Bracing up for Eid Milad-un-Nabi

By Afzal Hussain Bokhari

Tiny room on the third-floor was basically meant for the ‘prep class’ children but to avoid interruption the management of the privately-run Abu Talib Model Middle School in Koocha Risaldar allowed a team from Radio Pakistan to use the place as ‘outdoor studio’ to record a ‘naat khwani’ contest and a Seerat quiz among the children.

As if to relish the midday warmth and to enjoy the touch of spring in the end-of-February air, a flock of restless pigeons playfully did the familiar somersaults in skies above the historical Qissa Khawani Bazaar. Inside the classroom, prep students had displayed their scissors work by cutting a pink sheet of paper into the shape of a healthy cock and pasting the figure on the wall. Others had shown their calligraphic skills by writing the word Allah in the Arabic script.

Unnerved by the repeated and tiring retakes, the six grade girl Irum Mujtaba retained her self-confidence. Difficult words or the challenging composition did not bother her in the least. With eyes fixed on her diary, she sang out the selected lines in praise of the holy Prophet (SAW), whose birthday falls on 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal, for which the radio recording was being done.

The judges listened to the impressive voice and blinked in disbelief. The modulation and the ups and downs were contrived with a sense of perfection that seemed almost professional. Marks jotted down judiciously against her name exceeded those of the other participants. With restrained pleasure on her face, she walked away with the first prize. Close behind her with the second prize was Jazil Daud of Government Girls High School, Jogiwara. Jazil also rendered her ‘naat’ item with necessary involvement, abandon and devotion.

In collaboration with PTV, Radio Pakistan had already recorded in its auditorium a much bigger ‘naat khwani’ contest on the provincial level. Radio Pakistan put on air the recording at 2-10pm on Saturday while PTV may also do the same in the next few days. Rabi-ul-Awwal is the month of the lunar calendar in which the ‘naat academies’ functioning in various City localities such as Meena Bazaar and Yakkatoot get activated and send participants to different competitions.

Qari Fida Mohammad is no more amongst us but he ran an academy near his residence in which children were taught how to recite the holy Quran with the correct accent possibly with precise Urdu translation as well. As long as he lived, most government events opened with a recitation from the holy Quran by Qari Fida. Lines that he chose from the holy Quran nearly always suited the occasion.

There was a time when names like Mohammad Azam Chishti and Qari Waheed Zafar Qasmi dominated the art of ‘naat khwani’. Nowadays young boys and girls get inspiration for ‘naat khwani’ from names like Faseehuddin Sohrawardy and even Junaid Jamshaid.

People have their reservations about it but television channels like ARY’s Quran (Q) TV have been presenting ‘naat’ items in which innovations are introduced. For instance, these items are at times accompanied by one or more musical instruments and the artist happens to be attired in gorgeous robes. However, this practice has its admirers and critics.

For the last many decades, the traders of Ghanta Ghar and other adjacent bazaars have been contributing in terms of money, material and manual labour to the preparations of taking out the Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) procession. The procession normally starts from the Hashtnagari Chowk and chanting ‘Darood-o-Salam’ the devotees march through Karimpura, Qissa Khwani and the procession culminates at the Soekarno Square.

Traders of the City bazaars take added interest in decorating their parts of the provincial capital on the occasion of 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal. Ornamental arches are especially put up at the entrance and exit points. Printing presses work overtime to meet the orders placed by various religious organisations to prepare posters that highlight the teachings of the holy Prophet (SAW) with regard to mutual tolerance and brotherhood.

As the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal draws near, the passion to decorate the markets and distribute food among the poor and the hungry becomes stronger. The art of decoration evolves into a sort of competition. One is not sure of what form the present competitiveness takes but on the past many occasions the traders of Reti Bazaar have walked away with the first prize in putting up the festive arches.

Radio stations and television channels find it amazing that during Rabi-ul-Awwal, Ramazan-ul-Mubarak and Moharram-ul Haram they conveniently get hold of male and female artists that have been groomed in the art of ‘naat’ and ‘noha khwani’. They can perform in front of cameras and microphones without much of rehearsals.

The ministry of religious affairs should avail of the opportunity by inducting into the process well-read research scholars who could inject some measure of intellectual interpretation of the event. This is essential in order to strike a balance between the form and content of the important day. Too much emphasis either on form or content can disturb the equilibrium.

Cultural organisations like Gandhara Adabi Board and its related sub-branches used to celebrate the occasion by staying awake throughout the night and arrange a session of ‘naatia’ mushaira in ‘Jatton ki Imambargah’ in Yakkatoot. Hindko poets from places as far away as Abbottabad and Kohat get invited to the mushaira session.

Urdu, Hindko and Pushto mushaira sessions have also become a part of the local culture. On the occasion of Islamic festivals, these mushaira sessions tend to carry the ‘naatia’ flavour. Since PTV has pushed such mushaira sessions on to the regional transmissions, it is difficult for viewers to remember the day and time of the telecast. The result is that even viewers who have the temperament and the temptation to sit through such recordings normally have no other choice but to miss out on the programme.

One feels like ending this piece on famous lines from Persian poetry written in praise of the holy Prophet (SAW): “Husn-i-Yousuf, Dam-i-Isa, Yad-i-Baiza dari; aanche khooban hama darand, tu tanha dari!”