Urdu - Heritage of Muslims!

Urdu language is one of the sweetest and dignified languages amongst the languages of the world. Urdu is a sophisticated and a very formal language in terms of tone and pronunciations. A speaking example of the sanctity of Urdu language is the poetry in Urdu literature. Urdu poets enjoy a great repute across the world. Urdu language enjoys well expressive words with a formal touch plus a great degree of sacredness.

There are number of Urdu poets who are known around the world. The greatest and the most popular of all these poets is Allama Muhammad Iqbal. He is one the personalities who has become the source of inspiration for many people around the world, other than Urdu speakers. His poetry holds a great inspiration for his readers.

Other than Allama Iqbal there are several other names known for their work in Urdu language. Many writers have accepted the fact that Urdu expression cannot be matched with any other language since the language itself is vast enough to cater different expressions and foiling them with beautiful words.

The most known names in Urdu poetry include Habib Jalib, Muneer Niazi, Parveen Shakir, Mohsin Naqvi and John Elia. These internationally recognized Urdu poets have taken the language to international platforms and hence, added immensely to the popularity of language.

The best and most important thing about Urdu poets is that they have not limited themselves to Urdu only, but since the language itself is vast and a mixture of few other languages, these poets have experimented their work with other languages as well.

Urdu Novel–Indeed A Thought provoking expression

Language depicts the culture, values and national identity of its speakers. Language is the light of a mind, speakers use variety of vocabularies to express their diversified feeling and sentiments. Every language moves through different transitional stages to become a compatible source of communication for the ease of its users. Every language in the world has its own literature which depicts the innovative ability of its followers. Language is tool to pen down the experiences and thoughts with wit, pleasure, fun, critics and aggression.

Urdu literature is full of poetry, novels, Dastan and Journalism which are evidence of purity and beauty of language. Urdu novels have gained remarkable popularity in the world they are considered the pieces of indeed intelligence and thought provoking expressions.

Popular Urdu novels are:

• Mirat-ul-Urus

Mirat-ul-Urus is first Urdu Novel which successfully managed to sell more than 100,000 copies in 1868. This Novel was also translated into Bengali, Kashmiri, Punjabi and Gujrati.

• Bina-tul-Nash

This novel was another Urdu famous novel by Deputy Nazeer Ahmed focusing on women and their character building.

• Taubat-un-Nasuh

Taubat-un-nash was famous for its subject which targeted the youth for development of moral character building.

• Fasaana-e-Mubtalaa

This novel was published in 1885. This novel was popular among the readers for its valuable advices toward young generation.

Initially Urdu novelist targeted social life as their subject but with time new innovative subjects came around. Urdu novels ensure quality of expression and diversity of targeted subjects.

Urdu-Lets work for its progress

Urdu language is losing its presence, despite the fact it had united people all over the subcontinent to fight for freedom and justice. This is because of insensitivity of its speakers who are reluctant to read and promote Urdu Literature at the national and international level. Urdu literature is obvious evidence about the creativity and versatility of the language. Cultural shifts and inferiority complex have made people to be more interested in learning English. This behavior has over ruled the fact that our national integrity and ideology are stretched out with Urdu.

Urdu poetry is full of colorful creation which has targeted number of concerning issues. Iqbal, Ghalib and many other poets have made international presence with their unique and diversified expression. Most of our youngsters do not get a chance to read poetry for their responsible and moral character building. Government has also failed, ensuring the compulsory Urdu courses at the college and the university levels.

Following measures can help us for Effective Urdu Learning:

• Media should be given responsibility to promote Urdu Language in all of their productions

• Gatherings should be arranged at the city and town level to pay tribute to famous Urdu Writers and poets

• Famous Urdu publications must be made free for their easy availability with the People

•  Include Urdu as Compulsory subject at  schools and  colleges

Urdu is our national Heritage we have to work for its betterment and progress with devotion and pride.

Urdu- Language Of Diversified Vocabulary And Absolute Expression

Urdu has great potential to give speakers, diversified vocabulary and optimum expression for all required communications. Urdu poets, writers and speakers have successfully intimate the world about the beauty and adaptability of the language.

Today we are failing to portray ourselves as soft, informed and friendly nation. Because, we are reluctant learning Urdu. Studying Urdu only at the elementary level is not enough to touch the thoughts of our literature heritage. We appreciate our children learning English while overlooking the fact that without proficient Urdu learning our children cannot develop basic dexterity to understand and interpret the foreign prose.      

In efforts for elaborating importance of learning Urdu language, a conference was held in Hyderabad city, recently. Influential Speaker Sat-Bhambra during his speech highlighted Urdu as Tahzeeb (A complete Cultural Package) which is meant for progress, peace and Pluralism.

This is a hard fact we have stopped using Urdu literature as source of information and references which have jeopardized our long term literary progress. Our creative work is being utilized by foreigners to seek help on diversified subjects.

Internet evolution has led to many revolutionary changes; one dimension is exposure to learning new languages and skills online. Whenever, opting for Online Urdu tutors make sure they are providing thorough Urdu reading and Writing education. Learning Urdu Online is a great invention for all those who have time constraints or limited access to qualified Urdu teachers.  

For more information about Urdu and online qualified teachers search on Google.

Urdu -Lets Honor our Creative Fraternities

Urdu Poetry is incomplete without Mirza Ghalib’s creative, romantic and philosophical poetic expression. Ghalib died exactly 141 years ago but, he is still alive with his thousands of admirers, who consider his poetry a piece of sophistication and eminence in the Urdu Poetry.

Ghalib during stay in old Delhi resided at Haveli, in Gali Qasimjan in the Ballimaran, which is now being used as, wedding place for people. It is painful to see Indian Government’s coldness, being numb about brutal happening with last belonging of the history’s renowned poet. At some time, Ghalib Fans were happy on Government initiative of undertaking Haveli as Government property to design a monument. However, there was nothing more than painting and evacuation of belongings. This overall situation has led aggression and disappointment among the Ghalib followers. In no means nothing has been done so far to Honor Ghalib for his quality Urdu Poetry. 

It is evident from the history that nations who honor their writers and poets are always rewarded with wisdom and knowledge. Urdu poetry is full of creative work. Its versatility and expression have targeted every subject concerning youth, society and world. Employing our findings we can make lives more productive and creative.

It is our collective benefit if we learn Urdu to portray ourselves as awake, intellectual and friendly nation to the entire world.

There are different means which can help us promoting Urdu language. For the purpose we can start with arranging gatherings at city and town levels to share and explore Urdu literature.

Easy Ways of Learning Urdu Online

There was a time when there was nothing on the internet for the Urdu enthusiasts. However, now time has changed. For the people who want to learn Urdu online, there are many possible ways.

Some of the easiest ways of learning Urdu online are given below.

•          Using the Urdu to English dictionaries online

A simple search on any of the web search engines will generate the links to many online Urdu to English dictionaries. Enter any word from the English language and it is possible to see the Urdu counterpart, its pronunciation, and its usage in the sentences etc.

•          Using the work sheets online

The internet also provides one with the worksheets to learn and practice Urdu writing. Most of the work sheets are designed for the kids. Nevertheless, the adults can also use them.

•          Viewing YouTube videos

YouTube is a great resource for learning Urdu. It has Urdu reading and writing tutorials. It also has Urdu movies and Urdu songs etc. which are great sources for learning Urdu.

•          Hiring tutors for formal learning

Did you know that it is now possible to hire tutors online to formally learn Urdu? They communicate on the Skype and use a screen sharing software to convey things. The charges are also nominal as compared to the charges for learning other languages.

•          Learning from the Urdu forums

The Urdu forums online are also great for learning Urdu. These forums are used to discuss various aspects of learning the Urdu language.

The Quality of Online Urdu to English Dictionaries

With the advent of the internet, the lives of many people changed for good. It can help one with literally anything. There was a time when there was nothing much on the internet for the people who speak Urdu and for the people who want to learn Urdu. However certainly, the times have changed now.

There are so many resources regarding Urdu present on the internet. The internet is replete with a variety of the Urdu to English dictionaries. Fortunately, there are many options to choose from. The dictionaries also offer almost countless features.

The quality of these Urdu to English dictionaries on the internet remains questionable. The language experts are constantly raising their concerns on this matter. They say that often the dictionaries do not generate accurate results linguistically.

For any word in any other language, the Urdu language has a variety of options. The difficulty level also varies widely. Other than that, some words might have different connotations. However, the dictionaries generate the most basic of the options. Often, many dictionaries generate no more than two meanings. Along with that, the linguists also complain that the meanings are sometimes not the most appropriate ones.

So from this situation, the real question that arises is that who can use these Urdu to English dictionaries? Well the answer is that many people still use these dictionaries and they are beneficial to them. Many people who do not Urdu can use these dictionaries for basic communication with Urdu speaking people.

Urdu short story: Yesterday, today and tomorrow

The Session on Urdu short stories was one of the finest the Karachi Literature Festival had to offer, for two reasons. One is, the well-moderated discussion actually revolved around literary debates rather than fundamentalism and politics with the panelists sticking to the assigned topic. And the other and second reason is that, the panel included some of the best known writers of the Urdu world namely Fehmida Riaz, Intezar Hussain and Hassan Manzar, with writer Asif Farrukhi, editor of the literary journal Dunyazad, and co-organizer of the festival, moderating.

The past and literature’s relation to a culture’s history was what Hussain focused of his discussion. He showed some trends which are used in Urdu story writing to the progressive writer’s movement and modernism.

Riaz said that many new writers had emerged in Aaj and Dunyazad. She mentioned Ali Akbar Natiq among others and lamented that people sidelined good writers and appreciated second-rate ones.

Hussain continued by pointing out that the feminist movement was one of the biggest movements in current literature. “Having passed through periods of great rebellion, the phase that we have entered… in that great meaning is being born in Urdu short story and verse,” he said.

Contemporary Growth And Development In Urdu

The word “Urdu” is basically originated from Turkish word “Ordu” meaning “an army”, “a camp”, or “a legion”; justifying its multicultural and diverse origins, can truly be regarded as a living language still undergoing changes and expanding its bases to new horizons.

It is a fine amalgam of three culturally and orally very rich and diverse languages, i.e. Turkish, Arabic and Persian, three of the languages with very rich culture and history harmonizing with each other to develop and originate a new language called “Urdu”. So, we can say that it is the nature of this language to engulf any convenient elements of other languages and fit them in like its own indigenous elements.

Though, it has changed and evolved a great deal all through its history, now spanned well over some 900 years, Roman Urdu is one such recent example of how it expands itself. It is basically the name given to the trend and practice of writing words of Urdu with Roman alphabets.

As is this common with majority of changes, they are not conveniently welcomed by the convention lovers; so is the case with this instance as well. The advent and propagation of this new found trend is not embraced with open hearts and minds by convention lovers and many acclaimed scholars claim that majority of “Arabic Script” lovers of the language find it quite offending to them and language.

As a matter of fact, the advent of Roman Urdu has been made possible with the advances in Information Technology and other contemporary technological developments, and it is most widely used in text messages over cell phones or in the form of “chatting” through internet.

The fact of the matter is that with the passage of time this new found innovation is making its mark on the language itself, and perhaps to the good of it.