The veteran leader of Islamic Movement and former Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Professor Ghulam Azam, who ruled over millions of hearts in his country and throughout the Islamic world, who was sentenced to 90 years imprisonment by the present government of Bangladesh on false and fabricated charges of crimes against humanity, breathed his last in a Dhaka jail and moved to his eternal abode under the shade of mercy of the Merciful.
The real crime for which he was sentenced to such a long period at this old age is his struggle that Islam should be made to rule not only upon the individual lives but also the collective life of his country.
There was such an outpouring of love and respect for the respected leader that half a million people attended his funeral in Dhaka. Funeral prayers were offered in every nook and corner of Bangladesh. It is estimated that about 20 million people attended his funeral prayers in absentia in the country. Allama Yusuf al-Qaradawi led the prayers in Qatar. Funeral prayers were also offered in the U.K., USA, Finland, Turkey, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Reports indicate that in the resurgent Islamic Turkey prayers were offered in more than 80 cities. Islamic leaders everywhere hailed him as a true servant of Islam who spent his whole life to make Islam a living reality in his country.
Observers have noted that the countrywide funeral prayers for him were just like a referendum in which the majority of Bangladeshis have cast their votes for Islam and Islamic way of life.
Professor Azam was an erudite scholar, learned writer, powerful orator, sincere leader and above all a true believer who spent his whole life for Islam and finally laid it down at the altar of Islam. His life was exemplary and death inspiring which will serve as a perennial source of inspiration for Islamic workers.
The conditions in Bangladesh are so repressive that his four sons who are out of Bangladesh could not attend his funeral. So was the fate of prominent leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami who are behind bars or on the hit list of police and security agencies. It is hoped that the ruling party in our neighbouring country will take a serious note of the sincere sentiments of the majority of the people and put an end to the repressive and anti-Islam policies. May Allah give at least this much wisdom to the ruling cliques in Muslim countries that the clock of Islamic resurgence cannot be turned back for ever.