
Urdu literature ( ur, , ) is literature in the Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by poetry, especially the verse forms of the ''ghazal '' غزل and ''nazm '' نظم, it has expanded into other styles of writing, including that of t ...
include:
* ''Salaam o Payaam.'' Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 1996 – Letters to his friends and associates. Subsequent volumes were published in 2004 and 2009.
* ''Kalcar ke Ruhani Anasir.'' Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 1998 – Culture and Religion.
* ''Pragandah Taba' Log.'' Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2000 – Short stories.
* ''Kulliyaat.'' Karachi: Pakistan Printers, 2001 – Complete poetical works of Daud Rahbar.
* ''Taslimaat.'' Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2004 – Essays on Muslim culture in South Asia.
* "Gandhi and the Hindi-Urdu Question." In ''Indian Critiques of Gandhi.'' Edited by
Harold Coward
Harold Coward (born 1936) is a Canadian scholar of bioethics and religious studies. A Bachelor in Divinity (Christian Theology), he earned a doctoral degree in Philosophy in 1973 from the McMaster University. He was a professor at University of ...
, p. 217–238. Albany: SUNY Press, 2003.
Death
Daud Rahbar died at a nursing home in
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, just south of the Palm Beach County line. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,859. It is a principal ...