Rafiuddin Raz
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Mirza Rafiuddin 'Raz' Baig ( ur, مرزا رفیوددیں بیگ; born 21 April 1938) is a Pakistani poet. He published his first volume of poetry ''Deeda-e-Khush Khwab'' in 1988 and followed it with ''Beenai'' (Sight), ''Pairahan-e-Fikr'' (The Dress of Thought), ''Roshni Kay Khad-o-Khaal'' (Features of Light) and ''Abhi Darya Main Pani Hai'' (There is Water in the River, Yet), His recent book, ''bar bisat e Ghalib'' (200 ghazals in 200 Ghalib's Misray), was published in November 2021.


Poetry


Style and themes

Raz is primarily a ghazal writer.


Repeated usage of ''Aa'ina''

Raz is noted for repeatedly playing with the
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' irror in Englishin his poetry, and integrating it into his work in different ways. Poet and reviewer Afsar Mahpuri notes in his article, "Rafiuddin Raaz – A dreaming poet," the "focal position and importance" that the mirror has been awarded over time, and presents the following partial list of couplets, containing the word ''aa'ina'', by Raz.


Critical reception

Shafeeq Ali Khan calls him "a modern poet in every respect," and stating that "his feelings, emotions, observations and experiences are not traditional – they are, rather, a reflection of his own self and personality." Mehshar Badaiwani has called his work "a living example" of meaningful poetry, showing Raz's "poetical greatness." Shan ul Haq Haqqi has written that, "Rafiuddin Raz's poetry contains both beauty off thought and beauty of style... nd issuccessful throughout the body of
Urdu poetry Urdu poetry ( ur, ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the cultures of South Asia. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu which are Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghali ...
," while Aslam Farrukhi claims that "Poetry, itself, has picked Raz for its expression." Similarly, Athar Hashmi speaks of finding "the features of life" in Raaz's work, and Shabnam Romani of his "uniqueness", and his "eloquent
se of SE, Se, or Sé may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Sé'' (album), by Lúnasa, 2006 * Se (instrument), a traditional Chinese musical instrument Businesses and organizations * Sea Ltd (NYSE: SE), tech conglomerate headquartered in Singapore ...
language and civilized tones," saying that, "the ''raz'' (secret) is that Raz's poetry is new!" Raz's ghazal has received widespread applause: Professor Najmi Siddiqui calls it "a fragrant puff of air that, having touched the fertile shores of classical tradition, gives life and lesson to the reader" and Mushaffiq Khwaja finds it "a custodian of the highest traditions of
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' ghazal" which has "not only adhered to tradition, but taken it forward." Similarly, Hafeez Taib has praised him for opening "new horizons" for the ghazal, and saying that "his verses seem to beat with one's own pulse."


Comparison to classical poets

Raz is often compared to different
Urdu poetry Urdu poetry ( ur, ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the cultures of South Asia. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu which are Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghali ...
greats, including
Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...
, Meer and Yagana. In his article, ''Afkaar ki Taazgi'' he Freshness of Thoughts modern-day poet Afsar Mahpuri draws a parallel between Raz and classical, ghazal poet, Yagana, saying that "some of Raz's verses are close to Yagana's voice" because he "has not begun his poetry with romantic exaggerations, in which countless poets waste their lives." Dr. Rasheed Nisaar, on the other hand, compares Raz to Persian-language poet Bedil and one of Urdu poetry's greatest philosophers, Ghalib, saying that Raz "possesses the same style of thought and beauty of narration as Bedil and Ghalib."


Honours

A book entitled ''Rafiuddin Raz: Shaksiyat aur Fan'' afiuddin Raz: Personality and Artwas written by Naima Parveen, under the supervision of Sohaila Farooqi, and published as part of a study for a
Master of Arts 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. Th ...
degree in
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Karachi University The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh ...
.Pg. 42, ''Rang-e-Adab'', Rafiuddin Raaz Number. In early 2010, the poet Zia Khan 'Zia' published a selection of Raz's poetry, titled ''Jamal-e-Hurf-e-Raz'' he Beauty of Raz's Word It contained 125 of Raz's ''ghazalyat'', as well as a lengthy essay on the finer points of Raz's poetry. In January 2013, critic Gohar Malsiani published a 624-page critical analysis of Raz poetry, titled "Sukhan Ka Chiragh" (The light of Poetry). It discusses in detail the finer points of Raz poetry. Raz has been the subject of various poetic tributes, including ''"Abhi Darya Main Pani Hai" aur Rafiuddin Raz'' There is Water in the River, Yet" and Rafiuddin Razby Sohail Ghazipuri, ''Pairahan-e-Akfaar'' he Dress of Thoughtsby Dr. Abdul Manaan Tarzi, ''Kharaj-e-Tehseen'' (The Gift of Praise) by Khwaja Manzar Hassan Manzar, ''Azeez Dost, Rafiuddin Raz ki Nazar'' or a Special Friend, Rafiuddin Razby Maqbool Naksh, ''Baleegh Andaaz'' ophisticated Styleand ''Roshni Kay Khad-o-Khaal Ka Shaa'ir'' he Poet of "Features of Lightby Sadeeq Fatahpuri, and ''Rafiuddin Raz Kay Liye'' or Rafiuddin Razby Junaid Azar.


Personal life


Childhood

Raz was born in
Begusarai Begusarai is the industrial and financial capital of Bihar and the administrative headquarters of the Begusarai district, which is one of the thirty-eight districts of the Indian state of Bihar. The district lies on the northern bank of the ...
, India. His father Fariduddin Baig's family belonged to Darbhanga, and his mother Hajra's to
Begusarai Begusarai is the industrial and financial capital of Bihar and the administrative headquarters of the Begusarai district, which is one of the thirty-eight districts of the Indian state of Bihar. The district lies on the northern bank of the ...
, both districts of the state
Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
. He attended BPHE School, Begusarai before switching to the Muslim High School Lehrya Sarai but, after his parents separated in 1945, was sent to live with his father's elder brother, Hameeduddin Baig. Unfortunately for him, Hameeduddin was not interested in educating him, and Raz had to work as a conductor and, subsequently, driver, in Hameeduddin's transport company. He continued, however, to persist in juggling his studies alongside the job, and finally passed his Inter-Commerce Exams from Quiad-e-Azam College, Dhaka.


1951 onwards

In 1951, when riots were taking place in the aftermath of the Partition of India, Raz migrated to
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
, then a part of
East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...
, and declared himself a Pakistani. After the proclamation of
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
, Raz was a prisoner of war from 1971 to 1973. He migrated to
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
as soon as he was released, but found himself facing much poverty. He switched between several jobs in an attempt to earn, from tutoring kids to working as a government employee. He eventually started a business with his commanding officer, Colonel Aakil Abbas Rizvi, and established himself as a self-made and financially stable man. He married Noshaba Khatoon in 1964, and has six children – two daughters named Naheed Anjum and Ambreen, and four sons named Tariq, Rehan, Saqib, and Waqiuddin – with her. Currently, Raz holds a master's degree in General History, and has said that, more than anything else, it was an act meant to provide "moral support" to his children.


Books

*


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raz, Rafiuddin 1938 births Living people Poets from Bihar Urdu-language poets from Pakistan Pakistani poets Pakistani people of Bihari descent Muhajir people