by Irshad Aziz
I would call him an ambassador of Kashmiris in Jammu region.
Mufti Faizul Waheed Sahib’s death has left us all in deep shock. From yesterday, I tried many times to write his brief sketch but couldn’t gather the courage. Even writing this, my hands tremble.
Mufti Sahib (RA) was one among those few ulemas who had devoted all his life to the cause of Islam, Muslims, and humanity.
There are many important dimensions of Hazrat’s life, which need to be highlighted. Only the ulema will do the utmost justice with the subject. However, I would like to elaborate on Mufti sahib’s role for a common Kashmiri.
Mufti sahib was a Mufasir-e-Quran (the first translator of the Quran in his mother tongue, Gojri). He was a Faqih (Islamic Jurist), a muhaddith (expert in hadith), a bold speaker on various topics in public gatherings. His presence in a public gathering would attract a lot of believers. His way to start his speech with Quran, elaborating it with Quran, and ending it with Quran was his unique way, which is currently unparalleled.
His contribution was unmatched, during the month of Ramadan. He would hold special Quranic duroos in Bathindi Jammu for the general public and ulema. He has compiled many books like Sirajam Muneera (A book on the life of our Prophet ﷺ); Ahkam-e-Mayyat (The rules of the Deceased) and Namaz ke Masa’il, Qur’an-o-Hadees ki Roshni Main (The issues pertaining to prayers in the light of Quran and Hadith.).
Mufti Faizul Waheed had a special connection with Kashmir and Kashmiris had a special place in his heart. Few months before his death, he was in Kashmir. He spoke at many religious gatherings, even visited schools and coaching institutes to aware the student community about the teachings of Islam. He had the distinction of traveling Kashmir in length and breadth. Almost every Islamic seminary in Kashmir used to invite him on its annual convocation.
His way to appreciate young Hufaaz was unique. His frequent visits to Kashmir had a message for the people of the Jammu region, that their religious unification with Kashmir is the need of the hour.
When Jammu erupted in communal violence a few years ago, vehicles of Kashmiri sumo drivers and other Kashmiris were burnt, communal people in Jammu were on the prowl, Mufti Faizul Waheed opened the gates of his Darul Uloom at Bathindi for Kashmiris. He provided them food and shelter for many days until the communal riots were controlled. I would call him an ambassador of Kashmiris in the Jammu region.
This is perhaps the reason that when the news of his worsening health conditions reached Kashmir, people were in pain. Special prayers were held by one and all. I even knew many people using social media to arrange some medicines for him which otherwise was not possible. Some youngsters left from Srinagar, reached Jammu to assist the doctors with these medicines, which they somehow arranged for Mufti sahib.
We have seen ulema paying tributes to Hazrat Mufti sahib from all over India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, and many more countries. He was indeed an internationally acclaimed scholar who is no longer with us.
But everybody has to die. Now need of the hour is to come out from this mourning and take the work of Mufti Faizul Waheed forward.
(Masters in Botany, the author has done his MPhil and is teaching at Mission-e, Srinagar. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Kashmir Life.)
