Chapter 4 : My Father’s Birth and Upbringing

My Father’s Birth and Upbringing

My father was born four or five years prior to 1857 in Al-Haddadpur; I make this judgement because he was able to recollect the 1857 period and memories of a more affluent lifestyle, for example; earthenware pots used to be filled with Ladoo (sweatmeats). My Paternal grandfather was called Peer Ali and he had two brothers called Nawazish Ali and Teeg Ali.

From amongst the three brothers, only Peer Ali (my grandfather) had children. His brother Teeg Ali and his wife were very passionate about having children; when my grandfather Peer Ali was blessed with a child named Najeeb-Ullah, Teeg Ali and his wife ( May Allah be pleased with them) took him into their care and regarded him as their own son. Sadly, it was Allah’s will that Najeeb-Ullah passed away in childhood which deeply affected everyone. Thereafter ,when my father was born, my grandfather persuaded his brother Teeg Ali to take him in to his care which he declined. However, following much persuasion Teeg Ali and his wife took my father into their care and looked after him with much love and tenderness. It was to be Allah’s Will that all three brothers (my grandfather and his two brothers) passed away by the end of 1857. There was no male provider left in the household; only women and children remained. The land and wealth were snatched away from them. Poverty and affliction had enveloped them all. My paternal grandmother took care of my father in these difficult impoverished times. I have memories of my paternal grandmother from my own childhood; she used to say, ‘I have brought Habeeb-Ullah up by spinning cotton.’

My father was highly intelligent and possessed an excellent memory by the mercy and blessings of Allah. He was both mature and perceptive; he attended educational institutes in Tanda during his orphaned and poverty stricken state. He passed his Quran, Persian and Urdu schooling in Middle Class. In his youth, he became a teacher with a monthly wage of eight Rupees at a school near Tanda in Iltifatganj. This employment created ease in their living conditions. At that time if there had been another provider in the household he would have advanced much further in his education. Whilst in Iltifatganj, the thought crossed his mind about promotion. In those days it was difficult to progress in one’s employment or climb the salary scale without passing Normal School, therefore he moved to Lucknow. The only Normal School in the province was in Lucknow. He succeeded very quickly in Lucknow because of his intelligence and upon completing he was given the position of Headmaster at Safipur in the Unao District. Thereafter, he transferred to Bangarmau where he remained continuously for many years.

He had been unable to gain knowledge of the Arabic sciences because of poverty and concern about providing for the family. Although people called him a Molvi, he was illiterate in the Arabic sciences. He only knew Urdu, Persian and Hindi and spent his time teaching; it was usual to refer to teachers as Molvis in those days .