Saturday 28 May 2011

दिल का गुबार

weapons
28 May
Maulana Azad was one of the great personalities in Political and academic setup in India for a long time. He was a prolific writer as he was also a very sensible thinker. He died when I was in class 7 and I still remember the day the school was closed for it. We were told that the Minister of Education had died. Now a days the ministers of Education are sometimes even those who cannot write their name. Azad was the most eligible person for that post.

Much later in 1987 I found his book Ghubar-e-Khatir in my uncle’s collection and read it. Now I own my own copy of it and cannot read it enough.



There are many matters discussed in it from many angles. He wrote all this addressing to some friend of his whom he addressed as ‘siddeeq-e-mukarram’.

Two things I now remember off hand are: (the gist, not exact words)

(i) Muslim Ummah must work for acquiring and keeping not only the capability of producing weapons but also maintaining a clear superiority in it above that of the western powers if it has to save it self from total submission.

There was a time not long ago when Muslims had that superiority and when Muslim forces invaded European countries, the priests and common men prayed in churches for victory and the prayers went unheard. Muslims came and conquered. Now Muslims pray in the mosques and the prayers go unheard while the west continues to dominate as they wish over muslims.

(This was true 70 years or so ago and it could not be more true today. Now I DO NOT necessarily agree with this theses. Violence begets violence and peace and harmony is achieved through love. One must try to achieve consensus among civilisations and promote one’s point of view by demonstrating patience and tolerance . )

(ii) He wrote aboutJerusalem. He analysed and found that this word means Darussalaam. Which in Arabic means the place of peace.

Now I have lived in two of the three Darussalaams in this world. InTanzania, Dar-es-Salaam for about 8 years and in Brunie Darussalaam for 14 years. I hav yet to visit Jerusalem and HOPE to go the one above hereafter.

3 comments:

  1. Maulana Azad a real genius , versatile , fearless leader and to gauge his caliber please read his last book ' INDIA WINS FREEDOM' He was so fearless that he even criticized certain steps taken by Mahatma Gandhi. Mazhar Masood

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  2. I am reading it now a days.found it on the internet and down loaded it. Thanks.
    We all need such leaders; fearless, knowledgeable and sincere. But unfortunately we get Laloo parsad ganwaar, Mulayem singh daakoo,Zardari lutera etc.

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  3. OH why name any one . Now leaders don't come from that class who were real leader , learned & with their feet on the ground. That was an era when India produced such Galaxy of leaders to name the few Qidwai , Shastri , Maulana Hasrat Mohani and so on........ Mazhar Masood

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