Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani (ra) (1875-1957)
Gratitude and regret
In the first issue of the fourteenth volume of Al Fazl, a note was published under the heading “The painful suspension of our contemporary Nur.” In that note, the Jamaat’s long-standing servant, Al Hakam, was thanked in words full of affection and the Jamaat was drawn to the matter with much sincerity and earnestness. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude from a distance of nine thousand miles (i.e., London).
When I see and hear that the condition of the Jamaat’s newspapers is of this nature, my heart becomes filled with sorrow and distress. If only I possessed the means, I would relieve the Jamaat’s newspapers of their financial anxieties. Newspapers are an exceedingly essential institution for the Jamaat; yet allow me to lament our own negligence, for we have not yet fully recognised this necessity.
After the words in which Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] drew the Jamaat’s attention to the matter of the Jamaat’s newspapers, I consider it a form of wrongdoing and disrespect to say anything further. Therefore, I have remained silent. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] had said that if you do not provide the newspapers with such and such number of subscribers, then I shall pay the subscription of that number of subscribers from Bait-ul-Mal so that these newspapers may continue to live. (I have conveyed the meaning of his words in my own wording.)
What the Jamaat and its workers ought to have done in response to this is self-evident. In short, I was deeply grieved by the closure of [the newspaper] Nur in this manner. I have resolved that I shall make absolutely no appeal on behalf of Al Hakam. If God Almighty grants me the means and opportunity, I shall keep it going; and if circumstances do not assist me, I shall depart from this world carrying this aspiration in my heart.
I am in a land that is a small island, whose inhabitants rule over much of the world and whose empire is said to be one on which the sun never sets. Among the factors underlying the progress and strength of this nation, the vitality of its newspapers is one of the secrets.
Here, a person may go hungry, but cannot live without a newspaper. I have observed members of the unemployed classes here and spoken with them. If they have two pennies in their pocket, they may go without food, but they will nevertheless purchase a newspaper. To ask someone else to lend them a newspaper to read is regarded as a moral offence and even a national sin.
The result is that newspapers constitute a tremendous force and if I were to describe the heights to which their influence soars, it would be astonishing. The strike, which constitutes a magnificent chapter in the history of this country, began over the suspension of the publication of a single issue of The Daily Mail. The newspaper had published an article entitled “For King and Country.” The printers protested that the article should not be published. The editor refused to make any alteration against his conscience, while the printers refused to print it; consequently, a strike broke out at The Daily Mail’s printing press.
At precisely that time, the workers’ lawyers were engaged in negotiations with the ministers to reach a settlement. When the ministers learned of this development, they immediately brought the negotiations to an end and sided with The Daily Mail.
Those outside the country could scarcely comprehend the impact this situation could have – and did have – upon the state of the entire nation. But we who were here witnessed and felt it. The ministers, together with the country and the nation, did not concern themselves with the unpleasant and bitter experience of the strike when it came to preserving the dignity and standing of a newspaper.
The reward for such appreciation and encouragement was that, despite the departure of its entire staff, publication of the newspaper could not be brought to a halt. It was printed in Paris and transported by aeroplane to all parts of England, arriving punctually. This is merely a modest example.
We are and indeed must be, conquerors in the religious field of the world, yet this is the state of our newspapers. The Jamaat is 37 years old. During this entire period, we have not been able to establish even a single daily newspaper; indeed, we were compelled to reduce a newspaper that was published three times a week to only twice a week. Furthermore, the Jamaat’s two longstanding newspapers, Al Hakam and Al Badr, which the Promised Messiah (as) had described as his own arms, are presently closed, while others that are memorials of the era of Khilafat are being forced towards closure.
The Promised Messiah (as) instructed that 80,000 subscribers should be developed for The Review of Religions, yet in 25 years we were unable to accomplish this even once.
When I have compared the Jamaat’s spirit of selflessness and sacrifice with that of others, I have always regarded it, as a matter of fact, as unparalleled and without equal. Yet, with regard to newspapers, the position of the Jamaat deserves serious attention.
Let my words be a voice crying in the wilderness; I do not care. Whatever I have said, I have said with sincerity. I would say to the contemporary Al Fazl that it should make no further appeal for this purpose. After Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s [ra] directive, doing so would be a sin. I will say only this: if those sacred words, which have issued from the mouth of Ayatullah [the sign of God] upon whose hand God Almighty has bestowed upon the Jamaat the honour of being called a Jamaat, are not honoured in practice, then remember that these newspapers will survive – they will survive even after struggling through cessation – but you will be deprived of the reward contained in obeying Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s [ra] directive. This was merely an incidental matter and, in keeping with my habit, it has become rather lengthy. I shall now turn to the original letter.
Idleness and begging
As I have already written in The Review of Religions, I am looking only at the attributes of this nation. I have observed that these people are exceedingly diligent and hard-working. No one considers it beneath their dignity to work, nor does anyone regard any particular profession with hatred or contempt. It is remarkable that this lesson was taught by Islam, yet today Muslims have forgotten it.
The Holy Prophet (sa) taught a prayer:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُبِكَ مِنَ َالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ
[“O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity and laziness.”]
That is, O Allah, I seek Thy refuge from failing to make the necessary means available and then failing to make use of those means once they have been made available. We have forgotten this prayer both intellectually and practically. For human prosperity and the advancement of a nation, it is an immensely important principle that all its members should work and should not be idle or lazy. Yet not only are we idle and indolent; we are also afflicted by a number of other difficulties.
Leaving aside the economic consequences produced by unemployment, it also has a profoundly harmful effect from a moral standpoint. It is commonly said that an idle person becomes either a rogue or an invalid. Various forms of crime and morally destructive vices, such as begging, arise from idleness.
The practical secret behind all the progress in the world and the proper means of increasing economic strength, are contained in this [abovementioned] prayer. Yet its practical implementation is absent among us, whereas the people here [in London] act upon it. Everyone works and whatever work becomes available to them, they do not hesitate to undertake it.
In their eyes, work as such is neither a matter of disgrace nor of honour. Repairing shoes or polishing them is regarded as just as respectable as the work of an engineer. This spirit exists within the nation and there is a corresponding determination to encourage people to work because no honest occupation is considered degrading in itself.
Islam established taqwa [righteousness] as the standard of nobility and honour for precisely this reason. Sadly, however, we have abandoned this principle and have instead made professions and castes the standards of honour.
In practical terms, the people here have eliminated the notion that any profession is degrading. At the same time, begging has been prohibited by law so that the moral standards of the nation may remain elevated. In reality, one hardly sees any beggar here. A disabled person who cannot earn a livelihood except through begging will, if he can do nothing else, sell a box of matches. The nation encourages him in this endeavour. They see that he wishes to work but lacks the means to do so. In such circumstances, they purchase his box of matches by paying more than its ordinary price. There are also some who engage in pavement art. These are artists who cannot advance their profession and whose sources of income are limited. They sit on a major street – here, every street is major – and display examples of their work on the ground. Passers-by enjoy looking at these drawings and encourage the artists. Among women, I have observed that, if they can do nothing else, they undertake laundry work. They sweep houses, work in kitchens, engage in hairdressing and undertake all kinds of occupations. Men, women and young – all work. The result is good health and a life spent in relative comfort and prosperity.
On the one hand, our Jamaat is called upon to make financial sacrifices, for sacrifice is essential for Divine communities and it takes both financial and physical forms. On the other hand, the practice of idleness is increasing day by day. In my view, it is necessary for the Jamaat, wherever it exists, to make arrangements so that no person remains unemployed. This spirit will emerge when we cease to regard any form of honest work as degrading.
At the same time, begging should be prohibited as a matter of principle; Islam has already not permitted it. One should not even make a request for receiving Zakat. It should be the responsibility of the officials appointed for this purpose to ensure that those genuinely entitled to assistance are not overlooked. No person should have to present his needs in the form of a request or petition. If we succeed in implementing this movement in every locality, one by one, there will also be significant financial progress within the Jamaat. I have not presented anything new. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] has already drawn attention to this matter. Indeed, in the address delivered upon assuming the office of Khilafat on 14 April 1914, while explaining the word yuzakkihim, he mentioned among its objectives that a register of unemployed persons should be maintained and that their number should be announced every week, so that a desire and determination to work might be cultivated.
Respect for religion
Although Christianity here has, in practical terms as well as in matters of belief, already died and is gradually dying of its own accord, just as the Holy Prophet (sa) foretold when he said “yadhubul kufr” [disbelief melts away], respect for religion nevertheless exists here as part of the national character.
If, at some place, a Christian preacher is delivering a sermon and begins to pray, those standing around him will remove their hats and join him. At that moment, they will stand in complete silence, with their eyes closed. When a religious hymn is being sung, everyone will join in it. Young and old, children and elderly people alike, will feel no embarrassment whatsoever in doing so. There is a very great deficiency in this regard among us. Instead of the remembrance of Allah, conversations take place in mosques. When one enters a church here, one experiences a sense of tranquillity and absorption. Although it may be merely imaginary and outward in nature, it is nevertheless certainly present. There is such silence that even the sound of a person’s footsteps cannot be heard.
I hope I may be forgiven for saying that I have sometimes observed the state of mosques becoming like that of a marketplace, where various commodities are being sold. Respect for mosques and reverence for the Islamic sha‘air [symbols or places] are our duty. At first, this may undoubtedly involve a certain degree of difficulty, but it is necessary to uphold respect for the Islamic sha‘air. There should be no conversation in mosques. Rather, people should remain engaged in glorifying and praising Allah in peace and tranquillity. This would increase the pleasure of worship. We are not learning these things from others; Islam itself has taught them and the true spirit of these principles is already present within Islam.
Walking with dignity
I have observed that when people walk here, they do not lose their dignity and composure, nor do they look about aimlessly. Rather, they walk with great care and in a respectable manner, keeping in view the rights of other pedestrians. One does not see people walking through the markets while eating. Nor are fruit peels or fruit stones found scattered everywhere. The Holy Prophet (sa) forbade this manner of conduct and when one reflects upon its wisdom, it becomes evident how many virtues are contained within this noble teaching.
In my own country and even in my own city, I have seen piles of fruit peels and fruit stones lying in the marketplaces, while their stench becomes distressing. At times, people slip on melon rinds and fall so badly that they sustain serious injuries, while those standing nearby turn the incident into a source of amusement. I am certain that the head of tarbiyat [department] must have given attention to this matter.
During the blessed era of the Promised Messiah (as), circumstances were different; now, with the Jamaat’s progress and its development on a national scale, many forms of organisation and discipline are naturally required.
By His grace, Allah the Almighty has given us a Khalifa who, through the special insight granted to him by God Almighty, recognises this reality and this need that he has to establish the highest national moral character within the Jamaat. This is because this community is destined to become the teacher of the world and even the teacher of the civilised nations of the world. If its teachers do not possess those qualities that are already present within the homes [of civilised nations], then their people will come to view the civilisation and values that are to be presented in the true spirit of Islam with aversion.
Therefore, a distinct national character must develop within us. These matters may apparently seem small, but their effects and consequences are immense and precious. Everything begins from something small. Even the perfect human being, in the beginning, possesses no greater significance than a drop of fluid. Therefore, it is necessary that, while observing the general principles of hygiene and public health, we remain mindful of these matters and ensure that our conduct while walking remains within the bounds of Islamic teachings. There should be no frivolity or mockery in our speech, for this gives rise to unpleasantness and resentment.
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu, published in the 3 September 1926 issue of Al Fazl)