On disgrace and downfall (15-Apr-2009)
Random thoughts
By Dr A Q Khan
A pleasant childhood, warm relationships at home and with true friends and absence of poverty, together with a good early education, are responsible for keeping my friends and me from many of the vices of life. My father, a teacher, and my mother, who had been educated at home, guided us, but never tried to force us not to smoke, drink and gamble.
In this connection I would like to narrate an interesting anecdote. One Mian Jan Khan was our neighbour and was in charge of the power generator in the State Printing Press. He had three sons, Razzaq, Rauf and Aziz, who were more or less of our age and were very good friends of ours. Razzaq studied with my father every day. He was a bit slow in learning and managed to pass the Middle School Board Examination with difficulty. However, in daily life he was quite clever and used to earn some extra money by playing Mamool in Men Aalim Tum Mamool shows held on the streets. He managed to pass the tests for the post of Patwari and was posted to Raisen, 20 miles from Bhopal City. Before departing, he came to see my father and asked for his blessing. My father told him: “Razzaq, you are a very clever fellow; remember that if you indulge in forgery in your job, you will end up in jail.”
In 1967 I went to Bhopal with my wife to show her the place of my birth and the historic cities of Agra and Delhi. Razzaq came to see us. He was looking well and had gained a bit of weight. I asked him how his job was progressing. He said that there had been lots of opportunities to make money, but every time such temptation came his way, he would see my father’s face warning him of the consequences of such behaviour. “Alhamdulillah”, he said, “I have not done anything wrong and I am very happy with what I honestly earn.” Last year my elder brother, Hafeez, went to Bhopal to visit his in-laws. He met Razzaq, who had meanwhile retired and was running a hardware store. He was still quite contented, having grown a beard after having performed Hajj. He once again told Hafeez about my father’s advice to him, how grateful he had been for it and how useful it had proved to be.
It is our duty to teach our children not to lie, to be honest, disciplines and, above all, not to be hypocrites. Our own behaviour must serve as an example to them. Upon reading the Quran it becomes clear that there are certain things that Allah dislikes very much and some of these transgressions will never be pardoned. To lie, to be dishonest, not to dispense justice, tampering with weights, not respecting one’s parents and elders, immoral activities and backbiting, all call forth Allah’s wrath. Some sins, Allah has warned us, will not be pardoned and will lead to permanent banishment to hell. These include loss of faith in Allah, murder, associating someone with Him, hypocrisy (i.e. disparity between sayings and deeds).
Backbiting has even been considered worse than adultery and has been equated with eating the flesh of one’s dead brother. Similarly, according to Hadith, a judge who does not dispense justice will be doomed to hell. Regarding hypocrisy, Allah Almighty has spoken 14 times about this in the Holy Quran and severe warnings have been given. In Aayat 9 of Surah Baqara, Allah has said: “These munafiqeen try to deceive Allah and people with faith but in reality they deceive themselves.” In Surah Nisaa, Allah has said: “O Prophet, tell the hypocrites that a terrible and painful end awaits them.” Equally important, there is a whole Surah-e-Munafiqeen in which the character and detestable habits of munafiqeen and their intrigues against Muslims is explained.
My purpose in pointing this out is that a majority of our people have, without hesitation or fear, adopted all the vices that have so clearly been forbidden by Allah in the Quran. Look around you. Corruption, lying, immorality, cheating innocent people, adulteration of foodstuff and medicines, backbiting and open hypocrisy have become part and parcel of daily life.
Most deplorable is the fact that people no longer read the Quran, not to talk of its translation. If they did so, they would be struck by its appropriateness and would abstain from all such sins and immoral activities. I beg all my fellow Muslims, abstain from these vices – they are heinous crimes! Allah’s punishment will be severe and enduring. People seem to be under the impression that Allah is not mindful of their activities whereas He has ordered two angels to note down each and every activity, no matter how insignificant, and each individual will be held accountable for his own thoughts and actions. I would like to draw attention here to Surah Ibrahim (Aayat 42). Please read it and read it carefully. In this Allah warns wrongdoers as follows: “Do not think that Allah is heedless of the evil deeds in which the evildoers are engaged. He is merely granting them respite (hujjat) until a Day when their eyes shall continue to stare in horror.” At another place Allah has warned: “Then We will catch them slowly, slowly in such a manner that they would not be aware of it. We give them respite but Our planning is the best.”
In the end I once again beg all Pakistanis to remember the orders of the Almighty Allah and desist from those sinful and deplorable acts, be honest in their deeds and behaviour and help build Pakistan into a respectable welfare state. I am not asking them to become Hazrat Umar (RA) or Hazrat Umer Bin Abdul Aziz (RA), but just simple, God-fearing, honest citizens. Our deeds and actions have led us to the present-day disgrace and are rapidly leading us to our downfall.
