17. AN INTERSTING MULAQAT WITH MUHAMMAD ISHAQUE (ASHOK KUMAR) BY MAULANA AHMAD AWWAH NADVI [Ahmed Bhai outwardly all three of us took active part in the destruction of Babri Masjid but all of us remained under constant fear of some invisible danger. Sometimes we apprehended that some heavenly fire rock was about to brush us.] Q: (Ahmed Awwah) Al Salam Alaikum. Bhai Ishaq I could not meet you for long time but yesterday Abbi (my father) told me about your visit and asked me to take your interview. Please give your family background and details of your conversion. A: Yes Ahmed Bhai. Maulana also told me. Though I hesitated to get my talk published because of my mean stature but he told me that it would encourage the worker of Dawah and that I would get recompense also. I was born in a Saini family in a village near Tanda Badli town in Rampur district of U.P. My father Puran Singh was a literate farmer; he named me Ashok Kumar. After getting education at my village and Rampur, I took a Diploma in Civil Engineering from Lucknow and got a job in a private construction company. I had a short temper since my childhood and after many quarrels at the company I left the job. There were two of my cousins friends Yogesh Kumar and Yogendra Singh. Who had studied with me till Intermediate classes. We used to do exercises and wrestling together. When the Babri Masjid dispute started, we enrolled ourselves in Bajrang Dal and took part in Advanijis Yatra at Gwalior and travelled with it for four days. Our family members were very happy to see our activities. One day Yogesh Singhs father, who was a school teacher, called us and exhorted us to devote ourserlves for Rams name and even sacrifice our lives so that we might become immortal heroes. He put a turban on our head. We felt very much encouraged and reached Ayodha on 30 th Oct 1990 for Karseva. But the police arrested us and deported to Rampur. Later on at Ayodhya, police opened fire on Karsevaks at Ayodhya as per the orders of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. While being escorted to Rampur, we heard this news and in our rage, we beat some police Constables. But they consoled us that after the fall of Mulayam Singhs government, we could fulfill our desires easily. In November 1992 we again went to Ayodhya to destroy Babri Masjid. We did not have enough warm cloths and lived in separate Ashrams. We were surprised to see that some Sadhus asked us not to take part in such activities. One sadhu told me that if Shri Ram Chandra ji would be alive; he would have never allowed the destruction of the mosque. We were annoyed to hear these sermons. On 6th December 1992 a big crowd had surrounded the mosque. Our sanchalak told us to attack the mosque after getting a signal. Uma Bharati delivered a fiery speech and raised slogans to pull down the mosque. Yogesh fell down and was crushed badly. His ribs were broken and he remained bed ridden for several months. We brought some bricks of the destroyed mosque to our home and got a rousing reception. In a programme, we were garlanded and weighed in flowers. Q: Now tell us about your acceptance of Islam. A: Though we had taken part in the destruction of Babri Masjid as per our desire, yet all three of us were badly frightened with some invisible fear. We were afraid of any calamity at all times. On every anniversary of 6th December, tension rose in our region between Hindus and Muslims. Last year we were very frightened and did not come out of our houses on 6th December. The next day all three of us had to go to Rampur. On the bus stand, a college fellow Rais Ahmed met me and said to me jokingly Ashok be prepared. Now it is your turn.” When I asked him about the details, he told me that first I would become mad and then accept Islam. He showed me some news in one Urdu paper Sahara and two Hindi papers about conversion of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Umar. We were angered and decided to get to Phulat to verify the news and meet your father. We went to your house and showed the news to Maulana and sternly asked him to tell us about its authenticity. All of us were talking to him in a very harsh tone. But Maulana affectionately asked our names and addresses and offered us tea and snacks. He told us that the news was true and it was given to the papers by him. We started arguing with him and charged him with maligning the faith of other people. Maulana asked us that if he provided ample proof of his truth, would we approve his actions. Then he told us that Muhammad Umar referred to in the news was already staying with a Tablighi Jamaat at Phulat. Then he called him and asked us to talk to him in detail to our satisfaction. Maulana told Muhammad Umar to ignore our anger and bad mood but to talk to us affectionately treating us like sick patients and also pray for our guidance. Then we were seated in a small room with Muhammad Umar and tea with snacks was served to us. Umar Bhai told us his story of taking part in Advanijis Yatra from Panipat to Sonipat and his assault on the dome of mosque where he was hit with a bullet. We three were horrified to hear his account and asked him what we should do. He advised us to embrace Islam to avoid all sorts of fears and torturers during this life as well as in the hereafter. After taking our meals, we consulted each other and conveyed our decision to become a Muslim to Umar Saheb. He called the Maulana who was praying in the house. He happily taught us Kalma. We recited it and repented for our evil deeds. This relieved us of the tension and fear which was making us miserable. Maulana named me Muhammad Ishaq, Yogesh as Muhammad Yaqub and Yogendra as Muhammad Yusuf. Then he narrated to us the story of Hazrat Ishaq, Yaqub and Yusuf (All Prophets of Allah). He further told us that it was not he but Allah who got the news published. He was receiving alarming of adverse reaction of the news and apprehensions about occurrence of large scale Communal riots. But I expressed the hope that ALLAH would take care and protect. Then everything ended well as you have seen. The Maulana embraced us and gave his book Aap Ke Amanat to all three of us. Then we were introduced to the members of a Jamaat and we went to Meerut along with them for 15 days. There we completed legal formalities about our conversion and then went to Agra and Mathura on a 40 day trip. Once we had a quarrel with some members of the group and decided to leave the Jamaat in the morning. But we saw Maulana Saheb in dream. He asked us not to run away from the path shown by Allah. Then we changed our mind and completed the Chilla. Q: Then what happened to you? A: Maulana Saheb enquired us about our future programme. He was not in favour of our going back to our homes to avoid trouble and tension. But we told him that we were mature people and would settle the matter with our families. Then we went to our village and told everything to our families. The area was tense with rumours of our murder by Muslims. This news upset the whole Hindu community. Many meetings of Panchayat were held. Some representatives of newspapers came to take our interviews but the village people sent them back. The Panchayat asked our families to press upon us for abandoning of Islam. We were subjected to various hardships and finally we were forced to leave the village. We felt ashamed to go back to Phulat. First we went to Delhi and then to Patna where we plied rickshaws and then worked as labourers also. Finally we settled at Calcutta and got jobs. I saw the holy Prophet in many dreams. I was fond of meeting Maulana Saheb and I am so happy to meet him today. Q: Are you in contact with your family? A: I regulary telephone to them and talked to mother, brothers & sisters but not to father. I hope time will set everything right. My wife with two children is staying with her parents but she is unhappy there and wants to join me. I have consulted Maulana Saheb and decided to keep her with me. Maulana has taken words from me not to be afraid of Karsewaks and preach Islam to those who took part in destruction of the mosque. I pray for guidance of my family; while going with Jamaat pray for them regularly. Q: What message do you want to give to the readers of ARMUGHAN? A: Islam is necessary for all human beings. Those who are opposed to Islam are either ignorant or are swayed away by some misunderstanding. See our case. At first we were in Bajrang Dal and deadly against ISLAM. But now we are Muslims. I shudder to think about torments which I would have had to bear in case I would have remained a Hindu. Thank you
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 00:05:06 +0000
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