My great-grandfather Agha Shair Qizilbash (my mother’s paternal grandfather) was a prominent Urdu poet of the later classical era in Delhi and a desciple of Dagh Dehlavi. He was born in Delhi on March 5, 1871 and died on March 12, 1940. He was the first Urdu poet to do a poetic translation of the Quran in Urdu. Here is a link to his Rekhta page with his profile and works. I wanted to share his Urdu poetic translation of Surat Fatiha which is just beautiful.

[Read more: my Urdu story]

My nani always recited this in majalis and melad.

Urdu Poetic Translation of Surat Fatiha

ہے نام سے خدا کے آغاز کا اجالا

جو مہربان بڑا ہے بیحد جو رحم والا

تعریف سب خدا کی، جو رب ہے عالموں کا

جو مہرباں بڑا ہے بیحد جو رحم والا

محشر کے دن کا مالک  ، روز جزا کا والی

تجھ کو ہی پوجتے ہیں، ہم تیرے ہی سوالی

سیدھی ڈگر پے لے چل، ثابت قدم بنا دے

نعمت جنہیں عطا کی انکی روش سجھا دے

نے انکی راہ جن پر قہر و غضب ہوے ہیں

نے ان کی جو بہک کر گمراہ ہو گۓ ہیں

For Reference: Arabic and English translation from Al-Quran

In the name of Allah , the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

[All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of the worlds –

The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.

It is You we worship and You we ask for help.

Guide us to the straight path –

The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

More details:

One of my most treasured belongings is a diary that my nani (matermal grandmothers) prepared for me with handwritten hamd, salam, noha and marsia to recite.

She also wrote out the complete Urdu translation of Surat Fatiha by Agha Shair Qizilbash for me in the diary and here it is:

If you read or recite this urdu translation please do say Surat Fatiha and a prayer for my nani Surraiya Qizilbash and my great-grandfather Agha Shair Qizilbash.

[Read More: Why Nani’s House is the Best Place in the World]