Abdul Hakim
Encyclopedia
Abdul Hakim was a poet in medieval Bengal
. He was born on the island of Sandwip
in 1620. Hakim's most famous work perhaps is Nurnama (Story of Light), a depiction of the life of prophet Muhammad
in lyrical Bangla. This work can be considered as an important step in creating a Bengal
i Muslim
identity.
However, what Nurnama is arguably more well known for is Hakim's great patriotism and specially his love for the Bangla language. In medieval ages, Persian
and Arabic
tended to be court languages all over the South Asia
and perceived by some as the language to do literary work in.
Hakim's reaction to this varies from philosophical to outright outraged:
The Lord understands and loves all languages
... those who hate Bangla aften being born in Bengal
I cannot tell who gave birth to them
... if one is not happy with his own language
Why doesn't he leave Bengal and go somewhere else
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. He was born on the island of Sandwip
Sandwip
Sandwip is an island along the south eastern coast of Bangladesh.It is also spelled "Sandvip" both are mostly used.It is a sub-division of Chittagong District. It is situated at the estuary of the Meghna River on the Bay of Bengal and separated from the Chittagong coast by the Sandwip channel. It...
in 1620. Hakim's most famous work perhaps is Nurnama (Story of Light), a depiction of the life of prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
in lyrical Bangla. This work can be considered as an important step in creating a Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
i Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
identity.
However, what Nurnama is arguably more well known for is Hakim's great patriotism and specially his love for the Bangla language. In medieval ages, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
tended to be court languages all over the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and perceived by some as the language to do literary work in.
Hakim's reaction to this varies from philosophical to outright outraged:
The Lord understands and loves all languages
... those who hate Bangla aften being born in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
I cannot tell who gave birth to them
... if one is not happy with his own language
Why doesn't he leave Bengal and go somewhere else