"afriki_haqq" wrote:
The Lofty Status of Mawlana Abu 'l-Kalam Azad Mawlana Abu ‘l-Kalam Azad was imprisoned in Ranchi jail by the British colonialists. After three years in prison, his wife passed away. The British court sent a release warrant to the warder authorising his release for a period of three days only. Mawlana Azad responded by scrolling at the back of the warrant: “O you British! I am not prepared to accept your release warrant. Tomorrow on the day of judgement, I will meet my wife. Leave me alone.” Once somebody had sent him a gift of ten thousand rupees in recognition of his endeavours against the British. He sent it back saying: “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You wish to purchase my pen with this money? No power in the world can purchase the pen of Abu ‘l-Kalam!” Friends! Many journalists and unscrupulous editors here in Pakistan are very eager to embellish their own writings by being critical of the writings of Abu ‘l-Kalam Azad. They should realize that he was Abu ‘l-Kalam (literally, father of speech). When Shorish Kashmiri went to Mawlana Azad’s grave after his death, he uttered the following lines of poetry: "Alas! What a strange scene or the hereafter this is; there is ashk (tears) hut no ‘ashiqi (beloved). The splendour of the earth has disappeared as the horizon lacks the openly affectionate guide. Ah! Who is unwilling to be sacrificed over your death and separation. I am still unconvinced of your sudden death. I think to myself that where is the man with multiple intellects. The magnanimity of the pen has been plundered and the power of the tongue has been depleted Our faces have lost their lustre as our leader or the caravan has departed but, I am still unconvinced of your sudden death. Who is it that will not go around your tomb with a broken-heart and a slow pace? All the people; the ordinary as well as the elite have submitted to their sorrows before your grave. I am still unconvinced of your sudden death." He later repeated these verses to ‘Ata Allah Shah Bukhari who took pleasure in these lines and added: "You have awoken my dreamy eyes. One of the stars of the earth have ascended to the skies but I am still unconvinced of your sudden death." (The ‘Ulama of Deoband: Their Majestic Past, p. 68-9)
Asslamo Allaikum,
There are certain personalities whose writings make me wish that people could read Urdu! Shaykh (Maulana) Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958) (RA) 's mother was a noble Arab woman and his ancestors were from the lineage of Ulamah from Afghanistan and he was born in Makkah so Arabic & Persian was his home language while he mastered Urdu, learned English and then French on his trip to Europe!
I have NEVER seen writing where someone can blend 3 languages with such efficiency and they call him indeed the "Father of Speech". His newspaper still mesmerises me to this day almost 100 years later...
In a famous speech which he was fore-warned by the British not to give he said,
- Allah (SWT)'s Deen will prevail over all other religions and this is NOT a question of IF but a question of WHEN
- If you don't believe this then you lack Eemaan
He was sent straight to Jail as soon as he finished his speech!
The British hated his guts because he was one of the only Uamah who could understand their language, tactics and deal with their politics. Those of us who want to setup articles/blogs/newspapers/magazines Shaykh (Maulana) Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958) (RA) is indeed the example to follow!