15 August 1981
Dearest Muzaffar Raja,
Peace and blessings upon you.
Your affectionate letter dated 27 July reached me just a few days ago, arriving with the blessed moments of Eid-ul-Fitr. Thank you for remembering me.
Your worry and concern for me are valid, but you must never lose sight of the fact that the destination towards which this small caravan of ours, journey demands the highest traditions of sacrifice and selflessness. In this struggle between truth and falsehood, wherein we have knowingly and deliberately aligned ourselves, offering one’s life is no great matter. The madness of Majnun is just as vital to the beloved Freedom as the circulation of blood is to survival. To cool the embers of cruelty and tyranny that consume humanity, one must always be willing to leap fearlessly into the fire of Nimrod—and always shall be. How can the pages of the Gospel of Awareness be opened without kissing the Cross?
Those who, despite being conscious of truth and the dignity of humanity, falter in the face of hardship and trial on the path of truth, those whose feet waver in the field of action— indeed, they disgrace the very love and passion they claim to possess. Such people have been described in the Divine Book as maghdūb ʿalayhim waḍ-ḍāllīn (those who have earned wrath and those who have gone astray). Let us pray that none among us is ever counted among such souls. Ameen.
For those who profess truth and devotion to God, the best life is one spent gaining awareness of truth and using that awareness to adorn and elevate individual and collective life. And the finest death is that which occurs in the battle to free humanity from oppression and ignorance. Do you not know that it is far nobler to lay down one’s life on the gallows in battle against deniers of truth than to die in agony on a deathbed?
Wherever this perspective of thought prevails, there is neither desire for reward nor craving for praise. For me, it is no small matter that the boundless sincerity and eternal love of you and friends like you remain with me even in this age of utter selfishness. With such a distinction in my favour, what more could I possibly wish for.
You mentioned the matter of my postage expenses. I don’t find it appropriate to burden you in this regard, so please don’t trouble yourself. However, since you invoked God’s name in asking, ¹ it becomes necessary for me to explain the procedure. You may, whenever and however you wish, send money to me at the jail address via bank draft or money order through the Jail Superintendent. The draft should be issued by a bank that either has a branch in Delhi or maintains commercial dealings with another bank based here.
By God’s grace, my health remains perfectly fine, and as of writing, I am still confined to Ward No. 16. It seems that, in response to the public outcry raised across the nation against the proposed execution of my sentence, the “rulers of the time” have deemed it expedient to put the matter on hold for now. Let’s see which way the wind turns next. Please pray that, in these final stages of trial, Allah grants me the strength of patience and steadfastness, and blesses me with enough fortitude that I may not falter even slightly in my resolve.
Wassalam
Ever indebted to your sincerity and affection, Muhammad Maqbool Bhat
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1. Raja Muzaffar Khan had invoked God’s name while asking Maqbool Bhat how to send money to him. That is why Bhat Sahib has explained the procedure in this letter.
