Sayed Nafees al-Hussaini (11 March 1933 – 5 February 2008) ( Urdu: سید نفیس الحسینی) was a

calligrapher Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...

, Islamic scholar, poet, and spiritual figure. He was also blessed with calligraphy at one of the doors of the Masjid Al Haram in

Makkah Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above sea level. Its metropo ...

Early life and education

Sayed Nafees Al-Husseini was born in 1933 in Sialkot. His real name was Sayed Anwar Hussain but he became known as Nafees Al-Husseini Shah in the Islamic world. He received his early education at a high school in Bhopalwala. In 1947, he came to Faisalabad and studied up to FA.

Career

Nafees al-Hussaini started his calligraphy career in 1948. He inherited the art of calligraphy from his father, Sayed Muhammad Ashraf Ali, who was an expert in Naskh and had a reputation for expertise and calligraphy in the Holy Qur'an. In 1952 he set up his office in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. He gained special place and expertise in Naskh and

Nastaliq ''Nastaliq'' (; ; ), also Romanization of Persian, romanized as ''Nastaʿlīq'' or ''Nastaleeq'' (), is one of the main book hand, calligraphic hands used to write Arabic script and is used for some Indo-Iranian languages, predominantly Persi ...

scripts, apart from this he also created works of art in

Kufic The Kufic script () is a style of Arabic script, that gained prominence early on as a preferred script for Quran transcription and architectural decoration, and it has since become a reference and an archetype for a number of other Arabic scripts ...

Thuluth ''Thuluth'' (, ' or , '; , ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is an Arabic script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new script by curved and oblique lines. In ''Thuluth'', ...

Ruqʿah script ' () or ' () is a writing style of Arabic script intended for the rapid production of texts. It is a relatively simple and plain style, used for everyday writing and often used for signs. The Ottoman calligraphers Mumtaz Efendi (1810–1872) ...

and Ijaza. Nafees Al-Husseini visited many countries and participated in the International Calligraphy Competition in Iran and Egypt as a judge. He also invented a script in

called "Nafees Nastaliq". He also served as Central Deputy Emir of Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.

Awards

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance (), officially known as the Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sp ...

(1985) *

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and Civil decorations of Pakistan, civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially me ...

* First prize in a calligraphy exhibition of the

Pakistan National Council of the Arts Pakistan National Council of the Arts (, or PNCA) was established through an Act of Parliament in 1973 with the mandate to lead the development of arts in Pakistan. PNCA policies are framed by its Board of Governors which reports to the Federa ...

in 1980. * First prize in the All Pakistan exhibition of Quranic calligraphy in 1982 organized by the Pakistan Public Relations Society.

Death

He died in Lahore on 5 February 2008. Funeral prayers were offered at

Badshahi Masjid The Badshahi Mosque (; ) is a Mughal-era imperial mosque located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was constructed between 1671 and 1673 during the rule of Aurangzeb, opposite of the Lahore Fort on the northern outskirts of the historic Wall ...

Lahore in which more than one lakh people from all over the country participated. And according to his will, he was buried in the graveyard of Khanqah Syed Ahmed Shaheed.

Writings

Syed Nafees al-Hussaini authored several works in the fields of Islamic mysticism, poetry, and devotional arts. His works include both poetic and prose contributions, many of which are preserved and published through private collections and cultural institutions. * ''برگِ گل'' (Barg-e-Gul, "Petal of a Flower") – Published in 2006, this Urdu poetry collection includes devotional and spiritual verses (''naat'', ''manqabat'', and Sufi reflections). It illustrates his command of classical poetic meters and themes of divine love. * ''رسالہ اشغال'' (Risāla-e-Ashghāl, "Treatise on Spiritual Exercises") – A concise handbook written in 1978, focusing on various spiritual practices (''ashghāl'') rooted in Sufi traditions. It includes litanies, invocations, and contemplative exercises used in the Qadiriyya and Naqshbandiyya orders. * ''کلامِ حضرت سید نفیس الحسینی'' (Kalām-e-Hazrat Syed Nafees al-Hussaini, "Poetry of Syed Nafees al-Hussaini") – A posthumous collection of his Urdu poetry and couplets, published online in 2014. This volume gathers his unpublished works, including devotional poetry, ghazals, and reflections on Islamic ethics. * ''نستعلیق نامہ'' (Nastaliq Nāmah, "The Book of Nastaliq") – A collection of his calligraphic art compiled alongside instructional notes on the aesthetics and history of the Nastaliq script. Though not a literary work in the traditional sense, this manuscript represents his artistic legacy and was shared with students and disciples.Nafees Calligraphy Archives, ca. 2000. Excerpts available via Scribd. Several of his unpublished works remain preserved by his family and followers and may appear in future collections. His literary and artistic contributions are also featured in cultural exhibitions and are available through the online platform Nafees Library.

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List of Deobandis Deobandis represent a group of scholars affiliated with the reformist Deobandi movement, which originated in the town of Darul Uloom Deoband in northern India. Founded in 1866, this movement sought to safeguard Islamic teachings amidst non-Musli ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:al-Hussaini, Sayed Nafees Deobandis 1933 births 2008 deaths Pakistani people of Arab descent People from Sialkot District Pakistani calligraphers Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Recipients of the Pride of Performance Pakistani Islamic religious leaders Pakistani Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Pakistani Muslim missionaries Pakistani religious writers Pakistani poets Deputy Emirs of Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat