Dr. Israr Ahmed also Gone!

I am not among those who claim to be ideologically very close to late Dr. Israr Ahmed. Since I became acquainted with him I was overcome with the Machi Gothe mishap in which Dr. Sahib had a big and to some extent key role. Naturally some negative feelings grew and many chances of getting closer were lost. The problem of a villager’s hesitancy in my nature has remained a hindrance to take any initiative. There were two occasions, once in Abu Dhabi and once during my visit to Lahore when I had a short meeting with him in the Masjid of Baghe Jinnah after Friday prayer which he led there, when Dr. Sahib wanted me to meet him to talk about the matters I had raised in my letters written to him but unfortunately I missed both the chances. Around 1987, I went to Lahore especially to see him and stayed in his center but then he was out of the country.

From his days as a student he was closely linked with the Quran and had endeavoured a great to go deep in its understanding. Though he could not go around with both Maulana Maududi (RA) and Maulana Ameen Ahsan Islahi (R A) and there was a time when he joined hands with their opponents but he never denied how much his religiosity got polished with their guidance and perception and comprehension of Deen got improved making avail of his time spent with both of them. For last about some years his sentimentalism and emotionalism had got somewhat normal and he had stopped his extreme expressions against Jma’te Islami and Maulana Maududi (RA) but still his ‘Deeni Ghairat’ was full alive.

Besides his vast Quranic study he had memorized a large amount of Allama Iqbal’s poetry and used to make apt references of the verses from Iqbal’s poetry. He was committed to the ideology of Pakistan. In his TV talks we never found him yielding to the secular elements wanting Pakistan to be branded as a secular country.

He gained his degree as a physician but devoted himself for the service of Deen through his ‘Daroose Quran’. In spite of his sentimentalism, emotionalism and to some extent extremism in his views he can rightly be portrayed to be the pioneer of the ‘Rujoo’ Ilal Quran’ movement. He had been bestowed upon with the best eloquence and he made use of this quality to his best. His ‘Daroose Quran’ had won him a large number of audience in Pakistan and also abroad. He had a persuasive and impressive way of talk with his heavy swaying voice.

Now, with all his shortcomings and all his goodness, he has left us to join a ‘world’ where everybody is dealt according to the intentions (niyyat). We can and have to pray to ALLAH, the Exalted to forgive what he had done under the sway of weaknesses and give him the best reward for all he had done in obedience of ALLAH and in service of His Deen. Ameen