Zia uddin Sardar
When I entered, I was greeted by a strong, familiar scent. It was past midnight and most of the people in the mosque were asleep. The aroma of biryani, qorma and kheer wafted through the air. This was the food they ate at night. It also contained the poisonous smell of the old dilapidated, dilapidated and ruined building that had been turned into a mosque.
The smell of chit-chat food smelled of rotten walls, dried mildew and the smell of carpets on which soaked feet would have been lying for a long time. For a man of a certain age who grew up in Britain, this environment was familiar and homely. Pure and blessed. But on the condition that the man be a Muslim and be familiar with the mosque and its surroundings. Like this mosque in Glasgow, all the mosques in Britain were initially built in such dilapidated buildings. The building was obtained from.
The mosque used to support a person who is struggling to make a new land his home. In such places, the whole environment is known for the history of human struggle and growing aspirations in depressing conditions. If there was a mosque, one or the other would stay there for one night. It is a common thing that when there is despair from everywhere, the mosque gives shelter. This shelter is both material and spiritual. It is also real and metaphorical.
But the fact that dozens of people are sleeping comfortably, their snoring sounds coming at once and their suitcases scattered here and there shows something else. When you wake up, you will see people ready for a specific purpose and a specific mission. But I, who was lonely and anxious, did not know how to sleep far away. By the time I reached the age of twenty, I had experienced a lot of Muslim groups who wanted to give my life a purpose and a purpose.
But for me, none of them were as frightening and disturbing as the series of events that brought me here. It was the summer of 1972 and I wanted to be home in peace this Sunday morning. Let me go But early in the morning the doorbell rang. On the seventh floor of the council flat, a common visitor came by chance. The tower block was an example of the unintentional imagination of architects, city planners and municipal officials who were determined to take Hackney’s dilapidated street dwellers out of the filth and into a newly built paradise.
Behind Seton Point, where we lived, was Clipton Pond, a landmark in East London. It was built according to the new era. But the people there depended on an elevator that ran at will and sometimes refused to walk. That is why no one could dare to come to our door by climbing so many stairs except very stupid, or very loving loved ones and friends or very straight people.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by a very enthusiastic person. Two men with tangled beards, wearing loose-fitting shalwars, extended their hands towards me together. Please I said, freeing my hand from his claws. “By the grace of God, we are here to show you the way to heaven.” The tall white man said. Dr. Ahmed Khan’s face was somewhat familiar, in fact he was not a doctor but a dentist.
I knew he lived in the northern part of Pakistan. His face was more Caucasian than that of the British. When he spoke, it was clear that he had adopted the dialect of the western parts of England very well. I saw them in a gathering of Muslims. Whenever I went to them, I was told the words of Bismillah, Alhamdulillah, Insha Allah and Istaghfarullah more than the conversation. Words were also heard.
From what he heard, it was clear that Khan was a moving example of the old saying that the soul of a Muslim is like a mosaic built on the principles of the Qur’an. He breathes in it and lives in it. I never thought that since I have been attending these gatherings, Khan Sahib has been keeping a close eye on my movements and residences and he has noticed that my appearance is not that of a pious Muslim. Called and served breakfast. I have a good training in etiquette and I never lag behind in humility for the sake of the guests.
Dr. Khan introduced his partner. This is Masood Sahib. They have come here from Karachi for preaching after such a long journey. It was learned that Masood Sahib had left not only his pepper spice business but also his wife and eight children in Pakistan so that he could preach in Europe and invite Muslims to the mosque. This work of preaching is like that of the American Christians, one or another group of whom devotes two years to this cause. These people are called Mormon and go from city to city knocking on the doors of strangers and preaching their rhetoric and trying to persuade their faith.
I knew what a gift was coming to me from my guests and I had prepared my half-asleep senses for it. “Dear brother,” he began. “We see that you do not observe prayers.” This sentence was very dangerous for me. I shook my head in embarrassment. “You know that prayer is the key to heaven. You know how to pray properly.” “Yes, I know how to pray …” “It is performed with the right rules and regulations.”
Masood Sahib did not allow me to complete my sentence. Brother, you will be surprised to hear how many Muslims do not pray properly. Many of our brothers and sisters do not even know how to perform Wudhu properly. Yes, but I was one of them … Now it was Khan’s turn, he interrupted me in the middle. He clapped his hands lovingly on my back and said, “Brother, brother, yes, yes.” You know everything, but it is not enough for you to pray on time and in the right way.
In order to keep one’s heart and mind free from all worldly pollutions and to inculcate the habit of remembering one’s true Creator, it is the duty of every Muslim to recite it frequently and frequently. Masood Sahib supported him. But that is not enough. We should take it a step further and invite our other brothers and sisters as well. For this, they should be guided to make prayer, remembrance and meditation a part of their life.
Da’wah is obligatory on every Muslim. The Almighty … Saying the word of Almighty, Masood Sahib started the word Allah Allah … Dr. Khan bowed his head, listened to these words and then spoke. God Almighty has made it obligatory on every Muslim to take some time out of his worldly responsibilities and to follow in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (sws). Go from house to house, from city to city and try to bring Muslims on the right path. You may think that invitation and preaching is the work of professional scholars only. No, it is the duty of every Muslim.
You and I should go out on a party together. That is the way to heaven. Yes but … you don’t want to go to heaven? Masood Sahib took advantage of my hesitation and said, “Yes, who doesn’t want to go to heaven.” But I have exams in a few weeks. I excused myself in the hope that it would stop their attacks on me and the truth was that I was studying physics at university and this was my last year. My exams were really going to take place in two or three weeks. But this excuse of mine had no effect on Masood Sahib.
You are anxious for a worldly test, but do not worry about your final test? Are you ready for this exam? Dr. Khan added by participating in your invitation. God willing, on the Day of Resurrection, they will start preparing with full devotion to appear before their real Creator and give their final test.
All my tricks seemed to fail. On the other hand, I also realized that another front was about to open behind me. My father and mother were standing behind the door listening to everything. I knew that my mother was a devout woman according to her beliefs and customs. She will break my heart by telling these people that you are talking about prayers, it does not even fast Ramadan and as far as my father is concerned, he runs away from the preaching type people.
There are many other groups like Tablighi Jamaat which have different and contradictory views. They have their own formulas for attaining Paradise in this world and in the Hereafter. Each group and party represents a different ideology and belief. So they become a challenge to each other. Each group tries to attract people and because here I was a young man who needed guidance.
So every group had their eye on me. I was happy that so much attention was being paid to me. But I also thought that I would not go with anyone without thinking. I wanted to experience for myself the different interpretations of Islam that are being presented to me, to analyze them and to see what kind of paradise is being shown to me. So these uninvited guests were giving me this opportunity and then there was another thing that my father became an active supporter of another religious party in the latter part of his life.
I was also afraid that if he came here at that time, he would be in trouble. After that, the process of calling each other bad and finding fault with each other will begin. I did not want to be the target of anyone in this war of different attitudes towards Islam. Obviously, how could anyone think of paradise in this war. The only way for me was to deal with this issue quickly. Well, I surrendered. I will go with you to preach. Alhamdulillah Masood Sahib and Dr. Khan raised the slogan together.
You can do this sacred work by offering your services for three days. Masood Sahib said. And we are fortunate that a great preaching conference is starting tomorrow in Sheffield. You can spend the whole time in it. Come on. Masood Sahib saw that I did not understand, so he explained the invitation of forty days. Forty days? I couldn’t control myself anymore. I was afraid inside that my father’s eyes would start to catch fire and he could come here at any time.
Forty days I whispered as I led the guests to the door. But why are you kicking us out? Dr. Khan protested. You are also walking with us. You mean right now? Brother. Right now, at the same time, the conference is starting tomorrow in Sheffield. We don’t have time at all. Like train and bus, heaven doesn’t wait for anyone, Masood Sahib joked for himself. Now the scene changes.
I’m sitting in the back seat of an old Triumph car and driving towards Dr. Khan Sheffield. At least that’s what I was told when I left London. But now my little knowledge of geography tells me that Dr. Khan is going in the wrong direction. I say Dr. Khan. Sheffield is in the north. You’re right, you’re staring at the road. So why are we heading south? That’s why, my dear brother, we’re going to Plymouth. There we have to meet some more brothers.
Inshallah he will also go to Sheffield with us. There was much more hidden in the way he said Inshallah. The word Insha’Allah has many possibilities beyond human intellect and consciousness. This means if Allah wills. Now I am told that the brothers we are going to do not know about our arrival at all. Even their angels do not know that they are going to Sheffield with us in the preaching conference. Now my invitation course has started. Do you know anything about Tablighi Jamaat? Masood Sahib asked. It had started raining outside.
Billions of Muslims are taught that Islam is the only way to salvation. It is said that Islam has the answer to every question. But they do not agree on a single thing. Which way to go? What happened to me that day was a shining example. For the wrong reasons and with the wrong mood, we were walking towards the innocent people who did not know any program like me. Brother Masood Sahib looked at me and said in a very sweet voice, Get in the habit of listening.
As a student and future caller, you need to clear your mind of the contamination of doubt before calling others to the path of truth. Just as your worship is not complete until your body is cleansed of filth, so you will not be able to acquire knowledge until your mind is cleansed of doubts and misconceptions.
It was raining outside and the history of the Tablighi Jamaat was getting boring inside. The movement was founded by Maulana Muhammad Ilyas in the area of northern India where Rajput Muslims lived. These people are called Mayo. They became Muslims many centuries ago, but they were Muslims in name only. Maulana saw that all their customs were Hindu. The rituals of their birth, marriage and death are Hindu. They celebrate Hindu festivals and even worship Hindu gods and goddesses. What was even more unfortunate was that they easily fell prey to Hindus and became Hindus again.
At that time there was a British government and it did not get involved in this matter. Therefore, it was necessary to run down to the lower level. At the same time, it was necessary to make the Mayo nation aware of the basic teachings of Islam. Masood Sahib said and prepared himself to give more details. But at the same time Dr. Khan took a bite and said, “It is time for Zuhr prayers.”
He hurried down. He had a place of prayer in his hand. Masood Sahib also came down at the same speed. “Won’t you pray with Mara?” They both asked at the same time. But it is raining very hard here, I said. Besides, we are on a journey. We can also offer our prayers later. “Don’t look for easy ways” Masood replied and Dr. Khan added thoughtfully. It is the easy way out that has ruined our religion, he said.
When Masood Sahib started looking for a suitable place for the place of prayer, Khan Sahib started giving Adhan. When the Adhan was over, Masood Sahib asked which side is the Qibla? Obviously, prayers cannot be performed without knowing the qiblah. Dr. Khan said that to avoid any suspicion, we have installed a compass in the place of prayer. But even the compass needle was not visible at that time. Steam spread all around as the hot car came out in the cold rain. There was also steam on the compass of the prayer place.
We were getting wet too. Now Dr. Khan bowed at the place of prayer in such a way that it stopped raining at the place of prayer. He moved his body around in different ways and tried to look at the compass. At last he stood up and announced that the direction of the qiblah was known. At the same time, he turned southeast towards the place of prayer. Then the three of us prayed. We were praying and the rain of mercy was falling on us. While we were performing our religious duties in the rain and providing entertainment to passers-by, I remembered the famous English playwright and actor Noel Cordia.
He has written a lot about such ridiculous actions of the British in hot countries. Now when we left again, Masood’s statement started again. This was a lesson in the history of the Tablighi Jamaat. He told me in great detail what was the position of his party in the revival movements of Islam. He said that every worker of this party has dedicated his life for the revival and strengthening of the original and true Islam. By the way, it is also true that the Tablighi Jamaat has never claimed to be an intellectual or intellectual group.
Yes, he says, the traditional religious education system lacks the ability to produce scholars who do not understand the needs and thirst of ordinary peasants and workers. Therefore, this group made the six basic principles of Islam the center of its preaching and started preaching these principles from door to door. “He was very successful in this age. The circle should be extended to other countries of the world, so the preachers reached Europe and now they have many followers all over the world.
More than one million people attended the Raiwind gathering last year. “Masood said this with a little too much emphasis to get my reaction.” We can honestly say that the world after Hajj This is the biggest gathering of Muslims all over the world. “Alhamdulillah, Dr. Khan could not remain silent. Alhamdulillah. What blessings of our Lord will we confuse. At that time I also remembered a few blessings. And it was in the rain of mercy that we performed this duty.
Now I was worried about evening prayers. I was amazed at how quickly this series of religious duties became the focus of my attention. Thankfully, we reached Plymouth before sunset. Here Dr. Khan took us to a house near Plymouth Polyclinic. The house served both the mosque and the student hostel. It was managed by a Malaysian man. And soon we came to know that the same person was guilty of luring Dr. Khan to this area.
The man had informed Dr Khan that some students were not fulfilling their religious duties. They desperately need Dr. Khan’s educational attention. All these things came to our notice at a time when we were hurrying inside to offer prayers. As soon as the prayers were over, Imam Sahib announced that a distinguished guest from Pakistan had arrived. Now he will address. At the same time, he invited Masood Sahib to address the gathering. “My dear brothers,” Masood Sahib began his address.
“I have learned that many of you brothers do not pray properly.” Most of the audience were Malaysian students. They were listening intently. They said . But just praying is not enough. Along with prayers, it is important to remember our real Creator as our beloved Prophet used to remember. At the end of his speech, he also highlighted the importance of the invitation and its usefulness. Now these words seemed to be heard by me. The largest preaching gathering in British history is taking place in Sheffield. Now I see a strange scene.
The students were listening to Masood’s speech with great attention and devotion, but as soon as the speech was over, they disappeared as if they had never been. I have never seen people disappear so fast in my life. It seemed that no one was willing to go to heaven at that time. However, there was a caste that really seemed anxious to go to heaven. We did not pay attention to it. She was sitting behind a curtain in a special place for women.
The clothes she wore on her body and the way she hid her own face showed a pile of clothes. It didn’t look like anyone could be in this pile of clothes. It was Dr. Khan who recognized her and found out that there was a woman hidden in this ghat. He turned to the curtain and made a noise. “Sister, what do you intend to do? Will you respond to this invitation?” “Me?” Dr. Khan roared. “Will you go preaching with us?” Wrapped in clothes, Sofia’s sister was from Lancashire.
He fell in love with a Malaysian student and converted to Islam. After the marriage, they both came to Plymouth. But the marriage did not last long, but Sister Sofia’s commitment to Islam remained. I saw her as a role model for a pure Muslim woman. She covered herself from head to toe. Whenever she spoke, her every word was Bismillah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar. We left for Sheffield before dawn the next day.
Sofia sat in the next seat with Dr. Khan because of her privilege of being a woman. Masood Sahib was sitting in the back with me and since there was not much space in the trunk of the car, he kept his sister Sofia’s suitcase with us. It was still dark and the stars were suddenly visible in the sky. But as soon as we reached the motorway, the rain started again. I was thinking in my heart how good it would be if Allah Mian would make me lollangra.
At least we would sit comfortably in the car. We would stop at various places along the way, inviting people to join the gathering (which was sometimes successful and often unsuccessful) and finally reached Sheffield. Dr. Khan was very disappointed in Plymouth that there was only one caste participating in the gathering. Due to repeated stops along the way, we arrived at Sheffield just as the ceremony was about to end. Only the speech of Maulana Inam Hassan, the spiritual leader of the Tablighi Jamaat, remained.
Everyone used to call Maulana Hazrat Ji. He spoke in very eloquent and eloquent Urdu and highlighted in detail the importance and usefulness of Kalima Tayyaba. There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger. He also talked a lot about the four pillars of Islam, prayer, fasting, zakat and Hajj, and said that we should perform the five daily prayers with restraint, fast the whole of Ramadan, pay zakat every year and in life. Hajj must be enjoyed at least once.
These are the basic duties that need special attention. Hazrat Ji said emphatically that we will get its reward in the hereafter. The infinite mercy of God Almighty will take you to heaven. This was the essence of the teachings of the Tablighi Jamaat. If you perform your religious duties, you will surely get paradise from Allah. This meant that you should follow the formula made and then sit back and relax with the belief that now you will get paradise.
It’s as if you’ve completed a lifetime of work. The Tablighi Jamaat does not seem to have such a message and has never bothered to think about the pervasiveness of injustice and oppression around the world and especially in Muslim countries. Has made the lives of millions and billions of people indigestible, what to do about it. They easily ignore the sufferings of this world. I thought.
Shouldn’t we try to make our present life a paradise for all? The more we make this world easier and more comfortable for ourselves and others, the better we will understand the paradise of the other world. The conference itself was not a goal. A program and a plan of action were drawn up for all of us who gathered there. We were divided into small groups so that we could spread to different parts of the UK. Each group had to go to different mosques My group’s mission was to go to Glasgow.
If you have a question in your heart and you want an answer to it, you should gather evidence of it and examine it and then consider its authenticity. Before I could say goodbye to the Tablighi Jamaat, it was necessary for me to present myself for this program. So Glasgow was my destination. Another car journey began. The rain was falling intermittently. What about the summer in Britain when the rain stopped during prayers? Khalid Sahib welcomed us in Glasgow.
He was our group leader there and had been there before us. He looked about 45 years old. Thin, bearded and dressed in a black sherwani and black hat. He was a lecturer in statistics at Aligarh University. At that moment, standing barefoot on the old and cold carpet, he was enthusiastically welcoming everyone who came. Sister Sofia had separated from us with great obedience. Khalid Sahib told us the good news that first eat something and then rest.
There were snoring sounds all around me but there was no sign of sleep in my eyes. I was thinking about Hazrat Ji’s speech. Part of his speech was stuck in my mind. It was about the basic attribute of knowledge. The importance of insisting on knowing and understanding and meditating are topics that are mentioned again and again in the Qur’an. I had already made the desire to ask questions and get answers a part of my life. I thought that this was the only way to be saved in this world and in the other world.
Knowledge is the heritage of Muslims which I did not get with my mother’s milk, but I got it from their advice that Islam is not just the name of fasting prayers. It is motivated by knowledge. Hazrat Ji’s words were echoing in my mind. He had said that our scholars should know the true nature of knowledge and should have the ability to distinguish between real and fake knowledge. The hallmark of real knowledge is that it can be put into practice.
It is not only the job of the imams and ulema of the mosques to lead the prayers, but they must also have the ability to invite ordinary Muslims to the mosque. They call people to religion. I was having a hard time sleeping. The statement referred to a limited circle in which you continue to perform your religious duties. This thinking has limited religion to the unintentional practice of religious rites and has excluded the world and its problems from this realm.
The more I meditated on the concept of Tablighi Jamaat, the more I meditated on my concept of asceticism and Paradise, and the interrelationship between the two, the more I became confused. Summer hours in the UK are such that it is difficult to get a good night’s sleep at night because Fajr falls even before 4 am. There were about 50 prayers at Fajr prayers. Imamat Khalid Sahib conducted. After the prayer, Masood Sahib was requested to teach
As expected, he made the six basic principles of the Tablighi Jamaat the subject of his teaching. After the lesson, breakfast was served. Breakfast consisted of egg pratha and halva. Everyone ate well and left the task of digestion to their stomachs. After breakfast some people went to Dewsbury where Hazrat Ji was going to address another gathering. I saw Dr. Khan’s hand in this too. Their strategy was to travel from Sheffield to Dewsbury via Glasgow. Thankfully my group had to stay in Glasgow.
If I had a chance to run, I would know that the Tablighi Jamaat has something other than this repetition. Now that we were there, we were called to make a program for the day. Apparently we were called for advice, but there our leader gave each worker a tailored program. Some people were responsible for cooking, some were assigned to clean the mosque and some members were asked to take care of the women. I was sent to an education class.
Despite all its naivety, the Tablighi Jamaat is very fond of using technical terms. I reached the elementary education class with great obedience. There we sat in a circle. There was a gentleman sitting among us whom everyone was calling Hafiz Sahib. It turned out that he was a famous locksmith in Lucknow. He picked up one of the publications of the Tablighi Jamaat and started reading. That chapter of the book was about prayer. Later we were divided into small groups. Here everyone was taught the correct pronunciation of the Qur’an.
The task of the leader of this group who was appointed was to tell us how to stand in prayer, how to prostrate. There was a special emphasis on the fact that every action in the prayers should be with the whole congregation. After lunch, the Zuhr prayers were offered. The ghee in the meal was Tarbtar Biryani and Qorma. I felt this ghee accumulating in the arteries of my body. We were allowed to rest a bit before more classes started. The name of the lesson we learned on the afternoon of this very busy day was “Statement”.
That was another name for our early education. This time it was the turn of a Haji Sahib. “Think of your pocket knife.” He began by stating, “He considers his profession to be an extraordinary profession and devotes himself to this art with complete honesty. He works day and night to master this art. The government is against him.” Yes, the people are against him and the police are behind him. But he keeps on doing his job. Even when he is caught, he goes to jail.
He endures every hardship for his work. So my dear brothers, preaching is also an important task, for this you should take your time and dedicate yourself to this duty. You will be as successful in the hereafter as a pocket knife is in this world. Allah Almighty will reward you for this and a revolution will come in your life. If you invite others to Islam, you too will become good Muslims. I was now becoming accustomed to the broader terms of the Tablighi Jamaat. “We should go around the city and invite people.” Khalid Sahib and Haji Sahib were in my group on patrol.
“We will meet ordinary people in the areas we visit, acquaint them with the basic tenets of Islam and invite them to embark on a mission,” he explained. There are six basic rules of patrol. They said. “I don’t expect anything more from you. When you go to someone’s house, say aloud,” Peace be upon you. “Tangled
Don’t talk nonsense. Never talk about politics. “Today we are going to two men who live outside of Glasgow,” he said. Our first target was a medical doctor from Hyderabad Deccan. They greeted us warmly and offered us tea. Khalid Sahib started questioning him. “Do you pray with restraint”? “I will try”. The doctor replied. “That’s a good thing.” Haji Sahib looked very excited.
“Then you wouldn’t mind walking with us to preach?” He asked anxiously, “Do I keep doing it?” “Do you keep doing it?” Both Khalid Sahib and Haji Sahib looked at him in amazement. What is the duty on a Muslim? “How many Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent?” The doctor asked. Khalid thought for a minute and then said, “India and Pakistan together will be half a billion.”
And everyone is in trouble. The doctor said. Instead of trying to recover, they wallow in their sadness and thus, experience more failure. Tell us our mistakes. First you have to fix your house. Khalid Sahib looked at me. I was looking at the books in the closet. “Charity starts from home, I said without thinking. Khalid Sahib had seen that I was turning the pages of Maulana Maududi’s book” Khilafah and Monarchy”.
He got up quickly and snatched the book from my hand and put it in a cupboard as if he had hot potatoes in his hand. “Don’t you like Maulana Maududi?” The doctor asked. This is not a question of likes and dislikes. Khalid Sahib said. At that moment, I remembered patrol code number three and four. Instead of getting involved in politics and rhetoric, we should focus on the basic principles of Islam. But how can we eliminate injustices from the world without getting involved in politics?
The doctor replied, “If Muslims are truthful in their worship, remember God and recognize their place in the universe, then these injustices will automatically end.” After that Khalid Sahib did not bother to listen to the answer and stood up without any preamble. “Alhamdulillah. Nice to meet you. We have to go somewhere else. Our second stop was the house of a laborer who belonged to Punjab and lived here for many years. Khalid Sahib asked with great affection that he regularly He prays and does not have any difficulty in his worship while living in the UK.
“No,” said the laborer so loudly that the Tablighi brothers were shocked at once. Then Khalid Sahib regained his senses and began to tell him about faith. “Faith is the key to heaven. Every Muslim must have the right faith and he is acting on that faith in the right way.” How do you know if my faith is true or not? My faith is weak. Do you have a meter to measure faith? Where is that scale, let me see. ” The laborer was speaking. There was mischief in his eyes. My dear brother, I am saying that faith.
That is, submission to the will of God is the key to understanding and this is the first condition to go to heaven. Khalid Sahib had seen the mischief in the man’s eyes but he was not ready to soften his tone. “Have you heard the story of the prostitute?” The laborer asked, “Prostitute? What kind of prostitute?” Khalid Sahib could not believe his ears. What is he saying? One day this man started saying. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw a prostitute passing by a well.
As she was leaving, she saw a dog dying of thirst. He drew water from the well and filled it with his shoes and fed the dog. He was very impressed by the kindness of this prostitute. He said that because of her mercy all her sins would be forgiven and she would go to heaven. “What do you want to say?” Haji Sahib asked impatiently. I felt that the principle number four of Tablighi Jamaat is in danger. “If I am not as committed to prayers as this prostitute, how can you say with certainty that I will not be forgiven for the good deeds I have done or will do in the future?”
Now Khalid Sahib thought that forget principle number four and change your strategy and compete with the debate. “Well, dear brother, I also want to tell you an incident from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).” He moved his chair closer to the man. One day the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting outside when a man dressed in white, with a white beard and no signs of fatigue on his face, came to him and asked. What is faith? ”He said.
Faith is that you believe in Allah and His angels and believe in His Messenger and the Last Day. “The man then asked,” What is Islam? “He said,” Islam is that you are Allah. I worship Allah and do not associate anyone with Him, I offer prayers, pay Zakat and fast in Ramadan. When you pray, think of it as if you are seeing Allah, or if you are not seeing Allah, then Allah is watching you. Khalid Sahib paused and then spoke.
“Do you know who that person was? He was Gabriel.” After that he paused again and said “Obviously you will follow the Prophet of Islam only, you will not follow the prostitutes”. Haji Sahib looked at me proudly as if I was saying. “Look, shut up.” The laborer looked at the three of us one by one. I remembered another hadith of the Prophet. “He said,” You said that there are more than sixty or seventy branches of faith. The best of these is the confession that there is no god but Allah and the lowest of all is that you remove the things that fall in the way of others which may harm someone.
I clean, I make a living from it. I clean the roads five days a week in the rain or in the sun. That is why my faith is strong. I don’t need anyone’s certificate or check my faith. Now Khalid Sahib had nothing to say. He got up with great difficulty and we greeted him and hurried out of the mosque. “How submissive these Muslims are. You have to be careful.”
He said in a very sympathetic tone with innocence. “Otherwise you will be the same.” It is not my habit to hurt an oppressed person, so I listened to them in silence. He was advising me to adhere strictly to the six principles of the congregation. “There’s a lot you have to learn right now. You have to spend more time with us. I figured that spending more time with them meant listening to the same things over and over again. The same six principles, the same. Six rules.
I thought that since these people raided my house, I have not come close to heaven and the idea of heaven has not been clear in my mind. I am where I was before. What I learned from them was that their formula is not useful for me. Going inside the mosque, I saw a glimpse of Sister Sofia. He shook my hand when he saw me and without saying anything he made the English number 8 in gestures. For a while my attention was diverted.
When I turned around, she was not there. I understood that she wanted to meet me at eight o’clock when the Maghrib prayers were being offered. Then I got out of there and started looking for my sister Sofia. She was not in the women’s section of the mosque. If they didn’t show up in the hallway, I went out and looked for them in the car park. Waving clothes in the air showed that she was waiting for me behind the car (van).
We greeted each other enthusiastically. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” “Yes,” he asked me. I answered. “Then why not run away from here.”
Masood Ashar Shahrzad Publishers Karachi
