“Today Miss Elizabeth came wearing a scarf to school. She informed us that she converted to Islam!” Ali broke out the news flash of the day at the family dining table.
“Really? And what was she wearing?” Samra Apa inquired curiously.
“Uhhh… I think some black gown,” Ali focused on his freshly sliced pizza oozing with cheese.
“Courageous woman! It is a huge change from skirts to gowns,” Samra Apa commented, raising her eyebrows and recalling the time when she had begun donning the Hijab.
“Did she share why she changed her faith?” Dad asked Ali, who was trying to dodge mom’s watchful eyes and pick out the mushrooms that he disliked.
“Yeah! She said that she was very surprised by the kind and just treatment of the school’s Muslim principal. Also, she was impressed to see how Muslims responded to the five daily prayers, despite being busy like the rest of the world.” Ali served himself a second slice, absolutely enjoying his dinner.
Mom commented: “It generally takes one person to change the way you look at things. As Muslims, we either bring the disbelievers closer to Allah (swt) or make them run away from Islam.”
“But how is that?” Samra Apa objected. “I mean if someone drives the Mercedes car and rams it into another car, you will blame the driver, not the Mercedes company. Likewise, if Muslims misbehave in any way, Islam should not be blamed for it.”
“It is the case, my dear,” Dad replied, “that reminds me of an interesting story I read about the Indian sub-continent, before Pakistan was made. It was about Major Massey, who was posted to Attock Fort in undivided India.”
“Tell us, please!” Samra Apa loved stories. Ali was busy with his third slice and tried to sound enthusiastic in between his bites. “Yes… Dad… go ahead.”
Dad smiled: “Well, one afternoon, in the sultry heat of June, Major Massey was busy working on a report. He had skipped his lunch, and it was two o’clock in the afternoon, when he looked out of the window and ntoiced an Indian soldier.
The soldier’s back was laden with a sack of bricks. He was being driven around the ground like an animal under the burning sun. The soldier was undergoing a punishment by order of his commanding officer. When he slackened, the Sikh sentry lashed his back, urging the soldier to pick up speed again.
After an hour, the soldier was let off for some time. He immediately went to the water tap, rinsed his mouth, face, arms and feet, but did not drink a single sip of water. Next, he headed to offer his midday prayer on the scorching ground. Major Massey admired the soldier’s courage and stamina.
He got up and enquired the reason for the soldier’s punishment, as he seemed a man of wonder and dignity. The major ordered for the soldier to be brought to him at once.
When the soldier entered to meet Major Massey, he asked him about the offence he was being punished for. “I was late to the parade by a few minutes; hence, I was punished by my commander.” Muslims in India were inflicted with the severest of punishments by some prejudiced officers. The major continued: “Weren’t you thirsty after such a hot and harsh day? You didn’t drink even a sip of water!”
“Sir, I am a human being. I was dying of thirst, but currently we are observing the holy month of Ramadan, so I cannot eat or drink from sunrise to sunset, as part of our worship of God.”
“But you could have had a few sips; nobody was watching,” Major Massey insisted.
“Allah (swt) is watching! I would give away my life rather than disobey Him,” the soldier reasoned.
“And you decided not to rest in any shady spot when offered a break?” the Major further asked.
“Sir, Salah (prayer) is the first article of faith, and if I had rested, I would have missed it. That would mean earning God’s anger. For me, duty to Allah (swt) is more important than personal ease.”
The Major was shocked by the thoughts of this soldier.
“Dad, what happened next?” Ali was done with his pizza, so his interest in the story finally peaked.
“Well, Major Massey was impacted in a very strange way. He kept thinking about the soldier back at home. He stopped going to his social club, lost interest in his military duties and started to think about the meaning of life. His colleagues wondered what had gone wrong with him. After a week, Major Massey took four days off from duty and headed to the Rawalpindi bookshops. He bought dozens of books on Islam and a few chapters of the Quran translated in English.
After returning to Attock, he kept reading about Islam. Finally he was convinced that Islam was the true religion. On a Friday, he bathed himself and headed to the Masjid for the Friday congregation. Before the Khutbah, the major stepped forward and pronounced his desire to accept Islam. The Imam and the worshippers fell silent in absolute surprise. Once he had uttered his Shahadah and the Imam had educated the major about the articles of his new faith, everyone shouted Takbeer and embraced him in sheer joy.”
“Wow! That must have been a sight! But what happened to his job?” Samra Apa asked.
“Nothing pleasant. The news of his conversion to Islam spread like wild fire. Major Massey’s belt and badges were taken away in front of the entire garrison. He was ordered to stay in his bungalow. Later, he was court-martialed and charged with ‘Bara Pathar’ meaning ‘you are fired.’”
“That’s terrible! And how unjust!” Mom protested.
“Yes, indeed. With just a few hundred Rupees in his pocket and the clothes he was wearing, the major was sent to Lahore. His possessions were taken away from him. In Lahore, Major Massey did not know anybody. He stayed locked up out of sadness in a small room of Braganza hotel. Most of all, he missed his books. After many days, he met the Principal of Islamia College Allama Abdullah Yusuf Ali, who helped him out. The major was introduced to the Nawab of Bahawalpur state, who put him in charge of his military services. He rose to become Colonel Massey, and his army was considered to be the best. He even got married to a noble widow.”
“Did he die fighting?” Ali asked.
“No, he fell ill and died in 1934. He was buried as an honourable Muslim. His grave is still in Bahawalpur,” Dad concluded.
Who had imagined that one fine soldier will bring a high ranking British major to Islam. And no one knows this soldier but Allah (swt). How much will he be rewarded for his great deed on the Day of Judgement! Just imagine what his meeting with Allah (swt) would be like!
Today, we are the soldiers of Islam. Can we show Islam’s beauty to the world through our good deeds? Think about it.
About author
