A Research-Based Critical Review of the Prose Writing of Sharafat Ali Shahid

Abstract

This research article offers a critical and analytical study of the prose writings of Maulana Sharafat Ali Shahid, a notable Pashto prose writer, poet, and religious scholar. His prose represents a significant contribution to modern Pashto literature, particularly in the fields of religious discourse, intellectual reflection, and socio-moral awareness. Drawing upon classical Islamic scholarship, personal experience, and cultural observation, Sharafat Ali Shahid employs a clear, coherent, and purpose-driven prose style. His writings effectively bridge literature and Shariah, presenting complex religious and ethical concepts in an accessible yet scholarly manner. This study examines the thematic concerns, stylistic characteristics, and ideological foundations of his major prose works, including religious essays and travel writing. The research highlights how his prose avoids exaggeration and rhetorical excess, instead emphasizing authenticity, moral responsibility, and intellectual clarity. The article concludes that Sharafat Ali Shahid’s prose holds enduring literary and academic value and plays an important role in strengthening the tradition of serious, value-oriented prose in contemporary Pashto literature.