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Essays and editorials by the renowned poet and philosopher, Jaun Elia, written between 1958 and 2002.
- GenresPoetryPhilosophyEssays
718 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
97 people are currently reading
1375 people want to read
About the author
Jaun Elia
29 books412 followersJaun Elia was a notable Pakistani Urdu poet. He was widely praised for his unique style of writing. He was the brother of renowned journalist and psychoanalyst Rais Amrohvi and journalist and world-renowned philosopher Syed Muhammad Taqi. He was husband of famous columnist Zahida Hina. He was a man of letters, well versed in Arabic, English, Persian, Sanskrit and Hebrew.
Jaun Elia was born on December 14, 1931 in an illustrious family of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. He was the youngest of his siblings. His father, Allama Shafiq Hasan Elia, was deeply involved in art and literature and also an astrologer and a poet. This literary environment modeled him along the same lines, and he wrote his first Urdu couplet when he was just 8.
Jaun was very sensitive in his early teen age. His preoccupations in those days were his imaginary beloved character, Sophia, and his anger at the English occupiers of India. He used to do dramatic presentations of the early Muslim period, and hence his knowledge of Muslim history was recognized by many. According to him, his early poetry reflected the dialogue nature of stage drama.
A close relation of Elia's, Syed Mumtaz Saeed, recalled that Elia also went to Syed-ul-Madaris in Amroha, a Madressah (Koranic school). "Jaun had a way with languages. He could learn them effortlessly. Apart from Arabic and Persian that he had learnt at the Madressah, he acquired great proficiency in English and a smattering of Hebrew."
During his youth, the united India was involved in a Muslim-Hindu feud, which led to the partition of the country on religious lines once British rule ended. Being a Communist, Elia was averse to the idea, but finally accepted it as a compromise. Elia migrated to Pakistan in 1957, and made Karachi his home. Before long, he became popular in the literary circles of the city. His poetry, which bears ample testimony to his wide-ranging reading habits, won him acclaim and approbation. Poet Pirzada Qasim said: "Jaun was very particular about language. While his diction is rooted in the classical tradition, he touches on new subjects. He remained in quest of an ideal all his life. Unable to find the ideal eventually, he became angry and frustrated. He felt, perhaps with reason, that he had squandered his talent." He was a prolific writer, but could not be convinced to publish his work. His first poetry collection Shayad (an Urdu word which means "Maybe") was published in 1991, when he was 60. The poetry presented in this collection added Jaun Elia's name in the Urdu literary canon forever. Jaun Elia's preface in this collection provided deep insights into his works and the culture within which he was expressing his ideas. The preface can also be considered as one of the finest examples of modern Urdu prose. It covered his intellectual evolution in different periods of time, and his philosophy of poetry, science, religion, etc. The second collection of his poetry Ya'ani was published posthumously in 2003 . Afterwords Jaun's trustworthy companion Khalid Ansari has compiled and published his three consecutive collections, “Gumaan” (an Urdu word which means "Illusion") in 2004, “Lekin” 2006 and “Goya” 2008, one more collection ‘Kyon’ is now under processing.
An eminent Urdu literary critic, Dr. Muhammad Ali Siddiqui has called Jaun Elia one of the three most eminent ghazal poets of Urdu of the second half of the twentieth century.
Jaun Elia was an unabashed open anarchist and nihilist in generally a conservative and religious society. His elder brother, Rais Amrohvi, himself a poet and influential intellectual, was brutally murdered , and ever after his death, Jaun was conscious about what he would say in public.
Jaun was also involved in translation, editing and other activities. He briefly worked as an editor with Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB), in
Jaun Elia was born on December 14, 1931 in an illustrious family of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. He was the youngest of his siblings. His father, Allama Shafiq Hasan Elia, was deeply involved in art and literature and also an astrologer and a poet. This literary environment modeled him along the same lines, and he wrote his first Urdu couplet when he was just 8.
Jaun was very sensitive in his early teen age. His preoccupations in those days were his imaginary beloved character, Sophia, and his anger at the English occupiers of India. He used to do dramatic presentations of the early Muslim period, and hence his knowledge of Muslim history was recognized by many. According to him, his early poetry reflected the dialogue nature of stage drama.
A close relation of Elia's, Syed Mumtaz Saeed, recalled that Elia also went to Syed-ul-Madaris in Amroha, a Madressah (Koranic school). "Jaun had a way with languages. He could learn them effortlessly. Apart from Arabic and Persian that he had learnt at the Madressah, he acquired great proficiency in English and a smattering of Hebrew."
During his youth, the united India was involved in a Muslim-Hindu feud, which led to the partition of the country on religious lines once British rule ended. Being a Communist, Elia was averse to the idea, but finally accepted it as a compromise. Elia migrated to Pakistan in 1957, and made Karachi his home. Before long, he became popular in the literary circles of the city. His poetry, which bears ample testimony to his wide-ranging reading habits, won him acclaim and approbation. Poet Pirzada Qasim said: "Jaun was very particular about language. While his diction is rooted in the classical tradition, he touches on new subjects. He remained in quest of an ideal all his life. Unable to find the ideal eventually, he became angry and frustrated. He felt, perhaps with reason, that he had squandered his talent." He was a prolific writer, but could not be convinced to publish his work. His first poetry collection Shayad (an Urdu word which means "Maybe") was published in 1991, when he was 60. The poetry presented in this collection added Jaun Elia's name in the Urdu literary canon forever. Jaun Elia's preface in this collection provided deep insights into his works and the culture within which he was expressing his ideas. The preface can also be considered as one of the finest examples of modern Urdu prose. It covered his intellectual evolution in different periods of time, and his philosophy of poetry, science, religion, etc. The second collection of his poetry Ya'ani was published posthumously in 2003 . Afterwords Jaun's trustworthy companion Khalid Ansari has compiled and published his three consecutive collections, “Gumaan” (an Urdu word which means "Illusion") in 2004, “Lekin” 2006 and “Goya” 2008, one more collection ‘Kyon’ is now under processing.
An eminent Urdu literary critic, Dr. Muhammad Ali Siddiqui has called Jaun Elia one of the three most eminent ghazal poets of Urdu of the second half of the twentieth century.
Jaun Elia was an unabashed open anarchist and nihilist in generally a conservative and religious society. His elder brother, Rais Amrohvi, himself a poet and influential intellectual, was brutally murdered , and ever after his death, Jaun was conscious about what he would say in public.
Jaun was also involved in translation, editing and other activities. He briefly worked as an editor with Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB), in
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 13, 2013
Very interesting. Essays on Islamic philosophy and Mutazilla and so on are fascinating but so are his editorials from the early 1960s for Insha and Alami digest...what a different Pakistan! I got it this year in Karachi and it was the best book I bought on this visit..
Since I have little or no personal experience of the literate Urdu-Karachi-UP world, I am curious if people can tell me more about how that world is faring now? (on ideological grounds, I tend towards the view that Pakistaniat and partition will end up killing the best of the North Indian Muslim world that actually demanded partition so vigorously, but I am open to being corrected)
Since I have little or no personal experience of the literate Urdu-Karachi-UP world, I am curious if people can tell me more about how that world is faring now? (on ideological grounds, I tend towards the view that Pakistaniat and partition will end up killing the best of the North Indian Muslim world that actually demanded partition so vigorously, but I am open to being corrected)
May 29, 2013
Nice Book ,,,, and before reading you should be known of the history .... and at last ... Jaun Alia is Jaun Alia
November 28, 2020
“قہوہ خانوں میں تُمہارا ذکر ہے۔”
November 3, 2013
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August 28, 2013
Its absolutely amazing!!
October 16, 2013
Its awesome
February 28, 2014
i think that poet was a nobel king in poetry
October 16, 2014
i like jon's poetry. he is my favorite poet.
May 22, 2020
This book is a collection of essays, editorials and other works of Jaun Elia.
This highly enjoyable text reflects Jaun's socio-political views about various topics related to history, philosophy, sociology, politics, religion and literature.
Through this text, Jaun has tried to spread the importance of knowledge, wisdom, education and literacy. He has preached tolerance for others' speech and views and called for discussion as a medium to reach common understandings.
Jaun is a communist, or more precisely, a socialist. He defies imperialism and imperialists in any form. Through his writing it is evident that he is a humanist. There are two types of people in this world, the oppressors and the oppressed. He tries to stimulate the oppressed into action by making them realise the importance of knowledge and awareness.
Jaun is also a strong advocate of friendly relations between India and Pakistan. He holds the view that both these countries should focus on the socio-economic wellbeing of their people rather than fight each other to annihation.
After reading this book I try to tolerate the opinion of others and consider my opinion as a mere opinion and not the ultimate truth. I listen to others and think on what they are saying, with a belief in my mind that I know nothing. I have also learned how important education, literacy, wisdom and awareness actually are for our society.
Overall, the text of this book comes from a humanist, critical thinker, philosopher and an extremely well-read personality.
I strongly recommend this book.
This highly enjoyable text reflects Jaun's socio-political views about various topics related to history, philosophy, sociology, politics, religion and literature.
Through this text, Jaun has tried to spread the importance of knowledge, wisdom, education and literacy. He has preached tolerance for others' speech and views and called for discussion as a medium to reach common understandings.
Jaun is a communist, or more precisely, a socialist. He defies imperialism and imperialists in any form. Through his writing it is evident that he is a humanist. There are two types of people in this world, the oppressors and the oppressed. He tries to stimulate the oppressed into action by making them realise the importance of knowledge and awareness.
Jaun is also a strong advocate of friendly relations between India and Pakistan. He holds the view that both these countries should focus on the socio-economic wellbeing of their people rather than fight each other to annihation.
After reading this book I try to tolerate the opinion of others and consider my opinion as a mere opinion and not the ultimate truth. I listen to others and think on what they are saying, with a belief in my mind that I know nothing. I have also learned how important education, literacy, wisdom and awareness actually are for our society.
Overall, the text of this book comes from a humanist, critical thinker, philosopher and an extremely well-read personality.
I strongly recommend this book.
April 24, 2023
Probably more of a collector's item than to be read altogether like I did because our book club selected it for April. The collection contains around 200 editorials written by the poet Jaun Elia over 44 years, mostly for monthly editions of the Aalmi Digest and Suspense Digest. If someone looked for it, they might see a picture emerge of Jaun Elia as an individual and intellectual through the prose, which is often bitter, acerbic and abstract, and interested in issues of history, morality, the state of affairs of society and the country, language, and literature. The vast scope of his knowledge and ideas becomes most evident when he writes about science, philosophy and history. I wish the pieces were compiled according to themes rather than the lazy chronological assembly.
April 10, 2020
جون ایلیا پہ اٹھنے والی ہر انگلی کے جواب میں اب میں بس ایک ہی سوال کرونگا، اور وہ یہ کہ کیا آپ نے فرنود پڑھی ہے۔ اگر آپ کو اردو شاعری کی زیادہ سمجھ نہیں ہے تو فرنود پڑھے بغیر آپ جون ایلیا کے بارے میں کوئی رائے نہیں دے سکتے۔ علم و حکمت کے ایک بے کراں سمندر گزرے ہیں جون۔ پوری انسانیت کا درد دل میں بسائے، جون نے اپنی زندگی علم و ادب کے لیے وقف کر دی، اور شاید ہی کوئی ایسا مظلوم معاشرہ ہوگا جس کی حمایت میں جون نے اپنا قلم نہ اٹھایا ہو۔
August 21, 2019
جون ایلیا کے مضامین اور انشائیوں پہ مشتمل یہ کتاب اردو ادب میں ایک بیش قیمت اضافہ ہے۔ جون بھائ ایک حساس انسان ہونے کے ساتھ ساتھ علمی اور ادبی لحاظ سے ایک قد آور شخصیت تھے اور اس کتاب میں انہوں نے فلسفہ ، تاریخ اور ادب پہ سیر حاصل بحث کی ہے۔ انسان دوست اور علم دوست انسانوں کو یہ کتاب لازمی پڑھنی چاہئے۔
March 17, 2020
اگرچہ جون ایلیا کو شاعری نے شہرت بخشی لیکن جون ایلیا کا علم و فضل فرنود میں کھل کر سامنے آتا ہے۔ مختلف زبانوں پر دسترس ، ان زبانوں کے لٹریچر کا اثر ، الفاظ کی نشست و برخاست میں کلاسیکل انداز، طنز کا ادیبانہ انداز ، مذہب اور سائنس پر پرمغز تبصرے ، انسان کی ذاتی زندگی کا نوحہ۔
نہایت ہی اہم کتاب
نہایت ہی اہم کتاب
January 25, 2018
Interesting in the beginning but became boring later on because most of the essays were echoing ideas already discussed in previous ones.
October 22, 2018
How to read there is no read option
June 7, 2021
Its about jaun life, that's it I don't find it interesting as i already knew most of the things. Highly recommended for the one who has just started to enter jauniyat
March 4, 2021
یہ کتاب جون ایلیا کے لکھے گئے مضامین اور انشائیوں کا مجموعہ ہے جون ایلیا پاکستان کے موجودہ آزاد خیال سوچ رکھنے والے لکھاریوں میں سے ایک ہیں ان کا نظریہ یہ ہے کہ انقلاب علم و عقل سے ہی ممکن ہے جو کہ پاکستان میں ناپید ہو چکے ہیں
جون ایلیا کے مضامین کسی حد تک پاکستانی معاشرے کے خلاف بغاوت کا مقدمہ ہیں کہ معاشرے کے دوہرے معیار اور بدمزگیوں سے نہ تو معاشرہ ابتر ہوتا ہے نہ بدتر۔ یہ ایک ایسی کتاب ہے کہ پڑھنے والا اگر صبر سے کام نہیں لے تو فطرت جذبات سے سرشار ہو کر کچھ کر گزرے
معاشرے کے اوور آل پستہ اخلاقیات و اقدار ہی کی بدولت یہ ممکن ہوا تھا کہ ایک انسان نے آنکھیں بند کر لیں اور سمجھ لیا کہ اردگرد کی تمام تر برائیوں سے چھٹکارہ پا لیا ہے وہ لکھتے ہیں کہ
"پھر مجھے سوچنا پڑا کہ میں کہیں اکیلا تو نہیں رہ جاؤں گا اور ایسا سوچنے میں بڑا ہی دکھ اٹھانا پڑا تھا اور پھر جب میں نے یہ دیکھا کہ میں تو اکیلا ہی رہ گیا ہوں تو میں اپنے اندر نڈھال ہو کر گر پڑا تھا اور پھر میں نے سمجھ لیا کہ میں تو سدا ہی سے اکیلا تھا سب ہی اکیلے ہیں پھر ایسا سوچنے، ایسا دیکھنے اور ایسا سمجھنے میں انسان کے لئے کھونا ہی کھونا ہے پانا کچھ بھی نہیں ہے یا پھر وہ خدا ہو جائے"
جون ایلیا کے مضامین کسی حد تک پاکستانی معاشرے کے خلاف بغاوت کا مقدمہ ہیں کہ معاشرے کے دوہرے معیار اور بدمزگیوں سے نہ تو معاشرہ ابتر ہوتا ہے نہ بدتر۔ یہ ایک ایسی کتاب ہے کہ پڑھنے والا اگر صبر سے کام نہیں لے تو فطرت جذبات سے سرشار ہو کر کچھ کر گزرے
معاشرے کے اوور آل پستہ اخلاقیات و اقدار ہی کی بدولت یہ ممکن ہوا تھا کہ ایک انسان نے آنکھیں بند کر لیں اور سمجھ لیا کہ اردگرد کی تمام تر برائیوں سے چھٹکارہ پا لیا ہے وہ لکھتے ہیں کہ
"پھر مجھے سوچنا پڑا کہ میں کہیں اکیلا تو نہیں رہ جاؤں گا اور ایسا سوچنے میں بڑا ہی دکھ اٹھانا پڑا تھا اور پھر جب میں نے یہ دیکھا کہ میں تو اکیلا ہی رہ گیا ہوں تو میں اپنے اندر نڈھال ہو کر گر پڑا تھا اور پھر میں نے سمجھ لیا کہ میں تو سدا ہی سے اکیلا تھا سب ہی اکیلے ہیں پھر ایسا سوچنے، ایسا دیکھنے اور ایسا سمجھنے میں انسان کے لئے کھونا ہی کھونا ہے پانا کچھ بھی نہیں ہے یا پھر وہ خدا ہو جائے"
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews