Moments (5)

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Mohsin Aziz

It was almost six years since Mohammad ibn Abdullah had declared that he was a prophet and was inviting Makkans to Islam. Slowly the number of believers in his message was increasing and upsetting the social order of Makkah. Established power centers were worried. One of them was Umar Ibn Khattab. One day Umar decided that enough was enough and set out to kill the Prophet with a sword in his hand. On the way he was informed that his sister Fatima Ibn Khattab and her husband have already accepted the message and were Muslims. This enraged him no end and his anger was redirected towards his sister. He decided to first tackle his sister.

Furious Umar went straight away to his sister’s house and found them listening to the Quran. Seething with anger he stuck his brother-in-law and also hit his sister and injured her. Seeing blood dripping from her face, Umar was shaken. Fatima told him that he may kill her, but she would never leave Islam. Seeing her courage and blood he softened and asked her to let him read what they were reading. He read the following passage:

“Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.” (Quran, Surah TaHa:14)

Umars heart changed that moment. He asked to be taken to the Prophet. Umar accepted Islam that day. The rest is history. He went on to become the second caliph after the death of the prophet, and it was during his caliphate that the Roman and the Persian empires were defeated. From these victories emerged a new Islamic Civilization that transformed the economic, cultural and political map of the old world in way unmatched in world history.

Moments (4)

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Mohsin Aziz

Abraham was getting old and was childless. He used to pray Allah for a righteous child. He prayed “My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.” (Quran, Surah As Saffat:100). Allah responded and gave him a son named Ismail as the ripe old age. Quran mentions it thus “So We gave him good news of a forbearing son.” (Quran, Surah As Saffat:101).

When the child grew up and became an obedient son, Abraham saw a dream that the son had to be sacrificed. Abraham had never thought twice when it came to following the commands of Allah. He immediately summoned his son and told him about his dream. It is one of the most poignant moments in the history of mankind when a young boy submitted to the will of Allah instantly. No second thoughts. Quran describes this event as:

“O my dear son! I have seen in a dream that I ˹must˺ sacrifice you. So tell me what you think.” He replied, “O my dear father! Do as you are commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.” (Quran, Surah As Saffat:102).

Heavens must have moved and angels would have wondered at the steadfastness and immense belief of the young boy. The son even suggested to his father to cover his eyes lest the father falters in the divine task out of love for his child. It was the most demanding of tests. According to Allah: “That was truly a revealing test” (Quran, Surah As Saffat:106)

Ye Faizan e Nazar tha ya ki Maktab ki Karamat Thi

Sikhaye kiney Ismail ko Adaab e Farzandi

Was it the blessing of spiritual gaze or education

Who taught Ismail the etiquettes of being a son

Allama Iqbal

Moments (3)

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Mohsin Aziz

The first Azaan in Islam was given by Bilal Ibn Rabah (R.A.). After the death of the Prophet, Hazrat Bilal found it difficult to give azaan (Islamic call to prayer). Whenever he would reach the sentence “Ashhadu Anna Muhmmad ur Rasoolullah” he would break down in tears and found it difficult to finish the azaan. So much so that he left Madina and settled in Syria participating in

Many years later, when he was in Madina, Umar Ibn Khattab (R.A.), during his caliphate, requested him to give azaan. Bilal agreed reluctantly. The moment his voice rang over Madina, companions were overcome with joy and emotions. It is said that the whole of Madina rushed towards the Masjid Al Nabawi to witness the occasion. It is said that men and women wept uncontrollably. Bilal’s voice reminded them of the times of the prophet. This is a cherished story for Muslims even after the passage of more than1400 years because it reminds them of the immense love for the prophet and has resulted in countless poems that describe the scene.

“Reh gai rasm-e-azaan rooh-e-Bilali na rahi”

“Falsafa reh gaya, talqeen-e-Ghazali na rahi”

Ritual of azaan remains, the soul of bilal is missing

Philosophy of Ghazali remains, the spirit is missing

Sir Mohammad Iqbal (Jawab e Shikwa)

Moments (2)

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Mohsin Aziz

Bakkah. Around 2000 B.C.

The land is barren. Not a blade of grass. No sign of life. Nobody has ever lived there. It is inhospitable and is rightly called wadi ghair zee zara ì.e. valley where nobody lives and nothing grows.  From distance, one can see three silhouettes. What are these three people doing there? Who are they? An old man, a woman, and a newborn baby boy. The baby is still nursing.

The old man puts some dates and water in a water skin near the women and the infant and starts walking away. The woman gets worried and calls him asking ‘where are you going, Abraham, leaving us in this barren valley?’ Abraham kept quiet and kept walking. The women repeated her question but again did not get any answer. Abraham kept walking silently. When after repeatedly asking the question and not getting any answer, the woman understood that her husband is not acting on his own initiative but on divine instruction. Finally, she asked him: ‘Did Allah command you to do so?’ Ibrahim replied in affirmative. After confirming from Ibrahim that he was leaving his wife and child in the barren, lifeless valley at the command of Allah, Hajar, at that moment, said the famous sentence dripped in faith ‘ We are not going to be lost, since Allah Who has commanded you is with us‘ (Sahih al Bukhari, 3363 and 3364).

Moments (1)

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Mohsin Aziz

When Allah is His infinite wisdom decided to create Adam, angels were concerned. They argued with Allah that man would create chaos on earth. Allah told them that He knew what they did not know and created Adam out of mud and perfected him in proportions. Allah then assembled his creations, both Jinns and Angels, and  asked them to prostrate before Adam. All prostrated except Satan.

‘Surely We created you, then shaped you, then said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ so they all did – but not iblis, who refused to prostrate with others. Allah asked, ‘What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you? He replied, ‘I am better than he is: You created me from fire and him from clay.’ (Al Quran, Surah Al A’raf: 11-12)

This was the first manifest act of defiance against the command of Allah. The order from the Lord of the Worlds was defied. Everyone submitted except Iblis. This act of rebellion did not come from ignorance but rather from false pride and ego. His ego forced him to act against the command of God. Pride caused him eternal ruin.

Satan’s defience deprived him of his honour and high status. He was cast away from Divine presence and Mercy forever. This serves as a timeless warning that no sin is bigger than defying Allah’s command. In fact, every refusal to submit to Allah’s command and every preference for one’s own desire traces its roots to that moment of arrogance.

kho diye inkar se tune muqamaat e buland

By refusal you lost the lofty station of spirituality

chashme yazdaan main rahi farishton ki kya abroo

Angels have lost their dignity in the eyes of the God

Allama Iqbal

Labbaik Hajj: Muscat to Makkah, Journey of a lifetime

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Mohsin Aziz

I got the opportunity to go on the Hajj pilgrimage in 2025 from Muscat. It was a unique experience. I have travelled a lot, but this was unlike any other journey.

Every year, around 2 million pilgrims perform Hajj. People come from every nook and corner, speaking every possible language and representing every possible ethnicity. Every pilgrim has his/her story of Hajj. This is my story out of 2 million from 2025. I don’t know whether it’s worth sharing or not. Nevertheless, I decided to pen my story. My Hajj story is now in book form.

There are numerous Hajj memoirs by Indian Muslims. However, those journeys were taken from India. This book is about the journey of an Indian Muslim taken from outside India, hence presents a different perspective. This is the story of an expatriate starting his journey from Muscat. It hopes to provide a modern perspective of South Asian diaspora on Hajj. I hope it proves to be a useful contribution to the iaspora Hajj genre.

The details of my first book are as follows:

Name of the book: Labbaik Hajj: Muscat to Makkah, Journey of a lifetime.

Author: Mohsin Aziz

Pages: 155

Format: E-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Photograps: Yes, about 10 depicting various aspects of Madina, Makkah, and Hajj.

Publication date: 13 May 2026.

Cost: E-book (3.99 usd),  paperback (9.99 usd), and hardcover (29.99 usd). 

Availability: Available on Amazon.com.

The link is provided below:

Please leave a review of the book on Amazon.

Shibli College

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Shibli National Post Graduate College, Azamgarh

The aftermath of the first war of independence in 1857 was a comprehensive, devastating and massive cycle of retribution from the British against Indians in general and Muslims in particular.  The indiscriminate retribution left a trial of destruction everywhere. Sir Syed was shaken to the core. However, unlike ordinary individuals who were left wondering what has struck them, Sir Syed decided to do something for the Muslims to help them come out of their ignorance, penury and loss of power. He started a series of activities from establishing Scientific Society to School at Ghazipur. However, the culmination of efforts was the establishment of Madrasatul Ulum at Aligarh in 1875. It immediately drew a legion of resistance from various quarters. However, at the same time Sir Syed was able to collect a group of distinguished individuals around him at Aligarh. Soon the college along with Tahzibul Akhlaq made people think about their course of action. Slowly but surely it started making a positive influence on the Muslim mindset regarding English education.

One of the earliest manifestation of this was the establishment of an English medium school at Azamgarh. The school was started by Allama Shibli Nomani. Shibli joined Aligarh in February 1883 and just after four months of service at Aligarh he laid the foundation of National School at Azamgarh City on 26 June 1883. Shibli became the secretary of School and arranged land from his family for the same. The school became middle school in 1887 and High School in 1895 (Nadvi, S.S., 1943, pp. 133-134). It became Inter College in 1940 and first degree college of the district in 1946 (Al Azmi, M.I., 2019). Post Graduate classes started in 1970 in various science and arts disciplines. In the beginning the College was affiliated to the Agra University. Later it was affiliated to Gorakhpur University. Since 1988, it is affiliated to Vir Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Jaunpur. The College also study centre for many courses in distant mode for various Educational Institutions of National repute. It offers various courses of Maulana Azad Foundation (New Delhi) and Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (Prayagraj). It is also a study centre for several professional and technical courses of Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi)

At present the College is a Muslim Minority College with five faculties and 24 departments offering a range of courses at Graduate and Post Graduate level. The College also offers Ph.D. facility in various disciplines. The college has following Faculties and Departments (http://shiblicollege.ac.in/About.aspx):

Faculty of Science – It comprises of Department of Botany, Department of Chemistry, Department of Mathematics, Department of Physics, Department of Zoology, Department of Computer Science

Faculty of Arts – It comprises of Department of English, Department of Geography, Department of Hindi, Department of Philosophy, Department of Sociology, Department of Urdu, Department of Arabic, Department of Persian, Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, Department of Sanskrit, Department of Economics, Department of History, Department of Political Science, Department of Education.

Faculty of Commerce comprising of Department of Commerce

Faculty of Law comprising of Department of Law

Faculty of Education comprising of Department of Teacher Education offering B.Ed.

At present Shibli National Post Graduate College is one of the biggest Muslim Minority Post Graduate College in India contributing to the progress and prosperity of the community and Nation and carrying forward the mission of Aligarh Movement.

Notes:

Founder: Allama Shibli Nomani

Place: Azamgarh City, Uttar Pradesh, India

Minority Status: Muslim Minority

Website: http://www.shiblicollege.ac.in

References:

Al Azmi, Mohammad Ilyas (2019) Shibli National School Azamgarh ki tareekh ka ek warq. Tahzibul Akhlaq, September, Vol. 38, No. 9, pp. 42-45.

Nadvi, Syed Sulaiman (1943) Hayat e Shibli. Darul Musanneffin Shibli Academy, Azamgarh.

Echoes of Eternity: A Journey of Faith

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Poetry allows us to express complex thoughts in consice form. It has its own distinctive style and rhythm. It has the ability to move men and evoke emotional response. Through metaphor, simili and imagery poetry connects at intuitive level, often leading to a multitude of interpretations.

This post is about a book of poetry. Echoes of Eternity: A Journey of Faith,  by Uzma Saad, has been published and is now available for sale. The book contains poetry on various topics ranging from nature to religion. The present book is a work of quietude. Each poem in this book serves as a mirror reflecting the complexities of life.

The author is Alumna of Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, from where she did her graduation in English literature. Later, she completed her postgraduation in English literature from Lucknow University. The present book of poetry is labour of love spanning months and months of hard work. The book is available for sale on various online platforms such as e-bay, amazon, and lulu. It is available on amazon India as well. For those interested, the links are provided below. 

India:

USA:

Australia:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/echoes-of-eternity-uzma-saad/book/9781300967873.html?srsltid=AfmBOop8O86jP-lPMzPkAT5XajK_S0VLc_Yf-x87NHMsUHpRSapJGwz6

Germany:

https://www.hugendubel.de/de/buch_gebunden/uzma_saad-echoes_of_eternity-49238382-produkt-details.html?srsltid=AfmBOoplgwWNvG9WwWscm1HlUhSTaeKSC0Zpp-nqrLNzdl1sMwtAxYXl

Netherlands:

https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/echoes-of-eternity-a-journey-of-faith/9300000194077525/

Denmark:

https://www.saxo.com/dk/forfatter/uzma-saad_19922817?srsltid=AfmBOopE3AMivQgZf8ZYmHDQo55f7AN42YfKAvln6rCF-lKWn5YOtNdx

France:

USA:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/uzma-saad-and-mohsin-aziz-and-mohsin-aziz/echoes-of-eternity-a-journey-of-faith/hardcover/product-p6y586n.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Sweden:

https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/echoes-of-eternity-a-journey-of-faith-9781300967873

China:

https://www.books.com.tw/products/F01a963595?srsltid=AfmBOopzvndMgpT9qobf5nGjj5RpB6EwdVQs9viLosTKUsS8QdXIP0Co

Cheraman Juma Masjid

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This june (2024), I got an opportunity to visit Kerala for a week. It was on my bucket list for quite some time. Besides typical tourist attractions like tea gardens of Munnar, backwaters of Alleppey, and Chinese fishing nets in cochin, I always wanted to visit Kodangallur. Kodangallur is situated on the banks of river periyar in the Thrissur district and is famous for supposedly the first mosque of the Indian subcontinent, Cheraman Juma Masjid. It is said the mosque was built by Malik bin Dinar in 629 A.D.

It was the last day of our Kerala tour, and  although we were totally exhausted from our long journey from Munnar to Cochin, we decided to give it a go. The journey from Munnar to Cochin took much longer than anticipated due to rainfall. However, when we reached our hotel in Cochin, we decided that everyone was too tired for another journey. However after some rest and lunch we decided to go. The distance from our hotel to the mosque was only 30 kilometres but it took us almost two hours to traverse the distance due to rain and the fact that we had to cross the whole city of Cochin from one end to the other. The route from Cochin to Kodangallur was very scenic, passing through rice fields and beautiful villages with lush greenery. Monsoon rains further added to the magic. When we reached the mosque, it was the time between asr and maghrib prayers. We were able to see the mosque at leisure. There were few other families, mostly locals, visiting the mosque. There were Hindu as well as Christian families who had apparently brought their younger ones to be blessed at the adjoining grave. The mosque is truly a symbol of syncretic tradition of Kerala. We were able to pray maghrib at the mosque. Although we all wanted to spend more time, but as our  flight was early next morning, we decided not to take any risk during the monsoon and returned back to our hotel before it was too late.

Today, Kodangallur is just one of the typical small towns with around 35000 population as per the census of 2011. However, it was not always like this. There was a time when it was one of the important sea ports besides being the craddle of civilization in Kerala.. It was known as musris in olden days. Dating back to 400 B.C. it was an important centre of trade with east as well as west. Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.) called it “Primum Emorium Indiae” – the most important Indian port.

Legend has it that Cheraman Perumal Rama Verma Kulashekhara became interested in Islam after witnessing the splitting of the moon and decided to make pilgrimage there. He divided his kingdom and left for Mecca. He lived in Mecca for a few years where he visited the Prophet and embraced Islam in his presence. He adopted a new name, Thajuddin. He performed Hajj.

On his return journey to India, he was accompanied by other Muslims from Mecca to propagate Islam. An important member of the group was Malik bin Dinar. Along the way on the return journey, Thajuddin fell sick and died in Oman. He was buried in Salalah under the local name Abdur Rahman al Samiri. Before his death, he wrote a letter to the King in Kodangallur. Malik bin Dinar landed in Kodangallur with the letter. He got permission from the King and established the supposedly first mosque in the Indian subcontinent.

Shashi Tharoor has mentioned in an interview that Perumal brought Kerala coconut to Salalah, which grows until today. Tharoor during his visit to Muscat said “I would love to know what the ancient city of Salalah is like, and that marvellous story of the Kerala king, Cheraman Perumal, who visited the city during his lifetime and planted coconut trees in the coastline, which are not native to this peninsula” (Times of Oman, 2022)

It is a fact that Salalah is probably the only place in the entire Middle East with an abundance of coconut trees. Salalah coconut is available throughout the whole of Oman. It is full of sweet water.

Perumals grave is present in Salalah. However, this popular account is not fully accepted by historians who claim that evidence  does not point to the authenticity of the story. Many claim that Perumal went to Mecca much later after the death of the Prophet. It is also claimed that Malik bin Dinar was not a companion of the Prophet but among the taabi’een ( a person who has not seen the Prophet but has seen his companions). This version looks more corect.

What is true is that the Cheraman Juma Masjid is present in Kodangallur and is a working mosque. There is a Malik bin Dinar Mosque at Thalangara in Kasargod District as well. The Mosque contains the grave of Malik bin Dinar.

At present many non-Muslims hold “Vidhyarambham” or commencement of education ceremony at the Cheraman Perumal mosque (Times of India, 2015). Vidhyarambham is similar to the Bismillah ceremony in many Muslim families when friends and family are invited over food, and a Maulvi initiates the child to education by guiding him/her to read some portion of the Quran. Vidhyarambham ceremony is held in Kerala every year on the occasion of Vijaya Dashaami day during the Navratri festival. Small children are guided by an elder to trace their first letters on a tray filled with rice or sand marking the beginning of their formal educational journey. Often, a golden ring is also used to write divine words on a child’s tongue with a belief that this will bless the child with wisdom and learning (Mathrabhumi, 2024).

The mosque has an ancient oil lamp, which always burns and is believed to be more than a thousand years old. People of all religions bring oil for the lamp as an offering. Like most mosques in Kerala, this mosque allows entry for Non-Muslims.

Cheraman Juma Masjid. View from the new courtyard. Photograph and copyright ©️ Mohsin Aziz
Ancient Oil Lamp. It was a nessisity before electricity was invented. Still lighted on special occasions. Photograph and copyright ©️ Mohsin Aziz
Old mimbar (place for Imam to sit). It’s made of wood with intricate carvings reflecting local culture. Photograph and copyright ©️ Mohsin Aziz

References:

Haseena, V. A. (2015) Historical Aspects of the Legend of Cheraman Perumal of Kodungallur in Kerala. Historical Research Letter, Vol. 17, pp. 47-51

Mathrabhumi (2024, October 13). Children enter world of letters on Vidyarambham; Temples witness huge rush in Kerala. Available at: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/vidyarambham-2024-pooja-kerala-1.9980973. Accessed on 20 October 2024.

Times of India (2015, July 20) Mosque in Kerala dates back to the prophet’s time. Available at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48138989.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst. Accessed on 18 October 2024.

Times of Oman (2022). Bowled over by Oman’s beauty, India’s Shashi Tharoor hopes to visit Salal. March 5.

Syed Fazlul Hassan Maulana Hasrat Mohani

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Mohsin Aziz

(Residential halls of Aligarh Muslim University: Person behind the name series/ blog 7)

Chupke chupke Raat din ansoon bahana Yaad hai

Humko abtak ashiqui Ka wo zamana Yaad hai

(Maulana Hasrat Mohani)

Hasrat Mohani Hostel

Hasrat Mohani hostel is one of the hostels in Sir Shah Sulaiman Hall. It is a boys hostel.

Birth and Early Life

Syed Fazlul Hassan popularly known as Maulana Hasrat Mohani was born in town Mohan of district Unnao, Uttar Pradesh in 1875. It was the year when Sir Syed was laying the foundation of Madrastul Uloom at Aligarh which later developed into Mohammadan Anglo Oriental College in 1877 and later into Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.

He passed middle school in 1894 from Mohan Middle School and got government scholarship based on his extraordinary performance in the whole district. In September 1894 he was admitted to government high school in Fatehpur in class 2. Within three months on 1st December 1894 he was promoted to class 4th based on his performance. When in May 1895 exams were held he topped the exams and by July 1895 he was again promoted, this time to class 6th. In class 6th the teachers were so impressed that within one month i.e. on 15 August 1895 he was again promoted to class 7th. He again scored highest marks in class 7th. By 1899 Hasrat passed the exam of inter, again securing highest marks in his class (Khalique Anjum, 1994)

At Aligarh

After passing Inter in1899 Hasrat decided to go to Aligarh for higher studies. At that time Sir Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad was professor of Mathematics at Mohammadan Anglo Oriental College. When Sir Ziauddin saw Hasrat’s name in official Gazette as a topper he immediately invited Hasrat to come to Aligarh for higher education (Majrooh Gorakhpuri, 1951).

Hasrat reached college on ekka. He was wearing loose pyjama, old shoes and was carrying his pandaan in one hand. Immediately someone called him khala Jaan. Hasrat had truly arrived at Aligarh in style. But soon he became favourite of students at the college and students gave him title of Maulana which became part of his name till death.

While at college his name was thrice written in discipline book. It became a reason for not allowing Hasrat to stay in College premises. When Hasrat came to Aligarh he was a brilliant student. However Hasrat got himself involved in so many cultural activities at Aligarh that he managed only second division in Graduation.

Urdu e Mualla

After graduation in 1903, Hasrat started a magazine by the name of Urdu e Mualla from Aligarh. Urdu e Mualla published articles against the imperialists. Hasrat had to pay heavy price for this. When in 1908, Hasrat criticized British police action in Egypt in Urdu e Mualla. He was imprisoned for his writings.

When Urdu e Mualla was closed, Hasrat opened Swadeshi Store at rasalganj area of Aligarh. It was called Mohani Swadeshi Store. On his indomitable spirit Allama Shibli said in amazement ‘tum aadmi ho ya Jin? Pehley shayar they phir sayasatdaan baney, ab baniye baney huye ho’. Similarly in his inimitable style Akbar Allahabadi quipped

Bhai Sahab ab tum Rakh do apna qalam

Hath main lo ab tejarat Ka alam

It is generally believed that Swadeshi movement was Started by Congress but the fact is that it was Hasrat who was the first person to not only give the but actually walk the talk by opening the Swadeshi store where only different Indian products were sold.

Politics

In 1904 he joned Congress and in 1905 he joined swadeshi tehreek run by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In 1921 he coined the slogan Inquilab Zindabad which was later popularized by Bhagat Sigh. In fact the slogan became the most popular slogan of the freedom movement and still remains one.

Hasrat was involved in the communist movement in India from the very beginning. He was one of the founders of communist party of India (CPI). CPI’s first office was innaugrated in 1925 in Cawnpur (Kanpur). It was innaugrated by Hasrat Mohani by waving red flag. He was the president of the reception committee of All India Conference of Communists held in Kanpur on December 25-26, 1925 (Raza Naeem, 2018). In his own words he was a Muslim Communist:

Darweshi-o-inqilab maslak hai mera

Sufi momin hoon, Ishteraqi Muslim

He joined Muslim League as well for sometime. He parted ways with Jinnah as Hasrat did not want India to be partitioned. He was also an important member of Progressive Writers Association. He wore many hats at the same time.

Inquilab Zindabad

Hasrat Mohani was the first to propose to propose the concept of complete Independence or purna swaraj in 1921. However, Gandhi accepted the idea only 10 years later as Gandhi thought in 1921 that its time has still not come (Telangana Today, 2022)

Jail

In 1908 Hasrat was jailed for his political thoughts. At that time he was member of Congress. He was given imprisonment for two years and a fine of 500 rupees. To recover the fine police auctioned his personal library which contained some rare handwritten manuscripts. According to Hasrat many of those had no second copy. In Hasrat’s words the valuable books were put in a gunny bag like wood or sawdust and auctioned at a very low price.

After his release from prison he was again politically active. On 10th April 1916 Hasrat attended Aligarh Muslim University committee session at Lucknow. Still it was a college and the committee was holding sessions to press the demand for university status to the college. After attending the event Hasrat reached Aligarh and was arrested on 13th April 1916 from his home in Aligarh. This was his second arrest and imprisonment. He was imprisoned for being invited to be part of the Provisional Government of India-in-exile which was formed in Kabul by some prominent freedom fighters. It was composed of Raja Mahendra Pratap as President, Maulana Barkatullah as Prime Minister, Maulvi Ubaidullah Sindhi as home minister, Maulvi Bashir as war minister and Champakraman Pillai as foreign affairs minister. Before invitation could reach Hasrat, the British government got wind of it and arrested him. However he was allowed home cooked food and visits by family members.

His third arrest was in 1922 from Kanpur. A year earlier in Ahmedabad session of Congress in 1921 he presented the concept of complete Independence. The speech which he delivered in the session was considered revolt by the Raj and he was again imprisoned for two years. He was arrested from Kanpur and brought to Ahmedabad and put in baramati jail. This time sentence was rigorous imprisonment. He has himself described it in the following couplet:

Hai mashqey sukhan jaari, chakki ki mushaqqat bhi

Hai ek turfa tamasha Hasrat ki tabiyat bhi

His imprisonment could not deter him or break his spirits. In his own words:

Rooh azaad hai khayaal azaad

Jism e hasrat ki qaid hai bekar (Dewaney Hasrat Mohani, 1914)

When during his rigorous imprisonment ramzaan came Hasrat did not miss his fast. In his own words:

Kat Gaya qaed main mahey ramzaan bhi Hasrat


Garchey samaan sehar Ka tha na iftari Ka

Krishna loving Maulana

Hasrat never hid his love for Krishna. In fact he went to Mathura to play Holi. In his words

Mathura keh hai Nagar ashiqui Ka

Dam bharti hai aarzoo usi Ka


Har zarrah sarzameen e Gokul

Dara hai Jamal e dilbari Ka

Visit to Europe

In April 1939 Hasrat visited England by ship from Karachi. From Karachi he went to Basra. From Basra he went to Baghdad. From Baghdad he went to Beirut. From Beirut his ship went to Marseilles and onward to London. In London he met many people including Mr. MC Donald and Colonel Muir and discussed various political issues. Hasrat stayed in London for two months. According to Hasrat he travelled third class and spent 16 pounds sterling for his journey by ship. His discussions in London focussed on five topics: Indian federation, Government of Nizam Hyderabad, Albania, Palestine and Hijaz railway (Hasrat Mohani, 1939).

After Independence

Hasrat was among the lucky freedom fighters who saw India’s freedom in their lifetime. After Independence Hasrat became both member of parliament as well as member of Constituent Assembly. Both the memberships allowed him liberal allowances but Hasrat never took allowances. He did not even avail the facility of free housing for which he was entitled. Whenever he attended session of the parliament or Constituent Assembly he would stay in a mosque near parliament or stayed in Dar ul Amaan in Ballimaraan.

Poet

Hasrat was poet par excellence. He knew the art of writing ghazal in very simple language which could be understood by everybody. He considered Mir Taqi Mir as master poet.

Sher merey bhi Hain purdard wa lekin

Meer Ka Sheva e guftaar kahaan se laun

At the same time Hasrat was very proud of his poetry as well and expressed it several times in his poetry.

Hasrat teri is pukhta kalami ki hai kya baat

paya hai kisi aur sukhanwar ne hai kab rang

Hasrat teri shagufta kalami pe aafreen

Yaad a gain naseem ki rangeen bayaniyaan

(Dewaney Hasrat Mohani, 1914)

Wife

Hasrat got married to Nishat un Nisa in 1901. She was daughter of Syed Shabib Hassan Mohani who was lawyer in Hyderabad High Court. She was educated in Urdu, Arabic and Persian languages. She was a huge support to Hasrat. When Hasrat went to jail she wrote “Tolerate the trouble you have faced with like a man. Don’t worry about me or house at all. Beware you should not feel any type of weakness“. She even came to the court and fought the case of Hasrat with bravery.

Death

On 13 May 1951 Maulana Hasrat Mohani breathed his last in Lucknow after prolonged illness. His death was widely covered in national newspapers and journals. Many poets wrote on his death. Asar Rampuri said:

Kaamlaney Adab o Sher pe Aya hai wo Saal


Jis main aksar ne piya sagharey sahbai e ajal

(Asar Rampuri)

Thus ended the life of a freedom fighter who did not give an inch to the Britishers and valiantly fought his entire life for the freedom of India. His frequent visits to the jail could not deter him. He died on his own terms true to what he wrote in one of his jail terms,

Dushman ke mitaaney se na Mita hoon Na mitonga

Aur Yun to main faani hoon, fana meray liye.

References:

Khalique Anjum (1994) Hasrat Mohani. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India: New Delhi.

Hasrat Mohani (1914) Intekhab Deewaney Hasrat Mohani, Matba Faizey Aam, Aligarh.

Telangana Today (2022) Hasrat Mohani: The poet who first called for complete independence, coined ‘Inquilab Zindabad’. 14 August.

Saleem, Anika & Bayat, Ali (2022) Hasrat Mohani’s letter writing from British prison. Zaban o Adab. Vol. 15. No. 1.

Majnoon Gorakhpuri (1951) Hasrat Number, Urdu Adab, p. 81.

Hasrat Mohani (1939). Hasrat Mohani Ka Safar e Europe. Mustaqil (January -August), Kanpur, Pp. 1-4.

Raza Naeem (2018) Protecting the memory of Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Muslim and Communist. The Wire. Available at: https://thewire.in/history/maulana-hasrat-mohani-muslim-communist. Accessed on 25 January 2024.