vahi dilon ko shikast karnaa vahi savaal-o-javaab karnaa — Azhar Ghauri Nadwi

"jaane kitnon ke liye rashk kaa mehvar Thahraa teraa zakhmi bhi to qismat kaa sikandar Thahraa lazzat dard ki baDhti hi chali aati hai tarab-angez bahut ek hi nishtar Thahraa bhar gaiin zehn mein raanaaiyaan ik jalve se ho kahin jaise koi pariyon kaa lashkar Thahraa kyaa shikast us ko bhalaa gardish-e-dauraan degi khaak kaa Dher hi jis ke liye bistar Thahraa meri mehmaan-navaazi kaa thaa charchaa aisaa jo bhi tufaan-e-balaa aayaa mire ghar Thahraa khasta-haali se jo baunaa nazar aataa thaa tumhein vaqt jab aayaa to phir kitnaa qad-aavar Thahraa nazr-e-jaan raah-e-mohabbat mein bahut aasaan hai shart mere liye kuchh mushkil-o-bartar Thahraa gar umanD aae to gharqaab na ho shahr tamaam ye jo aankhon mein hai ashkon kaa samundar Thahraa kaise 'azhar' kisi suraj ko salaami degaa kyon na ho apne zamaane kaa qalandar Thahraa"

"jo ab bhi un ki yaadein aaiyaan hain to aankhein ashk-e-khun barsaaiyaan hain puraane zakhm kar deti hain taaza sitamgar kis qadar purvaaiyaan hain ye roz-o-shab ye subh-o-shaam kyaa hain nigaar-e-vaqt ki angDaaiyaan hain agar dil hi huaa shaaista-e-gham kahaan duniyaa mein phir raanaaiyaan hain ye kyaa qissa nikaalaa tu ne naaseh dil-e-betaab par ban aaiyaan hain sanbhal jaa ai dil-e-naadaan sanbhal jaa ki aage har taraf rusvaaiyaan hain nikaale sab ne apne apne matlab sukhan mein kis qadar gahraaiyaan hain banaa Daalaa zamaane bhar ko dushman balaa-e-jaan miri daanaaiyaan hain maqaam-e-shukr hai ye bhi to 'azhar' muqaddar mein agar tanhaaiyaan hain"

"gham kahin samt-e-safar thi raahbar koi na thaa ek sahraa-e-alam thaa ham-safar koi na thaa us ko bhi ham ne yahi samjhaa tamaashaa hai koi jab khulin aankhein nishaan-e-sang-e-dar koi na thaa vaqt ham ko Thokaron par Thokarein detaa rahaa aur apne haath mein tir-o-tabar koi na thaa qarya-e-bedaad-khvaahaan ki shikaayat hai abas shahr-e-ham-dardaan mein bhi to chaaraagar koi na thaa dhajjiyaan uDti rahin jaib-o-garebaan ki mire rok detaa bazm mein aashufta-sar koi na thaa mere raazon mein na koi raaz baaqi rah gayaa ham-nashinon mein mire naa-mo'tabar koi na thaa is liye ham nargis-e-bimaar ke qaail hue us ke jaisaa bhi chaman mein dida-var koi na thaa dil ke zakhmon ko ataa karnaa thaa lafzon kaa libaas aur 'azhar' maqsad-e-arz-e-hunar koi na thaa"

"bachaa le dhuup se aisaa koi shajar na milaa kahin suraagh-e-vafaa qissa mukhtasar na milaa machal rahe the jabin-e-niyaaz mein sajde ye aur baat muqaddar se sang-e-dar na milaa kuredte rahe sab dost mere zakhmon ko sabhi ne tanz kiye koi chaaraagar na milaa vo karbalaa to nahin doston ki basti thi taDapte rah gae paani ko buund bhar na milaa hujum yaaron kaa thaa mere saath saahil tak samundaron mein magar koi ham-safar na milaa likhaa ke laae the mahrumiyaan muqaddar mein tujhe duaa na mili aur mujhe asar na milaa abhi to ashk ki ik buund se ye tufaan hai qadam sambhaal le aur aah mein sharar na milaa qadam baDhaae to paayaab thaa har ik dariyaa magar talaash thi jis ki vahi guhar na milaa ham apni ziist ko karte bhi kyaa raqam 'azhar' varaq milaa bhi jo simin to aab-e-zar na milaa"

"raushan na hui thi subh abhi munh khol rahi hai shaam kahin aaghaaz na hone paayaa thaa aur hone lagaa anjaam kahin is duniyaa mein kyaa milnaa hai bas armaanon ke khuun ke sivaa ai khvaab-e-hasin tere chalte ho jaaein na ham badnaam kahin maanind-e-sabaa aavaara ham phirte hi rahe shahron shahron ramtaa jogi bahtaa paani hai subh kahin to shaam kahin is vaqt to khush aate hain nazar kuchh saada-lauh anaadil bhi dekho to na phir phailaayaa ho sayyaad ne koi daam kahin sayyaad se gar laDnaa hai tujhe shaahin kaa jigar paidaa kar le bulbul jaise naazuk dil se hotaa hai jari iqdaam kahin kuchh ziist kaa gham kuchh millat kaa maghmum rahe har dam 'azhar' hassaas tabiat vaalon ko miltaa hai bhalaa aaraam kahin"

"har ek samt hai ik jiit haar kaa mausam ab ek khvaab saa lagtaa hai pyaar kaa mausam isi ko gardish-e-lail-o-nahaar kahte hain kabhi khizaan hai kabhi hai bahaar kaa mausam chaman mein dhuum machi hai ki fasl-e-gul aai yahi hai daaman-e-sad-taar-taar kaa mausam ab us ko yaad dilaane kaa faaeda hi nahin vo bhuul bhi chukaa qaul-o-qaraar kaa mausam har ik shikast pe josh-e-amal mein shiddat laa miTegaa dida-e-khunaaba-baar kaa mausam na aane de kabhi paa-e-sabaat mein laghzish sadaa milaa hai kise ikhtiyaar kaa mausam rihaai milti hai yaaro na jaan jaati hai azaab-e-jaan hai ye intizaar kaa mausam daraaz kitni hi shab ho guzar hi jaaegi palaT ke aaegaa didaar-e-yaar kaa mausam jo lauh-e-dil pe lagaane chale ho daagh pe daagh kabhi to aaegaa un ke shumaar kaa mausam hai ab ye haal urus-ul-bilaad kaa 'azhar' Thahar gayaa hai vahin gir-o-daar kaa mausam"

"vo mujhe zindagi bataataa hai phir bhalaa kyon nazar churaataa hai main usi ko uThaa rahaa thaa par vo mujhe hi faqat giraataa hai yaad us ko kiyaa yahaan main ne par mujhe vo vahaan bhulaataa hai raaz saare bataa diye main ne kyon magar raaz vo chhupaataa hai log masruf hain mohabbat mein aur vo dil miraa dukhaataa hai"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"