Khatībul Īmān, shēr-i Hindustān Syed Muzaffar Husain Sāhib Rizvi, Tāhir Jarwali, Barrister, was one of the most erudite and powerful orator (khatīb) and reciter of majālis (mourning sermons in remembrance of Imām Husain) in India. Hailing from Jarwal, he resided in Lucknow, first at Nasīr Manzil, Nakkhās, and then at Nāsirya Library in Shāstri Nagar. Saeedul Millat and Nasīrul Millat were his maternal uncles.
Having been educated as a lawyer, his oratory was argumentative, well layered and coherent. His choice of words, similes and expressions were spectacular and convincing. He in fact thought of himself as the ‘Advocate of the Ahlulbayt’ and took upon himself the task of exposing the falsehood of the enemies of the house of the prophet! Thus he was also much hated and reviled by those who oppose the superiority of Imām Ali, or believed in non-paucity of water at Karbala or those who denied the deliberate killing of infant Asghar by Hurmula.
To me he was ‘Tahir Bhai’. Being one of the important functionaries of the shrine of Qazi Nurullah Shustari at Agra, whose mutawalli was my father, I came frequently in his contact. I would meet him either at Agra, or in Lucknow or when he would visit us at Aligarh. His two daughters, Nasma (my contemporary) and Insiya, and four sons Meesam (my friend), Ammār, Shauzab and Ābis were like my own sisters and brothers. We would play and fight together.
He would frequently visit our house with his family and stay with us while at Aligarh. He would also sometimes come to recite Majālis. Many a times he was called by Raja Raza Ali Khan for an annual majlis held at his house. I especially remember an occasion when he was a University Guest. During those days, Allāma Kamūnpuri Sahib was the Head Department of Theology. Mr Qamar Abid Alavi (black coat in the picture) was the Secretary Ali Society (later he was elected as President AMU Students Union.
Tahir Bhai at the Old University Guest House: Abba with Tahir Bhai, Allama Kāmunpuri, Raja Kazim Ali Khan, Qamar Abid Alavi & others. I am sitting between Abba and Tahir Bhai
But soon after my father’s death in 1978, we somehow lost contact with the family. In 1987 Tāhir Bhai on a visit to Iran died and was buried within the precincts of the Revered Shrine of Imam Reza at Mashhad. We knew that he had been called by the Holy Imām in his protection.
Slowly and gradually we heard the disintegration of the family. Vested interests started sowing seeds of discord between the four brothers and soon they got separated from each other. Meesam, the eldest one recently expired. Ammar, I hear is now a turbaned ālim, the other two are also orators. I pray for their safety and well being. I am not in contact with any of them and don’t even know whether they remember me or not.
ASHA: Blast From The Past 