Last Sunday, I visited Madrasa-e-Faisul Quran located at Kishtapur, Pargi about 100 km away from Hyderabad. The story of Madrasa-e-Faisul Quran is amazing and heart touching. Several years ago, a liquor merchant named “Lakshmaiah” was a dominating figure in the lands of Kishtapur and surrounding villages. He had everything except the light of Imaan. He tried to fulfil the spiritual vacuum by consulting various scholars. Soon he came across Maulana Muhammed Hameed Aqil Hussami, who helped him understand the message of Islam. Allah poured imaan into the heart of Lakhmaiah. He took Shahada and took the name “Muhammed Omar Hussami”. After converting to Islam, Omar Hussami faced several challenges. But the imaan in him was so strong, that he overcame every problem with Allah’s help. He made sure all his children receive not only the basic Islamic education but also become Hafiz and Aalim. Meanwhile, Omar Hussami was confronted with the challenge of disappearance of Islam from the small villages due to lack of Masjids and Imams. He realized that, not many Imams were willing to work at small villages around Kishtapur and Pargi. Moreover, the locals of the villages were not in a position to pay salaries to Imams. One solution to this problem was, guiding the local kids to become Hafiz-e-quran.
In 1987, with a conviction that Allah’s help would arrive, Omar Hussami started a Madrasa called “Madrasa-e-Faisul Quran”. In order to start the Madrasa, Omar Hussami gave up all his wealth. In 2013, Omar Hussami passed away. May Allah grant him paradise. Today, his sons and grandsons, who have become Muftis are running the Madrasa. In last twenty six years of service, 175 Huffaz and Ulama have graduated from the Madrasa. By the grace of Allah, today the Madrasa has separate quarters to accommodate more than 200 girls and 300 boys.
To be at this place was one of the most humbling experience of my life. I stood there, looking at the institution created by a great man and the revolution he went through in his life. I felt small and guilty. As I write this, I have tears in my eyes. There is no money… there are no resources… surroundings are hostile… yet, they are able to pull off this monumental feat. 180 Kg of rice is cooked every day to feed the students. They grow onions, brinjals and tamarind in the backyard of Madrasa. Occasionally, they get some funding, with which they purchase rice. What is making these people stand tall against all the hostilities? The answer is simple. Their imaan is much higher than I can imagine. They believe in Allah. They believe that this life is temporary and preparing for afterlife is more important than worrying about the needs of this world. Subhan’Allah.
And here I am, sitting in a chilled room, writing this … and I ask myself… what am I doing with this life? What answer do I have, when I return to Allah? All my life, I have competed with others. During school, I was the school topper. During college, I topped the class and published research papers. When I started working, I was rated highly over others. Neighbours and relatives give my example to their kids. And what a fake world I was living in. Before Allah, I am among those bottom 5% category. Those people, who follow Islam but are of no good. How selfish and short sighted I have been all these years. What is my investment for afterlife? A polytheist, who sold liquor, was able to get such guidance from the book of Allah and Sunnah of Prophet … that he rose to the heights of creating an institution that would produce hundreds of Huffaz and Ulama. His progenies and their progenies become Muftis. What a blessed life he lived! I envy him. I wish I can pull off something similar.
I heard the Prophet saying, "There is no envy except in two: a person whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge) and he gives his decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others."
Narrated by Ibn Masud, Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 24, Number 490
I feel like woken up from a bad dream. It feels like, investing all the wealth in a scam. The true investment is the investment for the afterlife. And I have got nothing allocated to that afterlife fund. I don’t know, how much more life, I have been granted. But I want to make the most of it. I want to grab every opportunity that is out there. I am thankful to the capabilities that Allah has given me and I would deeply regret if I don’t make the best use of it. There is so much to do. There are millions suffering of hunger and poverty. There are millions who are unemployed and exploited. There are millions who are misguided and fooled. There is certainly so much to do. I want to impress Allah. And this life is worth living for impressing Allah. And to start with, let me supplicate Allah through the awesome prayer of Prophet Mohammed (ﷺ)…
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to supplicate Allah: "My Lord, help me and do not give help against me; grant me victory, and do not grant victory over me; plan on my behalf and do not plan against me; guide me, and make my right guidance easy for me; grant me victory over those who act wrongfully towards me; O Allah, make me grateful to Thee, mindful of Thee, full of fear towards Thee, devoted to Thy obedience, humble before Thee, or penitent. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sin, answer my supplication, clearly establish my evidence, guide my heart, make true my tongue and draw out malice in my breast."
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abu Dawud Book 8, Number 1505.
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