A Message To Us From Bahadur Shah Zafar, The Last Mughal Emperor Of India.

[pluto]

Had this great poem from the last Mughal king of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar for quite some time now and finally uploaded it yesterday, you will find this poem / ghazal sung by different singers but accompanied with music, not so here. The vocalist is, I believe, a guy from Lucknow, India.

He is also said to have been a Sufi saint, does anyone know who is going to be interested in this little info Also, yours truly (by the grace of Allah SWT) has had the opportunity to visit the tomb of Hadrath Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (ra)

After the defeat of the Indian mutineers (whose commander in chief was the King^) the Britishers killed many male members of the King's family and exiled and later imprisoned the King himself in Yangon, Myanmar. Among those killed were his sons.

Emperor Bahadur Shah is seen as a freedom fighter (he was Commander-In-Chief of the mutiny army), fighting for India's independence from the British. As the last ruling member of the imperial Timurid Dynasty he was surprisingly composed and calm when Major Hodson presented decapitated heads of his own sons to him as Nowruz gifts. He is famously remembered to have said: “Praise be to Allah, that descendent's of Timur always come in front of their fathers in this way.”

Bahadur Shah Zafar was also an accomplished Urdu poet and calligrapher. When he was denied paper and pen in captivity, he was known to have written (this poem) on the walls of his room with a burnt stick. He wrote the following Ghazal as his own epitaph.

The poem is originally in Urdu, but I have uploaded it with English translations (thanks to Allah SWT for Wikipedia).

لگتا نہیں ہے جی مِرا اُجڑے دیار میں کس کی بنی ہے عالمِ ناپائیدار میں

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obte0XLlPYw

My heart has no repose in this despoiled land, Who has ever felt fulfilled in this futile world?

[faqir]

may Allah raise him with his beloved in Jannah.

[Rahmaniyyah]

for this

Who is his 'beloved' that he refers to in the end? Is it the Shaykh he wanted to be buried with?

[pluto]

may Allah raise him with his beloved in Jannah.

Ameen.

for this

Who is his 'beloved' that he refers to in the end? Is it the Shaykh he wanted to be buried with?

I think he is referring to his now defunct empire, Hindustan and the place (empty grave) he had earmarked for himself besides the mazaar of Hadrath Qutubuddin ra. So, yes.

Just imagine, Muslims had so much to do with India's independence, I believe Hadrath Tipu Sultan Shaheed ra was the first to understand the English's gameplan, but if you ask today's Muslims on the subject, they'll draw a blank

[~hoor~]

SubhanAllah! Thats such an emotional poem

[seeker_ikb]

Ameen.



I think he is referring to his now defunct empire, Hindustan and the place (empty grave) he had earmarked for himself besides the mazaar of Hadrath Qutubuddin ra. So, yes.

Just imagine, Muslims had so much to do with India's independence, I believe Hadrath Tipu Sultan Shaheed ra was the first to understand the English's gameplan, but if you ask today's Muslims on the subject, they'll draw a blank

What is English's gameplan ?

[Maripat]

I feel that the King used defeatist words - it does not suit a king.
This is strange given the fact in spite of the ultimate defeat the 1857 struggle was an epic one - glorious by many standard.
Also the struggle waged by the Ulama still remains unknown to us.
Including the Balakot movement.

[pluto]

Just imagine, Muslims had so much to do with India's independence, I believe Hadrath Tipu Sultan Shaheed ra was the first to understand the English's gameplan, but if you ask today's Muslims on the subject, they'll draw a blank

What is English's gameplan ?

Must be kashf or karamah

Bro seeker_ikb and me will go a long way inshaAllah....