The First Booklet He Ever Wrote

Bright future

The first booklet he ever wrote

Shahzayb Madani

‘I pray everything is well! What emergency has befallen you that you are searching for book after book?’ Qasim asked his younger brother Hamid, as he was frantically searching the indexes of the books.

Hamid had just come to the library room a few moments earlier, whereas his elder brother Qasim was already there, busy studying. Both brothers would always study in the library room at night and today was no different.

Hamid replied and gave the reason, ‘Today in school, the teacher tasked all of the students with finding the answer to a question; so I am searching for it.’

‘Brilliant! This is a very good method, but what is the question?’ Said Qasim, praising the teaching method and inquiring about the question.

‘Maulana Ilyas Attar Qaadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ, the founder of the movement of the devotees of the Prophet, Dawat-e-Islami, has written approximately 135 books and booklets, but what is the topic of his first book and what is its name?’, said Hamid.

‘It is a good question. I know the answer to this question but I will not tell you,’ said Qasim.

‘Please brother! Tell me! I do not know where to find the answer to this,’ said Hamid as he approached Qasim, hoping for an answer.

‘My younger brother! It will be wrong for me to inform you of the answer because it is your homework. Your teacher has given you this question to answer in order to increase your ability. If I tell you the answer, then how will the goal of your teacher be fulfilled? I will only tell you of the names of 6 books and the rest of the work is your job,’ said Qasim.

‘This is also good.’ After saying this, Hamid began to search through the books and booklets, and Qasim continued with his own studies.

After observing happiness on Hamid’s face and his smile at breakfast time in the morning, his brother understood that he had found the answer to his question. In order to receive further confirmation, he asked, ‘Hamid! Did you receive an answer to your question?’

‘Yes, brother! However, it took me a long time to find it,’ said Hamid.

Qasim explained the benefit of finding the answer by oneself and said, ‘Look! Even though it took a long time for you to find the answer by yourself, but it must have benefitted you greatly. Alongside receiving the answer to your question, you must have learnt many other things too. Therefore, if you do not know the answer to something, make efforts to find the answer yourself so that you develop the ability to search for things and learn many other things in the process.’

Hamid thanked his brother and then set off for school in the school van.

During the class, when the teacher asked regarding the homework, it was only Hamid’s hand that went up; the rest of the students’ hands remained down. After receiving permission from the teacher, Hamid gave the answer, ‘The first written work of Maulana Ilyas Qaadiri was a booklet about Imam Ahmad Raza Khan and its name is ‘A Brief Biography of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan’. Furthermore, he released this booklet on the ‘Day of Raza’ i.e. on 25^th Safar 1393 AH, corresponding to 31^st March 1973 AD.’

The teacher gave Hamid a gift for his correct answer and encouraged all of the students to read this booklet, saying, ‘All of you should read this booklet and then we will have a quiz about it in class.’ Upon this, all of the students expressed in a loud voice that they will read the booklet.

What will I become when I grow up?

1.   I will grow up and memorise the Holy Quran, I will also become a scholar and a mufti, اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه. (Sufyan Raza Bin Kamran, Karachi)

2.   I will grow up and become a Madrassa Teacher. (Saba Bibi, Karachi)

3.   I will grow up and become a Hafizah of the Holy Quran. (Ghulam Fatimah, Jacobabad)

4.   I will grow up and become a scholar, اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه. (‘Arshiyah, Larkana)

5.   I will grow up and become a scholar, اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه. (Iram Shahzadi, aged 8 years, Saadiqabad)

6.   I will grow up and become a teacher. (Sayyidah Falak Noor Bint Sayyid Noor-ud-Deen, aged 12 years, Karachi)

7.   I want to become a good person and a scholar when I grow up. (Muhammad Safi-ullah Bin Mansoor Ahmad, aged 11 years, Karachi)