The Golden Era of Reappearance

The Golden Era of Reappearance Publisher: Association of Imam Mahdi
Category: Imam al-Mahdi

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The Golden Era of Reappearance

The Golden Era of Reappearance

Publisher: Association of Imam Mahdi
English

www.alhassanain.org/english

The Golden Era of Reappearance

Publisher(s): Association of Imam Mahdi

www.alhassanain.org/english

This text addresses topics discussed in an exhibition concerning the originality and belief in the Mahdawiyat, establishment of justice and equity, and many other relevant topics.

Miscellaneous information:

Compiled & Published by: Association of Imam Mahdi (a.s.), P. O. Box 19822, Mumbai – 400 050.

Notice:

This version is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errors are not corrected.

Table of Contents

Preface 8

1. The Pivot of Life 10

Notes 10

2. The Divine Sun 12

Notes 12

3. The Hope Of All Ages 13

Notes 13

4. Paradise Of The Inhabitants Of The Earth 14

Notes 14

5. Fervor and Supplication 16

Notes 16

6. A Magnificent Sight 18

Notes 18

7. The Image of Reappearance 19

Notes 19

8. Divine Proof 20

Who is the Divine Proof? 20

Notes 21

9. Glad tidings of the Prophets (a.s) and their Successors 22

Notes 22

10. Establishment Of Justice And Equity 23

Notes 23

11. Harmony With Nature 24

Notes 24

12. Economic Welfare 25

Notes 25

13. A Happy Society 26

Notes 26

14. Unparalleled Universal Government 27

Notes 27

15. Ascendancy of Shiaism 28

Notes 28

16. Widespread Inclination Towards Religion 29

Notes 29

17. Government Of The Rightous Till Resurrection 30

Notes 30

18. Characteristics Of The Rulers 31

A. Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 31

1. Knowledge of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 31

2. Infallibility of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 31

3. Morality of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 31

4. The Approach of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 31

5. The Power of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 32

6. Divine Help for Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 32

B. Companions of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 33

C. Deed of Allegiance 34

Notes 35

19. Advancement Of Knowledge 37

Notes 37

20. General Hygiene 38

Notes 38

21. A Safe World 39

Notes 39

22. Excellent Morality 40

Notes 40

23. End Of Disputes And Prevalence of Love 41

Notes 41

24. Universal contentment: Hallmark of Imam Mahdi’s (a.t.f.s.) Government 42

Notes 42

25. Involking Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) 43

Preface

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

و صلَّى الله عليك يا ولي العصر أدرِكنا

The booklet in your hands is based on discussions concerning the ‘Golden Era of Reappearance’ that took place at an exhibition held on the auspicious occasion of 15th Shaban, the birth of our master and the Divine Proof of our time, Imam Mahdi(a.t.f.s.).

In this exhibition, there were various sections. Each section discussed a particular facet of the golden era.

It was well lit up, well decorated and there was a subtle and touching explanation elaborating the facet. It had beautiful and apt pictures that complemented the explanation in a splendid and fabulous manner. All in all, it left the audience spell-bound and mesmerized.

They were seen expressing their desire to witness this “heaven on Earth”. They were fervently beseeching Almighty Allah to hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) so that they could see for themselves this marvelous, glorious and beautiful epoch.

Topics dealt in the exhibition were:

• Originality of Mahdaviyat.

• Belief in Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)

• Establishment of justice and equity

• Harmony with nature

• Economic welfare

• A Happy society

• Unparalleled Universal government

• Ascendancy of Shiaism

• Widespread inclination towards religion

• Government of the righteous till resurrection

• Characteristics of the rulers

• Companions of Imam az-Zamana (a.t.f.s.)

• Advancement of knowledge

• General hygiene

• Safe world

• Excellent morality

• End of disputes and prevalence of love

• Universal contentment: hallmark of Imam Mahdi’s (a.t.f.s.) government

• Invoking Imam az-Zamana (a.t.f.s.)

Thus the remembrance of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) , along with the subtitle ambience prevalent therein and the beautiful posters with Quranic verses and traditions imprinted on them left an indelible impression of the audience.

Since a majority of them earnestly requested a print copy of the matter discussed, it was decided to compile the same along with their sources and references for the visitors.

It is hoped that the lovers and awaiters of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) will approve of this novel and creative method of discussing about our beloved Imam (a.t.f.s.). Moreover, they are expected to try and set up similar exhibitions in their own respective areas, which will make more and more Shias aware about their awaited Imam (a.t.f.s.).

It is expected that this small and humble offering finds acceptance in the honorable presence of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.).

O Allah! Hasten the reappearance of our beloved master (a.t.f.s.) and enumerate us among his companions and helpers! Aameen!

السلام عليك يا سبيل الله الذي من سلك غيره هلك

1. The Pivot of Life

• Engulfed with darkness. In the quest of the center of light, we are searching for the sun1 .

• We are the travelers of midnight. To tread the path, we are gazing at the stars.2

• Thirst is killing us. Harried, we search for the elixir of life while only a few moments of life remains.3

• In the dark and chilly night, we are lost in the desert of calamity and misfortune, striding towards the luminous bonfire on the mountain peak.4

• In the barren salt desert, we are looking towards the dark clouds hovering over us and offering a cool shade.5

• During the occultation, we are the orphans of Imam (a.s). We are searching for the loving hand of the kind father.6

• We are insignificant particles but have heard about the sun. Although, with scarce recognition that we have about him, we are advancing towards it7 . We are Muslims To prevent the death of ignorance (i.e. a death of apostasy and hypocrisy), every moment we are in quest of words that will grant us further recognition of our Imam(a.t.f.s.).8

• The cold and killing winter of occultation has already set in our hearts. We beseech Allah to send the beautiful spring and invigorating breeze of Imam’s (a.t.f.s.) reappearance.9

• We know that Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) is like the Holy Ka’bah, around whom we must circumambulate10 .

Notes

1. السلام على شمس الظلام “peace be on the sun of the darkness.”- Rabee’ al- Anaam, p. 364, 381)

2. يا أبن الانجم الزاهرة “ O son of the brilliant stars.”-Dua-e-Nudbah, Rabee’al-Abaan, p. 153)

3. (It is an indication towards the last verse of Surah Mulk. In the traditions, Imam Mahdi (a.s.) is referred to as ماء معين “ flowing water.”)

4. ( الامام، النار على اليفاع، الحار لمن اصطلى به و الدليل في المهالك، من فارقه فهالك “The Imam is a bonfire on the mountain, warm for the one who seeks warmth from him and a guide in places of destruction. Whoever separates from him is destroyed.”- Kamaal al – Deen, vol. 2, p.677, Tr. No.31)

5. (“The Imam is sweet water for the thirsty ones.” – Kamaal al-Deen, Vol. 2, p. 677. Tr.NO.31)

6. (Imam Hassan Askari (a.s) states, أشد من يتم اليتيم، يتيم أنقطع عن إمامه، لا يقدر على الوصول إليه “The greatest orphan is he who is isolated from his Imam and does not have access to him...”-Munyah al-Mureed, p. 114, part 4.)

7. (Imam Reza (a.s) says الامام.... الشمس المضيئة “The Imam...is like a brilliant sun.” – Kamaal al –Deen, vol. 2, p. 677, Tr. No.31.)

8. (This refers to the reliable and authentic tradition of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) “He who dies without recognizing the Imam of his age, dies the death of ignorance.)

9. ( السلام عليك ياربيع الانام “ Peace be on you. O Spring of Mankind. “Ziyaarat of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) in the Celler ( Sardaab) at Saamarra.)

10. ( مثل الامام كمثل الكعبة، إذ يؤتى و لا يأتي “ The likeness of Imam is like that of the Ka’bah. He is approached and he does not approach. “ – Behaar al – Anwaar, vol. 36, p. 358)

2. The Divine Sun

He is the sun, presently concealed behind the clouds. That is, we have relegated him behind the clouds... But the sun continues to shine and will continue to do so. Its brilliant rays rip apart the dense veils of the clouds, spreading throughout the universe. Have we ever reflected on it?

But for the light and warmth of the sun, pitch darkness would have enveloped the earth.

He is the sun, the sun of the entire universe. The sun of the solar system is a mere shadow of his resplendence.

The day of the earth’s residents begins with the rising of the sun, even if it is hidden behind the clouds. Similarly, can the day of a spiritual and holy life commence without the illuminating rays of Allah’s proof? Is it possible that one breathes in the world of spirituality, and is needless of Allah’s representative..? No, it’s impossible1 .

Notes

1. (This part has been extracted from the interpretation of Allamah Majlis (r.a.) vis-à-vis the tradition, “Sun behind the clouds,” Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 52, p. 93, 94)

3. The Hope Of All Ages

“He” will definitely arrive, sooner or later. He will positively come with the Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) standard on his shoulder and the sword of Ameer al- Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s) in his hands. The caravan of joys and pleasures shall accompany him. He will be carrying an enormous burden of the light of guidance of human bliss, both in this world as will as the hereafter.

“He” will certainly come, a standard of virtue and nobility, a fountainhead of deliverance and mastership. He will infuse a fresh lease of life in the dead humans, the lone rider of the field of faith.

When “He” arrives, he will enliven the forgotten realities of the Holy Quran. In the age of excessive and vain talks, lacking substance and eloquence, he shall give life to the meaning of the words and revitalize spirituality.

“He” will come for sure. His advent is a divine promise. And Allah the Almighty never reneges on His Promise.1

The promise of his reappearance is associated with the true assurance of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.). Even if a day remains from the life of the earth, Allah the Almighty would extend that day till this great personality emerges2 .

His reappearance is a divine promise, the guarantee of which is taken by none other than Allah Himself.3

His advent is sure and definite. He is Allah’s treasure, through whom He will honour His friends and disgrace His enemies4 .

His reappearance is certain. He is Allah’s Light that the apostates desire to extinguish. But Allah, the subduer will perfect His light, notwithstanding the displeasure and discontent of the disbelievers and the infidels.5

Notes

1. ( Imam Muhammad Taqi (a.s) says, أن القائم من الميعاد و الله لا يخلف الميعاد “ Surely the Qaim is from Allah’s promise and Allah does not violate His promise.”-Al Ghaibah by No’mani, p. 303, Ch. 18, Tr. No. 10; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 52, p. 250.)

2. ( و الذي بعثني بالحق نبياً، لو لم يبق من الدنيا إلا يوم واحدة لطول الله عزَّ و جل ذلك اليوم حتى يخرج فيه ولدي المهدي The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) prophesied, “( I swear) by the One who raised me as a Prophet with the truth ! Even if one day remains for the earth’s destruction, Allah the Almighty will prolong that day, until He brings my son Mahdi.”- Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 51, p.71)

3. (السلام عليك يا وعد الله الذي ضمنه “ Peace be on you. O the Promise of Allah, for whom He has taken guarantee.” Ziyaarat Aal-e-Yaasin.)

4. (المدخر لكرامة أولياء الله و بوار أعدائه “The stored one for honoring the friends of Allah and destroying His enemies.” Rabee’ al- Anaam, p.377

5. (النور الذي أراد أهل الكفر إطفائه، فأبى الله “ The light which the infidels wish to extinguish but Allah thwarts ( their attempts).”- Rabee’ al-Anaam, p.377, 378.)

4. Paradise Of The Inhabitants Of The Earth

When the light of this reappearance will emerge, it will be a different world. Then the earth will be a kind of paradox. Dead with oppression and apostasy of its inhabitants, it will get a new lease of life. The glorification and exaltation of Allah on earth will be with recognition. At that time, the earth will come alive due to the presence of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s1

His reappearance is a sign of the Major Resurrection ( Qayamat- e- Kubra), the day on which the earth shall transform to a condition very different from that of today2

Imam Sajjad(a.a) informs us,

“ The earth , which will not be tainted with the sins of the creatures, will be a different earth. This earth will be distinct from the earth prior to the reappearance3 . “

Some commentators and interpreters have explained the above concept thus:

و من نسل علي (ع) القائم المهدي (ع) الذي يبدل الارض غير الارض

“ And from the progeny of Hazrath Ali(a.s.) will be the Qaem, the Mahdi, who will change the earth with ta different one.” ( Al-Ghaibah by No’mani, p. 146, Chapter 10, Tr. No.4)

For the infants in the cradles to the corpses buried in the graves, everybody will get a new life. And all of them will desire to take a step in the direction of their master.4

The Sincere followers of the Messenger of Allah( s.a.w.a) and the Imams (a.s) In this nation will hasten towards their master just as the bees take shelter in its leader and the beehive5 .”

Such things are not improbable or unlikely for Allah Who has absolute power overall things.6

The same Allah, Who destroys His enemies with His Might and Subjugation, confers His boundless marvels and bounties on His friends. At that moment, He will convert this world into a completely different one. Simply listening to its characteristics and traits gives a new light to the mind and the soul.

Notes

1. ( Allah the Almighty emphasizes in Hadith al-Qudsi بالقائم منكم أُغمر أرضي بتسبيحي و تهليلي و تقديسي و تكبيري و تمجيدي “ With the Qaem (a.t.f.s.) amongst you, I will fill the earth with My glorification, My exalting and My extolling. “ – Al-Amaali of Shaigh Saduq (r.a), P. 504, Session 92: Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, p.504, Session 92; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, p. 128. If we pay attention to this tradition, we find that the words, بالقائم منكم has come before the verb أُغمِر In Arabic grammar, this denotes confinement i.e. it is only and only through Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) that Allah, the Almighty will inhabit this earth with His glorification, exaltation and extolling.

2. (يوم تبدَّل الارض غير الارض “ On the day when the earth shall be changed into a different earth’ Surah Ibraheem(14): verse 48)

3. ( Under the Quranic verse, Imam Sajjad(a.s) explains, يعني بأرض لم تكسب عليها الذنوب “ It means that He will change it with an earth on which there will be no sins. “ – Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 7 , p. 110.)

4. (The meaning of this statement in all books is ‘universal harmony after the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) about the establishment of his government.’)

5. (Al-Malaahem wa al-Fetan, p. 70; Muntakhab al-Asar, p. 488, Part 7, Chapter 7, Tr. No.2)

6. (أن الله على كل شيء قدير “ Surely Allah has power over all things. "- Surah Baqarah (2): Verse 148

5. Fervor and Supplication

After the reappearance, the world will be a new and amazing place.

• The Messenger of Allah(s.a.w.a) will be joyous and glad on seeing him ( a.t.f.s).1

• Ameerul Momineen Ali Ilb Abi Taalib (a.s) displayed eagerness to him.

شوقاً الى رؤيته

“How I desire to see him2 .”

• The beloved daughter of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a), Hazrat Fatemah al-Batul (s.a) , while remembering that golden era, used to say, “It will be a time when no two people would dispute over a matter because the right of the oppressed will be restored to him.”3

• When the people objected to the peace treaty of Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (a.s), he (a.s.) gave them the glad tidings of the illustrious era of reappearance.4

• On the eve of Aashoora, the Chief of the Martyrs, Imam Husain (a.s) prophesied to his self-sacrificing and loyal companions that they would be among the helpers and companions of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). (Shaikh Ja’far Shustari (r.a.) has narrated this tradition in Fawaaed al- Mushaahed. )

• On the day of Arafah, Imam Zain al-Aabedeen (a.s) used to supplicate for the companions of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s). (Al-Sahaeefah al-Sajjadiyyah, Supplication No. 47.

• Imam Muhammad al-Baqer (a.s) informed Umm Hani, “If you attain his era, your eyes will be cooled.”5

• Imam Ja’far al-Sadeq (a.s) used to beseech Allah after the Zohr prayers of hastening the reappearance.6

• Imam Moosa al-Kaazem (a.s) , after the Asr prayers, invoked for his early reappearance.7

• Imam Ali al-Reza (a.s) has recommended a supplication to be recited in the Qunoot of the Friday prayers for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.).8

• Imam Muhammad Taqi al-Jawaad (a.s) suggested praying for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) after Namaz and considered it as a comfort for his heart and cure for the hearts of the believers.9

• Imam Ali al-Naqi al-Hadi (a.s) taught Ziyaarat-e-Jaameah in which he (a.s) narrates, “My eyes are fixed in the way of your reign. I am always ready to help you till Allah grants you authority and sovereignty over the earth.”10

• Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s) foretold that the only way of deliverance from disputes and destruction during the occultation is steadfastness on the Imamat of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) and praying for his early reappearance.11

• Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) , in his first speech after his birth, prayed for his reappearance12

Notes

1. (اللهم و سر نبيك محمداً (ص) برؤيته “O Allah! Grant joy to your Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w.a) by his vision.” – Dua-e-Ahad.

2. (Behaar al – Anwaar, vol. 51, p.115)

3. (Kefaayah al-Asar, p. 199; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, p. 353)

4. (Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1 , P.316, ch.29, Tr. No. 2)

5. (فإن أدركت زمانه قرَّت عينك Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, p. 276)

6. (Rabee’ al-Anaam, p. 127)

7. (Rabee’ al-Anaam, p. 128)

8. (Jamaal al-Usboo, part 30 : Mo’jam al-ahaadees al-Imam al- Mahdi (a. s), vol.4 , p. 171)

9. (Mo’jam al-Ahaadees al-Imam al-Mahdi (a.s) , vol. 4, p. 189)

10. (Ziyaarat-e-Jaameah-e-Kabeerah, Behaar al-Anwaar, vol.102,p.129.)

11. (Mo’jam al-Ahaadees al-Imama al-Mahdi (a.s), vol. 4, P. 267, Tr. No. 1299)

12. (Sahifa-e-Mahdiyyah compiled by Sayyed Murtuzaa Mujtahidi.)

6. A Magnificent Sight

The distance between the current social order and the promised one is extremely vast but at the same time, it is also very short.

The distance is wide like the duration of the long night of negligence for those unmindful of the light, so much so that their hearts were numbed and they felt needless of the Imam of their time (a.t.f.s). We ignore the source of life and our hearts are content with the thirst of ignorance.

Caged in unawareness, we think darkness to be light and even brag about it arrogantly!

We have distanced ourselves from the fountainhead of guidance and are passing our lives in the ocean of perplexity and amazement and are even happy about it!

How vast is this distance! This is the distance from darkness to light.

But from another aspect, this distance is very less.

Those who have submitted their hearts to the pivot of faith and the center of life;

Those who always feel the necessity to maintain contact with their Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s) and realize him (a.t.f.s) with their entire existence;

Those who believe that life without the remembrance of the essence of live (a.t.f.s.) is tantamount to a barbaric and useless existence;

Those who have experienced the thirst with their entire being are searching for the elixir of life in this world’s dry salt-pan;

It is for such people that the distance between these two societies is very little. Despite living in this society, their hearts are firmly ensconced in that world. They actually live in and for that world.

Talking about such people, Imam Sajjad (a.s) says,

لأن الله تبارك و تعالى أعطاهم من العقول و الافهام و المعرفة ما صارت به الغَيْبَة عندهم بمنزلة الشهادة

“This is because Allah has granted them such intellect, understand and recognition that for them occultation is the same as witnessing.”1

It is our duty to strive our utmost to reduce this distance to the maximum possible extent and to be unhappy with the prevalent circumstances; we must look forward to the divine, golden and bright future and wait for it with our entire being.

Notes

1. (Kamaal al- Deen, vol. 1, p. 320, Chapter 31, Tr. No.2)

7. The Image of Reappearance

In this booklet, a picture of the divine government that will be led by Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is outlined. All Prophets (a.s) and their successors are keenly awaiting his reappearance, from the beginning of creation till date.

• Imam az-Zamaan’s (a.t.f.s.) justice is a striking aspect of his government that will be complemented by a sense of justice and equity even among his subjects.

• The entire creation shall be in perfect harmony and compatibility with man.

• Economic and social welfare of man will be the order of the day.

• The boundaries of Imam-e. Zamaan’s (a.t.f.s.) government will extend across the length and breadth of the world.

• It will be a universal government, the likeness of which cannot be found in human history.

• Shiism will be widely practiced among the people of the world.

• The followers of other religions and schools of thought will also turn towards Islam with their own free will after seeing its truthfulness.

• This government shall endure and rule the entire world.

• The peculiarities of this government (from the aspects of Imam and the nation) have rendered it as the unparalleled regime of the world.

Some of the prominent features of Imam Mahdi’s (a.t.f.s.) government include rapid development of knowledge and sciences, universal hygiene and safety, excellent ethics and high standards of morality, non-existence of disputes, perfection of intellect, dispelling of difficulties and calamities.1

Everything that we have outlined above is derived directly from reliable traditions from the infallible progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s.q.w.a.) without any interpretation or analogies.

Notes

1. (The details of these concepts have been discussed later in the book.)

8. Divine Proof

It is necessary that we pay attention to the following:

Whatever we have highlighted here is just one dimension from the innumerable aspects of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.), that is, a glimpse of his universal government after his reappearance.

Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is the last link in the sequence of guidance and light. He is the inheritor of the perfections of the past Prophets(a.s), the Holy Prophet (s.a.w), Janabe Fatema (s.a) This aspect has been mentioned in Dua an-Nudba and other reliable supplications. In dua an-Nudba we address Imam (a.s) thus:

يابن الهداة المهديين، يابن البدور المنيرة، يابن السبل الواضحة، يابن الدلائل المشهودة، يابن الصراط المستقيم

“ O son of the divinely guided leaders, O son of the illuminating moons, O son of the clear paths, O son of the witnessed proofs, O son of the straight path.”

Tens of such modes of addressing Imam (a.t.f.s.) can be seen in supplications and ziyaraat. These terms not only underline the personal inheritance but also highlight the spiritual and religious legacy of Imam (a.t.f.s.).

Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is the heir of the perfections of the preceding infallibles (a.s). Perfections of the preceding infallibles (a.s) Virtues and merits ascribed to these exalted personalities are equally applicable for Imam az-Asr (a.t.f.s.).

Allah, the Almighty, has conferred a boundless ocean of perfections and virtues, which has wrecked the ship of human intellects and thoughts. (That is, to fathom their virtues and station is beyond human understanding).

Who is the Divine Proof?

Indeed, this is a critical question that needs to be addressed. The (innumerable) traits of sunlight (that is, Allah’s proof) cannot be descried by a particle. There is only one way and that is to seek its description from the sun itself.

• The Imam (a.t.f.s.) is a human being with celestial qualities, heavenly physique, divine command, holy soul and a great secret of Allah. His essence is angelic and his attributes are divine. His characteristics are endowed by Allah and he has been selected by the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.). He is aware of the unseen. All these traits are specific to the holy Ahlul Bayt (a.s). None can equal the progeny of Muhammad (s.a.w.a) in these qualities and perfection.1

• From our (Ahlul Bayt (a.s)) virtues and excellence, nothing has been related to you but a single alphabet from all the alphabets.2

• (O Ahlul Bayt (a.s))! Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, has placed you at a station inaccessible to others. Your virtues are unprecedented and none can overwhelm you in them. None can scale the heights that you have scaled and none can hope to rise to the rank that you have ascended. (Imam Ali Naqwi (a.s) in the Ziyaarat –e – Jaamea’h Surely, man’s power of comprehension and conception are simply incapable of perceiving their exhorted status. Therefore, let us bow our heads before the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) (in submission and expression of our helplessness) and enrich our hearts with the words of Imam Sadeq (a.s):

“ One who desire that his faith attains perfection, must sincerely confess, ‘My belief in all instances and under all circumstances is in conformity with the teachings of th Ahlul Bayt (a.s), explicit or otherwise. I acknowledge absolute faith in all those things that have reached and that which have not reached unto me from them (a.s).3

From the garden of Light and Knowledge of the Pure Ahlul Bayt (a.s), we present a bouquet of fragrant flowers to their lovers. It should be borne in mind that the dimensions and facets of Imam’s (a.t.f.s.) government are too diverse for man to grasp. The things that have reached unto us in the form of reliable and authentic tradition are just a few from among the thousands.

We beseech the Almighty Allah to increase our faith and certitude in our master, Imam Zamaan (a.t.f.s.), every moment. Light up the eyes of the believing friends with the sight of his (a.t.f.s.) government. Accept their supplications. Let the invocation taught by the Imam (a.t.f.s.), who is concealed from the eyes but close to the heart, flow on their tongues:

اللهم إنّا نرغب إليك في دولة كريمة، تعزز بها الاسلام و اهله، وتذل بها النفاق و أهله، و تجعلنا فيها من الدعاة الى طاعتك، و القادة الى سبيلك، و ترزقنا بها كرامة الدنيا و الآخرة، آمين رب العالمين

“O Allah! Surely we are inclined to you concerning the noble government (of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)).

Though which you will honour Islam and its followers.

And though which you will degrade hypocrisy and its followers.

And make us in it among those who invite (others) towards your obedience.

And the leaders towards your path.

And through which you will bestow upon us the nobility of this world and the hereafter.

Aameen! O Lord of the worlds!4

Notes

1. (For the detailed traditions from Ali ibn Abi Taalib (a.s) addressing Taariq ibn shahaab, refer Behaar al-anwaar, vol. 25, pg- 172-173)

2. (Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 25, pg. 283, Tr. No.30.)

3. (Al-Kaafi, vol.1, pg. 391.)

4. (Last few sentences from Dua al-Iftetah. This supplication was instructed by Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) himself and has ordered us to recite it every night during the holy month of Ramazan.)

9. Glad tidings of the Prophets (a.s) and their Successors

• Prophets (a.s) and their Successors are awaiting the Government of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.).

• The belief in a savior is innate and natural.

• Tidings of Imam Mahdi’s (a.t.f.s.) government are not restricted to Islam. Rather, all earlier divine scriptures have made a mention of it.1

• There is no dispute in the Islamic Ummah vis-à-vis the belief in Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). But there are numerous differences concerning his name, tiles and genealogy When the name mentioned in the heavenly books of the other nations were not found to be apparently compatible with that of Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). people set out storing the books themselves. The fact is that everybody is waiting for a universal savior.

• Islam, in general, and Shiaism in particular, have discussed about Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) in a most clear and unambiguous manner.2 For the Ahlal – Sunnah too, the belief in Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is an irrefutable one.

• It was the duty of every Prophet (a.s) to give the glad tidings concerning the advent of Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) to their nation.3

• Allah the Almighty, has promised all the nations regarding the reappearance of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.).4

• All Prophets (a.s) and their successors have been awaiting the reappearance and just government of Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s).5

Notes

1. (Muntakhab al-Asar, p. 171, quoting from Dalaael al-Imaamah. As examples, we have mentioned below the glad tidings of the past Prophets (a.s) from the Old Testament (Torah) and the New Testament ( Injeel).)

Psalms of Dawood (a.s) , Psalm No. 37, verses 1-39.

Psalms of Sulaiman (a.s) , Psalm No. 72, verses 7-18.

Book of Prophet Ash’eyaa (a.s), chap. 11, verse 3-9.

Book of Prophet Danial (a.s) , chap. 12, verses 2-4 and 10-13.

Bible of Mathew, chap. 24, verses 34-51

Bible of Marks, chap. 13, verses 30-37.

Bible of Luke, chap. 12, verses 35-48

Bible of Luke, chap. 21, verses 22-36.

2. (For details refer ‘Al-Imam al-Mahdi l’nda Ahlal-Sunnah’ by Mahdi Fawih Eemaani. In this book, 70 books of the ahl al- Sunnah have been used for reference. Either the entire book has been reproduced or only the part related to Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). Significantly, the references cited are the original works of the Ahl al-Sunnah.)

3. (Mikyaal al- Mukaarim, vol. 1, p. 49.)

4. (Behar al – Anwar , vol.1,p.102)

5. ( Al-Ghaybah of No`maani, p. 194; Behaar al-Anwar, vol. 52, p. 136; E’qd al-Dorar, P. 61; Behaar al-Anwar, vol. 51, p. 143; Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 2,p.150.)

10. Establishment Of Justice And Equity

• Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression.1

• Imam Mehdi (a.t.f.s) is the lofty symbol of justice and equity , awaited by one and all.2

• During the reign of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) , justice and equity will pervade the homes like summer and winter.3

• The Justice and equity of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) will encompass the good as well as the evil.4

• In the Just government of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s), all the heavenly books will be presented before the people in their original form, without any distortion.

• Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) will judge the people of the Torah with the Torah, the people of the Injeel with the Injeel , the people of Zaboor with the Zaboor and the people of the Quran with the Quran.5

• During the government of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s) , none will oppress the other. Rather, injustice, tyranny and oppression will be wiped out from the face of the earth.6

• Each one will be given his due.7

• Everyone will be conferred with a status as per his ability and perfections.8

• Due to the righteous patronage of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s), the true yardsticks of honour and nobility will be established.9

• The earth will come to life on account of Imam’s (a.t.f.s) justice and equity.10

• During the reign of Imam az-Zamaan (a.t.f.s), gutter and sewerage water will not flow in public places.11

• In the government of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s), those who perform the obligatory Hajj will be preferred to the ones who perform the recommended Hajj.12

Notes

1. (Behar al-Anwaar, vol. 52, p.351; E’qd al-Dorar, p. 62)

2. (Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol, 1, p. 120)

3. (Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 1, p. 120.)

4. (Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 37; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 27, p. 90; Muntakhab al-Asar, p. 310.)

5. (Behar al-Anwaaar, vol. 52, p. 351.)

6. (Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 52, p. 322; vol. 24, p. 165; Taaweel al-Aayaat, p. 343.)

7. (Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 1, p. 46; Behaar al-anwaar, vol. 52, p. 338; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2,p. 645-646; Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, p. 333; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 52, p. 390; Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 1, p. 234; Tafseer al-ayaasshi, vol. 1, p. 64.)

8. (Mikyaal al- Makaarim, vol. 1, p. 49.)

9. (Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 52, p. 35.)

10. (Mikyaal al- Makaarim, vol, 1, p. 81-82; Kammal al- Deen, vol 2, p. 668; Taaweel al- Aayaat, vol. 2, p. 662; Tafseer al-Burhaan, vol. 4,p. 291.)

11. (Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 1, p. 294-295 narrating from al-irshad (of Shaykh Mufeed a.r.)

12. (Behaar al- anwaar, vol. 52, p. 374, narrating from al-Kaafi; Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 1, pg. 284.)

11. Harmony With Nature

• During the rule of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.), due to the piety and belief of the general populace and the reign of the truthful ones, the earth will throw up all its bounties and the skies will shower its mercies.1

• The earth will toss up its treasures.2

• The hidden treasures and mines of the earth will come to the fore. People will actually see these treasures above the ground.3

• Mercy will rain for the skies. Trees will be loaded with flowers and the earth will manifest its greenery.4

• During this era, farming and cultivation will yield maximum possible crops. One grain will yield 700 grains.5

Notes

1. (Surah Al-Aa’raaf: Verse 96; Surah Ibrahim Verse48; Behaar al’Anwaar, vol. 7, p 110; Al-Amaali of Shaykh Saduq (a.r.), Session 92, p 504; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol 23 –p. 128)

2. (Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol 1, p 46.)

3. (Behaar al-Anwaar, vol 52, p. 337; E’qd al-Dorar, p. 149; Mo’jam ahaadees al-Imam Mahdi (a.s.), vol 1, p.230 narrating from Sahih Muslim.)

4. (E’qd al-Dorar, p. 43-44; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 52, p. 316 narrating from Khesaal, Mikyaal al-Makaarim, vol. 1, p.101, 247.

5. (Surah Baqarah: Verse 261; E’qd al-Dorar, p. 159; Al-Malaahem wa al-Fetan, Chapter 204, p. 97.)

2: My Father the Falcon

I ALWAYS KNEW my father had trouble with words. Sometimes they would get stuck and he would repeat the same syllable over and over like a record caught in a groove as we all waited for the next syllable to suddenly pop out. He said it felt like a wall came down in his throat. M’s, p’s and k’s were all enemies lying in wait. I teased him that one of the reasons he called me Jani was because he found it easier to say than Malala. A stutter was a terrible thing for a man who so loved words and poetry. On each side of the family he had an uncle with the same affliction. But it was almost certainly made worse by his father, whose own voice was a soaring instrument that could make words thunder and dance.

‘Spit it out, son!’ he’d roar whenever my father got stuck in the middle of a sentence. My grandfather’s name was Rohul Amin, which means ‘honest spirit’ and is the holy name of the Angel Gabriel. He was so proud of the name that he would introduce himself to people with a famous verse in which his name appears. He was an impatient man at the best of times and would fly into a rage over the smallest thing - like a hen going astray or a cup getting broken. His face would redden and he would throw kettles and pots around. I never knew my grandmother, but my father says she used to joke with my grandfather, ‘By God, just as you greet us only with a frown, when I die may God give you a wife who never smiles.’

My grandmother was so worried about my father’s stutter that when he was still a young boy she took him to see a holy man. It was a long journey by bus, then an hour’s walk up the hill to where he lived. Her nephew Fazli Hakim had to carry my father on his shoulders. The holy man was called Lewano Pir, Saint of the Mad, because he was said to be able to calm lunatics. When they were taken in to see the pir, he instructed my father to open his mouth and then spat into it. Then he took some gur, dark molasses made from sugar cane, and rolled it around his mouth to moisten it with spit. He then took out the lump and presented it to my grandmother to give to my father, a little each day. The treatment did not cure the stutter. Actually some people thought it got worse. So when my father was thirteen and told my grandfather he was entering a public speaking competition he was stunned. ‘How can you?’ Rohul Amin asked, laughing. ‘You take one or two minutes to utter just one sentence.’

‘Don’t worry,’ replied my father. ‘You write the speech and I will learn it.’

My grandfather was famous for his speeches. He taught theology in the government high school in the village of Shahpur. He was also an imam at the local mosque. He was a mesmerising speaker. His sermons at Friday prayers were so popular that people would come down from the mountains by donkey or on foot to hear him.

My father comes from a large family. He had one much older brother, Saeed Ramzan who I call Uncle Khan dada, and five sisters. Their village of Barkana was very primitive and they lived crammed together in a one-storey ramshackle house with a mud roof which leaked whenever it rained or snowed. As in most families, the girls stayed at home while the boys went to school. ‘They were just waiting to be married,’ says my father.

School wasn’t the only thing my aunts missed out on. In the morning when my father was given cream or milk, his sisters were given tea with no milk. If there were eggs, they would only be for the boys. When a chicken was slaughtered for dinner, the girls would get the wings and the neck while the luscious breast meat was enjoyed by my father, his brother and my grandfather. ‘From early on I could feel I was different from my sisters,’ my father says.

There was little to do in my father’s village. It was too narrow even for a cricket pitch and only one family had a television. On Fridays the brothers would creep into the mosque and watch in wonder as my grandfather stood in the pulpit and preached to the congregation for an hour or so, waiting for the moment when his voice would rise and practically shake the rafters.

My grandfather had studied in India, where he had seen great speakers and leaders including Mohammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan), Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, our great Pashtun leader who campaigned for independence. Baba, as I called him, had even witnessed the moment of freedom from the British colonialists at midnight on 14 August 1947.

He had an old radio set my uncle still has, on which he loved to listen to the news. His sermons were often illustrated by world events or historical happenings as well as stories from the Quran and the Hadith, the sayings of the Prophet. He also liked to talk about politics. Swat became part of Pakistan in 1969, the year my father was born. Many Swatis were unhappy about this, complaining about the Pakistani justice system, which they said was much slower and less effective than their old tribal ways. My grandfather would rail against the class system, the continuing power of the khans and the gap between the haves and have-nots.

My country may not be very old but unfortunately it already has a history of military coups, and when my father was eight a general called Zia ul-Haq seized power. There are still many pictures of him around. He was a scary man with dark panda shadows around his eyes, large teeth that seemed to stand to attention and hair pomaded flat on his head. He arrested our elected prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and had him tried for treason then hanged from a scaffold in Rawalpindi jail. Even today people talk of Mr Bhutto as a man of great charisma. They say he was the first Pakistani leader to stand up for the common people, though he himself was a feudal lord with vast estates of mango fields. His execution shocked everybody and made Pakistan look bad all around the world. The Americans cut off aid.

To try to get people at home to support him, General Zia launched a campaign of Islamisation to make us a proper Muslim country with the army as the defenders of our country’s ideological as well as geographical frontiers. He told our people it was their duty to obey his government because it was pursuing Islamic principles. Zia even wanted to dictate how we should pray, and set up salat or prayer committees in every district, even in our remote village, and appointed 100,000 prayer inspectors. Before then mullahs had almost been figures of fun - my father said at wedding parties they would just hang around in a corner and leave early - but under Zia they became influential and were called to Islamabad for guidance on sermons. Even my grandfather went.

Under Zia’s regime life for women in Pakistan became much more restricted. Jinnah said, ‘No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.’ But General Zia brought in Islamic laws which reduced a woman’s evidence in court to count for only half that of a man’s. Soon our prisons were full of cases like that of a thirteen-year-old girl who was raped and become pregnant and was then sent to prison for adultery because she couldn’t produce four male witnesses to prove it was a crime. A woman couldn’t even open a bank account without a man’s permission. As a nation we have always been good at hockey, but Zia made our female hockey players wear baggy trousers instead of shorts, and stopped women playing some sports altogether.

Many of our madrasas or religious schools were opened at that time, and in all schools religious studies, what we call deeniyat, was replaced by Islamiyat, or Islamic studies, which children in Pakistan still have to do today. Our history textbooks were rewritten to describe Pakistan as a ‘fortress of Islam’, which made it seem as if we had existed far longer than since 1947, and denounced Hindus and Jews. Anyone reading them might think we won the three wars we have fought and lost against our great enemy India.

Everything changed when my father was ten. Just after Christmas 1979 the Russians invaded our neighbour Afghanistan. Millions of Afghans fled across the border and General Zia gave them refuge.

Vast camps of white tents sprang up mostly around Peshawar, some of which are still there today. Our biggest intelligence service belongs to the military and is called the ISI. It started a massive programme to train Afghan refugees recruited from the camps as resistance fighters or mujahideen.

Though Afghans are renowned fighters, Colonel Imam, the officer heading the programme, complained that trying to organise them was ‘like weighing frogs’.

The Russian invasion transformed Zia from an international pariah to the great defender of freedom in the Cold War. The Americans became friends with us once again, as in those days Russia was their main enemy. Next door to us the Shah of Iran had been overthrown in a revolution a few months earlier so the CIA had lost their main base in the region. Pakistan took its place. Billions of dollars flowed into our exchequer from the United States and other Western countries, as well as weapons to help the ISI train the Afghans to fight the communist Red Army. General Zia was invited to meet President Ronald Reagan at the White House and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street. They lavished praise on him.

Prime Minister Zulfikar Bhutto had appointed Zia as his army chief because he thought he was not very intelligent and would not be a threat. He called him his ‘monkey’. But Zia turned out to be a very wily man. He made Afghanistan a rallying point not only for the West, which wanted to stop the spread of communism from the Soviet Union, but also for Muslims from Sudan to Tajikistan, who saw it as a fellow Islamic country under attack from infidels. Money poured in from all over the Arab world, particularly Saudi Arabia, which matched whatever the US sent, and volunteer fighters too, including a Saudi millionaire called Osama bin Laden.

We Pashtuns are split between Pakistan and Afghanistan and don’t really recognise the border that the British drew more than 100 years ago. So our blood boiled over the Soviet invasion for both religious and nationalist reasons. The clerics of the mosques would often talk about the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in their sermons, condemning the Russians as infidels and urging people to join the jihad, saying it was their duty as good Muslims. It was as if under Zia jihad had become the sixth pillar of our religion on top of the five we grow up to learn - the belief in one God, namaz or prayers five times a day, giving zakat or alms, roza - fasting from dawn till sunset during the month of Ramadan - and haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every able-bodied Muslim should do once in their lifetime. My father says that in our part of the world this idea of jihad was very much encouraged by the CIA. Children in the refugee camps were even given school textbooks produced by an American university which taught basic arithmetic through fighting. They had examples like, ‘If out of 10 Russian infidels, 5 are killed by one Muslim, 5 would be left’ or ‘15 bullets - 10 bullets = 5 bullets’.

Some boys from my father’s district went off to fight in Afghanistan. My father remembers that one day a maulana called Sufi Mohammad came to the village and asked young men to join him to fight the Russians in the name of Islam. Many did, and they set off, armed with old rifles or just axes and bazookas. Little did we know that years later the same maulana’s organisation would become the Swat Taliban. At that time my father was only twelve years old and too young to fight. But the Russians ended up stuck in Afghanistan for ten years, through most of the 1980s, and when he became a teenager my father decided he too wanted to be a jihadi. Though later he became less regular in his prayers, in those days he used to leave home at dawn every morning to walk to a mosque in another village, where he studied the Quran with a senior talib. At that time talib simply meant ‘religious student’. Together they studied all the thirty chapters of the Quran, not just recitation but also interpretation, something few boys do.

The talib talked of jihad in such glorious terms that my father was captivated. He would endlessly point out to my father that life on earth was short and that there were few opportunities for young men in the village. Our family owned little land, and my father did not want to end up going south to work in the coal mines like many of his classmates. That was tough and dangerous work, and the coffins of those killed in accidents would come back several times a year. The best that most village boys could hope for was to go to Saudi Arabia or Dubai and work in construction. So heaven with its seventytwo virgins sounded attractive. Every night my father would pray to God, ‘O Allah, please make war between Muslims and infidels so I can die in your service and be a martyr.’

For a while his Muslim identity seemed more important than anything else in his life. He began to sign himself ‘Ziauddin Panchpiri’ (the Panchpiri are a religious sect) and sprouted the first signs of a beard. It was, he says, a kind of brainwashing. He believes he might even have thought of becoming a suicide bomber had there been such a thing in those days. But from an early age he had been a questioning kind of boy who rarely took anything at face value, even though our education at government schools meant learning by rote and pupils were not supposed to question teachers.

It was around the time he was praying to go to heaven as a martyr that he met my mother’s brother, Faiz Mohammad, and started mixing with her family and going to her father’s hujra. They were very involved in local politics, belonged to secular nationalist parties and were against involvement in the war. A famous poem was written at that time by Rahmat Shah Sayel, the same Peshawar poet who wrote the poem about my namesake. He described what was happening in Afghanistan as a ‘war between two elephants’ - the US and the Soviet Union - not our war, and said that we Pashtuns were ‘like the grass crushed by the hooves of two fierce beasts’. My father often used to recite the poem to me when I was a child but I didn’t know then what it meant.

My father was very impressed by Faiz Mohammad and thought he talked a lot of sense, particularly about wanting to end the feudal and capitalist systems in our country, where the same big families had controlled things for years while the poor got poorer. He found himself torn between the two extremes, secularism and socialism on one side and militant Islam on the other. I guess he ended up somewhere in the middle.

My father was in awe of my grandfather and told me wonderful stories about him, but he also told me that he was a man who could not meet the high standards he set for others. Baba was such a popular and passionate speaker that he could have been a great leader if he had been more diplomatic and less consumed by rivalries with cousins and others who were better off. In Pashtun society it is very hard to stomach a cousin being more popular, wealthier or more influential than you are. My grandfather had a cousin who also joined his school as a teacher. When he got the job he gave his age as much younger than my grandfather. Our people don’t know their exact dates of birth - my mother, for example, does not know when she was born. We tend to remember years by events, like an earthquake. But my grandfather knew that his cousin was actually much older than him. He was so angry that he made the day-long bus journey to Mingora to see the Swat minister of education.

‘Sahib,’ he told him, ‘I have a cousin who is ten years older than me and you have certified him ten years younger.’ So the minister said, ‘OK, Maulana, what shall I write down for you? Would you like to have been born in the year of the earthquake of Quetta?’ My grandfather agreed, so his new date of birth became 1935, making him much younger than his cousin.

This family rivalry meant that my father was bullied a lot by his cousins. They knew he was insecure about his looks because at school the teachers always favoured the handsome boys for their fair skin. His cousins would stop my father on his way home from school and tease him about being short and dark-skinned. In our society you have to take revenge for such slights, but my father was much smaller than his cousins.

He also felt he could never do enough to please my grandfather. Baba had beautiful handwriting and my father would spend hours painstakingly drawing letters but Baba never once praised him.

My grandmother kept his spirits up - he was her favourite and she believed great things lay in store for him. She loved him so much that she would slip him extra meat and the cream off the milk while she went without. But it wasn’t easy to study as there was no electricity in the village in those days.

He used to read by the light of the oil lamp in the hujra, and one evening he went to sleep and the oil lamp fell over. Fortunately my grandmother found him before a fire started. It was my grandmother’s faith in my father that gave him the courage to find his own proud path he could travel along. This is the path that he would later show me.

Yet she too got angry with him once. Holy men from a spiritual place called Derai Saydan used to travel the villages in those days begging for flour. One day while his parents were out some of them came to the house. My father broke the seal on the wooden storage box of maize and filled their bowls. When my grandparents came home they were furious and beat him.

Pashtuns are famously frugal (though generous with guests), and Baba was particularly careful with money. If any of his children accidentally spilt their food he would fly into a rage. He was an extremely disciplined man and could not understand why they were not the same. As a teacher he was eligible for a discount on his sons’ school fees for sports and joining the Boy Scouts. It was such a small discount that most teachers did not bother, but he forced my father to apply for the rebate. Of course my father detested doing this. As he waited outside the headmaster’s office, he broke out into a sweat, and once inside his stutter was worse than ever. ‘It felt as if my honour was at stake for five rupees,’ he told me. My grandfather never bought him new books. Instead he would tell his best students to keep their old books for my father at the end of the year and then he would be sent to their homes to get them. He felt ashamed but had no choice if he didn’t want to end up illiterate. All his books were inscribed with other boys’ names, never his own.

‘It’s not that passing books on is a bad practice,’ he says. ‘It’s just I so wanted a new book, unmarked by another student and bought with my father’s money.’

My father’s dislike of Baba’s frugality has made him a very generous man both materially and in spirit. He became determined to end the traditional rivalry between him and his cousins. When his headmaster’s wife fell ill, my father donated blood to help save her. The man was astonished and apologised for having tormented him. When my father tells me stories of his childhood, he always says that though Baba was a difficult man he gave him the most important gift - the gift of education.

He sent my father to the government high school to learn English and receive a modern education rather than to a madrasa, even though as an imam people criticised him for this. Baba also gave him a deep love of learning and knowledge as well as a keen awareness of people’s rights, which my father has passed on to me. In my grandfather’s Friday addresses he would talk about the poor and the landowners and how true Islam is against feudalism. He also spoke Persian and Arabic and cared deeply for words. He read the great poems of Saadi, Allama Iqbal and Rumi to my father with such passion and fire it was as if he was teaching the whole mosque.

My father longed to be eloquent with a voice that boomed out with no stammer, and he knew my grandfather desperately wanted him to be a doctor, but though he was a very bright student and a gifted poet, he was poor at maths and science and felt he was a disappointment. That’s why he decided he would make his father proud by entering the district’s annual public speaking competition.

Everyone thought he was mad. His teachers and friends tried to dissuade him and his father was reluctant to write the speech for him. But eventually Baba gave him a fine speech, which my father practised and practised. He committed every word to memory while walking in the hills, reciting it to the skies and birds as there was no privacy in their home.

There was not much to do in the area where they lived so when the day arrived there was a huge gathering. Other boys, some known as good speakers, gave their speeches. Finally my father was called forward. ‘I stood at the lectern,’ he told me, ‘hands shaking and knees knocking, so short I could barely see over the top and so terrified the faces were a blur. My palms were sweating and my mouth was as dry as paper.’ He tried desperately not to think about the treacherous consonants lying ahead of him, just waiting to trip him up and stick in his throat, but when he spoke, the words came out fluently like beautiful butterflies taking flight. His voice did not boom like his father’s, but his passion shone through and as he went on he gained confidence.

At the end of the speech there were cheers and applause. Best of all, as he went up to collect the cup for first prize, he saw his father clapping and enjoying being patted on the back by those standing around him. ‘It was,’ he says, ‘the first thing I’d done that made him smile.’

After that my father entered every competition in the district. My grandfather wrote his speeches and he almost always came first, gaining a reputation locally as an impressive speaker. My father had turned his weakness into strength. For the first time Baba started praising him in front of others. He’d boast, ‘Ziauddin is a shaheen’ - a falcon - because this is a creature that flies high above other birds.

‘Write your name as “Ziauddin Shaheen”,’ he told him. For a while my father did this but stopped when he realised that although a falcon flies high it is a cruel bird. Instead he just called himself Ziauddin Yousafzai, our clan name.