May the sky shower dew on your head

 

Syed Khalid Hussain (Singapore)

Zafariab Jilani, the famous and well-known senior lawyer of India, who died on May 17 at the age of 73 in Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh, was born in 1950 in a small town near Lucknow, Malihabad. About two years ago, Jilani fell while climbing the stairs of his office in Islamia College, due to which he suffered a brain haemorrhage. From Maidanta Hospital to Nishat Hospital in Lucknow, he was treated in many places under the supervision of leading doctors, but he could not recover and finally on Wednesday, he gave up on the death wish.

Jilani Sahib was a key player in the year-long legal battle to recover the 500-year-old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. He spent almost two-thirds of his life for the restoration of this historic mosque. He was a leading figure on Muslim Personal Law and its issues related to the Indian Penal Code.

Jilani Sahib is the Secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board established in 1972, Chairman of Babri Masjid Action Committee, National Convener of All India Babri Masjid Action Committee and Senior Advocate of Sunni Central Waqf Board from 2012 to 2017. He was also the Advocate General. As a leading activist on Muslim issues, he was also associated with several non-governmental voluntary organizations, including the Anjuman Islah al-Muslimeen. The 100-year-old Anjuman Islah al-Muslimeen runs three colleges, a cemetery and an orphanage for girls and boys, and also takes care of abandoned human bodies. Jilani Sahib rendered important services in the protection of Shariah as a member and secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. He did important work while in the All India Religious Council. Islamia College, Mumtaz College, Mumtaz Dar Al-Alitama, Muslim Travelers Khana and many other fronts, he worked for the welfare and protection of the nation and society all his life. But as the convener of the All India Babri Masjid Action Committee, his identity was established all over the world.

Jilani Sahib started practicing in Lucknow High Court after obtaining his Masters in Law from Aligarh Muslim University. He was constantly active on issues related to Muslims, for which he became associated with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board in 1978 and became a member of the Board in 1985. His abilities were soon recognized and he was made the convener of the Personal Law Board Action Committee in the Shah Bano case.

In February 1986, after the Faizabad District Judge ordered the Babri Masjid to be locked, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board formed the Babri Masjid Action Committee to launch a campaign in support of the historic mosque and counter the rising tide of Hindutva. Had to compete. Jilani Sahib was made the convener of the Babri Masjid Action Committee. Two years after the formation of the Babri Masjid Action Committee, it was converted into a national level organization and named All India Babri Masjid Action Committee and Jilani Sahib was appointed as its national convener and senior member of the Sunni Central Waqf Board. Chosen for counsel.

Ever since Jilani Sahib associated himself with the Babri Masjid case, he was recognized as a prominent lawyer throughout the country and was recognized as a national leader. Jilani Sahib represented and fought the case on behalf of the Muslim petitioners in the Babri Masjid case in the Supreme Court for 45 years. He was the pivot around which the Babri Masjid campaign revolved. There is no doubt that due to the enormous reputation of Jilani Sahib, dozens of eminent lawyers requested by Muslims in the Babri Masjid case, they will also follow without any compensation. In 2003, when the NDA under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When Law Minister Arun Jaitley planned to occupy the land around the Babri Masjid, Jilani Sahib single-handedly thwarted the move.

From the time the locks of the Babri Masjid were opened in 1986 till 2019, Jilani Sahib has been working tirelessly to restore the mosque for Muslims. Finally, in 2019, when the Supreme Court ruled against Muslims in the land dispute case against all historical evidence, Jilani expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision but said that he respects the decision.

Jilani Sahib was a person who sympathized with the nation. He worked with or was associated with almost every national organization. He was also an active member of the movement to restore the minority status of Muslim University.

Despite not being in politics, Jilani remained in the media headlines for three decades. Jilani Sahib got a golden opportunity to learn politics from political theorist Dr. Abdul Jalil Faridi. Dr. Faridi was the founder of the Muslim Majlis, which was established in 1968 and which forced Muslims to 'raise their first voice' against atrocities committed against Muslims by Congress governments.

Three or four years ago, Jilani Sahib led his army of lawyers, a large number of whom were non-Muslims, to the CA/NRC. worked around the clock to save hundreds of Muslims who were arrested during the movement against

And it was Jilani Sahib who counseled Mulayam Singh on the morning of August 30, 2010, who, along with Lalu Prasad Yadav, tore up the Enemy Property (Amendment) Bill in Parliament in the afternoon and the Congress withdrew the bill.

Overall, Zafariab Jilani's life was a constant struggle. Deceased is survived by wife, two b