Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA / Hyderabad, TELANGANA :
OBITUARY
Bengaluru :
Hundreds of thousands of Urdu lovers across the world are mourning the passing of Syed Sarfaraz Ali, widely known by his pen name Mahtab Qadr, a versatile poet, prose writer and journalist who selflessly dedicated over five decades of his life to protecting and promoting Urdu in the Arabian desert.
Mahtab Qadr breathed his last in Hyderabad, the city of his birth, on Friday. He had come from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — where he spent most of his life in the service of Urdu — for a knee surgery. He passed away before the procedure could be performed.
He was 70.
According to family sources, he will be laid to rest in Hyderabad on Saturday afternoon. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
Born in 1956, Mahtab Qadr earned his Master’s in Library Science from Osmania University. He served as a medical librarian at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah for nearly three decades.
A multifaceted literary personality, Qadr was a distinguished poet, prose writer, sketch writer, translator, organiser and travelogue writer. He was also the founder of “Urdu Gulbun,” an active literary forum in Jeddah.
Above all, he was a fellow traveller on the delicate and rugged path of journalism. When the Jeddah-based English daily Saudi Gazette launched its Urdu supplement, Mahtab Qadr was part of its editorial team.
A native of the Deccan, with its fertile literary and cultural traditions, Qadr’s own thought and craft reflected the same depth and diversity. At a time when Urdu faces growing challenges in India, he kept the lamp of word and pen alight, working tirelessly for its promotion.
His published works include poetry and prose collections Chhaon-e-Sahra, Sabz Sahra and Nazriat-e-Mahtab, and the travelogue Awargi Thodi Si.
There is a distinct movement in Qadr’s writings; they break stagnation. His poetry and prose are marked by a freshness and energy that grips the reader. His style was unconventional — he moved off the beaten track to explore new subjects and ideas. While his poetry carries a note of romanticism, it also reflects a deep insight into social issues. His literary sketches reveal a subtle understanding of human psychology and nature.
His contribution was not limited to his own writings. Through Urdu Gulbun, he provided a vital platform in Jeddah for Urdu lovers, where literary gatherings were held and emerging writers found encouragement and expression. His journalistic writings for the Urdu supplement of the Saudi Gazette were both thought-provoking and instrumental in promoting the language.
His travelogue Awargi Thodi Si is a testament to his love for travel and his keen powers of observation. Narrated with simplicity and fluency, it transports the reader to the places he describes, making his prose accessible to readers from all walks of life.
In his passing, Urdu has lost a sincere and tireless servant whose writings compelled readers to think and sought social change through literature.
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Syed Athar Hasnain Rizvi is a senior journalist. He was associated with the National Herald in New Delhi and the Saudi Gazette in Jeddah. He can be contacted at: sahrizvi35@yahoo.com
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Editor’s Pick>Personalities / by Syed Athar Hasnain Rizvi / September 25th, 2026
