Mr. Surjit Singh Lamba (b. 1931) who works in the
Law Ministry and lives in Kirti Nagar, New Delhi,
has been gifted by nature with a photographic
memory. This means that just by reading anything a
few times, be it prose or poetry, he can remember
all of its details. He demonstrated this skill when he
visited our office in June, 1983, by reproducing
whole articles of Al-Risala from memory.
Being a great admirer of Iqbal, he has learnt
hundreds and thousands of his verses by heart, thus
becoming a specialist on his life and works. In 1983,
Mr. Lamba went to Pakistan where he was hailed as
an authority on Iqbal. One Mr. Amir Hussain of
Lahore, who is also renowned as an expert on Iqbal,
challenged Mr. Lamba to recite more verses by
heart than he could himself. So convinced was Amir
Hussain Lahori of his superiority, that he offered to
hand over Rs. 5000 in cash to Mr. Lamba if he could
beat him. Mr. Lamba accepted the challenge, and it
was agreed that, turn about, each would recite any
verse from any part of any poem by Iqbal and that
the other should have to recite whatever followed.
Mr. Lamba was able to recite faultlessly whatever
followed on from Amir Hussain’s cues. But Amir
Husain was ultimately unable to match his
performance, and so lost the contest. Explaining his
prowess, Mr. Lamba remarked, “I have been
hovering around the candle of Iqbal like a moth for
the past ten years. It is only if you have hovered
around it more than I have that you will be able to
outdo me in recitation.”
It is only such utter devotion—no matter what the
field of activity—which can lead to success. There
are few things in life which cannot be likened to the
candle. Only those who have hovered around it
more than others in this world of struggle and
competition can aspire to advance in life. It is by
putting everything we have—brains, effort, talent,
money, energy—into whatever we are doing, that
we can hope to derive some benefit from it. And
never can we hope to receive more than we have
actually given.
Ref - The Moral Vision
- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
