Aaj se saat sau saal pehle Baghdad mein ek baray paaye ke aalim rehaish pazeer thay. Unka naam tha Qazi Abu Bakr Baghdadi. Woh qazi hone ke sath sath ek buland paaya muhaddis aur muqarrar bhi thay. Din ke waqt woh adalat mein muqadmat suntay jabkeh raat ko Quran aur hadees ke talibah ko taleem detay. Yeh talibah nihayat kasir tadad mein thay jin ke qayaam aur taa'am ki zimmedari Qazi Abu Bakr ke kandhon par thi. Woh nah sirf in talibah ko do waqt ka khana mohiya farmatay balkay in ki rehaish ka bandobast bhi un ke zimme tha. Ek din un ke shagirdon ne un se poocha, "Hazrat! Aap ki tanqaa to mamooli hai to phir yeh itne dher saare akhrajat kahan se puray karte hain?" Talibah ka sawal sun kar Qazi sahib muskuraye phir kaha, "Yeh ek raaz hai. Is raaz par se parda tab tak nahin uth sakta jab tak ke main tumhein apne mazi ke chand ajeeb o ghareeb waqeat na suna doon. Is liye behtar hai ke filhal tum is raaz ko raaz hi rehne do." Shagird samjhe ke shayad is waqt un ka kuch batane ka irada nahin, lekin thore arse baad shagirdon ne ek martaba phir arz kiya, "Ustaad-e-muhtaram! Aap nek kaamon mein is qadar kharch karte hain. Bazahir aap ki aamdani ka bhi koi khaas zariya nahin, phir yeh darahim o dinar aap ke paas kahan se aate hain?" Ustaad ne unhein ek martaba phir tarah di aur maal ki nisbat Allah ta'ala ke ghaybi khazanon ki taraf ishara kiya. Lekin is baar shagird is raaz ko jaanne par bazid thay. Shagirdon ka israr dekhte hue ustaad ne balakhir un se kaha, "Is maal ke sath meri jawani ka ek nihayat ahem waqea wabasta hai. Baaz auqat Allah ta'ala apni qudrat se insaan ko aise aise ajeebat dikhata hai ke us ki aqal dang reh jaati hai. Mere sath bhi ek aisa hi waqea paish aaya tha. Lo suno! Yeh aaj se tees bees saal pehle ki baat hai. Main un dinoon jawan tha aur ilm-e-deen ke husool mein hamesha waqt mashghool rehta tha. Mere sath mere chand dost bhi thay. Hamari din raat ki masroofiyat yahi thi ke Quran aur hadees padhte aur baqi waqt takraar ya mutale mein sirf karte. Main un dinoon yahiin Baghdad mein moqeem tha. Sheher ke ilmi halkon mein un dinoon Makkah Muazzama ke ek Arab aalim ka bohot shohra tha jin ka naam Sheikh Abdullah Azam tha. Woh ilm-e-hadees mein yaktaaye rozgar thay aur door door se taliban-e-ilm aakar un ke dars mein shareek hote. Main muhaddiseen ki mehfilon mein baithne ka bara hirs tha. Chunaancha main ne apne saathiyo se kaha ke Makkah ja kar Sheikh Abdullah Azam ki sohbat se faiz yaab hona chahta hoon. Aap logon ko agar manzoor ho to mere sath chalein warna aap logon ki marzi. Mere teenon saathi shayad kam himmat thay, unho ne mere sath itni door jane se saaf inkaar kar diya. Chunaancha rukhsat-e-safar bandha aur tanha hi manzilon par manzilen marta hua Makkah Muazzama pahuncha. Wahan maloom hua ke Sheikh Abdullah Azam sahib-e-farash hain aur filhal dars-e-hadees ka silsila moqoof hai. Yeh sun kar agar mujhe bohot mayoosi hui, taham yeh jaan kar kuch sukoon mehsoos hua ke"Makkah mein inn dino bohot se jalil al-qadr ulama mojood hain jo Masjid-e-Haram mein dars dete thay. Agar Sheikh Azam se istifada nahin hosakta to kam az kam inn buzurgon se ilm hasil karna mumkin tha. Chunancha mein waapas Baghdad jaane ke bajaye wahiin thahrega aur haram ki ilmi majalis se apni pyaas bujhane laga. Inn dino mere saath ek badqismati yeh hui ke mera zade raah khatam hogaya lekin mein ne iski chandani parwa nah ki. Mere paas kuch khajooriyan aur sato mojood thay, thora sa zaitoon ka tail bhi mil gaya. Mein ne inhi cheezon ko ghaneemat jana aur rookhi sukhi kha kar tahsil-e-ilm mein mashghool rehne laga. Chand hi dino baad mera zakhira khoraak khatam hogaya aur ek din aisa aya ke mere paas khaane ko kuch bhi nah raha aur faqon tak nobat aan pahunchi. Iss halat mein yeh soch kar ghar se nikla ke shayad bahar se koi cheez khaane ki mil jaye aur agar kuch bhi nah mila to haram ja kar apne rab se mangoon ga. Mein ghar se nikal kar gali mein aaya. Ittefaq se mujhe samne hi ek reshmi ki theli pari mili. Dopehar ka waqt aur hawa ka aalam tha. Gali bilkul sunsan thi aur koi shakhs bhi aas paas nazar nahin araha tha. Mein ne woh theli uthayi aur ghar le aaya. Ghar aakar theli kholi, to usme safed rang ke khoobsurat motiyon wala ek haar nikla. Mein ne usay ulta palat kar dekha. Haar ke moti har zawiye se is tarah chamakte thay ke unhen dekh kar aankhein chandhia jaati thay. Mujhe yeh samajhne mein zara bhi mushkil nah hui ke yeh ek bohat qeemti haar hai. Mein ne usay theli mein daal kar bistar ke neeche chhupa diya. Zohar se asar tak ka waqt issi adheer ban mein guzar gaya. Mein yeh sochta raha ke yeh theli gali mein kyun pari thi aur itna qeemti haar kis ka hosakta hai? Issi doran asar ki azaan buland hui aur mein namaz ki adaai ke liye haram shareef chala gaya. Asar ki namaz parh kar aaya aur dobara yeh sochne laga ke 'Ya Allah, khabar nahin iss haar ka malik kaun hai aur mein ab issay kis tarah tak pohanchaon?' Issi doran gali mein kuch shor buland hua. Mein ne darwaze se bahar jhanka to dekha ke ek onth par koi boodha aadmi sawar hai. Onth ke aage chand aadmi daff bajate chal rahe thay. Woh boodha thori thori der baad yeh ilan karta ke 'Makkah walo! Meri ek theli gum hogayi hai. Iss mein ek haar tha. Woh hamari khandani miraas hai. Tum sab Allah ke hamsaye aur qabil-e-tareef log ho jis ko woh theli mile barah-e-meharbani mujhe wapas karde, mein theli wapas karne wale ko paanch sau dinar inaam doonga. Khuda tum par reham kare Makkah walo!' Yeh keh kar woh apne daien haath ko hawa mein lehrata jis mein ek phate purane kapde mein dinar wazeh nazar arahe thay. Mein yeh ilan sun kar hairan reh gaya. Dil mein socha ke shayad yehi boodha iss theli ka haqiqi malik hai. Mujhe zaroor yeh us tak pohanchani chahiye. Mein abhi usi shesh o panch mein tha ke ilan karne wala aur us ke saathi mere ghar ke samne se guzrne lage. Mein lipak kar bahar nikla aur onth ki lagam tham kar kaha 'Baray miyan! Zara meri baat suniye.' 'Kaho nojawan' boodhe aadmi ne jhuk kar kaha 'Kya baat hai?' 'Aap zara neeche utar kar mere ghar aaiye.' Mein ne kaha 'Aap ki theli mere paas hai.' Boodha jaldi se neeche utar aya. Mein ne usay bithaya, bistar ke neeche se reshmi theli nikal kar usay di aur poocha 'Kya yehi woh theli hai jis ki aap ko talash hai?'Borhay ne mere haath se theli jhapti aur tezi se usay kholaa. Us mein woh haar jhonkaa tuun mojood tha. Borhay ne haar nikaal kar usay chooma aur phir mujh se mukhatib hokar kehne laga, "Nojawan! Yeh haar safar ke doran mujh se kahin kho gaya tha, main is ki wajah se sakht pareshan tha. Khuda tumhein jaza-e-khair de. Tum bohot diyanat daar ho. Lo apna inaam sambhalo." Yeh keh kar us ne dinar mere aage kar diye. Main ne kaha, "Baray miyan! Yeh haar mujhe gali mein pada mila tha, main usay andar utha laya. Yeh mere paas aap ki amaanat tha. Mera to yeh farz tha ke main usay aap ko wapas karoun. Mujhe inaam ki zarurat nahi, main apni neki farokht nahi karta." Meri baat ka borhay par koi asar nahi hua aur woh badtawar us par bazd raha ke main dinar qubool kar loon. Us ne bohot israar kiya lekin udhar main bhi apni baat par jama raha. Aakhir woh borha nahi maana aur dinar mere paas chhod kar chala gaya. Mere paas kuch nahi tha aur main bohot bhuka tha, is liye maine char wa naachar un dinaron se apni ghiza ka bandobast kiya aur makaan ke malik ko kiraya bhi ada kiya. Isi doran Sheikh Abdullah Azam ne Haram Sharif mein dobara dars-e-hadees ka silsila shuru kar diya. Main ne mauqa ghaneemat jana aur rozana Sheikh ki khidmat mein hazir hone laga. Main kafi arse tak tahsil-e-ilm mein mashghool raha aur is doran mali zaruraton ke liye wahi dinar kafalat karte rahe. Aakhir woh din bhi aagaya ke jab main ne jo kuch seekhna tha seekh liya aur wapas Baghdad jaane ke liye "jaddah" ki bandargaah par pahuncha. Wahan se main ne behri safar shuru kiya. Kashti ka malah anaadi tha. Woh hamein kisi ghalat simt le gaya. Hum sab itne dare sehmey baithe the ke koi kisi se baat nahi karta. Thorhi hi der baad andhera chha gaya aur barish hone lagi. Malah mosam ki shiddat par lanat karne laga. Isi doran kashti hichkole lene lagi aur aakhir kar tut gayi. Is waqt hum jis musibat se dochar the, us ka andaza lagana asaan nahi. Aasman par bijli kadak rahi thi aur neeche samundar ki toofani lehron ka shor aur aise mein khofzada musafiron ki cheekh pukar jaari thi. Main is sare waqt mein ankhain band kiye kashti ke ek takhtay se chumta raha. Sara din woh takhta samundar mein tairta raha. Mujhe yeh bhi maloom nahi tha ke main kis taraf ja raha hoon aur baqi musafiron ka kya bana? Aakhir kar Khuda Khuda karke woh takhta ek jazeera ke saahil se ja laga. Main saahil ki reet par ja leta. Jab zara haalat sanbhalay to uth kar aage barha aur jungle phalon se apni bhuk mitayi. Jab hawas behaal hue to dekha ke jazeera ke wasat mein ek masjid hai aur kuch door aabadi bhi hai. Main masjid mein chala gaya. Wahan Quran-e-Pak ke kuch auraaq rakhe the. Main unhein padhne laga. Mujhe Quran padhte dekh kar aabadi mein se kuch mard aur auratein mere paas aaye aur kehne lage, "Aye Sheikh! Kya aap aalim hain?" "Main ek talib-e-ilm hoon." Main ne aajzi se kaha. Woh kehne lage, "Aye Sheikh hum musalman hain lekin Quran padhna nahi jaante. Aap meharbani farma kar hamein tilawat sikhadein aur agar ho sake to kuch likhne padhne ki bhi mashq karwa dein." Chunancha main ne yeh peshkash qubool kar li aur un ke bachon ko Quran aur kitabat sikhane laga. Is ke badle mujhe subah o sham khana mil jata. Rafta rafta woh log mujh se bohot manawas ho gaye. Woh meri qadar karte the aur bade adab se "Hazrat Alustaz"'keh kar mujhe pukarte. meri zindagi ke din yunhi guzar rahe the. mujhe yeh bhi maloom nah tha ke mein kahan hoon aur kon logon ke darmiyan hoon? ek din un ke ek buzurg mere paas aaye aur bole "ya sheikh! yahan ek yateem bachi hai, khasi maldar hai aur saliqa shaar bhi hai. aap shareef alnafs hain aur tanha bhi hain, hum chahte hain ke aap is bachi se nikah kar lein" is tarah aap ki guzar basar aasani se hosakay gi.'' mein ne inkar kar diya. lekin woh log musalsal israr karte rahe aur mujhe itna majboor kiya ke aakhir kar mein ne un ki baat maan li. chuna ke mere nikah ke intezamat hue. nikah ki raat jab mein ne apni dulhan ko dekha to us ke galey mein wahi haar tha jo mein ne makah mein us boorhay ko wapas kiya tha. mein haar dekh kar bohat hairan hua aur ghar se bahar aakar logon ko sara waqiya sunaya. meri baat sun kar logon ne is zor se naara lagaya ke un ki awaz poore jazire mein goonj gayi. meri hairani ab tak baqi thi balkay is baat se mujhe mazeed hairat hui. mujhe pareshan dekh kar jazire walon ne bataya "woh baray miyan jinhen aap ne makah mein haar wapas kiya tha" us bachi ke walid thay. aap se pehle wahi is masjid ke imam bhi thay. woh aksar keh karate thay ke mujhe zindagi mein sachay aur imandar log kam hi milte hain. un mein woh musalman nojawan bhi shamil hai jis ne mujhe mera khandaani haar wapas kiya tha. ya allah! mein tujh se dua karta hoon ke mujhe us se dobara milade takay apni beti ka nikah us se kar doon. aur ab aisa ho bhi gaya. hum sab qudrat ke is ittefaq par hairan hain aur isi khushi mein hum ne allah akbar ka naara lagaya hai.'' un ki baat sun kar mujhe bhi bohat khushi hui aur mein ne allah ka shukr ada kiya. mein phir apni biwi ke saath muddat tak is jazire mein raha aur bohat khushgawar zindagi guzari. baad azan jab meri rafiqah hayaat ka intiqaal hua to mein phir tanha hogaya. kuch arsa to mein is jazire mein raha phir un logon se ijazat le kar baghdad wapas aagaya. woh haar abhi tak mere paas tha. jazire walon ne bakhushi usay mujhe apne saath le jane ki ijazat de di. baghdad mein woh haar ek tajir ko pasand aaya. us ne kayi lakh dinar mein woh mujh se khareed liya. mein ne dinar apne paas sambhal rakhe hain. unhi se mein tum logon ke akhrajat poore karta hoon. chunke mein usay neki ke kaamon mein kharch karta hoon' is wajah se barkat hi barkat hai. yeh dastan bayan karne ke baad sheikh abu bakr baghdadi khamosh hogaye aur phir allah taala ki badaai bayan karne lage. shagird bhi yeh jaankar mutmain hue ke un ke ustaz ko rab kainaat ki taraf se dolat ata hui hai.