Cheaper than water

Dr A.Q khan
The old saying “Nowadays blood is cheaper than water” tragically manifested itself at Karbala when the army of Yazid surrounded Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), the grandson of our Holy Prophet (PBUH), and his family and stopped their access to water. In all 72 people were martyred there. Hazrat Abbas (RA), brother of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) could not bear to see the suffering of the thirsty children and went out alone to fetch water from the river, ignoring the dangers involved. He was soon surrounded by the enemy and his hands were chopped off. Thereupon he held the leather water bag in his mouth. This scene has been immortalised by the legendary marsiago (composer of dirges), Mir Anis, in the following words:

Mashkiza tha key sheyr key munh mey shikar tha?

A somewhat similar situation prevails today and applies to this whole poor country. Items of daily necessity, though not completely unavailable, are beyond the reach of the poor (i.e., most of our countrymen). It has become a tradition in our country that whenever a shortage of some item is imminent, hoarders and profiteers create an artificial shortage and then sell it at an exorbitant price. People have no option but to pay the price demanded. Not only is the price exorbitant, but quality is compromised too. The most recent examples of this are of flour and sugar. The poor suffered while the hoarders and profiteers made billions, practically overnight. It is most unfortunate that both the ruling elite and the opposition participate in this dirty practice, and hence no strict measures are taken or enforced to contain the menace.

In the olden days life was much simpler. People were content and thankful to Allah. If they could afford only roti and dahl they were not ashamed to say so. Nowadays dahl costs about Rs100 per kg, way beyond the means of the poor.

Every day we see more than one ad on TV promoting one brand or another of edible oils. Tables are shown over-laden with dishes of all kinds, with only two, three or four people at the table. Imagine the feelings this vulgar display must create in the hearts of the millions of poor who can’t even afford three square meals a day. It is high time a code of conduct was laid down for TV advertisements. Ads such as these should not be shown, as they are an insult to the poor and their poverty.

While meat, vegetables, fruits, pulses, flour, sugar, tea, etc., are essential commodities, let us not forget water–I mean clean, potable water. Due to load-shedding and mismanagement by the supplying agencies, there is hardly any water available in the supply lines. One sees long queues of poor people–old men, women and children–gathered around a single tap to get a container full of water. They mostly have to depend on tankers, which seem to be under the control of a mafia. While to the poor water is sold at a high price–and even then it is not potable, often brackish and/or taken from unhygienic sources–the well-to-do can enjoy bottled mineral water. It is difficult to say whether the mineral water supplied by many companies is actually of good quality, but the illusion of drinking pure water gives great satisfaction to the rich.

So much about food and water–necessities of life–but even more shocking is the fact that blood seems to have become cheaper than water in this Land of the Pure. When you leave your house, you are not sure whether you will return alive. There are many dangers lurking outside–traffic accidents due to rash and negligent driving, kidnapping for ransom and targeted killings, to name but a few. Being fed up with officials’ lethargic attitude, the mischief perpetrated by influential people, such as the feudals, and without having recourse to justice, people have taken matters into their own hands, resorting to any means. Equally deplorable are the actions taken by the various intelligence agencies whereby opponents of those in power are either made to disappear or are killed in fake encounters. Worse still is the complicity of the rulers in allowing US drone attacks. Thousands of innocent men, women and children have been literally blown to pieces without having anything to do with insurgents (if you must insist on calling them this).

Even those who have taken oaths to protect our physical frontiers (but are often more interested in the so-called ideological ones) have joined hands in this dirty work, all for the sake of a few dollars and a few trips to the USA. We are so proud of ourselves when we eagerly claim to have killed X number of our own people. Do we perhaps receive head bounties, as Gen Musharraf claimed in his book? Why bother with a complicated oath. Why not a simple one whereby it is agreed to obey, without question, every order given by the rulers?

As if all this is not enough, the cruel method of targeted killings to eliminate opponents has now become common. The residents of Karachi–my city–have become the main targets. The city (and the whole province) is ruled by a PPP-MQM-ANP coalition, and each party is blaming the other for this heinous crime. Only ordinary citizens are targeted. Not a single leader of any party has sacrificed his life. Condemnation of these acts has been formulated, promises made and secret talks held, but nothing changes. It seems that in Karachi, blood is much cheaper than water, even more so than it was at Karbala. We can’t expect Hazrat Umar (RA) or Hajjaj bin Yusuf to bring peace and stop this menace, but we can hope for someone effective to put an end to this heinous crime. Whenever some unknown person is killed, one or other of the parties immediately claim them to be their party member and the claims of the number of people killed is increased for political leverage.

We all know that the law enforcing agencies are under the command of the above-mentioned coalition. Meetings are regularly held, committees are formed, but nobody is ever arrested despite his being recognisable on security cameras or mobile phone pictures/videos.

If we look at Islamic history, we find many occasions when blood was cheaper than water. The first was the murder by Alauddin Khwarazm Shah of Mongol Muslim traders and Genghis Khan’s vengeance. The whole kingdom was destroyed, Bokhara, Samarqand, etc., were razed to the ground. More than a million Muslims later massacred. The bloodshed involved included massacres during the sacking of Baghdad. The caliph himself was murdered, together with the whole population (by Hulagu Khan, son of Genghis Khan). Fortunately, Allah sent Malik Az-Zaheer Baybars, the Seljuk king of Egypt, who defeated the Mongols, broke their strength and saved Syria, present-day Jordan and Egypt.

Before that, the wars of Jamal and Siffin between the Muslims themselves saw almost a hundred thousand people killed. The massacre of thousand of Muslims in Delhi by Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali and about eighty thousand Muslims were killed by the Crusaders after they occupied Jerusalem. In all these episodes, life counted for nothing and blood became cheaper than water, even as it is in our country today.


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Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a great poet and a very sensitive one too. We can well imagine his feelings when he wrote:

Bedam hue beemar, dawa kyon nahin detey? / Tum kaisey masiha ho, shifa kyon nahin detey?

He was not a poet obsessed with sad stories about loved ones, but was sensitive to the pains of the common man. He must have seen, and felt, their agony, but was helpless to do anything about it. We all, in one way or another, suffer some kind of grief.

Dareen dunya kasey begham na bashad / Agar bashad, bani adam na bashad

(Nobody in this world is without grief; and if there is one, then he is not a human being.)

Our famous poet Ghalib expressed the difficulty of being human in the following words:

Bas ke dushwar hai har kaam ka aasaan hona / Aadmi ko bhi muyassar nahin insaan hona.

In Faiz’s time people were probably not subjected to the same problems faced by the public today. Those clever enough and dishonest enough don’t face such worries, as they prosper at the cost of the poor. They are the powerful ones who rule the nation. The only option left to the masses is to protest and demonstrate. Faiz did not limit himself to the lifeless and sick but demanded to know of the rulers why they were behaving like spectators rather than helping the masses to alleviate their sufferings.

At this time the poor are facing many problems–unemployment, spiralling prices, load-shedding and scarcity of items of daily necessity, to name but a few. Only the rich and corrupt can afford to live comfortably, while the poor struggle to make ends meet and find essential commodities. Load-shedding has forced factories, mills, shops, etc., to close for many hours, causing enormous losses to the national economy and high unemployment. The poor do not have generators and have no option but to sit out in the open to catch some fresh air (if there is a breeze) and to feed the mosquitoes with their meagre blood.

The prices of items of everyday use like gas, petrol, diesel, electricity, sugar, flour, are continuously being raised while those in power care naught about the agonies of the poor. How can they even imagine what it is like to be poor when the daily expenditures of the Presidency and Prime Minister’s House are almost Rs1.5 million and Rs1 billion has been reserved for foreign trips for the current fiscal year.

The only means by which the people can vent their anger is by blocking roads and burning tyres. Instead of initiating projects for producing electricity on a war footing, we are told to limit the use of electricity or not to use it at all. Non-essential projects like motorways, highways, flyovers and bridges are continued because these offer about 50 per cent of the budgeted cost as kickbacks. These kickbacks do not benefit the needy. When those who could afford to do so bought generators, the price of diesel was immediately raised; when they switched their cars to LNG, this immediately became scarce. While the poor run from pillar to post seeking relief, the elected representatives do nothing. Furthermore, the people are blamed for the woes of the nation.

Help is nowhere to be found.

The public should demand that the residences of the elected representatives should not be allowed to use electricity from normal lines or from generators until the people too get electricity. The public at large is least interested in lectures and discussions by so-called experts, analysts and intellectuals or in reports about “successful trips abroad” of the ruling elite. They want to see action to relieve their problems–i.e., reduction in prices of essential commodities and their easy availability. When they don’t get relief they may keep quiet, but the dissatisfaction festers like a sore.

Nature has its own rules and laws. There are those who support good and honest people and there are those who are opportunists and support the dishonest ones. The rich and well-to-do are not ignorant of the laws and religious injunctions, but they find it more attractive/profitable to follow the practice of Qarun who, though belonging to the tribe of Hazrat Musa (AS), was obsessed with accumulating wealth by any means. He did not pay any heed to Hazrat Musa’s advice and was eventually buried alive, together with all his wealth, by Almighty Allah. The laws of Allah never change. Even today we have examples of wealthy hoarders coming to an unexplained painful end. But people don’t learn from examples. They always assume nothing will happen to them.

The problem with wrongdoers is they have selective and short memories. They choose to forget what happened to the powerful and extremely rich Shah of Iran and Marcos of the Philippines in the relatively recent past. At the time of their deaths, neither of them could find even two metres of land for burial in their own homelands and all their billions could do nothing for them. Individuals die and their wealth is fought over and squandered by their heirs. Honest and pious (God-fearing) people spend their wealth on the poor during their lifetimes, which benefits the public for many generations.

As an example we have Queen Zubaida, wife of Khalifa Harun-al-Rashid, who had a freshwater canal built from Baghdad to Mecca. After more than a thousand years, people are still benefiting from it. Look at the various educational institutes and hospitals built by philanthropists on the subcontinent, which have been providing excellent services for the benefit of the people for decades. These are factual examples. The Holy Quran and the Hadiths are full of such relevant advice. However, the poor remain mere spectators. They know that it makes little difference to them who their rulers are–they are all of a kind.

About 30 years ago, the president of a famous German multinational visited us regularly and we had excellent business relations with them. They visited Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Murree and other places. One day he asked me why it was that so many Pakistan rulers and senior bureaucrats were always travelling to the West, saw the development and excellent management practices there, yet did not manage to make any difference in the backwardness and underdevelopment of the country. I told him his remark reminded me of a saying by the famous Persian saint Shaikh Saadi (RA) of Iran, which would aptly answer his query:

Khar-e-Isa agar ba Makka rawad
Chun bi aayad hunuz khar bashad

(Even if Hazrat Isa’s donkey went to Makka many times, on its return it would still be the same donkey.)




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Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.

What prayers do

By Dr A Q Khan

Most of us face illness and/or mental worries at some point in our lives, causing us to seek medical treatment or benediction. While medical treatment and medicines can cure a disease, benediction is neither visible nor can it be purchased. It can only be felt. People tend to pray for deliverance from serious, chronic or incurable diseases. And when they are under severe anxiety and mental agony, especially when they cannot find solace or relief from other sources. But solace lies not only in intercession by others, but in large part on self-help.

If one can afford to do so, the best available specialists may be consulted in the case of illness, but when in mental stress and anxiety, religion is often the only way to seek relief. Added to this may be other techniques such as relaxation, contemplation and exercise. When all is going well, human nature is such that we easily forget to pray to and thank the Almighty for all we have. It is when we are under duress or in need that we call for help. This has been so aptly described by Allah in the following verse: “When a trouble touches a man, he cries unto Us (in all postures)–lying down, on his side, sitting or standing. But when We have solved his trouble, he passes on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that touched him. Thus do the deeds of transgressors seem fair in their eyes.” (10:12.) Human nature is also referred to in the following way: “Man does not weary of asking for good things, but if ill touches him he gives up all hope and is lost in despair. (41:49.) In other words, we give up too easily and don’t continue struggling for a solution and exploring all options.

Most people, when in trouble, search for religious personalities to pray for them, but in doing so often end up falling victim to exploitation by fake “pirs.” The prayers of such hypocrites (if they actually pray) are never listened to by Allah and those concerned end up losing their money, and the problems they are already facing remain unresolved. Those who are genuinely pious usually advise people to pray directly to Almighty Allah as He is kind to people in distress and will listen to his/her heartfelt prayers.

Even in the Quran we are warned of fake pirs and ulema. “O you who believe! There are indeed many among the priests, hermits and monks who in falsehood devour the substance of human beings and hinder them from the way of Allah. (9:34.)

It is not for nothing that so many of these so-called pirs and saints or heads of religious parties have a bad reputation. Nobody would be willing to swear for their honesty and integrity. Unlike the religious personalities of yesteryear who lived most humbly and honestly and showed no interest in worldly comfort and luxuries, present-day pirs lead a luxurious life, living in large bungalows with all amenities and the services of their acolytes. They drive expensive four-wheel drives, own shopping plazas, mills, factories, etc., and even manage to become senators, members of the National and Provincial Assemblies, ministers and advisors. In the past, humble, God-fearing religious-minded people were highly respected, both by the public and by the rulers, and everyone sought their advice and guidance. At times of natural calamities–floods, earthquakes, droughts–they were requested to pray for salvation as it was believed that their prayers were of great value. Very often their prayers were answered by the Almighty.

The point I would like to make here is that behaviour and mental attitudes have totally changed over time. Honesty has been replaced by dishonesty and truth by hypocrisy, without general condemnation from those around. It is not uncommon to find quacks replacing doctors and to find that the market is full of spurious medicines instead of only proper ones. Unfortunately, we have nothing to blame for this but human nature and our own actions.

The only way we can save ourselves from this curse is by becoming honest and God-fearing and then struggling to improve our own lot and that of our fellow human beings. History is full of examples of nations which were poor and backward but, by working hard, struggling, bearing their suffering with patience and gratitude, managed to turn themselves into advanced, industrialised, prosperous countries.

Unfortunately the spirit required for this kind of action is scarce and hard to find in our country. Everyone wants to be rich and live a good life today, not tomorrow. We suffer from a defeatist personality and expect everything to be taken care of by the Almighty without the willingness to make any sacrifices ourselves for betterment in the long run. Admittedly, there are many things about which we, the common people, can do nothing but we should, nonetheless, look around us and learn from examples.

After the Second World War, Korea, Germany and Japan were totally destroyed and bankrupt. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of their people, they became world economic powers within the span of one generation, almost before our very eyes. And look at the miraculous transition made by our Chinese friends. Hardly 30 years ago they were still underdeveloped, struggling to feed and clothe their people and bravely facing vicious and mischievous economic blockades and isolation. Now they are an economic world power and even their onetime vocal enemy, the USA, is having to borrow from them and begging them not to take any economic measure that would hurt its economy. It is amazing to see how China has transformed from a poor, underdeveloped country into a rich, highly developed world power in every sense of the word. Those of us who visited the old China and had the opportunity of visiting after its development are truly amazed by the transformation.

How have these countries managed to achieve this stability and prosperity? By sheer hard work, honesty, dedication and sacrifices in their initial stages of recovery/development. Add to that the edicts of Almighty Allah which we, as Muslims, have been clearly told to follow, and you have a solution. We have been told in unambiguous terms:

1. Verily, never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves. (13:11.)

2. That man can have nothing but what he strives for. (53:39.)

All this leads but to one conclusion–while bodily ailments can be cured by proper medical care, mental/psychological conditions require both medicines and/or benediction. Furthermore, it also clearly denounces a defeatist attitude. The national ailment of poverty and backwardness can only be tackled by following the commands of our Creator to struggle, to work hard and to be sincere and honest.

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Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.

Advice, help and hypocrisy

By Dr A Q Khan

In some of my previous columns I had written about Bhopal (the place of my birth), the beautiful parks, lakes and forests and the respect and affection among the people. It is now 58 years since I left Bhopal for my new homeland–Pakistan–but that state, its natural beauty, my friends, my teachers are still as fresh in my memory today as the streets, markets, parks and restaurants of Karachi and Islamabad. Bhopalis are just as fond of their city as Lahoris and Karachiites are of Lahore and Karachi.

In Bhopal we had many famous literary figures and some of the humorous writers and poets were a treat to read and listen to in recitals. One of these was a poet by the name of Abdul Ahad Khan Takhallus. He once wrote that the easiest and cheapest thing is to offer advice or suggestions, whether the other person likes it or not and whether they are asked for or not. He went on to say that sometimes a well-wisher’s sweet words or advice are a welcome source of consolation.

When someone is sick, it is a tradition in our culture for visitors, friends and relatives to bombard that person with all kinds of advice on treatments and medicines. If the patient follows them, the chances are that both the ailment and the patient will leave the world simultaneously.

This reminds one of doctors and hakims, who demand payment before dispensing advice. Their fees depend on their qualifications, experience and, above all, reputation. Usually blood and urine tests and X-rays are prescribed immediately, and often unnecessarily. It is now common practice for laboratories carrying out these tests to be associated with the doctors. Very often medicines have to be purchased from specific chemists. Fees paid, tests carried out, consultancy done and medicine prescribed, all that is left is for the patient to hope that it all works.

When we started the enrichment plant at Kahuta, one of my senior colleagues, on deputation from a defence organisation, informed me that an accountant from his organisation had set up a nursing home in Rawalpindi. It also had a testing laboratory and he had hired a few doctors and was now minting money. By coincidence, one of my staff members was admitted there and I paid a visit to him. I was horrified to see how dirty the place was, with flies swarming all over the place. The next day I instructed our medical officer, Col Shamsul Hasan, to hire two big houses in F-8, some nursing staff and a few doctors to provide medical care to our staff. That was the beginning of our medical services. We then purchased a large plot of land from the CDA in G-9 for larger facilities. The task of building the hospital was entrusted to Brig Dr Riaz Ahmed Chowhan (later lieutenant general and surgeon general of the army).

The second groups of those who give expensive advice are lawyers, who are often accused of fleecing their clients on one pretext or another. Most people feel that they intentionally prolong cases and charge separately for each hearing in order to make more money. The fee depends on the individual lawyer’s reputation about winning cases and about having the “necessary connections.” Most senior lawyers hire junior lawyers or have interns to prepare the cases with all the proper references and criminal codes, while they examine the completed case and then argue it in court. If they lose the case, the client is encouraged and given hope that it will be won upon appeal. The client has no option but to go along, as by now he is in their firm grip. All that is left for him to do is put his faith in the Almighty and the judge. We all know that, as far as the fee is concerned, it is never according to the law–if there is such a thing. It usually comes in two parts–the official small amount and the larger amount under the table with no receipt. Recently, many scandals about “famous” lawyers have been reported. I personally know of a famous lawyer who asked one of my acquaintances, in my presence, to pay Rs2 million officially and Rs3 million unofficially into his London account. Fortunately for my acquaintance, an upright lawyer took his case and accepted Rs1 million only after he won the case for his client. The recent scandals concerning the Bank of Punjab and Haris Steel Mills have been an eye-opener to many.

Another category of people without scruples about lying or false promises (this time without charging fees) is that of politicians and national leaders. One is at a loss to understand how they manage to lie and cheat so blatantly and still manage to have a following. While doctors, pirs and lawyers do manage to hold out some hope for their patients and clients, political leaders have no such saving grace. Their policies often push the poor into committing suicide, as we can read in the papers every day, and all this when a democratic government is supposed to be the panacea for all evils. The decisions they take lack all consideration for the poor and give no consolation at all.

Allah Almighty has warned: “Every nation has its term and when its term comes, they cannot put it off an hour, nor yet advance it.” (7:34.) “Think not that Allah does not heed the deeds of the wrongdoers. He but gives them respite against a day when their eyes will fixedly stare in horror.” (14:42.) “Do the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of Our wrath by night while they are asleep, or else do they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they are playing (carefree); do they feel secure against the plan (chastisement) of Allah? But no one can feel secure from the plan (wrath) of Allah, except those doomed to ruin.” (7:97-99.) The worst “benefactors” are the World Bank and the IMF. Whoever accepts their advice gets choked with debts and becomes their slave forever.

I would like to stress here that I do not want to create the impression that all doctors, lawyers and politicians are cheats, deceitful, liars and blood-suckers. I personally know many fine, honest, competent and God-fearing ones who help the needy in all possible ways. Their noble deeds have gone a long way in securing the survival of the country. I am grateful to the many doctors, lawyers, hotel and restaurant owners and shopkeepers who have refused to receive any payment from me.

There are many human beings who do noble deeds, but the actual Dispenser is the Almighty. He has explained this in the Quran in simple terms. “When trouble touches a man, he cries unto Us (in all postures)–lying down, on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have solved his trouble, he passes on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that had touched him. Thus do the deeds of the transgressors seem fair in their eyes.” (10:12.) No doubt, it is Allah Almighty who gives honour to whom He likes and ignominy to whom He wishes.

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Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.

History of the Kaaba

I usually restrict my columns to economic, social, educational and historical events. Today I would like to comment on an excellent book on the history of the Kaaba. The love and affection that Muslims all over the world have for the Kaaba and Masjid-e-Nabawi cannot be put into words. The well-to-do have easy access to information, but for the poor, newspapers are its only source. Since Jang and The News are widely read, I am using my column for their benefit.

The book in question is Tarikh-e-Baitullah. It has been written by Al-Shaikh Mohammad Saleh bin Ahmad bin Zainul Abidin al Shaikh and it has been translated by Mr Mohammad Kamran Qureshi.
The book explains, among other things, the background of the construction of the Kaaba. Before the advent of Islam, Christians and Jews prayed facing Masjid-e-Aqsa (the Al Aqsa Mosque in the holy city of Jerusalem, or Al Quds). This practice continued among Muslims in the early days of Islam. One day, when our Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was leading the prayers, he received Allah’s command to turn his face towards Makkah. The relevant Quranic verse is: “O Mohammad, We see the turning of your face (for guidance) to the Heavens; now shall We turn you to a Qibla that shall please you. Turn, then, your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (the Kaaba). Wherever you are, turn faces (during prayer) in that direction. The People of the Book know well that it is the truth from their Lord. Nor is Allah unmindful of what they do.” (2:144.) In this way, Allah declared Baitullah as the Kaaba and described its sanctity in the following verse: “Fight them (non-Muslims) not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there.” (2:191.)

There are various stories about the construction of the Kaaba. Some say that Allah determined the place of the Kaaba 2,000 years before the creation of Earth. When Adam (AS) was banished to Earth he begged Allah for help and Allah sent down Baitul Mamur, which was one of the rubies of Heaven. It was sent down where Baitullah is now situated. There is a Hadith that says: “O Adam, I have sent for you a House, so perform Tawaf (circumambulation) as you circumambulate My Throne (Heaven).”

Some historians believe that all traces of the foundations Hazrat Adam (AS) had laid have disappeared. There being many different stories. Hazrat Seesh (AS), bin Adam (AS), Ibrahim (AS) and his son, Ismail (AS) are credited with the construction of the Kaaba. The Quran says: “Remember, We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety. And take you the Station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer. And We covenanted with Ibrahim and Ismail that they should sanctify Our House for those who perform circumambulation around it, or use it as a retreat, or bow or prostrate themselves (before it) in prayer. And remember, Ibrahim said, ‘My Lord, make this a City of Peace and feed its people with fruits–such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.’ He said, ‘Yes, and such as reject faith–for which will We grant them their pleasure, but will soon drive them to the torment of Fire–an evil destination indeed.’ And remember, Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House (with this prayer), ‘Our Lord! Accept this service from us, for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.’ ” (2:125, 126, 127.)

In Surah Ibrahim there is mention of Hazrat Ismail (AS) settling in the vicinity of the Kaaba. We also know of Allah’s command to Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to leave Hazrat Hajira (RA) and Hazrat Ismail (AS) near the Kaaba with some water and dates; of Hazrat Hajira’s running between Mounts Safa and Marwa, the descent of an angel, his hitting the ground with his wing, and water (from the spring of Zamzam) bursting forth. Building on the Kaaba continued after its initial construction by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS). The Maqam of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) is the stone to which Hazrat Ismail (AS) brought his father, and by standing on it, Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) instructed Hazrat Ismail (AS) to raise the foundation of the Kaaba.

Abu Jehem mentions that Hajr-e-Aswad (the Black Stone) was brought by the Archangel Jibreel (AS) and Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) had it placed in its present position. Imam Tirmizi and Imam Nasai say that when Hazrat Ayesha (RA) desired to pray in the Kaaba, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had taken her by the hand to Hateem and instructed her to pray there, as it was a part of the Kaaba but had been excluded by her tribe.

Historians have agreed that the Kaaba was demolished and rebuilt many times, and this book contains many details on the subject. Additions and renovations are still continuing today. The Ibne Saud family has enlarged the surrounding area, paved it with white marble and cooled the floor with chilled water. May Allah Almighty bless them all.

The cover (ghilaf) of the Kaaba was first put around it by Taba, King of Yemen. In this connection, the Holy Prophet has said: “Don’t insult King Taba, because he was the first to provide cover over the Kaaba.”

About the custodians of the keys to the Kaaba, it is said that on the day of the conquest of Makkah the keeper of the keys, Usman bin Talha, refused to hand them over to Hazrat Ali (KW), who then forcibly took them from him. Hazrat Abbas (RA) requested the Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to entrust the keys to him. It was at that time that Allah sent down the following verse: “Allah does command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they belong…” (4:58.) The Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) instructed Hazrat Ali (KW) to hand back the keys to Usman bin Talha. Upon finding out the reason for this, Usman bin Talha immediately embraced Islam. It is reported that the Archangel Jibreel (AS) appeared and said that the keys would forever remain with the family of Usman bin Talha. Since then the keys have been kept by the Shebah family, as Usman bin Talha, before his death, had given them to his paternal cousin. The book also contains details about the Banu Shebah tribe and the present custodians of the keys. Presently Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Qadir al-Shebi is the custodian of the keys.

This book was launched in Karachi a few months ago and Dr Saleh Zainul Abidin Al-Shebi and Shaikh Abdur Rahman Saleh Zainul Abidin Al-Shebi especially came to grace the occasion. May Almighty Allah shower his blessings on all those involved in making possible the publication of this book. Ameen

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Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.

Splitting of the moon Random thoughts

By Dr A Q Khan

In one of my previous articles about Bhopal, I had written about its founding ruler, Raja Bhojpal and his sighting of the splitting of the moon, his sending of gifts, including betel leaves, to our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

My dear Bhopali friend, Tameezul Haq, has drawn my attention to another very important event that took place and has sent me a photocopy of an article published in the Kerala Magazine in 1948, based on Tareekh-e-Uzbekistan by Syed Kamaluddin Ahmad. Following is an excerpt from that article:

“Shaqqal qamar (splitting of the moon) miracle happened in the eighth year of Prophethood. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was camping at Mina with his companions. There was a full moon. At that time, the non-believers challenged the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to split the moon into two if he were a true prophet. The non-believers (Quraish) present were Abu Jahl, Walid, Aas, Aswad and Nazar bin Haras.

“The Holy Prophet (PBUH) raised his hand, prayed to Allah to fulfil their demand and then pointed his finger at the moon as if cutting it into two. The moon was immediately split into two… Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Masood (RA) is reported to have proclaimed: “I swear by Allah Almighty that I saw the moon in two pieces and the mountain Hira was in between them.” This miracle has been described in the Holy Quran in Surah Qamar (paragraph 27).

“In southern India (Malabar), the Kerala state was ruled by a Hindu raja. The raja and his family were sitting on the roof of the palace. He saw the moon splitting into two and could not believe what he had seen so he asked his family members if they had seen the same thing, which they had. The raja then summoned all the learned people of the area, including astrologers. He asked them to look into the episode and tell him what they made of it. After thorough investigation, all scholars confirmed the occurrence and said it was a miracle by a Prophet who, according to their books, would be born in Arabia and would split the moon into two by moving his fingers. ‘We believe that the said Prophet (PBUH) has been born and the moon has been split at his command,’ ” they said.

“The raja…sent his son with gifts for the Prophet (PBUH) and 100 soldiers for security reasons. The raja told his son that if the man was in fact the Prophet and if the episode was found to be true, then he should present the gifts to the latter and pay his respects to him.

“On his journey, the prince met some Arabs who confirmed the splitting of the moon episode. He then expressed his desire to be taken to the Prophet (PBUH). Upon meeting the young prince, Rasulallah (SAWS) gave him a warm welcome and asked him about the purpose of his visit. The prince narrated the whole story, presented the gifts…and conveyed his father’s greetings. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) thanked him and prayed for the welfare of the raja. It is said that on the very same day, the raja stopped worshipping idols, accepted the Prophethood and, thus, Islam.

“The prince was so impressed by the Prophet (PBUH) that he embraced Islam and married the daughter of one of his companions. When he returned to Kerala, he learnt that the raja had passed away and people were waiting for him to come back. Initially, the prince did not tell anyone that he had accepted Islam. [After] he was crowned …[and] consolidated his hold on the government, brought peace and tranquillity to the kingdom and then announced that he and his colleagues had embraced Islam. …A large number of his subjects embraced Islam there and then.

“The new raja decided to build a mosque which he named after his father. Today, it is known as Cheraman Mosque and is considered to be the first ever mosque of the Subcontinent. Located at Akrakalam, the Cheraman Mosque was constructed during the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The area is known as Malabar and it is spread along the coast. Muslims are still in the majority in the area and are very religious.”

After the raja and his subjects embraced Islam, Arab traders’ frequent visits, long stays and local inter-marriages resulted in more and more people embracing Islam and the area soon had a Muslim majority. Today, South Indians are known to be hardworking, intelligent, friendly and educated people. India’s multi-billion-dollar IT industry is thriving in this area.

After partition, many people from Kerala/Malebar migrated to Pakistan, most of them settling down in Karachi. They usually wore a tehmad or a lungi of checked material, a shirt and white crocheted cap. When a baby boy is born in their community, he is immediately given the first name ‘Muhammad’. Similarly, girls are immediately given the first name of Ayesha or Fatima and a second name follows later. Many of the tea and pan shops in Karachi are owned and run by people from that area. During the 50s, whenever there was a cricket match going on, they would hang a blackboard outside their shops, keep the score updated and a large crowd always gathered around. Those were the days of the good old Pakistan.

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Be shak, Main tery liye he jeeta hoon or tery liye he marta hoon.....!(Baba Fareed)
____________Punjab Police Zindabaad____________

Exemplary Character

The following verse of Allama Iqbal is the topic of this column:

Aaeen-e-jawanmardi, haqgoi-o-bebaki
Allah key sheron ko aati nahin rubahi.

In this verse he has described a momin, a gentleman, as “the Lion of Allah.” A characterless person, a crook, has been branded as “a cunning fox.”

People who are fearless and speak the truth face difficulties and hurdles. Allama Iqbal expressed this beautifully in the following verse:

Apney bhi khafa mujhse, begaaney bhi nakhush
Main zehr-e-halahal ko kabhi keh na saka qand.

Unfortunately, in our culture people surround themselves with sycophants whose lies they choose to believe. Many of our former rulers fell victim to this curse, having to leave the scene in disgrace. In one of my previous columns I had remarked that rulers usually don’t jump into a well of their own accord–they are pushed in.

Liaquat Ali Khan, the first prime minister, was respectfully called Quaid-e-Millat. Unfortunately, he was plotted against and assassinated. There followed a dark period from which we have not yet emerged. Dictators, from Ghulam Mohammad to Gen Musharraf–and those in between–came and destroyed the country. The civilian governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were hardly any better. Corruption and nepotism were rampant and they were soon scuttled by yet another dictator. Civilians became so indoctrinated by the dictators that they, in turn, behaved in a similar manner: might became right. Civilian leaders abhorred anyone who gave sane advice or pointed out their wrongdoings.

I personally am aware of a number of such cases under civilian rulers. This gave dictators the excuse to strike again and again and the poor, simple people initially greeted them with sympathy and hopes of receiving a better deal. However, it soon turned out to be the same old wine in a new bottle. Even though some civilian leaders have belatedly admitted their mistakes, they continue repeating them without shame or hesitation. Gen Musharraf confessed, years after the event, that his attack on the judiciary had been a blunder, but that blunder did not stop him from acting in Lal Masjid, sacking President Tarar and Prime Minister Jamali Sahib and signing the NRO with Benazir Bhutto. All these were continuation of the same policies.

At present we have two institutions that are in the forefront of good governance, truth and justice–the judiciary and the media. The media has totally changed the way the public thinks about and understands what is happening in the country, while the judiciary is trying its best to dispense justice without fear or favour. Both institutions are pointing out the wrongdoings of the rulers in their own way. As is to be expected, our rulers are oblivious to honest and sane advice and consider those giving it to be their enemies. They would much rather replace them and listen to what sycophants and hypocrites have to say.

While there are some instances of media persons with dubious character, some judges too are giving the impression that they are intentionally delaying and postponing judgments in even simple cases. These may be considered the exception that confirms the rule, but there is need for caution.

Here is the story of a brave and upright young man that represents Iqbal’s momin. During the reign of Caliph Mamoon Al-Rashid there was an elderly Qazi who was famous for his humane approach and justice. After praying and reciting some verses from the Quran early in the morning, the Qazi would start hearing cases. One day a handsome young man was brought before him and the Qazi was informed that the young man had committed murder.

On seeing him, the Qazi said: “He does not look like a murderer. He has the glowing face of a good Muslim and it is possible that some people have tried to implicate him in a false and fabricated case. I don’t believe that he could have done this heinous crime and his countenance betrays that he is not a murderer.” Upon hearing this, one man retorted that the young man had confessed to his crime, but the Qazi reprimanded him for trying to get a Muslim killed for no good reason. He believed that the young man would not be stupid enough to ensure his own death. He was hoping that the young man could provide an excuse for the crime and could get a mild sentence. The young man then said: “It was the will of Allah that I made the mistake of committing the murder and I know that I have to go to the Other World to answer for my deed. I am a sincere believer and am convinced that after this crime I won’t have the courage to face the chastisement of Allah. Whatever Islamic Law prescribes for me, I am willing to face it gladly.”

On hearing this, the Qazi cupped his hand behind his ear to pretend to be hard of hearing and asked what the young man was saying. Was he confessing or denying the crime? The people around him then told him that the accused was confessing. On hearing this, the Qazi remarked that it looked like his enemies had misguided him into confessing in order to have him killed. The young man said that nobody had forced him and that he had committed a sin and wanted the punishment according to Sharia to be given to him. The Qazi asked him for the last time, and again the young man confessed.

Now the Qazi said that he would enforce the punishment, but he first addressed the people and said: “Have you ever seen such a brave, noble and God-fearing person? I have not seen one before. Look at his face. It is glowing with nobility and belief in Allah and reflects a good family background. It is for the fear of Allah that this young man is confessing his crime. He knows that he is going to die but wants to go in the presence of Allah as a neat, clean and repenting person.” The Qazi then asked the young man to take a bath and offer two rakats of namaz before the punishment was carried out. He went on to say that he believed that the young man would go straight to Heaven. The young man was then blindfolded while the Qazi was still talking kindly and mentioning the beauty of Heaven. Upon a nod from the Qazi the executor chopped off the young man’s head with a single stroke.

This story demonstrates what Allama Iqbal later defined as the main characteristic of a brave, God-fearing and truthful person. The Japanese are famous for this kind of bravery and good character. Over and over again they demonstrated their national pride and sacrifice during the Second World War by committing hara-kiri. Even today they have not lost that noble characteristic. If any of their leaders is accused of wrongdoing or financial irregularity, they immediately honourably resign. In some cases the person in question is not guilty while his relative is accused, but still the individual resigns.

Contrast this to the character and deeds of our leaders. The mentality of lying, cheating and deceiving is at its peak. They not only indulge in shameless activities, but also defend them. The latest example of this is of the fake educational degrees. What future is there for a country with such leaders? Only Allah knows, but everything points to a bleak and grim future.

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Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.