Muzaffar Warsi

Muzaffar Warsi (Urdu: مظفروارثی‎) (born 23 December 1933 in Meerath, British India, died 28 January 2011) was a prominent Urdu poet, critic, essayist, a lyricist par excellence, and a scholar of Pakistan. A humble man with humble beginnings who is unafraid of experimenting. He began writing more than five decades ago.He wrote a rich collection of not just Na`ats, but also several anthologies of Ghazals and Nazms including his autobiography Gaye dinon ka suraagh which is considered to be a classic book. He was writing quatrains every day for Pakistan's renowned daily newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt.

Muzaffar Warsi was born as Muhammad Muzaffar ud Din Siddiqui into the family of Alhaaj Muhammad Sharf ud Din Ahmad known as Sufi Warsi (Urdu: صوفی وارثی‎). It was a family of landlords of Meerath. Sufi Warsi was a scholar of Islam, a doctor and poet. He received two titles: 'Faseeh ul Hind' & 'Sharaf u Shu'ara'. He was the friend of Sir Muhammad Iqbal (Allama Iqbal (علامہ اقبال), Akbar Warsi, Azeem Warsi, Hasrat Mohani, Josh Malihabadi , Ahsan Danish, Abul Kalam Azad and Mahindar Singh Bedi. His family raised him with deep religious grounding. He has one brother namely Dr. M. S. Zafar Warsi who was also associated with the State Bank of Pakistan as Assistant Director. Muzaffar Warsi's nephew Usman Warsi is a singer, music composer and a poet. His grandson Amsal Qureshi is also a singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter and a poet.

Muzaffar Warsi had worked at State Bank of Pakistan (the Central Bank of Pakistan) as Deputy Treasurer.

Muzaffar Warsi started writing his poetry by writing lyrics for songs for Pakistani movies but gradually changed direction and his style of poetry became more oriented towards praising Allah and the Islamic prophet Muhammad (Salallah o Alaeh'i Wa Aalihi Wa Salam). He later started writing Hamd and Na`ats. He also wrote, regularly, a stanza or two on current affairs in the newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt until just before he died. His most popular Na`at remains 'Mera Pamaybar azeem tar hai' (My Prophet is the highest). He died on 28 January 2011 in Lahore, Pakistan.

• Alhamd. (Hamdiya Kalaam)
• Lashareek. (Hamdiya Kalaam)
• Kaaba-e-ishq. (Naatia Kalaam)
• Noor-e-azal. (Naatia Kalaam)
• Baab-e-Haram. (Naatia Kalaam)
• Meray Achay Rasool. (Naatia Kalaam)
• Dil Sey Dar-e-Nabí Tak. (Naatia Kalaam)
• Sahib-ut-Taaj. (Naatia Kalaam)
• Ummi Laqabi. (Naatia Kalaam)
• Gaye Dinon Ka Suraagh. (Khud-nawisht)- an autobiography
• Barf Kí Nao. (Ghazliyaat)
• Khulay Dareechay Band Hawa. (Ghazliyaat)
• Lehja. (Ghazliyaat)
• Raakh Kay Dhair Main Phool. (Ghazliyaat)
• Tanha tanha guzri hai. (Ghazliyaat)
• Dekha jo teer kha kay. (Ghazliyaat)
• Hisaar. (Ghazliyaat)
• Zulm na sehna.
• Lahu ki haryali.
• Sitaroon ki aabju.

• Pride of Performance Award in 1988 by the President of Pakistan.

• Kya bhala mujh ko parakhney ka natija nikla, Zakhm-e-dil aapki nazron se bhi gehra nikla
• Ghazal sung by Lata Mangeshkar & Jagjit Singh
• Chitra Singh frequently used the Ghazals of Muzaffar Warsi

Film Hamrahi (1966) was a milestone film in renowned Pakistani playback singer Masood Rana's singing career. All songs of 'Hamrahi' are relegated as the 'Best of Masood Rana'. Thousands of movie-goers watched film Hamrahi (1966) just because of the all-time great hit songs of Masood Rana.

Film 'Hamrahi's seven songs are listed here below:

• 'Kiya kahoon aye duniya walo, kiya hoon mein' (film: 'Hamrahi': 1966, lyrics: Muzaffar Warsi, music: Tasadduq Hussain)
• 'Karam ki ik nazar hum per...ya Rasool Allah'
• 'Ho gaye zindigi mujhay pyari'.
• 'Naqsha teri judaye ka ab tak nazar mein hai'.
• 'Mujhay chore kar akela, kaheen dooor janay walay'.
• 'Qadam, qadam pay naye dukh'.
• 'yaad karta hai zamana unhi insano ko', sung by Masood Rana was a tribute song to Muhammad Ali Jinnah

• One of his super-hit poems was his Hamd " Koi to hay jo nizam e hasti chala raha hay", this 'Hamd' first became popular recited in his own voice, which was later sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
• 'Pukara hai madad ko, bay kason nay, haath khali hai...bachaa lo doobnay say ....ya Rasool Allah' was another popular Na'at written by him
• "Aey Khuda, Aey Khuda, jis nay ki justuju, mil gaya uss ko tuu" Sung by Adnan Sami Khan, written by Muzaffar Warsi, film Sargam (1995 film)

• http://pakfilms.net/movies/details.php?pid=526, Film 'Hamrahi' and its film songs on pakfilms.net website, Retrieved 17 Jan 2017
• http://pakistaniat.com/2011/01/29/muzaffar-warsi/, Watch 'Hamd' recited by Muzaffar Warsi himself on Pakistan Television, Retrieved 17 Jan 2017
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237699/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd, Soundtrack of film Sargam (1995) on IMDb website, Retrieved 17 Jan 2017

• Gaye dinon ka suraagh- Aapbeeti k tawana lehjey (Urdu), Qudratullah Shehzad, 2005.