What has compelled me to write this letter is to laud the pioneering research work done by Mr Muhammed Tahir Qureshi to discuss the poetry of Zafar Ali Khan (1873-1956) with especial reference to Quranic words, phrases and verses used in his poetry artistically. The work has been published in the latest issue of Ghalib, a literary journal by the Idara-i-Yadgar-i-Ghalib, Karachi.
I know Mr Qureshi personally and when he was carrying out the research work, I saw him consulting as many books and articles as he could to his well-cited piece of work on Zafar Ali Khan. He had to visit many personal libraries and specialised libraries in Karachi comprising literary collections like Bedil library, Ghalib library, library of Anjuman Tariq-i-Urdu, library of University of Karachi and Baitul Hikmat. His work is also reckoned well as he spent a couple of months to undertake the task of writing a piece on Zafar Ali Khan while his prescribed time for his PhD research is on his verge of expiring.
Dr Parekh, who recently wrote an article on Mr Muhammed Tahir Qureshi’s work, is a humble man and generous to his students with reference to providing books and references from his well-stocked personal library. I am also indebted to his generosity. He is also a man of many talents: a lexicographer of outstanding merits, a researcher unearthing new avenues for the writers to come, a translator of exceptional clarity, an able editor and above all a teacher to inspire students.
JAWED AHMED KHURSHEED
Karachi
