PURSUING HIS PASSION: Now retired from Kahramaa, Hamidullah Hamidi is a prolific writer. Right: SHORT STORIES: His second book, Soz-e-Dil, is a collection of short stories in Urdu.


 By Umer Nangiana


Actively pursuing his literary interests, starting from college days to life post-retirement, this talented writer has never seized to inspire and impress with pen in his hand. Always a keen observer and a sensitive heart, Hamidullah Hamidi tells heart-touching stories.
Recently out with his second book in verse and a collection of short stories (Afsanay) in his native language Urdu, Hamidi seems to have acquired an established writer’s knack in story-telling.  
Soz-e-Dil, his first book of short stories, was published by Book Home Lahore in Pakistan recently. Professor Dr Wahidul Rehman Khan of Urdu University in Lahore has written the preface of the book.
“My first book in Urdu (Sukoon-e-Dil) was published in 2010. It was on a motivational subject in light of psychology, spirituality and Islamic teachings,” Hamidi, a Pakistani expatriate living a retired life with his family in Qatar, told Community.
Armed with all the time post-retirement, Hamidi is fully enjoying his literary pursuits. He has compiled English poems on different personal experiences and wishes to publish them soon.
His third book in Urdu on the importance and philosophy of supplication (Duaa) is under the process of composition.
“I have compiled my fourth book on the subjects of money, poverty, and revolution and I hope it will be published next year,” Hamidi said.
That is not all. He has two more writing projects underway: the first book is on leadership, while the second is a composition of short stories. Hamidi also plans to compile some of his old comic articles, poems and memories from old personals diaries and publish them as well.
The recently published books, and the ones in the pipeline, are not the only literary endeavours of Hamidi. He has been a devout and active writer since he was in college.
A regular feature in different newspapers and magazines, Hamidi never lost his love for writing wherever he has moved to in life.  
“During my college life, one of my short stories, Mazdoor (Labourer) won the first prize in a writing competition. Some of my stories were published in famous Urdu literary magazines of Urdu newspapers,” Hamidi said.
Coming from a village in Pakistan — Kotli Loharan in West Sialkot, Punjab — Hamidi graduated from Islamiya College Sialkot before moving to Karachi University for his MA in English Literature.
During his high school and college days, Hamidi played an active role in many social and political activities. He was a member of drama society and took part in theatre plays.
He also formed a welfare society with the cooperation of his friends to help poor and flood victims in his village. Hamidi also started publishing a semi-literary journal named Jaieza from Sialkot. Besides, he was in charge of a local library, where he studied a large collection of good books.
In his college, Hamidi won the first prize in a competition for his first writing, Mazdoor. “I have also written comic articles and short stories in Yaran Watan, Akbar Jahan (magazines) and the weekly magazine of Nawai Waqt newspaper in Lahore,” said Hamidi.
He came to Qatar in 1975, following his parents. His father was a senior machinist and supervisor in MED. Hamidi’s first job was with the National Car Company. After working there for one year, he joined Bernard Sunley, the main Contractor of Hamad General Hospital project and finally joined SED (now Kahramaa). He retired in 2010 after serving for about 30 years.
Currently, he is living here in Qatar with his family — a son and two daughters, all married.
After landing in Qatar, Hamidi continued his writing endeavours. He used to write letters to the Editor of Gulf Times on different social issues. He won the first prize from Gulf Times in 1990 on writing on the problem of lack of higher education for expatriates’ children in Qatar.
“During my services with Kahramaa, I was awarded six certificates of appreciation, achievements and Shukran and special appreciation certificates for developing a procedure of warehousing. I also got a certificate of best employee in 2007 and a cash prize from Kahramaa,” said Hamidi.
He has secured a Certificate of Islamic Studies (Aloom Shareya) in 2006 from Ministry of Religious Affairs of Qatar and has gotten a diploma in water painting and Arabic calligraphy in 2006 from Arts and Crafts (Fanoon) Society of Qatar.
He is also an honorary member of Sialkot Post newspaper. Hamidi is interested in reading Islamic and history books, books on the life and character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Urdu literature, science and psychology. Besides writing stories, he also likes to paint and take photographs. He has a personal library in Pakistan and a collection of Urdu and English books here in his home in Qatar.
Hamidi says he has a dream to build a modern computerised and digitalised library in Pakistan. He also wishes to publish a literary magazine from Qatar and will welcome friends and writers who are interested in sharing their creations and ideas.