N. M. Rashid’s Poem “Abu Lahab ki Shadi”: A Study of the Historical, Civilizational, and Cultural Context of Arab Society

Abstract

1. M. Rashid occupies a seminal position in Urdu literature. His literary career is marked by a series of remarkable poetic achievements, and his contribution to the enrichment of the Urdu language is widely acknowledged. Rashid’s strong command of the Persian idiom enabled him to experiment with diverse forms of artistic expression, which continue to fascinate and inspire literary connoisseurs. Moreover, he introduced a wide and distinctive range of themes into Urdu poetry, allowing successive generations of readers to discover new and innovative meanings in his work. “Abu Lahab ki Shadi” (The Marriage of Abu Lahab) is among Rashid’s most significant and aesthetically accomplished poems. Abu Lahab functions as a powerful and frequently invoked metaphor representing intransigence, hypocrisy, cunning, and intellectual stagnation. While Rashid appears to employ this figure within its traditional symbolic framework, the poem itself is rich with multiple layers of meaning. This article examines the poem by integrating its essential and classical interpretation with more persuasive contemporary connotations. Such reinterpretations become particularly relevant in a world that has shifted from overt colonial domination to more complex and subtle forms of control over subaltern territories, resources, cultures, and civilizations. By fusing tradition with twenty-first-century sensibilities, the author offers a more comprehensive reading of the poem, encouraging readers to revisit and re-explore the text with renewed critical insight.