[Born in a village Paraspur of Basti District in Uttar Pradesh, WAKIL AHMAD ISLAHI was educated in different Madrasas, particularly Madrasatul Islah. He has been successful in introducing the message of Jamaat-e-Islami in his area and impressed many Ulema of high calibre. He has led an active life in the field and even at this age of late seventies he is more active than many other young men. In an interview with DR. WAQUAR ANWAR, he discloses some of the early developments that helped in the evolution of Jamaat-e-Islami. Excerpts:]
Tell us about any important incidence in your early life.
I vividly remember the charged atmosphere in the year 1945 when both Muslim League and Congress workers were active in mobilising public support in favour of their respective parties. Students supporting the Muslim League spread out from Aligarh announcing that if Muslims do not support their party, a catastrophe like Toofan-e-Nooh (Noah’s flood) would befall. Jamiatul Ulema’s workers working in support of Congress were saying that Pakistan would be a mirage; a failure altogether. Both the groups, finding the presence of Jamaat-e-Islami in our area, published pamphlets saying that Maulana Maudoodi was in their support! We informed Maulana Maudoodi and asked him to clarify his stand as to whom he supported. He obviously could not side with any of the two! He provided us references of his books where he had mentioned his stand, mentioning the weaknesses of both the groups.
You participated in the Allahabad Ijtema (meeting of the Jamaat) where Maulana Maudoodi participated. Tell us something about that.
That was the last meeting of the Jamaat in the undivided India. It was held on 11-13 April, 1946 in Hardara, Allahabad. Moulvi Muhabbatullah Khayat from Qadirabad, Moulvi Abdul Azeez from Kanchanpur and myself went there with Maulana Abubaker Islahi. We said our Asar prayer in Babri Masjid, Ayodhya, Maghrib and Isha prayers in Taat Shah Masjid, staying the next night at Banaras and reached Allahabad the third day. Maulana Maudoodi was indisposed and the ijtema was actually conducted by Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi.
How old were you, then?
I was a student of Arabic Class Sowm (three).
Any other event of those days…
There was turmoil in Madrasatul Islah. The teachers belonging to Jamiatul Ulema discouraged the students from reading the books of the Jamaat-e-Islami. We resisted and they resigned en-masse. The management accepted the resignations, although they had not expected this move. So it backfired on them. Maulana Sadruddin Islahi, Maulana Abul Lais Islahi and Maulana Abubaker Islahi were inducted. It was a welcome change as the institution got the services of very talented teachers. Later when Maulana Abul Lais was made Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in 1947 Islah became the de-facto headquarters of the Jamaat.
Give us some idea about how you strived to spread the message of the Jamaat in your area.
Take the case of the students of Islah. We the students used to visit different villages on Friday distributing books and giving lectures based on Khutbat of Maulana Maudoodi. I used to visit every Friday in villages beyond Phul Pur. I always provided books for the students of Baitul Uloom on way to my destination. At one stage a teacher in that Madrasa forbade students from accepting any book from me, even if that be the Qur’ān. I was never disheartened by such things. I was providing the literature for both Muslims and non-Muslims, including the police staff of Sarai Mir Police Station.
Were you instrumental in bringing Maulana Habeebullah Qasmi to the fold of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind?
Maulana Habeebullah Qasmi was the president of Jamiatul Ulema in Basti. He was very critical of the Jamaat. He would not accept any literature of the Jamaat and would denounce our efforts. We continued our efforts. Once I accompanied Maulana Abubakar Islahi to the village of Maulana Habeebullah Qasmi and stayed in his house for 24 hours. We discussed with him threadbare about the Jamaat and that proved a turning point in his life. He was thereafter with us as our leader till his last breath.
Were you arrested during Emergency days?
Yes, I was also one of those persons arrested after Jamaat was banned. On 25th June, 1975, the police arrested me when I was going to my book shop in Dumeryaganj. I had been in jail for six months. We utilised that opportunity to discuss about Islam with other jail mates, particularly other political prisoners. I arranged books on Islam and provided them for non-Muslims mates. One senior leader of RSS, Advocate Jagdamba Prasad requested me to teach him daily passages from the Qur’ān. I did that regularly. Later when other advocates were not ready to take up the bail cases of Jamaat workers, he offered his services and this resulted in the release of all others except me. I was declared as the key person of the Jamaat not deserving discharge from the jail! I could get the bail after some time as a result of the efforts of my son Abdus Salam Bastavi, Hafiz Jamal Ahmad and Aminul Hasan Rizvi, deputed for the purpose by the headquarters of the Jamaat in Delhi.