Spirit of Islam, Sept-Oct 2025

L ife rarely follows a straight path. It twists, turns, and takes us to places we never expect, sometimes leading us towards a purpose far beyond our imagination. The story of Mr Fasihullah is not one of perfection, but of struggle, mistakes, and a journey shaped by moments of divine intervention that transformed a runaway boy into a man with a mission. At just thirteen, weighed down by complex family challenges in Bengaluru, his only perceived solution was to run away. With no plan, driven only by the need to escape, he boarded a train to Mumbai. Alone amidst the chaos of the station, he encountered a kind stranger whose generosity secured him his first job in a small hotel. For six months, he washed dishes and cleaned tables, living from day to day. When the staff discovered he had run away, they sent him home. But unable to face his family, he fled again — to Mumbai, then Pune—drifting between hotel jobs, searching for something he could not yet name. In Pune, change came unexpectedly. Working at a hotel within a student hostel, he observed young people studying late into the night, driven by dreams of a better future. Their dedication stirred memories of his abandoned education. This spark led him to enrol in night school, balancing long workdays with evening classes until he completed his secondary education. The routine was exhausting, but it awakened in him a hunger for learning and a vision of the life he might build. Around this time, a chance meeting shifted his path again. A man recognised his potential and offered him a job at his cybercafé. Though he had never touched a computer before, he quickly learnt the basics and mastered them within a month. For a year he thrived there, but poor decisions and bad company dragged him into heavy debt. Feeling trapped, he ran once more—this time to Goa. FROM ESCAPE TO AWAKENING Mr Fasiulla Chaudry is a peace volunteer from Bengaluru. The story of his life offers amazing lessons about divine intervention. Life took many turns before he finally found his calling. He is blissfully married and has two kids. Both he and his wife are active volunteers of the Peace Mission. Ms Fathima Sarah, publisher of SOI narrates this journey. A Journey of Divine Guidance