Dr Saleem Wahid Saleem was a poet par excellence. He was born in Teheran, Iran to Khalifa Abdul Wahid Dar of Lahore (Now in Pakistan) and Bibi Fakhr-us-Sadat, a qajari princess of Iran. In fact, the Khalifa family had moved to Lahore from Kashmir in the 19th century. After the age of 11, his parents shifted back to India along with their two daughters Akhtar and Shamsi.
Dr. Saleem was educated in Aligarh Muslim University Tibbiya College, Aligarh and later in London, where he also worked as announcer with BBC Persian Service. In Aligarh, he stayed with his close relative Dr. Ataullah Butt, of famous Butt Kada of Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui. Dr. Butt had founded Aligarh Tibbiya College.
Throughout his life, Dr Saleem continued to write both prose and poetry in Urdu, Persian and English. In the 50’s and 60’s, his ghazals were published in many prestigious Urdu periodicals including Nuqoosh, Funoon, Adab-e-Latif, Adabi Duniya and other contemporary periodicals.
The most remarkable work of Dr. Saleem Wahid Saleem is ‘Khayyam-e-Nau’, which is poetic translation of Umar Khayyam’s ruba’is. The collection has been published by Sanjh Publications, Temple Road, Lahore.
The book Khayyam-e-Nau can be bought online from emarkaz.com
During his last days, Doctor Sahib had become financially unstable and was greatly helped by his sister Mrs Akhtar Nazeer and her husband the late Malik Nazeer Ahmad. Dr. Saleem breathed his last in 1981.
Dr. Saleem wrote poetry in Urdu and Persian. Some of his works are in English as well.
Dr. Saleem Wahid Saleem was married to Begum Umm-e-Habiba, who was granddaughter of Syed Abdul Baqi, who was among first five students of Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental College (which later became Aligarh Muslim University) and had imbibed education directly from Sir Syed. He was later appointed as bursar (accountant-cum-registrar) of the university.
Tabenda Batool has completed her master’s thesis on Dr. Saleem in 1987 from Punjab University Lahore and then her M. Phil in 1995 from Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad. Other collections of his poems and ghazals are also in the pipeline.
Dr. Saleem Wahid Saleem was a great man and a good poet, one blog is not enough to introduce him and his work. His work and he himself need a big website which would pay attention to provide knowledge about him.
Doctor Sahib's loyal son Mr. Muslim Saleem who himself is a good poet is doing very good job regarding this. You guys can get knowledge about Dr. Saleem wahid Saleem from websites designed by Muslim Saleem. You can visit for more details:
My dear Dr. Israr, ASAK
ReplyDeleteThank you very much to highlight one of the most neglected poet and writer Dr Saleem Wahid Saleem in your esteemed website. You will be pleased to know that an establihsed publishing house in India has agreed to publish the Kulliyat of Dr Sb compiled by me. It has over 500 pages and contains his four collections. It will be published in the near future. There is a separate tag Dr Saleem Wahid Saleem on khojkhabarnews.com in which his poems, ghazals can be seen.
thanking you once again
Muslim Saleem
(Post script) My poetic collection "Amad Amad" has also been released by the Madhya Pradesh Urdu Academy this month. A detailed report about it and lots of picutres can be seen on
khojkhabarnews.com/?p=7394
@ Dear Muslim Saleem Sahib
ReplyDeleteWa Alykum Assalam!!
Thank you for comments and appreciations!!
Thats is very good news for Urdu lover that they would be able to enjoy the Poetry of Doctor Sahib.
I have gone through the pages of Khojkhabarnews.com and, also, come to know about your collection of Poetry named: "Amad Amad"
I have seen many of pictures as well.
Thanks once again!!
Dear Muslim Saleem ,
ReplyDeleteI have gone through Dr. Sahib's "Khayam-e-Nau" ... jiss tarah unho'n nay khayam ki khoobsoorat rubaiyyaat ko asal rooh k saaath aik naii zuban mein tarjuma kia hai ..is ki misal kum hi milti hai ... yeh bohat mushkil kaam hota hai k kissi k andaz-e-fikr ko aik naye dhang say , balkay zayada khoobsorrti k saath bayan kerna ... kaii jaga per tou bilqul aisay lagta hai k ye tarjuma nahi balkay waqayee mein urdu men kahay gayee ashaar hon... doctor saleem wahid saleem ka adab per yeh ehsaan hamesha rahay ga ...
wassalaam !!
Khair Andaish
Atif Javed Atif
Lahore .
+923224137971
Dear Mr Atif, ASAK.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you have gone through Khayyam-e-Nau and have expressed good words. It is indeed a matter of pride for Lahore, which raised people like Dr.Saleem Wahid Saleem in the olden days and Atif Javed Atif in the modern era.
Keep browsing khojkhabarnews.com. On February 24, a programme was organised at MP Urdu Akademi in which focus was given to four litterateurs inlcuidng myself. Dr Bashir Badr chaired the programme. Its complete report pictures are posted on the above web site.
Khair andesh
Msulim Saleem
I have browsed through saleemwahid.blogspot.com and read several poems there. the're excellent.
ReplyDeletethanks to this web site, i could reach there.
iqbal danish
کلیات ڈاکٹر سلیم واحد سلیمؔ: منظوم تاثرات
ReplyDeleteاحمد علی برقیؔ اعظمی
سلیم واحد سلیمؔ کیا تھے،ہے اہلِ علم و ادب پہ روشن
وہ لعل و گوہر سے بھر رہے تھے،عروسِ شعر و سخن کا دامن
فرانسیسی ہو،فارسی ہو،زبانِ اردو ہو یا کہ عربی
کئی زبانوں پہ دسترس سے ،تراجم ان کے تھے بیحد احسن
تھے بزمِ شعرو ادب کی رونق،تھا نظم اور نثر پر تبحر
کلام میں تازگی تھی ان کے،ہو جیسے سرسبز کوئی گلشن
ہے اُن کی ’’خیامِ نو‘‘ سے ظاہر،تھے ترجمے میں وہ کتنے ماہر
چڑھاتے تھے مغربی ادب پر،زبانِ اردو کے رنگ و روغن
ہو ان کا مداح کیوں نہ برقیؔ،شعورِ نو کے نقیب تھے وہ
زبانِ اردو کے تھے وہ خادم ،تھا مُنہمِک جس میں اُن کا تن مَن
Subhan Allah! Dr. Ahmad Ali Barqi Azmi nay mauzooaati shairi kay imam honay ka suboot diya hai.
ReplyDeletedear Dr. sab . assalamo alaikum. Kulliyate Saleem Wahid Saleem has been published by National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi. Kindly update this resume accordingly.
ReplyDelete