(preface: My full name is Yursil Ahmed Kidwai)

FROM PLURALISM TO SEPARATISM: Qasbas in Colonial Awadh by Mushirul Hasan. Oxford University Press, Delhi, 2004.

“By focusing on individual families of the likes of Wilayat Ali Kidwai (in Arabic Kidwai stands for ‘elevate’) whose forefathers with Turkish origins came to India in the 13th century, Hasan traces the socio-cultural milieu of one of the oldest Muslim families in North India. Qazi Kidwai reached India in 1205 and was responsible for the conversion of many Hindus to Islam. The Kidwais of Juggaur moved to Barabanki and became well-known as Masauli Kidwais. 1856, a turning point in the history of Awadh, witnessed a series of significant changes when Barabanki and Awadh come under British rule. Hasan argues that ‘qasbas of Awadh were the sites where religious loyalties were more often than not fused with an emerging pan-Indian identity in a seamless web of symbols and sentiments.’ He brings out the role of Maulvi Muhammad Zahiruddin whose productive contribution to society led to the opening of schools for women and children.”

I just ordered the above book to give additional insight to my family history. The note of Turkish background is very interesting, I am often confused for being Turkish. Fate would have also connected me to my Shaykh, who is a Turkish Cypriot.

The next few posts will take us on the adventure of my main ancestor, the great Saint of Islam, Qazi Kidwai (Radiallahtallahanhu).

In response to this previous Gazel from Hafiz Pasha, Sultan Murad IV responded:

TO Relieve Bagdad, O Hafiz, man of tried might, is there none?
Aid from us thou seek’st then with thee host of fame bright, is there none?
“I’m the Queen the foe who’ll checkmate,” thust it was that thou didst say;
Room for action now against him with the brave Knight, is there none?
Though we know thou hast no rival in vain-glorious, empty boasts,
Yet to take dread vengeance on thee, say, a Judge right, is there none?
Whilst thou layest claim to manhood, whence this cowardice of thine?
Thou are frightened, yet beside thee fearing no fight, is there none?
Heedless of thy duty thou, the Rafizi’s have ta’en Bagdad ;
Shall not God thy foe be? Day of Reckoning, sure, right, is there none?
They have wrecked Ebu-Hanfia’s city through thy lack of care ;
O in thee of Islam’s and the Prophet’s zeal, light, is there none?
God, who favoured us, whilst yet we knew not, with the Sultanate,
Shall again accord Bagdad, decreed of God’s might, is there none?
Thou hast brought Islam’s army direful ruin with thy bribes ;
Have we not heard how thou say’st : “Word of this foul blight, is there none?”
With the aid of God fell vengence of the enemy to take,
By me skilled and aged vezir. pious, zeal-dight, is there none?
Now shall I appoint commander a vezir of high emprize,
Will not Khizar and the PRophet aid him? guide right, is there none?
Is it that thou dost the whole world void and empty now conceive?
Of the Sevene Climes, MURADI, King of high might, is there none?

—
[ Source: Ottoman Poems ]
[ Published: 1882 ]
[ Translated by: E J W Gibb ]

The Grand Vezir (First Minister), Hafiz Pasha, wrote to Sultan Murad IV a Gazel:

ROUND us foes throng, host to aid us here in sad plight, is there none?
In the cause of God to combat, chief of tried might, is there none?
None who will checkmate the foe, Castle to Castle, face to face?
In the battle who will Queen-like guide the brave Knight, is there none?
Midst a fearful whirlpool we are fallen helpless, send us aid!
Us to rescue, a strong swimmer in our friends’ sight, is there none?
Midst the fight to be our comrade, head to give or heads to take,
On the field of eart a hero of renown bright, is there none?
Know we now wherefore in turning off our woes ye thus delay :
Day of Reckoning, aye, and question of the poor’s plight, is there none ?
With us ‘midst the foesman’s flaming streams of scorching fire to plunge.
Salamander with experience of Fate dight, is there none?
This our letter, to the court of Sultan Murad, quick to bear,
Pigeon, rapid as the storm-wind in its swift flight, is there none?

—
[ Source: Ottoman Poems ]
[ Published: 1882 ]
[ Translated by: E J W Gibb ]

His story gives keen insight to the character of the Ottomans from poets to lions, from the same book:

Hafiz Pasha (1632), the Grand Vezir who, early in the reign of Murad IV, made an unsuccessful attempt to recover Baghdad from the Persians. A melancholy interest is attached to this brave and gifted but unfortunate officer, by reason of his tragic fate - a fate which, un happily, has been the lot of too many Ottoman ministers. The story runs thus: The disaffected sipahis of the capital, incited, it is said, by Rejeb Pasha, a rival of Hafiz, broke into open revolt and demanded the head of the Vezir, along with those of many of his associates. The following day they forced their way into the sacred precints of the Seraglio itself, and there repeated their demand. Murad, the recently ascended Sultan, loved Hafiz and would fain have saved him ; and he in vain tried to appease the infuriated rebels. The noble Vezir, in an adjoining apartment, had made the ablution of those about to die, now came forth and stood before the Sultan, and said: “My Padishah, may a thousand slaves like Hafiz die for thee.” Stooping, he kissed the ground, and repeated the words used by the Muslim in the last extremity : ” In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate ! There is no strength nor any power save in God, the High, the Mighty : God’s we are, and verily to Him we return.”

Then he strode forward towards his murderers ; a well-aimed blow laid the foremost on the ground, the next instant the Pasha fell pierced by seventeen wounds. A janissary knelt upon his breast and severed his head from the body. Before the Sultan retired he addressed to the assassins these bold words :

“If God wills, vile murderers, ye shall meet with terrible vengeance - ye who fear not God, nor are shamed before the Prophet!” They little headed the threat ; but they soon discovered that he who uttered it never menaced in vain ; and many were doomed to die ere the blood of Hafiz Pasha was avenged.

–

Such beheading murderers exist today, as we have all seen. But even then the ruler of Muslims said that such things were barbaric and in contrary to what the message of Islam was. They were criminals under an Islamic empire then, and they are criminals now, nothing more.

Continuing the history lesson:

(wikipedia) The Arab Revolt
Revolting from what? Khaliphate. Mashahallah. (Not that the Young Turk coup was any better)

The United Kingdom promised, in the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence, that it would support Arab independence if they revolted against the Ottomans. The two sides had different interpretations of this agreement.

(wikipedia) Hussein-McMahon Correspondence
Promise with Britian, Mashah’allah.

Shaykh Effendi taught us a few weeks ago about the War of Canakkale, 1915 , many others continued to ask and learn about this great battle that most Muslims are sorely unaware of.

This was one of the last battles under the Khalifate of Islam, and created over 253,000 martyrs. Western orientalist histories emphasize Attaturks involvement, but it is clear that at this time he was just one field commander. The martyrs of this war were sincere Muslims, who gave their life knowing that this entry into Muslim territory would be the end of Islam as a nation.

It seems that Islam was able to win in the battlefield, but it is through disuniting subterfuge that we lost our Khalipha. Keep in mind that this is was a legitimate war, on the shores of the Muslim state. A war between states, with armies and with a Kalipha, not the atrocious ‘jihad’ that the terrorists of today promote.

The Shaykh said,

When the so-called Allied Forces came together, they were coming from every side to the Empire, trying to bring an end to the Empire and they made all their calculations and all their planning. Bringing an end to the Empire means bringing end to Islam. That was their aim. The Khalifah and the soldiers of the Khalifah surprised them very strongly. When they made all those planning and they reached all the way to Yemen, Arabia, Egypt, and from every angle to the lands of Islam with the help of so many traitors inside Islam, they were aiming for the Capital of Islam, Istanbul. Once they enter there they will declare and they will finish it. That was their aim. They collected soldiers all the way from Australia to Canada, from one end of the world to the other end. They came and they surrounded the whole land. The Ottoman soldiers were fighting in 28 frontlines. The world has never seen such a thing like that before. The world has been at war but it has never seen a war like that where all nations came together and squeezed only one nation into the corner and they were ready to hit the last hammer and bring an end to Islam.

They came with over 525,000 soldiers trying to pass through Canakkale, Gallipoli. That’s where the soldiers of Islam surprised them all, the last area for which they made all their calculations and said, “This is finished now. We came to the end. We will pass from here and Istanbul will be gone.”

“Other soldiers also attacked at that time and they took that enemy line. They went to that one and the captain asked if anybody had a piece of bread for this soldier who is ready to give out his life. That battalion didn’t have a piece of bread to eat for one week. One piece of bread appeared from the other side and it came to their hand. That one was laying down smiling and saying to the captain, “Oh captain, please save that piece of bread because I am already counting the minutes to go out from this life. Save that bread for another one of my brothers so that it may give energy to them to fight.”

It was not only the men fighting. There were also so many girls who died in that war. One Anzac soldier was saying, “I was watching in the frontline this young girl who was shooting so bravely and she was knocking down everything that she was hitting. She was sitting from morning to evening and everyone was trying to aim her. But they were not able to finish her and we thought that there was a big battalion in that area because so many bullets were coming from everywhere. By the evening one bullet reached to her and she fell down. When she fell down we entered to that area and we only found her and another boy and we have counted sixty-three bullets in her body.” That kind of faith saved Islam.

So we must understand where we are and where they were. If we sit, think and understand deeply for ourselves then no depression, no problems and no worries can come to our way because we have a bigger worry then saying, “What did we do? What are we doing for the sake of Allah and for the sake of Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam)?” We must understand this. We must think about this from time to time, we must think about them from time to time and we must read for their souls from time to time. If you do then you will receive visitations from them too. Someway somehow they will be happy knowing that there are still people living on this earth who are trying to live for the sake of Allah and they are still continuing what they left.