Such Was My Mother – Maulana Umar Palanpuri.

[ummtaalib]

As salaamu alai kumm wa rahmatullahi wa barakath,

 

The following is an anecdote from the life and times of Maulana Umar Palanpuri (may Allah SWT have mercy on him) is which he talks of his mother.

 

As we entered early childhood, we saw our mother praying prayers, making supplications and weeping vigorously while invoking Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala’s favor. In those days our mother taught us the meaning and exegesis of Surah Kahf (The Cave) of the Glorious Quran, which still sticks to our minds. I remember her detailing the history of that wicked ruler in the Koranic Surah Al-Buruj (The Towers) who had ordered the believers to be driven unto a ditch of fire.

 

One of her ways of reforming her children:

When she brought any eatables from the market, she gave us to divide among ourselves and witnessed which one was greedy and which were good hearted and she then educated us accordingly.

 

My mother wished me to attain religious education while the others favored the science studies so that good livelihood might be ensured but my mother defended strongly her decision and said that if I got the true knowledge of Deen, all the world would be under my feet. I wondered immaturely how a huge world could be under my feet. 

Familiarizing us with the religious ways by quoting examples of the previous Prophets (peace be upon them):

 

To familiarize me with the religious ways, she would ask me to read out the history of the Prophets, Moses (Musa), Joseph (Yusuf) or this and that.

 

One day when on her direction I was reading to her in the light of oil lamp as the candles were considered expensive, my mother said,

 

“When a liaison is maintained between Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and His slave, He makes it done what His slave begs him to.”

 

Then she wished in great endearment, “My son, today I’am listening to you in this dimply lighted house, may Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala cause hundred thousand masses throng to listen to you someday.”

 

Meanwhile my teacher had to go to his native town in U. P. (India) and he asked my mother to send me along so that I might complete my studies to ensure my admission into the most trusted institution of religious education in India.

 

My mother got ready to send me forthwith but at-least fifty rupees were required for the traveling and other expenses and she had nothing. She, however, borrowed from somewhere and ensured my departure. In six months, I obtained the primary education required for the next admission. I was enrolled and I started my studies.    

I got exceedingly busy with books and was unconcerned about my health, which took its toll and I caught a deadly disease, the tuberculosis. I also had an eyesore. The mother summoned me to Bombay (now Mumbai) and began crying when she saw me.

 

The doctors were consulted who diagnosed that the disease was in the third stage and the survival chances were bleak. They prescribed the medicines  but termed the case hopeless. I, however, made another resolve. I told my mother that if after all I was to die, why should it not be in the cause of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala? This made her weep more. But I continued my education in Bombay and spent 4 months in Tabligh.

 

Meanwhile, I was married and had children. The mother had revived her habit of sitting with me to listen from the Glorious Quran. When Hell was mentioned, it made her cry but the mention of Paradise would please her. Sometimes, I omitted the mention of  Hell but she took its notice and reminded me to read as it was.

 

The last year of my studies were very distressing, my mother, now eyeless, toothless and the legs too weak to support her but despite all that she sent me fifteen hundred miles away to complete my studies.

 

Her condition deteriorated soon after my arrival at the madrasah but I was unaware. All the relatives were intimated of her severe illness. Most of the kindred including my sisters gathered. They all favored to telegraph me but she forbade and said,

 

“If I die and Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala asks: What you have brought? I shall say, “My Lord, I am empty handed but have left behind my son in Thine way. My son will serve the cause of my pardoning.”

  

 

Then, a state of drowsiness prevailed upon her. My sisters and others, as I was told later, washed her and changed her clothes. When she was laid on the bed she told that sweet smells were wafting over her nose, while her nasal system was absolutely not working.

 

Thereupon, she said,

“As salaamu alai kumm wa rahmatullahi wa barakath” (May Allah bless you with peace and security and bestow upon you His bounty and special favor), had a loud laughter and got unconscious.

 

When she was restored, the women around there asked why she had burst into laughter and to whom she had greeted? She told them she saw her son (it was I) coming between two angels, so she greeted the angels and showed pleasure to see the son.

 

Just imagine, she had lost her eyesight (remember readers, at this moment in her life, she is blind as mentioned above) and could not see people sitting beside her but was viewing her son from a distance not less than fifteen hundred miles away. Later she passed away and I was informed but I could not come as half of the tenure was yet to be passed so I prayed that her soul might rest in eternal peace and went home after I had completed the work.

 

The.Ijtema® Conclusion

 

Her prayers, her upbringing of her children, her efforts, her sacrifices and…her prediction that her son, Maulana Umar Palanpuri (may Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala have mercy on him) would be one day listened to by hundreds of thousands of masses came true over and over again, the result of her sacrifices was such that the Muslim world got one of its biggest scholars, famously known as the Mutalakkim (the speaker) of the effort of Tabligh, who not only gave speeches to the masses but even spoke in the gatherings of crème de la crème scholars of the Hija’z / Arab world, for praise and thanks be to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, I have been fortunate to hear one such account of his speech from Maulana Sajjad Noamani (damath barak tuhum).

 

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