Mayal Khairabadi is one of the popular writers of Urdu Language. He is considered one of the famous man of letters in the twentieth century. He has influenced an entire era by his writings. Even today, his books have a record of popularity among the people. His numerous books are published in many editions every year.
The main characteristic of Mayal Khairabadi is as a writer of women and children. He is a poet, litterateur, short story writer and novelist. He is famous as a popular and sought after writer.
He remained to be associated practically with the Islamic movements. He was active in the Jamat-e-Islami in terms of administration and activism. He gave all of his books to “Markazi Maktaba Islami” the publishing house of Jamat-e-Islami Hind. He granted the rights to publish their several editions and the profits to be earned from them be used in the works of the movement.
Nevertheless, the facts and circumstances of his life are obscure. Despite his popularity in the circles of the movements, his life accounts are unknown publicly.
Early Life
Mayal Khairabadi was born on 17th Muharram 1329 AH / 1910 AD. His place of birth is Khairabad, a famous town in Sitapur, the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh.
Mayal Khairabadi acquired the primary education at his home. Then he studied upto seventh class in his town itself, which was called Vernacular Certificate. Thereafter, he acquired high skills in Urdu and passed the examination of Munshi Fazil in Persian. He taught for many years in the schools of Khairabad and Pentepur (District Sitapur).
Career
Meanwhile, Maulana Abu Saleem Abdul Hai, Idara Al-Hasnat, Rampur invited Mayal Khairabadi to Rampur envisioning his writing abilities. On the earnest request, he shifted to Rampur. He continued his write-ups for the Magazine Al-Hasnat and all of its journals. The entire editorship of the Children Digest monthly “Noor” was assigned to him. He solely edited the monthly “Noor”. He raised the standard of the monthly “Noor”. This magazine is meant for children and women. It fulfilled the need of a good digest for children. The digest “Noor” prepared a host of writers. This very magazine initiated a separate column “Khilti Kalyan” to encourage the writes of the future. Monthly “Noor” was a very popular magazine for its contents. In addition to regular columns, Radio Nooristan and cartoon stories were published in it. The stories of Mayal Khairabadi and his interesting essays in this magazine the digest “Noor” were assets for mental training of children and teenagers. No doubt, the digest “Noor” completed its glorious journey in the editorship of Mayal Khairabadi.
He started his own magazine “Hijab” from July, 1970. The magazine “Hijab” proves itself to be unique and unparallel in its field and succeeded. It gained its own peerless identify among the standard journals and magazines concerning women. Healthy and valuable literary works with the presentation of Islamic contents and religious information let “Hijab” to acquiring a prominent place. Mayal Khairabadi gave his full attention to the quality of “Hijab”, which resulted in its prominence. He published many of his novels in serials in “Hijab”. The readers waited patiently for every edition for these serialized novels. The tradition the Magazine “Hijab” established has no example in the history of literature.
The tradition established by Mayal Khairabadi is highly appreciative and a custom to follow. He was highly popular among children. He was a teacher as well as a trainer. He loved children. That’s why he prioritized the creation of literature for children. His main object was education and training of the children. He remained connected to the successful experience of the Islamic Institution done in Rampur and then the institutions were established in the entire country from the very start of the project. He practically worked as a teacher in the institutions.
After shifting to Rampur, he devoted himself for the journalistic and writing activities in addition to the teaching works. The founder of Idara Al-Hasnat, a privileged publishing house of India, attached Mayal Khairabadi to his organization. He started contributing his journalistic services to Al-Hasnat and other journals being published under this organization. Now he had become an authentic and famous author and his association to any institution was a guarantee for its success. He did not only render his journalistic services but also administrative ones for the organization Al-Hasnat for a long time. In this regard, he continued contributions for other journals in addition to the sole editorship of the digest “Noor”
He wrote hundreds of stories for the children in addition to pamphlets. He composed numberless couplets. He wrote reformative and social novels.
The educative stories of Mayal Khairabadi have been published in the book form in the name of Shaheen Series, which numbers about forty booklets. This glorious writer breathed his last on 18th December, 1998.
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