Identity: Prominent biographical anthologist (Tazkira writer), author, and compiler

Irfan Abbasi was born on 13 August 1924 in Garhi Bhalol, district Barabanki, into a scholarly family. His great-grandfather Maulana Abdur Razzaq, grandfather Maulana Abdur Rahman, and father Maulana Nauman were distinguished scholars of Islamic sciences. His father also had a refined taste for poetry and literature and used the pen name “Soz.” This intellectual and literary environment played a significant role in shaping Irfan Abbasi’s personality.

He received his early education in a maktab and later completed his studies from Punjab University. He also earned a diploma in Homeopathy. Around 1947, he joined the Uttar Pradesh Civil Secretariat and, after a long career in government service, retired in 1984.

Irfan Abbasi’s primary field was tazkira writing (biographical documentation of poets), in which he made remarkable contributions. His most notable work is “Tazkira Shu‘ara-e-Uttar Pradesh”, a monumental multi-volume research work. In it, he compiled the biographies and selected works of thousands of poets, making it a valuable asset to Urdu literature.

Over his lifetime, he authored and compiled approximately 75 books, including:

“Aap,” “Aap The,” “Aap Hain,” “Tazkira Shu‘ara-e-Rekhti,” “Dabistan Ameer Minai,” “Nasr Nigaran Urdu,” “Urdu Adab Mein Kaun Kya?,” “Urdu Shayari Mein Hindustaniyat,” “Ishariya Shu‘ara-e-Lucknow,” and “Lucknow Ki Adabi wa Saqafati Anjumen,” among others.

Death: He passed away on 4 January 2012.