Ali Sikandar or Jigar Moradabadi (1890–1960) (Urdu: جگر مراد آبادی), born "Ali Sikandar" is famous Urdu ghazal writer. He took on the takhallus (nom de plume) of Jigar.
Jigar Moradabadi was born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. After some time he moved to Gonda , Uttar Pradesh, India and became student of famous poet Azghar Gondvi and since then he spent his whole life in Gonda until he died. Mazar-e-Jigar moradabadi is in Topkhana, Gonda.
He belonged to the classical school of ghazal writing and was a mentor of Majrooh Sultanpuri, a famous lyricist of Indian Film Industry who penned many popular songs in Hindi/Urdu.
Jigar remained a keen drinker most of his life and was famous for his forgetfulness and absent-mindedness. But when he met Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanavi, a very pious and reformer man of that time, he changed his lifestyle and did not drink ever after that time. After meeting Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanavi he became very practical Muslim and left drinking.
His ghazals remain very popular with lovers of Urdu poetry. Many remark that the era of classical Urdu poetry ended with Jigar. Jigar won the 1958 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection Atish-i-Gul.
One of his most memorable couplets is:
Ye Ishq Nahi Aasan Bas Itna Samaj Lijiyay
Ik Aag Ka Darya Hay Or Doob k Jana Hay
Translation: Love is like an ocean of fire and the lover must drown to cross through it.
it is very inspiring story of jigar sahab's bayait on the hands of maulana ashraf ali thanvi sahab!
ReplyDeleteSubhanAllah!