Esteemed Urdu scholar CM Naim dies at age 89
Naim's love for Urdu literature was evident in the nearly 60 years he dedicated to painstakingly restore the language he feared was falling out of favour for good in the subcontinent. Born in Barabanki, he attended Lucknow University, followed by the University of California, Berkeley. In 1961, Naim joined the faculty of the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Years later, he later chaired the department from 1985 to 1991. He remained associated with the university until 2001. As a mark of the impact of his decades of teaching, Naim was conferred the title of Professor Emeritus.
Naim's extensive bibliography comprises a large collection of research publications, translations, and articles. His notable 1989 essay Two Days in Palestine for the New York monthly magazine The Message International (with the title later being changed to In the Eye of the Intifada, A Muslim's Journey to the Land of Oppression) still resonates today, over three-and-a-half decades after it was written.
Experts in the field widely agree that among Naim's most memorable work is his article on Hasrat Mohani titled The Maulana who Loved Krishna, published in Economic & Political Weekly in 2013, as well as his biographies of Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib.
Scholars leave tribute
As per the Indian Express, Naim's unique approach towards making Urdu approachable to everyone left an indelible mark on the global literary landscape.
'There was so much knowledge, understanding and research, but also it was so accessible,' said Indian classical singer Vidya Rao, who was also commissioning editor for Urdu Crime Fiction,1890-1950: An Informal History (2023). 'He was not writing for just a small group of people. He was reaching out to people who may not be scholars.'
Like so many others who had enjoyed a professional relationship with Naim, Rao fondly recalled the impact of his efforts to ensure the Urdu language remained entrenched within the hearts and minds of those who call it their mother tongue.
'His work was not just on literary studies, but actually on the Urdu language, its history and the cultural world, which is very important because otherwise we tend to see a language as separate from the lived life of the people,' Rao stressed.
As per the publication, Khalid Alvi, Naim's close friend and former professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College, agreed with Rao's fond memories of the late Urdu scholar. Commenting on Naim's commitment to shining the spotlight on the language, Alvi recalled, 'He was someone who would write about people and things that one would otherwise overlook. He was the person who brought people like Munshi Tirath Ram Ferozpuri and Mirza Fida Ali Khanjar Lakhnawi — who had written early detective fiction in Urdu — to the forefront.'
Noting that Naim's expertise was not limited to merely allowing other writers to shine, Alvi added, 'He also wrote about Zafar Umar, an IPS officer who took to writing after tragically losing a limb. [He also] wrote about how one of Umar's stories, Neeli Chhatri, was named after his home in Aligarh.'
However, Naim's contributions were not limited to the subcontinent; his legacy includes his wealth of influence left behind in the global West for those whose heritage includes the Urdu language.
'He had a multinational personality. He didn't teach literature, but language - because he knew that language was the foundation,' noted fellow Urdu scholar Khalid Jawed, who had met with Naim in a professional capacity at the University of Virginia and Princeton University. 'He had of course written, translated and edited several classical Urdu texts, but his contribution can be felt deeply in the way he shaped three generations of Urdu-speaking people in the US.'
With his endeavours and passion for preserving the Urdu language, Naim entrenched himself in the hearts and minds of those he encountered throughout his professional life. Professor, historian and author Esmat Elhalaby summed it up best with the tribute he left to the late scholar on X: 'Peace to the great CM Naim (1936 – 2025). When I started studying Urdu I started reading everything he ever wrote, and haven't stopped.'
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Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Urdu scholar CM Naim dies at 89
Renowned Urdu scholar, author and translator CM Naim died at age 89 on Wednesday in Chicago, his family has told the press. Naim's love for Urdu literature was evident in the nearly 60 years he dedicated to painstakingly restore the language he feared was falling out of favour for good in the subcontinent. Born in Barabanki, he attended Lucknow University, followed by the University of California, Berkeley. In 1961, Naim joined the faculty of the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, which he later chaired from 1985 to 1991. He remained associated with the university until 2001. As a mark of the impact of his decades of teaching, Naim was conferred the title of Professor Emeritus. Naim's extensive bibliography comprises a large collection of research publications, translations, and articles. His notable 1989 essay Two Days in Palestine for the New York monthly magazine The Message International (with the title later being changed to In the Eye of the Intifada, A Muslim's Journey to the Land of Oppression) still resonates today, over three-and-a-half decades after it was written. Experts in the field widely agree that among Naim's most memorable work is his article on Hasrat Mohani titled The Maulana who Loved Krishna, published in Economic & Political Weekly in 2013, as well as his biographies of Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib. Scholars leave tribute As per the Indian Express, Naim's unique approach towards making Urdu approachable to everyone left an indelible mark on the global literary landscape. "There was so much knowledge, understanding and research, but also it was so accessible," said Indian classical singer Vidya Rao, who was also commissioning editor for Urdu Crime Fiction, 1890-1950: An Informal History (2023). "He was not writing for just a small group of people. He was reaching out to people who may not be scholars." Like so many others who had enjoyed a professional relationship with Naim, Rao fondly recalled the impact of his efforts to ensure the Urdu language remained entrenched within the hearts and minds of those who call it their mother tongue. "His work was not just on literary studies, but actually on the Urdu language, its history and the cultural world, which is very important because otherwise we tend to see a language as separate from the lived life of the people," Rao stressed. As per the publication, Khalid Alvi, Naim's close friend and former professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College, agreed with Rao's fond memories of the late Urdu scholar. Commenting on Naim's commitment to shining the spotlight on the Urdu language, Alvi recalled, "He was someone who would write about people and things that one would otherwise overlook. He was the person who brought people like Munshi Tirath Ram Ferozpuri and Mirza Fida Ali Khanjar Lakhnawi — who had written early detective fiction in Urdu — to the forefront." Noting that Naim's expertise was not limited to merely allowing other writers to shine, Alvi added, "He also wrote about Zafar Umar, an IPS officer who took to writing after tragically losing a limb. Naim saab wrote about how one of Umar's stories, Neeli Chhatri, was named after his home in Aligarh." However, Naim's contributions were not limited to the subcontinent; his legacy includes his wealth of influence left behind in the global West for those whose heritage includes the Urdu language. "He had a multinational personality. He didn't teach literature but language, because he knew that language was the foundation," noted fellow Urdu scholar Khalid Jawed, who had met with Naim in a professional capacity at the University of Virginia and Princeton University. "He had of course written, translated and edited several classical Urdu texts, but his contribution can be felt deeply in the way he shaped three generations of Urdu-speaking people in the US." With his endeavours and passion for preserving the Urdu language, Naim entrenched himself in the hearts and minds of those he encountered throughout his professional life. Professor, historian and author Esmat Elhalaby summed it up best with the tribute he left to the late scholar on X: "Peace to the great CM Naim (1936-2025). When I started studying Urdu I started reading everything he ever wrote, and haven't stopped."
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Esteemed Urdu scholar CM Naim dies at age 89
Renowned Urdu scholar, author and translator CM Naim died at age 89 on Wednesday in Chicago, his family has told the press. Naim's love for Urdu literature was evident in the nearly 60 years he dedicated to painstakingly restore the language he feared was falling out of favour for good in the subcontinent. Born in Barabanki, he attended Lucknow University, followed by the University of California, Berkeley. In 1961, Naim joined the faculty of the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Years later, he later chaired the department from 1985 to 1991. He remained associated with the university until 2001. As a mark of the impact of his decades of teaching, Naim was conferred the title of Professor Emeritus. Naim's extensive bibliography comprises a large collection of research publications, translations, and articles. His notable 1989 essay Two Days in Palestine for the New York monthly magazine The Message International (with the title later being changed to In the Eye of the Intifada, A Muslim's Journey to the Land of Oppression) still resonates today, over three-and-a-half decades after it was written. Experts in the field widely agree that among Naim's most memorable work is his article on Hasrat Mohani titled The Maulana who Loved Krishna, published in Economic & Political Weekly in 2013, as well as his biographies of Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib. Scholars leave tribute As per the Indian Express, Naim's unique approach towards making Urdu approachable to everyone left an indelible mark on the global literary landscape. 'There was so much knowledge, understanding and research, but also it was so accessible,' said Indian classical singer Vidya Rao, who was also commissioning editor for Urdu Crime Fiction,1890-1950: An Informal History (2023). 'He was not writing for just a small group of people. He was reaching out to people who may not be scholars.' Like so many others who had enjoyed a professional relationship with Naim, Rao fondly recalled the impact of his efforts to ensure the Urdu language remained entrenched within the hearts and minds of those who call it their mother tongue. 'His work was not just on literary studies, but actually on the Urdu language, its history and the cultural world, which is very important because otherwise we tend to see a language as separate from the lived life of the people,' Rao stressed. As per the publication, Khalid Alvi, Naim's close friend and former professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College, agreed with Rao's fond memories of the late Urdu scholar. Commenting on Naim's commitment to shining the spotlight on the language, Alvi recalled, 'He was someone who would write about people and things that one would otherwise overlook. He was the person who brought people like Munshi Tirath Ram Ferozpuri and Mirza Fida Ali Khanjar Lakhnawi — who had written early detective fiction in Urdu — to the forefront.' Noting that Naim's expertise was not limited to merely allowing other writers to shine, Alvi added, 'He also wrote about Zafar Umar, an IPS officer who took to writing after tragically losing a limb. [He also] wrote about how one of Umar's stories, Neeli Chhatri, was named after his home in Aligarh.' However, Naim's contributions were not limited to the subcontinent; his legacy includes his wealth of influence left behind in the global West for those whose heritage includes the Urdu language. 'He had a multinational personality. He didn't teach literature, but language - because he knew that language was the foundation,' noted fellow Urdu scholar Khalid Jawed, who had met with Naim in a professional capacity at the University of Virginia and Princeton University. 'He had of course written, translated and edited several classical Urdu texts, but his contribution can be felt deeply in the way he shaped three generations of Urdu-speaking people in the US.' With his endeavours and passion for preserving the Urdu language, Naim entrenched himself in the hearts and minds of those he encountered throughout his professional life. Professor, historian and author Esmat Elhalaby summed it up best with the tribute he left to the late scholar on X: 'Peace to the great CM Naim (1936 – 2025). When I started studying Urdu I started reading everything he ever wrote, and haven't stopped.' Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
Express Tribune
29-06-2025
- Express Tribune
The lives no one looks at
Since their childhood, life for women like Dulari has never been easy. Looking at their situation, it seems that their lives are stuck in an endless cycle of misery. New Pind is one of the most densely populated areas of Sukkur where diverse communities including Sindhi, Urdu speaking, Punjabi, Pathan, Brohi, Saraiki, Hindus, and others are living without even the basic civic facilities. The main road leading to New Pind from Sukkur is damaged with big craters in some places, and being the only main road of the locality, it remains buzzing with traffic all the time except for a few hours, from late night to early morning. According to a survey, almost 90 percent of the population is poor and lower middle class, as most of the people living there belong to the labour class or are low grade government employees. There are many colonies and neighbourhoods in New Pind including the Pathan Colony, Ahmed Nagar, Islam Colony, Mughal Colony, Agha Badruddin Colony, Chachar Muhalla, Brohi Muhalla, Darzi Muhalla, Mahar Muhalla, Police Lines Muhalla, and Mohammadi Jamia Masjid Muhalla. Among these colonies and neighbourhoods, there is Sochi Para that houses many Hindus who by profession are cobblers. Although there are many localities in New Pind where lack of civic facilities is obvious, when we talk about Sochi Para, it can be termed the dirtiest neighbourhood in New Pind because of two reasons: lack of civic facilities and residents' indifference to the hygiene of the area. Most of the people in Sochi Para come from very underprivileged backgrounds. They are barely surviving in small and dark houses, built on very narrow streets that are often filled with sewage. The exterior walls of the houses and other structures are tainted with spits of gutka (a form of smokeless tobacco consisting of areca nut, slaked lime, catechu, and sun-dried, roasted, finely chopped tobacco) as most of the inhabitants, including children, are gutka users. The whole of New Pind is inhabited by mostly underprivileged people who are either uneducated or have very basic schooling. Many of them are inclined to drug addiction due to the easy availability of all types of drugs. A large number of people freely use drugs, and drug sellers are minting money in the area under the umbrella of the local police. Gambling and prostitution are also huge menaces in New Pind, pushing the younger generation in the grip of the people operating these illegal businesses. Gambling is a big attraction for making easy and quick money, but generally, most of the gamblers return home empty handed. Street crimes are rampant, and the police seem helpless or ignorant of the situation. Electricity theft is quite common throughout the area; some people are involved in this fraud with the connivance of some SEPCO officials, while others steal electricity on their own. Dulari, along with her husband and six children, live in a one-room house in Sochi Para. Apparently, she has compromised to the conditions of her area and looks happy, or she pretends to be. Her husband Parru, like other men of his community, is a cobbler and works in downtown Sukkur to earn a livelihood for his family. His income is too meagre to fully cater to the needs of eight people. Dulari is an expert at making rilli, (a type of traditional quilt or bedspread originating from Sindh). Sewing small pieces of cloth together, the process entails a great deal of hard work, and the completion of a rilli requires at least fifteen days. 'Nowadays, preparing a rilli takes much time and money, and the price the shopkeepers offers us is not even enough for the material used to make a rilli', Dulari says. According to her, electricity in her area remains suspended for around 18 to 19 hours in a day, making it impossible for her to complete even her domestic chores, leave alone making a rilli that requires proper light. 'I, therefore, try my best to complete my rilli work during the daytime because after sunset nothing can be done except for retiring to bed', she says with a big smile showing her gutka stained teeth. Talking about her children, Dulari says, 'Neither my husband and I have ever been to school nor our children want schooling; a cobbler's son is supposed to become a cobbler, and most of our girls learn to make rillis or other patch work to help support their families.' Replying to a question about the use of drugs in her area, Dulari says that it is quite common, and nobody cares about it. 'When people are without enough money, they are attracted to crimes, and drug use is one of them', she said adding that even children and young girls are addicted to drugs. 'Gamblers are robbing the youth mercilessly, and the greedy youth, in order to earn money, often lose their hard-earned money at the gambling dens.' According to her, the people running the gambling and prostitution dens are so powerful, they are continuing their 'business' without any fear of any consequence. Sometimes, the police raid the gambling and prostitution dens and also make arrests, but the next day, the suspects are set free. In her area, it is the poor who have to pay the price. Kamla is another woman living in Sochi Para, and without any work to keep her busy, she keeps roaming the whole area for gossip sessions with her friends and acquaintances. Kamala, in her late 40s, has three daughters-in-law and ten grandchildren. She is a very popular figure in the area, as she takes interest in resolving the conflicts in the community and is infamous for using abusive language, which is a routine practice for many men. Before talking to the Express Tribune, she reached into the side pocket of her kurta and pulled out a sachet of naswar (a moist, powdered tobacco product), expertly made a tiny ball and placed it inside her lower lip. She says, 'All the men in our locality are too busy to give time to their families but they have enough time to spend at the drug and gambling dens.' Replying to a question about using naswar, Kamla says, 'I also used to prepare bhang (an edible mixture made from the buds, leaves, and flowers of the female cannabis, or marijuana, plants) sometimes, besides chewing gutka, which is quite common in our locality.' Responding to another question she says, 'Why should l keep myself busy in domestic chores when I have three daughters-in-law? Now it is their turn to serve me?' When asked what would happen if her daughters-in-law refused to serve her because they have to take care of their children in addition to doing the daily chores. In response, she spits on the floor, and using abusive language against her daughters-in-law retorts, 'They cannot dare to say no to me because I can beat them black and blue.' To another question, Kamla replies, smiling proudly, 'As far as my sons are concerned, they don't have the guts to face me when I am angry. You can ask people in the locality, and they will confirm my claim. I am the 'badmash' of the area.' On being asked why the residents of her locality do not approach the civic authorities to keep their area clean, Kamla says, 'They are busy pocketing money and do nothing for the welfare of the people in this area who live like animals. I think it is good for them because they don't have any sense of how to live like responsible folks. Let them die like animals.' Her tone is angry tone as she passes abusive remarks against the civic authorities and the people in her locality. Another story of suffering is that of Mai Anwari, a widow in her late 60s, who sells samosas and boiled potatoes in the area. Narrating her story to the Express Tribune she says that her husband was a labourer and used to work at a milk shop. According to her, her husband died three years ago after being ill for one year. 'My sons are now working at the same milk shop but their salaries are too little to feed our family of ten people', she says, adding, 'That is why I used to sell samosas and boiled potatoes to earn some extra money.' Mai Anwari lives in a two-room house along with her two sons, a daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren. Responding to the question why she is selling samosas and boiled potatoes in a locality where most of the residents are poor, she says, 'I sell a samosa for Rs.10 and a boiled potato for Rs. 5 and earn good money to cater to the needs of my big family. My daughter-in-law stitches clothes to add to the income of the family.' On being asked how much her daughter-in-law is making, she replies, 'My daughter-in-law is stitching ten to fifteen two-piece dresses per month and charges Rs. 400 to Rs. 600, depending upon the design of the dress.'
