Memories (Episode 14)
Some Events from 1955 and 1956
Our respected father’s (may Allah have mercy on him) life was one of continuous struggle. After migrating to Pakistan, he was ever-absorbed with the concern that Pakistan should become a beautiful model of its original purpose of creation, i.e. the implementation of Islam. To this end, he wished for such a constitution to be implemented in the country that would reflect Islamic teachings. Due to this, he frequently found himself at odds with the secular circles of the country. On the other hand, the teaching and administrative responsibilities of Dar al-ʿUlum demanded dedicated time. Apart from the above was writing fatawa , which did not stop at any time. The daily routine of delivering a lecture on Qur’anic tafsir after Fajr in the Bab al-Islam Mosque was never missed, and later on, he also gave lessons on Radio Pakistan every Friday titled Maʿarif al-Qur’an. He also wrote books and articles based on the needs of the country. In the field of taṣawwuf and suluk, in order to fulfil the responsibility given to him as a trust by Hadhrat Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him), he delivered an Islaḥi[1] talk every Sunday, and responding to letters from seekers of suluk was an additional task. Family issues were an addition to all these [responsibilities]. And for all these matters, he also had to travel frequently, which also consumed time.
However, especially the years 1955 and 1956 brought numerous challenges for our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him), and several significant events transpired in these years, which seem appropriate to be mentioned individually.
The Struggle for the Constitution of Pakistan
Our respected father had spent endless days and nights to prepare the Constitution, which was now in its final stages. He had also been holding frequent meetings and dialogues with the relevant stakeholders to improve it as much as possible.
In the first three months after arriving in Pakistan, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him), together with Hadhrat Mawlana Manazir Ahsan Gilani and Dr. Hamidullah (may Allah have mercy on them both), had drawn up a draft outline of the Constitution. Following this, the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan established a department called the “Board of Islamic Teachings” and made it a sub-department of the Assembly. This department operated under the leadership of Hadhrat Mawlana Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him), with our respected father as a core member. From the very inception of Pakistan, certain elements in the country strongly opposed giving it an Islamic identity and instead sought to introduce a secular constitution. To this end, a propaganda was created that Muslims have many sects and they would never reach consensus on a single version of the constitution. To counter this, Hadhrat Mawlana Ihtisham al-Haq Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him), with the cooperation of other scholars, convened a meeting of 33 scholars, in which Deobandi, Barelwi, Ahl al-Hadith, and Shi’a scholars gathered. They unanimously agreed upon 22 points for the constitution of Pakistan, which serve as a milestone in the religio-political struggle in the country. Subsequently, when the government presented its constitutional proposals in the Nazimuddin Report, another meeting of these 33 scholars was held, in which scholars from all schools of thought unanimously agreed on amendments to this Report, which were then compiled and published. Eventually, most of the proposals of the Board of Islamic Teachings were accepted in the draft Constitution of 1954, but then Governor General Ghulam Muhammad dismissed the Constituent Assembly and brought the matter back to square one, and disputes with secular quarters restarted during the preparation of the new Constitution.
Another propaganda spread from their side was the claim that acting (or choosing not to act) upon Islamic commandments is a personal matter, and the state should not interfere in this. In support of this claim, it was even claimed that the Noble Qur’an contains no guidance regarding the constitution of a country. In response to this, my respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote a detailed booklet titled “Qur’anic Constitution”, in which he compiled verses of the Qur’an, along with their comprehensive explanations, in which clear guidance regarding the system of governance of a country is provided. One other propaganda was that if the state was made Islamic, the rights of non-Muslim minorities would not be safeguarded. In response to this, my respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote a booklet titled “Rights of Non-Muslims in an Islamic State”. These booklets were translated into English as well, and thousands of copies were printed and distributed among the members of the Assembly and other influential state officials. This helped in shaping the understanding of the members of the Assembly.
Before the partition of India, Shaykh al-Islam Hadhrat ʿAllama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (may Allah have mercy on him) had founded the Jami’at ‘Ulama-e-Islam to coordinate the efforts of Islamic scholars in advancing the Pakistan Movement. This organization had breathed life into the Movement and played a vital role in the attainment of Pakistan. After the creation of Pakistan, this Jamiʿat continued to work for the implementation of an Islamic Constitution and Islamic laws under the leadership of Hadhrat himself. After his demise, Hadhrat Mawlana Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) became its president, and after his death, Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Hasan (may Allah have mercy on them all). During most of this period, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) served as its Vice President, and later, due to Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Hasan’s (may Allah have mercy on him) frailty and disability, he was appointed as its acting President. At that time, the country was divided into East and West Pakistan, and the provincial committee of the Jamiʿat in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) operated under the chairmanship of Hadhrat Mawlana Athar Ali (may Allah have mercy on him). There is a long history of the Jamiʿat’s struggle for an Islamic Constitution, and this is not the appropriate place to recount it in full. However, in brief, the Jamiʿat, within its limited resources, continued its struggle to make Pakistan’s constitution Islamic and promote Islamic practices in the country through publications, speeches, engaging in dialogue with those in power, including the Constituent Assembly, and by organizing public gatherings. However, the Jamiʿat was weak in its district-level foundations and there were also organizational disagreements in certain locations. After assuming leadership of the Jamiʿat, my respected father was concentrated on making its internal set up more structured and active. Towards the end of 1955, he planned a tour of West and East Pakistan, accompanied by the Jami’at’s Director, Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Matin Khatib (may Allah have mercy on him). This tour had two primary objectives. Firstly, as the draft version of Pakistan’s Constitution was in its final stages, the objective was to align public opinion in favour of making it Islamic, and for this, to counter secular forces at both intellectual and public levels. The second objective was to establish branches of the Jami’at in various cities and to unite and systemize them.
Constitutional Tour of Punjab and NWFP with My Respected Father
I was still in Lahore at the time, having just returned from India with my respected mother (may Allah have mercy on her), when our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) arrived in Lahore, accompanied by Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Matīn Khatib (may Allah have mercy on him) and my respected brother Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Rafiʿ Usmani (may Allah grant him a long life), after touring various cities of Sindh and Punjab. Their itinerary included onward journeys to Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Akora Khattak, Peshawar, Mardan, and, on their return, Sargodha, Faisalabad (then called Lyallpur), and Sheikhupura. I wished to accompany my respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) on this journey, so after seeking his permission, I joined them from the 23rd of December 1955. This was my first time travelling beyond Lahore, and I eagerly looked forward to seeing this part of my country. It was late December 1955, so the cold was intense. We travelled by train from Lahore to Jhelum, where our respected father’s (may Allah have mercy on him) student, Hadhrat Mawlana Abdul Latif, had arranged a grand public gathering. A massive crowd assembled after the Friday prayer, to which our respected father delivered an address, and in the evening, a meeting of the Jami’at was convened. I had just entered the thirteenth year of my life and was more interested in sightseeing and leisure than the public gathering and meeting. Hence, while our respected father’s tafsir lecture was taking place the next morning after fajr, we went to visit river Jhelum with Hadhrat Khatib Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him). There, we saw huge wooden logs floating on the river. Our hosts explained that these logs were obtained by cutting trees in the forests of Kashmir. The sellers of these logs cut the trees in Kashmir and cast them into the river, whereupon they floated downstream all the way here. Each log bore a name and number to identify the intended recipient. This was also my first time witnessing a sunrise over a river, and the picturesque scene is still fresh in my mind.
From Jhelum, we departed for Rawalpindi by bus on the 24th of December. Hadhrat Mawlana Abdul Hannan (may Allah have mercy on him) had arranged a public gathering during the day at the mosque of Mahalla Warkshapi, while Hadhrat Mawlana Ghulam Ullah Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) (whom I was seeing for the first time) had arranged one at night. The night gathering was particularly awe-inspiring, and despite the extreme cold, people sat intently listening to all the speeches. Our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) was the last to address the gathering, and it appeared as though the massive crowd — stretching as far as the eyes could see in the extreme cold — was collectively expressing its fervour and enthusiasm for an Islamic Constitution.
Our next destination was Akora Khattak. We departed by car from Rawalpindi on the 25th of December. When we reached the Attock River, we found the road blocked, perhaps due to a train crossing, so we had to wait for a while. Before us lay a breathtaking scene — a confluence of Attock and Kabul rivers surrounded by lush mountains on either side. I had never witnessed such a spectacular sight in my life. At that point, my respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) shared an anecdote. He said: “When we toured NWFP (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) with Hadhrat ʿAllama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (may Allah have mercy on him) before the creation of Pakistan, our car stopped at this very spot. Gazing at the beautiful view before us, Hadhrat’Allama (may Allah have mercy on him) made a profound remark. He said: “Do you observe any systematic order in this scenery? Look, the river does not flow in a straight line, and the peaks and valleys of the mountains do not follow any pattern. The river meanders through the mountains, some of which are tall while others are short. Even the trees on the mountains do not grow uniformly; some stand upright while others are bent. Yet, the overall beauty of this scene is such that one wants to look at it again and again. From this, we understand that its beauty lies in its disorderliness. If one were to impose a strict pattern or artificial order on it, it would lose its natural spontaneity and charm, and its innate beauty would be destroyed.” He then remarked: “People sometimes go to excessive lengths in trying to find connections between verses of the Qur’an. However, in order to experience the innate beauty of the Qur’an, there is really no need to go to such lengths in seeking connections or order in its verses.”
We reached Akora Khattak at twelve noon. The following is noted in my diary for that day:
“Reached Akora at 12. A huge crowd had come to welcome us. The air resounded with chants of “Long live the law of the Qur’an!”, “Long live Mufti Muhammad Shafiʿ!”, “Long live Mufti-e-A’zam!”, and two boys were reciting an Arabic poem in a very melodious voice”.
Here, Shaykh al-Hadith Hadhrat Mawlana Abdul Haq (may Allah have mercy on him) was imparting knowledge and spirituality through Dar al-ʿUlum Haqqania. We stayed at Hadhrat’s madrasa. At that time, Hadhrat Mawlana Samī al-Haq (may Allah grant him a long life)[2] was also studying there. I met him for the first time during this stay through an unforgettable favour towards me. At that time, Akora Khattak was a model of “husn badawat” (rustic beauty). Hadhrat’s house in which we stayed was built of mud. Back then, the ancient Arab tradition regarding toilets was still observed, i.e. it was considered socially improper to have toilets inside the house. We had never before encountered this “husn ghayr majlub” (uncontrived beauty) of “badawat”[3]. In the chilly winter night, I felt the need to use the toilet. The young man who appeared to be closest to my age was Mawlana Sami’ al-Haq himself. It felt awkward to express my need due to my young age, but my situation was in no position to observe formalities, so without much thought, I divulged my predicament to him. His face expressed signs of thoughtful contemplation for a few moments, but he immediately declared: “Follow me.” In the darkness of the night, he took me by my hand across the street and onto the rooftop of a house. Pointing to a small room, he eased my difficulty. Although it somewhat felt that my action in this place was not devoid of the unscrupulousness of waḍ’ al- shay’i fī ghayri maḥallihi[4], but this was not the time to go into such subtleties, so I did not bother. I did not get a chance to talk to him on the way there, but we exchanged introductions on our way back, after I had become indebted to him for his favour. This acquaintance eventually developed into friendship, which I will elucidate somewhere later Insha Allah.
Also in Akora Khatak, Hadhrat Mawlana Abdur Rahman Kamilpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) (whom Hadhrat Hakim al-Ummah used to called “Kamil Puray” (fully complete) was a Shaykh al-Hadith. Our beloved teacher Hadhrat Mawlana Sahban Mahmud (may Allah have mercy on him) was a student of his, and having heard about him from our respected teacher innumerable times, I yearned to meet him. Alhamdulillah this wish was fulfilled there. This was the first and last time I met that embodiment of nur[5]. I mentioned to Hadhrat: “Hadhrat Mawlana Sahban Mahmud is our beloved teacher who was your student. I am therefore your indirect student”. Hadhrat smiled and was very affectionate.
From Akora Khattak, we reached Nowshera at 9 a.m. the next morning. Here, a huge crowd had gathered to welcome us, and slogans of “Long Live the Grand Mufti” and “Long Live the Director” resonated in the air. We stayed there for only three hours, during which a large public gathering took place in the Jamiʿ Mosque Nowshera. After Zuhr, we departed for Mardan, where we stayed near Piran Mosque. Mawlana Midrar Ullah (may Allah have mercy on him) had scheduled a meeting of the Jami’at at Ganj Bazaar after ‘Asr, and a public gathering was held in Piran Mosque after ‘Isha. On the morning of 27 December, my respected father delivered a lecture of tafsir in the same mosque. Later that evening at 4 p.m., we arrived in Peshawar via Charsadda. At night, a gathering was held in a mosque of the Qissa Khwani Bazaar, which, like other gatherings, drew a large crowd.
This was my first time visiting NWFP (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and I especially remember that we would do rounds of bright red blood oranges after each meal. Following this, the famous “Kahwah”, i.e. green tea, of Peshawar would help digest even the heaviest meals so effectively that we would soon feel hungry again.
From Peshawar, we departed for Hatiyan by bus on 28 December. Hadhrat Mawlana Ghulam Ullah Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) had planned to take us to his hometown of “Darya Khan”. Therefore, from Hatiyan, we travelled to “Darya Khan” on a horse-cart. We prayed Zuhr there and enjoyed Hadhrat Mawlana Ghulam Ullah Khan’s (may Allah have mercy on him) gracious hospitality. Thereafter, once again by horse-cart, we proceeded to Hazro, where we visited Hadhrat Mawlana Nasir al-Din Ghorghushti (may Allah have mercy on him). After a successful public gathering, we departed for Campbellpur (present-day Attock) by bus, where our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) addressed the crowd after ʿIsha. Following this, we headed to the train station and boarded a train bound for Sargodha. Hadhrat Mawlana Abdul Hannan (may Allah have mercy on him), who had accompanied our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) throughout this journey, disembarked on the way at Rawalpindi Station, while our night was spent on the train with our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him). Our train reached Hasan Waal station while it was still dark, where a crowd had been waiting— I don’t know for how long—just to see our respected father. The train stopped for only a few minutes, during which the admirers expressed their love and respect for him. The train reached Sargodha at sunrise, where Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Shafiʿ Sargodhvi (may Allah have mercy on him) welcomed us at the station along with a sizeable crowd. A great public gathering was held there as well.
The next morning, i.e. on the 30th of December, we boarded the same train for Lyallpur (present-day Faisalabad), where a large crowd had gathered to welcome us. We performed the Friday prayer in a mosque near the Ghanta Ghar, where a packed gathering took place after the prayer. During this visit, I saw the Agriculture College of Faisalabad for the very first time. On the 31st of December, we travelled to Sheikhupura by bus, where a gathering was held after Zuhr prayer. That same evening, at 4 p.m., we returned to Lahore, and on the 1st of January 1956, we travelled to Sialkot by bus and stayed at the home of our paternal cousin, Mawlana Hamid Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him). Our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) addressed an assembly of scholars there, and we returned to Lahore on the 2nd of January. Our respected father and Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Matin Khatib (may Allah have mercy on them both) continued onward to East Pakistan for a similar whirlwind tour, while we had already missed too many classes, so we returned to Karachi and resumed our lessons, until the academic year came to an end.
Reports of these whirlwind tours by our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) were published in bold headlines in newspapers. Two major benefits were achieved through these tours. Firstly, the draft Constitution was nearing completion, and secular circles were actively scheming to make it a secular Constitution. These tours created a nationwide atmosphere of resistance against these secular elements, which successfully pushed back their efforts. Secondly, in order to make the Jami’at Ulama-e-Islam more active at the district level, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) established branches of the Jami’at in the places he visited, and also achieved considerable success in resolving internal disagreements and fostering unity among its members.[6]
The tireless efforts of our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him), the Jami’at Ulama-Islam, and other religious circles for the Constitution of Pakistan finally bore fruit when the Constitution of 1956 included several Islamic provisions. As a result, the lobby that sought to establish a secular foundation for the Constitution suffered a decisive defeat, and the country was saved from the threat of becoming secular. It was declared that this Constitution would come into effect on the 23rd of March, 1956. This was the same date on which the Pakistan Resolution of 1940 was passed. That day was celebrated nationwide as “Republic Day”, and the title of the head of state of the country was changed from Governor General to President. It would not be unjustified if it was said that the nation attained complete independence on this day. A celebratory atmosphere pervaded the entire country. At Dar al-ʿUlum, students prepared speeches every week as part of their practice exercises; and on that day, the theme of their speeches was this memorable event itself. I had also prepared a half-baked poem on this topic, which was recited during this gathering.
[1] Translator: Iṣlāḥī: Pertaining to the reformation of morals and character
[2] Sadly, today when this narrative is being published, we have to write (may Allah have mercy on him) instead of (may Allah grant him a long life)
[3] “Badāwat” refers to the rural way of life, and “ḥusn ghayr majlāb” alludes to Mutanabbi’s couplet in which he says: حسن الحضارة مجلوب بتطرية… وفي البداوة حسن غير مجلوب (Translator: The beauty of urban life is artificial, adorned through pampered refinement, while the beauty of rural life is natural and uncontrived)
[4] This term means “using something inappropriately” and is commonly used as the technical definition of “ẓulm” (injustice).
[5] Translator: Nūr: Spiritual light
[6] These accounts of the tours are drawn from my diary
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