Created by 118.107.131.58
Last edited February 26, 2026
No edit summary
 
mNo edit summary
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Urdu Poet}}  
{{Short description|Pakistani poet (1900–1982)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox writer
{{Infobox writer
| name       = Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jalandhari <br/> {{nq|ابو الاثر حفیظ جالندھری}}
| name         = Hafeez Jalandhari <br/> {{nobold|{{nq|حفیظ جالندھری}}}}
| honorific_suffix   = [[Pride of Performance|PP]] [[Hilal-e-Imtiaz|HI]]
| honorific_prefix = Abul Asar
| image       =Hafeez Jullundhri.jpg
| honorific_suffix = [[Pride of Performance|PP]] [[Hilal-e-Imtiaz|HI]]
| caption     =Hafeez Jalandhari
| image         = Hafeez Jullundhri.jpg
| pseudonym   = ''Abu Al-Asar''
| caption       =  
| pseudonym     = ''Abu Al-Asar''
| birth_name    = Muhammad Abdul Hafeez
| birth_name    = Muhammad Abdul Hafeez
| birth_date    = {{birth date|df=yes|1900|1|14}}
| birth_date    = {{birth date|df=yes|1900|1|14}}
| birth_place  = [[Jalandhar]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]]
| birth_place  = [[Jalandhar]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British Raj|British India]] (present-day [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[India]])
| death_date    = {{death date and age|df=yes|1982|12|21|1900|1|14}}  
| death_date    = {{death date and age|df=yes|1982|12|21|1900|1|14}}  
| death_place  = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| death_place  = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| occupation   = [[Urdu poet]]
| occupation   = Poet
| nationality = Pakistani
| nationality   =  
| citizenship = Pakistani
| citizenship   =  
| education   = Early education in Jalandhar but due to family issues he cannot complete his education.
| education     = Early education in Jalandhar but due to family issues he could not complete his education.
| alma_mater   =
| alma_mater   =
| period       =
| period       =
| genre       = [[Ghazal]] and [[Nazm]]
| genre         = {{hlist|[[Ghazal]]|[[Nazm]] and [[Writer]]}}
| subject     = Pakistani Nationalism
| subject       =  
| movement     = [[Pakistan Movement]]
| movement     =  
| notableworks = Lyrics of the [[National Anthem of Pakistan]] <br/> ''Shahnama-e-Islam'' <br/> Hymn of Kashmir
| notable_works = ''[[National Anthem of Pakistan]]'' <br/> ''Shahnama-e-Islam'' <br/> ''[[Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir|Anthem of Azad Kashmir]]''
| spouse       = Zeenat Begum <br/> Anela <br/> Khurshid Begum  
| spouse       = Zeenat Begum<br/>Anela<br/>Khurshid Begum  
| partner     =
| partner       =
| children     =
| children     =
| relatives    = Shams-ud-Din (father)
| parents      = Shams-ud-Din (father)
| awards       = [[Pride of Performance]] in 1958 <br/> [[Hilal-e-Imtiaz]] (Crescent of Excellence) Award
| awards       = [[Pride of Performance]] Award in 1958<br/>[[Hilal-e-Imtiaz]] (Crescent of Excellence) Award
| signature    =
| website      =
| portaldisp  =
  <!-- Image and Caption -->
| imagesize    =
}}
}}


'''Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jalandhari''' ({{lang-ur|{{nq|ابو الاثر حفیظ جالندھری}}}}) (born 14 January 1900 – 21 December 1982) was a Pakistani [[Urdu]]-language poet who wrote the lyrics for the [[Qaumi Taranah|National Anthem of Pakistan]]<ref name="Dawn" /><ref name="poemhunter">[http://www.poemhunter.com/hafeez-jalandhari/biography/] Profile of Hafeez Jalandhari on poemhunter.com website, Retrieved 21 November 2018</ref> and [[Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir|National Anthem of Azad Kashmir]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hafeez Jalandhari|first=The writer of National Anthem|date=|title=He also wrote National Anthem of Azad Jammu & Kashmir|url=https://www.geo.tv/amp/173393-author-of-national-anthem-hafeez-jalandhari-remembered|url-status=live|website=[[Geo TV]]}}</ref> Another widely used name in Pakistan is Hafeez Jalandhari, a spelling shown in most English language Pakistani newspapers.<ref name=Dawn/><ref name=DailyTimes/>
'''Abul Asar Hafeez Jalandhari''' [[Pride of Performance|PP]] [[Hilal-e-Imtiaz|HI]] ({{langx|ur|{{nq|ابو الاثر حفیظ جالندھری}}}}; 14 January 1900 – 21 December 1982) was a Pakistani poet who wrote the lyrics for the [[Qaumi Taranah|National Anthem of Pakistan]]<ref name=Pakpost/><ref name="Dawn" /><ref name="poemhunter">{{cite web|url=http://www.poemhunter.com/hafeez-jalandhari/biography/|title= Profile of Hafeez Jalandhari|website=PoemHunter.com website|access-date=24 May 2024|archive-date=20 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120142522/https://www.poemhunter.com/hafeez-jalandhari/biography/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir|Anthem of Azad Kashmir]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hafeez Jalandhari|first=The writer of National Anthem|date=22 December 2017|title=He also wrote National Anthem of Azad Jammu & Kashmir|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/173393-author-of-national-anthem-hafeez-jalandhari-remembered|website=Geo TV News website}}</ref>  
 
He wrote in [[Urdu]] and [[Persian language|Persian]] languages and is widely celebrated throughout [[Pakistan]].<ref name=Pakpost>{{cite web|url=http://www.pakpost.gov.pk/philately/stamps2001/abul_asar_hafeez_jalandhri.html|url-status=dead|title=Hafeez Jalandhri - profile and commemorative postage stamp in 2001|website=Pakistan Post Office website|archive-date=14 May 2001|access-date=22 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010514125216/http://www.pakpost.gov.pk/philately/stamps2001/abul_asar_hafeez_jalandhri.html}}</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
Chaudhary Abu Alasr Hafeez Jalandhari was born in [[Jalandhar]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]] on 14 January 1900 in [[Gujjar]] Family.<ref name=Dawn/><ref name=DailyTimes/> His father, Shams-ud-Din, was a [[Hafiz (Qur'an)|Hafiz]]-e-[[Qur'an]]. Jalandhari initially studied in a mosque school and later joined a local school. He only received formal education until the seventh grade.<ref name=Dawn>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1377399|date=19 December 2017|author=Rauf Parekh|title=Hafeez Jalandhari: he came, he saw, he conquered (profile of Hafeez Jalandhari on Dawn newspaper)|access-date=21 November 2018}}</ref> He had a natural liking for poetry. He became the disciple of Maulana Qadir Gharami.<ref name="Dawn" />
Hafeez Jalandhari was born in [[Jalandhar]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British Raj|British India]] on 14 January 1900 into a [[Punjabi Muslims|Punjabi Muslim]] family.<ref name=Pakpost/> His father, Shams-ud-Din, was a [[Hafiz (Qur'an)|Hafiz]]-e-[[Qur'an]]. Jalandhari initially studied in a mosque school and later joined a conventional local school in Jalandhar. He only received formal education until the seventh grade. The reason being that he hated mathematics and only liked learning the Urdu language. He was an eager reader and worked very hard to teach himself.<ref name=Dawn>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1377399|date=19 December 2017|author=Rauf Parekh|title=Hafeez Jalandhari: he came, he saw, he conquered (profile of Hafeez Jalandhari on Dawn newspaper|access-date=23 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903121339/https://www.dawn.com/news/1377399|archive-date=3 September 2023|url-status=dead}}</ref> He had a natural liking for poetry and became a disciple of Maulana Ghulam Qadir Bilgrami, a Persian language poet. Hafeez promoted the cause of creation of Pakistan and became an active member of the [[Pakistan Movement]].<ref name=Pakpost/><ref name="Dawn" />


After the independence of [[Pakistan]] in 1947, Jalandhari migrated to [[Lahore]] in the new state of Pakistan.<ref name=DailyTimes>[https://dailytimes.com.pk/181252/118th-birthday-hafeez-jalandhari-observed/ 118th birthday of Hafeez Jalandhari observed (Profile of Hafeez Jalandhri) on Daily Times (newspaper)] Published 15 January 2018, Retrieved 20 November 2018</ref>
After the independence of [[Pakistan]] in 1947, Jalandhari migrated to [[Lahore]] in the new state of Pakistan.<ref name=DailyTimes>[https://dailytimes.com.pk/181252/118th-birthday-hafeez-jalandhari-observed/ 118th birthday of Hafeez Jalandhari observed (Profile of Hafeez Jalandhri) on Daily Times newspaper] Published 15 January 2018, Retrieved 24 May 2024</ref>


==Literary career==
==Literary career==
From 1922 to 1929, Jalandhari remained the editor of a few monthly magazines namely, ''Nonehal'', ''Hazar Dastaan'', ''Teehzeeb-e-Niswan'', and ''Makhzin''. His first collection of poems Nagma-e-Zar was published in 1935. After [[World War II]], he worked as the director of the Song Publicity Department. During this same time he wrote several songs.
From 1922 to 1929, Jalandhari remained the editor of a few monthly magazines, namely: ''Nonehal'', ''Hazar Dastaan'', ''Teehzeeb-e-Niswan'', and ''Makhzin''.<ref name=Pakpost/> His first collection of poems Nagma-e-Zar was published in 1935. After [[World War II]], he worked as the director of the Song Publicity Department. During this same time he wrote several songs.


Jalandhari participated in the [[Pakistan Movement]] and used his writings to inspire people for the cause of Pakistan. In early 1948, he joined the forces for the freedom of [[Kashmir]] and got wounded. Jalandhari wrote the Kashmiri Anthem, "Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir". He wrote many patriotic songs during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]].<ref name=poemhunter/>
Jalandhari participated in the [[Pakistan Movement]] and used his writings to inspire people for the cause of Pakistan. In early 1948, he joined the forces for the freedom of [[Kashmir]] and got wounded.<ref name=Pakpost/> Jalandhari wrote the Kashmiri Anthem, "[[Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir]]". He wrote many patriotic songs during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]].<ref name=Pakpost/><ref name=poemhunter/>


Jalandhari served as Director General of morals in [[Pakistan Armed Forces]], and then in a very prominent position as an adviser to the President, [[Field Marshal]] [[Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan)|Mohammad Ayub Khan]] and also a Director of Writers Guild of Pakistan.<ref name=poemhunter/>
Jalandhari served as 'Director General of morals' in [[Pakistan Armed Forces]], and then in a very prominent position as an adviser to the President, [[Field Marshal]] [[Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan)|Mohammad Ayub Khan]] and also a Director of 'Writers Guild of Pakistan'.<ref name=Pakpost/><ref name=poemhunter/>


Jalandhari's work of poetry, ''Shahnam-e-Islam'', gave him incredible fame which, in the manner of [[Firdowsi]]'s [[Shahnameh]], is a record of the glorious history of Islam in verse.
Jalandhari's work of poetry, ''Shahnama-e-Islam'' (4 volumes),<ref name=Pakpost/> gave him fame which, in the manner of [[Firdowsi]]'s [[Shahnameh]], is a record of the history of Islam in verse.


In 1946, Jalandhari visited the [[Sylhet region]] of [[Bengal]] where he watched a [[mushaira]] performance by the [[Anjuman-i Taraqqi-i Urdu]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Abdul Matin Chaudhury (1895-1948): Trusted Lieutenant of Mohammad Ali Jinnah|page=125|author=Atful Hye Shibly|year=2011}}</ref>
In 1946, Jalandhari visited the [[Sylhet region]] of [[Bengal]] where he watched a [[mushaira]] performance by the [[Anjuman-i Taraqqi-i Urdu]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Abdul Matin Chaudhury (1895-1948): Trusted Lieutenant of Mohammad Ali Jinnah|page=125|author=Atful Hye Shibly|year=2011}}</ref>


On 23 February 1949, [[Government of Pakistan]] formed a committee to prepare Pakistan's national anthem. 723 people competed to write the national anthem. Out of which, Hafeez Jalandhari's lyrics were selected as the national anthem of Pakistan.<ref name=Dawn/> Then this national anthem of Pakistan was composed by [[Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla]] also known as Ahmed G Chagla. Hafeez Jalandhari was unique in Urdu poetry for the enchanting melody of his voice and lilting rhythms of his songs and lyrics. His poetry generally dealt with romantic, religious, patriotic and natural themes. His language was a fine blend of [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]] diction, reflecting the composite culture of South Asia.<ref name=poemhunter/> One of his most famous poem 'Abhi Toh Mein Jawan Hoon' was sung by [[Malika Pukhraj]] in the 1950s with music by the Pakistani music director [[Master Inayat Hussain]] which is still popular among the public in 2018.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXlSUXBTDUs Malika Pukhraj sings Hafeez Jalandhri's poem on YouTube] Retrieved 21 November 2018</ref> Though considered a devout Muslim, he also wrote ''Krishn Kanhaiya'', a poem in praise of the Hindu god [[Krishna]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/in-pre-partition-india-muslims-too-celebrated-janmashtami-a-look-back-at-reverence-for-krishna-in-works-of-urdu-poets-3926603.html|title=In pre-Partition India, Muslims too celebrated Janmashtami: A look back at reverence for Krishna in works of Urdu poets - Firstpost|website=www.firstpost.com|access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Mandalaparthy|first=Nikhil|date=2017-08-30|title=When the man who wrote Pakistan's national anthem saw the divine in Hindu god Krishna|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1354704|access-date=2021-09-07|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}</ref>
On 23 February 1949, the [[Government of Pakistan]] formed a committee to prepare Pakistan's national anthem. Out of the 723 people who competed to write the national anthem, Hafeez Jalandhari's lyrics were selected as the national anthem of Pakistan.<ref name=Dawn/> Then this national anthem of Pakistan was composed by [[Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla]] also known as Ahmed G. Chagla. Hafeez Jalandhari was unique in [[Urdu poetry]] for the enchanting melody of his voice and lilting rhythms of his songs and lyrics. His poetry generally dealt with romantic, religious, patriotic and natural themes. His language was a fine blend of [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]] diction, reflecting the composite culture of [[South Asia]].<ref name=poemhunter/> One of his most famous poem 'Abhi Toh Mein Jawan Hoon' was sung by [[Malika Pukhraj]] in the 1950s with music by the Pakistani music director [[Master Inayat Hussain]] which is still popular among the public in 2018.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXlSUXBTDUs Malika Pukhraj sings Hafeez Jalandhri's poem on YouTube] Retrieved 24 May 2024</ref> Though considered a devout Muslim, he also wrote ''Krishn Kanhaiya'', a poem in praise of the Hindu god [[Krishna]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/in-pre-partition-india-muslims-too-celebrated-janmashtami-a-look-back-at-reverence-for-krishna-in-works-of-urdu-poets-3926603.html|title=In pre-Partition India, Muslims too celebrated Janmashtami: A look back at reverence for Krishna in works of Urdu poets - Firstpost|website=Firstpost.com website|date=14 August 2017 |access-date=2024-05-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Mandalaparthy|first=Nikhil|date=2017-08-30|title=When the man who wrote Pakistan's national anthem saw the divine in Hindu god Krishna|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1354704|access-date=2024-05-24|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|language=en}}</ref>


==Marriage==
==Marriage==
Jalandhari married his cousin, Zeenat Begum, in 1917 at the age of 17. They had seven children, all girls. In 1939, he took a young English woman of Lithuanian descent, Anela, as his second wife. They had a daughter; the marriage ended in divorce. His first wife, Zeenat Begum, died in 1954. In 1955, Jalandhari married Khurshid Begum, with whom he had a daughter.<ref name=poemhunter/>
Jalandhari married his cousin, Zeenat Begum, in 1917, at the age of 17. They had seven children, all girls. In 1939, he took a young English woman of Lithuanian descent, Anela, as his second wife. They had a daughter; the marriage ended in divorce. His first wife, Zeenat Begum, died in 1954. In 1955, Jalandhari married Khurshid Begum, with whom he had a daughter.<ref name=poemhunter/>
 
==Short stories==
* ''Haft Palkar''<ref name=Pakpost/>


==Books==
==Books==
* Naghma Zar (1925)
* Naghma Zar (1925)<ref name=Dawn/>
* Shahnama-i-Islam (1928 - 1947) in four volumes<ref name=Dawn/>
* Shahnama-i-Islam (1928 - 1947) in four volumes<ref name=Pakpost/><ref name=Dawn/>
* Soz-o-Saaz (1932)
* Soz-o-Saaz (1932)
* Talkhaba-i-Shireen (1947)
* Talkhaba-i-Shireen (1947)
* Chiragh-i-Sehar (1974)<ref name=Dawn/>
* Chiragh-i-Sehar (1974)<ref name=Dawn/>
* Hafeez kay Geet
* Hafeez ki Nazmein
* Chayty Nama (1982)<ref name=Pakpost/>
* Baqalam-e-Khud (his unfinished autobiography)<ref name=Dawn/>


==Death==
==Death==
Jalandhari died in [[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]], on 21 December 1982 at the age of 82.<ref name=Dawn/><ref name=DailyTimes/> Buried in [[Model Town, Lahore]], his remains were later shifted to a tomb built by the [[Government of Pakistan]] near the [[Minar-e-Pakistan]] in [[Lahore]], the site of the [[Pakistan Resolution]].<ref name=Dawn1>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/922286 |date=21 December 2009|publisher=Dawn (newspaper)|title=National anthems founder remembered|access-date=21 November 2018}}</ref>
Jalandhari died in [[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]], on 21 December 1982 at the age of 82.<ref name=Pakpost/><ref name=Dawn/><ref name=DailyTimes/> Buried in [[Model Town, Lahore]], his remains were later shifted to a tomb built by the [[Government of Pakistan]] near the [[Minar-e-Pakistan]] in [[Lahore]], the site of the [[Pakistan Resolution]].<ref name=Dawn1>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/922286 |date=3 May 2018|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|title=National anthems founder remembered|access-date=23 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404143841/https://www.dawn.com/news/1405355|archive-date=4 April 2023|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Awards and recognition==
==Awards and recognition==
*For his literary and patriotic services to Pakistan, Jalandhari was awarded the [[Hilal-i-Imtiaz]] Award by the [[President of Pakistan]].<ref name=DailyTimes/>
*For his literary and patriotic services to Pakistan, Jalandhari was awarded the [[Hilal-i-Imtiaz]] Award by the [[President of Pakistan]].<ref name=Pakpost/><ref name=DailyTimes/>
* [[Pride of Performance]] Award in 1958 by the [[Government of Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1405355 |author=Aftab Shahban Mirani|title=National anthem's composer (Pride of Performance award for Hafeez Jalandhari)|publisher= Dawn (newspaper)|date= 3 May 2018|access-date=20 June 2019}}</ref><ref name=DailyTimes/>
* [[Pride of Performance]] Award in 1958 by the [[Government of Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1405355 |author=Aftab Shahban Mirani|title=National anthem's composer (Pride of Performance award for Hafeez Jalandhari)|newspaper= Dawn newspaper|date= 3 May 2018|access-date=23 May 2024}}</ref><ref name=DailyTimes/><ref name=Pakpost/>


==Commemorative postage stamp==
==Commemorative postage stamp==
In 2001, [[Pakistan Post|Pakistan Post Office]] issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honor in its 'Poets of Pakistan' series.<ref>[http://pakistanpaedia.com/2001/stamp_4.html Hafeez Jalandhari commemorative postage stamp issued in 2001 by the Pakistan Post Office] Retrieved 21 November 2018</ref>
In 2001, [[Pakistan Post|Pakistan Post Office]] issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honor in its 'Poets of Pakistan' series.<ref name=Pakpost/><ref>[http://pakistanpaedia.com/2001/stamp_4.html Hafeez Jalandhari commemorative postage stamp issued in 2001 by the Pakistan Post Office] Retrieved 23 May 2024</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 90: Line 95:
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Jalandhar]]
[[Category:Writers from Jalandhar]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:Urdu-language Pakistani poets]]
[[Category:Pakistani poets]]
[[Category:Urdu-language poets]]
[[Category:National anthem writers]]
[[Category:National anthem writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pride of Performance]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pride of Performance]]
[[Category:Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Pakistani hymnwriters]]
[[Category:Pakistani hymnwriters]]
[[Category:People of British India]]
[[Category:Writers from British India]]
[[Category:Writers from Lahore]]
[[Category:Writers from Lahore]]
[[Category:Poets from Lahore]]
[[Category:Poets from Lahore]]
[[Category:20th-century poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Pakistani poets]]
[[Category:Pakistan Movement activists]]
[[Category:Pakistan Movement activists]]
[[Category:People from Punjab Province (British India)]]

Latest revision as of 11:08, 26 February 2026


Abul Asar

Hafeez Jalandhari
حفیظ جالندھری

BornMuhammad Abdul Hafeez
(1900-01-14)14 January 1900
Jalandhar, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, India)
Died21 December 1982(1982-12-21) (aged 82)
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Pen nameAbu Al-Asar
OccupationPoet
EducationEarly education in Jalandhar but due to family issues he could not complete his education.
Genre
Notable worksNational Anthem of Pakistan
Shahnama-e-Islam
Anthem of Azad Kashmir
Notable awardsPride of Performance Award in 1958
Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) Award
SpouseZeenat Begum
Anela
Khurshid Begum
ParentsShams-ud-Din (father)

Abul Asar Hafeez Jalandhari PP HI (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; 14 January 1900 – 21 December 1982) was a Pakistani poet who wrote the lyrics for the National Anthem of Pakistan[1][2][3] and the Anthem of Azad Kashmir.[4]

He wrote in Urdu and Persian languages and is widely celebrated throughout Pakistan.[1]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Hafeez Jalandhari was born in Jalandhar, Punjab, British India on 14 January 1900 into a Punjabi Muslim family.[1] His father, Shams-ud-Din, was a Hafiz-e-Qur'an. Jalandhari initially studied in a mosque school and later joined a conventional local school in Jalandhar. He only received formal education until the seventh grade. The reason being that he hated mathematics and only liked learning the Urdu language. He was an eager reader and worked very hard to teach himself.[2] He had a natural liking for poetry and became a disciple of Maulana Ghulam Qadir Bilgrami, a Persian language poet. Hafeez promoted the cause of creation of Pakistan and became an active member of the Pakistan Movement.[1][2]

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Jalandhari migrated to Lahore in the new state of Pakistan.[5]

Literary career[edit | edit source]

From 1922 to 1929, Jalandhari remained the editor of a few monthly magazines, namely: Nonehal, Hazar Dastaan, Teehzeeb-e-Niswan, and Makhzin.[1] His first collection of poems Nagma-e-Zar was published in 1935. After World War II, he worked as the director of the Song Publicity Department. During this same time he wrote several songs.

Jalandhari participated in the Pakistan Movement and used his writings to inspire people for the cause of Pakistan. In early 1948, he joined the forces for the freedom of Kashmir and got wounded.[1] Jalandhari wrote the Kashmiri Anthem, "Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir". He wrote many patriotic songs during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.[1][3]

Jalandhari served as 'Director General of morals' in Pakistan Armed Forces, and then in a very prominent position as an adviser to the President, Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan and also a Director of 'Writers Guild of Pakistan'.[1][3]

Jalandhari's work of poetry, Shahnama-e-Islam (4 volumes),[1] gave him fame which, in the manner of Firdowsi's Shahnameh, is a record of the history of Islam in verse.

In 1946, Jalandhari visited the Sylhet region of Bengal where he watched a mushaira performance by the Anjuman-i Taraqqi-i Urdu.[6]

On 23 February 1949, the Government of Pakistan formed a committee to prepare Pakistan's national anthem. Out of the 723 people who competed to write the national anthem, Hafeez Jalandhari's lyrics were selected as the national anthem of Pakistan.[2] Then this national anthem of Pakistan was composed by Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla also known as Ahmed G. Chagla. Hafeez Jalandhari was unique in Urdu poetry for the enchanting melody of his voice and lilting rhythms of his songs and lyrics. His poetry generally dealt with romantic, religious, patriotic and natural themes. His language was a fine blend of Hindi and Urdu diction, reflecting the composite culture of South Asia.[3] One of his most famous poem 'Abhi Toh Mein Jawan Hoon' was sung by Malika Pukhraj in the 1950s with music by the Pakistani music director Master Inayat Hussain which is still popular among the public in 2018.[7] Though considered a devout Muslim, he also wrote Krishn Kanhaiya, a poem in praise of the Hindu god Krishna.[8][9]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Jalandhari married his cousin, Zeenat Begum, in 1917, at the age of 17. They had seven children, all girls. In 1939, he took a young English woman of Lithuanian descent, Anela, as his second wife. They had a daughter; the marriage ended in divorce. His first wife, Zeenat Begum, died in 1954. In 1955, Jalandhari married Khurshid Begum, with whom he had a daughter.[3]

Short stories[edit | edit source]

Books[edit | edit source]

  • Naghma Zar (1925)[2]
  • Shahnama-i-Islam (1928 - 1947) in four volumes[1][2]
  • Soz-o-Saaz (1932)
  • Talkhaba-i-Shireen (1947)
  • Chiragh-i-Sehar (1974)[2]
  • Hafeez kay Geet
  • Hafeez ki Nazmein
  • Chayty Nama (1982)[1]
  • Baqalam-e-Khud (his unfinished autobiography)[2]

Death[edit | edit source]

Jalandhari died in Lahore, Pakistan, on 21 December 1982 at the age of 82.[1][2][5] Buried in Model Town, Lahore, his remains were later shifted to a tomb built by the Government of Pakistan near the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore, the site of the Pakistan Resolution.[10]

Awards and recognition[edit | edit source]

Commemorative postage stamp[edit | edit source]

In 2001, Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honor in its 'Poets of Pakistan' series.[1][12]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 "Hafeez Jalandhri - profile and commemorative postage stamp in 2001". Pakistan Post Office website. Archived from the original on 14 May 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Rauf Parekh (19 December 2017). "Hafeez Jalandhari: he came, he saw, he conquered (profile of Hafeez Jalandhari on Dawn newspaper". Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Profile of Hafeez Jalandhari". PoemHunter.com website. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  4. Hafeez Jalandhari, The writer of National Anthem (22 December 2017). "He also wrote National Anthem of Azad Jammu & Kashmir". Geo TV News website.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 118th birthday of Hafeez Jalandhari observed (Profile of Hafeez Jalandhri) on Daily Times newspaper Published 15 January 2018, Retrieved 24 May 2024
  6. Atful Hye Shibly (2011). Abdul Matin Chaudhury (1895-1948): Trusted Lieutenant of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. p. 125.
  7. Malika Pukhraj sings Hafeez Jalandhri's poem on YouTube Retrieved 24 May 2024
  8. "In pre-Partition India, Muslims too celebrated Janmashtami: A look back at reverence for Krishna in works of Urdu poets - Firstpost". Firstpost.com website. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  9. Mandalaparthy, Nikhil (30 August 2017). "When the man who wrote Pakistan's national anthem saw the divine in Hindu god Krishna". Dawn newspaper. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  10. "National anthems founder remembered". Dawn newspaper. 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  11. Aftab Shahban Mirani (3 May 2018). "National anthem's composer (Pride of Performance award for Hafeez Jalandhari)". Dawn newspaper. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  12. Hafeez Jalandhari commemorative postage stamp issued in 2001 by the Pakistan Post Office Retrieved 23 May 2024