The Divine Connection

The very first step towards this thousand miles journey was taken by a fifteen years-old boy in a remote village of Jhang, a district mired in misery and backwardness in the very centre of Punjab, the most populated province of Pakistan. Back in 1950-51, that boy had just taken his Matriculate examination and had some free days at his sleeves. He came to know about the presence of an accomplished saint, Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Zakir, who was assigned with a divine mission of spreading the light of knowledge in the heart of darkness-an area characterized by illiteracy. He had already gripped the hearts and minds of the local people by sheer piety, humility and self-abnegation.  His saintly disposition had a charismatic effect and many had fallen to the charm of his cult. The boy could not resist his temptation to go all the way to Muhammadi Shareef, a small village near the local town Bhowana, where the Beacon of Light had pitched his tent. He saw the man of God in his eyes and thus lost his heart, mind and soul in the very first gaze. The two worked very hard and taught the poor children of the local people and thus ushered in a new era which promised a far better world. Soon their special liking got transformed into a spiritual bond. One fine morning, as the boy sat next to the saintly figure, he was asked about his three most preferred desires that he wanted to materialize. He told the pious man that he aspired for higher education, acquire the position of a professor so that he could teach at a higher level and carry forward the mission of spreading education, and finally would like to be blessed with sons who could keep the torch alive. Maulana Zakir smiled in return and said that God would bless him with fulfillment of all desires.