“We should always entertain the hope, the possibility that our worst enemies today could become our beloved brothers and sisters tomorrow…”

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway University of London/Date 19 August 2011

(You can listen to this khutbah here: )

“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem

Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa. May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, sal-lal-laahu ‘alayhi wa sal-lam, is His servant, and His messenger.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem! Yaa ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, haqqa tuqaatihee wala tamu tun-na, il-la wa antum Muslimoon.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, with correct awareness, and die not except as Muslims.

Yaa ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, wa qooloo qawlan sadeedaa. Yuslih-lakum a’maalakum wa yaghfir lakum thunoobakum, wamay yu-til-laaha warasoolah, faqad faaza fawzan atheemaa.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

In the opening verse of Sura An-Nisaa’, Allah says:

O mankind! Show reverence towards your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate and from the two of them scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;― Be conscious of Allah, through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights) and (show reverence towards) the wombs (that bore you): for surely, Allah ever watches over you.

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

In recent days, we’ve seen horrific scenes of arson, looting and mayhem on the streets of Britain. But out of the same chaos and confusion there has emerged some extraordinary examples of courage, generosity and wisdom. The mass media, which has become so accustomed to presenting Muslims in a bad light, could not ignore the huge public admiration for 2 Muslims in particular.

There was the Malaysian student who arrived in London only a month ago. He was attacked by thugs, left with a broken jaw and his belongings stolen by those very same people who pretended to help him. Despite his painful ordeal that was filmed and shared around the world, he wasn’t bitter, his admiration for this country was undiminished and he certainly didn’t want to go home yet. Interviewed in his hospital bed, he just said he felt very ‘sorry’ for his attackers, who were “so young,” He wasn’t thinking of himself, of his own pain. He wasn’t feeling sorry for himself. He didn’t wish his attackers any harm. This gentleness and generosity of spirit touched the hearts of millions. Within a few days, Facebook and Twitter raised £20,000 to help him fly his mother over to see him.

Meanwhile in Birmingham a very serious racial conflict was defused by a grieving father. Some of you may have followed this story. Tariq Jahan’s son was killed along with 2 brothers who were defending their property from rioters. A car was deliberately driven over them, killing all three. Muslims were very angry, and if  Tariq Jahan gave way to his emotions at this crucial time then who knows what terrible violence would have followed. Anger and revenge between black and Asian neighbours was near breaking point. But Tariq Jahan is no ordinary man. He must have learnt from Prophet Muhammad’s sws advice:

“Do not become angry. Do not become angry. Do not become angry.” (Hadith)

In a time of unspeakable grief, he knew that his reaction would have far reaching consequences, immediately and in the long term, here and elsewhere. So this is what he said:

“Blacks, Asians, whites — we all live in the same community. Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this? I’ve just lost my son. Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise, calm down and go home — please!”

This heartfelt plea from a grieving father took everyone by surprise, especially people who feed on a diet of bad news about Muslims. Thousands responded on the internet and in newspapers. One person wrote: “I used to hate Muslims, but this grieving father’s words were so dignified, so persuasive and generous hearted, it moved me to tears. Now I’m ashamed of my hatred for them. I shall never hate Muslims again.”

Brothers and sisters, these words are as inspiring as they are humbling. They show us in a simple, practical way what we can achieve by not giving way to our anger, by not seeking revenge. Indeed, when we accept all the pain and loss that we suffer, simply as another test from Allah, then we are truly following the Straight Way, the siraat al mustaqeem.

What can we learn from the momentous events that swept Britain last week? Here are a few suggestions:

Don’t just give way to your anger in a crisis. It may be human to do so, but a real Muslim follows the Prophetic Sunnah, like Tariq Jehan did. Don’t get angry, don’t lash out. That only massages your bruised ego, your lower nafs. Do turn to your inner core, your pure heart, your qalb saleem, that you’ve trained so hard. Remember that Allah loves those who are patient and who persevere in times of hardship and distress. We know this from reading the Holy Quran in : Sura Al Baqara 2:153-6

“Ya ay yuhal latheena aamanus ta’eenu bis sabari was salaah. Innal laaha ma’as saabireen.”

“O you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere…”

Then the following verses continue:

“And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: ‘They are dead.’ No, they are living, although you cannot perceive them.”

Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your hard work, but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,

Who say, when they are afflicted with a calamity: “Inna lil laahi wa inna ilayhir raaji oon! To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return”

“Ulaa ika ‘alayhim salawaatun min Rabbikum, wa Rahmah, wa ulaa ika humul muhtadoon.”

“They are those on whome [descend] blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”

Brothers and sisters, if you ponder over these verses, you might think that they were written especially for the grieving families in Birmingham. But such is the majesty and beauty of Allah’s Book, revealed over 14 centuries ago, that its guidance and its healing and mercy will nourish the souls of Believers everywhere and always, until the end of time. SubhaanAllah!

“Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

Second Khutbah:

“Soob’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem”

Glory to Allah!  Praise to Allah! There is no power and no strength except from Allah!

My dear sisters and brothers,

When we restrain our anger, when we wrestle with our lower nafs and we throw ourselves at the feet of Allah’s Mercy, some amazing things happen. The reward for showing our utter reliance on Allah has many unexpected consequences. One of the most surprising reports I read last week (UK Sunday Times 14^th August 2011) was that the racist (EDL) English Defence League’s leader was so moved by Tariq Jehan’s dignified example that he was going to ask all his members at their next meeting to hold a minute’s silence out of respect. Imagine that! At the beginning of the riots, reports were circulating that the EDL was planning arson attacks on mosques. We don’t know whether this is true or not. But a few days later, there’s a newspaper report that the EDL leader wants his followers to show some respect for the fallen Muslims in Birmingham. Allahu ‘alam! Allah knows best! Let us also remind ourselves that no matter how dire the situation, Allah can intervene in ways that we could never have hoped. Allah can change a heart from hatred to love in an instant. Allah has the key to all our hearts. Sura Al Anfal 8:24 reminds us that “Allah comes between a man and his heart…”

There are many who hate Muslims and who wish us harm. We should of course take sensible precautions to defend ourselves. But we should never forget that our enemies could one day become our brothers and sisters in faith. Never forget that Khaled ibn Walid, who bitterly fought the Muslims in the Battle of Badr, became the most famous military commander after Allah came between him and his heart. He conquered the Roman and Persian armies for Islam. Don’t forget Amr ibn al As, who led the Quraish delegation to Abyssinia. He tried unsuccessfully to persuade the King Najashi to return the first Muslim asylum seekers and to hand them over to their oppressors. Soon afterwards, Allah came between Amr and his heart. Amr conquered Egypt for Islam and built the fist mosque on the African continent in Al Fustat. And who can forget Sayyidna Omar, who hated Prophet Muhammad so bitterly that he unsheathed his sword and set out to kill our Nabi. But Allah came between him and his heart, and when he heard his sister reciting the opening verses of Sura Ta-Ha, his hard heart melted and this big, fearsome warrior was moved to tears. He actually took shahadah in front of Prophet Muhammad, still holding his sword in his hand, the same sword that was meant to kill our beloved Prophet!

What does all this mean, brothers and sisters? We all plan, but Allah is the best of planners. Don’t ever think that things out there are really as bad as they seem. Things could be a lot worse. Allah is completely in control of his entire creation. Slowly but surely, in ways we cannot always appreciate, Allah is fulfilling His Plan. We should never despair of Allah’s Mercy. Who knows… perhaps next Ramadan, some of those gangsters, rioters and former members of the EDL will be praying alongside us as our new brothers, for the taraweeh prayers! Who knows? Anything is possible for Allah. He has the key to unlock any heart! We should always entertain the hope, the possibility that our worst enemies today could become our beloved brothers and sisters tomorrow. This reminder is clearly given in Sura Al ‘Imran 3:103:

“Wa’tasimu bi hablil laahi jamee-aah…”

“And hold fast,  all together, by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and do not be divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brothers; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His Signs clear to you: That you may be guided.”

My dear sisters and brothers, as we enter the last 10 days of Ramadan, the days of ‘freedom from hellfire,’ and the nights of laylatul Qadr, the Night of Power, let us reflect on the momentous events in our community. This is a crucial time for Muslims. There is some danger but there is also immense potential for good. This is no time for bruised egos, for settling old scores or for racial and tribal vendettas. Islam is too noble for such behaviour. Let us reach out to those who used to hate us and who now have doubts, so that we can share with them Allah’s beautiful message. The world is watching us. Let us become living examples of discipline, self control, humanity, mercy and Allah’s love. Let us pray that our three martyrs from Birmingham would not have died in vain. Let their example, and their fathers’ dignity at a time of unspeakable pain and grief, be an inspiration to Muslims and their neighbours all around the world. Great things happen in Ramadan. O Allah, let the tragedy in Birmingham become the key that unlocks the hearts of Islam-haters everywhere, so that their breasts can be opened Islam. Ameen!

Brothers and sisters, to conclude our khutbah:

InnaAllaha, Yamuru bil adel, wal ihsaan, wa eetaa-i zil qurba; wa yanha anil fuhshaa-i, wal munkari walbaghi; ya-idzukhum lallakum tathak-karoon. (Sura 16:90),

“Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.”

Fadth kuroonee adth kurkum, wash kuroolee walaa tak furoon [2:152].

“and remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith.”

wala thikrul-Laahi akbar, Wal-Laahu ya’lamu maa tasna’oon.” [29:45].

“and without doubt, Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest Thing in life, and Allah knows the deeds that you do.”      

Ameen.    Aqeemus salaah

By Khurram Murad

www.islamicity.org

¹ Read the Quran with no purpose other than to receive guidance from your Lord, to come nearer to Him, and to seek His good pleasure.
What you get from the Quran depends on what you come to it for. Your intention and purpose is crucial. Certainly the Quran has come to guide you, but you may also go astray by reading it should you approach it for impure purposes and wrong motives.

Thereby He causes many to go astray, and thereby He guides many; but thereby He causes none to go astray save the iniquitous (al-Baqarah 2:26).

The Quran is the word of God; it therefore requires as much exclusiveness of intention and purity of purpose as does worshipping and serving Him.

² Do not read it merely for intellectual pursuit and pleasure; even though you must apply your intellect to the full to the task of understanding the Quran. So many people spend a lifetime in studying the language, style, history, geography, law and ethics of the Quran, and yet their lives remain untouched by its message. The Quran frequently refers to people who have knowledge but do not derive benefit from it.

³ Nor should you come to the Quran with the fixed intention of finding support for your own views, notions and doctrines. For if you do, you may, then, hear an echo of your own voice in it, and not that of God. It is this approach to the understanding and interpreting of the Quran that the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, has condemned.

⁴ Nothing could be more unfortunate than to use the Quran to secure, for your own person, worldly things such as name, esteem, status, fame or money. You may get them, but you will surely be bartering away a priceless treasure for nothing, indeed even incurring eternal loss and ruin.

⁵ [Do not limit the Quran to just healing of bodily afflictions, psychological peace, and deliverance from poverty.] You may also derive other lesser benefits, from the words of the Quran, such as the healing of bodily afflictions, psychological peace, and deliverance from poverty. There is no bar to having these, but, again, they should not become the be all and end all that you seek from the Quran nor the goal of your niyyah (intention). For in achieving these you may lose a whole ocean that could have been yours.

Reading every single letter of the Quran carries with it great rewards. ⁶ Remain conscious of all the rewards, and make them an objective of your intention, for they will provide you with those strong incentives required to spend your life with the Quran. But never forget that on understanding, absorbing and following the Quran you have been promised much larger rewards, in this-world and in the Hereafter. It is these which you must aim for.

Nothing brings you nearer to your Lord than the moments you spend with His words. For it is only in the Quran that you enjoy the unique blessing of hearing His ‘voice’ addressing you. ⁷ So let an intense desire to come nearer to God be your one overwhelming motive while reading the Quran.

Finally, ⁸ your intention should be directed to seeking only your Lord’s pleasure by devoting your heart, mind and time to the guidance that He has sent to you. That is what you barter when you surrender yourself to God: ‘There is such as would sell his own self in order to please God’ (al-Baqarah 2:207).

Purpose and intentions are like the soul of a body, the inner capability of a seed. Many seeds look alike, but as they begin to grow and bear fruits, their differences become manifest. The purer and higher the motive, the greater the value and yield of your efforts.

So always ask yourself: Why am I reading the Quran? This may be the best way to ensure the purity and exclusiveness of purpose and intention.

Excerpted and adapted from the book “Way to the Quran” by Khurram Murad

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC1012-4374

By Sarah Wildman

A rally protesting against proposed ‘Ground Zero Mosque’, New York, on 22 August 2010. Photograph: Rex Features

From: The Guardian, Thursday 28th July 2011

In the early hours of Friday’s massacre in Oslo, the initial working assumption of news-watchers, journalists and bystanders was that this was likely the work of Islamic jihadists. That it was not took some time to trickle out: news reports published as late as Saturday included compiled condemnations of the attacks by Muslim leaders, and comparisons to other al-Qaida-type terrorist acts. That the attack was, in fact, masterminded by Anders Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old Norwegian with a murderous vendetta against multiculturalism, progressive government and a penchant for US Islamophobic blogs, reflects the strange distorting mirror of the current immigration and national identity debate going on in Europe and America.

What began, over a decade ago, as a far right assault on immigration policies of European countries from within (think Vlaams Belang in Belgium, the Front National in France, the FPO in Austria, to the rantings of Geert Wilders in Holland) has been exported to the United States where our ultra-conservative bloggers have handily repackaged that material. Though we in the US have not had the same economic conversations about immigration and Muslim communities – European concerns began with so-called “guest workers” who became permanent residents – the Oslo murders tragically expose a well-integrated transatlantic network of fear and hatemongering.

Among other references in his 1,500-page “manifesto”, Breivik quotes favourably Robert Spencer, who runs the Jihad Watch website,Pamela Geller, who, via her Atlas Shrugged blog, was a key player in the controversy over the Cordoba House’s “Ground Zero Mosque” in 2010, and Bruce Bawer, whose book While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West From Within warns of the intent of Muslim immigrants to Arabise Europe.

In recent hours, each of these authors has condemned the links journalists have made to their work and the killings in Norway, calling the connections ludicrous – likening them, in statements by Gellerand Spencer, to Charles Manson using the Beatles’ song “Helter Skelter” as a plan for his murders.

They continue to claim their cause is just, that Islam remains a menace, though they fear a blow to their cause – yet, all without acknowledging this terror was wrought by a man who took their words to their most extreme conclusion. Spencer writes:

“The Breivik murders are being used to discredit all resistance to the global jihad and Islamic supremacism. But we’re stealing it back … Islamic texts and teachings, and frequently imams, directly exhort their followers to commit acts of violence. I do not. Nor does anyone else in the counterjihad. There is nothing Breivik could conceivably have read here as a justification for killing anyone. There is plenty in the Qur’an and Sunnah that jihadists can and do use as justification for murder.”

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Bawer mourned that:

During the hours when I thought that Oslo had been attacked by jihadists, I wept for the city that has been my home for many years.

But once he realised this was not the scenario, Bawer’s sympathy with the victims apparently dissolved into dismay at the probably setback to those who oppose Muslim immigration.

“When it emerged that these acts of terror were the work of a native Norwegian who thought he was striking a blow against jihadism and its enablers, it was immediately clear to me that his violence will deal a heavy blow to an urgent cause.”

Of course, neither Spencer, nor Geller, nor Bawer put the gun in Breivik’s hands. And while the New York Times highlighted the issueof these blogs’ influence on Breivik, their Islamophobic discourse is far from an exclusively American problem. We’ve just taken it and run with it.

What we’re seeing in the US is a successful, almost mainstream, re-imaging and repackaging of the panic of European Islamophobia, of the sort that’s oft spouted by far right groups from Austria, to France, to the United Kingdom. In the year since the so-called Ground Zero Mosque furor, when campaigners brought in Europeans like Geert Wilders to march for their cause, a group of conservative Americans have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to public displays of Muslim life, from opposition to mosques (which has coincided with an increase in arson attacks) to warning calls that sharia law is soon to replace our justice system.

Partly, the success of our bloggers’ ideology stems from America’s vigorous free speech laws. On this side of the Atlantic, first amendment rights are guarded, rightfully, zealously and carefully. We can be more aggressive in our stances. But partly, their success comes from their very visibility: Geller, Spencer and, especially, Bawer are more mainstream in the US dialogue on Islam than their counterparts in Europe. Bruce Bawer’s op-ed was published in the venerable Wall Street Journal. Pamela Geller is a regular on talkshows, from right to left. Their positions, like it or not, have found an audience and gained traction, if not wholesale legitimacy, in the US context. Their work has enabled Americans like Juan Williams, the former NPR correspondent who was fired for telling FoxNews he finds Muslim travellers on planes frightening, to bounce back with his new book, Muzzled.

It’s not just talking heads, but politicians: as Peter Beinart pointed out in the Daily Beast this week, Herman Cain, a Republican candidate for the presidency, has said he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet, should he be elected. Cain may be a wildcard, but he’s not alone: other Republicans – including Tim Pawlenty and Newt Gingrich – have expressed equally rightwing positions on Islam, expressing fear about the “Islamicisation” of America and setting themselves up as defenders against sharia law. Those messages legitimise Islamophobia, and provide a drumbeat for action for those inclined to hear it that way.

This is the ideological underpinning that motivates militias and terrorists. The Norway attacks, it might be said, were the work of a militia of one, a single man with the deranged idea that he had to destroy his society to save it.

Spencer, Geller and Bawer each create the impression that western civilisation is under threat. It was not always this way. The United States once resisted that European narrative – both because we are a country of immigration and because many Muslim immigrants came in at a higher socio-economic and educational level, while a large proportion of American Muslims were converts from Christianity. Muslims in the US were, for these reasons, perceived as better integrated into our multicultural society. But that perception has changed.

As these blogs flog these issues, day after day, a siege mentality in certain corners of the extreme right is now pervasive: our culture, they say again and again, is being Islamicised. If we don’t defend ourselves, the implication is that “we” will be overtaken and “our” culture will disappear. Is it not justifiable, then, in such a rhetorical atmosphere, to ask: if you are promoting the idea that people are facing an alien invasion, is it not reasonable to assume that there will be those who hear that as a call to arms?

It is hard to feel much sympathy for these writers, as they complain of their maligning in the mainstream press. Sympathy, in any case, is beside the point, for in fact, they thrive on the marginalisation.

By Peter Oborne

The Telegraph, 10 Apr 2011

In the course of my duties as a reporter, I have met presidents, prime ministers and reigning monarchs. Until meeting the Pakistani social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi, I had never met a saint. Within a few moments of shaking hands, I knew I was in the presence of moral and spiritual greatness.

Mr Edhi’s life story is awesome, as I learnt when I spent two weeks working at one of his ambulance centres in Karachi. The 82-year-old lives in the austerity that has been his hallmark all his life. He wears blue overalls and sports a Jinna cap, so named because it was the head gear of Muhammad Ali Jinna, the founder of Pakistan.

No Pakistani since Jinna has commanded the same reverence, and our conversations were constantly interrupted as people came to pay their respects. Mr Edhi told me that, 60 years ago, he stood on a street corner in Karachi and begged for money for an ambulance, raising enough to buy a battered old van. In it, he set out on countless life-saving missions.

Gradually, Mr Edhi set up centres all over Pakistan. He diversified into orphanages, homes for the mentally ill, drug rehabilitation centres and hostels for abandoned women. He fed the poor and buried the dead. His compassion was boundless.

He was born in 1928, when the British Empire was at its height, in Gujarat in what is now western India. But he and his family were forced to flee for their lives in 1947 when the division of India and creation of Pakistan inspired terrible communal tensions: millions were killed in mob violence and ethnic cleansing. This was the moment Mr Edhi, finding himself penniless on the streets of Karachi, set out on his life’s mission.

Just 20 years old, he volunteered to join a charity run by the Memons, the Islamic religious community to which his family belonged. At first, Mr Edhi welcomed his duties; then he was appalled to discover that the charity’s compassion was confined to Memons. He confronted his employers, telling them that “humanitarian work loses its significance when you discriminate between the needy”.

So he set up a small medical centre of his own, sleeping on the cement bench outside his shop so that even those who came late at night could be served.

But he also had to face the enmity of the Memons, and became convinced they were capable of having him killed. For safety, and in search of knowledge, he set out on an overland journey to Europe, begging all the way. One morning, he awoke on a bench at Rome railway station to discover his shoes had been stolen. He was not bothered, considering them inessential. Nevertheless, the next day an elderly lady gave him a pair of gumboots, two sizes too large, and Mr Edhi wobbled about in them for the remainder of his journey.

In London, he was a great admirer of the British welfare state, though he presciently noted its potential to encourage a culture of dependency. He was offered a job but refused, telling his benefactor: “I have to do something for the people in Pakistan.”

On return from Europe, his destiny was set. There was no welfare state in Fifties Pakistan: he would fill the gap. This was a difficult period in his life. Shabby, bearded and with no obvious prospects, seven women in rapid succession turned down his offers of marriage. He resigned himself to chastity and threw all of his energy into work.

He would hurtle round the province of Sindh in his poor man’s ambulance, collecting dead bodies, taking them to the police station, waiting for the death certificate and, if the bodies were not claimed, burying them himself. Mr Edhi’s autobiography, published in 1996, records that he recovered these stinking cadavers “from rivers, from inside wells, from road sides, accident sites and hospitals… When families forsook them, and authorities threw them away, I picked them up… Then I bathed and cared for each and every victim of circumstance.”

There is a photograph of Mr Edhi from this formative time. It could be the face of a young revolutionary or poet: dark beard, piercing, passionate eyes. And it is indeed the case that parts of his profound and moving autobiography carry the same weight and integrity as great poetry or even scripture.

Mr Edhi discovered that many Pakistani women were killing their babies at birth, often because they were born outside marriage. One newborn child was stoned to death outside a mosque on the orders of religious leaders. A furious Mr Edhi responded: “Who can declare an infant guilty when there is no concept of punishing the innocent?”

So Mr Edhi placed a little cradle outside every Edhi centre, beneath a placard imploring: “Do not commit another sin: leave your baby in our care.” Mr Edhi has so far saved 35,000 babies and, in approximately half of these cases, found families to cherish them. Once again, this practice brought him into conflict with religious leaders. They claimed that adopted children could not inherit their parents’ wealth. Mr Edhi told them their objections contradicted the supreme idea of religion, declaring: “Beware of those who attribute petty instructions to God.”

Over time, Mr Edhi came to exercise such a vast moral authority that Pakistan’s corrupt politicians had to pay court. In 1982, General Zia announced the establishment of a shura (advisory council) to determine matters of state according to Islamic principles. Mr Edhi was suspicious: “I represented the millions of downtrodden, and was aware that my presence gave the required credibility to an illegal rule.”

Travelling to Rawalpindi to speak at the national assembly, he delivered a passionate denunciation of political corruption, telling an audience of MPs, including Zia himself: “The people have been neglected long enough. One day they shall rise like mad men and pull down these walls that keep their future captive. Mark my words and heed them before you find yourselves the prey instead of the predator.”

Mr Edhi did not distinguish between politicians and criminals, asking: “Why should I condemn a declared dacoit [bandit] and not condemn the respectable villain who enjoys his spoils as if he achieved them by some noble means?” This impartiality had its advantages. It meant that a truce would be declared when Mr Edhi and his ambulance arrived at the scene of gun battles between police and gangsters. “They would cease fire,” notes Mr Edhi in his autobiography, “until bodies were carried to the ambulance, the engine would start and shooting would resume.”

Mr Edhi eventually found a wife, Bilquis, but his personal austerity was all but incompatible with married life. When the family went on Hajj, a vast overland journey in the ambulance, he forbade Bilquis to bring extra clothes, because he was determined to fill the vehicle with medical supplies. Reaching Quetta in northern Baluchistan, with the temperature plunging, he relented enough to allow her to buy a Russian soldier’s overcoat. Later on, when their children grew up, Mr Edhi would not find time to attend his daughter’s marriage.

But Mr Edhi’s epic achievement would not have been possible but for this inhuman single-mindedness. Today, the influence of the Edhi Foundation stretches far outside Pakistan and Mr Edhi has led relief missions across the Muslim world, providing aid at every international emergency from the Lebanon civil war in 1983 to the Bangladesh cyclone in 2007. There are no horrors that Mr Edhi and his incredibly brave army of ambulance men have not witnessed, and the numerous lives they have saved.

The story of Mr Edhi coincides with the history of the Pakistan state. More than any other living figure, he articulates Jinna’s vision of a country which, while based on Islam, nevertheless offers a welcome for people of all faiths and sects. Indeed, the life of Mr Edhi provides a sad commentary on the betrayal of Jinna’s Pakistan by a self-interested political class.

One evening, as the sun set over Karachi, I asked Mr Edhi what future he foresaw. “Unless things change,” he said, “I predict a revolution.”

Peter Oborne’s film on the Edhi Foundation ‘Unreported World: Defenders of Karachi’, was screened on Channel 4 during April 2011.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8440308/THE-DAY-I-MET-A-LIVING-SAINT.html