[Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ameer Bangladesh Jamat-e-Islami, was executed by the oppressive ultra-secularist regime of Bangladesh on 10 May 2016. This is an account of his last meeting with the members of his family just before his Shahadah (martyrdom). The meeting took place at Dhaka Central Jail at about 9 pm on 10 May 2016. Shortly after this meeting, Maulana Nizami was hanged till death.]
Just before the Maghrib prayer [on 10 May 2016], the prison authority phoned the Personal Assistant of our [soon to be] martyred father to say that we family members need to go to the prison to visit him. The prison authority declined to say whether this would be the very last meeting with our father. With such uncertainty, we left for the prison.
We were 26 family members in total in three cars. We entered the prison passing through a huge gathering of journalists and media persons amid tight security. After receiving the official letter about our visit from the prison authorities, we realised this was the very farewell meeting with our father. After going through the security formalities, we were led to his small room within the Condemned Cell. The cell is called ‘Rajani Gandha’. Our father was in room number 8, at the very end of this cell. It has no windows, measures about 8 feet by 8 feet, and the front side is barricaded with an iron-grill, with a half-lit veranda.
Inside the room our Abbu (father) was praying on a green mat facing towards the Qiblah, away from our side. He was reciting Arabic Duas in a calm and clear voice, neither too loud nor too low. In his usual manner he was taking pause after each Dua. We had been seeing him reciting Duas like this since our childhood. A little brown kitten was sitting next to him as if the kitten too was complaining to Allah. Muaz, his 3-year old grandson, climbed the stairs and called him, “Grandpa, please open the door, we have come to see you!”
Abbu completed his Dua and calmly stood up. He replied, “You have come! So this is the final meeting!”
My sister emotionally replied, “If Allah wills, this may not be the final meeting.”
At that time the atmosphere became quite emotional, but our father calmed everyone down and told us to be patient. He shook hands with everyone from the other side of the Iron grill. He was wearing a white kurta with a lungi. Because of heat and no windows his kurta was wet but his face was very bright and calm. There was no sign of worry or pain on his face. No one would say by looking at his face that he was going to be executed after a short while by this oppressive regime!
It was difficult to see each other properly from the opposite side of the grill. On our request the prison officer opened the gate. Our father came outside his room and sat among us on a plastic chair. First of all, in his usual manner, he enquired about everyone’s routine affairs. Then he said, “The Prison Superintendent had read out the court’s verdict and asked me whether I would like to ask the President for clemency and forgiveness. I told them that I never did anything wrong. To seek forgiveness means to admit one’s guilt, so there is no question of me seeking forgiveness from the President. Only Allah is the giver of life and death. Hence, I do not want to lose my Imaan (faith) by begging for life from any human.
“Today the Prison DIG asked me to put in writing that I do not want to seek clemency. I wrote clearly that I would never ask for forgiveness, and would never beg for my life from anyone.”
At that time the atmosphere became quite emotional. Our father was telling everyone to stay strong and have patience. We did not see any tears in his eyes. On the other hand, he was not emotionless or too rigid. He seemed to be like a calm serene soul awaiting to meet his Great Lord! Then we all came out of the room and left our Ammu (mother) and Abbu (father) alone so that they can have some conversation privately.
Ammu was saying to Abbu that on the Day of Judgement we will bear witness to Allah that Abbu was a pious and honest person; he did not commit anything wrong. Abbu replied, “From today you are like both parents, the father and the mother, to the children. They will find me in you. And you will see me in them.”
After a while we all entered the room again. Our father said to us, “All of you siblings must remain united and live harmoniously together. Always stay on the path of Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). Always look after your mother. You will find me in your mother, and she will find me in you. You will tell people about me the way you witnessed me. Do not make any exaggeration about me. I am now 75 years old. Many of my colleagues did not get such a long life, you have been fortunate for having me for such a long time. Allah is the giver of life and death. If my death is written for tonight then it would happen even if I was at home. Always have good thoughts about Allah and be grateful to Him.”
Then we took our children to our Abbu and reminded him that three of his grandchildren are named after him. We asked him to pray for them so that they can become like him, too. Our father replied, “I pray that they become much greater than me, like the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).”
Then he narrated a story that, once a great scholar asked his son what his son wanted to be. The son replied that he wanted to be like his scholar father. The scholar started crying after hearing this reply from his son. His son was puzzled. The scholar explained, “I always wanted to become like Hazrat Ali. But see how big the difference is between me and Hazrat Ali [I am nowhere near him.] If you want to become just like me then think about how far you will actually go.”
Our Abbu (father) added, “My second son Momen is a bigger scholar than me. I ask for his opinions on many matters.”
We said, “…Our dear Abbu, we could not do anything for you.” He replied, “Allah is the ultimate decision maker. You can only try your best. Many of my colleagues left this world at a younger age than mine. Allah could have taken me away much earlier. If I become a martyr without having to fight a battle then that is a great blessing.”
Then Abbu told us to give thanks and convey his salaam to all those who struggled for the sake of our leaders and for the sake of the Islamic Movement. He requested everyone for Dua so that his martyrdom is accepted by Allah.
Ammu said to him, “Allah has honoured you in this world, and InshaAllah He will honour you in the Hereafter, too.”
Abbu replied, “I am an ordinary person from a remote village. By the grace of Allah, many famous scholars from all over the world prayed for me and expressed their sympathy for me. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina even cancelled her planned trip to the 13th OIC Islamic summit in Istanbul, Turkey in fear that she would have to face questions about my freedom. All these are great blessings.”
We requested him to remember us at the time of intercession on the Day of Judgement so that we enter the Jannah. Abbu replied, “If you do good deeds worthy of Jannah then InshaAllah you will enter the Jannah.”
Then our father started a Dua on our request. This Dua lasted for about an hour. First he praised Allah and sent blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), then he recited the Prophetic Duas for about 20 minutes. He used to recite these masnoon Duas regularly in his life.
Then he prayed, “O Allah, I am a humble sinful servant of Thee. Please accept from me whatever service I have rendered to Your Deen by Your grace. Please give me the opportunity to stay on the path of Islam and Imaan until the last moment of my life, and bless me with the death of martyrdom. O Allah, please make me and my offspring among those who establish the Prayer; and forgive me, my parents, and all believers on the Day of Judgement!
“O Allah, bless us with complete Imaan. Give us the opportunity to depend truly only on You. Make our tongues remember You at all times. We beg You for hearts that are fearful of You, for knowledge that is beneficial, for rizq that is Halal and abundant, for sound intellect and correct understanding of the Deen. O Allah, give us the opportunity for Tawbah (seek your forgiveness) before our deaths, make our deaths easy, forgive us after death, and save us from the Hellfire.
“O Allah, protect us from Haram things through Halal things from You, protect us from disobeying You by enabling us to obey You, and do not make us reliant on anyone else except You. O Allah, give us Hidayah (guidance) through Your Noor. All our sins are clear before You. We seek only Your forgiveness, and we return to You only. Ya al-Hannan, Ya al-Mannan!
“O Allah, please accept this country for Your Deen. Give peace to this country. Protect this country from killings, chaos and colonisation by others.”
Then our Abbu prayed for the wellbeing of the nation and people of this country. My daughter witnessed tears in the eyes of the prison-guards during the Dua.
After the Dua, Abbu asked my brother Momen for his opinion on what should he wear on his way to the gallows – whether to wear the traditional Lungi, or a more formal Pajamah-Kurta. Momen replied that he should wear Pajamah-Kurta.
Being a medic, I have witnessed many deaths in my professional life. I have witnessed many people on their death-beds with so much fear and worry in their minds about death. I have witnessed the shadow of looming deaths in their eyes, or strong desires to live for a bit longer. However, when we went to meet our father for the final time, this is the first time I witnessed a fearless guest of Jannah, eagerly getting ready to meet his Lord very soon. He had the opportunity to get few more days by going through the clemency process. But we all know that the time of one’s death is predetermined by Allah. This day, I witnessed how one can embrace death so peacefully and calmly, with such a strong faith in Almighty Allah.
Everyone who met our father will testify that he is a very soft-hearted person. He always used to pay attention to routine affairs of people. If someone was in trouble, our Abbu used to show great concern, tried to stay informed about that person and enquired about his trouble again and again. Such was his show of kindness and love toward others. During our regular meetings with him in prison before today, he used to express his concern whether he would be able to remain firm and steadfast to the last moment. It is really surprising that at the time of his certain death, such a soft-hearted person was talking so calmly and behaving in such a peaceful manner! During this meeting our Abbu was above all worldly feelings and emotions!
At the end of our meeting, Abbu enquired about who would go to Satia (his home village) for the funeral and the burial. I replied that my brother Momen and I will go there. He replied in his usual calm voice that we should travel carefully, and to take his PA Mithu with us. He asked Ammu not to go there in the night time. He asked Momen to lead the Janazah prayer, and advised him to wear a Kurta instead of shirt.
Our Abbu advised everyone to adhere to the Qur’ān and the Sunnah, and to follow the path of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).
To have patience and faith in Allah in all circumstances, in all previous meetings, he used to remind us strongly to be vigilant about our daily Prayers.
As his last will, he asked us to read his books, especially the two books written inside the prison, namely The Life of the Prophet (PBUH) According to the Qur’ān and Hadith and The Manners of Living, as well as The Believer’s Life According to the Qur’ān and other books which he wrote before going to the prison.
He then addressed our eldest sister Muhsina, “My Ammu, I am mostly concerned about you, you are my eldest child, my dearest mummy, you called me Abbu for the very first time in my life, you have to be patient.”
Then he turned to our Ammu and said, “I am leaving my six golden children to you. You will find me in them. Now you can bid me farewell. Let me look at your departing steps.”
We all shook hands with him and bid farewell for the final time to our beloved heavenly father. The small kitten followed us too. All the way, the bright luminous face of our father remains in our vision.
After getting out of the prison we started our journey toward our village Satia. We have just said goodbye to our living father, and are now already going to arrange his funeral! All the way I was remembering the saying of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him):
“If one of you is afflicted with a calamity, then let him remember his calamity by me (i.e., by my death); for indeed, it is the greatest of calamities.” [Baihaqi, Tabarani, Darmi]
This Ummah passed through the loss of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) himself! Insha Allah, this Ummah will pass through all the losses and calamities with patience and steadfastness.
ربنا افرغ علينا صبرا وثبت اقدامنا وانصرنا على القوم الكافرين
[DR. NAEEMUR RAHMAN KHALED is a son of Shaheed Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami]