A Galaxy of Desires

By Anis Ur Rahmaan

This autobiographical travelogue, written from time to
time over the last fifty years, describes the continuous
and ever changing journey of life. The different
installments of this travelogue, directly or indirectly,
reflect the evolutionary development of the authors state
of mind at the time of their writing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465399472

Anis Ur Rahmaan

Dr. Anis ur Rahmaan is an engineer, architect, and urban and regional planner. He has studied and taught in ten institutions of higher learning in the USA, UK, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. He prepared the first Master Plan for Greater Lahore – the second largest city of Pakistan – in the 1960s, which has not only been catalogued in the Library of Congress but also in the libraries of the major USA’s universities. He worked for a number of years as Director of Town Planning of the Punjab and North Western Frontier Provinces in Pakistan. He was awarded International Development Fellowship by the East-West Center, University of Hawaii in 1967; and later conferred the Best Professor’s Award by the King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has also worked as United Nations Advisor for Urban and Regional Planning for about ten years in Saudi Arabia and as a UN Consultant in the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. In 1999 his name appeared in Who’s Who in the World. Currently he is engaged in community development and poverty alleviation through education and vocational training programs on philanthropic basis in Pakistan, Dr. Rahmaan has already published two books: (i) Anjuman-e-Arzu in Urdu language for the people at large and (ii) The Imperatives of Urban and Regional Planning: Concepts and Case Studies from the Developing World for the academicians, practitioners and students of urban and regional planning. Anjuman-e-Arzu has already been translated in English language under the title of “A Galaxy of Desires”. All the three books are available on Amazon.com. Dr. Rahmaan has also contributed a number of articles in leading literary and professional journals and chapters in edited books. His e-mail addresses are: (i) [e-mail]; and (ii) [e-mail].

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CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A FEW WORDS

FOREWORD

AN EPOCH OF TRAVELOGUES

REFRESHING IDEAS

A FACTUAL NARRATION

PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

ONLY THE RITUAL OF AZAAN REMAINED

THE LIGHT BEYOND THE HORIZON

THE WATER BEAUTY

THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

A GALAXY OF DESIRES

A RARE BORN

IN THE LAND OF TARIQ

THE EVIDENCE OF DAWN

THE SECOND ACCIDENT

THE LAST STEP

THE WARNING EYE

BEYOND THE STARS

O! THESE GIRLS! THESE WOMEN!

WHEN THE SUN WAS SETTING

BAANO

THE MOURNING GRAVE DIGGER

FATHER OF SEVEN

DAUGHTERS

MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

GLOSSARY

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Do not stifle the Galaxy of Desires in despair

If there is no wine, anticipate the arrival of the goblet

Ghalib

Abdur Rahman Chughtai’s painting on the title page of this book reflects the essence of Ghalib’s above quoted ode.

DEDICATION

black.jpg To Biji and Mian,

who taught me how to walk by holding my finger.

black.jpg To Bushra,

who not only does justice to her role as a cotraveler in life’s journey,

but also lights candles of hope in times of adversity.

black.jpg To Kisra, Yusra, and Monis,

who are the essence of my life

and have inspired me to keep living and progressing in life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

self%20photograph-1-edited.jpg

Dr. Anis ur Rahmaan is an engineer, architect, and an urban and regional planner. He has studied and taught in ten institutions of higher learning in the USA, UK, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. He prepared the first Master Plan for Greater Lahore—the second largest city of Pakistan—in the 1960s, which has not only been catalogued in the Library of Congress but also in the libraries of the major US universities. He worked for a number of years as Director of Town Planning of the Punjab and North Western Frontier Provinces in Pakistan. He was awarded International Development Fellowship by the East-West Center, University of Hawaii in 1967, and later conferred the Best Professor’s Award by the King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has also worked as United Nations’ Advisor for Urban and Regional Planning for about ten years in Saudi Arabia and as a UN Consultant in the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. In 1999 his name appeared in Who’s Who in the World. Currently he is engaged in community development and poverty alleviation through educational and vocational training programs on philanthropic basis in Pakistan. Dr. Rahmaan has already published two books: (i) Anjuman-e-Arzu in Urdu language for the people at large and (ii) The Imperatives of Urban and Regional Planning: Concepts and Case Studies from the Developing World for the academicians, practitioners and students of Urban and regional planning. He has also contributed a number of articles in leading literary and professional journals and chapters in edited books. Author’s eletronic addresses: (i) [e-mail];

(ii) [e-mail]

A FEW WORDS

Jamil-ud-Din Aali

This is a collection of Professor Dr. Anis-ur-Rahmaan’s prose writings, penned during the last fifty-five years, without any perceptible order or sequence, because Professor Saheb’s professional commitments did not permit him to concentrate on creative writing. Nevertheless, these are remarkable writings; even their later publication would have been an excellent addition.

Before commenting on the text, let me say two things about the writer himself.

One, Urdu literature is ingrained in his family; his paternal grandfather, Ammu Jan Wali, was a special disciple of Ghalib. Anjuman-e-Taraqqi-e-Urdu (Association for the Development of Urdu) has already published Ammu Jan’s collection of quatrains, under the title Wonders of Ammu Jan Dehlavi. Possibly, it had been published earlier on in Bharat (India) as well. But we could not access it. Nevertheless, its handwritten version was available in the special section of our library. With the help of Professor Anis-ur-Rahmaan, we were able to print and publish it with reasonable accuracy.

Two, Professor Anis-ur-Rahmaan has been teaching sociology and related subjects abroad for years and years. As such, he had little opportunity to interact directly with Pakistan’s literary scene. So he used to get Pakistani creative writings and anthologies from everywhere and then read them. My first direct contact (formal meeting) with him took place in Jeddah, when he was teaching at the King Abdul Aziz University. After retiring from the university a few years ago, he has returned to Lahore. He is the chairman of the Center for Urban, Regional, Environmental and Social Studies (CURES) International.

Turning to the text, A Factual Narration is in itself a beautiful literary piece, which could be written only by a knowledgeable and widely traveled (howsoever modest) person. I am surprised to see that Professor Saheb has neither been educated nor trained in Delhi nor has had the benefit of receiving instructions from contemporary scholars in Lahore or Karachi, yet his diction combines the sweetness of Delhi idiom, with the modernist style of expression. This is evident from every line. And when I say this, I am not referring to archaic verbosity, which I do not like and which Professor Saheb does not use. What I am referring to is the flow, the neatness and the erudite spontaneity of his diction.

His previous writings follow his more recent writings. In poetic collections, this practice is quite common. But in prose works, this is somewhat unusual. To some extent, Professor Saheb has also discussed this aspect in his Factual Narration.

The text does seem to breathe the air of yearnings. True, the author’s knowledge, observations, and experiences have prevented him from falling into the pessimistic mold. That is why his writings exude optimism. Now I am finding it quite difficult to comment on all or even most of the pieces. All the pieces including the preface are beautiful and exhibit, irrespective of the title of the piece, the author’s grip over the global issues and problems. What are these? And how comprehensive are these? For that, one has to go through each and every piece. As it is, I am no professional critic. And thus, my so-called critique can do no justice to them. This Galaxy of Desires is truly large and limitless galaxy. It comprises characterization, travelogues, and some philosophical discussions as well. In fact, it resembles the essays which the great essayists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries used to write. Urdu writers too tried their hand at writing such essays for some time in the twentieth century. But the limitation of writing within the confines of one particular topic only sometimes irritates those whose minds brim with fresh and creative ideas. So they prefer to write on multifarious subjects with multifaceted dimensions. Currently too, such people prefer the latter type of writing. They also give captions to their pieces, but the texts seldom remain within the boundaries of the captions. Here are a few lines from the piece titled The Land of the Midnight Sun.

Arriving in this Land, one gets the intense

feeling that the concept of time and space

is extremely relative.

Doesn’t this remind us of Allama Iqbal’s verse?

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There is no Time, There is no Space,

There is no God, But Allah.

In the piece titled A Galaxy of Desires, the author painfully compares the affluent but simple-living Japanese with the wealthy class of a poor country like Pakistan, which indulges in wasteful consumption. He refers to the role of bureaucracy in bringing Pakistan to its current malaise. No wonder this has been the dominant refrain in my writings for long.

Now I cannot quote a lot more from the text. In fact, the whole book is not only full of noteworthy pieces, but is also filled with quotable quotes. And I do neither have the strength nor the ability to sift all of them and bring them on record. I would repeat my request to the reader that he should read through the whole book himself, because this book—based as it is on valuable studies, observations, and experiences—is a big addition to current Urdu literature. I have been much pleased to read this book. God willing, the comments of competent critics will generate many readable critiques of the book.

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FOREWORD

Dr. Anis-ur-Rahmaan has a lively heart and an observing eye. He keeps a piercing and perceptive eye on the conditions, sentiments, and issues of the first world, the second world, and the third world. He has studied in depth the material rise and spiritual decline of different countries. His studies show glimmer of natural wisdom and also the influence of spiritual sagacity. Dr. Saheb’s writings throw light not only on how the past looked like, but also on the shape of things to come. He has thoroughly studied modern disciplines of knowledge. He has wandered and observed around the world. He has met with all kinds of people and has examined and assessed the mental and spiritual attitudes of different societies. He has presented before his reader his impressions in a heartwarming, attractive, and facile style.

Dr. Saheb is a truthful, no-nonsense type of person. He does not believe in expediencies or compromises. Whatever he says, he says with full conviction and self-assurance. His words are weighty, dignified, and truthful. In the study of modern scientific discoveries and their effects on human mind and society, as well as in the analysis of the merits and demerits of such effects, Dr. Saheb believes in the all-inclusive pervasiveness of Islamic principles. At several places, he has scrutinized today’s complex and ever-increasing problems in the light of Islamic principles. His analyses, observations, and experiences are not only thought provoking but also eye-openers.

I met Dr. Saheb accidentally, and then this accidental meeting turned into mutual closeness and an adoration for him. I admire his rectitudinous opinions and his ability to comprehend human issues in their correct perspective. I see no undue intensity or unevenness in his deliberations or thought processes. While articulating his views, opinions, and observations at many places, he has made effective references to his personal experiences. Dr. Saheb’s personal experiences seem to suggest that he is not prepared to give in to lawlessness, anarchy, and social oppression. He has lived like a truthful and brave man, irrespective of consequences. It is interesting to note that in spite of being a globe-trotter, he has made his permanent abode in his own country instead of lighting candles in the lands of the aliens. He benefited his own countrymen with his own thoughts so as to improve their general knowledge, elevate their minds, and guide their thinking in the right direction.

Dr. Saheb loves his country and his city Lahore immensely. It is Lahore that provides the background landscape to his writings. It reminds me of the verse:

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We have exchanged Lahore with our lives.

—Queen Nur Jehan

Fifty years ago, an article written on Sa’adat Hasan Manto, with reference to Lahore, still freshens our memories; and because of this article, we feel as if Manto is still alive and strong and in our midst.

Dr. Saheb belongs to a respectable, knowledge-friendly, and literary family of Delhi. His grandfather was a disciple of Ghalib. But this connection does not make him a partisan of Ghalib. He has great literary sense as well. He did attend to poetry. But by that time, according to Haaly, the flame that lights the poetic path had died out. Nevertheless, his prose has the meaning and attraction of poetry. His prose is bright, facile, and heartwarming. He narrates even the unspeakable with such finesse and caution that the reader feels no humps.

Dr. Saheb’s writings have added to my knowledge and insight. I am sure other readers of Dr. Saheb’s book will agree with me too.

Dr. Aslam Farrukhi

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AN EPOCH OF TRAVELOGUES

This is an age of diversity which is linked with speed. Now the reader wants to gather many tastes in one life. That’s why, this is an epoch of reportage, travelogues, autobiographies, and biographies. While sitting in one chair, sometimes, we visit Stockholm, and sometimes the face of Jinnah Poonja emerges on our mental horizon and gets moved by the pain that could have been caused on a helpless father by the self awareness of Quid e azam. Which remain lost with the brief case of Dr. Anis for quite a while. We also get to know along with the night host about the part-time jobs which are preferred by the foreign doctoral students in USA.

In Dr. Anis’ travelogues, a town planner addresses you. Whenever he sets out to travel he does not describe a city only with the help of colored maps and their measurements. He does not take much time in relating the future with the past. While planning, he has also to identify the problems of the city. That’s why in each travel he can not help not seeing the dualistic values, the outmoded system of marriage with a stamp of modernism, the state of affairs of cold and hot wars, the socially integrated community housing of Fez and Medina against the backdrop of exist ing situation. Just by viewing the cities. He can assess that in the First World necessity led to the invention, whereas the Third World societies got introduced to inventions first and necessity became imperative later.

Dr. Anis deserves to be congratulated for taking his reader along with him in his journeys and for introducing him to a very individualistic view point. May Allah grant more power to his pen.

Bano Qudsia

Dastan Sarai, 121-C Model town,

Lahore.

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REFRESHING IDEAS

Dr. Anis-ur-Rahmaan is, by profession, an engineer. He holds a PhD in town planning. While building perfect works of bricks and mortar, he did not neglect the creation of a new world of new ideas. His paternal grandfather was a disciple of Ghalib. Thus, he inherited poetic sensibility. Dr. Saheb’s verses are few, but his prose has poetic elevation. Whatever prose he wrote during the last fifty years is contained in this volume. This is neither a sequenced travelogue nor an autobiography, neither a reportage nor a biography. Different articles have different tastes; these are disconnected as well as interconnected like the couplets of an ode (ghazal). Dr. Saheb’s pen, on the one hand, mirrors the past and, on the other hand, provokes intrusion into the future as well. Sometimes he compresses into a few sentences that which could take books to elaborate. If an engineer-cum-teacher gets mastery over the diction of Delhi as well, the result is only miracles.

Mujib-ur-Rahmaan Shami

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A FACTUAL NARRATION

Life’s journey is a tale of continuous change, though it is quite difficult to measure such continuous changes and their effects in terms of moments. There is a Latin saying, A man after crossing a river no longer remains the same as he was before crossing the river.

Though apparently the man after crossing the river looks no different than the one before crossing the river, yet every moment, every person keeps undergoing small and imperceptible changes. Every experience generates change. Ultimately, such seemingly insignificant changes not only cause the human mind to evolve, but also revolutionize his personality beyond measure. For example, in childhood, everyone’s past looks limited and future is unlimited, though obscure. But as one progresses in life’s journey, one’s past starts getting extended, and one’s future starts to achieve clarity. In the end, when one enters old age because of preceding continuing experiences, he seems to have undergone a metamorphosis; his past now appears limitless, and his future is limited.

This happened with me as well. I spent my childhood in Delhi and its suburbs. At that time, I was less interested in my past and more curious about my future. With the past, my connection was limited to my maternal grandparents, my paternal grandparents having expired already during my father’s childhood.

When I wished to know more about my ancestors, the Indian subcontinent had already been divided, and the world around me had changed radically. The only way to acquaint myself with my ancestors was to find out how they were perceived by the people at large. My father told me that they had come from Bukhara to Delhi to tutor Mughal princes, and then for generations, teaching remained their profession. My paternal grandfather, as well as my father, remained attached to the teaching profession all their lives. Reading and teaching got so ingrained in our blood that most of my brothers and sisters either started their career as teachers or, like me, after wandering through the maze of technical and managerial positions, reverted to teaching and research. With due apologies to Ghalib, the modified version of his following verse reflects my situation.

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For hundred generations,

the profession of my forefathers has been teaching.

Being an Officer is no source of pride for me.

I also learned from my father that my paternal grandfather was a great devotee of St. Ghaus Ali Shah of Panipat and was also a disciple of Ghalib. My father further told me that the poetic pen name of my grandfather was Walee and that the collection of quatrains composed by him had also been published, which has become unavailable after the partition of the Indian subcontinent. For long, I kept looking for my grandfather’s collection of quatrains. At last, my relentless search bore fruit, and I discovered a copy of that collection in the Punjab University library. Shortly thereafter, when through the courtesy of Mr. Jamil-ud-Din Aali and Dr. Aslam Farrukhi, I could access the special section of the library of the Anjuman-e-Taraqqi-e-Urdu (Pakistan) Karachi; I came to know that a copy of that collection was also available there. I am grateful to Mr. Jamilud Din Aali that he not only encouraged the second printing of the collection but also wrote a preface to it.

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We are all moving into the future on the pathways of time. Whether we keep sitting or sleeping, whether we walk fast or slow, the wheel of time keeps moving. On this pathway of life, the present is the point where the past and the future meet. As people continue to move into the future, their present continues to merge into the past. However, some people keep struggling to improve their future, while others enter the future, clinging to their past. In other words, instead of rowing the boat of life along the current of life, we keep rowing it against the current, be it energetically or slothfully. Yet our future keeps converting itself into our present and our present into the past!

As man moves on, his mental attitudes too keep changing because of his life experiences. In the beginning, he flies high, remains under illusions, and builds castles in the air. However, as he stumbles in life and confronts the continuous adversities of time, he either fights back and establishes his position or gives in. His situation may be explained in terms of a sandstorm, which whirls grains of sand higher and higher in the air; and after the storm, these very grains fall to the ground and get settled on terrestrial heights and depressions. The residents of life’s inn are also like these high- and low-lying insignificant grains of sand. Nonetheless, man derives his greatness from the fact that he is his Creator’s vicegerent on this earth. Every human being represents a school of thought—may he be a painter, an artist, a sculptor, a poet, or a short story writer—all his creative and destructive activities reflect his thinking directly or indirectly.

Most people leave this world with some or many of their dreams unrealized. Some go, saying,

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Many of my wishes got fulfilled,

Yet not enough

—Ghalib

Some go reciting Momin’s couplet:

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All my life I worshipped idols, what is the point in

becoming a Muslim, when the end is near.

Some in sheer helplessness say,

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I am breathing my last breath.

Friends, it is time to seek Allah’s mercy.

Some recite Insha Allah Khan Insha’s couplet:

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All friends sitting here are fully prepared to depart,

Many have departed already, the rest are ready to depart.

—Insha

Yet some, though weak, do not lose heart. May God bless the soul of my mother’s uncle who, though betrothed, could not marry till the end of his life. His fiancée too wasted her youthful dreams waiting for the marriage to materialize. I hear that my mother’s uncle, toward the fag end of his life, used to say, Now that my end is near, I wonder if I should marry, following the tradition of the Holy Prophet [pbuh].

In a way, I am also like my granduncle. I wish to pack my luggage for the hereafter and to leave behind two books as proofs of my existence in this transitory world. One book is in Urdu for the benefit of fellow Urdu speakers, some of whom are striving in pursuit of self-awareness. Some others are blissfully steeped in ignorance; and most of them are half-asleep, sitting with folded hands, complaining against woeful times and waiting for some messiah to appear to cure their ills. The second book is in English for my coprofessionals who are engaged in town and regional planning.

This book is my first step in the said direction. The pieces contained in this book were written by me from time to time during the last fifty-five years or so. Some of these were published in the recent past, in Urdu Digest, Sahaab, and Suraj in the form of essays, reportages, travelogues, narratives, and autobiographical bits. Others, mostly short stories, were written in the distant past and were published in such literary journals as Humayun, Saqi, Adab-e-Latif, and Daastaango.

Subjectwise, these pieces are far apart from one another. Yet these reflect my mental condition and thought evolution during various stages of my life. Fifty-five years ago, I was only a student. But now having passed through various professional valleys, I not only continue to be a student but have also become a teacher.

Contrary to the usual practice, readers will find these pieces arranged in the reverse chronological order. This arrangement will appear plausible if looked at in the perspective of life’s winding pathways. When one imaginatively travels in time backward—that is, from the present and then back into the past—he sees in a distant future a shining galaxy of facts. The events of the recent past shine the brightest; the memories of the distant past glimmer the dimmest. The journey into the past, though it covers events and occurrences, is a journey in the reverse direction, like a mirror image. Conversely, the journey from the present into the future is an imaginary journey, studded with hopes and fears. It is a journey of possibilities. This journey is devoid of the light of facts and events. In this journey, one has to pass through the dark alleys of ignorance.

In these journeys, the experience of each traveler is unique. In youth, hopes overwhelm fears. In this phase, memories are created. Conversely, in old age, the journey is fearful and discouraging. In this phase, the wish to create new memories is feeble, and the need to live with the old memories is more acute.

Pieces in this book reflect, directly and indirectly, my gradual mental development in various stages of my journey from near past to distant past.

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Knowing that my paternal grandfather was a pupil of Ghalib (and according to Jamil-ud-Din Aali, my grandfather’s poetry was steeped in religious hue), I thought I too should try my hand at this literary genre (poetry); so I composed a ghazal (ode) and consulted Dr. Aslam Farrukhi, who not only improved my draft but also commented by way of encouragement: You should try to compose poetry as well. If in your younger days, you had had the opportunity to sit in the company of poets, today you would have been a poet. I replied, It is a futile effort to convert a lifelong idolater into a Muslim in the last stage of his life!

It is a fact that at this late stage, even if I try, I cannot write the kind of creative original short stories like the ones I wrote some fifty-five years back. If I had started composing poetry fifty-five years ago, its tone and tenor would have been quite different from the tempo and tenor of the following ghazal (ode), which I wrote only a few years back. I reproduce this ghazal only for the interest of the readers.

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May my zest for life not decline so much

That the distinction between being and non-being should disappear.

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The light of intellect has brightened up, yet

The intensity of love may not go down.

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My insanity and my sanity,

May not get merged into diffidence.

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How will I get out of this mess?

(Unless) I get your permission.

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My arrival is due to your will

Then why shouldn’t my steps move faster.

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The pearls of my tears are my wont,

Should my eyes not get even moister?

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My mind gets no rest

Till it remembers you.

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I go but the fear is,

The gathering may not lose its luster.

I am earnestly indebted to Mr. Jamil-ud-Din Aali and Dr. Aslam Farrukhi, not only for encouraging me to publish this book, but also for finding time, despite their multifarious engagements, to write A Few Words and the foreword. I am also particularly grateful to Madam Baano Qudsia and Mr. Mujib-ur-Rahmaan Shami for finding time from their respective schedules to comment on this book. I was also impressed by Mr. Mujib-ur-Rahmaan’s eagle eye, which detects printing errors with extraordinary alacrity. I am personally a great admirer of Mr. Akhtar Zaidi’s complete grasp over detail. With his flair for precision and accuracy, he detected many such printing errors as had slipped through my net. I cannot miss thanking Mr. Khalid Sharif, who favored me with his valuable advice in connection with the publication of this book. Last but not the least, I thank my wife, Bushra, and my son, Monis, who constantly helped me throughout with the compilation and format of this book.

Anis ur Rahmaan

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PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

The idea of getting my book titled Anjuman-e-Arzu, translated from Urdu to its present English version (A Galaxy of Desires) germinated in 2005 when my eldest grandson, Taha, aged nine years at that time, offered to finance the translation of the book into English so as to enable him to read it. Taha had a total savings of $180 in his kitty at that time. He also very graciously told me that even though he would be financing the publication of the English edition of the book, it need not be dedicated in his name. The necessity of the English version of the book got further augmented by the fact that my other two grandchildren, Taseen and Sunya, now aged nine, having been born in the United States as well, are also in the same boat; besides, my three children, having studied in American schools from their childhood, also have a very limited reading and writing comprehension of Urdu, even though they are very fluent in spoken Urdu.

My real dilemma was how to get the book translated into its closest English version. Translation from one language to another, and still maintaining its original style and finding appropriate comparables for the indigenous proverbial expressions, is an extremely difficult undertaking. Only a person having full command over both languages can do justice to the assignment. I sought the advice of Irfan Bhai and also requested if he could kindly suggest some suitable person. Irfan Bhai expressed his inability to suggest an appropriate person. Nevertheless, he gave me a very pleasant surprise by indicating that he might consider undertaking the challenging assignment himself. I could have never imagined that I would ever have the honor of getting my book translated by Irfan A. Imtiazi. The speed and competence with which Irfan Bhai completed the translation were indeed extremely flabbergasting for me. I cannot find appropriate words to express my feelings of thankfulness and gratitude for the affectionate and kind gesture shown by Irfan Bhai.

As pointed out earlier, the translation from one language to another is indeed a very arduous job, especially when it comes to translating Qur’an verses from Arabic to any other language. Irfan Bhai and I would have very much liked to include in the book the Arabic version of various ayahs quoted in it; nevertheless, to facilitate fluent reading for the casual reader, the internationally accepted convention of giving the number of suras and ayahs in parentheses has been adopted. This should enable the serious researcher to check the original Arabic text from the Holy Qur’an. The English translation of Qur’ranic ayahs is followed by the name of the translator. However, in cases where the name of the translator is not mentioned, it should be taken for granted that it has been taken from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s The Glorious Qur’an.

I am also very grateful to my longtime friend Dr. Abdullah Basha, who offered very valuable editorial comments on the article titled Only the Ritual of Azaan Remained. This article was added to the book during the very last printing stages.

This preface will not be complete without thanking Mr. Tasleem Ahmad Tasawur, editor of Quarterly Suraj; my wife, Bushra; my son, Monis; and my daughter, Saadia, for making valuable suggestions and useful editorial comments throughout the printing process of the book.

Anis ur Rahmaan

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ONLY THE RITUAL OF AZAAN REMAINED

The Spirit of Bilaal Was Nowhere To Be Found

Conceptually, most of the scholars while describing the social revolution brought about by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Madina fail to identify the fact that he simply changed the hearts of the people, thereby completely changing their piety, even though their physical appearance remained the same as it was before embracing Islam. For instance, Hazrat Umar’s appearance remained the same; but as a result of mental transformation, he became a muttaqi (pious) person.

This thought leads to the emergence of images of many people with different physical appearances and behavioral