Azam Ali, an Ahmadi Moslem
Chapter 05 – EDUCATION
School
Father learnt at a very early age what education can do for a man. He was an industrious student whom his teachers admired for his academic scores. He breezed through local schools. He graduated from College with Honors. He attended Punjab University Law College. I believe he was the first Law Graduate in the Buttar clan of his twin village Kirto-Pandori.
He seeded his village by showing what an ordinary farmer’s son could achieve by education (Ch 02 – Best). He was the pioneer whose greatness lies in not just being the first to have achieved what he did, but also in how he lit up the area where he came from.
He became the lighthouse that dispelled the darkness around his village and could dwarf the fabled McCoy and Hatfield feuds of USA. His lead was followed by others where education became the most sought-after thing instead of the previous passion for feudalism.
He led the district that has since produced elites in practically every walk of life. It has become easy for me to look back and see how the Buttars came forward and shined in the fields of law and judiciary, police and military, commerce and communications, medicine and teaching.
Lawyer
Father practiced law as an Attorney for a short while. He was one of the earliest, if not the very first, of the Buttar lawyers. But his thirst for temporal and spiritual knowledge and personal and professional growth remained unquenchable. Doctors in his progeny include one son, one son-in-law, 8 grandchildren with two married to Drs, and 5 great grandchildren, some married to Drs.
His progeny so far has had six practicing lawyers and two more law graduates who took jobs with international businesses. On-line shows a great number of Buttar lawyers representing various political parties and contesting elections. His cousins both close and distant raised their kids to become District & Sessions Judges and one even a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Father became Ahmadi. He was of the group that had many highly religious leaders and brilliantly successful lawyers. Some like Ch: Bashir Ahmad, Ch: Aziz Ahmad Bajwa and Mahr Sher M Sial reached up to be District & Sessions Judges. Sir Zafrullah Khan translated the Holy Qor-aan in English and became a Judge of the International Court of Justice at the Hague.
Continued education
The Holy Prophet, s.a.w., had with him a Complete Code (005:004), also known as the Holy Qor-aan. Yet a Hadeeth says that he urged people to get knowledge even if they had to crawl to China. China at that time was the center of worldly knowledges of math, medicine, geography, law, etc. Father followed that instruction to the letter and got the best worldly education as well.
Father knew that education in spiritual and worldly arenas complemented each other. He continually added to his knowledge and that of his family, his village and the visitors he saw. He was the lightening rod who was determined to improve the life of anyone who ever came close. He showed by his own example that education transformed the life of all individuals and families. He urged his immediate and larger family to continually acquire spiritual and temporal education. He life story illuminates that the road that the Best Exemplar, s.a.w., set down was the best to follow.
Father rose with education. He continued learning all his life. He was a Shiite when growing up but learnt of and joined the Ahmadiyya sect after real research. He believed that real education was learning and practicing all that was laid in the Holy Qor-aan. He practiced the teachings of Iss-laam that everyone was rewarded for his own acts and worships. He learnt that knowledge leads to Truth. He used education to spread it. He followed the Truth wherever it went.
Judge
Father passed the Punjab Civil Service competitive examination under the British Rule of India around 1930. He became a Judge and served in the Judiciary all his life. But his passion was the religious service (See Tr – Azam Ali, an Ahmadi Moslem, as seen by Daughter). He offered his advice, shared his knowledge, promised to pray and helped all who asked for it.
He as a Judge considered the precedents quoted at the Bar studiously. He read judgments that lawyers presented in his court as an opportunity to advance in knowledge. But if he found a bad precedent based upon an erroneous judgment, he refused to follow it. He was not of a judiciary that rubber-stamped bad law. He dissented and showed with reasons how the judgment was wrong.
He considered his duty to correct wrong decisions, particularly about the Moslem Law even during the days of British Rule in India. One such case was where an erroneous judgment was passed by the Privy Council, which was the highest judicial entity located in England. That precedent-setting Authority had failed to distinguish the Moslem Law — the term in the Holy Qor-aan (004:012) Arabic translated into Persian language as Aulaad-e-Dukhteri — from another Persian phrase Aulaad-e-Dukhter. Father pioneered in the reversal of that bad precedent. (See Tr – Azam Ali, an Ahmadi Moslem – Ch 11 – Knowledge).
Father corrected others’ perception about Islam by Tubleegh, the process like evangelism. He memorized long portions of the Holy Qor-aan and presented real Iss-laam while others who held positions like him just did their jobs, raised families and accumulated money.
Invitations from abroad
From what I know, twice he was offered jobs overseas that he thankfully declined.
The first was around 1948. He received the offer via Pakistani High Court. The offer was to accept Judgeship in the High Court of Sudan. Father in accordance with his life-long practice of following the Holy Prophet, s.a.w., did the Istikhara. With a clear conscience he declined the offer. He told us that he did not know how much control he would have in Sudan over his environment to shape the future of his children as he could do in Pakistan that he knew full well.
It is not that Abba Ji was a control freak. He encouraged his children to follow their instincts. His eldest son became a lawyer. His youngest son became a physician. One son chose business. Another son served people in need. He educated his daughters the best in following a Hadeeth of the Holy Prophet, s.a.w. His eldest daughter obtained a master’s degree in geography. His youngest daughter got a master’s degree and taught Statistics at Punjab University as a professor. Another daughter earned a master’s degree and another daughter a bachelor’s degree. What father wanted the most was that they were Practicing Moslems as Ahmadi. He succeeded in his mission as they all followed him, though to varying degrees as ordained by Allah.
Laa ik-raa-ha fee d-dee-nay سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة – Ch:002, Verse 257 No compulsion in religion. 002:257
The second time was around 1970. During his pilgrimage (See 5 Acts of worships or pillars of Islam) to Mecca he met the top brass of some African nation. He was offered to go to the African country and dispense justice the Moslem way. Father thanked the offeror and declined. He reasoned that his own age and the language of the offeror’s countrymen stood in the way.
Marriage
Father was married for the first time around 1931 to Amina ( امينه ) Begum, a daughter of Ch: Sultan Ahmad Kahlon, a lawyer (I think) in Sialkot. Father noticed soon after marriage that his bride’s educational levels and health conditions would hamper raising a family as he envisioned. (Tr – Azam Ali, an Ahmadi Moslem, as seen by Daughter)
Father knew that his education could go only so far, spiritual studies at home were the start, and a wife on his wavelength could advance his children’s education a lot more. Father informed Khaleefatool Massih II, r.a. of his matrimonial dilemma and a 2nd marriage was decided.
Father’s prayers and efforts eventually got him blessed with a wife who diligently worked like him. A missionary of Ahmadiyya sect suggested that the burqa-wearing tall daughter of a Police Officer Ch: Faqir Mohammad suited my father. An initial protest by her father that the said daughter was barely 15 was quickly withdrawn. And my mother was married to my father.
Father’s 2nd marriage was in 1933 to Sakina ( سَکِيۡنَةٌ ) Begum. She was a daughter of Ch: Faqir Mohammad of Waraich family of Gujrat. She was our mother. She lived her life true to her name. The word Sakina is often used in the Holy Qor-aan such as the following.
Sa-kee-na-toon سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة – Ch:2, Verse 249 & سُوۡرَةُ الفَتْح – Ch 48, Verses 005 & 019 Peace. Contentment. Satisfaction. Serenity. Security. Tranquility. 002:249
Ammi Ji brought peace of mind and tranquility to the life of Abba Ji. She proved an excellent partner in his goal to raise educated spiritual members of the human village. She was 15 when married. She gave birth to nine (9) children and passed away in 10th pregnancy when hardly 30.
Ammi Ji sacrificed for her father her education beyond high school. She sacrificed for her religion all that a teenager views in a privileged life ahead. She sacrificed for her children her own comforts for 14 years of married life that were totally spent in schooling, reading to, washing, dressing, and sowing, knitting and cooking for them. We numbered seven (7) 1-to-13 years old when she died (See Tr – Azam Ali, an Ahmadi Moslem – Ch 3 – Coach). She sacrificed her life for her husband who wanted many educated children practicing Islam. She was a sacrifice personified.
Ammi Ji’s death made my Father aware of the toll that childbearing takes on a woman’s body. So much so that when our second son was born barely 1 year after our first son, Father told me to slow down because he wanted to save us from what he had lost by the death of his dear wife.
Coincidence
And years later came from the Malik family of Multan another lady with the same name Sakina, married Chaudhry M Anwar Buttar with the same family name, of the same village Kirto and raised the same number of six children who are grandparents raising educated families.
- Whether introduced, influenced or just inspired by Father’s progress via education, that Buttar side encouraged their bright star to trudge along on the pathway of knowledge. After completing his education M Anwar Buttar rose to a high office on the Railways. Later he moved over to law. As an Advocate of the Pakistan Supreme Court and High Courts he contributed to the judiciary hundreds of precedent-setting judgments.
- Their eldest lawyer son passed LLM in England and rose to be a Judge of the Pakistan Supreme Court. The next son is lawyer who also passed LLM in England and is an internationally recognized, renowned and rewarded lawyer in Australia. The youngest son retired as a Pakistan Army Brigadier. The oldest daughter married a lawyer who retired as Attorney General. The two youngest daughters are Doctors practicing medicine in USA.
Next generation
Father knew from his experience that leaving a good student in Almighty God’s care with a limited freedom from parental restrictions to make independent choices had helped him grow in education, profession and life. He knew what education does and passed that benefit to children. I benefitted beyond measure (See Tr – Azam Ali, an Ahmadi Moslem – Ch 19 – Son’s Education). We learnt from him to memorize, repeat, and work continually in accordance with the words of the prayer like the following.
Rub-bay zid nee il-ma سُوۡرَةُ طٰه – Ch 20, Verse 115 God add to my knowledge 020:115
Father made sure that our actions conformed to our spoken words both in prayers and life. He inculcated in us what he had himself learnt and practiced all his life. To him the truth in talking had to be like an oath on a Scripture. He lived his life that way. He trained us the same.
004:035
The Holy Qor-aan 004:035
اَلرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُوۡنَ عَلَى النِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللّٰهُ بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ وَّبِمَاۤ اَنۡفَقُوۡا مِنۡ اَمۡوَالِهِمۡ ؕ فَالصّٰلِحٰتُ قٰنِتٰتٌ حٰفِظٰتٌ لِّلۡغَيۡبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللّٰهُ ؕ وَالّٰتِىۡ تَخَافُوۡنَ نُشُوۡزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوۡهُنَّ وَاهۡجُرُوۡهُنَّ فِى الۡمَضَاجِعِ وَاضۡرِبُوۡهُنَّ ۚ فَاِنۡ اَطَعۡنَكُمۡ فَلَا تَبۡغُوۡا عَلَيۡهِنَّ سَبِيۡلًا ؕاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيۡرًا
Aur-ray-jaa-lo qauw-waa-moo-na aa-la un-nay-saa-aiy
Bay-maa faudz-dza-la ul-laa-ho bau-dzo hoom aa-la bau-dzin
Wa bay-maa aun-fa-qoo min aum-waa-lay him
Fa us-saa-lay-haa-to qaa-nay-taa-toon
Haa-fay-zaa-toon lay l-ghai-bay bay-maa ha-fay-za ul-laa-ho
Wa ul-laa-tee ta-khaa-foo-na na-shoo-za hoon-na
Fa aiy-zoo hoon-na wa uh-jo-roo hoon-na fee il-ma-zaa-jay-aiy
Wa udz-ray-boo hoon-na
Fa in aa-tau-na koom
Fa laa taub-ta-ghoo aa-lai hin-na sa-be-laa
In-na ul-laa-ha kaa-na aa-lee-yaun ka-be-raa
Men are burdened over and above women
Because Allah has blessed some of them (men) over others
And because they (men) spent from their assets.
So the righteous women are the Content women,
Protectors of the unseen because Allah entrusted them to keep secret.
And those women you fear their defiance
Then you advise them and depart from them in the beds.
And you improve them.
So, if they follow you
Then take no action on them.
Indeed Allah has always been the Highest, the Greatest.
{Next 4 words resemble those in 003:196, 004:033, etc}
** Note 004:035. The word اضۡرِبُو (audz-ray-boo) has many meanings.
Almost every translation on the market we have seen has drawn the ugliest malicious, malevolent and militant meanings of this verse. Except for the one mentioned below, they all directly contradict the Commandment in 002:230 that mandates that a wife must be kept in a becoming manner implying with love, respect and tender care or sent away with kindness.
The accurate explanation of the opening words اَلرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُوۡنَ عَلَى النِّسَآءِ of this verse is that ’men must mend masters’ i.e., themselves before attempting to mend others and women. The founder of the Ahmadiyya community Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a.s., explained this concept clearly and at length. Many sensible persons practice that proper phenomenon in their lives.
This site maintains that every inaccurate translation with different meanings being currently marketed must be rejected on this short ground.
In 1990’s about twenty pious men attended an interactive daurs (discussion) of the Holy Qor-aan) after the Fajr (morning) prayer in a Philadelphia mosque. When asked if they (a) had lived with their wives long enough to become grandparents, (b) had enjoyed at home peace by respecting wives’ total autonomy in domestics and (c) had wives who recognized and respected their rights, obligations and duties out of homes. By show of hands they replied yes and deserve every compliment for being the living examples and showing true meanings of this verse.
Some interpreters have claimed authority to label some verses of the Holy Qor-aan as abrogated because in their mind they thought it contradicted other verses. Our Commentaries Abrogation Theory and Islam and Sect Recognition clearly show why everyone of such claims is unjustified, unwarranted and uncalled for.