Master Mohammed Amir: Assalaam o alaikum
Ahmed Awwah: Waalaikum assalaam W rehmat Ullah e W barakatoohoo
Question: Master Sahib, for quite some time now it was Abba's standing order to interview you for our magazine Armughan. It is a good thing that you came by yourself, so this his order can be fulfilled.
Answer: Brother Ahmed, you have relayed what was in my heart. I have been wanting to come and contribute to the interviews of reverts in Armughan, not to see my name in print, but for the sake of Da'wah. If the Daie's hear of my journey to Islam, they will be encouraged that there is hope of light even in darkness. If a person like me who had the audacity to take part in the razing of Allah's house can be forgiven and shown the true path by the Almighty, then there is great hope of hidayat for an innocent person who has never ever hurt anyone.
Please give us your familial introduction:
I hail from Panipat in the provice of Haryana. I was born on 6th December, 1970 in a Rajput family. Not only was my father an able farmer, he was also the headmaster of a primary school. He was also a very kind soul who believed in kindness to and service of humanity. He hated tyranny of any sort on anyone, no matter who that person was or to which religion he belonged. He had witnessed the riots of 1947 and he used to relay them to us with a heavy and broken heart. He felt that the mass genocide of Muslims was a big blight on the name of the country. He was instrumental in rehabilitating a few of the Muslims left over after partition. He used to take a keen interest in the performance of the Muslim children in his school. My given name was Balbir Singh. After studying at the village school till intermediate, i went on to take admission for higher studies at Panipat. After Mumbai, Panipat is the biggest center of Shiv Sena and its supporters. What is to be noted is that in Panipat it is the young school and college going generation that is held in thrall by this party. Here in Panipat i became friendly with a few Shiv Sainiks, and i also got myself registered with this party in the Panipat division. One thing to be mentioned over here is that there is a lot of hatred in the hearts of youth towards Babur, other Mughal and Muslim kings and the Muslim community in general. They are deliberately taught to hate them from a tender age. When my father came to know that i had joined Shiv Sena, he lovingly tried to talk me out of it. He explained to me in view of history that Babur and specially Aurangzeb Alamgir were very just and honest kings, who had been specially kind to non Muslims. He told me stories of their benevolence towards people of all religious beliefs in the hopes that i will see the error of my ways and leave the party. He also tried to explain to me that it was the British who were responsible for all the wrong tales about these benevolent rulers so that they could weaken the nation and divide and rule us. He relayed to me the horrific stories of how Shiv Sena had been at the forefront of Muslim genocide in 1947, but all to no avail. His pleas fell on deaf ears.
Question: Please tell us about how to came to take part in the demolition of Babri Masjid at the time you were residing at Phalat...
Answer: It goes like this. The year was 1999, and I was given a very responsible role in L.K. Advani's rath yatra of the Panipat chapter. During this rath yatra, hate of Muslims was at an all time high, as the fire of this hatred had been fuelled for this event by our managers in a very effective manner. I vowed on Shiva ji, that even if no one comes to my aid, i will go alone and demolish this structure called Babri Masjid on the place where Ram Mandir should have rightfully been. Because of my performance & passion, i was made the leader of the youth wing of the youth wing of Shiv Sena. With my young team in tow, i went onto Ayodhya. On our way, we were intercepted and stopped in our tracks by the local police. Somehow or the other, me and a few of my friends, escaped and reached Ayodhya. But we were delayed and riots had already started. Even though i tried my level best, i could not reach Babri Masjid. This further inflamed my hatred towards Islam and all that it stood for. Sometimes i wanted to commit suicide and sometimes i wanted to go to Lucknow and assassinate Mulayam Singh Yadav with my own hands. There was rioting going on in the whole country and i was very frustrated that i got the opportunities, but i blew them and could not demolish the Masjid.
Eventually that unfortunate and inauspicious day finally arrived, which at that point in time seemed extremely auspicious to me at that point in time. Me along with a few of my emotionally charged friends, reached Ayodhya. The date was 1st December, 1992. A Jat man from a Punjabi village by the name of Yogendar Pal was also with me. He was a very close friend of mine. His father was a great landlord and humanitarian who tried his utmost to discourage me. He and his elder brother tried their level best to stop his one and only son from this heinous act, but all to no avail. We reached the environs of Babri Masjid before 6th December, and spent the night on the roof of the Muslims' houses who resided there. Frequently the thought used to cross my mind that again we will be deprived of this honorable deed, as we had previously been on 31st October. Many a times i thought that maybe the leaders will backtrack at the last moment so we should go ahead on our own and demolish it ourselves. Uma Bharti gave a passionate speech that sent hate coursing like fire through our veins. Whilst listening to the hate speech, i got down from the roof of the house and with a pick axe in my hand i climbed up on the roof of Babri Masjid. Yogendar Singh was also with me. As soon as Uma Bharti let out the war cry to deal the final blow and demolish the Babri Masjid, I with all my passion and whilst chanting Jai Jai Ram Bhagwan attacked the middle dome of the Masjid with all my strength. In a few minutes the Masjid was demolished and razed to the ground, but before that could happen we had already gotten down. We were ecstatic. After installing the foundation of the Ram temple we bowed down to it and ventured back home with two bricks each of the masjid in our possession, which i showed very happily to my buddies in Panipat. They kept on encouraging and applauding me profusely at my accomplishment. Those bricks were kept in Shiv Sena's office. A meeting was called and my name was announced with a lot of pride at being the first person to attack the mosque with the intention of demolishing it in the name of Ram by the organizations office holders. I went home and announced with pride what i had done. My father got extremely upset and in his grief at what i had done, banished me from the house, saying that, "Either i can live here or you, both of us cannot reside under the same roof after the way you have acted today. I do not want to see the face of the person who has the audacity to demolish the house of the Creator of this universe. Do not show me your face till i die." I had never thought that my father would react in this manner, i even tried to tell him how honoured i had been at Panipat by my organization, to which he reacted that this country will be destroyed at the hands of these beasts and so saying proceeded to leave the house. I requested him not to leave the house as i myself do not want to reside in a house where the lover or Ram is treated so shabbily and is called a beast and cruel. So saying i left my house and came to reside in Panipat.
Please tell us how to came to accept Islam?
Dear brother Ahmed, My Allah is so kind that from the pitch darkness of polytheism and shirk, He guided me towards the light of Islam and Iman. He guided a cruel and undeserving man like me towards light, a man who had demolished his house without any compunction. What happened was that my friend Yogendar brought the bricks from the Mosque and announced in the mike that with luck we have in our possession the bricks from the inexcusable structure built in place of Ram mandir and that all Hindu brothers should come forward and urinate on them. A huge crowd collected and each and every person would come forward and with a lot of venom and resentment would urinate on the bricks. But Allah had to show his power and omnipotence, after four or five days Yogendar lost his mind. He tore away all his clothes and roamed around butt naked. He was the son of a very respectable Landlord in Punjab, in that demented state he would try to tear off his mother's clothes and he would tell his mother to blacken her face and he tried to ensnare her again and again. His father got extremely upset at his behavior. He went to many tantrics and maulanas, again and again he would repent before Allah, give charity but nothing helped. Yogendar's condition kept on worsening. One day Yogendar went out in search of his mother and tried to rape her. His mother raised hue and cry. All his neighbors came to her aid and that is what saved her finally. They got together and tied him up in heavy chains. Yogendar's father vowed to shoot him to death in defense of his honor, when someone told him that in Sonipat there is a madressah in the eidgah, a very accomplished maulana comes to visit over there, and told him to meet up with that maulana as maybe he could help them. If nothing comes of that meeting then he can do whatever he wanted to do with Yogendar. He went to Sonipat, but was told that maulana sahib usually came by the 1st of every month and that he had already left two days back after visiting on the 1st of January. Chaudhary Sahib became dejected at this news and tried to locate a witch doctor, when he was told that the maulana sahib in charge of the madressah also dealt with such cases, but unfortunately he had also left with Maulana sahib. A shopkeeper at Sonipat gave Chaudhary sahib Maulana's Delhi address. He also said that Maulana sahib had promised to visit his place in Delhi the day after. Chaudhary sahib with Yogendar in chains went to the Imam sahib of Bawana, who was the follower of Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui. He had been wanting to meet Maulana sahib for ages but Maulana always used to excuse himself due to some reason or the other. This year Maulana sahib had promised him that he would say the Zuhr prayers with him. Imam sahib told Chaudhary sahib that due to the 6th December 1992 riots, may imams and madressah students had left for their own houses in UP and some of them have still not returned even after a month. So Maulana sahib had come to address this issue on the 1st of the month. Maulana sahib said that had Muslims introduced their non Muslim bretheren to Islam, Masjids and Allah, then this surely would not have happened. He opined that Muslims themselves are responsible for the Shahadat of Babri Masjid and even now if we come to our senses and become aware of our responsibility towards Da'awah then the demolishers of masajids will convert into their builders.
When Yogendar's father, Chaudhary Raghuveer Singh met with the Imam of Bawana, who was perhaps called Maulana Bashir Ahmed, he was still under the influence of his Sheikh's speech. He said to Chaudhary Sahib that i used to do exorcisms, but now our Sheikh Sahib has forbidden us from all that, because in this field there are many quacks, plus we come into contact with many women and liars which is not feasible. He said that your son is not under any supernatural influence, but rather he is cursed by Allah and is facing the wrath of the creator. You have a chance to get him cured. Our Hazrat sahib is coming here day after tomorrow on Wednesday, you can request him for his help in this regard. We are hopeful that your son will be cured. But there is a catch in this and that is that if your son is cured then you will have to accept Islam. Chaudhary Sahib replied that i am willing to do anything for his cure.
On Wednesday, Chaudhary Raghuveer Singh with Yogendar in tow reached Bawana at 8 am. In the afternoon before the advent of Zuhr prayers Maulana Sahib put in an appearance, Yogendar tied up in chains was standing there without a stitch of clothing. Whilst crying Chaudhary Sahib fell at Maulana Sahib's feet and said that I tried to stop this cursed man from this heinous act but he under influence of another went on, Maulana Sahib please forgive me and please save my household. Maulana Sahib tersely told him to raise his head and asked him to relay the whole incident.
He said to Chaudhary Sahib that by destroying the house of the owner of the Universe, The Omniscient and Omnipresent, they have committed a grave sin. We are all the slave of Allah and we are all indirectly a part and parcel of this grievous sin as we did not try to reason with the people why razed the masjid to the ground. Now nothing is in our control. Now you should also repent in front of Allah and ask him for his mercy. He told him that till you ask for forgiveness while we wrap up our event in the masjid. Just concentrate on the Creator's benevolence and appeal to Him that no one except him can take you of of this misery. Chaudary Sahib again fell at Maualna's feet and said that had i been worthy of this, i wouldn't be going through this ordeal. That you are closer to the Creator. Maulana Sahib told him that you have come to me for a cure and i am telling you how to go about it and you should do it. So Chaudhary Sahib agreed and Maulana Sahib requested everyone to pray for Chaudhary Sahib. After the program there was breakfast in the masjid. After breakfast when people began to leave for home and went out of the masjid, what do they see? They see that Yogendar is taking off his father's turban and tying it around his naked body and talking to his father in full control of his faculties and senses. Everyone was overjoyed. Bawana's Imam Sahibs happiness knew no bounds. He reminded Chaudhary Sahib of his commitment to accept Islam and also reminded him that if the Creator can cure your son so easily, he can also make him mad again. He acquiesced and said feelingly that Maulana Sahib my seven generations cannot repay you for what you have done today for me. I am your servant, you can do whatever you like with me. When Maulana Kaleem found out that Imam Sahib had taken such a vow from Chaudhary Sahib, he explained to Imam Sahib that such an act was uncalled for and that no one should be forced into accepting Islam.
When Chaudhary Sahib was about to be taken into the masjid, Yogendar asked, "Where are you going dad?" to which he replied, "To accept Islam." To which Yogendar replied, i have to accept Islam before you and that i have to rebuild Babri Masjid. very happily they went and did wuzu and took Shahadah. Chaudhary Sahib was named Mohammed Usman and Yogendar was named Mohammed Umar. They returned to their village where a small masjid is situated. They went and met the imam sahib of that masjid. Imam sahib told all the Muslims about what had happened and the news of their conversion spread like wildfire. When the news reached extremist Hindus, they called a meeting of all the resourceful people in their community. It was decided in the meeting to kill the father and son at night, because if this was not done then God knows how many Hindus were at risk of losing their faith and Sanskriti. There was also a murtad in this meeting. He came and told Imam Sahib about this decision. The father and son were taken out of the village in the middle of the night. They went straight to Phalat from where they went with the Jamaat for 40 days. Then Yogendar at the suggestion of Ameer sahib did 3 chillas. Later on his mother also accepted Islam. Mohammed Umar got married in Delhi to a girl from a respectable Muslim family. They sold all their land holdings and properties in the village and moved to Delhi where they set up a factory.
I had asked you how you came to Islam, but you told me the story of Yogendar and his family, which was extremely interesting, but i want to know how you came to accept Islam?
My dear brother, it is extremely difficult to separate the story of my acceptance of Islam from that of Yogendar Singh and his family. That was the first episode, now i am going to tell you the second episode of the same story. On 9th March, 1993 my father suddenly died of heart failure, he was suffering from extreme depression because of the demolishing of Babri Masjid and the pivotal role that i had played in it. He used to lament his luck at not having been born in a Muslim family. He thought that had he been born a Muslim, his name would have been amongst the names of those tyrannized and not amongst the tyrants. He advised his family members to not let me come to his funeral. He further requested them to either bury him or to dispose of his remains in the water. He did not want to be cremated like the people of a tyrannical faith. He even said that do not take me to the Hindu Shamshan ghat for my final rites. My family members in line with his wishes, let me know of this unfortunate event after eight days. I was simply heartbroken, after dad's death, the razing of Babri Masjid seemed like a very inhuman and cruel act to me. Thereafter i tail spinned into deep depression. When i used to go home, my mother used to cry bitterly after she recalled my dad and his grief at my acts. She used to complain that you are a very mean and horrible man as you tormented your saintly dad to an early death. After that i stopped going to my house. In June, Mohammed Umar came to meet me in Panipat after coming back from the Jamaat. He relayed his whole story of the acceptance of Islam to me, after which a feeling of impending doom constantly plagued me that some super natural force will visit calamities upon my person. Sorrow at my father's demise coupled with grief of the Shahadah of Babri Masjid rendered me disconsolate and morose. After listening to Mohammed Umar's tale of reversion to Islam, my mental anguish deepened. Umar bhai then insisted that i visit Maulana Sahib on the 23rd pf June who was set to arrive from Sonipat. He encouraged me to spend a few days with him in his company. For peace to my soul i agreed. I was a little late in reaching there, but Umar bhai had already reached there and had already informed Maulana Sahib about the anguished state i was in. Maulana Sahib met me with deep fondness and regard. He said to me that the Creator because of what your encouragement to Yogendar and his acts afterwards, turned him into a demented person, the same could happen to you. and if let's say nothing happens to you in this world, there is still the after world where you have to go and face the wrath of the same Creator and over there it is going to be eternal. You cannot even imagine what might happen to you over there. After one hour in Maulana's company, i was convinced that if i was to avoid any supernatural calamities i will have to accept Islam and submit to Allah. Maulana Sahib was going away on a trip for two days. I asked him if i could spend those two days in his company and he happily agreed. One day we were supposed to go to Haryana and then onto Delhi and Khorja. We reached Phalat after two days and at the end of those two days i was ready to accept Islam wholeheartedly. I informed Umar bhai about my decision and he told Maulana Sahib about it. Alhamdolillah! on 25th June, 1993 after Zuhr prayers, i accepted Islam. Maulana Sahib named me Mohammed Aamir. He advised me to stay at Phalat so that i could learn about Islam and Salat. I told Maulana Sahib about my wife and kids so he arranged for a house for me. I stayed at Phalat for a few months and kept on working on my wife. After three months she also accepted Islam. Alhamdolillah!
What became of your mom?
I told my mom about my acceptance of Islam. She was ecstatic and said that your father must now be finally at peace. She has also accepted Islam this year.
What are your activities nowadays?
I am the principal of an English medium junior high school, which provides Islamic education along with English curriculum.
Abba was saying that you are nowadays trying to revive the abandoned masajid in Punjab and Haryana?
Umar bhai and i have together made this plan of reviving masajid as we have to atone the sin of demolishing his house, and this is the way we have chosen how. We have also decided that we are going to build new masajid. We have divided the workload amongst us, i am going to revive old masajid and Umar bhai is going to build new ones. We have vowed to revive and build a hundred masajid each. Alhamdolillah! till 6th December 2004, thirteen abandoned andor captured masajid have been revived and rehabilitated by my sinful self in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Meerut Cantt. (Till July 2009, 67 masajid had been rehabilitated and 37 had been built). Umar bhai has left me behind, as he has already built 20 new masajid and has already laid the foundation of the 21st one. We also decided to revive an abandoned masjid every year on 6th December, which is the anniversary of the Babri Masjid incident and Umar bhai has to necessarily lay the foundation of a new mosque on this date. Alhamdolillah! we haven't missed even one anniversary without achieving what we set out to achieve. This year we are hoping that our count of revived and new masajids will go up. We have pinpointed eight abandoned masajid and are working fervently for their revival. Umar bhai is not only ahead of me in this kind deed, but he is also responsible for bringing me out from the darkness of kuffar into the light of noor.
What do your family members think of all this?
http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f49/babri-masjid-1527-1992-a-59845/
Ahmed Awwah: Waalaikum assalaam W rehmat Ullah e W barakatoohoo
Question: Master Sahib, for quite some time now it was Abba's standing order to interview you for our magazine Armughan. It is a good thing that you came by yourself, so this his order can be fulfilled.
Answer: Brother Ahmed, you have relayed what was in my heart. I have been wanting to come and contribute to the interviews of reverts in Armughan, not to see my name in print, but for the sake of Da'wah. If the Daie's hear of my journey to Islam, they will be encouraged that there is hope of light even in darkness. If a person like me who had the audacity to take part in the razing of Allah's house can be forgiven and shown the true path by the Almighty, then there is great hope of hidayat for an innocent person who has never ever hurt anyone.
Please give us your familial introduction:
I hail from Panipat in the provice of Haryana. I was born on 6th December, 1970 in a Rajput family. Not only was my father an able farmer, he was also the headmaster of a primary school. He was also a very kind soul who believed in kindness to and service of humanity. He hated tyranny of any sort on anyone, no matter who that person was or to which religion he belonged. He had witnessed the riots of 1947 and he used to relay them to us with a heavy and broken heart. He felt that the mass genocide of Muslims was a big blight on the name of the country. He was instrumental in rehabilitating a few of the Muslims left over after partition. He used to take a keen interest in the performance of the Muslim children in his school. My given name was Balbir Singh. After studying at the village school till intermediate, i went on to take admission for higher studies at Panipat. After Mumbai, Panipat is the biggest center of Shiv Sena and its supporters. What is to be noted is that in Panipat it is the young school and college going generation that is held in thrall by this party. Here in Panipat i became friendly with a few Shiv Sainiks, and i also got myself registered with this party in the Panipat division. One thing to be mentioned over here is that there is a lot of hatred in the hearts of youth towards Babur, other Mughal and Muslim kings and the Muslim community in general. They are deliberately taught to hate them from a tender age. When my father came to know that i had joined Shiv Sena, he lovingly tried to talk me out of it. He explained to me in view of history that Babur and specially Aurangzeb Alamgir were very just and honest kings, who had been specially kind to non Muslims. He told me stories of their benevolence towards people of all religious beliefs in the hopes that i will see the error of my ways and leave the party. He also tried to explain to me that it was the British who were responsible for all the wrong tales about these benevolent rulers so that they could weaken the nation and divide and rule us. He relayed to me the horrific stories of how Shiv Sena had been at the forefront of Muslim genocide in 1947, but all to no avail. His pleas fell on deaf ears.
Question: Please tell us about how to came to take part in the demolition of Babri Masjid at the time you were residing at Phalat...
Answer: It goes like this. The year was 1999, and I was given a very responsible role in L.K. Advani's rath yatra of the Panipat chapter. During this rath yatra, hate of Muslims was at an all time high, as the fire of this hatred had been fuelled for this event by our managers in a very effective manner. I vowed on Shiva ji, that even if no one comes to my aid, i will go alone and demolish this structure called Babri Masjid on the place where Ram Mandir should have rightfully been. Because of my performance & passion, i was made the leader of the youth wing of the youth wing of Shiv Sena. With my young team in tow, i went onto Ayodhya. On our way, we were intercepted and stopped in our tracks by the local police. Somehow or the other, me and a few of my friends, escaped and reached Ayodhya. But we were delayed and riots had already started. Even though i tried my level best, i could not reach Babri Masjid. This further inflamed my hatred towards Islam and all that it stood for. Sometimes i wanted to commit suicide and sometimes i wanted to go to Lucknow and assassinate Mulayam Singh Yadav with my own hands. There was rioting going on in the whole country and i was very frustrated that i got the opportunities, but i blew them and could not demolish the Masjid.
Eventually that unfortunate and inauspicious day finally arrived, which at that point in time seemed extremely auspicious to me at that point in time. Me along with a few of my emotionally charged friends, reached Ayodhya. The date was 1st December, 1992. A Jat man from a Punjabi village by the name of Yogendar Pal was also with me. He was a very close friend of mine. His father was a great landlord and humanitarian who tried his utmost to discourage me. He and his elder brother tried their level best to stop his one and only son from this heinous act, but all to no avail. We reached the environs of Babri Masjid before 6th December, and spent the night on the roof of the Muslims' houses who resided there. Frequently the thought used to cross my mind that again we will be deprived of this honorable deed, as we had previously been on 31st October. Many a times i thought that maybe the leaders will backtrack at the last moment so we should go ahead on our own and demolish it ourselves. Uma Bharti gave a passionate speech that sent hate coursing like fire through our veins. Whilst listening to the hate speech, i got down from the roof of the house and with a pick axe in my hand i climbed up on the roof of Babri Masjid. Yogendar Singh was also with me. As soon as Uma Bharti let out the war cry to deal the final blow and demolish the Babri Masjid, I with all my passion and whilst chanting Jai Jai Ram Bhagwan attacked the middle dome of the Masjid with all my strength. In a few minutes the Masjid was demolished and razed to the ground, but before that could happen we had already gotten down. We were ecstatic. After installing the foundation of the Ram temple we bowed down to it and ventured back home with two bricks each of the masjid in our possession, which i showed very happily to my buddies in Panipat. They kept on encouraging and applauding me profusely at my accomplishment. Those bricks were kept in Shiv Sena's office. A meeting was called and my name was announced with a lot of pride at being the first person to attack the mosque with the intention of demolishing it in the name of Ram by the organizations office holders. I went home and announced with pride what i had done. My father got extremely upset and in his grief at what i had done, banished me from the house, saying that, "Either i can live here or you, both of us cannot reside under the same roof after the way you have acted today. I do not want to see the face of the person who has the audacity to demolish the house of the Creator of this universe. Do not show me your face till i die." I had never thought that my father would react in this manner, i even tried to tell him how honoured i had been at Panipat by my organization, to which he reacted that this country will be destroyed at the hands of these beasts and so saying proceeded to leave the house. I requested him not to leave the house as i myself do not want to reside in a house where the lover or Ram is treated so shabbily and is called a beast and cruel. So saying i left my house and came to reside in Panipat.
Please tell us how to came to accept Islam?
Dear brother Ahmed, My Allah is so kind that from the pitch darkness of polytheism and shirk, He guided me towards the light of Islam and Iman. He guided a cruel and undeserving man like me towards light, a man who had demolished his house without any compunction. What happened was that my friend Yogendar brought the bricks from the Mosque and announced in the mike that with luck we have in our possession the bricks from the inexcusable structure built in place of Ram mandir and that all Hindu brothers should come forward and urinate on them. A huge crowd collected and each and every person would come forward and with a lot of venom and resentment would urinate on the bricks. But Allah had to show his power and omnipotence, after four or five days Yogendar lost his mind. He tore away all his clothes and roamed around butt naked. He was the son of a very respectable Landlord in Punjab, in that demented state he would try to tear off his mother's clothes and he would tell his mother to blacken her face and he tried to ensnare her again and again. His father got extremely upset at his behavior. He went to many tantrics and maulanas, again and again he would repent before Allah, give charity but nothing helped. Yogendar's condition kept on worsening. One day Yogendar went out in search of his mother and tried to rape her. His mother raised hue and cry. All his neighbors came to her aid and that is what saved her finally. They got together and tied him up in heavy chains. Yogendar's father vowed to shoot him to death in defense of his honor, when someone told him that in Sonipat there is a madressah in the eidgah, a very accomplished maulana comes to visit over there, and told him to meet up with that maulana as maybe he could help them. If nothing comes of that meeting then he can do whatever he wanted to do with Yogendar. He went to Sonipat, but was told that maulana sahib usually came by the 1st of every month and that he had already left two days back after visiting on the 1st of January. Chaudhary Sahib became dejected at this news and tried to locate a witch doctor, when he was told that the maulana sahib in charge of the madressah also dealt with such cases, but unfortunately he had also left with Maulana sahib. A shopkeeper at Sonipat gave Chaudhary sahib Maulana's Delhi address. He also said that Maulana sahib had promised to visit his place in Delhi the day after. Chaudhary sahib with Yogendar in chains went to the Imam sahib of Bawana, who was the follower of Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui. He had been wanting to meet Maulana sahib for ages but Maulana always used to excuse himself due to some reason or the other. This year Maulana sahib had promised him that he would say the Zuhr prayers with him. Imam sahib told Chaudhary sahib that due to the 6th December 1992 riots, may imams and madressah students had left for their own houses in UP and some of them have still not returned even after a month. So Maulana sahib had come to address this issue on the 1st of the month. Maulana sahib said that had Muslims introduced their non Muslim bretheren to Islam, Masjids and Allah, then this surely would not have happened. He opined that Muslims themselves are responsible for the Shahadat of Babri Masjid and even now if we come to our senses and become aware of our responsibility towards Da'awah then the demolishers of masajids will convert into their builders.
When Yogendar's father, Chaudhary Raghuveer Singh met with the Imam of Bawana, who was perhaps called Maulana Bashir Ahmed, he was still under the influence of his Sheikh's speech. He said to Chaudhary Sahib that i used to do exorcisms, but now our Sheikh Sahib has forbidden us from all that, because in this field there are many quacks, plus we come into contact with many women and liars which is not feasible. He said that your son is not under any supernatural influence, but rather he is cursed by Allah and is facing the wrath of the creator. You have a chance to get him cured. Our Hazrat sahib is coming here day after tomorrow on Wednesday, you can request him for his help in this regard. We are hopeful that your son will be cured. But there is a catch in this and that is that if your son is cured then you will have to accept Islam. Chaudhary Sahib replied that i am willing to do anything for his cure.
On Wednesday, Chaudhary Raghuveer Singh with Yogendar in tow reached Bawana at 8 am. In the afternoon before the advent of Zuhr prayers Maulana Sahib put in an appearance, Yogendar tied up in chains was standing there without a stitch of clothing. Whilst crying Chaudhary Sahib fell at Maulana Sahib's feet and said that I tried to stop this cursed man from this heinous act but he under influence of another went on, Maulana Sahib please forgive me and please save my household. Maulana Sahib tersely told him to raise his head and asked him to relay the whole incident.
He said to Chaudhary Sahib that by destroying the house of the owner of the Universe, The Omniscient and Omnipresent, they have committed a grave sin. We are all the slave of Allah and we are all indirectly a part and parcel of this grievous sin as we did not try to reason with the people why razed the masjid to the ground. Now nothing is in our control. Now you should also repent in front of Allah and ask him for his mercy. He told him that till you ask for forgiveness while we wrap up our event in the masjid. Just concentrate on the Creator's benevolence and appeal to Him that no one except him can take you of of this misery. Chaudary Sahib again fell at Maualna's feet and said that had i been worthy of this, i wouldn't be going through this ordeal. That you are closer to the Creator. Maulana Sahib told him that you have come to me for a cure and i am telling you how to go about it and you should do it. So Chaudhary Sahib agreed and Maulana Sahib requested everyone to pray for Chaudhary Sahib. After the program there was breakfast in the masjid. After breakfast when people began to leave for home and went out of the masjid, what do they see? They see that Yogendar is taking off his father's turban and tying it around his naked body and talking to his father in full control of his faculties and senses. Everyone was overjoyed. Bawana's Imam Sahibs happiness knew no bounds. He reminded Chaudhary Sahib of his commitment to accept Islam and also reminded him that if the Creator can cure your son so easily, he can also make him mad again. He acquiesced and said feelingly that Maulana Sahib my seven generations cannot repay you for what you have done today for me. I am your servant, you can do whatever you like with me. When Maulana Kaleem found out that Imam Sahib had taken such a vow from Chaudhary Sahib, he explained to Imam Sahib that such an act was uncalled for and that no one should be forced into accepting Islam.
When Chaudhary Sahib was about to be taken into the masjid, Yogendar asked, "Where are you going dad?" to which he replied, "To accept Islam." To which Yogendar replied, i have to accept Islam before you and that i have to rebuild Babri Masjid. very happily they went and did wuzu and took Shahadah. Chaudhary Sahib was named Mohammed Usman and Yogendar was named Mohammed Umar. They returned to their village where a small masjid is situated. They went and met the imam sahib of that masjid. Imam sahib told all the Muslims about what had happened and the news of their conversion spread like wildfire. When the news reached extremist Hindus, they called a meeting of all the resourceful people in their community. It was decided in the meeting to kill the father and son at night, because if this was not done then God knows how many Hindus were at risk of losing their faith and Sanskriti. There was also a murtad in this meeting. He came and told Imam Sahib about this decision. The father and son were taken out of the village in the middle of the night. They went straight to Phalat from where they went with the Jamaat for 40 days. Then Yogendar at the suggestion of Ameer sahib did 3 chillas. Later on his mother also accepted Islam. Mohammed Umar got married in Delhi to a girl from a respectable Muslim family. They sold all their land holdings and properties in the village and moved to Delhi where they set up a factory.
I had asked you how you came to Islam, but you told me the story of Yogendar and his family, which was extremely interesting, but i want to know how you came to accept Islam?
My dear brother, it is extremely difficult to separate the story of my acceptance of Islam from that of Yogendar Singh and his family. That was the first episode, now i am going to tell you the second episode of the same story. On 9th March, 1993 my father suddenly died of heart failure, he was suffering from extreme depression because of the demolishing of Babri Masjid and the pivotal role that i had played in it. He used to lament his luck at not having been born in a Muslim family. He thought that had he been born a Muslim, his name would have been amongst the names of those tyrannized and not amongst the tyrants. He advised his family members to not let me come to his funeral. He further requested them to either bury him or to dispose of his remains in the water. He did not want to be cremated like the people of a tyrannical faith. He even said that do not take me to the Hindu Shamshan ghat for my final rites. My family members in line with his wishes, let me know of this unfortunate event after eight days. I was simply heartbroken, after dad's death, the razing of Babri Masjid seemed like a very inhuman and cruel act to me. Thereafter i tail spinned into deep depression. When i used to go home, my mother used to cry bitterly after she recalled my dad and his grief at my acts. She used to complain that you are a very mean and horrible man as you tormented your saintly dad to an early death. After that i stopped going to my house. In June, Mohammed Umar came to meet me in Panipat after coming back from the Jamaat. He relayed his whole story of the acceptance of Islam to me, after which a feeling of impending doom constantly plagued me that some super natural force will visit calamities upon my person. Sorrow at my father's demise coupled with grief of the Shahadah of Babri Masjid rendered me disconsolate and morose. After listening to Mohammed Umar's tale of reversion to Islam, my mental anguish deepened. Umar bhai then insisted that i visit Maulana Sahib on the 23rd pf June who was set to arrive from Sonipat. He encouraged me to spend a few days with him in his company. For peace to my soul i agreed. I was a little late in reaching there, but Umar bhai had already reached there and had already informed Maulana Sahib about the anguished state i was in. Maulana Sahib met me with deep fondness and regard. He said to me that the Creator because of what your encouragement to Yogendar and his acts afterwards, turned him into a demented person, the same could happen to you. and if let's say nothing happens to you in this world, there is still the after world where you have to go and face the wrath of the same Creator and over there it is going to be eternal. You cannot even imagine what might happen to you over there. After one hour in Maulana's company, i was convinced that if i was to avoid any supernatural calamities i will have to accept Islam and submit to Allah. Maulana Sahib was going away on a trip for two days. I asked him if i could spend those two days in his company and he happily agreed. One day we were supposed to go to Haryana and then onto Delhi and Khorja. We reached Phalat after two days and at the end of those two days i was ready to accept Islam wholeheartedly. I informed Umar bhai about my decision and he told Maulana Sahib about it. Alhamdolillah! on 25th June, 1993 after Zuhr prayers, i accepted Islam. Maulana Sahib named me Mohammed Aamir. He advised me to stay at Phalat so that i could learn about Islam and Salat. I told Maulana Sahib about my wife and kids so he arranged for a house for me. I stayed at Phalat for a few months and kept on working on my wife. After three months she also accepted Islam. Alhamdolillah!
What became of your mom?
I told my mom about my acceptance of Islam. She was ecstatic and said that your father must now be finally at peace. She has also accepted Islam this year.
What are your activities nowadays?
I am the principal of an English medium junior high school, which provides Islamic education along with English curriculum.
Abba was saying that you are nowadays trying to revive the abandoned masajid in Punjab and Haryana?
Umar bhai and i have together made this plan of reviving masajid as we have to atone the sin of demolishing his house, and this is the way we have chosen how. We have also decided that we are going to build new masajid. We have divided the workload amongst us, i am going to revive old masajid and Umar bhai is going to build new ones. We have vowed to revive and build a hundred masajid each. Alhamdolillah! till 6th December 2004, thirteen abandoned andor captured masajid have been revived and rehabilitated by my sinful self in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Meerut Cantt. (Till July 2009, 67 masajid had been rehabilitated and 37 had been built). Umar bhai has left me behind, as he has already built 20 new masajid and has already laid the foundation of the 21st one. We also decided to revive an abandoned masjid every year on 6th December, which is the anniversary of the Babri Masjid incident and Umar bhai has to necessarily lay the foundation of a new mosque on this date. Alhamdolillah! we haven't missed even one anniversary without achieving what we set out to achieve. This year we are hoping that our count of revived and new masajids will go up. We have pinpointed eight abandoned masajid and are working fervently for their revival. Umar bhai is not only ahead of me in this kind deed, but he is also responsible for bringing me out from the darkness of kuffar into the light of noor.
What do your family members think of all this?
Other than my mother, i have an older brother whose wife expired four years back. He got married after me. He has four young kids & one of those kids is handicapped. Our sister in law was an exemplary lady and she was very good to my brother. My brother went to pieces after she died. My wife served these children well and took good care of them after my sister in law died. My elder brother is a very kind hearted and simple soul. He was very impressed at the way my wife served his kids. I invited him to Islam, but because he thought i wasn't a good person, he refused. An idea came to my mind, i told my wife that i will divorce you and you after your iddat get married to my brother after he accepts Islam, it will pave the way for nijaat for both you and my brother. She got offended and refused point blank, but i kept on talking to her and finally convinced her. Then i went and discussed this matter with my older brother, i told him that your children are young and they need a mother's love, so i think that you should get married to my wife after i divorce her. He also got offended and said that what will people say? But finally i convinced him too and I divorced my wife. After iddat, my brother recited the Shahadah and his nikah was done with her. My kids and their own kids are living with them and they are very happy together. Alhamdolillah!
You are alone now?
At Maulana Sahibs encouragement, i married a lady who has just reverted to Islam. It would have been difficult for her to get married as she wasn't very young. She and i are also happy together.
Would you like to give a message to the readers of Armughan?
It is my request to every Muslim to recognize why they have been put on this earth and to realize what their true aim in life is. They should consider Islam a precious deposit that belongs to all humanity and it should be returned to the depositors. If all the Shiv Senics, Bajrang Dallis and Hindus knew about the reality of Islam, that what is Islam? Who is a true Muslim? What is in the Quran? And what is a masjid? Then they would definitely think of building a masjid, what they wouldn't even dream of is demolishing one. I am sure that if people like Bal Thackeray, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katyar and Ashok Sanghal found out about the reality of Islam, and if they found out that Islam is also our religion and it is necessary for us, then they too would invest themselvs in the reconstruction of Babri Masjid. Ahmed bhai some people are famous for their hate of Muslims, but amongst Hindus these people are not in a majority. Majority are like my father who are humanitarian by nature and like the Islamic principals form the depths of their heart and soul. Ahmed bhai my father was by nature a Muslim, but because no one invited him to Islam, he left this world as a kaafir, i think that this was a grave injustice to both my father and me. It is true that no one can be more unjust and cruel than me, a person who razed the Babri masjid to the ground, but i think that those Muslims who did not invite my father to Islam are not less. Because of their negligence my father is doomed to hell fire for all eternity. When at night i remember that my father has gone on kuffar, i cannot sleep with the anguish that is caused me by this fact for nights on end. So much so, that i have to take sleeping aids.
http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f49/babri-masjid-1527-1992-a-59845/
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