The National Book Foundation’s regional office in Karachi hosted a distinguished naat mushaira to mark the 1500th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, bringing together leading poets, religious reciters and dignitaries for an evening of devotional poetry and Qur’an recitation. The event celebrated the spiritual and moral significance of the Prophet’s life and naat literature and was widely praised by participants and guests.
The gathering was presided over by renowned poet Feroz Natiq Khusro. Special guests included Syed Meraj Jami and Aqeel Abbas Jafri, a recipient of the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, while Abd al-Basit served as the master of ceremonies. The programme opened with a recitation of the Holy Qur’an and a hamd delivered by Muhammad Yousuf Siddiqui, followed by a naat performance by noted reciter Qaiser Kamal.
A number of celebrated poets enlivened the mushaira with their devotional verses, among them Afsar Ali Afsar, Dr. Faheem Shanaas Kazmi, Naseer Soomro, Huma Adhami, Adhma Ismail, Hamida Kashish and Kishwar Urooj, with additional poets also contributing to the evening’s lineup. Attendees described the recitations as moving and spiritually uplifting, noting the role of seerat and naat literature in nurturing the community’s moral and spiritual values.
Speakers and guests expressed gratitude to Dr. Kamran Jahangir, Managing Director of the National Book Foundation, for his leadership and patronage, saying his support was instrumental in bringing the programme to fruition. Participants characterized the event as a significant milestone in the foundation’s Karachi history and voiced heartfelt satisfaction at its success.
