One of the acknowledged masters of Urdu ghazal. To his credit a number of oft-quoted couplets speaks of the popularity of Shad Azimabadi's ghazals, such as: I've been entangled in desires/what toys to keep me calm! The story of life we heard from the middle/how it began, where it ended, we know not [see Urdu text below] It is now claimed that Shad Azimabadi was the one who wrote the first novel in Urdu, published in 1876, under the title 'Suratul Khyal'. The claim enjoys the backing of Khuda Baksh Library, and the man who has made this claim is the grandson of Shad Azimabadi. Shad Azimabadi was born Nawab Syed Ali Muhammad in Patna (India).