Don’t know how to start … Qazi Hussain Ahmad, former Ameerr of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) left us in deep sorrow and grief and I don’t even have words to express it. He is still living in our hearts and minds.

Like many others, my adulthood was spent in chanting slogans ‘hum baitey kis k __Qazi k’ associating ourselves spiritually with Qazi Hussain Ahmad.  Yeah Qazi Hussain was a spiritual leader as he evoked spirits of millions. He was a dynamic leader and his leadership gave us hope and courage to stand for the truth, no matter if we were standing alone.

Many of us can recall sitting in the company of Qazi Sahab and having simplest meals while sitting on floor. Many more will remember running with the vehicle of Qazi sahab chanting slogans ‘raasha raasha __Qazi raasha’; pushto words which became known to everyone due to Qazi sahab. He was a cardiac patient but his energy was phenomenal.  He travelled across the country from Khyber to Karachi and we  can easily say that he is the only leader who has most widely traveled across the country for unity of the nation, without sufficient security. He is the only leader who visited FATA on regular basis to address congregations but media rarely covered it. His followers and lovers are spread all across the country and there would be no town from Karachi to Khuzdar to Kashmir where you will not find someone loving Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad was an internationally renowned personality and people across the globe knew him for his courage, enthusiasm, zeal and zest. He received a lot of respect from Islamic movements across the globe as they considered him their leader and often he was involved in consultative processes. The role of Qazi Hussain Ahmad in afghan jihad is unforgettable and whenever history will be written for Russian defeat in Afghanistan, it will not be considered complete without mentioning the efforts of Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

I have listened to many speeches of Qazi Hussain Ahmad and every time got a new spirit. He had the immense quality of motivating youth in extremely disastrous and dire circumstances. He led the way for them and was an inspiration. Beaten up by our own police, he faced teargas and baton-charge while leading JI workers in Rawalpindi but didn’t opt for any bullet proof cabin or car. The remarkable courage of Qazi sahib was booming force behind street power of JI. Many still wonder why JI workers are such a force on streets even if they are small in number; the reason is obvious, JI leaders including Qazi Hussain Ahmad are never in bullet-proof bunkers.

He remained Amir JI for good 22 years and then voluntarily left the post because of his ill-health. His struggle wasn’t for his sons or family or personal benefits, but for the sake of Allah and the cause of Islam. It was dire motivation of Islamic revolution which kept him going till the end of his life.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad had a charisma. He used to tolerate difference of opinion in such a manner that despite heavy differences, people across the board used to love him. Tough questions were asked and often people were rude, but polite answers used to satisfy them always. His efforts for unity of Muslim Ummah are substantial and he was quite successful in bringing different sects together. He has shown us a path of unity in Pakistan which we need to follow.

I remember first speech of Qazi Hussain Ahmad when he was elected as member of Parliament in 2002. In few minutes, he beautifully summed up the basic ideology of Islam, though I fear most of our Parliamentarians failed to understand. Stories are long and memories are not going to fade, so I would  finish this piece with verse of Iqbal. Qazi sahab, you may have left us, but you will always live in our hearts.

ہزاروں سال نرگس اپنی بے نوری پہ روتی ہے
بڑی مشکل سے ہوتا ہے چمن میں دیدہ ور پیدا

About the author

Muhammad Saad Khan is a Biomedical Engineer with a diverse background of engineering and management.

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