Syed Waheed Akhtar (August 12, 1934, Aurangabad (Deccan) — December 13, 1996) was an Urdu poet, writer, critic, distinguished orator, and one of the leading Muslim scholars and philosophers of the 20th century.

Life

Waheed Akhtar was born in Aurangabad in the erstwhile Hyderabad State

Hyderabad State

-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...

 of Nizam

Nizam

Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...

 (present day Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

), to a family which had migrated from Nasirabad

Nasirabad

Nasirabad may refer to:* Mymensingh Town, the former name of Mymensingh Town, Bangladesh* Nasirabad, India in Rajasthan, India* Nasirabad, Raibareli in Uttar Pradesh, India* Nasirabad, Ardabil, Iran* Nasirabad, alternate name of Nasrabad, Isfahan, Iran...

 - Jais (Jais

Jais

Jais is a city and a municipal board in chatarpati sahu ji maharaj nagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.- Geography :Jais is located at . It has an average elevation of 101 metres .- Demographics :...

-birth place of poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi

Malik Muhammad Jayasi

Malik Muhammad Jayasi was an Indian poet who wrote in the Avadhi dialect of Hindi.He hailed from Jais, presently a city in the Rae Bareli district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh...

/http://hi.literature.wikia.com/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%80), boroughs of Sa'adat inhabitants in Raebareily (or Raebareli

Raebareli

Raebareli is a city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Raebareli District....

) district of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

. His father's name was Syed Nazr-e Abbas, and mother's name was Syeda Aliya Begum. They had seven children. Waheed Akhtar was the second child, among six sons and one daughter. After spending his childhood in Aurangabad, and completing his early education, he went to Hyderabad, to enroll at Osmania University

Osmania University

Osmania University , , since 1918, is a public university located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established and named after the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. It is one of the oldest modern universities in India. It is the first Indian University to have Urdu and...

. He was in Hyderabad for eight years until he completed his Ph. D. and was appointed lecturer at Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...

. It is thought that his years in Hyderabad were crucial for moulding his personality as a poet and writer. Although, after police action

Police action

Police action in military/security studies and international relations is a euphemism for a military action undertaken without a formal declaration of war.Since World War II, formal declarations of war have been rare...

, Hyderabad acceded to the Dominion

Dominion

A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...

 of India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, it was still a very strong feudal society, dominated by the rich and elite. At that time, it was claimed that Muslims who had held previously held positions of importance had subsequently become defeatist, thinking they had lost their voice and authority in the conditions prevalent at that time. Hyderabad was still the only University in India to teach modern sciences, including medicine and engineering, in Urdu, which was the fruit of Allamah Shibli Nomani

Shibli Nomani

Allamah Shibli Nomani was a respected scholar of Islam from Indian subcontinent during British Raj. He was born at Bindwal in Azamgarh district of present-day Uttar Pradesh. He is known for the founding the Shibli National College in 1883 and the Darul Mussanifin in Azamgarh...

's hardwork. Waheed Akhtar wrote prolifically in Urdu from very early age. During his initial years he adopted the pen name "Barq". He made his ideas and voice heard in his writings. He was an independent minded, freedom loving man, who was well aware of the political and literary movements of his times. He married Syeda Mahliqa Qarai (who was Indo-Iranian) in Hyderabad in 1962. They had four sons: Hasan, Husain, Haider (who died due to polio in the fifth month of his birth) and Mohsin. Mrs Mahliqa Qarai was killed in the USS Vincennes

USS Vincennes

Four United States Navy ships have been named USS Vincennes, after the town of Vincennes, Indiana, site of an important Patriot victory in the American Revolution....

 attack on Iran Air Flight 655

Iran Air Flight 655

Iran Air Flight 655 was a civilian jet airliner shot down by U.S. missiles on 3 July 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz, toward the end of the Iran–Iraq War...

 - the civilian airliner

Airliner

An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...

 on Sunday, July 3, 1988, over the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

. After his wife's death Waheed suffered 5 heart attacks and 3 cardiac arrests, and became an alcoholic. He would deliver marsia for his wife in an inebriated state at many majlis ceremonies. Waheed died on 13 December in 1996 at All India Institute of Medical Sciences

All India Institute of Medical Sciences

All India Institute of Medical Sciences is a premier medical college and teaching hospital based in New Delhi, India. The Institute operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ....

 in Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

 one year after his retirement at the age of 61.

Education

His early education took place at Chelipura High School, a government school in Aurangabad. He was educated at Osmania University

Osmania University

Osmania University , , since 1918, is a public university located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established and named after the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. It is one of the oldest modern universities in India. It is the first Indian University to have Urdu and...

, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and received his bachelor's degree in arts, and master's and Ph. D degrees in Philosophy. He was appointed lecturer of philosophy at Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...

 and went on to settle in Aligarh for the rest of his life, where he retired in 1995.

He passed all examinations from Osmania University, Hyderabad in first division with distinction. He completed High Schoolin 1950; B.A. in 1954; M.A. (Philosophy) in 1956; Ph.D. in 1960 in Philosophy, on the thesis titled "Khwaja Mir Dard’s Contribution to Sufism."

Academic positions held

He was appointed Lecturer in General Education in 1960 at Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...

 and Lecturer in Philosophy in 1962; became Reader in Humanities in 1970; Reader in Philosophy in 1975 and became Professor in 1979. He headed the Department of Philosophy at AMU from April 1987-1990 & 1992 till 1995 until his retirement and also served the University as Dean Faculty of Arts from 1990-92.

Academic and scholarly contributions

He specialized in Sufism, existentialism, aesthetics, literary criticism and Muslim philosophy and Shi’ite thought. More than two hundred articles, besides eight books in Urdu and English published.

His research and creative work has been quoted and referred to by a number of scholars in philosophy, Islamic studies and literature, such as Annemarie Schimmel

Annemarie Schimmel

Annemarie Schimmel, SI, HI, was a well known and very influential German Orientalist and scholar, who wrote extensively on Islam and Sufism. She was a professor at Harvard University from 1967 to 1992.-Early life:...

, Dr. Abid Husain, Prof. Aale Ahmad Suroor, Prof. Ehtisham Husain, Prof. Majnun Gorakhpuri

Majnun Gorakhpuri

Ahmad Siddiq "Majnun Gorakhpuri" Urdu:احمد صدیق مجنوں گورکھپوری was an eminent and leading Urdu short story writer, poet and literary critic of his time.- Life :...

, Ali Sardar Jafri

Ali Sardar Jafri

Ali Sardar Jafri was an Urdu writer, poet, critic and film lyricist from India.-Early life and education:Ali Sardar Jafri was born in an aristocratic family in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, where he spent his formative years....

, Prof. Muhi-al-din Qadri Zor, Prof. A.Q. Sarwari, Dr.Vazir Agha

Vazir Agha

Wazir Agha was a Pakistani Urdu language writer, poet, critic and essayist. He lived in Sargodha. He ran the literary magazine "Auraq" for many decades. He introduced many theories in Urdu literature. He is most famous for his work on Urdu humour. He has also written a seminal book on modern Urdu...

, Khaleel-Ur-Rehman Azmi

Khaleel-Ur-Rehman Azmi

Khaleel-Ur-Rehman Azmi also Khalil al-Rehman Azmi was an eminent Urdu poet and literary critic. Born in village Seda Sultanpur, of district Azamgarh. His father Maulana Muhammad Shafi was deeply religious man. Khaleel-Ur-Rehman 'Azmi' matriculated from Shibli National High School, at Azamgarh in...

, Prof. Mumtaz Husain, Prof. Qamar Raees, Prof. Mohd. Hasan, Prof. Gopi Chand Narang

Gopi Chand Narang

Gopi Chand Narang is an Indian scholar of Urdu language and literature, an eminent Urdu writer, scholar, critic and linguist. He is author of many books in Urdu, Hindi and English....

 and many eminent literary critics.

Works

His published collections of poetry comprise mainly ghazal

Ghazal

The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...

s and nazm

Nazm

Urdu Nazm is a major part of the Urdu poetry, that is normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose style poems. Nazm has many different forms as,* Doha * Geet * Hamd * Hazal * Hijv...

s, but he also mastered other forms of poetry, like Marsia

Marsia

Marsiya is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain and his comrades of the Karbala...

- elegy

Elegy

In literature, an elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.-History:The Greek term elegeia originally referred to any verse written in elegiac couplets and covering a wide range of subject matter, including epitaphs for tombs...

 in the musaddas

Musaddas

Musaddas is a genre of Urdu poetry in which each unit consists of 6 lines-sestain- . Famous early writers employing this form are Mir Anis and Dabeer. Maulana Altaf Husain Hali and Waheed Akhtar are other well known poets to find expression in this form of poetry. Particularly iconic is Hali's...

 format; Qasida

Qasida

The qaṣīdaᵗ , in Arabic: قصيدة, plural qasā'id, قــصــائـد; in Persian: قصیده , is a form of lyric poetry that originated in preIslamic Arabia...

 (Panegyric

Panegyric

A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...

), [Hajv] (lampoon

Parody

A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...

), Manqibat, , Rubai

Rubai

Rubai may refer to:* Li Rubai , general of the Ming Dynasty* Salim Ali Rubai , head of state of South Yemen...

 (quatrain

Quatrain

A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...

). He was one of the few to tread his own path independent of "tarraqipasand tehreek" (Progressive Writers' Movement

Progressive Writers' Movement

The Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind or Progressive Writers' Movement was a progressive literary movement in the pre-partition British India, consisting of a few different writers groups around the world....

) and questioned revolutionary ideals of the progressive movement, when most of the writers of subcontinent were looking towards communist Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 for inspiration and guidance. He argued and predicted that a system which is devoid of individual, political and creative freedom is bound to fail. These ideas were penned down in late 1950s in 'Saba'- a literary Urdu journal edited and published by Sulaiman Areeb

Sulaiman Areeb

Sulaiman Areeb was an Urdu poet, who was born 1922 in Hyderabad, Deccan. He was of Hadhrami Arab origin whose ancestors arrived from Hadramaut to Hyderabad. His father Sulaiman bin Abd al-Razzaq was Risaldar in Nizam's time. He was married twice and second time to Safia Begum, who herself was an...

 from Hyderabad. This article evoked a harsh criticism from founder of the Progressive Writers' Movement, Sajjad Zaheer

Sajjad Zaheer

Syed Sajjad Zaheer was a renowned Urdu writer, Marxist thinker and revolutionary.- Life :...

. Impact of the article was such that controversy raged for years in the literary journals of the sub-continent. His following verses from one of his ghazal is a satire on that era.

"Jisko mana tha khuda khak ka paiker nikla, Haath aya jo yaqeen waham sarasar nikla."

Waheed Akhtar was a strong proponent of freedom, and stressed for the commitment to ideals rather than adopting them as 'fashion' or a 'cliché' for creativity. His poetry is classical as well as modern. His poetry has elements of Islamic mysticism or Tasawwuf, existentialism

Existentialism

Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...

, contemporary issues related to the problems of man, politics etc. His poetry is more revolutionary and freedom inspiring than poets considered revolutionary in Urdu, another couplet from the same ghazal is an example of this,

Kal jahan zulm ne kati theen saron ki faslein, nam hui hai to usi khak se lashkar nikla

According to Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi is an eminent Urdu critic, poet and theorist, who has nurtured a whole generation of Urdu writers since the 1960s. He is regarded as the founder of the new movement in Urdu literature and has formulated fresh models of literary appreciation...

, "Wahid Akhtar, regarded by many as a Modernist and by many others as Progressive, wrote that Modernism was really an extension of Progressivism".

Waheed Akhtar is also considered to be among the few successful modern Urdu poets who took Marsia to new heights and gave new direction to it in this age. "Waheed Akhtar, Professor of Philosophy at Aligarh Muslim University, had been crucial in keeping the tradition of marsiya dynamic in present-day South Asia. His marasi rely on the images, metaphors, and nuances inherited from nineteenth century masters like Anis and Dabir, and on the values invested in this genre by socio-religious reformers like Josh. On the back cover of his recently-published marsiya anthology, for example, is the famous Arabic saying: "Every place is Karbala; every day is Ashura." By positing a similarity between Hussain's historic battle and the present day struggle of human kind against renewed forms of Yazidian oppression, Akhtar deflects the interpretation of the martyrs of Karbala as mere insignia of Islamic history; they are instead posed as the sinews for the revival of an ideal Islamic state of being"

Poetry: ghazals and nazms

His following collections of poetry mostly comprise of nazms and ghazals

• Patthron Ka Mughanni
• Shab Ka Razmiyyah
• Zanjir Ka Naghma

Marsia

Karbala Ta Karbala

Karbala Ta Karbala

Karbala Ta Karbala is a collection of Marsias, or more appropriately Marasi, by Waheed Akhtar, a noted Urdu poet and critic. He also wrote Ghazals and nazms and an epic, Shahr-e Hawas, which is considered his magnum opus. Karbala Ta Karbala, which means 'Karbala to Karbala,' has eight collection of...

 (collection of Elegies on martyrs of Karbala– Urdu) –1991- consists of eight marasi (plural of marsia

Marsia

Marsiya is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain and his comrades of the Karbala...

)

• Mariam se bhi siwa hai fazilat Batul ki: Chadar-e-Tatheer, Marsia on Hazrat Fatima, has 168 bunds.
• Qale tameer kiye daste havaskari ne: Qala Kusha, Marsia on Hazrat Ali ibne Abi Talib-135 bunds in total.
• Barsi nahi naghmon ki ghatayen kai din se: Shaheed-e-Atash, Marsia Hazrat Ali Asghar ibn al-Husain-107 bunds.
• Ai saqi e hayat o masiha e kainat: Alamdar-e-Amn, Marsia on Hazrat Abul Fazl al-Abbas, 134 bunds in toal.
• Hai qafila e jara'at e raftar safar mein: Salaar-e-Qafila-e-Shauq, Saiyid al-Shohada Hazrat Imam Husain ibne Ali, 143 bunds.
• Raat yeh haq ke chiraghon pe bahot bhari hai: Tegh-e-Zaban e Zainab, Marsia Hazrat Zainab, 188 bunds in all.
• Ya Rabmeri zuban ko qudrat bayan ki de: Shahadat-e-Nutq, marsia Ali Akbar ibn al-Husain, 192 bunds.
• Karbala! ai Karbala! Ai Karbala! ai Karbala!: Karbala ai Karbala, marsia matlooban-e-shahadat (Zuhayr ibne Qayn, Habeeb ibne Mazahir, Hur ibne Yazid Riyahee and Musayyab khuzayee), 191 bunds.

Books in Urdu

Besides his collections of Urdu poetry Shab Ka Razmiyah, Paththaron ka Mughanni, and Zanjeer ka Naghma. He has published a collection of Elegies (Marsia

Marsia

Marsiya is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain and his comrades of the Karbala...

) of the martyrs of Karbala

Karbala

Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....

 by the name of Karbala Ta Karbala. He contributed to numerous talks, discussions, and poetry recitations at All India Radio Stations.

• Patthron Ka Mughanni ( ..... ) – 1966
• Shab Ka Razmiyyah ( ..... ) – 1973
• Zanjir Ka Naghma ( ..... ) – 1982 (dedicated to his brother in-law—Syed Ali Quli Qarai & publisher Hasan Waheed)
• Karbala Ta Karbala
  Karbala Ta Karbala
  Karbala Ta Karbala is a collection of Marsias, or more appropriately Marasi, by Waheed Akhtar, a noted Urdu poet and critic. He also wrote Ghazals and nazms and an epic, Shahr-e Hawas, which is considered his magnum opus. Karbala Ta Karbala, which means 'Karbala to Karbala,' has eight collection of...
  
   (collection of Elegies on martyrs of Karbala– Urdu) – 1991.

Prose

• Khwaja Mir Dard
  Khwaja Mir Dard
  Khwaja Mir Dard was born in 1721 and died in 1785. He is one of the three major poets of the Delhi School—the other two being Mir Taqi Mir and 'Sauda'—who could be called the pillars of the classical Urdu ghazal.-Philosophy:...
  
  -Tasawwuf aur Shairi; published by Anjuman Tarraqi-e-Urdu Hind–1971
• Falsafa aur Adabi Tanqid (Literary Criticism in Urdu) – 1972

Books and other scholarly articles in English

In English, in addition to The Early Shiite Imamiyyah Thinkers and Iqbal In Modern Perspective, he wrote numerous articles on various philosophical subjects, besides several translations from Persian to English, and book reviews. His later work was mostly published in Al-Tawhid a journal for Islamic Thought published from Iran, Aligarh Journal of Islamic thought (a journal published by the department of philosophy, of Aligarh Muslim University- which was revived during his chairmanship of the department with him as its editor) and Message of Thaqalayn

Message of Thaqalayn

Message of Thaqalayn, A Quarterly Journal of Islamic Studies that expresses different Shi'a Islamic views, contributed by eminent scholars.Published by Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly, P.O. Box 15815-1956, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran....

 -another English journal published from Iran.

• Iqbal in Modern Perspective (English) – 1987. (Also translated into Arabic)
• Early Imamiyyah Shi’ite Thinkers (English) – 1988

Articles

About one hundred features, talks and reviews on various philosophical and literary issues in Urdu and English broadcasted from All India Radio.

More than five hundred articles – critical reviews and write-ups published in outstanding journals of India and Pakistan, such as Saba (Hyderabad), Sabras (Hyderabad), Chiragh (Hyderabad), Gajar (Hyderabad), Shi’r wa Hikmat (Hyderabad), Ham Qalam (Karachi), Mashrab (Karachi), Adab-e-Latif (Lahore), Awraq (Lahore), Adabi Dunya (Lahore), Sha’ur (Delhi), Shabkhoon (Allahabad), Sha’ir (Bombay), Ahang (Gaya), Sharah & Atkar (Delhi), Ajkal (Delhi), Indo-Iranica (Calcutta), Mankind (Hyderabad), Fikr-o-Nazar (Aligarh), Islam aur A’sr-e-Jadid (Islam and Modern Age) (Delhi), Funun (Lahore), Iqbaliyyat (Lahore), Fikr-o-Nazar (Lahore), Guftugu (Bombay) and Urdu International (Canada).

List of selected articles in English

• "Waves of Unreason, Mankind" (Hyderabad), 1961
• "Man: A Problem for Himself" (presented in the Seminar on ‘Concept of Man’) A.M.U, Aligarh, 1967
• "Foundations of Modernity" (presented in the Annual Conference of All India Philosophical Association) Poona, 1968
• "Existentialism concept of Man" (presented in the 43rd Session of All India Philosophy Congress) Dharwar, 1969, (Published in the Proceedings of the Congress)
• "Dilemma of Modern Man: Science versus Religion" (presented in a Seminar on ‘Religion and Science’) A.M.U Aligarh
• "Aurobindo’s Theory of Poetry" (presented in Sri Aurobindo Centenary) Seminar organized by Sahitya Academy, Delhi and Bombay, 1972. Published in Sri Aurobindo Centenary Commemoration Volume
• "Critical Review of Iqbal, Poet-Philosopher of Pakistan"
• "Nature and Function of Reason" (presented in the Seminar on Reason) Centre of Advanced Study in Philosophy, B.H.U, Varanasi, 1973
• "Sufi Approach to the Problem of Alienation, with particular reference to Chishti Saints" (Presented at the Baba Farid Octocentenary Seminar) at Ajmer, 1974. Published in Islam and Modern Age, Delhi
• "Iqbal and Western Thought", (to be published in a book: Iqbal’s Philosophy, All India Iqbal Centenary Committee)
• "Existentialism Elements in Iqbal’s Thought" (published in the book ed. by Prof. Asloob Ahmad Ansari, Ghalib Academy, Delhi. 1975)
• "Iqbal and Aurobindo" (Iqbal Centenary Volume & Aligarh Journal of Muslim Philosophy)
• "Sabzwari’s Analysis of Being", Al-Tawhid. Vol.2.1 (Tehran)
• "Among the Believers" (A review article on V.S. Naipaul’s book, Al-Tawhid) (Tehran)
• "Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni: Life and Works", Al-Tawhid (Tehran)
• "Shaykh al-Saduq: Life and Works", Al-Tawhid (Tehran)
• "Shaykh al-Mufid: Life and Works", Al-Tawhid (Tehran)
• "Al-Sharif al-Radi: Compiler of Nahj al-Balagha", Al-Tawhid (Tehran)
• "Al-Sharif al-Murtada, ‘Alm al-Huda’: Life and Works", Al-Tawhid (Tehran)
• "Shaykh al-Ta’ifah al-Tusi: Life and Works", Al-Tawhid (Tehran)
• "Modern Political Thought in Islam" (A review article on Hamid Enayet’s book of the same title), Al-Tawhid (Tehran)
• "Freedom in the Islamic Framework of Human Rights with special reference to Nahj al-Balaghah", 1986 Aligarh Journal of Islamic Thought, A.M.U, 1989 and Thaqalayn in Urdu, English and Persian (Tehran) 1993
• "Tasawwuf: The Meeting Ground of Tasannun and Tashaiy’uh", Al-Tawhid (Tehran) and Aligarh Journal of Islamic Thought (A.M.U) 1990-1991

Articles in Persian

• "Anasir-e-Existentialism dar Fikre-e-Iqbal", presented at the International Iqbal Seminar, Tehran University, Tehran, 1986 (Published in a book from Tehran (1988).
• "Naqshe-e Zaban-e Farsi dar Wazehha Wa Mustalihat-e Urdu" presented at the International Seminar on teaching of Persian in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Nashr-e Danishgahi, Tehran, 1986. (Published in Persian, Tehran).
• "Hafiz wa Ghalib": presented at an International Seminar on Hafiz’s 8th centenary, 1988, at Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
• Presented a paper on Sabzwari’s Philosophy and its contemporary relevance at an International seminar, Sabzwar, Iran, 1993.

Translations

• Four quartets by T. S. Eliot
  T. S. Eliot
  Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
  
   (Burnt Norton), Urdu Adab, Aligarh, and Shabkhoon, Allahbad.
• Julius Caesar
  Julius Caesar
  Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
  
  by William Shakespeare
  William Shakespeare
  William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
  
  . AIR, Hyderabad.
• Letter on Aesthetics by Schiller.
• Mutual Services of Islam and Iran, by Murtada Motahhari, (Published in installments in Al-Tawhid, Tehran).

Participated and presented papers in the following national and international conferences and seminars

• All India Philosophical Congress, 43rd Session, Dharwad
  Dharwad
  Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...
  
  , 1969.
• All India Philosophical Congress, 47th Session, Simla
  Shimla
  Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
  
  , 1973.
• Philosophical Association Annual Conference, Pune
  Pune
  Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
  
  , 1968.
• National Seminar, Sri Aurobindo Centenary, Delhi, 1972.
• Seminar on ‘Reason’ Advanced Centre of Philosophy, Banaras Hindu University
  Banaras Hindu University
  Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
  
  , Varanasi
  Varanasi
  -Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
  
  , 1973.
• National Writers’ Camp, World Book Fair, Organized by the National Book Trust of India, Delhi, 1972.
• Annual Conference of Hindustani Academy, Allahbad, 1972.
• All-India Cultural Conference, Hyderabad, 1954.
• All-India Urdu Conference, Hyderabad, 1956.
• All-India Urdu Conference, Hyderabad, 1961.
• Osmania University
  Osmania University
  Osmania University , , since 1918, is a public university located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established and named after the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. It is one of the oldest modern universities in India. It is the first Indian University to have Urdu and...
  
   Golden Jubilee Celebration, Hyderabad, 1963.
• National Writers’ Meet, Academy of Culture and Languages, Srinagar
  Srinagar
  Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
  
  , 1960.
• Seminar on Problems of Criticism, A.M.U. Aligarh, 1964.
• Seminar on Teaching of Language and Literature, A.M.U., Aligarh, 1966.
• Seminar on ‘Modernity and Literature’, A.M.U., Aligarh, 1967.
• Seminar on ‘Concept of Man’, A.M.U., Aligarh, 1968.
• Seminar on ‘Urdu Literature
  Urdu literature
  Urdu literature has a long and colorful history that is inextricably tied to the development of that very language, Urdu, in which it is written...
  
   after 1947’, A.M.U., Aligarh.
• Ghalib
  Mirza Ghalib
  Dabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan , pen-name Ghalib and Asad , was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from India during British colonial rule...
  
   Centenary Seminar, A.M.U., Aligarh, 1969.
• Seminar on ‘Urdu Fiction’, A.M.U., Aligarh.
• Seminar on Iqbal
  Muhammad Iqbal
  Sir Muhammad Iqbal , commonly referred to as Allama Iqbal , was a poet and philosopher born in Sialkot, then in the Punjab Province of British India, now in Pakistan...
  
  , A.M.U., Aligarh, 1972.
• Seminar on ‘Sir Syed and his Relevance to our Age, A.M.U., Aligarh, 1972.
• Seminar on ‘Science and Religion’ A.M.U., Aligarh.
• Sri Aurobindo
  Sri Aurobindo
  Sri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
  
   Centenary Seminar, A.M.U., Aligarh, 1972.
• Baba Farid Centenary Seminar, Ajmer
  Ajmer
  Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
  
  , 1973.
• ‘Jashn-e-Firaq’ Seminar, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University
  Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University
  Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University or simply Gorakhpur University is located in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.-Slogan:आ नो भद्राः क्र्तवो यन्तु विश्वतः Aa no Bhadrah Kritvo Yantu Vishvatah...
  
  , Gorakhpur
  Gorakhpur
  Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
  
  , 1972.
• Iqbal Centenary Seminar, Calcutta, Delhi, 1974.
• All-India Iqbal Centenary Seminar, Hyderabad, 1974.
• All-India Iqbal Centenary Seminar, Srinagar, 1975.
• All-India Anis
  Mir Babar Ali Anis
  Mir Babbar Ali Anees was a renowned Urdu poet. He was born in Faizabad in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 1803 and died in 1874....
  
   Centenary Seminar, Delhi, 1975.
• Seminar on ‘Creative Use of Language in Contemporary Literature’ held at Jamia- Millia, Delhi, 1975.
• All- India Iqbal Centenary Seminar, Calcutta University, Calcutta, 1976.
• Indo-Pak Seminar on Urdu Fiction, Jamia-Millia, Delhi.
• All-India Seminar on Firaq
  Firaq Gorakhpuri
  Raghupati Sahay , better known under his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri , was a writer, critic, and one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India...
  
  , U.P. Urdu Academy, Lucknow
  Lucknow
  Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
  
  , 1983.
• All-India Seminar on Josh Malihabadi
  Josh Malihabadi
  Josh Malihabadi was a noted Urdu poet born in British India, who was an Indian citizen until 1958, when he emigrated to Pakistan and became a Pakistani citizen...
  
  , Shia College, Lucknow
  Lucknow
  Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
  
  , 1984.
• International Seminar on Al-Ghazali
  Al-Ghazali
  Abu Hāmed Mohammad ibn Mohammad al-Ghazzālī , known as Algazel to the western medieval world, born and died in Tus, in the Khorasan province of Persia was a Persian Muslim theologian, jurist, philosopher, and mystic....
  
  , Tehran University, Tehran, 1986.
• International Seminar on Teaching of Persian in the Subcontinent, Tehran, 1986.
• International Seminar on Iqbal, University of Tehran
  University of Tehran
  The University of Tehran , also known as Tehran University and UT, is Iran's oldest university. Located in Tehran, the university is among the most prestigious in the country, and is consistently selected as the first choice of many applicants in the annual nationwide entrance exam for top Iranian...
  
  , Tehran
  Tehran
  Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
  
  , 1986.
• International Seminar on Eighth Centenary of Hafez
  Hafez
  Khwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
  
  , Shiraz University
  Shiraz University
  Shiraz University , formerly known as Pahlavi University, is a public university located in Shiraz, Iran. It is one of the major universities of Iran....
  
  , Shiraz
  Shiraz
  Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
  
  , Iran, 1988.
• International Seminar on 'Concept of Time: Ancient and Modern', IGCNA, New Delhi, 1990.
• International Seminar on Mullah Hadi Sabzwari, Sabzawar
  Sabzawar
  Sabzawar is a town in Afghanistan, situated at an elevation of 3550 ft on the left bank of the river Harud, 93 miles south of Herat. Sabzawar was once a city of considerable size, and still possesses a fortress with sides of about 200 or 250 yards...
  
  , Iran
  Iran
  Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
  
  , 1993.
• International Seminar on Muslim Education, Aligarh, 1993.
• International Seminar on Sufism
  Sufism
  Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
  
  , Delhi, 1992.
• International Seminar on Abul Kalam Azad Centenary (A.M.U. Aligarh,1992).
• International Seminar on Abul Kalam Azad (Jamia Millia Islamia
  Jamia Millia Islamia
  Jamia Millia Islamia is an Indian Central University located in Delhi. It was established at Aligarh in United Provinces, India in 1920. It became a Central University by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1988...
  
  , New Delhi, 1992).
• International Seminar on ‘Islamic Culture and Civilization: Past, Present and Future’, Tehran 1994.
• Conference on Imam Khumayni wa Farhange Ashura, (Imam Khumayni and the culture of Ashura), held on June 1–2, 1995 at Tehran.

Delivered lectures and presided over seminars on various occasions

• Delhi University
• Calcutta University
• Osmania University
• Patna University
• Andhra University
• Ghalib Academy, Delhi
• Ghalib Institute, Delhi
• Indo-Iranica Society, Calcutta
• Kashmir University
• Jammu University
• Mysore University
• Bangalore University
• Marathwada University
• Jamia Millia, Delhi
• Sahitya Academy, Delhi
• Tehran University, Iran
• Shiraz University, Iran
• Sabzwar University, Sabzwar, Iran
• Annual Conference of Progressive Writers Association, Hyderabad
• Annual Conference of Progressive Writers Association, Delhi
• Islamic Radical Centre, Jaipur
• Sufi Conference, Jaipur
• Hindustani Academy, Allahbad
• Institute of Objective Studies, Delhi
• Institute of Objective Studies, Aligarh.
• West Bengal Urdu Academy, Calcutta.
• Vishva Bharti, Shantiniketan.
• J.N. University, Delhi.
• Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Culture and Art, Jammu, Srinagar several times.
• Max Muller Bhavan, Hyderabad
• Henry Martin Institute, Hyderabad – many times.
• Abdul Kalam Research Institute, Hyderabad.
• Aiwane-e-Urdu, Hyderabad.
• Iran Culture House, Delhi.
• Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal.
• Represented Urdu in All India Multilingual Symposia organized and broadcasted by All India Radio
  All India Radio
  All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
  
  , Delhi on four occasions, 1965, 1973, 1983 and 1995.
• Participated in hundreds of Mushairas and Kavi Sammelans all over India.
• Member I.C.P.R (UGC
  UGC
  UGC is the second largest cinema operator in Europe with, as of August 2005, 49 sites and 553 screens across four countries:* France: 37 cinemas, 357 screens* Spain: 5 cinemas, 88 screens* Belgium: 3 cinemas, 43 screens* Italy: 4 cinemas, 66 screens...
  
  ) 1995-1996.

Books ready for press

Several of his books are awaiting publication on varied subjects of philosophy, literature and Islamic thought.

Ham Asr Adab, Iqbal aur fikr-e-jadid, Shahr-e-Hawas (epic poem) and another collection of elegies are some of the works ready for publication.

• Iqbal and Modern thought (English).
• Adab aur Wujudiyyat ( ..... ) a collection of articles in Urdu.
• Ham Qalam ( ...... ) a collection of articles on contemporary Urdu writers.
• Ham ‘asr Adab ( ..... ) a collection of articles on contemporary Urdu Poetry.
• Ham ‘asr Adab ( .... ) a collection of articles on contemporary Urdu Prose.
• Ham ‘asr Adab ( ..... ) a collection of articles on contemporary Urdu literary theory and criticism.
• Iqbal aur Fikr-e-Jadid ( .... ) a collection of thirteen articles on Iqbal.
• Perspective of Islam and Islamic Thought, a collection of philosophical articles in English on various Muslim metaphysical, socio-political themes in philosophy.

Foreign assignment

Editor of Al-Tawhid (English) a journal of philosophy and culture, Islamic Propagation Organization, Tehran, Iran – May 1984-April 1987.

Awards and honours

1960: Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy Award

1967: Ghalib Award of the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy – for the best Urdu Book

1972: Uttar Pradesh & Andhra Pradesh Urdu Academy Awards on Khwaja Mir Dard’s Sufi Doctrines and Poetry.

1973: Uttar Pradesh & Andhra Pradesh Urdu Academy Awards, on Philosophy and Literary Criticism

1974: Uttar Pradesh & Andhra Pradesh Urdu Academy Awards

1983: 'Makhdoom Award'-the Highest National Award in India for Literary Criticism

Literary criticism

Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...

 in Urdu by Andhra Pradesh Urdu Academy Hyderabad

External links

• http://www.awazsayeed.com/waheed.html a brief portrayal of Waheed Akhtar by his friend Awaz Sayeed
  Awaz Sayeed
  Awaz Sayeed , full name Awaz Bin Sayeed, was a renowned modern short-story writer, poet, Khaka-naveez, humorist and playwright from Hyderabad, India. He was known for his unique, innovative and inimitable style of short story writing...
  
  from Hyderabad.
• http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul/lifelineage.htm Lineage of al-Radi and his Life
• http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul/sources.htm Sources of Nahj al Balaghah
• http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul/contents.htm The Contents of Nahj al Balaghah
• http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul/commentaries.htm The Commentaries on Nahj al Balaghah
• http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul/misconceptions.htm Misconceptions about Nahj al Balaghah
• http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=5247 Right to Acquire Knowledge: Nahj al-Balaghah's Approach
• http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=5246 Freedom, Human Destiny, and the World in the Nahj al-Balaghah
• http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=5380 The Concept of Freedom in the Nahj al-Balaghah
• http://www.al-islam.org/about/education/books/hadith.html Taken from "The Early Imamiyah Shi'ite Thinkers"-discusses Kulayni's work and contribution.
• http://www.imamalinet.net/en/a/ad/add/add2.htm Freedom in the Islamic Framework of Human Rights, With Special Reference to the Nahj al-Balaghah
• http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/ Al-Tawhid
• http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/paradigm-akhtar.htm Karbala', an Enduring Paradigm of Islamic Revivalism
• http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/islam-know-conc.htm The Islamic Concept of Knowledge
• http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/scholars.htm An Introduction to Imamiyyah Scholars Major Shi'i Thinkers of the Fifth/Eleventh Century
• http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/iran/mutual.htm Islam and Iran: A Historical Study of Mutual Services
• http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/library/burn.htm Alleged Book Burnings in Iran and Egypt: A Study of Related Facts and Fiction
• http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/west-isl.htm Western Nationalism and Islamic Nationhood
• http://al-islam.org/al-tawhid/enayat_modern_thought/ Book Review: Modern Political Islamic Thought
• http://majalla.org/books/islam/evils.htm A Review Article by Dr. Waheed Akhtar on 'Occidentosis: A Plague From the West' by Jalal Ale Ahmad-translated by . R. Campbell; edited by Hamid Algar
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xhZdawIkTg&mode=related&search Prof. Waheed Akhtar in a Mushairah at Muscat in 1994 part I
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7WGK30D05E Mushairah - Dr. Waheed Akhtar, part II
• http://books.google.com/books?id=QxpSf_JV0pEC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=mirza+dabir&source=web&ots=uIEPWq_BN_&sig=7fQYUwlBBBfY9a1TbL7dgEonPdM&hl=en#PPA30,M1 Reliving Karbala Martyrdom in South Asian Memory By Syed Akbar Hyder, Inc NetLibrary
• http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/060831/2006083118.html - Indian Muslim Philosopher Commemorated
• http://www.indianmuslims.info/book/export/html/6691 - Late Indian Muslim philosopher commemorated in one-day seminar
• http://www.abrar.org.uk/English/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2918 Late Indian Muslim philosopher commemorated in one-day seminar
• http://www.hallagulla.com/urdu/mushaira-571/mushairah-prof-waheed-akhtar-189358.html Urdu Poetry-Mushaira
• http://waheedakhtar.blogspot.com/ Poetry by Waheed Akhtar