By Mufaddal Yamani – itswhatifeel53.wordpress.com
Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state of Gujarat. It is also the largest resting place for for the martyrs of the Dawoodi Bohra Community. Enter any cemetery in Mazar e Qutbi and you will see rows upon rows of graves marked with red stars. The red symbolizes the blood of the martyr and the star symbolizes the shining example set by them in upholding their faith in the face of persecution and tyranny. The greatest of these martyrs is Syedna Qutubkhan Qutbuddin ShaheedRA, the 32nd Dai al Mutlaq who defended his faith and protected mumeneen against the relentless assaults of Aurangzeb and his minions.
Syedna QutbuddinRA was the son of Syedna Dawood bin QutubshahRA, the 27th Dai al Mutlaq, who had prophesized his martyrdom when Syedna QutbuddinRA was still an infant. Syedna DawoodRA, after whom the Dawoodi Bohra community came to be known, worked tirelessly to hold the community together against internal conflict. He led the community with such dignity that the great Emperor Akbar issued a royal decree, declaring Syedna DawoodRA as the true leader of the community and the upholder of the faith of Islam.
Syedna QutbuddinRA carried his father’s legacy forward when he succeed as the 32nd Dai al Mutlaq. He led the community when the tyranny of Aurangzeb was at its peak. As the governor of Gujarat, Aurangzeb’s religious intolerance had become official policy. And, under the influence of his orthodox adviser Abdul Gawi, he turned his attention towards the Dawoodi Bohra community.
Abdul Gawi leveled allegations of heresy and bid’at against Syedna QutbuddinRA, but wasn’t able to gather evidence to prove any of these falsehoods. In his desperation, he ordered the arrest of Syedna QutbuddinRA and confiscated all his religious texts.
When Shah Begh arrived to arrest Syedna QutbuddinRA, his daughter Ajab Busaheba asked him to leave the house from the back door. His Hudood and ayaan beseeched him to go into hiding like his father Syedna DawoodRA had done. But, Syedna QutbuddinRA refused, saying that it was his duty to defend mumeneen and at this time the most appropriate response was to surrender in order to protect mumeneen from retribution.
As Shah Begh was leaving with Syenda QutbuddinRA and his successor Syedna FeerkhanRA, mumeneen gathered in their hundreds in hopes to prevent SyednaRA from being arrested. They waited for hours outside the prison, making pleas to the authorities. But, as the night grew darker and their hopes started to fade, SyednaRA asked them to return to their homes and pray to Allah to deliver them from these difficult circumstances. Heartbroken and petrified, mumeneen returned to their homes in hopes of commencing their efforts anew the next day.
Abdul Gawi had gathered scholars from the entire province to go through Syedna’sRA texts and find something that could be used to implicate him for heresy. But all their efforts were in vain. In a last-ditch effort, he summoned Syedna QutbuddinRA to Aurangzeb’s court and ordered him to confess in exchange for a pardon.
SyednaRA roared in open court “I am not a rafzi, nor were my forefathers. We are truly upon the sunnat of Prophet Muhammed. I declare that there is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his messenger. I read the Quran, I offer daily prayers, give zakat, fast in the holy month of Ramadan, and perform hajj to the Bayt al-Allah. I am a Muslim. How is my blood legal for you to shed?”
As word of Syedna’sRA hearing in court reached mumeneen, they gathered outside in hopes that Syedna QutbuddinRA would be freed and return back with them. They had prepared commemorative meals and drinks to celebrate Syedna’sRA victorious return. They were hoping to see his radiant face and offer him their congratulations.
But Abdul Gawi had turned to treachery and deceit to implicate SyednaRA. He forced a group of the city’s elite to sign a false declaration against SyednaRA and placed it before a judge. But the judge refused to pass an order without in person testimony from SyednaRA or his close ones.
Abdul Gawi summoned 2 young children from Syedna’sRA household and promised them his freedom if they confessed that SyednaRA was a rafzi. The young children, in hope of freeing SyednaRA, bore false witness. But, when the judge heard their testimonies, he passed the order for execution, thus laying the grounds for Syedna’sRA shahadat.
When the order of execution was delivered to Shah Begh, he went to Syedna Qutbuddin’sRA cell and said “Come on, o Shaikh! You have been granted shahadat!” At that time, there was a mumin shaikh with syedna in the cell. Hearing Shah Begh’s call he stood towards him, as he too was a shaikh he hoped to offer himself for execution and save SyednaRA. But, Shah Begh cast him aside and said “Not you. Move aside and send Shaikh Qutub!”
Hearing Shah Begh’s command, Syedna QutbuddinRA conferred nass on Syedna Feerkhan ShujauddinRA. He offered prayers of gratitude and then calmly proceeded as commanded. Shah Begh turned to the executioner and he placed the sword on Syedna’sRA neck. With the swing of his sword he separated Syedna’sRA head from his body. The other officials standing around started banging Syedna’sRA severed head on the ground and stomped his lifeless body with their feet.
When the news of Syedna’sRA execution reached mumeneen, a wave of grief and mourning overcame the community. Their hopes of celebration were turned into bereavement and sorrow. Women and children who had been waiting for Syedna’sRA return couldn’t console themselves or control their tears.
Abdul Gawi and his ilk may have succeeded in executing Syedna QutbuddinRA with treachery and deceit. But, as SyednaRA said, all they could kill was his physical body. They could not erase his message of standing up to oppression. Nor did they succeed in leading mumeneen away from his ideology of a peaceful and tolerant Islam.
Just as Imam HusainAS showed in Karbala, Syedna QutbuddinRA displayed in Ahmedabad, that no matter how powerful a tyrant may be, just one man with true belief is strong enough to defeat the ideology of oppression and persecution.