Muhammad Ilyas - Life and Works
Muhammad Ilyas - Life and Works
May 17, 2019
Muhammad Ilyas- Life and works
Muhammad Ilyas
Life and Works
Muhammad Ilyas penned three short stories, after his matriculation in early 1960s, which were published by the famous film magazines of those times; ‘Shama’ Lahore, Karachi and ‘Director’ Karachi. Meanwhile, the domestic responsibilities became his priority, and he had to enter practical life. He served at private and government organizations. Other than writing signboards, he learned type shorthand and even did part time drafting. Against all odds he continued his educational pursuits till he graduated in humanities. Later on he got his firm registered that dealt in trading of raw minerals as well as excavation of industrial minerals from underground mine-deposits.
Muhammad Ilyas fulfilled his domestic responsibilities after twenty five years of sheer hard work. The hibernating writer awoke with renewed vigor, he left the running business and became a recluse to write stories that had been yearning in him for a long time to appear on paper.
He never appeared on the surface of any literary forum to devote all his time to creative work. He deliberately avoided promotional material like Forewords, Prefaces or Flaps. This shows Ilyas’s insight and command over his forte. Gaining higher pedestals through the utilization of ‘public relations’ is not Ilyas’s cup of tea. He politely finds himself an escape from such pursuits and ventures back to his little world where he produces a source of real joy for his readers. He says: “I left the path of monetary prosperity because I considered writing my passion; now wasting my precious moments on non-productive activities is not worth it.”
Up till last year, Muhammad Ilyas’s six novels, ten short storybooks and two selections of short stories (one English translation) have been published by Sang e Meel Publishers. Besides, he wrote Fard e Haqeeqat a soul-touching biography of a billionaire Pakistani who started his career 55 years ago as laborer against daily wages of one and a half rupee. Muhammad Ilyas also has, to his credit, a travelogue named “Chinar Wadi ki Sair” serialized in monthly ‘Rabta’ Karachi. He wrote a stage play ‘Ujala’ about Kashmiries’ struggle for freedom. The play was staged in Mirpur and Dadial Azad Kashmir for a long time. His TV paly “ Kaghaz kay Bartan” was telecast in England by Noor channel.
Muhammad Ilyas has revived the element of story in Afsana. This art of story writing not only added to story readers’ taste but also convinced contemporary writers to pay attention to important tradition of storytelling. His stories introduce a perpetually expanding canvas of the subject matter to his readers. His characters are common people dwelling around us in our homes, streets and roadside playing a bittersweet symphony orchestrated by life. Muhammad Ilyas enjoys an extra ordinary grip over narration, characterization and plot. His stories are piercing and startling that shake a reader’s mind from the slumber and give him an opportunity to transform his view about the world altogether. The subject matter, as aforementioned, deals with social, cultural, religious, economical and psychological issues. Ilyas is for justice, inter-faith harmony, peaceful co-existence and loyalty with the motherland. The romance and reality flow side by side in the course of his tales. Spirituality, mysticism and transcendentalism is yet another facet of his writings amply depicted in stories like Muraqba, Burf etc. His stories also touched delicate issues like regional prejudice, ethnic division, cultural suffocation, sectarian rift, problems related to suppression of physical needs, and fall outs of sexual frustration. However, Muhammad Ilyas highlighted both negative and positive effects of religious characters.
Muhammad Ilyas took up certain rarely discussed topics like; fall of Dhaka, Afghan war, agony of migration, psychological and social problems of mine workers, mountainous tribes and Bakrwal tribe. Other than this he has written memorable stories on animals, pets and birds specially horse, dog, camel, buffalo, bull, sheep, ram, snake, quail, cock and parrot.
He has tactfully targeted pomp and show as well as hypocrisy, selfishness and callousness of feudal lords, industrialists, politicians, bureaucrats and government servants. The stories remain committed to the society’s down-trodden segments. His characters include clerks, buggy-drivers, kiln laborers, craftsmen, nomads, peasants, sanitary workers, pimps and sex workers. All time famous stories about fake spiritual guides, quacks, criminals and corrupt government officers besides complex issues of overseas Pakistanis have left long lasting impact on his readers.
Muhammad Ilyas’s stories received great admiration from reputable editors and common readers alike. For example, Ahmed Hamesh (late) the editor of Tashkeel wrote an editorial note bout his short story Muhafiz: “This kind of impressionistic story has neither been surfaced in Urdu literature in past nor it would be penned in the future.” Similarly Ram Laal (late) commented on Bosa e Vidah in Auraaq: “ The story directly touched the soul, it has no parallel in Urdu literature.” Many extra ordinary comments were received on his stories namely; Insaan, Diary, Aurat Ghora aur Mard, Waray ki Aurat, Saawa, Dozakh Mein Aik Pehar, Sim-al-farr Quqnas, Qurbani and Aapa Taj among others. Professor Hamid Sarosh the editor of quarterly Iblaagh commented that: “if only Maulana Salah Uddin of Literary World were alive, he would have written editorial notes on Muhammad Ilyas’ every short story.”
All said and done, one can regretfully question, why the writer of such high profile and sound literary career has been deprived of any recognition by the Government Quarters. It is for the people on the helm of affairs to think and realize as how to do justice with creative people, artists and writers.
Muhammad Ilyas
Life and Works
Muhammad Ilyas penned three short stories, after his matriculation in early 1960s, which were published by the famous film magazines of those times; ‘Shama’ Lahore, Karachi and ‘Director’ Karachi. Meanwhile, the domestic responsibilities became his priority, and he had to enter practical life. He served at private and government organizations. Other than writing signboards, he learned type shorthand and even did part time drafting. Against all odds he continued his educational pursuits till he graduated in humanities. Later on he got his firm registered that dealt in trading of raw minerals as well as excavation of industrial minerals from underground mine-deposits.
Muhammad Ilyas fulfilled his domestic responsibilities after twenty five years of sheer hard work. The hibernating writer awoke with renewed vigor, he left the running business and became a recluse to write stories that had been yearning in him for a long time to appear on paper.
He never appeared on the surface of any literary forum to devote all his time to creative work. He deliberately avoided promotional material like Forewords, Prefaces or Flaps. This shows Ilyas’s insight and command over his forte. Gaining higher pedestals through the utilization of ‘public relations’ is not Ilyas’s cup of tea. He politely finds himself an escape from such pursuits and ventures back to his little world where he produces a source of real joy for his readers. He says: “I left the path of monetary prosperity because I considered writing my passion; now wasting my precious moments on non-productive activities is not worth it.”
Up till last year, Muhammad Ilyas’s six novels, ten short storybooks and two selections of short stories (one English translation) have been published by Sang e Meel Publishers. Besides, he wrote Fard e Haqeeqat a soul-touching biography of a billionaire Pakistani who started his career 55 years ago as laborer against daily wages of one and a half rupee. Muhammad Ilyas also has, to his credit, a travelogue named “Chinar Wadi ki Sair” serialized in monthly ‘Rabta’ Karachi. He wrote a stage play ‘Ujala’ about Kashmiries’ struggle for freedom. The play was staged in Mirpur and Dadial Azad Kashmir for a long time. His TV paly “ Kaghaz kay Bartan” was telecast in England by Noor channel.
Muhammad Ilyas has revived the element of story in Afsana. This art of story writing not only added to story readers’ taste but also convinced contemporary writers to pay attention to important tradition of storytelling. His stories introduce a perpetually expanding canvas of the subject matter to his readers. His characters are common people dwelling around us in our homes, streets and roadside playing a bittersweet symphony orchestrated by life. Muhammad Ilyas enjoys an extra ordinary grip over narration, characterization and plot. His stories are piercing and startling that shake a reader’s mind from the slumber and give him an opportunity to transform his view about the world altogether. The subject matter, as aforementioned, deals with social, cultural, religious, economical and psychological issues. Ilyas is for justice, inter-faith harmony, peaceful co-existence and loyalty with the motherland. The romance and reality flow side by side in the course of his tales. Spirituality, mysticism and transcendentalism is yet another facet of his writings amply depicted in stories like Muraqba, Burf etc. His stories also touched delicate issues like regional prejudice, ethnic division, cultural suffocation, sectarian rift, problems related to suppression of physical needs, and fall outs of sexual frustration. However, Muhammad Ilyas highlighted both negative and positive effects of religious characters.
Muhammad Ilyas took up certain rarely discussed topics like; fall of Dhaka, Afghan war, agony of migration, psychological and social problems of mine workers, mountainous tribes and Bakrwal tribe. Other than this he has written memorable stories on animals, pets and birds specially horse, dog, camel, buffalo, bull, sheep, ram, snake, quail, cock and parrot.
He has tactfully targeted pomp and show as well as hypocrisy, selfishness and callousness of feudal lords, industrialists, politicians, bureaucrats and government servants. The stories remain committed to the society’s down-trodden segments. His characters include clerks, buggy-drivers, kiln laborers, craftsmen, nomads, peasants, sanitary workers, pimps and sex workers. All time famous stories about fake spiritual guides, quacks, criminals and corrupt government officers besides complex issues of overseas Pakistanis have left long lasting impact on his readers.
Muhammad Ilyas’s stories received great admiration from reputable editors and common readers alike. For example, Ahmed Hamesh (late) the editor of Tashkeel wrote an editorial note bout his short story Muhafiz: “This kind of impressionistic story has neither been surfaced in Urdu literature in past nor it would be penned in the future.” Similarly Ram Laal (late) commented on Bosa e Vidah in Auraaq: “ The story directly touched the soul, it has no parallel in Urdu literature.” Many extra ordinary comments were received on his stories namely; Insaan, Diary, Aurat Ghora aur Mard, Waray ki Aurat, Saawa, Dozakh Mein Aik Pehar, Sim-al-farr Quqnas, Qurbani and Aapa Taj among others. Professor Hamid Sarosh the editor of quarterly Iblaagh commented that: “if only Maulana Salah Uddin of Literary World were alive, he would have written editorial notes on Muhammad Ilyas’ every short story.”
All said and done, one can regretfully question, why the writer of such high profile and sound literary career has been deprived of any recognition by the Government Quarters. It is for the people on the helm of affairs to think and realize as how to do justice with creative people, artists and writers.