Sayyid nafees alhussaini

Sayed Nafees Al-Hussaini, (also spelled Sayyid Nafis Shah al-Husayni, or simply Nafis Shah(Urdu: سید نفیس الحسینی) was an outstanding Pakistani Calligrapher,Writer,Poet and most importantly a renowned Sufi Sheikh. He had been awarded Pride of Performance, one of the highest awards by Government of Pakistan, for his great calligraphic work.

Foreword

With sharp decline in art of calligraphy as a proffession due to techonological advencement in computer science we are left with only amateur calligraphers amidst us.Despite the decline we are fortunate enough that amateur calligrapher are keeping this Islamic Art alive.We still have legendary personalities alive to the occasion. In this article we adorn our treatise with a mention of legend in the field of calligraphy i.e. Syed Anwar Hussain Nafees Ul Hussaini(Nafees Raqam),Who has Devoted all of his life to this islamic art.He served the cause of calligraphy even in his old age with same old zea!

The Early Years

He belongs to a known sufi syed dynasty,Gesu Daraz,which is renowned dynasty in sub-continent due to the famous sufi saint Khawaja Muhammad Gesudraz of Gulbarga.Syed Nafees shah sahib was born at village Gadiala district sialkot on 11 March 1933.He studied at Faisalabad and passed Matriculatiom examinition from city Muslim high school there with distinction.He passed intermediate in 1950 from Govt.college Lyalpur(Now faisalabad).Shah sahib shifted to lahore and studied Urdu and Persian languages at oriental College Lahore.

He learnt art of writing in Hindi script as well.He can read and wrte almost all languages of sub-continent in their particular script including bangali sansikrat. Hindi and Gurmukhi languages.On literay side he knows English Persian Arabic and Punjabi languages and produced litetrature in all these languages.

Learning Of Calligraphy

Have passed Matriculation he besides pursuing studies set out to learn art of calligraphy from his illustrious father.His father syed Muhammad Ashraf Ali syed ul Qalm and his father in law Hakeem syed Naik Alam were great calligraphers of their times Arabic calligraphy was their main forte.

The Beginning Of Calligraphy

He wrote famous poems of Allama iqbal LalLaHa ILLALLAH on front page of the first issue of daily insaf. The first book he inscribed was Rehmat ul Lil Alameen on the life of holy prophet. He served daily Nawa-i-waqt as head calligrapher from 1952 to 1956. He then worked as freelance calligrapher with office at chattan Building Lahore up to 1970. Daily papers of repute used to have head lines written by shah sahib. He trained hundreds of pupils in the art of calligraphy. He used to train pupils firstly in Khat-t-Nasakh so that more and more calligraphers could learn to inscribe Quraan sharif He has since restricted himself to writing titles preferably in Nastaliq Genre. Nevertheless he is equally good master of other genres like sulus (Thuluth) Naskh, Diwani, Riqa and kufik etc.

The Famous Titles

The famous titles he has written include those of Punjab University,Majlis-e-Taraqi-e-Adab,Majlis-e-Tehqiqat Farsi Iran and Pakistan, Idara Tul Quraan ,Adara-e-Islamiat, Maktaba-e-Madnia, Maktab-e-Rashidia, Maktaba-e-Syed Ahmad Shaheed, Idara-e-Adab, Markazi Anjuman-e-Khudam-ul-Quraan, Maktaba Binat, Maktab-e-Ahli Sunnah, Dar-ul-Ishaat and Majlish-e- Nashariat-ul- Islam among scores of others.

Miscellaneous Calligraphic Services

Syed Sahib compiled a text book on calligraphy himself at the behest of Text Book Board. He also inscribed rare write-ups on stone plates which include Masjid-e-Salah- ud-din Lahore, Masjid-e-Hazrat Ali Mohani Road Lahore, Masjid-e-Faiz ul Islam, Masjid Chaudhry Hospital, Sumit Minar and epitaphs on the graves of Professor Hameed Ahmed Khan and Editor Monthly Naqoosh Mohammad Tufail. He also inscribed on steel plates at Allama Iqbal Museum and wrote famous poems of Allama Iqbal on 50canvas of Sheets in Khat-e Nastaliq at Aewan-e- Iqbal.Besides being a calligrapher of the highest order Syed Nafees Shah is a lettered person and has a large collection of books on literature and religion many of them authored by him. He was by far the best essayist and a superb poet. He was a man of many parts and wrote several books including Khama-e-Nastaliq and a Nastaliq Nama.

The Life

Syed Nafees Raqam has passed many phases and improved himself with every passing day. Syed Nafees Raqam studied works of lumination of his time including Meer Ali Harvi and Jmadul Hassan besides Perveen Raqam and then developed his own style of calligraphic art. He has now developed a skill in Irani Nastaliq, while previously He mastered Parveeni Nastaliq style. Famous works of Shah Sahib include Dewan-e-Ghalib published under auspices of Punjab University in 1969. Dewan-e-Bulhay Shah published under the aegis of Packages Limited, Kulyat-e-Meer compiled by Dr.Ibadat Barelvi and others. He has continued inscribing Holy Quraan which is his main occupation and fondness. Syed Anwar Hussain also prepared a font of computer which is adopted by well known organization FAST and named as “Khat-e-Nafees”, Karachi Nizami computer also used fonts prepared by him,in the their products named Urdu Mahir and Urdu 98 etc.

Prizes Awarded in the recognition of his ART

Syed Nafees Shah was awarded several prizes in recognition of his art. These include:-
1- Pride of performance.
2- First prize in Pakistan Arts Council Exhibition 1980.
3- First prize in all Pakistan Exhibition 1982.
4- Selected as Judge of International competition held in Turkey by IRCICA and ICIPICH in 1988-1989 and later at Baghdad (Iraq).
His personal virtue apart, He was a great spiritual leader and a Sufi of highest order.Thousand of his followers regularly visit him for occasion.

External links

• Online Article on Calligraphers of World
• See Most Of the work of Syed Nafees Al Hussaini at NafeesLibrary
• A Biography of the Sufi Saint Shaykh Sayyid Nafis Shah

Furthur Reading

Short Biography of Sayed Nafees Al Hussain in Urdu,Mard-e-Kamil by Maulana Abid Sahib.