JEDDAH – Iqbal Academy Jeddah (the overseas branch of Hyderabad) hosted a grand event on December 5, 2024, at the IISJ Auditorium in Jeddah, marking Iqbal Day 2024, World Urdu Day, and the centennial celebration of Bang-e-Dara (The Call of the Marching Bell). The event began with a brief introduction of the academy by the Vice President and General Secretary of Iqbal Academy Jeddah, Muhammad Faheemuddin. He provided detailed insight into the objectives and purpose of the literary gathering, emphasizing that this event was not only to highlight Iqbal’s poetry but also aimed at promoting the importance of the Urdu language and transmitting Iqbal’s message to future generations.
The event was presided over by the renowned scholar, Iqbal expert, poet, and writer, Syed Waheed-ul-Quadri Arif. The special guest was Abdul Qadeer Siddiqui, a prominent lover of Urdu and Iqbal in Saudi Arabia. Key figures from Jeddah, including members of various organizations and distinguished members of the Indian community, attended the event, with notable participation from IISJ’s managing committee and faculty, such as Prince Mufti Zia-ul-Hassan, Dr. Saleem Ahmad Khan, and Ghazanfar Ali Khan.
The ceremony was broadcasted live to international participants, including Muhammad Ziauddin Nair (President, Iqbal Academy Hyderabad), Syed Mahmood Hashmi (President, Iqbal Academy Jeddah), Abdul Haq Hashim, Muhammad AbdulMujeeb Siddiqi, and Abdul Qadeer Qureshi (Iqbal Academy Jeddah), who expressed their happiness and satisfaction with the event.
The program commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafiz Hidayatullah Tauseef Khan. This was followed by Syed Mustafa Mu’azzam’s beautiful rendition of Iqbal’s Na’at (a poetic tribute to the Prophet Muhammad). The young students Hammad Khan and Syed Ayaan Quadri presented Tarana-e-Hindi (Song of India) in both Urdu and its English translation, which was greatly appreciated by the audience.
The welcome address was delivered by Muhammad Shameem Kausar (Trustee of Khak-e-Tayyiba Trust and Member of Iqbal Academy Jeddah), and young student Yusuf Hassan Qazi presented a beautifully composed Urdu poem. IISJ student Syed Abdul Kareem Quadri delivered an excellent speech on the significance of Urdu Day and Iqbal Day, which was highly appreciated by the audience.
Mukarram Ali, Hammad Khan, Mazhar Ali, and Hidayatullah Khan harmoniously performed Tarana-e-Hindi, supported by the musical accompaniment of Saifuddin (on harmonium) and Fasiuddin (on tabla), expressing their love and admiration for their homeland, India. Their performance was warmly received by the attendees.
Young member of Iqbal Academy Jeddah, Muhammad Minhajuddin, paid a heartfelt tribute to Iqbal by reciting excerpts from Bang-e-Dara (Iqbal’s first poetry collection). He beautifully highlighted Iqbal’s poetic and intellectual journey, earning much appreciation from the audience.
The young, melodious Na’at singer, Syed Mustafa Mu’azzam, presented another timeless Iqbal creation, “Kabhi Aye Haqiqat-e-Muntazar,” in a soulful voice, mesmerizing the entire gathering with Iqbal’s poetry.
Guest speaker Tashfeen Syed gave an insightful lecture on “Iqbal’s Poetry and Love for the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)” and praised the efforts of Iqbal Academy Jeddah in inspiring young students and Ladies to connect with Iqbal’s message.
Rahmatullah Tausif Khan recited a poem which was warmly received by the audience. Another guest speaker and poet, Mahtab Qadr, gave a detailed lecture on the role of Iqbal’s poetry and the Urdu language, emphasizing their importance in the education and inspiration of students.
A powerful presentation of Iqbal’s iconic poem “Khudi ka Sirr-e-Nahan, La Ilaha IllallAllah” was made by the students Abdul Samee Iqbal, Hidayatullah Tausif Khan, Hamad Shehzad Khan, and Mazhar Farooq Ali, which was met with great admiration.Under the guidance of renowned artist Wajid Ali, young performers FasiUddin and Saifuddin once again provided musical accompaniment, enhancing the experience of Iqbal’s poetry with their tabla and harmonium.
Guest of Honor, Abdul Qadeer Siddiqi, delivered a brief yet comprehensive speech on the sweetness of Urdu and its rich history. He praised the efforts of Iqbal Academy Jeddah in promoting the language and its cultural heritage.
In his presidential address, Syed Waheed-ul-Qadri Arif spoke on the “Philosophy of Iqbal’s Selfhood,” offering profound insights that greatly enriched the audience.
The final segment of the program featured a lively Urdu poetry competition (Bait Baazi), where three student teams from IISJ participated. The teams, coached by Urdu teacher Obaidur Rahman, presented impromptu poetry with flair, to much applause from the audience. The winners were the Shehbaz team (Bilal Muhammad Taqi and Yusuf Absar), followed by the Uqaab team (Numan Muhammad and Mustafa Khan) in second place, and the Shaheen team (Yusuf Hassan Qazi and Abdul Qayyum) in third place. They were all awarded certificates for their achievements. The judges for the competition were Syed Afzaluddin, Mahtab Qadr, and Tashfeen Syed. The event concluded with Vote of Thanks from Deputy Secretary Yousufullah Tousif Khan.
The event venue was beautifully decorated, with an elegant stage set up, and a large number of attendees, especially women, participated and remained engaged until the end. A dinner reception was held afterward for all attendees and guests.
The event was broadcast live on the Academy’s YouTube channel, thanks to the media team led by Asif Quadri, with support from Muhammad Zia, Abdul Rahman, Haseeb Sarwar, and Syed Irfan Hussain, along with the help of Aleemuddin of AK News on Facebook. The event’s coordination and arrangements were supported by Muhammad Miraj Ali, Murtaza Sharif, Riyaz Ahmad, Dr. Qudratullah Baig, Abdul Rahman Baig, Nazir Khan, and Syed Faheemuddin.
