The Symposium of “The Imperishable Persona of Saadi” Held in Mumbai

Coinciding with the National Day of Saadi Shirazi the master of eloquence a symposium titled “The Imperishable Persona of Saadi” was held on April 21 2025 (1 Ordibehesht 1404) in Mumbai. This event was organized by the Cultural House of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai in collaboration with prominent Indian cultural institutions namely Carvan-e-Urdu and Islam Gymkhana. The gathering took place at the premises of Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai and attracted a distinguished audience.

The cultural-literary event, held in two sessions—before and after the Maghrib congregational prayer—welcomed a constellation of eminent scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts of Persian language and literature from academic and literary circles across India. Each participant, deeply acquainted with the treasures of Persian, contributes in unique ways to preserving and promoting the shared cultural heritage of Iran and India.

The program opened with a welcome address by Mr. Farid Ahmad Khan, esteemed head of Carvan-e-Urdu, who greeted the attendees and introduced the speakers and the goals of the symposium.

Following this, Mr. Fazel Kouhani, Director of the Cultural House of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai, described Saadi as a living figure in the historical memory of Persian literature. He highlighted the sustained interest of Indian Persian learners and researchers in Saadi’s timeless works, identifying Bustan and Golestan as foundational texts for Persian language instruction in India. He also drew attention to Saadi’s acquaintance with Suhrawardi’s teachings, emphasizing the mystical dimensions of his thought. Mr. Kouhani referenced the legacy of Amir Najmuddin Hasan Sajzi—hailed as the “Saadi of India”—as a continuation of Saadi’s school of thought in the subcontinent’s ghazal tradition.

Next, Dr. Mohammad Qamar Alam, Head of the Department of Persian at Aligarh Muslim University and author of Tashrih al-Qulub, began his address with an invocation of Saadi’s hamidiyyat (praises of God). He portrayed Saadi not merely as a poet, but as a thinker committed to ethics, wisdom, and humanism—one who, in the midst of the Mongol invasions, conveyed a message of justice and human dignity to his era. He stressed the enduring influence of Saadi’s teachings on Islamic literature and the necessity of drawing from his moral counsel in daily life.

In another segment, Dr. Mufti Muhammad Alauddin Qadri—renowned scholar of Sufism—offered a profound reflection on the mystical aspects of Saadi’s writings. He presented Saadi as a Sufi who harmoniously blended knowledge and spiritual insight in his work, reiterating that “knowledge without practice is fruitless.” He advocated for the inclusion of Persian in Islamic educational curricula, identifying it as a vital bridge for the transmission of religious and spiritual concepts—a bridge that requires robust institutional support.

H.E. Mohsenifard, Acting Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai, then addressed the audience, paying tribute to the scholarly stature of the participants and emphasizing the enduring historical and cultural bonds between Iran and India. Citing Saadi’s travels and his education at the Nizamiyya of Baghdad, he noted that the poet’s lived experiences helped shape his deeply humanistic worldview. He described Bustan and Golestan as twin pillars of Persian literature—bearers of universal messages of ethics, wisdom, and coexistence. Mr. Mohsenifard also referenced the reciprocal influence between Persian literature and Indian culture, highlighting the inspiration Saadi’s thought provided to figures like Dara Shikoh, Allama Iqbal, and Rabindranath Tagore. He reaffirmed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s commitment to strengthening cultural diplomacy in India.

The final speaker was Professor Rafia Shabnam Abedi, esteemed writer and Persian language educator, who underscored the integral role of Persian in Islamic culture and Indian civilization. She characterized Persian as a unifying language that transcends ethnic and religious boundaries. Professor Abedi emphasized the formative role of Persian in shaping the Urdu language and called for its revitalization in academic institutions. She reminded the audience that a deep understanding of Urdu literature is incomplete without proficiency in Persian. Further, she discussed Saadi’s power to convey moral wisdom through language, and called for more focused efforts toward the preservation and dissemination of this invaluable heritage.

At the close of the event, a newly published work by Professor Abedi titled Shaakheh-e-Nabat—a translation of selected poems of Hafez into Urdu—was ceremoniously unveiled.