Heart and Soul of the Struggle – Syed Ali Geelani
Syed Ali Geelani: A Bright Example of Resilience
How can I possibly express my gratitude to the venerable Syed Ali Geelani, who always reminded me of forgotten lessons during difficult times? Whenever my heart was troubled, I would immediately reach out to him on the phone. His words, like pearls of wisdom, would soothe my distressed soul, and each time, I was left in awe of his boundless knowledge. Now, wrapped in the Pakistani flag, he rests beneath layers of earth, undoubtedly rejoicing in eternal success in Paradise, as a reward for his loyalty. In his absence, I find solace in reading the messages he sent me, quenching the thirst of my heart.
Just three days ago, I had the opportunity to attend an important conference where the struggles and sacrifices of freedom heroes were discussed. When the conversation turned to the valiant Syed Ali Geelani, I felt a long-lost dawn breaking again. The freshness of that morning light seemed to penetrate my heart, and I offered a prayer of gratitude. It felt as though all the burdens of my soul had been washed away, and the once-faltering words stood in line, smiling and waiting for their turn to be spoken. They appeared eager, ready to embrace me warmly, and as my narrative unfolded with love, they pierced my heart like a spear, without hesitation.
All of this was because of an elderly, ailing man with a white beard, whom I had met years ago in the holy city of Mecca. Not only did we meet, but I had the honor of hosting him for three weeks. After that encounter, the desire to meet him again kept my heart restless for years, even though I knew that in this lifetime, my wish might never be fulfilled. Despite this, I remained in contact with him either over the phone or indirectly throughout my life.
Syed Ali Geelani, who, before embarking on his journey of struggle, made a covenant with his Lord:
قُلۡ اِنَّ صَلَاتِیۡ وَ نُسُکِیۡ وَ مَحۡیَایَ وَ مَمَاتِیۡ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ
Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (Qur’an, 6:162)
He spent most of the precious years of his life in the jails crafted by the cunning Indian Hindu rulers and, for years, endured house arrest. Despite all the tortures, he remained steadfast in his devotion to his Lord, who has promised such servants in the Qur’an:
یٰۤاَیَّتُہَا النَّفۡسُ الۡمُطۡمَئِنَّۃُ ،ارۡجِعِیۡۤ اِلٰی رَبِّکِ رَاضِیَۃً مَّرۡضِیَّۃً ، فَادۡخُلِیۡ فِیۡ عِبٰدِیۡ، وَ ادۡخُلِیۡ جَنَّتِیۡ
[To the righteous it will be said], “O reassured soul, Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], And enter among My [righteous] servants, And enter My Paradise.”
(Qur’an, 89:27-30)
In the last decade of his life, where he faced complete isolation with all communication channels cut off, even his children’s lives were made miserable. His home was repeatedly targeted with rockets, and countless plots were hatched to erase him from the hearts and minds of the people. Yet, he only became dearer to the hearts and souls of the people. Every effort to break, threaten, or buy him off was met with fresh resolve. Without fear, and disregarding any danger, he continued moving towards his goal, rejecting despair at every turn. Finally, this oppressed soul, under house arrest in the besieged city of Srinagar, departed to meet his Lord. The so-called largest democracy in the world was so terrified of this elderly man that they imposed a curfew and even forbade his funeral prayer. They ordered the removal of the Pakistani flag from his body, and in defiance of his will, he was not allowed to be buried in the Martyrs’ Graveyard. But history witnessed that those who loved him all over the world performed his funeral prayers in absentia, shedding tears. I saw hundreds of people weeping bitterly, who had never seen him, nor had they ever had the honor of speaking with him directly.
Before the restrictions, this warrior was denied the permission to offer Friday prayers in the mosque for years, and he was not allowed to participate in any joyous or sorrowful occasions of his loved ones or friends. A conspiracy was in place to keep him away from the people of Kashmir. Yet, despite all this suffering and hardship, he stood tall with such dignity and resolve that greatness rained down upon him. At his mere call, the men and women, the youth of Kashmir, considered it their sacred duty to stand before bullets.
Not to mention others, even a time came when the Jamaat-e-Islami of occupied Kashmir refused to support him, and the Hurriyat Conference was asked to separate him and give leadership to someone else from the Jamaat. But with remarkable courage, yet with utmost patience, he continued on his path. The son of a labourer from Srinagar, who, in his youthful vigor, chose a path for himself and followed it straight throughout his life, never wavering at any moment. Looking at him, one couldn’t help but marvel; hearing about him, one’s heart would involuntarily pray for his long life, and upon reflection, one would begin to understand the meaning of the prayer, “Guide us on the straight path.” Throughout his life, he refused to bow to lies and deceit, and no one could ever provoke him.
He knew that the path ahead was both arduous and lengthy, yet he remained steadfast in his priorities and goals. He had uncovered a truth that many leaders in the Muslim world still remain unaware of: that in the long and testing trials of life, success and failure are not the most important factors; what truly matters are sincerity of intention and excellence in action. Man is responsible for the struggle, not the outcome; the result is in Allah’s hands.
Initially, he stood against his own party’s leadership. Despite the long years of struggle and countless sacrifices, nothing could exhaust him. He called upon the party workers, who saw their trust in him as a part of their mission, a life where there was no place for vanity, hypocrisy, or self-interest. Applying all his moral pressure, he successfully brought about a change in the party’s leadership. Then, he rose against the compromised leadership of the Hurriyat Conference—a single individual standing against multiple leaders and factions who, forgetting Pakistan, were inclined towards negotiations with India, fully aware of who had persuaded them to do so.
There was a time when a noble ruler of Andalusia appeared in his newly constructed palace, accompanied by courtiers, where a golden dome glittered above. When others had praised it, he turned to Judge Saeed. “The devil rides you, O King,” the judge said, “for buildings are not made of gold.” There was silence between heaven and earth, hearts pounding with fear and anxiety. When the king finally spoke, he said, “Saeed is not called the conscience of Spain for no reason. Let the dome be brought down.”
Sometimes, a lone individual rises and transforms the entire scene. Ali Gilani was not an angel. Let us concede, even for a moment, that he may have had his biases and made flawed decisions. It is not necessary to agree with every opinion or action of his, nor is there any justification for doubting the intentions of those who differ. Perhaps their reasoning leads them to follow the path they do, given the altered, unfavourable circumstances and the mountainous obstacles before them. Yet this elderly dervish proved to be different. He was a man of conviction, and a man of conviction never wilts or despairs. He rises above his own self and sacrifices everything for a higher purpose. Nations are blessed with such individuals as a gift, and no amount of opposition can sway them from their path. That is why he became a successful symbol of the struggle for freedom.
Syed Ali Gilani eventually overcame the compromised leadership of the Hurriyat Conference and the conspiracies of Indians and cunning Americans lurking behind them. This occurred at a time when the entire colonial force was bent on isolating the Kashmiris, and when the Pakistani government was exhausted, with other institutions having lost their way. When Shah Mahmood Qureshi, as Foreign Minister, began collaborating with the Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz under American influence to partition Kashmir, even arranging a special meeting between Mirwaiz and Asif Zardari in Washington, it was this same brave man, Syed Gilani, who timely exposed the conspiracy. As always, with the help of the Kashmiris, he prevented this nefarious plan from succeeding. During that time, when I spoke with him on the phone, he expressed his concern about the Pakistani rulers’ eagerness to forge closer ties with India. He also lamented how India, which was raising a clamour over the Mumbai attacks, was simultaneously creating constant and serious threats to Pakistan’s security by carrying out terrorist activities through its agents in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi, and other major cities of Pakistan, while the Pakistani government was desperate to befriend them. I deeply felt the anguish in his voice, and it is tragic to note that the fall of Kashmir also occurred during the tenure of Imran Khan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
There is now an urgent need to hold those responsible for the fall of Kashmir accountable through a thorough investigation, to assure the Kashmiris that they will never be let down again by their advocates, and to make it clear to the international community that the ruthless Modi is attempting to alter the demographic composition of Kashmir under the guise of a bloody campaign. If a volcanic eruption of war were to break out in the region, it would lead to devastation not only in South Asia but also potentially trigger a global conflict. This is because there is intense concern and anger over the situation in Kashmir not just in Pakistan but in other Muslim countries as well. Moreover, the killing of a Khalistani Sikh in Canada by Modi’s fascist regime has exposed India’s ugly face to the world.
After the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, India adopted the same strategy to annex Kashmir that Israel once used to occupy Palestine: first, a few Israelis settled in Palestine, then they began to increase their population, buying land and property from the local Palestinians at exorbitant prices. Initially, they enticed them, then rapidly started acquiring more and more land at inflated prices, ultimately establishing dominance over most Palestinian areas. This is exactly the method India has now adopted in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. The Indian army enters homes without permission and abducts whoever they wish, especially young men, labelling them as freedom fighters. After a few days, their tortured bodies are found in distant areas. Similarly, Muslim women are abducted from their homes, subjected to rape, and either killed or left in extremely dire conditions in remote areas. The routine of setting homes on fire, looting, and vandalism has become a daily occurrence. International media is being kept away from Kashmir. Modi has decided to crush the freedom movement with the barrel of a gun. The Modi government, having been stunned by the surge of freedom fervour among the youth following Burhan Wani’s martyrdom, has detained more than fifteen thousand young people, sending them to torture centers, including over two thousand women.
Let me share a brief hadith: “The Muslims of India will first wage war against the infidels of India and will capture their leaders and nobles, then they will assist the son of Mary in Syria.” It seems that Pakistan’s destiny or fate has already been determined. No matter what you do, it is now up to you whether you choose to stand firm against the fierce opposition or align with the hypocritical sympathizers. No matter what the opponents do, no matter how much they exert themselves, the unchangeable decisions of fate cannot be altered. The conditions in the region are being manipulated to ignite such a conflict between Pakistan and India that could lead to a full-scale war, fulfilling the prophecy of my Prophet ﷺ. The second part of the hadith, referring to going to Syria, implies a foretelling of a complete war with Israel. When and how this moment will arrive is currently difficult to determine, but it is a certainty that it will happen, whether in our time or in the future generations, because the author of the divine book has already informed us of this truth. The One who wrote it has sworn by time and warned us, and all the events unfolding in the world bear witness to the fact that my Lord never breaks His promises, and when He commands “Be,” it immediately becomes so.
My respect and salutations go to Syed Ali Geelani, his thoughts, and his movement from a common Pakistani. Through his actions, he has wiped away all our despair. He has kindled a blazing torch for us that reaches the heavens and has reminded us that the future of humanity does not lie in the hands of Satan and his agents who spread hopelessness, but rather in the hands of Allah, who is the Lord of hope. His book unequivocally declares:
الَیۡسَ اللّٰہُ بِکَافٍ عَبۡدَہٗ ؕوَیُخَوِّفُوۡنَکَ بِالَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ ؕ وَمَنۡ یُّضۡلِلِ اللّٰہُ فَمَا لَہٗ مِنۡ ہَادٍ،وَ مَنۡ یَّہۡدِ اللّٰہُ فَمَالَہٗ مِنۡ مُّضِلٍّ ؕ اَلَیۡسَ اللّٰہُ بِعَزِیۡزٍ ذِی انۡتِقَامٍ:
Is not Allah sufficient for His Servant [Prophet Muhammad]? And [yet], they threaten you with those [they worship] other than Him. And whoever Allah leaves astray – for him there is no guide.
I have just returned from a special meeting with the European Union’s Human Rights Group. During this conference, in a private meeting with human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Watchdog, Human Rights International, Anti-Slavery International, and Global Rights, when I informed them of the atrocities being committed against Kashmiris, I realized that all these organizations not only acknowledge the human rights violations and other injustices against Kashmiris but also take pride in their resilience. They have once again assured their active engagement in the restoration of Kashmiri rights.
Mr. Syed, you have become immortal through your character and actions, and you have shown the path to those who come after you, a path where even if life is lost, it is not a costly sacrifice. Thank you so much, for your mention will always remind us of the forgotten lessons.