THE MIRACLE OF PATIENCE
On July 23, 1993, I performed the Friday prayer at the Sang Tarashan Mosque (Paharganj) in Delhi. The neighbourhood around this mosque is entirely Hindu. After 1947, the mosque was shut down, and locals used to dump trash there. In 1982, a Muslim from Delhi, Mr. Muhammad Saeed Bilai (born 1953), considered reclaiming this mosque.
He made efforts to reopen, clean, and repair the mosque. The next challenge was how to populate it, since there were no Muslims living nearby. So, he set up a madrasa by hiring a teacher. About two dozen Muslim children moved in and studied there. This way, the five daily prayers were established.
Mr. Mahmood Saeed Bilali informed his acquaintances about this mosque, and soon many people began coming for Friday prayers. The mosque would be filled with worshippers. To help the students and worshippers, Mr. Bilali planned to build a canopy by covering half of the courtyard with a roof. He started the work, creating a framework and beginning the roof construction.
This incident occurred on March 19, 1991. Suddenly, about 150 Hindus, mostly young men, gathered and declared they would not allow the construction of the roof. They threatened, saying, “If you don’t take down this roof, there will be bloodshed, and your mosque will not remain standing.” One student went to the police station and informed them of the situation. Soon, a large number of police officers arrived, including senior officials. After assessing the situation, the police stated that the construction was within legal boundaries, so no one could stop it. They told the Muslims, “You go ahead and build the roof; we are here to ensure your safety.”
Mahmood Saeed Bilali wondered how long the police could keep protecting him if he continued construction. Eventually, he would have to face the local Hindus, who might not only dismantle the roof but also destroy the mosque, and no one could stop them. While he was lost in these thoughts, an elderly man from the Hindu crowd stepped forward. He said, “Mian Ji, these people are very agitated right now. They could do anything. Don’t be stubborn; take down the roof.”
Bilali immediately took advantage of the situation. He said, “Just as this elder is respected by you, he is also respected by me. I accept his advice.” Then he told his workers to take down the roof. As a result, the roof was dismantled. By that point, 25,000 rupees had already been spent on the construction.
The incident had a very positive impact on all the Hindus in the area. They all became more sympathetic toward the mosque and its community. Now, five daily prayers are held with the call to prayer broadcast on loudspeakers, Friday prayers are conducted regularly, an Islamic school is in operation, and magnificent Taraweeh prayers are offered during Ramadan, among other activities. Despite everything, there is no obstruction from the Hindus. They often say, “If you need anything, let us know. If any Hindu bothers you, inform us immediately, and we will handle it.”
On December 6, 1992, when news spread that the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya had been demolished, tensions erupted across Delhi. Hindu-Muslim riots broke out in several areas. This region also experienced unrest, especially since there were 23 Muslim children inside the mosque at that time.
Mahmood Saeed Bilali was in the Jama Masjid area at the time and couldn’t do anything. However, the neighbouring Hindus became their protectors. They personally came to the mosque, took the children to a nearby school, arranged their food and drinks, and then safely escorted all the children back home.
If Bilali had been stubborn and confrontational, it would have caused stubbornness and confrontation on the other side as well, leading to conflict. But when he took a stance of gentleness and humility, it generated the same response from the other side. As a result, the atmosphere of conflict changed into one of peace.
