‘You are entitled to think the way you want to, but we Muslims depend upon faith. On belief. Very often, reason doesn’t work here.’

‘But I don’t deny that belief is the core of religion.’

‘So?’

‘Look, some idolatrous customs have remained in Islam, you know. Although these have been assimilated within Islam, they nonetheless remain.’

‘Like?’

‘Like, say, that Haj of yours. It was from you that I heard about the two lengths of white cloth that ought to be worn during Haj. Isn’t that a lot like the koupeen? The loincloth worn by our ascetics? When an elder dies, we wear two pieces of cloth and shave our heads in order to deal with impurity. Haj too requires shaving of the head. Or look at the practice of circumambulating the Kaaba seven times. Hindus, too, have this notion of a sacred bond through circumambulation seven times. Isn’t it?’

‘The customs are different in the two cases. The belief is different too.’

‘Yes, different, but there seems to be a similarity in some respect.’

Maruf was a bit perturbed by what Suman said. He seemed to be saying that despite religious diversity there were signs of unity. A parallel in regard to core belief and customs between two completely different religions. Maruf tried to explain according to his own understanding. But Farid arrived just then. Maruf asked him to sit with them. He gestured that he would talk to him later. Suman’s words echoed in his head. Maruf replied in a grave tone, ‘Since you raised the matter of resemblance, let me respond. The core is the same, Bhai, why shouldn’t there be a resemblance? We believe that we are all the offspring of Adam. The origin of the human species has been explained very simply in Islam. This belief is not confined merely to Muslims; the Jews and Christians believe the same. And Adam, the first man, was also the first Prophet of Islam. There was no idolatry among his offspring in his lifetime. This came up much later. There came a time when, in their ignorance, people fell victim to the shoytan’s trickery, they forgot about the Creator, Allah. They continued to regard some great individuals, the prophets, as people who were very close to Allah. Subsequently, when those who were dear to Allah passed away, people made up a form, as a memorial. They made their idols and displayed great devotion to them. After a time, they too passed away – leaving for their next generation all these idols made of stone, wood and brick. That new generation thought – since our forefathers were devoted to these idols, that must surely be a sacred act, which is essential for us. Later, they began to display even greater devotion and started worshipping these idols, considering them to be the controllers of their destiny. That God could never be of such shape and form was entirely forgotten. They were devoured by ignorance.

‘But it was not that most people believed these idols themselves were Allah. They thought that a medium was required between Allah and his servant. All these gods were such a medium, the precious idols of their forefathers. Like many ignorant Muslims think that Pirs or auliyas are an important medium of communication between Allah and man. Many Christians nurture a similar belief in regard to the Pope.’

‘Maruf, I did not want to hear about all this, and because I, myself, do not worship idols, drop this matter. I was talking about the parallels between ancient customs. There’s a majesty somewhere in our Hindu religion too. That can’t be denied. It’s like everyone is somehow part of the same thread.’

‘Yes, that’s what I’m telling you. Listen to me attentively first, after all I can only speak on the basis of what I know.’

‘Okay, speak.’

‘So most people think that a medium is necessary for a spiritual union between God and a devotee. Not just a lifeless idol, often even a dead person is considered to be a medium. You’ve seen how a majar sharif erected over a dead man’s body becomes a medium. Actually, the seed of idolatry lies in the human mind itself. That’s the promise of the shoytan, Iblis! That he will mislead the offspring of Adam. The human mind is actually an imaginative one. People envision God inwardly. But is that really possible? And that’s what we have seen; the envisioned idol of God has been fashioned according to how that was imagined. Sometimes there’s submission, and sometimes ghastliness.

‘This condition became most dire at the time of Ibrahim, the founder of the faith. That’s why he built a strong movement against it. He fought against idolatry, together with his father, Azar, and the then king, Nimrod, in order to establish tawhid.’

‘Is that so? So what is “tawhid”?’

‘The oneness of Allah. That there is no true Divinity other than Allah. Tawhid means possessing an unshakeable conviction in that.’

‘I understand. And then?’

‘Although Prophet Ibrahim was not completely successful, nonetheless in keeping with Allah’s wishes, he was able to create two lines of descendants. One of which was his son Isaac’s descendants. This was the line to which the ancestors of the Jews and Christians belonged. Meanwhile, in the line of his other son, Ishmael, was born the greatest of all, and the last and final prophet, Muhammad (PBUH). He was successful in mounting a major revolution against idolatry. It was through Prophet Muhammad that the Islam preached by the first man, Adam, and then Ibrahim, was brought back to life once again. Prophet Muhammad was not the founder of the religion of Islam. Although many think that is so. But that’s absolutely incorrect. He was a prophet and a reformer. And Islam is the religion chosen by Allah. But on the instigation of Iblis, various religions were born from this.’

‘I understand. But I disagree with something you said. I’ll tell you that later. Carry on, I’m listening.’

‘The importance of the two lengths of white cloth may have arisen sometime during that ancient period of Islam. It’s not possible to say or determine when that was. Do you know the story of Prophet Noah that is narrated in the Koran, the Torah and the Bible? The one who is regarded as the second Adam?’

‘Noah? In whose time the great flood took place?’

‘Yes. During the time of Prophet Noah, the human species almost became extinct. Only a few hundred believing folk managed to survive by boarding Prophet Noah’s ark. Subsequently, three races originated from the three sons of Prophet Noah. From the son named Ham came the Hamite race, who were the founders of the Egyptian civilization. From the son Shem came the Semitics, who lived in the vast territory of the Arabian peninsula; it was from them that three Abrahamic faiths originated. And the line continuing in the name of the son Japheth was that of the Aryans. You know everything about them. The Aryans spread across Europe, Iran and the Indian subcontinent. Historians accept that the Aryans were a race whose origins lay outside India. In fact, even the Mongolian race claims to be of Aryan blood. So it’s possible that some customs and practices of those ancient times continue among various races, or different religions. Some religious beliefs continue even today in various religions. They are to be found in Islam as well. They exist among the Vedic Hindus too. They can be observed in others as well. This didn’t come from the idolaters. Rather, I think that those customs of ancient Islams were retained by the idolaters. Listen to me now, Holy Allah is seated over seven levels of heavens. He created seven heavens for his virtuous followers. He left instructions for the Kaaba to be circumambulated seven times. There are seven chakras in the human body as well, according to those who believe that the body is the seat of all truths. All the colours on earth are a combination of the seven primary colours. So the significance of the number seven is very ancient. The tawaf, or circumambulation of the Kaaba seven times, and the sacredness associated with seven-time circumambulation in various rituals of the Vedic people may well be part of the same thread. There’s nothing to be astonished about in such parallels. Do you get that, Suman!’

Suman listened to Maruf for a long while. Although he had a superficial understanding regarding Islam, he had not known about it in such depth. At present, none of the youths in the Hindu community engaged in such theoretical discussions on matters of religion. But Suman had no regrets about this. He thought that the whole community had turned consumerist. And the very next moment, it occurred to him: even if the Muslims were God-fearing, what had they gained thereby? After all, they were behind in regard to everything in the material world. It wasn’t, however, possible on the part of ordinary Muslims to know all this. Maruf’s studiousness amazed him. Nonetheless, Suman remained unshakeable in his belief – that religion was nothing but a society’s fetters. This was the ultimate truth for Suman. But he couldn’t stop himself from telling Maruf something he knew. He said, ‘You’ll be surprised to hear, Maruf, the seven chakras of the body that you mentioned – that is part of the yoga practice of the Nath religion. I see that in the history of your Sufism also. I’ve read about it. The muladhara chakra, svadhisthana chakra, manipura chakra, and so on. But tell me something: how is it that if the Aryans came from outside, all the inhabitants became Vedic Hindus? Who then are the original inhabitants of India? Did they, too, get a place in Prophet Noah’s ark on the day of the flood?’

‘Why wouldn’t they? Was it only Prophet Noah’s family members who boarded the ark? Didn’t I mention the few hundred believing folk earlier? So wouldn’t their descendants be here on earth’s bosom? Consider another interesting thing – people of the Semitic race follow the Abrahamic religion. The three religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are called Abrahamic religions. The people of the Hamite race also subsequently began to follow these religions. On the other hand, Hitler became an anti-Semite and carried out the extermination of Jews in order to give dominance to the Aryan race. But he himself was a Christian, an Abrahamic faith.’

‘It’s all one big mess, Bhai! I enjoyed listening to you, but it goes over my head!’ Suman smiled wryly. He continued, ‘Let me tell you something, a fellow like you ought to be a lecturer in a college. But you didn’t even complete your MA! There was a job waiting for you, boss! Isn’t that unfair on yourself?’

Farid was gulping down their conversation with a gaping look. It wasn’t that he could understand everything. As it is, he respected Maruf. Now, after hearing him speak, he was in awe of him. He had never heard such grave matters being spoken of in any sermon. He wasn’t getting the opportunity to participate in this knowledgeable discussion. That’s why in reply to what Suman said, he replied, ‘A job? Suman Da, who will give us jobs? Does anyone give jobs to Muslims? All the bastards simply play with us! And then come to us for votes!’

Suman burst out laughing. He placed his hand on Farid’s back and said mockingly, ‘Farid, but I’m Hindu! Yet they didn’t give me a government job, dear! So then?’

Farid replied, ‘I mean … you’ll get a job all right. Can a teacher’s son not get a job?’

Suman looked at Maruf and continued, ‘You know what the problem is, Maruf? Such a terrible sense of despair has entered your minds that you people simply assume that you won’t get jobs and suchlike. Tell me, Maruf, are jobs provided by anyone? One has to know how to take the job. Isn’t it?’

Maruf, too, laughed as he replied to Suman. ‘Forget about what he said. You had mentioned disagreeing with me. Tell me about that. What did you disagree with?’

Suman was silent. He could have retorted that whatever Maruf said was merely in accordance with his own beliefs and views. According to Maruf, the opposite of tawhid was Iblis’s conspiracy. There could be a debate on this point itself. It would not be appropriate to prolong the matter, he thought. He wanted to change the subject. He said, ‘No. Forget about the disagreement. After all, there’s a lot that I don’t know. I learnt so much from you!’

Once Suman stopped speaking, Farid stood up. Addressing Maruf, he said, ‘I had come to you for an important matter. I think there’s going to be another commotion. I heard about it just a little while back.’

Maruf took leave of Suman and set out with Farid.

eighteen

It was Shab-e-Barat. The day on which one’s destiny is written anew. In rural Bengal, one does not really see any excitement and joy on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat. But people observe it in their own way, with a lot of devotion. It was the date on which one stayed up all night – a special night for prayer. The Lord Almighty calls out to everyone – who among you are sinners, come and seek forgiveness. You will be forgiven today. If you ask for food, you will be given that. Ask for a long life, and you will be granted that. From two days before Shab-e-Barat, mothers and aunties sweep and mop their homes spotlessly clean and sparkling. Many people observe a voluntary fast. And boys and girls burst crackers like the Hindus do on Diwali. They light candles at the threshold of their houses. No one could really say how the curious custom of bursting crackers on the occasion came about. The maulanas and the moulovis forbid that time and again. Yet people purchased crackers from the market. They said, ‘The children demanded it, Hujur, so what can we do? Will the flag of Islam be scorched on account of a few crackers? Let them burst crackers, they are children after all!’

The menfolk clear the bushes over graves. Once a year, they feel the urge to perform ziyarat, that is, visit their elders’ graves, on this day of Shab-e-Barat.

In Sadnahati, the custom of reciting the Koran was prevalent in every household. The students from a faraway madrasa arrived in a group. They were specially invited every year. They recited a few pages of the great message of Allah in each room of the house. Wouldn’t there be a copy of the Koran in every Muslim household? This book of rahmat-barkat – of divine blessings and mercy – was laid out in each one of them. After that, once the book was opened and it was read out, it was kissed and put back on the shelf. No one remembered it for the rest of the year. The most honourable heavenly book! That’s why the shelf for the Koran was at the highest level. It was out of reach of the Muslim folk. How could they reach it? After all, the Holy Koran was not something that could be touched at any odd time! And so a thick layer of dust accumulated on its cover.

Tahirul could enter each and every house in Sadnahati on this day. Every family felt blessed by his arrival. The boys from the madrasa arrived, began reciting from the Koran, and the Imam Saheb then arrived with a couple of musulli, and followed up by praying for blessings. That meant Allah’s blessings would shower upon that household all year. Ameen! Ameen! Once he had finished, Tahirul offered salaam and exited. The head of the household in question then handed over a nazrana to one of the musulli. Whatever Tahirul received on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat was not only for him. The students of the madrasa, and two or three musulli were present as disciples to assist him. They had to receive a share. This time, he had taken along the muezzin, Rahmat Bhai, and Abdul Chacha. Abdul Chacha had declared that he did not need the share of the money, he only wanted a share of the merit. And so Tahirul’s earnings were substantial. He carried out his work dutifully all day. He did not omit a single household. Holy Allah did not like those who were remiss. Tahirul was not unaware of that. But despite that, past the evening prayer, some wealthy ostagars had other interests. They took the maulana along to their fathers’ graves. They had him pray for the peace of the dead soul there. They had him perform monajaat. There was pleading in the court of Allah in that fervent monajaat. ‘Oh Allah! May their suffering in the grave diminish. May the grave become a garden of heaven.’ And after a while, he would begin sobbing. There was a mournful quality in the language and tone of Tahirul’s prayer. The ostagar in question was astonished by that. He was overwhelmed. The Imam Saheb wept more than him for the latter’s deceased father. So he was delighted inwardly. Maulana Tahirul was also happy to see Rahmat Bhai. Because Rahmat was not one to be pleased with currency notes of small denominations on this day.

He had visited households all day. Taken breaks only to conduct the prayers at the mosque at the stipulated times, and then resumed his duties. Although the earnings were good, he felt a bit dejected. He knew, and Allah knew the reason for the dejection. He had hoped inwardly that when he entered Salaam Miya’s house, he would surely get a glimpse of Riziya there. But he didn’t spot her. He could clearly sense her presence, though. In fact, he had spent a little more time there. He paused a little when he heard Riziya’s voice, sent Rahmat Bhai to the next house to inform them regarding his visit, and waited a while. But Riziya did not appear. Her absence pricked his heart all day. Tahirul could handle everything, but he couldn’t tolerate disdain. Had Riziya disregarded him knowingly?

On the day of Shab-e-Barat, most of the menfolk wore panjabis and caps, as they did on Eid. They would visit their family graves and offer prayers there. After that they would rush to all the majars of Pirs and auliyas. Finally, late at night, they would participate in the collective zikr at the mosque. They did all that, but when it was time for the Fajr prayer next dawn, many of them were not up to it. They were in deep slumber.

Abdul Chacha left after the final Isha prayer at night. He was too tired. Rahmat Bhai had not made the household purchases, and so his wife was annoyed. He had not bought any flour or semolina. He too took leave of the Imam Saheb. Once everyone left, Tahirul felt a kind of inner void. What would he do now? He exited the mosque in a state of bewilderment. On the way, many people asked him, ‘Hujur, where are you going so late at night?’ He replied, ‘Oh, there are some houses left. I’ll attend to those and return.’ Tahirul headed directly towards Salaam Chacha’s courtyard. The kitchen was on one side of the courtyard. There were no menfolk at home. It was almost desolate. In the light of the electric lamp, Tahirul spotted Riziya in front of the kitchen. But Riziya didn’t notice him. She was single-mindedly using the rolling pin to prepare rice-flour rutis. Tahirul gazed at her skilful workmanship. Semolina halwa and rutis made of rice flour were prepared in every household on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat. As Riziya’s Mami emerged from the living room with a large silver pot, she noticed someone standing. Although frightened at first, she soon realized that it was the imam. Startled, she halted there. Sensing that, Tahirul cleared his throat. It seemed he had been caught. In a fit of embarrassment, he pretended to be serious. Riziya’s Mami lowered her head feeling awkward, and somehow managed to go near the kitchen and whisper to Riziya, ‘Your Maulana Saheb is here, Rizi! Go and see what’s up!’

Riziya, too, had been a bit surprised as she went out. She covered her bosom and head properly with her odna and said, ‘Assalamu alaikum, Hujur!’

‘Waalaikum assalam!’

‘You here all of a sudden, Hujur?’

Tahirul was in a daze. He couldn’t figure out what he should say. He told a lie. ‘Is Chacha there? I needed to talk to him.’

‘But Mama’s not here. He’s gone to the majar in Sirajpur.’

‘Oh!’

Allah had created woman out of man’s rib. So they could easily figure out their inner ardours. They could feel the warmth of the fire raging in their hearts. But they could also completely conceal that awareness. Tahirul was the imam of the locality, and besides that, he was Riziya’s teacher. And he had come on this auspicious day! Riziya said in a coddling tone, ‘Hujur, since you’ve come, please sit awhile. Please have some halwa-ruti. Perhaps Mama will be back soon.’ And as she said so, she looked at her Mami. That glance was actually to seek consent, Tahirul knew that. He also knew that the consent would come at once.

Tahirul shamelessly accepted the invitation. He followed Riziya to the veranda of the living room. She asked him to sit in her own room. After that, she cast a glance towards the kitchen and asked softly, ‘What did you suddenly remember, Hujur, on this day of prayer?’ And as she said that, she broke into a smile and left the room. There was an air of secrecy to what she said. Tahirul’s heart thumped. It was as if someone was striking his heart hard, with loud bangs, using a pestle. He was perspiring profusely out of embarrassment and a sense of guilt for having lied. What if Salaam Chacha arrived just now and asked, ‘Tell me, Hujur, what’s up?’ What would he say?