Shafiq-ur-Rahman ( ur, ) (9 November 1920 – 19 March 2000) was a Pakistani

humorist A humorist (American) or humourist (British spelling) is an intellectual who uses humor, or wit, in writing or public speaking, but is not an artist who seeks only to elicit laughs. Humorists are distinct from comedians, who are show business e ...

and a short-story writer of Urdu language. He was one of the most illustrious writers of the Urdu speaking world. Like

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

and Stephen Leacock, he has given enduring pleasure to his readers. He was a medical doctor by profession, and served in

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

. He also received ''

Hilal-e-Imtiaz The ''Hilaal-e-Imtiaz'' (; ), also spelled and transliterated as Hilāl-e-Imtiyāz, is the second-highest (in the hierarchy of "Hilal") Awards and decorations of the Pakistan military, civilian award and honour given to both civilians and milit ...

'' for his military and civilian services. He has widely been appreciated by the writers and critics of Urdu literature.

Early life

Rahman was born in a Muslim family in Kalanaur, a small town near Rohtak, British India. He received his education in Bahawalpur. He completed his

MBBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

from King Edward Medical College, Lahore in 1942, and post-graduation in tropical medicine and public health from Edinburgh, in 1952. Rahman began writing humorous stories during his school days. His stories were published in a literary monthly magazine ''Khayyam''. His first book ''Kirneyn'' was completed before he joined the medical college and was published in 1938, while he was still a medical student. His unforgettable characters include Razia, Shaitaan, Hukoomat Aapa, Maqsood Ghora, Buddy, Judge Sahab, Nannha and many other girls including Sarwat, Kishwer, Sa'da, Azra Aapa, Nasreen, Akhtar, Ainak etc.

Career

Rahman joined the Indian Army Medical Corps and served at different war fronts during the Second World War. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, he joined the

and eventually rose to the rank of general. He also served as chairman of the ''Academy of Letters of Pakistan'' from 1980 to 1985. During his tenure, the Academy of Letters acquired a new dimension as a prominent literary institution of Pakistan. He continued to write till his death in March 2000. Rahman's work added a new dimension to humour in Urdu literature. He created a world that was very real with all its joys, pains and anguish. It was an affirmation of life and of human values: empathy, compassion and respect. Even the seemingly frivolous and trivial situations had hidden meanings that probed deep into the human psyche. His language was simple, spontaneous and expressive.

Awards and recognition

He was awarded the

(Crescent of Excellence) Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Views

Rahman has highly been praised by Urdu writers, like:

An excerpt

Owais Mughal talks of Shafiq-ur-Rahman, the humorist. He recalls: Here is my attempt at an approximate translation for our English readers:

Death

Rahman had three sons, Attique, Khalique and Ameen. He died on 19 March 2000 in

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

, Pakistan.

Bibliography

* ''Kirnein'' (Rays of Light) 1942 * ''Shagofey'' 1943 * ''Lehrein'' (Waves) 1944 * ''Madd-o-jazar'' (Ebb and Flow) 1946 * ''Parwaaz'' (Flight) 1945 * ''Himaqatain'' 1947 * ''Mazeed Himaqatain'' 1948 * ''Dajla'' (a travelogue) 1980 * ''Insaani Tamasha'' (a translation of "a human comedy") * ''Dareechay'' 1989 * ''Pachtaway'' (Regrets) 1948 * ''Turup Chaal'' (Regrets) 1948 * ''Jaini'' * ''Muskurahatein(smiles)''

References

External links

Shafiq-ur-Rehman: A Legendary Writer on Pakistan Link (United States newspaper)History Of Urdu Language
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahman, Shafiq-ur- 1920 births 2000 deaths People from Rohtak district Pakistani humorists Pakistani military doctors Pakistani essayists Pakistan Army officers 20th-century essayists Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz Urdu-language travel writers Pakistani travel writers