We were discussing the different terms for death in Urdu / Hindi languages in another thread and were able to find out more than 100 terms referring to demise.
Poets be it Muslim, Hindu or related to another religion did poetry on this issue. If we find Kabir Daas saying ’ Maati kahe Kumhar se tu kiya Tu Kya Rundhe Mohe Ek Din Aisa Ayega Main Rundhungi Tohe’ then we see Bulleh Shah saying ‘Maati kudam karendee yaar, Vaah vaah maati di gulzaar..’
We see almost all communities of sub-continent having days like Barsi, Chaleeswan, etc. Apart from going into the discussion of Biddat, there is an attachment with death / dead in all communities.
Be it Eid, Shab Baraat or Muharram Aashora, people do visit graves of their loved ones.
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Why so much importance the concept of death got in subcontinent society? Has this shaped society positively?**
i can think of 3 reasons
1) umeed - Hindu kay liye naye janam ki, aur Muslim k liye aakhirat main achay muqam ki
2) khaof - aasaishon kay khatam ho janay ka, aur buray anjaam ka
3) qurbat - unsay jo ah hum main nahi rahay
results positive or negative dono ho saktay hain
these things keep us attached to death, irrespective of its due to religious reasons or not
aur aapkay thread ka title dekh kar mujhay chacha ji ka novel yaad agya, Qurbat-e-Marg Main Mohabbat, i've yet to read it
i can think of 3 reasons
1) umeed - Hindu kay liye naye janam ki, aur Muslim k liye aakhirat main achay muqam ki
2) khaof - aasaishon kay khatam ho janay ka, aur buray anjaam ka
3) qurbat - unsay jo ah hum main nahi rahay
these things keep us attached to death, irrespective of its due to religious reasons or not
aur aapkay thread ka title dekh kar mujhay chacha ji ka novel yaad agya, Qurbat-e-Marg Main Mohabbat, i've yet to read it
Do you think in west people have same closeness with death and dead ones?
PS: do read that novel. It was good especially the way chacha ji portrays Islamabad :)
^ i don't personally know how it is in west since i've not spent time there more than few weeks.
but in Pakistan, and living in the UAE with Indians all around, i can see all of us attached to death as much as life.
After all we see it happening every day around us, its not something imaginary to die, it does happen and we all have customs related to this, its natural
And yes, I will read that book for sure. Also Mustansar Hussain Tarar has that weird way of "flirting with death" as he calls it, in his travelogues. On a death spot crossing a gorge, a crevasse on a glacier, at terrible descend, sitting beside a calm riverside
