THE PARENTAL GUIDANCE

On 5th November 1999 I received the startling news that my father Muhammad Hanif Mughal had died in Rawalpindi. On receiving this news in Japan I immediately booked a seat in the next flight and arrived in Pakistan. After the take over by the military in Pakistan this was the second biggest news for me. The love of my father, his sacrifices for his children and every event of life flashed before my eyes. When I got down at Islamabad airport I had a feeling as if my father was with me. May be his spirit was there to receive me at the airport I do not know but I am sure that my father loved me a lot. I felt as if he was advising me that Humayun ! Complete your mission of life. To assist in your mission spiritually I shall be there at all times.

My father was neither a politician nor any renowned public figure. But he was extremely gentle person who loved Pakistan and wanted to do some thing big for the country. He lived all his life with honesty and faith and always taught his children not to leave the path of honesty, credence and faith and not to indulge any thing which would oblige them to hide their faces. He trained and brought us up in such a manner that we have no wound of remorse on our bodies and souls. Not only me but my brothers and sisters were all impressed with this aspect of his character and would remain so during rest of their lives. It is his blessing and prayers that I have succeeded in establishing a small Mughal ?empire? in Japan. With the blessing of God I am father of four sons and a daughter and it is His gratitude that my children are intelligent and sensitive and are serious thinking individuals like their grand father.

I was badly shaken by the death of my father. My Japanese wife and children were also very sad on his death. My wife and her parents tried to console me. Although they are Japanese but we, the oriental people, all think in identical manner. Particularly in sorrow we console each other, love each other but during these sorrowful moments I realised that I have got patronage of many saintly personalities. Perhaps it was due to the fact that my father was a pious man who had a great love and affection for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). All those saints and pious people of whom my father was a devotee now showered their care on me. The spirits of these great people along with the spirit of my father were there to help me now. My father had a great respect and devotion for Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.

Whenever my father would read in a newspaper that a Muslim had been arrested in a European or a non-Muslim country for any moral crime or smuggling of narcotics or he was being punished then my father would become extremely sad. He used to say that due to the crime of a single individual the religion of my master and lord the prophet of Arabia (PBUH) was being maligned. The people would think that all Muslims are like that although the first human being in the world who stopped people from doing illegal things and discouraged addiction under all circumstances was our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Due to such unfortunate people Islam is also discredited. And if that man belongs to Pakistan then the heads of 140 million people are hung in shame and my father would tell me in sorrowful tone that ?if some one who recites Kalima commits any disgraceful act then non-Muslims do not condemn an individual for this act rather they express misgivings about Islam and consider all Muslims as addicts and narcotic sellers. How much pain such an act would cause to the spirit of our Holy Prophet (PBUH)?.While saying this his eyes used to fill with tears. He used to say that those who are involved in such crimes which bring bad name to the religion do not deserve any concession and while punishing them no leniency should be shown. I was lost in these thoughts when I felt that I am at a place much higher than any worldly place where my eyes were open but due to amazement in spite of endeavour my tongue was mute. I tried again and again but could not utter any prayer or any question. However I was told,? We know every thing. We know what transpires in your hearts. You are seeking advice on a problem which is not your personal problem but you are frustrated because you want to wipe out those who want to put a blot on the fair name of the religion of nature and the true din and the message of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH).We are happy that you have not come here for your personal emancipation or the salvation of your father but if you had come with such a request it would not have been some thing unwanted. Rather you have come with great feelings for Muslim Ummah. We want to tell you for your information that the saviour of Islam is Almighty God and the Holy prophet (PBUH) is always present with Almighty God. We are not only with Muslims but we care for all the creatures of the world.. Almighty God loves all the human beings. The magnitude of God?s love can be assessed from the fact that your mother loves you so madly. She has spent all her life in loving and making sacrifice for the children. No one can assess the love and sacrifice of a mother. Only mother can experience it. And God loves every human being seventy times more than the mother.

When I came out of this spiritual trance I found that I was sitting in my Carpet Shop. The picture of my father was in front of me and tears were rolling down my eyes. I prayed for the salvation and higher spiritual status of my father. When I saw the watch it was time for the after noon prayers. Immediately I performed the ablution and stood for the namaz and I do not remember how long I remained prostrating before God but I remember this much that my wife rang me up and asked me the reason why I had not come home. I saw the time. It was really too late. I hurriedly locked the store and left for my home.