The last car drive along with my beloved father, the late Agha Husain Zabeth
By: Fatima Zabeth “Beenesh” daughter of the late Agha Husain Zabeth
It was the last car drive with my father, the late Agha Husain Zabeth, who
owned a light colored second hand Fiat car. He employed a driver for his car.
It was an evening and my father was getting ready to leave his house situated
in Banjara Hills, (in Hyderabad, India) to proceed to Darbar-e-Husaini situated
in Purani Haveli in the old locality of Hyderabad city.
While he was going to sit in the car one of my relatives told my
father whom we used to call him Aghajaan: “Why you do not buy a brand new car
from a company”. Aghajaan asked him: “Babajaan tell me which is the best car in
the world”. He said: “As I know the best one is BMW car”. He replied back: This
second hand Fiat car of mine is like BMW car for me and he opened the door and
sat in the car.
I told Aghajaan: “If you are going to stop the car on the way for your works
then I am not going to come with you”. But Aghajaan was very much interested to
buy something on his way to Darbar-e-Husaini.
Aghajaan said: “I will not stop the car till our destination
(Darbar-e-Husaini). But before reaching the destination, on the way he told the
car driver to turn his car towards the meat shop and he bought from their two
packets of meat, one for the pet cats of his house the other for the cats
living in the vicinity of Darbar-e-Husaini, where he used to daily offer the
Maghreb and Isha Jamaat (congregational) prayers.
When our car reached the main gate of the Darbar-e-Husaini, the car driver told
me: “Bibi see, I will switch off the car but you will watch all the cats of
this locality from all the sides will come in front of the car”. As told by the
driver little by little, as the car reached the main door of Darbar-e-Husaini
the cats from all the sides began to come near our car. There were many cats
who gathered around my father and the car driver came down from the car and
started spreading the meat for the cats to eat. There was a cat, I do not know
what happened to that tongue-tied animal was lying helpless on the floor but
was alive.
Aghajaan told the driver to spread some meat for that helpless cat. The cat was
conscious but there was no movement in her limbs. That weak cat too was waiting
for the meat and started eating meat slowly.
Aghajaan, I always remember your kind and generous behavior towards everybody
and you are always alive in my heart and soul.
Aghajaan, your wise and noble sayings motivate me all the time. I pray the
Almighty Allah to send many more people like you to this world so that this
world will become like heaven.
The heaven is hidden in this world and the virtuous and kind people demonstrate
before us the vision of the heaven that is concealed and hidden in our eyes.
Sincere salutes to you my dear loving Aghajaan.
Agha Hussain Zabeth
Agha Hussain Zabeth's, (the Founder and President of the All-India Nahjul
Balagha Society, Hyderabad, India) mother was expecting him her father died so
he was a born as an orphan. He was born on 21 March 1920 in the village called
Khairabad now a part of the Yazd city in Central Iran. On account of death of
her husband the depressed mother did not care her new-born baby so his elder
sister named Sughra took care of him. She herself was young but took care of
her brother and she used to feed him with soup.
As the baby boy grew up he used to herd the sheep and cattle for grazing. At
the age of 11 he migrated to India along with other natives of Khairabad
village and reached Bombay, India in 1931.
On his arrival in Bombay which is now known as Mumbai, he worked for a short
period of time in one of the cafes of his relatives and soon established his
cafe in Bombay as he never liked being in the service of others. When he
migrated to Bombay, India he was uneducated but he educated himself whenever he
got the time in his tight schedule of work. He used to read, write and speak
Engish, Urdu and Farsi languages. Due to his regular company and association
with the Ulama from Iran and India he had deep knowledge of Islam. He was a
self made man, very confident, brave, tolerant, and generous and had
multi-talented personality.
At the age of 14 he met a train accident in Bombay which affected both his legs
for a period of 48 years of his age. His legs were seriously wounded so one of
his leg was amputated after 48 years when he was 62 years old. During these 48
years he never complained to anyone about his pain in his legs. He with that
wounded feet did business and spent his earnings to help the poor and needy in
Hyderabad, India.
>From 1931 till 1947 he carried his restaurant and general store business in
>Bombay. During the period of Second World War, when food became scarce and
>expensive in Bombay he sold the milk powder in his general store for the
>babies at cheaper rate as he was very much humble and soft hearted.
He was a sincere host for his guests. He taught his family and relatives that
guests are a blessing from Allah. Most of his guests were poor people, learned
Ulama (religious scholars) from Iran and India, his relatives from Yazd, Iran
and the people of many other religions as well were his regular guests.
Allama Amini, the author of the famous book "Al-Ghadeer", the sons of Ayatullah
al-Uzma Khoee, Ayatullah al-Uzma Gulpayegani and Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi
Najafi stayed in Agha Hussain Zabeth's house during their stay in Hyderabad.
In 1947, he migrated to Hyderabad, India where he married the daughter of the
leading Alim of Hyderabad, Maulana Syed Shah Abbas Mansuri Khurasani, who was
exiled from Mashhad, Iran to Hyderabad Deccan, India by the Iranian despot King
Reza Shah because Maulana Syed Shah Abbas Mansuri Khurasani opposed the ban on
Iranian women wearing Hijab by Reza Shah.
In 1948 in Hyderabad, India he established the famous Madina Hotel which
became renowned for Irani Biryani, Irani Chai(tea) and Irani Haleem.He
established a chain of Iranian restaurants in Hyderabad where he made his
relatives from Yazd, Iran as his partners in the business. He also played a
leading role in the renovation of the tombs of Qutb Shahi kings of Hyderabad
Deccan and the four centuries old historical graveyard of Qutb Shahi period in
Hyderabad famous as Dairah Mir Momin.
He also worked hard to buy the land for constructing the Masjid and Husainiyah
for Iranian residents in Hyderabad which is famous as "Darbar-e-Husaini" and is
located in Purani Haveli locality in Hyderabad, India. He regularly conducted
Majaalis of Imam Husain alaihis salam and also is the founding member of the
Anjuman-e- Ittehad Iranian-e-Deccan, which since 1950's act as the consultative
and representative body of the Iranians residing in Hyderabad, India.
He was a very much loving and a caring husband. He was the father of eleven
children including six sons and five daughters. His wife adores him and after
his heavenly departure on 25 April 1998, every morning she recites a chapter of
Holy Quran for his soul. She continues helping those poor people whom her
husband used to help in his life time and the poor people still receive the
help from her.
Agha Hussain Zabeth was a very generous, broad minded, loving, kind father,
teacher, guide and a philosopher for his eleven children and grand children. He
was very much fond of knowledge, gave his children the best education, made
them learn the arts of living and always gave them awareness about Islam. He
taught his children to live with confidence by thanking and being grateful to
Allah Almighty. He had great love for Fourteen Masoomeen (A.S.) and Hazrat Abul
Fazl al-Abbas (A.S.).
Apart from his family he loved and helped his relatives and friends as well. He
loved each and everyone from depth of his heart and spent all his earning on
his family, relatives, needy and the poor. In Hyderabad, he worked for amity
and friendship between Muslims and Hindus and conducted joint meetings of Sunni
and Shia Ulama for the unity among Muslims.
He was very fond of education and an ardent lover of Imam Ali (alaihis salaam).
Once in his childhood he asked his mother: Where is my father? She replied:
Imam Ali alaihis salam is your father. According to the belief of Shia Muslims,
Imam Ali (A.S.) is considered as the protector of all orphan children. Since
then he decided to dedicate his life in cause of propagating the teachings of
Imam Ali (A.S.) and throughout his life he propagated the teachings of Imam Ali
(A.S.) as mentioned in the noble book Nahjul Balagha.
He founded the Seerat-uz-Zahra (A.S.) Committee in 1960 and All-India Nahjul
Balagha Society in 1971 and other religious associations to meet the needs of
the people and solve their problems. He was loved very much by the people of
every religion and sect and even now people remember him, give love and respect
to his family and relatives.
He published many Islamic books and calendars and distributed it freely among
the people. He worked day and night for the propagation of Nahjul Balagha, ‘the
book of speeches, letters and sayings of Imam Ali alaihis salam’ and introduced
this book to the people of Hyderabad and India by establishing the
Seerat-uz-Zahra (A.S.) Committee in 1960 and All-India Nahjul Balagha Society
in 1971.He completely paid the expenses and published the first ever English
translation of Nahjul Balagha in 1962 in Hyderabad, India which was translated
into English by late Allama Syed Muhammad Askari Jafferi. He posted first ever
English translation of Nahjul Balagha to all the Heads of States throughout the
world. He used to present the English translation of Nahjul Balagha to all the
Presidents and Prime Ministers of India who visited Hyderabad between 1962 till
1998.
Every year on the occasion of his death anniversary (28 April 1998) the orators
of the Majalis always remembers his contribution for the propagation of Nahjul
Balagha. Every year on 13th Rajab, he used to celebrate the birthday of Imam
Ali alaihis salaam and invited people of all the sects and religions. And every
year until now his companions and friends celebrates the occasion the same way
he did.
He intensely loved his homeland Yazd, Iran until his last breath loved and
remembered his relatives who were left behind in his homeland Yazd, Iran.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"shiagroup" group.
To post to this group, send email to shiagroup@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
shiagroup+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/shiagroup?hl=en.
