That day, by good fortune, I found a window seat in a Karachi minibus.
After a long day’s fatigue, even waiting for the bus—and then traveling standing from Saddar to the University of Karachi—felt like a blessing. But sitting had its own comfort. Nearly two hours of travel for less than two rupees. Such journeys were classrooms of their own, full of voices, arguments and fleeting insights.
As usual, I took a book out of my bag. Ashfaq Ahmad’s ”Safar Dar Safar” is one of those works you do not wish to put down. Yet the cool breeze from the window soothed my humidity-weary body and I closed my eyes to enjoy it. Soon, voices reached me. Two men were talking. One appeared to be a young seminary student; the other, a neatly dressed office clerk. I could guess how their conversation had begun. Karachi’s minibuses carry all kinds of people. Daily-wage laborers, exhausted, prefer silence. Office workers are usually reserved, but may speak if they find a courteous companion. The two men behind me had little in common, yet they were engaged. The reason was the missionary zeal one often finds in young men of religious persuasion. The young man advised his fellow passenger to study the Qur’an. The other replied that he wished to, but did not know which commentary to follow. The young man seemed prepared for this. He praised a certain elder and suggested his exegesis—ten or twelve volumes. The clerk hesitated and politely withdrew, saying he did not have time for such extensive study. This incident returned to me while reading “Glad Tidings”. It is a concise intro-duction and commentary on twenty-five Suras of the Qur’an—a graceful gift born of a painful trial. Its author, Dr. Naveed Elahi, is a close friend and a dis-tinguished expert in national security. We worked together at the Presidency; today he serves as Dean at the National School of Public Policy, Lahore. On October 12, 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf staged his coup, Dr. Elahi was serving at the Intelligence Bureau in Lahore. After returning home that evening, he was taken away in a Vigo pickup. What followed was a long period of solitary confinement. What is solitary confinement? Who can express its anguish better than Faiz: Koi naghma, koi khushboo, koi kafir soorat Be-khabar guzri, pareshani-e-umeed liye (No melody, no fragrance, no familiar face—
Unaware, it passed, carrying restless hope). Dr. Elahi endured something similar. No visitors, no conversation. A lesser-known poet, Samar Kabir, writes: Aur thora sa zehar gholne do Aadmi aadmi ko tarse ga (Let a little more poison dissolve— Man will begin to yearn for man).
In isolation, a person longs for another human being. In such a state, even a voiceless companion is a blessing. Dr. Elahi was fortunate: he had access to two volumes of Anwar-ul-Qur’an, a commentary by the late Dr. Ghulam Murtaza Malik. It proved transformative.
Coming from a devout, educated family, he was no stranger to the Qur’an. But engagement with it during trial is of another order. As he read, his inner state began to change. Impressed by the clarity and simplicity of the work, he resolved to carry its spirit into English so that those who cannot read Urdu may also access the message. What began as translation gradually became interpretation. Reflection deep-ened; the work evolved into a living commentary that speaks directly to con-temporary life. Consider his reading of Surah At-Takathur. The chapter reminds us that we will be questioned about wealth and blessings—how we acquired them and how we used them. Drawing on established commentaries yet exercising independent reasoning, Dr. Elahi suggests that the minimum standard of civilization, in the light of this surah, is simple but demanding: a society must ensure that the hungry are fed and their needs met. Similarly, in Surah Al-Ahqaf, references to the hardships faced during the boycott of Banu Hashim offer guidance on endurance, patience and moral steadiness in times of trial.
Any work connected with the Qur’an carries blessing. True to its name,”Glad Tidings” is a blessed effort that engages directly with our social condition. Over the past few decades, the number of people who read and understand Urdu has declined sharply. At the same time, attention spans—especially among the young—have grown shorter.
This creates a clear need: concise, accessible writing that reconnects new gen-erations with their faith and cultural inheritance. “Glad Tidings” meets this need. It distills essential meanings without burdening the reader, while still inviting reflection.
Dr. Naveed Elahi is fortunate to have found, in a time of trial, a path toward deeper engagement with the Qur’an—and to have turned that experience into a form of lasting charity. “Glad Tidings” is therefore not merely a book. It is a serious attempt to bridge a widening gap: the distance between our younger generation and the Qur’an.
—This writer is former advisor to the President of Pakistan, author & mass media theorist.
(farooq.adilbhuta@gmail,com)
