Muhammad Siddique Musafir

Muhammad Siddique Musafir (1 April 1879 - 24 September 1961) was an educationist, writer, poet, translator and journalist of Sindh, Pakistan. He served as an editor of Sindhi language magazine "Akhbar-e-Taleem" for 18 years. His poems were part of school curriculum for many years. He also served as the first Incharge of Khan Bahadur Mir Ghulam Muhammad High School Tando Bago. Muhammad Siddiqui was born on 1 April 1879 at Tando Bago, District Badin, Sindh, Pakistan. His father Bilal Sheedi was from Zanzibar. His father was sold as a slave to a businessman of Muscat (Oman) Shaikh Hussain. He was then sold to Makhdoom Saber Ali, who was from Tando Bago, Sindh. His master was so happy with him that he used to call him "Gulab" (means rose). This name became so popular that people forgot his real name Bilal and used to call him Gulab Sheedi. Muhammad Siddique received early education in Tando Bago and after passing Vernicular examination (i.e. 7th classes) joined as Primary School teacher. Then he was appointed as a teacher at Training College for Men Hyderabad. He started composing poems with his pen name "Musafir". He wrote in almost all formats of poetry including Ghazal, Musnavi, Musadas, Geet, Nazm, Qatio, Munajat and Kafi etc. He assisted Ghulam Muhammad Shahwani in translating "Gulistan Bostan" from Persian to Sindhi language.