M. G. Kapahy

: Sultan, a tailor by profession, lived alone in an outhouse near our residence. One night he came to our house in an autorickshaw after suffering a serious road accident. I took him to a hospital where the doctors attended to his fractures and wounds. But Sultan was in a very bad shape and it was clear that my house was the only place where he could be brought to. Reaching there, he was made to lie down on a bed. But then came my real dilemma — breaking the news to my mother. Back in our village, she had many Muslim ladies as her friends, but she had her own socio-religious beliefs. So it was better that she be informed of the situation. And on hearing the news, she shouted, “But he is a Musalman... How can we share our utensils with him?” “I shall throw him out,” I replied. She paused for a while and spoke reflectively, “No, no, my son, it will be mahapaap. After all, he is a sharnagar (come to us for refuge).” Then she went to Sultan’s bedside and blessed him. Later, I asked mother, “If you can be so good to Sultan, why that fuss about the utensils?” She replied, “We are bound by wrong religious sanskars. I am happy that you are free people.”

Sultan was able to stand on his feet after one month. He shed tears of gratitude on my mother’s shoulders. Then he requested my wife to take him to the famous Hanuman temple near our house the next Tuesday. I reminded him that Islam does not allow idol worship and he should not go there. He argued, “I do not know much of Islam but when I pass the road facing the temple, I see lines of people waiting for their turns in the scorching heat and pouring rain. After all, there must be some ghaibi taqat (hidden power) there. Moreover, I had vowed to go there when I was able to walk.” I assured him that we would both visit the temple and pray to the deity. As Allah is all merciful, He would accept it. Thus, the inner voice of two illiterate people told us that humanity is above all religious dogmas.

editor@expressindia.com