Urdu Academy of North America pays tribute to Momin Khan Momin
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
The Urdu Academy of North America dedicated its September 15, 2024 literary event to pay tribute to great Urdu poet, Momin Khan Mom
in.
The Event was held at Chandni Restaurant, Newark CA. Qazi Habib was emcee of the event.
The Urdu Academy President Tashie Zaheer flew from Arizona to attend the event that was attended by a large crowd.
Tashie Zaheer spoke about Momin Khan Momin. Qazi Habib presented a well researched maqala about Momin.
As usual a number of Urdu lovers presented the poetry of Momin Khan: Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Dr. Anjum Zishan, Zeba Rizvi, Ali Khan, Zafar Yousufzai, Suraiya Jabeen, Dr Saima Firdous, and Mobeen Khalil.
Dr Roohi Husain,Sulaikha Chaudhuri, Dr Priya Satia and Tal’at Qadeer amused the audience with their melodious presentations.
Momin Khan Momin was born in a respectable Delhi family of physicians [Hakim] in the year 1800.
His grandparents originally belonged to Kashmir and had moved to the Mughal capital Dilli. He not only learnt Persian, Urdu and Arabic at an early age but also attained mastery in Hikmat (medicine), hence the title of Hakim is in the name.
Momin's father, Ghulam Nabi Khan was a Hakim (physician)
Momin married a woman who was related to the family of Khwaja Mir Dard, the sufi saint of Dilli who is regarded as the first truly mystical poet of Urdu language.
Momin was primarily a poet of romantic disposition.
A contemporary of Mirza Ghalib and Zauq, Momin Khan Momin was successful in creating his own style.
Momin's poetry is simple and easy to understand.
A rather well-known anecdote related to Momin is that Ghalib supposedly said he would exchange his entire 'deewan' for one of Momin's sher. The sher in question:
tum mere paashote ho goyaa
Jab koii duusaraa nahii nhotaa
One of his most popular ghazal is:
Wojo hum mein tum qarar tha tumhein yaad ho kenayaad ho
Wohiyaani wadanibah ka, tumhein yaad ho kenayaad ho
Apart from being a renowned physician, Momin Khan Momin was also well versed in music, astronomy and astrology. It is also mentioned in some of the contemporary documents that Momin Khan Momin was an outstanding chess player.
He died in May 1852.
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