Memories (Episode 7-B)

Pakistan was created in such a way that the assets that came into Pakistan’s share as a result of the partition of India were already of a small proportion. Furthermore, many assets were left behind in India, the dispute for recovering which continued for an extended period. Hence, the Government of Pakistan commenced its operations with extremely limited resources. At that time, Karachi was the capital city, and the Secretariat of Ministries operated in rooms with tin roofs. Stones were used as paperweights, and instead of pins, thorns were employed to fasten papers. It was at this time that the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan established a “Board of Islamic Teachings”, and its office was set up in a room with a clay-tiled roof adjacent to the Assembly. Hadhrat ʿAllama Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) was invited to preside over the board, and my respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) was also appointed as its member. The purpose of this board was to formulate proposals for integrating Islamic teachings into the developing Constitution. In his capacity as a member of this board, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) was provided a rented quarter in Jacob Line. At the same time, our eldest sister, respected late Na’īma Khatūn, arrived from India with her husband and children to Karachi. Consequently, after residing in “King’s Court” for nearly a year, our respected father temporarily gave this flat to our sister and moved to the quarter in Jacob Line.

With this move, the madrasa at Jacob Line, which was established by Hadhrat Mawlana Ihtisham al-Haq Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him) and where my elder brothers were already studying, became closer to our new home. I was also now deemed old enough to study at this madrasa. However, perhaps in view of my slight and slender physique and very thin and feeble build, my respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) did not engage me in memorization of the Qur’an, unlike my four brothers. Instead, he initiated me directly with Urdu and Persian, starting with “Ḥamd-e-Bāri” (Praise of The Creator). This is a book written by the late Mawlana ʿAbd al-Samī’ Bedal in which the meanings of various words are described in Mathnavi poems. Mawlana ʿAbd al- Samī’ (may Allah have mercy on him) was associated with the Barelwi school of thought. However, since his book was considered beneficial in helping children learn the meanings of words, the scholars of Deoband did not allow any sectarian prejudice to come in the way of benefitting from it. The book was therefore taught in all madrasas. I began studying this book along with “Risālah Nādir”, a book on Persian word conjugation written by our respected paternal grandfather Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Yasīn (may Allah have mercy on him), under Hadhrat Mawlana Nūr Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) in the madrasa at Jacob Line. However, due to my young age, these lessons were rather informal; I would study whenever I wished and would be absent whenever I desired. In fact, I would study one lesson with one teacher and another with some other teacher. Among the sons of Hadhrat Mawlana Ihtisham al-Haq Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him), Mawlana Ihtiram al-Haq was a little older than me and respected Iʿtiṣam al-Haq (may Allah protect them both) was around the same age as me. Most of my time outside of my informal lessons would be spent in their company and sometimes sitting in the gatherings which took place at the house of Hadhrat Mawlana Ihtisham al-Haq Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him). Another reason for my education being unsystematic was that in those days, I suffered from typhoid several times, due to which I had to spend entire months bedridden.

On the other hand, our Bhai Jān (respected Muhammad Zaki Kaifi (may Allah have mercy on him)) had moved to Lahore at that time and established a bookstore called Idara-e-Islamiyat. The birth of his first child was being expected in his house (who was named “Muhammad Masʿūd Ghawwās” and passed away a few days after his birth), for which our respected mother travelled to Lahore. Since I was her dearest child, she would not travel without me. My respected elder brother Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Rafiʿ Usmani (may Allah grant him a long life)^[1], whom, in the informal atmosphere of the house, I call “Bhai Rafi’”, and for the sake of brevity and to express informality I will at times continue to do so in this account, accompanied our respected mother as her maḥram. We had to stay there with our respected mother for around two months. Since my respected brother was memorizing the Qur’an at that time, he continued his memorization with a teacher at Jamiya Ashrafiya. However, my education was already unsystematic, so there was no question of finding a suitable alternative for me. Although, whenever our respected mother (may Allah have mercy on her) had some free time, she would teach me Bahishti Gohar and Sīrat-e-Khātam al-Anbiya. The remaining time would be spent in sightseeing and leisure walks.

I cannot forget one particular incident from one of those leisure walks during extreme winter days. Bhai Rafiʿ would often visit “Gulshan-e-Fatima” of Lawrence Garden in the evening, along with (late) Muhammad Muʿīn, who was the son of Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Matīn Khatīb (may Allah have mercy on him). Sometimes, I would also go along with them. It was an exceptionally pleasant garden at that time, featuring a beautiful pond right in the middle. On one of our visits, whilst they were both engaged in conversation, I began a practice drill of walking on the thin perimeter of the pond. I was successful for a while, but then suddenly my foot slipped off the wet boundary and I plunged into the pond with a splash, and started drowning. Submerged in the freezing cold pond on a chilly December day, I began seeing death right before my eyes within moments. The pond was not too deep, but it was deep enough to drown a child like me.

Bhai Rafiʿ and Brother Muʿīn rescued me from the pond with much difficulty while I was semi-conscious, but I was shivering from head to toe and my teeth were chattering unceasingly due to my drenched clothes. It was not possible to change clothes there. Bhai Rafiʿ was wearing a Sherwani for protection against the cold. May Allah Most High continue showering His mercies on Bhai Rafiʿ in this world and the Hereafter; he took off his Sherwani, wrapped me in it, somehow brought me home, and made me sit in front of the heater. Only then did I feel life seeping back into me. In this manner, I learnt a lesson that day regarding the Prophetic saying:

من رعى حول الحمَى أوشك أن يقع فيه

“Whoever grazes his animals near a prohibited place is likely to stray into it at any moment.”

But alas! Would that I had been able to practice upon this lesson in my actions and character!

In those days, Bhai Jān [respected Muhammad Zaki Kaifi] was residing in a somewhat small, dimly lit flat in Neela Gumbad, adjacent to the old building of Jamiya Ashrafiya. Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Idrīs Kandhlawi was living on the floor above, and the founder of Jamiya Ashrafiya, Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Hasan (may Allah have mercy on them both), was residing on the top floor. Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of the most illustrious khulafa (spiritual successors) of Hadhrat Hakīm al-Ummah (may Allah have mercy on him). He had originally founded Jamiya Ashrafiya in Amritsar, but when Muslims started being massacred in East Punjab at the time of the creation of Pakistan, he moved to Lahore and established the Jamiya Ashrafiya in this building, which holds the honour of being the very first madrasa established in Pakistan after its founding. Our respected father had emphatically instructed us to visit Hadhrat whenever we visited Lahore. I therefore clearly remember visiting him repeatedly with my late Bhai Jān, whilst I was seven years old, and being showered by his kindness and supplications. Even though there was no question of me appreciating Hadhrat’s high status in those days, neither do I even today, but I still remember experiencing a sublime spiritual illumination and peace even in that dark and cramped flat, and it would feel as if we had walked into a canopy of benevolence and mercy. May Allah Most High have infinite mercy on him.

On one of those days, Bhai Jān returned home from the shop with tears in his eyes and shared the news that Shaykh al-Islam Hadhrat Mawlana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (may Allah have mercy on him) had passed away. He had travelled to Bahawalpur upon the invitation of the university there and passed away there. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayihi Raji’oon. How could I have realized his lofty scholarly status in that childhood age? However, being deprived of his benevolence made us sad even at that young age. It was only later that I realized the magnitude of the tragedy of his demise for the country and Islam, as his passing away removed a central figure from scholarly circles, one who had unified all schools of thought into the higher objective of national interest. May Allah Most High have infinite mercy on him.

Our second eldest sister, respected ‘Atīqa Khatūn (may her shade be extended), had been left behind in Deoband. Her husband, respected Munshi Bashīr Ahmad (who worked in the administration of Dār al-ʿUlūm Deoband), passed away there. After completing her ‘Iddah, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) called her to Pakistan, whereupon she arrived in Lahore with her three daughters and later came to Karachi together with us. She stayed in a portion of the quarter at Jacob Line. We lived in Jacob Line for around two years. During this time, my elder sister respected Hasība Khatūn (may Allah have mercy on her) got married and moved to her in-laws’ residence.

Built for government employees, these quarters at Jacob Line were of mediocre quality. They had short walls such that burglars did not face much difficulty in climbing over them and breaking into houses at night. Thus, we would often be visited by burglars in that house. However, burglars in those days were not very sophisticated. After silently creeping in, they would be content with whatever petty items they could get their hands on. And if they suspected that someone had woken up in the house, they would climb out just as easily as they had climbed in. As such, we incurred several minor burglaries. However, on one occasion, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) had intended to perform Hajj, and having completed all formalities, placed his ticket, passport and perhaps also foreign currency into a large wallet. While all of us were asleep at night, a burglar came and somehow stole that wallet in which all his Hajj essentials were placed. When our respected father woke up in the morning, he found all the essentials missing — no money, no ticket, and no passport. The ship’s departure was so near that even if he could somehow make arrangements for the money, there was no time to complete governmental procedures. As a result, our respected father could not perform Hajj that year despite all preparations. Allah Most High had bestowed upon Hadhrat Mawlana Ihtisham al-Haq (may Allah have mercy on him) a great sense of humour. When our respected father informed him about this incident, he remarked: “Hadhrat! Now only the burglar can perform Hajj.” The level of the praiseworthy characteristic of being content with destiny, which we always observed in our respected father in such situations, is rarely witnessed.

After our sister’s arrival, who had come to Pakistan with her three daughters after the death of her husband, the house at Jacob Line became too small for all of us. Therefore, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) rented a house in a building known as Iqbal Manzil on Campbell Street, near Burns Road. We thus moved into this new house and resided there for five years (i.e. 1951 to 1956). These five years proved to be very blessed in many ways, and it was during these five years that we solidified our stay in Karachi.

First Hajj in my Childhood

One blessing we received after relocating here is that our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) made an intention to perform Hajj. The previous year as well, during our stay at Jacob Line, he had completed all preparations for Hajj. However, as I mentioned earlier, he could not travel due to the theft of his passport, ticket, and other belongings. He made intention again this year. This time, our respected mother (may Allah have mercy on her) and Bhai Jān (late Mawlana Muhammad Zaki Kaifi) also accompanied him. I was eight years old at the time, and it was impossible for our respected mother to travel without me, so I received the good fortune of performing Hajj at that young age. Accordingly, we departed for this blessed journey on the 31st of July 1951.

A khalifa (spiritual successor) of Hakīm al-Ummah Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him), Al-Hāj Zafar Ahmad Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him), was an engineer in the Pan-Islamic Steamship Company. A ship belonging to this company, named Safīna-e-Arab, used to carry pilgrims during the Hajj season. He had booked a spacious cabin on the upper deck of this ship, in one portion of which he stayed with his respected wife, his son Musharraf Ali, and a daughter. We stayed in the other portion with our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him). Although I was beginning to realize the sanctity of a Hajj journey at that age, the fascination of travelling by ship was also an incentive. The son and daughter of Al-Hāj Zafar Ahmad were around the same age as me, and we quickly became so comfortable with each other that the ship turned into a playground for us. I would spend whatever time remained from playing and running around in learning the supplications of Tawaf from a book about Hajj. After spending approximately a week aboard the ship, which was thrilling as well as blissful, I heard our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) and others asking the captain as to when the ship would pass by Yalamlam. (Until then, research into this issue indicated that it was necessary to be in the state of Ihram when the ship passed by Yalamlam. Later research reached a different conclusion, the details of which can be found in Jawāhir al-Fiqh). Consequently, when it was announced that the ship was about to pass by Yalamlam, everyone put on their Ihram. I was also made to wear Ihram. The entire ship was echoing with proclamations of “Labbaik” and we reached Jeddah the very next day.

Jeddah was a small city at that time. A Pilgrims Building was built here to house pilgrims for their short stay in Jeddah. We therefore stayed in a wooden room of this building. The ground outside was so damp that our shoes would sink into it, and walking felt like a chore. There was only a single shop selling food, and we could clearly spot red insects (called weevils) in the chapattis (rotis) it sold. Even after cleaning the chapattis and putting them in the mouth, the smell of the insects would linger and we would have to appease our hunger with something other than a proper meal. Concrete roads were few and far between in the entire city of Jeddah. When it was time to depart for Makkah Mukarramah, we learned that we had to go to the bus station, which was quite far. When we reached the station, the bus arrived after several hours, and we finally departed for Makkah Mukarramah. The road enroute was partially paved, and I seem to remember that it took us four to five hours to reach Makkah Mukarramah. The destination we had been awaiting for an entire week finally arrived.

It was a very spiritually uplifting scene when we entered Makkah Mukarramah at ‘isha time. The bus stopped at a gate-like structure, where many people carrying Zamzam water in clay containers welcomed arriving pilgrims by offering them to drink Zamzam from white, fragrant cups. The blessings of Makkah al-Mukarramah had begun. Our luggage was unloaded by the Mu’allim. The days of Hajj were quite near and all of us had put on Ihram for “Qirān”. Thus, on the same night, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) took us all to the sacred Haram. The image of the blessed House of Allah (Baitullah) draped in a blue covering, as we entered the sacred Haram, is still before my eyes today. Despite my young age, I was awe-struck at the sight of this embodiment of grandeur and beauty. However, it felt like I had witnessed this scene before. My elders were in tears, and we commenced Tawaf in this state. During the journey, I had been reading about the procedure of Tawaf in a book on Hajj. The mind had imagined innumerable images of the Black Stone (Hajar Al-Aswad) and the Yemeni Corner (Rukn Al-Yamani), and I had also memorized some Tawaf supplications written in the book. However, upon arriving here, my mind went completely blank. I therefore completed the Tawaf by simply following my respected father (may Allah have mercy on him). Next, we had to perform Sa’ī between Safa and Marwa. At that time, the Mas’ā, i.e. the place designated for performing Sa’ī, was not a separate place as it is today. Instead, there was a public street with shops on both sides that connected Safa and Marwa. Hawker carts were parked around and cars would also pass by. Sa’ī had to be performed amidst these shops and traffic. Initially, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) kept us children with him, but then he feared we could get trampled or lost in all the hustle and bustle. He therefore hired a handcart and put us three children in it and instructed the driver to stay together. He also designated a meeting point where the driver could meet him after Sa’ī in case we got separated. But soon after sitting in the car, our father, mother and Bhai Jān (may Allah have mercy on them) disappeared into a wave of crowd. Finding ourselves in the hands of a complete stranger who could not understand our language and we could not understand his, our patience and composure gave way and all three of us were almost in tears. After that, I cannot recall how the Sa’ī was completed and how we were reunited with our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him).

A friend of our respected father, the late Haji Dawūd Māit, used to reside in Makkah Mukarramah. He invited our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) to stay at his residence rather than the house of a Mu’allim. Perhaps very few people are alive today who have seen the outline of the sacred Haram of those days. At that time, the sacred Haram consisted solely of the (ancient) Turkish structure and was surrounded by three-storey flats on all sides. Where the internal stairs of Bab al-Fath are located today, there used to be a small door of the Haram near it called Bab Al-Ribāṭ. Stairs from this Bab Al-Ribāṭ would lead to the residential flats, and Haji Dawūd Māit’s residence was located on the third floor. We stayed in a room of this house. A window of this room overlooked the Sacred Haram, and we could behold the honourable Baitullah, Mīzab al-Rahmah and Haṭīm at all times.

In those days, Mina contained a small resident population and Haji Dawūd Māit (may Allah have mercy on him) had rented a house there where we all stayed. We left for Arafah the next day. What understanding of the rites of Hajj could I have had at that young age? I only recall being captivated by the sight of tents stretching as far as the eyes could see, and everyone wearing the same kind of clothing. Despite the intense heat, people were fervently reciting the Talbiya and marching briskly towards the Jabal Al-Rahmah. Despite the extreme heat that day, our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) initially left our tent in order to reach Jabal Al-Rahmah. However, people informed him that even if he reached Jabal Al-Rahmah, returning to his tent would be impossible because the tents would be disassembled by the time he returned. He therefore came back to the tent and engaged in Wuqūf with great devotion and humility with our mother and Bhai Jān.

We left Arafah after sunset and arrived at Muzdalifa. At that time, Muzdalifa was a sandy desert with no light except moonlight. After the intense heat of the day, the cool sand beneath us under the open sky felt like a great blessing. Though we were all very tired, it was essential to safeguard our belongings first, as thefts and robberies were prevalent there in those days. This was the era of the founder of the Saudi Government, Sultan Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him), and law and order had not yet come under full control. Therefore, the elders all decided to place the belongings in the center, with everyone’s beddings laid around them. With this security measure in place, we all fell asleep as soon as we laid down. Upon waking up in the morning, we discovered that one box from the belongings was missing. It contained all the items belonging to our family members, including our passports, some cash, as well as clothes we were supposed to wear after coming out of Ihram. It seems that since this box was in the center, with all of us protectively sleeping around it, the thief concluded that it must contain the most valuable items. And in this way, our extra precautionary steps turned out to be the actual reason for the theft. Mutanabbi has said regarding such situations:

الأمر لله رُبّ مجتهد
ما خاب إلاّ لأنّه جاهد
و متّقٍ والسّهام مرسلةٌ
يحيد من حابض إلى صارد

Meaning: The matter is in Allah’s Hands. Many a diligent one fail because of their diligence. Sometimes, when arrows are arriving from the front, and a person tries to evade them by moving out of their trajectory, an arrow misses the target and still hits him.

Consequently, all members of our family were left with nothing to wear except the sheets of Ihram we were donning. Therefore, when we returned to Mina that day and it was time to come out of Ihram after performing the sacrifice, our respected father, late Bhai Jān, and I did not have any stitched clothes to wear. Later, Haji Dawūd Māit and his sons gave us their clothes to wear, which we wore for three days. Now I do not remember what arrangements our respected father (may Allah have mercy on him) made after the loss of the passports.

…………….(Continued)…………….

[1] Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Rafiʿ Usmani left this world in November 2022 after prolonged illness. May Allah have Mercy upon him.