Maulana Hasrat Mohani—An Aashiq-e-Rasool (the Prophet’s Lover) And At The Same Time A Krishna-Bhakt (Krishna Devotee)!

By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam 11 May 2024 The Maulana Was Not Just A Revolutionary And Visionary Nationalist Thinker. He Was Also An Equally Strong Champion Of Communal Harmony And National Integration And, Therefore, He Denounced Communalism On All Fronts Main Points: 1. India’s prominent Sufi mystic, Urdu and Persian poet and Muslim freedom fighter and an embodiment of communal harmony with his syncretic concept of divine love, Maulana Hasrat Mohani is an interestingly unique name in the annals of Indo-Islamic history! 2. India’s Muslim mystics, Urdu poets, spiritual theorists and philosophers such as Maulana Hasrat Mohani must be remembered today at a time when communal disharmony and political polarisation are rocking the country. 3. His pluralistic messages should be revitalized in India, with the view to creating an environment in which love and harmony are the only religion. ------ درویشی و انقلاب مسلک ہے میرا صوفی مومن ہوں،اشتراکی مسلم Darweshi-O-Inqilab Maslak Hai Mera Sufi Momin Hun, Ishtiraki Muslim (Mysticism and revolutionism is only my creed. I’m a Sufi believer and a secular Muslim) ~Hasrat Mohani An Aashiq-e-Rasool (lover of Prophet Muhammad PBUH) and at the same time a Krishna-Bhakt (Krishna devotee)”, prominent Indian Muslim scholar, Urdu poet and freedom fighter—Maulana Hasrat Mohani, originally named Syed Fazal-ul-Hassan—was an interestingly rare character in the annals of Indo-Islamic history. The Maulana can aptly be included in the list of Sufi mystics who taught us Indian Muslims how to celebrate divine love and syncretic devotion in Islam. Born in 1875 to a Zamindar family in Unnao, near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, wrote scathing criticism of the British Raj in his articles and poetry and was imprisoned for coining the revolutionary anti-colonial Urdu slogan Inqlab Zindabad! However, the Maulana was not just a visionary nationalist thinker. He was also an equally strong champion of communal harmony and national integration and, therefore, he denounced communalism on all fronts. He was vehemently opposed to radical views such as the concept of ‘swaraj’ (self-rule) as coined by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. A sincere supporter of Hindu-Muslim unity and a pluralist at the core of his heart, Mohani did not hesitate in publicly pronouncing his stands against even his close friends who went against the nation's interests, according to him. For instance—even as a Congress leader, Maulana Mohani objected to concessions being given to his friend Sheikh Abdullah in the name of Article 370. This provision was numbered as Article 306A in the draft, and later revised to Article 370 in the Indian Constitution. The Maulana, himself a hardcore Kashmir-lover who wrote Urdu couplets on Kashmir eulogising its beauty, asked a straightforward question on Article 370: “Why this discrimination after the accession of Jammu & Kashmir into India”? Participating in a Constituent Assembly debate on October 17, 1949, to draft the Constitution, the Maulana expressed his lone views against this move. The Maulana averred: “I am neither opposed to all these concessions being granted to my friend Sheikh Abdullah, not am I opposed to the acceptance of the Maharaja as the ruler of Kashmir......But what I object to is this. Why do you make this discrimination about this Ruler?”. Till his last breath, the Maulana remained steadfast on this stand in his political career. Once again he argued in the Indian Assembly: “When you make all these concessions for Kashmir, I most strongly object to your arbitrary act of compelling the Baroda State to be merged in Bombay”. It was the Maulana who coined the revolutionary slogan 'Inquilab Zindabad!' with an aim to ignite passion for the freedom of India. His revolutionary idea of Inquilab was intertwined with his beautiful concept of Darweshi (mysticism) which he showed as the ultimate path for the freedom of India as well as the liberation of Indian people’s souls. This is precisely what he called for in many of his captivating couplets in his spectacular Urdu. As a revolutionary ideologue of the 1947 freedom movement, the Maulana envisaged to bring together the two different religious communities—Hindus and Muslims—through his beautiful mystical concept of love for the ‘Indian Prophets’ which, in his view, included Shri Krishna. He called him ‘Hazrat Krishna’ and venerated him as a Prophet, and a noble, righteous, beloved messenger of God. He also offered theological bases, as laid out by several Indian Sufis like Hazrat Mazhar Jan-e-Janan, to prove that Krishna is a source of unity and accord between Hindus and Muslims in India. Mohani exhorted Indian Muslims not to forget the earlier prophets who had been sent down to various territories, according to the Qur’an. Thus, the Maulana’s Urdu poetry is full of love and expression of his deep devotion for ‘Hazrat-e-Krishna’ in which he is revered as an embodiment of divine compassion, tenderness and mercy. Here is one such instance of Mohani’s Urdu couplets in love for Krishna: To-Se Lagaai Kanhaai Preet Kahu Or Kisurati Ab Aai Kaahe Hasrat Tan Man Dhan Sab Waar-Ke Mathura Nagar Ramaai Chali Dhooni (My heart has fallen in love with Kanhaiya. Why would anyone else think of it now? Hasrat, give up all that is yours for him and go to Mathura and become a Mystic) The Maulana also composed these couplets in praise for Krishna: Irfan-E-Ishq Hai Mere Ka Maqam Hamil Hoonkis Ke Payaam Ka Naghma-E-Nai Ke Labrez-E-Noor Hai Dil-E-Hasrat, And Zahe-Naseeb Ikhusn-I-Mushkfaam Ke Ka Shauq-e-Tamaam (I stand where the perfect knowledge of love is found. Who is the flute whose melody fills me? What a good fortune, Hasrat, that your heart brims with a glowing love for the beauty of musk!) Maulana Mohani also knew he would face an attack of "Fatwas" from the short-sighted Maulvis and religious fanatics who may criticise his devotion to Krishna. Therefore, he tried to legitimise his love for Krishan in a philosophically theological way in the following verses: Puna Hoe Na Kipreet Ka Paap Shyam Kou Kaahe Pashchatap Karat Hai Neha Ki Aag Maatan-Pupa Jalat Rahi Chup-Chaap Kab Lag (Loving Shyam is not a sin, nor a virtue. So why do people repent? How long do I have to burn silently in the fire of love, oppressing my heart and my body?) Maulana Mohani also composed several beautiful Na’at-e-Pak in Urdu i.e. poems in praise of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Manqabat (in praise of the Sufi saints) and other spiritual invocations (Munajat). In one of his Na’ats, Mohani invokes the holy Prophet as follows: Khyaal e Yaar Ko Dil Se Mita Do Yaa Rasool Allah Khird Ko Apna Deewana Bana Do Yaa Rasool Allah (O Apostle of Allah, purge my heart of the metaphorical love and all worldly thoughts. Draw my attention towards yourself as your devotee, O Apostle of Allah) On the other, he did not forget the earlier prophets who had been sent down to various territories, especially India. An embodiment of compassion, tenderness and divine love, Krishna as the prophet of India is greatly revered in the Maulana’s Urdu poetry: Some of his moving poems on Krishna are reproduced here: To Se Lagaai Kanhaai Preet Kahu Or Kisurati Ab Aai Kaahe Hasrat Tan Man Dhan Sab Waar-Ke Mathura Nagar Ramaai Chali Dhooni Translation: My heart has fallen in love with Kanhaiya. Why would anyone else think of it now? O Hasrat, give up all that is yours for him. Then go to Mathura and become a mystic. عرفانِ عشق نام ہے میرے مقام کا حامل ہوں کس کے نغمۂ نئے کے پیام کا گوکُل کی سرزمیں بھی عزیزِ جہاں بنی کلمہ پڑھا جو اُن کی محبّت کے نام کا برندا کا بن بھی روُ کشِ جنّت بنا کہ تھا پامالِ ناز اُنھیں کے بہارِ خرام کا لبریزِ نور ہے دِلِ حسرت زہے نصیب اِک حسنِ مشک فام کے شوقِ تمام کا Translation: I stand where the deep knowledge and realisation of love is found, Who is the one whose flute’s melody fills me? Gokul's land also became the beloved of the world, When I recited the Kalima in the name of his love. Vrindavan too turned out to be a picture of heaven, Because of his feet, there is a spring that becomes a harbinger of paradise. What a good fortune, Hasrat, Your heart brims with a glowing love for the beauty of Musk! Indian Muslims should never forget these true mystics and spiritual luminaries of Islam in India. Today they need to be remembered more than ever before, to help mitigate the communal tensions and political polarisation in this country. Their pluralistic messages in India should be rejuvenated, creating an atmosphere in which selfless service, love and harmony are one’s only religion. Maulana Mohani is immortalised by his abiding legacy of love and devotion for Shri Krishna, his coinage of Inquilab Zindabad, his deep mystical inclinations and last but not the least, his timeless Urdu Ghazal which says: Chupke Chupke Raat Din, Aansu Bahana Yaad Hai (I vividly remember when I used to cry secretly, day in and day out) ----- A Regular Columnist with Newageislam.com, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is an Indo-Islamic scholar, Sufi poet and English-Arabic-Urdu-Hindi writer with a background in a leading Sufi Islamic seminary in India. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/maulana-mohani-rasool-lover-krishna-bhakt-devotee/d/132299 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism