Dr. Mohammad Younus Tughyan Sakaei, a retired professor of literature at Kabul University, passed away in the United States at the age of 68 due to cancer. His death has deeply saddened the cultural and literary community of Afghanistan. Dozens of poets, writers, researchers, and politicians have described his passing as an irreparable loss to the nation’s literary society.
For 38 years, Dr. Sakaei taught the history of literature and epic poetry at Kabul University, dedicating his life to literary research and scholarship. He authored six academic textbooks for literature students: Poetry in Dari(1) (Texts of Epic Poetry), Understanding Ferdowsi and the Shahnameh(2) (Ferdowsi Studies), The History of Literature in the 7th and 8th Centuries AH(3) (The Mongol Era), The History of Literature in the 9th and 10th Centuries AH(4) (The Timurid Era), Historical Texts for the Master’s Level(5), and Instructional Texts for the Master’s Level(6). In addition, he published numerous essays and papers, particularly in the field of Shahnameh studies. He also collaborated for a time with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, where he published his articles on literature and Shahnameh scholarship.
Professor Sakaei, besides teaching at Kabul University and several other institutions, was widely known for his expertise in Shahnameh research. He also served for a period as the president of Baghlan University and was born in the Andarab district of that province. He passed away on the morning of Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Stanford Hospital in California, after battling cancer. According to his relatives, he first underwent ear surgery, but following the operation, signs of cancer appeared in his liver, leaving him little time for treatment.
In addition to his academic and research contributions, Professor Sakaei was also a poet. On July 29, 2025, he posted the following verses on his Facebook page, poetry that seemed to echo the pain and sorrow of his final days:
A black eternal cloud — your sorrowed dusk,
Has ensnared all time within your grief.
Until your eyes behold the light of day,
The owl of night shall haunt the roof of sorrow(7)
On August 20, 2025, he wrote about his illness on Facebook: “To my dear friends, I would like to inform you that I was discharged from the hospital yesterday. I am grateful for all your prayers and good wishes for my recovery. The treatment process continues, and I hope no further complications arise. The use of various medications has weakened my immune system, and the doctors advise against frequent visits. My family will respond to phone calls from friends.”
The death of this retired professor and Shahnameh scholar has triggered a wave of reactions across social media. Alongside writers, poets, and members of the cultural community, hundreds of his former students have described his passing as a profound loss for the country’s academic circles.
Professor Nayestani Anjiriyan, a faculty member at Kabul University’s Department of Literature, wrote: “Professor Sakaei devoted his life to the rich and profound field of Persian Dari literature, deeply attached to the world of the Shahnameh. He left behind invaluable writings in this domain. He was a kind and humble teacher who lived simply and nobly. He carried in his heart the grief of the suffering and the dream of their liberation — yet many of those dreams now lie buried in the dust.”
Dr. Mohammad Amin Ahmadi, former president of Avecinna University and a scholar of religious studies, expressed his condolences to the country’s academic community, describing Dr. Tughyan Sakaei as a modest, learned, and sincere scholar, emphasizing that he was free from any form of pretension, arrogance, or hypocrisy.
Poet and writer Partaw Naderi, mourning Sakaei’s death, wrote that he no longer had a shoulder left to weep upon, wishing there were someone with whom he could share his sorrow. He added: “The morning news in this land has become darker and more bitter than its smoke-filled nights. Professor Tughyan Sakaei, a distinguished scholar, poet, and exceptional Shahnameh researcher of the country, as Hakim Omar Khayyam would say, has joined the seven-thousand-year-old ones. He was among the great servants of the Persian Dari language and literature, dedicating much of his life to exploring the realms of myth, history, and culture within the Shahnameh. His writings and books will remain as valuable legacies.”
Naderi continued: “I am deeply heartbroken and weep silently to myself. Yet, I wish there were a friend among my kindred souls, so I could embrace him and weep endlessly for that noble man.”
Poet and author Samay Hamed also wrote in reaction to Sakaei’s death: “From his youth until his final days, Professor Sakaei taught and researched with devotion and compassion, never allowing the lightning of enlightenment to be extinguished. Many of today’s poets in Afghanistan, who are now literature professors themselves, were once his students at Kabul and Balkh universities. Wherever he went, he created an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie and brought the Shahnameh to life through his words.”
Taak Publications expressed their condolences, stating: “We sent him the final proof of Hadith-e Rostam, the second volume of his six-volume series Haft Khan, for a final review before publication. Alas, now we read the news of his death. We are deeply saddened that we could not publish his works sooner. If life permits, we remain committed to our promise.”
The Afghanistan Pen Association also issued a statement, writing: “He was a learned, capable, and dynamic scholar who wrote, taught, and strived for enlightenment and innovation until his final breath.”
In addition to literary institutions and cultural figures, hundreds of Professor Sakaei’s students have expressed their condolences, calling his death a moment of deep sorrow for the academic and intellectual community of the country.
Zia-ul-Haq Mehrnoosh, one of his former students at Kabul University, wrote: “Professor Sakaei devoted his precious and honorable life to noble causes. Even in the prisons of tyranny and in the cold exile far from his homeland, he never put down his pen. As long as he could, he continued to write, creating light and knowledge.”
The reactions to Professor Sakaei’s death on social media have been so widespread that it feels as if a kind teacher has silenced everyone, and the world has turned dark.
Original Titles/Poems in Persian
(1) – «نظم در دری» (متون شعر حماسی)
(2) – «در شناخت فردوسی و شاهنامه (فردوسیشناسی)»
(3) – «تاریخ ادبیات در سدههای هفتم و هشتم هجری (عصر مغول)»
(4) – «تاریخ ادبیات در سدههای نهم و دهم هجری (عصر تیموریان)»
(5) – «متون تاریخی برای دوره فوقلیسانس»
(6) – «متون تعلیمی برای دوره فوقلیسانس»
(7) –
یک چتر سیاه دایمی شام غمت
سر کرده فرو زمانه در دام غمت
تا دیده به چشم روز روشن نکنی
هرگز نبرد جغد شب از بام غمت
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
سکوت ابدی شاهنامهپژوه افغانستان؛ ساکایی هزاران میل دور از دیار شاهنامه چشم فرو بست
