Mahirul Qadri (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

ماہر القادری) whose real name was Manzoor Hussain, was a Pakistani religious writer, poet, and novelist.

Biography

He was born in village Kesar Kalan Tahsil Debai on 30 July 1906, in

Bulandshahar district Bulandshahr district (also spelled Bulandshahar) is a district in the Meerut region in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), situated between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. It is a part of the National Capital Region of India, and Bulandsh ...

of Uttar Pradesh India. He studied at

Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University is a Collegiate university, collegiate, Central university (India), central, and Research university, research university located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Kh ...

. In 1947 he migrated to Karachi

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. He affixed his poetic pen-name Mahir with Qadri due to his spiritual links with the

Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...

order of Sufism. He died while participating in a

mushaira ''Mushaira'' () is a poetic symposium. It is an event (called '' mehfil'', mushairi) where poets gather to perform their works. A mushaira is part of the Culture of North India, Pakistan and the Deccan, particularly among the Hyderabadi Muslim ...

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

on 12 May 1978.

Literary career

At the age of 13, he began his poetic career. His first ghazal was published in

Bulandshahr Bulandshahr, formerly Baran, is a city and a municipal board in Bulandshahr district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bulandshahr district and part of Delhi NCR region. According to the Governme ...

Gazette in 1924. Later Mahir-ul-Qadri went to

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, Deccan, where for 10 years he held key literary positions. He was associated with men like

Kishen Pershad Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Bahadur Yamin us-Sultanat (1864 – 13 May 1940) was an Indian noble who served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad twice. He was a childhood friend of the Nizam and a staunch Nizam loyalist throughout his life. In 1 ...

Kaul and Nawab

Moazzam Jah Moazzam Jah, Walashan Shahzada Nawab Mir Sir Shuja’at ‘Ali Khan Siddiqui Bahadur, KCIE (21 December 1907 – 15 September 1987), was the son of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII and his first wife Azamunnisa Begum ( ...

Writings

Mahir Ul Qadri was a prolific Urdu poet, essayist, novelist, and literary journalist. His works span multiple genres including devotional poetry, spiritual prose, travel writing, and literary commentary. Many of his books are preserved online and continue to be read widely.

Poetry collections

* ''آتشِ خاموش'' ("Silent Fire") – A hallmark poetry collection capturing spiritual melancholy and existential longing. * ''نعتیں فردوس کی'' ("Naats of Paradise") – Devotional verses in praise of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, filled with imagery of Jannah and divine beauty. * ''جذباتِ ماہر'' ("Emotions of Mahir") – A poetic expression of love, sorrow, and social critique, written in an emotionally direct style. * ''یادِ رفتگاں'' ("Remembrance of the Departed") – Poems honoring spiritual figures and departed souls. * ''زخم و مرہم'' ("Wound and Cure") – Symbolic poetry on pain, healing, and divine providence.

Prose & Essays

* ''طلسمِ حیات'' ("Talisman of Life") – Philosophical reflections on the enigma of existence and man’s inner world. * ''درِ یتیم'' ("Pearl of the Orphan") – A short story collection on moral dilemmas and Sufi ethics. * ''شیرازہ'' ("Spine/Binder") – A mixed-genre collection of essays, literary commentary, and critical reflections. * ''محسوساتِ ماہر'' ("Sensations of Mahir") – Autobiographical sketches and personal prose pieces. * ''حرفِ دل'' ("Words of the Heart") – Introspective essays with a spiritual and literary tone.

Religious & Devotional Works

* ''کارواںِ حجاز'' ("Caravan to Hijaz") – A travelogue chronicling his pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah, filled with emotional and spiritual insight. * ''نعتیں فردوس کی'' ("Naats of Paradise") – A collection of lyrical praise poetry devoted to the Prophet.

Journals & Editorial Work

Mahir Ul Qadri served as the editor of the literary magazine ''Faran'' (فاران), one of the key publications of the Anjuman Taraqqī‑e‑Urdu during the 1950s and 60s. Through ''Faran'', he published literary criticism, nationalistic essays, and profiles of poets and mystics. Archived issues of ''Faran'' edited by Mahir Ul Qadri are available online: * '' فاران، شمارہ 1960'' – Includes essays by Qadri on Islamic identity,

Iqbal Muhammad Iqbal (9 November 187721 April 1938) was a South Asian Islamic philosopher, poet and politician. Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...

, and literary reform. * '' فاران، اپریل 1962'' – Contains editorial reflections and thematic articles on Urdu poetry and prose. His editorial work played a major role in shaping mid‑century Urdu literary culture in Pakistan, particularly by blending spiritual themes with literary nationalism.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qadri, Mahir ul Urdu-language poets from Pakistan Urdu-language writers from British India Urdu-language religious writers 20th-century Urdu-language writers Muhajir people Muslim reformers Pakistani Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Barelvis Muslim writers Pakistani religious writers Qadiri order 1906 births 1978 deaths