HAZRATJI
Maulana Mohammed Yusuf, generally known to his followers as Hazratji, was about to board a train from Lahore to Saharanpur. Lahore had been the last stage of a long missionary tour which had taken him as far as Dhaka and to many other cities in both West and East Pakistan. He had a very heavy and demanding schedule, but following in the footsteps of his father, Maulana Ilyas, he had never once thought of sparing himself. Now he was going home. But this was not to be, for on that fateful day, the second of April 1965, he suffered a heart attack which proved fatal. This was a tragedy, no doubt, but it was one about which he had never allowed himself to feel apprehensive. The Tabligh movement came before all.
Maulana Mohd. Yousuf was born on 2nd March 1917. After the death of his father in 1944, he persevered in the same path for 21 years till the end. In this short span of time, a movement, which had started from teaching the illiterate Mewati Muslims the Kalimah and prayer, developed into a national and then an international movement. It influenced people from all walks of life, of diverse abilities and profession. A great achievement indeed, and quite unprecedented.
A contemporary of his, and a well-known scholar, Maulana Mohd. Manzoor Nomani, has narrated how a Tabligh gathering was held in Moradabad only a few months after the death of Maulana Mohd. Ilyas. At that time, the idea of sparing time for Tabligh had not become a common practice in areas other than Mewat. Maulana Mohd. Yousuf delivered a speech after the morning prayer. When it was over, some of the members began to exhort the people to register their names as participants in the outdoor religious activities of the movement. But only a few people came forward. For the dispatching of missionary parties to Bijnore, Chandpur and Rampur, not even a group of ten people could be formed. On learning of their apathy, Maulana Yousuf, who had gone inside the mosque after his speech, came back out, picked up the microphone and began thus: “Today you are reluctant to travel to such nearby places. A time will come when you will go to Syria, Egypt, Iraq, but by then your rewards will have diminished, because by that time such activity will have become common practice.”
This had appeared to be a figment of imagination at that time, but now this dream has come true. The movement of Tabligh has spread its wings far and wide, not only to Muslim countries, but also to Europe, Japan and the U.S.A. It would no more be an exaggeration to state that at every moment, some group or the other is on the move, in some part of the globe.
Total Involvement
There are hundreds and thousands of people who had the opportunity to come close to Maulana Yousuf, and witness his deep involvement in his mission. A member of the audience in Lahore who attended the gathering that was held after the morning prayers, says: “The Maulana began his speech and continued for three solid hours with unflagging energy. It seemed as though some volcanic eruption had taken place which was melting the hearts of the listeners. This address ended at 8:30, then it was time for breakfast. As he sat down to eat, the Maulana began again. Amazingly enough, he resumed his speech with such vigour, variety of arguments, freshness and spontaneity, that it was hard to imagine that it was the same person who had just finished a three-hour speech.
“In this breakfast meeting, so engrossed was he in explaining his mission to the people, that he paid no attention to his food. When one of his colleagues offered him a cup of tea, he accepted it, but held it in his hand for about 15-minutes. On having his attention drawn to it, he poured this cold tea down his throat. Another cup of hot tea was offered with biscuits but again he held the cup in his hand for a long time and then drank it like water when it had turned cold. Now he got up to address another meeting. Although he knew beforehand that he had to address another meeting before noon, he did not take any rest. And this was no exception. Such was his routine.”
One of his colleagues who knew him personally said that before going to make a speech the Maulana always turned to God to seek His help. And when he began, his absorption was total.
Once there was a gathering in Bhopal. At that time, the Maulana was suffering from wounds on his thighs which bled even with the slightest movement. He had come to Bhopal in this condition and, as usual, refused to take rest. He made speeches at different gatherings, and as a result, the wounds worsened. After the gatherings in Bhopal, he travelled to a place which was 40-50 miles away, where a gathering had been organized. Although the Maulana was present, his colleagues decided not to allow him to speak on this occasion in order to save him from further exertion. A substitute for him was found. But when the speech was made the Maulana felt that it has been lacking in force and conviction, so he insisted on making one himself. Unable to sit up, he lay down on a bed, and began to speak. The wounds started bleeding. When one piece of cloth was drenched, it was replaced by another. In this way a number of pieces of cloth became soaked with blood. The Maulana ended his speech only when he had elaborated upon the relevant points. It was estimated that about half a kilo of blood had oozed out of the wound during this speech. But this devoted servant of God did not even care to know what was happening, let alone allow himself to be disturbed by it.
In any family, the person who knows the husband best is the wife. The Maulana’s late wife had been suffering from tuberculosis, and towards the end, her condition had considerably deteriorated. But the Maulana could hardly spare a moment to look after her. Someone sent his wife to her, having advised her to talk to Maulana’s wife with such sympathy that she should be induced to betray any grudges she bore against the Maulana. The lady talked to her for quite sometime. But the Maulana’s wife did not utter a single word of complaint against her husband. Instead, she defended him, saying, “He is so engrossed in his work, that he hardly has any time even to look after himself. I have myself told him not to worry about me. I am receiving treatment for my illness. If God were to bring us together in heaven, we would have enough time to live in peace.” Some months later she died while in prayer.
The Call
The Maulana’s eagerness to lead people along the right path had turned to anguish. To him, faith involved trusting in God in all matters to the exclusion of all else. Once he said that working for this cause entailed a firm belief in God because it was He alone who could bring success. Man had to submerge his being within Him. He had to be fully convinced that in following the prophetic way alone lay the success of both the worlds.
“There are two fields of struggle,” he once said, “One concerns the earth on which we live, and the other is the world of faith. The first type of struggle brings forth the fruits of our worldly labours. But it does not afford one any deep sense of happiness and contentment. The second type of struggle reaps dividends in the next world.” To the Maulana, dominance on earth was subject to our leading truly Islamic lives. As he said, “Follow the pattern of the Prophet. Those who neither wish to follow his path themselves nor let others follow it, will be shattered by God as He does the shell of an egg. The superpowers, to God, are not worth even a spider’s web. It is only the deplorable lack of pure souls that has caused such spider’s webs to grow.
“No sooner had the people reformed themselves through the efforts of the Prophet, than God sent His scourge upon the Romans and Persians. Those who did not capitulate before Him perished by His wrath.” Here are some excerpts from one of the Maulana’s letters. “Man’s success is in proportion to his inner resources. It is spiritual success and failure alone that matter. Worldly success and failure keep fluctuating. Men of position and power are reduced to nothing if that is the will of God and, conversely the resourceless have position and power conferred upon them.”
“Those who have faith and do good deeds will have their failures turned by God into successes. Everything lies in the hands of God; He alone wields influence over everything in this world. When one truly loves and fears God and is wholeheartedly willing to follow the path shown by the Prophet Mohammad, God will see to it that our initiatives are brought to fruition. Today people adhere to the outward form of religion, while the spirit is lost.”
“The companions of the Prophet trod this path heart and soul. They devoted their whole lives to the propagation of this message. We must follow their pattern. We must expend all our energies on reaching the true path. We must make sacrifices of time and money yet expect no return. We shall have to migrate for this cause when the call comes and help those who have already chosen to tread it. The prayers of such people shall be answered like those of the Jewish Prophets. Just as God came to their help to overcome their enemies, so God will come to our rescue too. If this struggle is internationalized, God will bring revolution within the hearts of the people all over the world.”
People believe that things come into being through a process of cause and effect. The prophets showed us that everything is caused by God. If this reality were firmly fixed in people’s minds, in the words of the Maulana, “Our attention will be diverted from the markets to prayers, and the most difficult of jobs will be made easy by God.” The Maulana laid most emphasis on impressing upon the minds of the people the importance of understanding the area of their struggle. There are some who consider agriculture, business and science as being the area in which to exert the utmost. There are others who depend upon elections to bring pressure to bear upon the government for the realization of their collective aims and goals.
The Maulana maintained that these material matters could be likened to bulbs and fans. Even if we direct all our efforts towards bulbs and fans, we cannot make them function; we have to operate the switch which activates them. Similarly, it is contact with God alone which can bring our efforts to fruition in every field. Without this our best efforts are in vain.
Method of Working
The Maulana’s method of working for this goal was very simple. It was to revive the activities of the mosques on the pattern of the early days of Islam. Movement and travel were greatly emphasized, as a means to make people truly religious. People were to be withdrawn for a time from their daily chores to share in the religious environment. There they were trained to urge others to follow the same path. And, when they returned home, they were expected to retain their impression for a long time. It was expected that the religious and spiritual lessons they had been taught, would be pursued by them in the mosques of their neighbourhood. This mosque-oriented life in itself, as the Maulana saw it, would ensure success in both the worlds.
He explained his point of view in a letter to one of his followers: “To learn to lead a truly religious life, whatever the sphere one belonged to, one was required to spare four months out of one’s worldly engagements. During this period, one had to preach the word of God to all those one came in contact with, on journeys to various places in and outside the country. The Prophet’s companions had thrown themselves into the performing of this task with total dedication. Their activities centered on mosques, where they talked of the greatness of God which strengthened them in their faith. It was in the mosques that they learnt how to purify their actions. It was there that the fact that they were accountable to God for their deeds was indelibly impressed upon them. It was in the mosques also that the missionary groups were formed. People from all walks of life gathered to remember God in the mosques and came in contact with one another there. Today we mistakenly suppose that it is the money that we earn by our efforts that runs the mosques. The mosques, consequently, are full of material objects and devoid of spiritual wealth. The mosques at the time of the companions of the Prophet were not dependent upon businessmen and did not have such facilities as we have today. Still, they served as great training centres in individuals’ and in social life. Their frequenters first reformed their own ways and then spared no efforts to initiate others into the same way of life. Now we must set ourselves the task of preparing others to share this responsibility of indoctrinating others with religious truths alongside their secular education. After having performed the outdoor activities they should not forget the learning they have gained in the process of teaching; and they must continue those activities in the mosques of their own areas. It is our bounden duty to draw their attention towards this gigantic task. At least one person in each family should devote a part of his time to this job. Such people should then work in unison. The local parties must visit different local mosques in turn to impart religious education to those assembled therein. This will create an environment for religious activities. Afterwards they should cover the mosques situated outside their own settlements. The mosques situated at a distance should be visited once a month and their stay there should be for at least for three days in the month. God will generously reward them for their three days work as if it were equal to 30 days. Those who devote three days to such work every month will be reckoned by God as having served for the whole year.”
Shunning Publicity
The Maulana disapproved of the prevalent system of publicity. He writes in one letter: “In order to make this mission public, the advertising media, newspapers, advertisements, posters and so on should be avoided as far as possible, for the whole of our work is unconventional. The real way of working is to address people individually, to impart education by approaching people, and forming groups of people to work together.”
The Maulana’s concept of literature can be understood from the following excerpts:
“After reading the books on Hadith, one should recite passages from the Quran. While imparting religious learning one should avoid speaking on one’s own. One should first recite the Quran, then read excerpts from the Hadith, then briefly comment on the meanings of the passages read aloud with the aim of stimulating in the people a desire to work for the cause. The Hadith books should be read in public as well as in private.”
He shunned publicity so much that after his death, no copies of his letters could be found, in spite of the fact that the Maulana wrote letters frequently.
Call to Non-Muslims
So far as preaching among non-Muslims is concerned, he held the view that until the Muslims themselves were reformed, non-Muslims could find no appeal in our religion. Once he said: “Unless one has firm conviction and has moulded one’s way of life accordingly, one fails to become a good Muslim morally, and he who does not become a good Muslim himself is ill-equipped to spread the message among others. To be good to others out of selfish motives is not an act of morality. Without sincerity of intention, our actions are bereft of any value. There are innumerable people who appear to be physically alive but are spiritually dead, because their actions are lacking in sincerity.” That is why he considered it of prime importance to reform Muslims themselves.
Unity
The Maulana greatly stressed unity, integrity and concentrated effort. He advised the people even to travel together as far as possible. He attached great value to remaining united but disapproved of forming parties as usually happened. The Maulana said, “We have no party, no formal type of organization, no office, no register and no funds. Our work is to be shared by all Muslims. That’s why, according to the times, we have not formed our people into a separate Jama’at (party). We are just working on the pattern of the mosques where people come together from different walks of life and, after having said their prayers, return to their daily chores. In the same manner, we ask you to spare some time to train yourselves, and then go back to your daily duties. Once you have imbibed religion in its true spirit, the people of the world will approach you to acquire knowledge from you, and Insha Allah, one of these days, the leadership of the world will be conferred upon you.”
In a speech he advises the preachers thus:
“When you visit someone in person with the aim of conveying the message to him, and you find him unfavourably inclined, you should cut short your visit and come back to pray for him. On your next visit, when you find him showing some interest, only then should you speak to him in detail. When you visit a religious scholar, you should ask only for his blessings. However, if you find him willing to hear you, you can briefly mention your work to him.”
Prayer
The Maulana always concluded his speech with prayer. The word prayer as it is generally understood, is perhaps inadequate to recall fully what prayer meant to him. In seeking God’s help through prayer, he aspired to establish direct contact with God, and so engrossed was he with his prayers that he seemed to be the embodiment of them. Those who have attended his gatherings say, “While he was praying it seemed that he had neither prayed before nor was he ever going to pray again in future. It was as if he would ask for all that he had ever wanted and say to God all that he had ever wanted to say in that one prayer, his psychic state, the contents of his prayer, his spontaneity coupled with the unparalleled force of his words, cast a spell on the audience. When the prayer was made in Urdu, the people would almost burst into tears.”
On one such occasion, he asked forgiveness for his sins, salvation in the next life, predominance of religion in this world, and guidance for all mankind. The prayer was made as was fitting, not a single eye in the congregation remained dry. All tongues responded to his call, and hearts leapt with the poignancy of it. He was obsessed with one thing alone: the nagging feeling of having spent his life in vain—the feeling of having fallen short of the divine standard. “O, my God, forgive us for all of our inadequacies and failures, and guide us along the right path!”
Here is one prayer which is preserved on a tape: “O, my God, forgive us for our sins. Forgive us for our lapses in carrying out the work as deserved by your cause. We have pathetically failed in fulfilling the mission of the prophets, and we have engaged ourselves in worldly pursuits. God, save us from the depths of degradation we have fallen into and guide us along the right path. We are grateful to You for having shown us Your path and granted us the service of Your cause. Accept from us the struggles that we have made and bless our efforts. May You, God, establish peace and justice all over the world, and bring to an end corruption and cruelty. Help all of us who have joined Your cause and answer our prayers.”
A Divine Gift
The Maulana seemed to be a born speaker, and his unbounded zeal served to burnish this gift. After hearing his speeches, a religious scholar said, “It seemed that he had been endowed with a divine gift and that it was not an acquisition.” It was wisdom, combined with the force with which he expressed himself. In his final days, he sometimes had to speak for eight hours continuously, and it is truly amazing that neither common men nor religious scholars ever found his lengthy speeches tedious. They were all concentration till the end. A large number of them appreciated his discourses to such an extent that they would note down the contents during the speech itself. It was astonishing that the listeners felt as though it were his first speech, as if it were full of pristine vigour and force.
An adherent who attended the Maulana on a journey writes: “The Maulana addressed many gatherings for hours together, till his throat swelled with the extreme exertion. The doctors insisted on his taking rest, but he would not oblige them. He continued to deliver speeches to every gathering that was organized on that occasion at the risk of aggravating the condition of his throat.”
The style of his speeches was unique, and the intensity of his emotion would betray itself in physcial agitation he would stand up and sit down repeatedly and pull his sleeves up and down as he spoke. The feeling that his struggle had not met with the intended result was so agonizing to him, that he would sigh and groan at which the hearts of his listeners would melt.
One of his followers observed that Hazratji used to talk continuously for hours. He himself had attended five of his lectures in one day, one of which alone was of five-and-a-half-hour duration. It seemed like an endless sea of knowledge: the source of his inspiration was eternal and ever flowing.
Taste for Learning
His taste for acquiring knowledge was immense. One of his colleagues has it that the Maulana once told him he had bought sweets for himself only once. It was not because he had no money, but because he saved his money to buy books on the life of the Prophet Mohammad. Maulana Inamul Hasan, a friend and class fellow of the Maulana recounts how both of them had decided to keep awake at night to study. “It was arranged that one night the Maulana would keep awake for the first half of the night while I slept, and then, at midnight, he would waken me and give me a cup of tea so that I could study during the latter half of the night. Then he would go to sleep. The next day I did vice versa. One night the Maulana studied in the first half of the night and the second night I studied in the first half of the night, thus giving ourselves some variety.” In his later life at Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin, he had a busy schedule, but he had fixed a period of time every day to read and write.
An incident recounted by a religious scholar from Nadwa, Lucknow underscores this aspect of the Maulana. It seems that at a gathering addressed by the late Maulana Yousuf, there was pin drop silence for his words of wisdom and inspiration. Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, a great religious scholar, who was also present on this occasion, remarked, when the speech was at its zenith, that he would not be guilty of dishonesty if he were to swear that there was no religious scholar in the whole of the Muslim world who could speak so convincingly and with the same degree of faith and conviction as Maulana Yousuf. (1386 AH)
