Hakim Ahmad Shuja

Hakim Ahmad Shuja Biography

Hakim Ahmad Shuja also called 'Hakeem Ahmed Shujah' was a famous writer, scholar and poet who was born in British India. He belonged to Pakistan after partition in 1947 and passed away in 1969. He wrote in Urdu and Persian languages and his works are equally appreciated by Indians and Pakistanis. He was the mentor of famous lyricist and Urdu poet - Qateel Shifai.

He was born into a family of Islamic scholars. His ancestors have been hakims who decorated the court of Mughal emperors like Akbar. Shuja's father, Hakim Shuja-ed-din, was a Sufi mystic of the Chishtiya Order and he was an Urdu scholar as well. He was a single child to his parents and he lost both of them at a very young age. Later he was brought up by his elder cousin, Hakim Amin-ed-din. He got English education at a young age and later completed graduation from the famous Aligarh Muslim University. Then for a short period he worked as a lecturer at the Osmania University in Hyderabad state. He returned to Lahore and worked as a journalist. He retired as Secretary to the Punjab Assembly in the 1950s.

He has given significant contributions to the field of Urdu and Persian poetry. He has also written essays in both these languages and most of his essays were published in Indian and Pakistan journals. "Gard-i-Karvan" (1950s), "Lahore ka Chelsea" (1967) and "Khoon-Baha" (1962) are some of his major works. Many of his lyrical poems have been adapted for movie songs as well. Apart from romanticism, his works hold the themes of mystical faith and humanism.

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Updated: August 20, 2014