Taubat-un-Nasuh Summary: Nazir Ahmad’s Novel, Characters and Themes
- Language
- Urdu
About this novel
Taubat-un-Nasuh (Urdu: توبۃ النصوح, “The Repentance of Nasuh”) is a classic Urdu novel by Deputy Nazir Ahmad, first published in 1874. It tells the story of a father who, after a life-changing experience, tries to bring his whole family back to a life of faith and good conduct. The novel won an award from the government of the time and is still studied for its lively dialogue and its picture of a nineteenth-century Delhi household.
In this guide
Summary of Taubat-un-Nasuh
Nasuh’s dream
Nasuh is a respectable man who has lived a comfortable, careless life and paid little attention to the moral and religious upbringing of his children. During a serious illness he has a frightening dream in which he sees himself called to account for his life. He wakes up a changed man, full of regret, and resolves to set his family on the right path.
Reforming the family
Nasuh begins with his wife, Fahmida, who supports him. Together they talk to their children one by one. The younger ones respond well: the second daughter Hameeda and the youngest son Saleem listen and change their ways, and the second son Aleem also comes round after a long conversation with his father.
Resistance from the eldest children
The two eldest children are much harder. The eldest daughter, Naeema, is proud and sharp-tongued and quarrels bitterly with her mother. The eldest son, Kaleem, is the greatest challenge: a fashionable young man fond of poetry, pleasure and his own independence, he refuses to listen to his father at all.
The burning of the books
In one of the novel’s most famous scenes, Nasuh goes through Kaleem’s room and burns his collection of books and belongings that he believes are corrupting him. Kaleem, deeply offended, leaves home. The later chapters follow what happens to Kaleem out in the world, and the slow change in Naeema, showing the cost of pride and the value of repentance.
Characters
- Nasuh: the father who repents and tries to reform his family.
- Fahmida: his wife and partner in the effort.
- Kaleem: the proud eldest son who resists.
- Aleem and Saleem: the younger sons.
- Naeema and Hameeda: the elder and younger daughters.
Themes
- Repentance and reform: it is never too late to change, but change in others cannot be forced.
- Parents’ responsibility: the duty of parents to guide and educate their children.
- Generations in conflict: a father’s new strictness against a son’s freedom.
About Deputy Nazir Ahmad
Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi (1830–1912) was a scholar, reformer and novelist from Delhi. His first novel, Mirat-ul-Uroos (1869), about the sisters Akbari and Asghari, championed the education of girls.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Taubat-un-Nasuh? Deputy Nazir Ahmad, first published in 1874.
Why does Nasuh change? After a dream during a serious illness, he realises he has neglected his family’s upbringing.
Which son resists Nasuh? His eldest son, Kaleem.
Read more guides in our Urdu Classics section, including Mirat-ul-Uroos, Umrao Jaan Ada and Kafan.
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