MEMORIES OF MAULANA

Meanwhile, my father continued with his interest in Maulana’s AlRisala. I remember his younger brother dropping by at home and them discussing and praising Maulana and his books and writings. One day, Maulana arrived in my city for a programme. He was also to meet my father and his colleagues at the institution where my father was then working. It so happened that due to some food- or digestionrelated issue, I had fallen sick. I was dehydrated and taking medicines and was exhausted. Maulana was scheduled to give a lecture at the institution where my father was working that evening and my father told me that I should attend it. I said there was no way I could sit through the programme as I was exhausted. I was at home in the afternoon resting when my mother got a call from my father, who said that I should come over and that he was sending a car to pick me up. I panicked and wondered why my father was insisting I should come for the talk when he knew my condition. I forced my tired self and reached the venue. I told my father that I wouldn’t sit inside the hall but could watch everything from the outside gallery sort-of space as I didn’t know when I would feel sick. I realized later that my father did not want me to miss Maulana’s talk and that is why he insisted on me being there despite my feeling sick. He valued Maulana’s wisdom. Later in life, I was in Delhi, and I happened to meet Maulana. I was fortunate to attend a few of his regular Sunday classes, where he would discuss issues and take questions from visitors. Maulana passed away some years ago, but the intellectual legacy he left behind still lives on and is benefitting many people. It has certainly benefitted me, including in the form of some precious bits of wisdom from him that I happened to read just recently on the subject of patience. Here, Maulana talks about how one should practise patience in daily life amidst the challenges that one faces. At first it seemed as if one needs to be almost an angel to practise what Maulana says about being patient. But reading more about his guidance on patience, it began to make some sense. It made full sense to me very recently when I had to encounter what for me was a big challenge! That morning, Ginger, a very friendly neighbourhood cat, made his way to the apartment where I currently live. It is his routine to come by in the morning and then I take a packet of cat-food for him and head outside the apartment complex to give it to him. As I set off, I spotted a neighbour, who was possibly returning from a walk. I wished