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Hafiz Ikram Ahmad (Urdu: حافظ اکرام احمد), or simply known by his pen name Zaigham (Urdu: ضيغم), was a 19th-century teacher and alchemist based in Bengal.[1] He became prominent due to his talent in Urdu and Persian language poetry,[2] specialising in ghazal and marsiya in Rekhta.
It is considered that Ikram was born in Rampur, Agra Presidency, while others suggest he was born in Delhi but from Rampur.[3] His name is often preceded with the title of Hafiz, a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorised the Qur'an.[4]
از عدد مدح دو تا کم رسید
Az adad-e-madah do ta kam rasid
هر چه بود قسمت ضیغم رسید Har che bud qismat-e-Zaigham rasid
Zaigham migrated to Bengal at some point in his life where he gained popularity. A notable piece of poetry of his include a fifty-verse long Persian qasida. Ikram was celebrated for his metre capability. Nassakh, a contemporary Urdu poet of Bengal, praised his teacher, Ikram, on this; stating that a single ghazal written by Ikram can include up to 72 Urdu poetic metres.[6]
He was also a teacher to a number of students to whom he taught Urdu poetry. Some include Nassakh, Hafiz Rashidun Nabi Wahshat, Mahmud Azad, Hakim Ashraf Ali Mast,[citation needed] Hamid Bakht Mazumdar,[7] Arman and Khwaja Abdul Ghaffar Akhtar.[8][9][10] He was also a tutor to the family of Nawab Syed Mahmud.[5] It has also been said that Shaykh Haji Ilahi Bakhsh Bijan Siddiqi of Danapur was a student of Zaigham.[11]
کامل فن سخن ماہر اصناف كلام کوئی ضیغم سا نظر مجھ کو نه استاد آیا
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