JANNAT: MILITANCY TO HUMANITY
In 1994, when Pakistan was hit by malaria, my father died enroute to hospital due to lack of transport facility. I had to burn midnight oil to be able to bring a single piece of bread on the table for my family. My saviour, our maulana sahb came to the rescue and provided twenty thousand in cash for the family to relieve me of these sundry responsibilities so that I could pursue the higher will of the alomighty. I was depressed and at the bottom most phase possible in life. I had no will to survive and no spiritual guidance what so ever. My education was as good as nothing and my direction lost. In the holy words of the holy book I found meaning and purpose. Under the able leadership of mawalana sahb I found direction and the way. Amongst our brother mulana I realised our significance and the reason for our existence. All those years of struggle made sense and now the path of jihad lay open in front of me.
“The path of jihad is not an easy one, but certainly the most holiest pursuits of all possible in this godforsaken world of kafirs. The man has deviated from the guided path of righteousness and has started to choose an easier wrong over the difficult right. A Mujahid is the chosen warrior of the almighty who under the able guidance of our prophet (SAW) – peace be upon him – wages the much needed war against kafirs and shaitans to implement the will of the lord. This pursuit demands sacrifices of love, comfort and self if need be, to achieve the greater good. It’s not one made for all and hence only the most able children of the almighty are chosen for this crucial mission when their time comes. Our brothers and sisters need saving, and it’s the Mujahid who takes upon himself the burden of responsibility, in the name of the lord, by sacrificing his all and avenging the wrong. If victory is achieved, this world is theirs to rule, and if shahadat is attained, they are bestowed with the highest position in jannat, with 72 angels at their service and all the luxuries heavenly possible under their feet”.
“Our brothers in the burning land of Kashmir are tortured every day. Their women are raped on a daily basis by the occupier hindutva forces. They have been praying for this tyranny to be elevated or for this miserable life to come to an end at once. Their voices are being suppressed and their freedom snatched away. They are not even allowed to offer namaz when they bow their head in sajda to pray to the
lord. The mosques have been shut down and brought to the ground or burnt to ashes. We, the chosen and tested ones, most precious sons of the lord, are the only hope they have got now”. This sermon given by our Maulana sahab echoed in my ears constantly and had occupied my mind completely.
Our 6 months of training at the camp showcased us videos of wrongdoings on our brothers. We were given training in handling of the AK-47s , grenades, RPGs, jungle survival and everything else that was going to help us be the warrior we were supposed to be. On the culminating day of our training, maulana sahb recited a verse on top of his voice culminating with his ferocious roar of Naara – e – takbeer, and in middle distance in front of us we saw a fellow mujahideen brother jumping off the cliff roaring in continuation – Allah – hu – Akbar ! – on top of his voice. This was just a small example of the struggle, belief and sacrifice when need be, that was expected out of us on the path of this holiest pursuits of all.
The final day had arrived. We started our journey from the launch pad in the middle of the cold foggy night and were helped by the Pak rangers to successfully infiltrate the battlefield. The hell rained fire upon us, flying bullets and arty shelling filled the air. As we dodged death in form of mine fields and bullets to bypass the Indian army and enter the lands of our troubled brothers facing tyranny, through the beautiful mountain ranges of Kashmir, we were successful in infiltrating safely. After crossing the line of control and entering the foothills, we took our first halt to thank the Almighty for keeping us safe. As we were preparing to offer namaz, and the first light had barely managed to escape the horizon, the peaceful sounds of a hundred Fajr fell in our ears.
For once confused if we were in Azad Kashmir or “the troubled one”, we exchanged a distressed look in each other’s eyes. If the masjids have been brought down to ashes, how is this sound of holy verses flowing in from all direction imaginable in strength un-countable? What we saw was exactly opposite to what was preached by the maulana, we felt cheated. Was it the independence we were fighting for, then how is it possible to hear Azan here. We saw all the villagers happy and moving to mosques to offer their Namaz to the Almighty. Upon overlooking into
the peaceful life of the beautiful villages from these hills, one thing that we realised was affirmative – we were mere pawns, of a larger game and an even larger business. Killing or dying isn’t difficult, it’s just a trigger pull away. What’s difficult contrarily is, surviving, by living a life of struggle on the difficult yet righteous path. Killing the demons of lust, greed and power within, is the true jihad that the holy prophet (SAW) spoke of. Inquiring about the nearest police station, we chose the difficult right over the easier wrong and surrendered, only to lead a peaceful and humane life in this jannat named Kashmir that lay ahead of us.
– Maj Jayant Charan
