The author of ‘Slogans of the Sage’ shares his insights on the South Indian statesman during a book talk at Sharjah intl book fair

(English captions available)

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I am today’s host Arun Mohite.

I open heartedly welcome you and I thank you for coming here today.

Dear friends, today is going to be very special because today we have come for the launch of “Shuoor-e-Shihab.”

Mr. Mujeeb Jaihoon is a famous writer and poet. He has used his words to describe his life and emotions in an extraordinary way. His books not only touch the heart, but also help us understand human emotions.

Today we are here to discuss his new book “Shuoor-e-Shihab.” This book brings out and shows his emotions in an amazing way. Please give a round of applause for Mujeeb Jaihoon!

Going into the conversation about the book, the book is amazing and it’s beautifully written.

So there are some questions I had for you. This book has combined many views and perspectives in an amazing way. How did you decide what to include and what not to include? And did you find it difficult to compress vast ideas into short quotes?

This book was originally published in English, entitled ‘Slogans of the Sage,’ and it is about a great man and his life and message.

A lot of people write books, and writing books is a hobby for many people, but the skill of writing in very few words is very challenging.

This book has almost 200 pages, and each page has 2 or 3 lines.

And this person we are talking about, his name is Sayyid Shihab, and his forefathers migrated to India from Yemen and settled in India.

Sayyid Shihab was a political leader, an educationist, a philosopher, and many other things. To define such a person in small quotes was a very difficult task.

I have many other works, but this book by far has the most effort put into it.

This Urdu translation of this book is the fifth translation. Before Urdu, we had other translations like: Italian, French, Tamil, and Malayalam.

So the acceptance we received for this book is truly astounding, and it’s not because of the way I write or anything else. The power and magic of this book are because of the person associated with the book.

Sayyid Shihab always gave the message to live together with harmony and peace. Do you think that in today’s environment, people like him have a good impact?

The need for peace in this world is increasing day by day. There are conflicts and wars going on in different places, and I believe in an environment like this, we need to spread such messages to the people. It is our duty to do so.

Sayyid Shihab died in 2009, but his life has an effect on people to this day.

Do you think his thoughts are important for these times too?

The relevance and importance of his thoughts keep increasing day by day. He lived in a different time. He lived in a time different from ours.

Our problems are the same. People still engage in evil as they have always been.

The cure for these problems is also the same.

I pray that Shuoor-e-Shihab becomes a cure for this illness.

What do you expect people to learn from this book, and is there a specific quote or slogan from the book that is very important to you or is close to your heart?

You have asked me a very hard question because it’s my book, and Sayyid Shihab is an idol for many people. Whatever he said and did is very little, but his life in itself is a message.

He was very soft-spoken and brief and concise with his words.

The last quotation in this book is: “I would like to be known in the future as any other man who lived among the people.”

Sayyid Shihab was a great leader, but he never thought of himself any more than a common man.

Sayyid Shihab is the celebration of the common man.

Well, he did not have his wish granted because today, at the Sharjah International Book Fair, even 15 years after his death, we are talking about him.

So, one of the messages I’d like to give from this book is: Men and women must remain firm in their culture and heritage; they must celebrate their identity.

We shouldn’t live in the shadows of other borrowed cultures.

Just like you told us, this book has been translated into many languages. Do we expect any further translations?

It is wonderful news that besides numerous translations so far—French, Italian, Tamil, and Malayalam—and now Urdu, a Japanese translation is also expected soon.

Inshallah, the life and message will soon shine in the hearts of the land of the rising sun.

In your opinion, if Sayyid Shihab was present with us today, what would he have said? What would he feel about this respect and honor you have given him?

I think he would have wished to be known as a common man. He would simply ask us to help the poor and needy, by which we would receive the help of God.

I just want to extend my thanks to the event organizer and the publisher. I also convey thanks to my family. And all of you who attended this program.