Khalilu’llah Khalili

Khalili Afghani, Khalil Allah (1904-1987). He was born in Bagh Jahanaray, Kabul. His father, Muhammad Husayn Khan Mustawfi al-Mamalik, was from the tribe of Safi and was regarded as Allah Khan (?). He was later hanged on the orders of Shah Aman Allah Khan. Khalili lost his mother and father at the ages of seven and 11 respectively and abandoned his education, but, thanks to his talents, he managed to proceed on the path of perfection. He was sent into exile at the age of 12 to Qal’a Sidqabad, a property owned by his maternal uncle, and stayed there for two years. He studied Persian literature, logic, Qur’anic exegesis, and hadith. He studied Dari belles-lettres and poetry with Malik al-Shu’ara’ Bitab. Having completed his education, he embarked upon his teaching career. Then, he found an employment as chief secretary at the Finance Ministry of Afghanistan. He served for a while as the chief accountant at the province of Mazar Sharif and was appointed governor of Mazar Sharif during Bachcha Saqa’s (1969) brief rule. He joined the newly established government under Nadir Shah and served at the chancellor’s office for 13 years, but owing to his disagreement with the Prince, he was sent into exile for four years. Upon his return in early 1940s, he served as the vice-chancellor of the University of Kabul. He was appointed the director of publications in 1952 and became the publications advisor at Muhammad Zahir Shah’s court in 1953. He remained a close friend of the Shah in the latter’s reign (1933-1974). He was a member of the parliament for a while and also served as the Afghan ambassador to Saudi Arabia and later to Iraq in early 1970s. Above all, he soon became the most distinguished Afghan poet. He abandoned his office as an ambassador after the Haft Thawr Coup and resided in Europe and the United States for a while, but since he was in love with his homeland, he departed for Pakistan and resided there with thousands of his compatriots. He wrote numerous works at the time. He is undoubtedly the most distinguished contemporary Afghan poet. He was also of renown in Persian speaking countries and became famous beyond the geographical boundaries of Afghanistan. He traveled to Iran in 1956 upon the invitation of the Education Ministry of Iran and visited Iran again in 1961 upon the invitation of the University of Tehran. During his visits, he was well received by academic officials and literary and cultural circles of Iran and Iranian literary figures highly praised him and composed poetry for him. His qasidas are unrivalled in terms of eloquence. His ghazals are so passionately strong that they are comparable to nightingale’s melodies. Thousands of mystical and intuitive points are imbued in his mathnavis, arousing thoughts in the wise. His poetry has been praized by by ‘Abd al-Rahman Pazhvak, Rizazadih Shafaq, Badi’ al-Zaman Furuzanfar, Lutf’ali Suratgar, and Shams al-Din Majruh. Khalili’s Divan reflects his scholarly and literary erudition and his distinguished rank among the belletrists and poets of Afghanistan and Iran and he may be undoubtedly regarded as distinguished amoung contemporary poets. Although he follows the classical style in the composition of words and clauses, but his themes are innovative and his thought vigorous and meaningful, thereby intertwining vigorous meanings with eloquence and elegance. He had a multi-dimensional character. He was a vigorous poet, a profound scholar, and a master of composition in prose and verse. Besides his numerous collections of poetry, he also wrote numerous works of fiction and scholarship. He wrote 62 works in prose and verse on art, literature, politics, philosophy, and mysticism, the majority of which are published and even some of them have transcended beyond national frontiers, appearing in Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. His works include: Athar-i Harat (3 vols., Herat 1929); Ahwal wa Athar-i Hakim Sana’i (Kabul 1936); Saltanat-i Ghaznavian (Kabul); translation of Shaykh al-Hind Mahmud al-Hasan’s Qur’anic exegesis (Tafsir) from Urdu (Kabul); Fayz-i Quds on the biographical account of Bidil (Kabul); Risala-yi Yamagan, composed about Nasir Khusraw’s tomb (Kabul); Az Balkh ta Quniya (Kabul and Turkey); Divan, published by Muhammad Hashim Umidwar Harati (Tehran 1962)l Manzuma-yi Sitaragan (Kabul); Karavan-i Ashk (Tehran 1973); Bih Bargah-i Sa’di (Kabul); Barg-ha-yi Khazani (Quatrains); Paywand-i Dilha, his travelogue including the accounts of his travels in Iran (Tehran 1957); Quatrains (Ruba’iyyat), with English and Arabic translations, also published in Kabul, London, and San Francisco ; Harat in Arabic devoted to the monuments, notables, and histories of Herat (Baghdad); al-Fuqaha’ al-Mughaniyun in Arabic (Baghdad); Ibn Battuta fi Afghanistan in Arabic (Baghdad and Morocco); Zumurrud-i Khunin published by Saliha Sa’i (1976); collection of his poetry, titled Majmu’a-yi Ash’ar-i Khalil Allah Khalili, published by Mahdi Mada’ini (Tehran 1993); Surud-i Khun, selections of his last poems (Tehran 1989); Naynama on the biographical accounts of Rumi, published by the History and Belles-Lettres Society and the Afghan Academy (1973); ‘Ayyari az Khurasan (written in 1980); Risala-yi Yar-i Ashna, published by the Afghan Islamic Society for Scholarship and Council (Anjuman-i ‘Ilmi wa Mashwirati-yi Islami-yi Afghanistan; 1982); Dastani az Dastanha, Qahraman-i Kuhistan, written in 1984, published by Tamim Nuristani in Pakistan; Madar az Khun-i Farzand Miguzarad (written in 1986); Matamsara, published in the fourth series of publications of Afghan Combatant Writers’ Association (Anjuman-i Niwisandagan-i Mujahid-i Afghanistan; 1982); Surud-i Shahidan (Peshawar 1985); Masjid Jami’-i Harat (1984); Safarnama-yi Iran; Aramgah-i Babar (Kabul); Niyaz wa Niyayish (1982); Madar-i Gulgun-kafanan (New Jersey 1982); Guzida-yi Asar-i Tagur az Gitanjali wa Dastan-i Kabli Wala (New Jersey 1982); Zamzam-i Ashk (Peshawar 1982); Az Sajjada ta Shamshir (Islamabad 1984); Faryad (1985); Ashk-ha wa Khunha, published by the Islamic Republic of Iran Attache in Pakistan (Islamabad 1985); Shabha-yi Awaragi, published by the Afghan Jihad Cultural Council (Shura-yi Farhangi-yi Jihad-i Afghanistan; 1985); Nakhustin Tajawuz-i Rusiya dar Afghanistan (Islamabad 1982); Ghawth-i A’zam (Islamabad 1982); Risala-yi Shaykh al-Islam Sahib Mubarak-i Tagab; Ayaz az Nigah-i Sahibdilan (written in 1983); Nurhan, a treatise on modern poetry and modernist poets (Kabul); Bahar bih Khun-i Tishnagan (Kabul 1988); Dar Sayaha-yi Khaybar, published by Mas’ud Khalili (1988); Zarrin Gurbit, his only work in Pashtu (1974), a Persian translation of which was published under the title of ‘Uqab-i Zarrin by the Afghan Information and Culture (Kabul). His unpublished works include Daftar-i Shi’r; Dushanbanama; Murasalat-i Zindagi dar Rusta (Az Mahmud ta Mahmud); Ru’iyat-ha wa Riwayat-ha (3 vols.); Balkh dar Adab-i ‘Arabi; Abu Yazid Balkhi; Sufara-yi Afghanistan (Az Mahmud ta Mahmud). Having lived for a fruitful life of 80 years, Khalil Allah Khalili died in Islamabad, Pakistan, in the spring of 1987 and was buried there. The following couplet is inscribed on his tomb:

O Compatriot of auspicious arrival! If thou reach’st here,

Speak’st but about God and homeland.

Danishnama-yi Adab-i Farsi, Adab-i Farsi dar Afghanistan (3/ 372); Farhang-i A’lam-i Sukhan (1/ 657-658).