Rang-o-Noor (BY SA'DI)

A GRAND SITTING

Allah cast His glances upon a stone and it became dark stone i.e. "Hajr-Aswad" the very dear one. Billions of people visit it and rush to it to kiss. How strange is love for Allah. The man who is blessed with it, becomes the dear one whether he is a human, stone or water. How dear is "Zam Zam" whereas it is also water but Allah's glance of love has made it so grand.

Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed was also a man and a follower of the Holy Prophet like us. He was neither a prophet nor a Sahaabi but Allah cast His glances of love at him and selected him for special way of love i.e. Jihaad in the way Allah. Love for Allah made Hazrat Syed Ahmad so "loved one" that the Muslims still love him and get light from him and regard it as auspiciousness to pray for him.

Grand Sitting For the Al-Qalam

At the beautiful junction of Jihaad, spiritualism and love, the Al-Qalam is conducting a sitting. In this sitting, you will be told the achievements and life history of a brave gallant person. Today, the Al-Qalam will follow a brave devoted Caravan with love and devotion escorting you even from Raoy Braily to Delhi, Calcattah to Makkah and Madina, Takiyah to Qandhar, Peshawar to Panjtar, Toro and Maayaar, Swat, Hazarah and then Bala Kot, strange scenes of Belief and hypocrisy, indelible tales of fidelity and treachery, ideal masterpieces of courage and modesty, tears of Bala Kot and the shattering particles of light, scented blood and illuminated graves and Jihaad anthems that bring before us the memories of the ancient times. Well done Al-Qalam, well done! You are very lucky. May Allah protect you against the evil eye! You are, no doubt, a cloud in the blazing deserts and a candle in the pitch-dark. May Allah protect you! Keep telling the Muslims the true tales and put before them the mirror of honour and grandeur.

A Question

Is everyone blessed with amiability of Allah through "a glance of love?" These days, billions of people are indulged in love for idols. Millions of people are gathered around trees, Brahmans and innovative saints. (May Allah forbid). Are these idols, monastries and polytheists blessed with love for Allah? No, never at all. You will have witnessed the flies that they gather at piles of filth. The Satan embellishes the love for foul and filthy things in the hearts of the unholy people. Apparently, it is also love but if we peep into it, it is just selfishness and sensuality. The man or the thing blessed with love for Allah, that love becomes the cause of union with Allah. The belief of Oneness strengthens if we look at and kiss the Hajr-Aswad. The belief in increases by drinking the Zam Zam water. Now, judge Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed at this scale. We gain love for Oneness, Sunnah and Jihaad if we study his life history and develop abomination against polytheism, innovation cowardice and worldliness. The man who unites people in love for Allah fights for the freedom of the Muslims and sacrifices everything for the domination of Islam; his love is granted with acceptance with Allah. Allah blessed Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed with so great accepted love that big saints of that time regarded it as their good luck to carry his shoes. Millions of people yearned to visit him. People used to carry the dust from under his feet as a blessing. The crowd of people was rushing towards him madly but he himself was rushing on the path to his Lord. He was telling everyone that Allah is one. He has no equal with Him. He is the Sustainer of us all. He is All-Powerful and Remover of difficulties. O people, if you love your Lord, come and sacrifice for your Lord. The heathens have occupied the Muslim lands. The oppressed Muslims are anxious everywhere. The marks of Islam are being banned in our lives. O Muslims, love teaches the sense of honour. Show your sense of honour for Islam and break the power of Infideltiy. Thousands of people were rushing towards Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed whereas Hazrat Syed Ahmad was searching grandeur of Islam in the mountains, valleys and jungles and searching martyrdom for himself. Allah-o-Akbar!

Do Not Deem

You should not deem that when Allah endowed Hazrat Syed Ahmad with amiability, no one was opponent to him. Hazrat Syed had numerous opponents. Not to speak of the strangers, even the near ones left no stone unturned in raising objections, levying blames and slanders. A few of the objections raised against Hazrat Syed Ahmad are the following:

(i) Hazrat Syed Ahmad (God forbids) is the agent of the British. He is actually making the job of the British easy in the guise of Jihaad. A number of Maulvis and so-called saints in India prepared a decree comprising this slander and distributed it among the people far and wide. This decree or pamphlet turned many people against Hazrat Syed.

(ii) Hazrat Syed Ahmad has very small weapons whereas the enemy facing is very powerful. This Jihaad is unlawful according to Sharia until power equal to the enemy is accumulated.

(iii) May people pledged an oath of allegiance with Hazrat Syed Ahmad but deviated soon and broke the pledge. They must have noted some evil. When so many people broke pledge, who knows when the others also break. What reliance in such a swarm?

(iv) Jihaad is opt-obligatory. If a few people perform it, it is lifted from upon all the rest. Why is Hazrat Syed Ahmad persuading all the people to it?

(v) Jihaad needs a unanimous Leader i.e. the Ameer who fulfils such and such conditions. Are all these conditions found in Hazrat Syed Ahmad?

The above and many other useless and deviating objections and doubts were being raised by people against Hazrat Syed Ahmad and his organization. But the learned people like Hazrat Maulana Abdul-Hye and Hazrat Shah Ismail Shaheed were present in the army of Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed. These people answered these objections in detail and highlighted the issue of Jihaad well but there is no cure for ill-luck and obstinacy. Every cowardly person sees death in Jihaad but many cowardly people cover this cowardice under the veil learning that Jihaad is not correct under such and such argument. Hazrat Shah Ismail Shaheed has said in agony about such unfortunate people:

Sobhaan Allah! Is it only the right of Islam that the great pillar of Islam (i.e. Jihaad in the way of Allah) is being uprooted; the man who is stirred by the sense of honour for Islam, should be made the butt of irony and censure? Are all these people Christians or jews or Hindus that they are harbouring enmity against the Ummah of Muhammad ? The requisition of Muslimhood is that if a man names Jihaad even in fun, sport and joke, the Muslims are overjoyed and refreshed like the flowers. If the call for Jihaad comes from far off areas and reaches the ears of the modest Muslims, they leap madly to the deserts rather they begin to fly like the hawk. Has the issue of Jihaad, in spite of its grandeur, been considered inferior to the matters regarding menses and purity?" (Syed Ahmad Shaheed P:262)

Stages of Training

Hazrat Syed Ahmad, Allah be thanked, led a very successful, popular, dear and grand life and left after him big treasures as perennial Sadqa. Let us have a look at how Hazrat Syed Ahmad covered these stages of training and progress.

1. Conscious Islam

Ideological education of Islam should be acquired from the very childhood so that Islam may gain ground in the delicate cells of heart and brain. Some of this education should be given by the parents and rest of the Quranic education should be gained form religious institutions. Hazrat syed Ahmad was granted with capacity to cover this stage successfully.

2. Physical Strength.

Physical weakness and laziness can make man's ideas weak and slavish. The successful life of Hazrat Syed Ahmad Shaheed was started with labour for "Physical strength." He put in hard labour in wrestling, swimming and other manly games and sports. Every Muslim should give his children training in wrestling, swimming, horse-riding, club-fighting and weaponery so that he may become in future a hawk not a broiler. They should be saved from useless and sinful sports like video, computer, chess, kairum and ludo etc.

3. Relation with Allah

For the completion of this stage, Hazrat Syed Ahmad undertook an arduous journey and went to Hazrat Shah Abdul-Aziz who handed him over to his brother Shah Abdul-Qaadir and after a few days, he took him in pledge of allegiance with him also. Hazrat Shah Abdul-Qaadir was the Exegete and recogniser of the verses on the topic of Jihaad. His company and training made Hazrat Syed Ahmad the true lover of the highest command of Islam i.e. Jihaad in the way of Allah. On the other hand, seeing the situation and high stages of Hazrat Syed Ahmad, Hazrat Shah Abdul-Aziz showered upon him the dignity of being his successor. Therefore, every Muslim, in order to cover the stages of education and training, should develop relations with such holy saint of Allah who has complete Din including Jihaad, who gives the lesson of sacrifice for the belief of Oneness following the Sunnah and Din and who teaches wisdom, correction of intentions, sincerity and mysticism. Beware, never pledge an oath of allegiance with a mundane Innovator anti-Jihaad or denier of Jihaad. The man who is the denier and anti-jihaad or opponent of dictates of Din cannot be the possessor of recognition. The man who himself does not have the passion of sacrifice of life and wealth for the sake of Din cannot correct other people.

4. Military Training

Hazrat Syed Ahmad had gained succession of so great saint. He had received numerous glad tidings in strange dreams but instead of ascending a throne, he set out for the highest point of Islam. O yes, he joined the army of the late Nawab Amir Khan to learn Jihaad in the way of Allah so that he might learn the obligation of Jihaad from every angle and get practical experience of participation in it. It is a fact that the Muslim who wishes high position of love with Allah and has pining for the domination of Islam and protection of the oppressed Muslims, makes himself accustomed to the field of Jihaad so that he may be useful for Islam and the Muslims and may sell his life and property to Allah. This is a five point, very plain and simple syllabus. It will be very good if we keep this syllabus in view while educating and training ourselves and our children.

Lawful Jihaad And Search For Front

Every battle and war is not called Jihaad. Jihaad is an Islamic obligation. Islam has described its dictates also like prayer, fasting and Hajj. Hence the battle that is under those dictates will become Jihaad. Many people consider every operation "Jihaad." It is as someone names every sitting and standing the prayer. Many people, when hear about the obligation and excellence of Jihaad, begin to look for some prey around them. Contrary to it, when Hazrat Syed Ahmad intended for the revival of Jihaad, did not begin to attack the surrounding Pagans at once rather he chose a legal front after great meditation, thinking and consultation with people and Allah. Then, in order to reach that front, he undertook so arduous journey that even the teeth begin to perspire to hear of it. Hazrat Syed Ahmad would very clearly tell, "My intention is not to raise a commotion or create disruption. I wage Jihaad just to liberate the oppressed Muslims, to strengthen and promulgate Islam and break the power of the heathens." There was so great blessing in Syed Ahmad's belief only because it was according to the Sharia. Its war front was also the same. When Hazrat Syed Ahmad conquered Peshawar without any fighting and resistance, everyone advised him not to leave Peshawar but Hazrat Syed Ahmad was not so simple saint to be taken in by the people and might have got his companions killed in a new and useless war. He was not taken in by the crowd that pledged the oath of allegiance and those who promised to come for help. On the other hand, he perceived the reality with his foresight that if occupation over Peshawar is maintained, the entire Islamic army will remain busy in defending it. There will be daily fights with the Muslims and the Hypocrites. On the other hand, the Infidels will keep oppressing the Muslims after their will. Hence, Hazrat Syed Ahmad left that front and set out to confront the Sikhs. He preferred to be martyred by the Pagans instead of the Hypocrites. The Mujaahideen of today should also learn a lesson from this grand Jihaad policy and legal sequence.

Jihaad, the Greatest of All Tasks

The Holy Quran and the Sunnah tell us that only Jihaad in the way of Allah is the greatest task. Hazrat Syed Ahmad illucidated this matter with his sayings and actions while running the greatest monastery of the Subcontinent. He told the Muslims that mysticism is all under Jihaad and none holds position higher than Jihaad. Some foolish people offer mysticism and Jihaad parallel to each other which is wrong. Jihaad is a permanent obligation whereas purification of the Self, sincerity and correction of intentions are compulsory in every of its dictate and they are life and soul of its dictates. Some people consider themselves more precious and keep sitting at home with the wish for a great task in Jihaad. When they are persuaded to Jihaad, they say, "We are ready if we are put into a great task." In the past, a few capable people would demand so but these days, the people skilled in the useless thing like computer also consider themselves precious.

The dunce consider the common Mujahideen totally idiot and foolish and are always lost in the thoughts that they will come out if there is a great task. O the slaves of Allah, every lay man and every Pagan and Hypocrite knows how to operate computer better than you. Access to more information often weakens man. The Sahaabah who defeated Rome and Persia; some of them did not know counting above one thousand. These days, those simple and plain Mujaahideen who do not know the difference between the star and the planet have bridled America, NATO and India with iron reins. Hazrat Syed Ahmad told that Jihaad itself is a great task. Actually, that task is great which involves man's complete sincerity, labour and sacrifice. With these three conditions, every task of Jihaad becomes big whether that is the labour of baking bread or advancing to attack. The Holy Quran itself has explained this matter in detail under the description of the Battle of Tabuk. Hazrat Syed Ahmad made special labour on this topic. Hence, the task and front in which he appointed his Mujaahideen, they accepted it happily considering it a great task and they did not make a separate bloc or group in the desire of great task.

A List

I intended to write much about Hazrat Syed Ahmad, his sacred organization and his movement but the column is going to complete with a few points. Hence, I am presenting the list of those topics about which I was to discourse. The lovers should ponder over them themselves.

i. Hazrat Syed Ahmad's high Jihaad intentions.

ii. Hazrat Syed Ahmad's yearning for the domination and promulgation of Islam whether by him or someone else.

iii. Hazrat Syed Ahmad's efforts that he made not to fight the Muslims and the Hypocrites.

iv. Hazrat Syed Ahmad and his organization's creed about legal purda.

v. The Jihaad atmosphere, worship, recitation, Zikr, Maraaqiba and religious education and training of Hazrat Syed Ahmad's army. There was neither the talk of worldliness and business nor that of marriages.

vi. Hazrat Syed Ahmad's Islamic conception that victory or defeat in Jihaad do not count. Waging Jihaad sincerely is the victory and success of the Muslims.

vii. Hazrat Syed Ahmad's fondness for Shahaadat and his wonderful persuasions to it.

viii. Hazrat Syed Ahmad's special affections for the poor indigent Muslims.

A Supplication

It is strange that in spite of so deep love and affinity for the Shuhada of Bala Kot, I have got the apportunity to study about them in detail now. Since when Allah has granted me relation with Jihaad, most of my attention was focused on "Verses on Jihaad, Traditions on Jihaad and knowledge of Jihaad." Allah be thanked, I have been blessed with detailed study of Hazrat Syed Ahmad and his movement. Only this time must have been proper with Allah. Reading about Hazrat Syed Ahmad and his movement, I have been blessed with more strength and satisfaction about my conception of Jihaad. I have offered thanks to Allah for the qualities of Jihaad when found in today's Jihaad and prayed to Allah for the removal of deficiency and lack that come to the view. May Allah bless us all and our organization with the benefits and inspiration of Hazrat Syed Ahmad, shower His special favour and grace upon us and accept our deficient labour!

Translated by: Abdullah