Glimpses of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Glimpses of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

December 25, 1876: Muhammad Ali Jinnah is born in Karachi.
Father: Jinnah Bhai Poonja
Mother: Mithi Bai
Jinnah Bhai and Mithi Bai get married in 1874.
Sisters of Quaid-e-Azam: Rehmat, Mariam, Fatima and Shirin
Brothers: Ahmed Ali, Banday Ali
1882: Home tutorship begins.
1886: Admitted to Sindh Madrasa-tul-Islam, Karachi. This high school
to this day displays a bold inscription, "ENTER TO LEARN, GO FORTH TO
SERVE."
1888: To children colleagues playing marbles: "Rise from the dust, so
that our clothes remain unsoiled and our hands clean for the greater
tasks that fall to them."
1886 to 1892: Jinnah becomes an excellent young cricketer and captains
the neighborhood team. He also becomes an expert horse rider. He loves
horses for their majestic stance, running with their heads high and
chests prominent.
1890: The 14 year old M.A. Jinnah sees an impressive lawyer wearing a
black gown in a court of law. He tells his father, "Baba! I will
become a barrister."
1892: Frederick Croft, a British businessman and friend of Jinnah Bhai
Poonja, strongly advises that the brilliant junior Jinnah be sent to
England for education.
1893: The 16 year old Jinnah plays the role of Romeo for the
Shakespeare Drama Company in London.
1894: M.A. Jinnah becomes a Barrister-at-Law at the age of 18. This
stands as an unbroken record to this day (in 2006).
1894: Jinnah starts using his charming, world famous monocle for
reading.
1896: M.A. Jinnah returns to Karachi.
1897 to 1900: Strives to establish his law practice in Bombay.
1900: He is appointed Presidency Magistrate in Bombay. He calls his
younger sister, Fatima, from Karachi to Bombay to complete her
education in a convent.
1902: A rich businessman offers Jinnah Rs. 5,000 to handle his case.
Jinnah answers firmly, "Five hundred rupees per day is my fee, or find
another lawyer." Jinnah wins the case in 3 days. The affluent
businessman, Haji Abdul Kareem, tries to pay Rs. 5,000 but fails to
convince Jinnah to accept more than Rs. 1,500.
1903: Appointed legal advisor to the Bombay Municipal Corporation.
1904: When a rich Hindu landlord protests at the amount of Jinnah's
high fees, he replies, "You can't travel in a Pullman (luxury class)
with a third-class ticket."
1906: At the age of 30, M.A. Jinnah becomes secretary to the "Grand
Old Man of India", Dada Bhai Naurojee, of the All India Congress.
JOURNEY TO POLITICAL HEIGHTS:
1909: Jinnah is elected to represent in the Legislative Council of the
British Viceroy to India.
1913: Elected again for the Council in 1913, travels to London with
the great Indian leader, Gopal Krishna Gokhle.
1913: Joins the Muslim League upon returning to India.
1913: For his magnanimity and open-mindedness, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
becomes famous as the ‘Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity’ at the behest
of prominent Hindu leaders.
1915: Since 1913, Jinnah holds the unique position of being a member
of the All India Muslim League and The Legislative Council of the
British government. He is considered the most respectable citizen of
India at the age of 39.
1916, at age 40: Jinnah is bubbling with confidence, "The word failure
is unknown to me."
1918: "A neat, charismatic, well-mannered young man, a master of
logic. The most intelligent man I have seen." (Lord Montego
Chelmsford)
1918: Jinnah marries the gorgeous "Flower of Bombay”, Rattan Bai
Dinshaw. The common interest between the 41 year old groom and 18 year
old bride was their fondness of horses. The Parsi Rattan Bai embraces
Islam before marriage.
1919: The only child of M.A. Jinnah is born on Aug15, Dina Jinnah.
1920: Mohandas K. Gandhi renames the working committee of the
Congress, from Home Rule League to the Hindi "Suraaj Sabha." At this
juncture, Jinnah resigns from the Home Rule League. He correctly
picked up the name change as Gandhi’s drift toward serving the Hindu
Cause alone.
1920's: Gandhi promotes Hindu fundamentalism and gains cheap
popularity because of his antics. He threatens, "If Muslims or
Christians slaughter a single cow we will shed rivers of blood in
India!"
1922: When people shower him with extremely honorable titles, Jinnah
asserts, "I have no desire for any position or title. You may simply
call me Jinnah or Mr. Jinnah."
1929: Mrs. Ratti Jinnah's untimely demise due to Typhoid fever in
Bombay. She was only 29.
1931: Saddened by his wife's death, disappointed with the politics of
hatred propagated by Gandhi and the All India Congress, Jinnah moves
to London.
1931: Round Table Conference in London. Chaudhry Rahmat Ali tells
Jinnah that he will not accept crucifixion at the hands of the Hindu
extremists. Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal present at the conference
convinces M. A. Jinnah that Indian Muslims must have their independent
homeland.
1931: "If India ever attains freedom, it will be because of
Jinnah." (Gopal Krishna Gokhle)
1933: Allama Iqbal writes to M.A. Jinnah, "Muslims of India are
looking up to you to lead them." Liaquat Ali Khan tells M.A. Jinnah,
"Indian Muslims need and deserve you."
1934: M.A. Jinnah quits his booming law practice in London and returns
to his beautiful mansion at Mount Pleasant Road, Bombay.
1936: Jinnah establishes the All India Muslim Students Federation.
1937: M.A. Jinnah has breathed a new life into the Muslim League.
May 29, 1937: Allama Iqbal writes to Jinnah, "The only safeguard for
Muslims is to achieve a free homeland for themselves. Don't you think
the time has come for this demand? A great storm is nearing and
Muslims deserve to look up to you to captain their ship."
1937: Jinnah declares, "Even if we have to go through fire and blood
we must march on to freedom, otherwise, we will forever remain poor,
weak, illiterate, and slaves of Hindus.”
Oct 8, 1938, Karachi: “The British have unleashed wolves on the Arabs
in Palestine.”
1938: Bombay, 3 A.M. August 14: A Hindu journalist gently enters the
mansion and asks Jinnah why he was staying awake so late while all
Hindu leaders were sleeping in comfort. Jinnah responds, "I am awake
because my nation is sleeping. They are sleeping because their nation
is awake."
1938: "In India, the only un-purchasable leader is M.A.
Jinnah." (Pakistan’s first Prime Minister to be, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali
Khan)
1938: Jinnah visits Ilahabad, UP. He rules the hearts and minds of
students. They crowd the Ilahabad railway station in multitudes. The
railway traffic has to be stopped for 2 hours.
May 13, 1939: Muhammad Ali Jinnah orders his fortunes to be
distributed between Aligarh University, UP, Islamia College, Peshawar
and the Sind Madrasah, Karachi.
1940: Jinnah says, "One's whole life can be built around moral
strength, courage, hard work and persistence."
March 23, 1940: Meeting of All India Muslim League at Lahore. The
Lahore Resolution (later on known as the Pakistan Resolution) is
passed.
1940: Everyone starts calling M.A. Jinnah as "Quaid-e-Azam", the Great
Leader.
1940: Quaid-e-Azam introduces his English newspaper "DAWN" to fight
anti-Muslim propaganda.
1940: Careful with words. "I am willing to see Gandhi but you can't
say that I wish to see him."
1941: When advised to take rest by his loving sister he replies,
"Fatima! Have you ever heard of a general going on vacation while his
army is at war?"
1941: "Pakistan was established when the first Indian accepted Islam
and Hindus called him Untouchable!"
July 26, 1943: A 30 year old tall and stout man, Rafiq Sabir tries to
assassinate Quaid-e-Azam at his office with a dagger. The 67 year old
slender Jinnah calmly grabs his wrist while his driver arrests the
attacker. Jinnah proceeds with his work as if nothing happened. Rafiq
Sabir belonged to the ‘Khaksar Tehrik’ that believed Muslims must rule
the whole India by way of power.
Dec 18, 1943: "The most important man in Asia is 67, tall, thin and
elegant, with a monocle on a gray silk cord and a stiff white
collar." (Beverly Hill Nichols, in his interview with the great leader
titled ‘Dialogue With A Giant’)
1944: “Theocracy is the worst form of despotism.”
1945: The Working Committee of the Muslim League requests Quaid-e-Azam
to accept becoming the life President of the League. Quaid-e-Azam
declines and insists on democratic process with yearly elections.
1945: Jinnah says, "I first decide what is right and proceed to do it.
The people invariably come around me and the opposition vanishes. Many
leaders would rather say what people want to hear."
1945, to students: "Do not criticize others when you yourselves have
not yet learned to respect the sanctity of law. I see you have no
lights on your bikes after dusk. --- Education and scholarship must
come first and politics after."
1945: “Unity, Faith, Discipline must be the motto of our nation.”
1945: "I am an old man and I have all the luxuries of life. Why am I
toiling hard? It is for you, for the poor of the nation."
January 1946: Muslim League registers a resounding victory in general
elections.
1946: "No power on earth can prevent (the creation of) Pakistan!"
1946: "There is no tribunal to which we can go. The only tribunal for
us is the Muslim nation."
1946: "Work for the good of the common man." (Addressing the leaders
of Muslim League)
1946 address: M.A. Jinnah addresses students in Deccan, "In Islam, the
ultimate obedience belongs to God alone. The only way to follow His
Guidance is through the Holy Qur'an. Islam does not preach obedience
to a king, parliament, person or any institution. The Islamic
government means Rule of the Qur'an. And how can you establish the
Rule of the Qur'an without an independent state? In this state,
legislation will take place within the boundaries drawn by the
Qur'an."
1946: Jinnah reaches this conclusion, "All the conferences in the
world cannot reconcile the stark differences between the Hindu and
Muslim ideologies."
1946: "What are our utmost demands? The answer is Pakistan."
1946: "Exceptional inner worth, vitality and endurance with eager
humanity, a simple, winning humor like a child." (The prominent Indian
intellectual, Miss Sarojini Naidu, the ‘Nightingale of India’, poet
and later, the governor of Uttar Pradesh)
1946: "Democracy is in the blood of Muslims. I'll give you an example.
Very often, when I go to a mosque, my chauffeur stands side by side
with me."
1947: "His youth was spotless." (Sarojini Naidu)
1947: "M.A. Jinnah is such a smart man. How would he not make history?
I admire the tremendous personality and his inexorable
determination." (British Field Marshall, Sir Claude Auchinleck)
1947: MAJ says, "I believe in criticizing the government freely and
frankly. But at the same time, it is the duty of every educated person
to support and help the government when it is doing right."
1947: "Jinnah is the Muslim League. For him, people invariably fall in
line. No one has any doubt what he means when he speaks. He speaks
what he means and he means what he speaks." (R.G. Casey, Governor of
Bengal)
June 3, 1947: Quaid-e-Azam gives the great news of freedom to the
Indian Muslims. From All India Radio, Delhi he exclaims, "Pakistan
Zindabad!" (Long Live Pakistan!)
July 1947: “In the history of nations, an enemy of today is a friend
of tomorrow.”
August 7, 1947: Jinnah flies from Delhi to Karachi in his beautiful
silver Dakota.
August 7, 1947: “Do you know I never expected to see Pakistan in my
lifetime?” (On reaching Karachi)
Aug. 11, 1947, Addressing the Nation: “You are free; you are free to
go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other
place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any
religion or caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the
fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of
the state…”
These words were Jinnah’s, but the thought and beliefs were an
inheritance from Prophet Muhammad: “Today I trample under my feet all
the distinctions of caste, color, and nationality.” (Hector Bolitho)
Aug 12, 1947: “Muhammad (the exalted Prophet) was the greatest
lawgiver, statesman and sovereign.”
Aug 13, 1947: "The single-mindedness and persistent integrity of
Muhammad Ali Jinnah gave him the victory over all his
adversaries." (M.K. Gandhi)
August 14,1947: Hindu fundamentalist partly RSS tries to assassinate
Quaid-e-Azam as he is driven to the Government House in Karachi. For
some reason, the bomb thrown on his car fails to explode. Quaid-e-Azam
declines personal bodyguard.
1948: "It is as important to unlearn as it is to learn."
April15 1948: His health continues to decline. On medical advice,
Jinnah temporarily moves to a scenic place, Ziyarat near Quetta but he
refuses to stop working.
July 1, 1948: Comes to Karachi for the inauguration ceremony of the
State Bank of Pakistan. He asserts, “The adoption of Western Economic
Theory and practice will not help us in achieving our goal of creating
a happy and contented people. We must work our destiny in our own way,
and present to the world an economic system based on the true Islamic
concepts of equality of mankind and social justice.” This was the last
official engagement of M.A. Jinnah.
Aug. 1948: Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s personal physician Col. Elahi Baksh
said, “Sir! You must have woolen pajamas.” Quaid-e-Azam replied,
“Listen Doctor, whenever you spend money on me. Think twice whether it
is necessary or not.”
Aug. 1948: My ways are what? - Just common sense.
Aug. 29, 1948: “Now it does not matter whether I live or die. I have
completed my job.”
August 29, 1948, Ziyarat: "I have completed my mission."
Sep 11, 1948: Moves back to Karachi.
Sep11, 1948: 10.20 PM, the great leader breathes his last at the
Government House in Karachi. The entire Pakistan is beclouded in gloom
within the next hour.
1948: “While the Hindu leadership of India, including Gandhi, indulged
in tactics simulating mantras, soothsaying and voodoo, Jinnah in
comparison carried on his politics with the selectivity of an expert
surgeon.” (Sir Winston Churchill)
1948: Jinnah was a man without malice. (General Sir Douglas Gracey,
Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan army in 1948)
1949: Jinnah was faultless in both ethics and virtue. (Sarojini Naidu,
the Nightingale of India).
1949: Jinnah abhorred the "vague, philosophical absurdities" of
Gandhi. (Hector Bolitho, the renowned British author)
1949: "Gandhi was an instrument of power, Jinnah was power," states
the physician, Dr. JAL Patel, who incidentally had treated both
leaders. The doctor adds, "Gandhi was unclothed before his disciples,
Jinnah was clothed before his disciples. That was the difference
between them."
1950: Jinnah used to say, "A spade should be called a spade." And he
always did that. (Historian G.A. Alana)
1950: Gandhi was not happy if he achieved his objective through
logical progression. He appealed to emotions. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was
logical, practical and appealed to reason. (Sir D.B. Cunningham)
1950: Jinnah apart from his integrity, which was frightening, was a
powerful man; when he decided to dominate anyone, an individual or a
multitude, he did. He spoke to Urdu understanding masses in English
but they listened to him, bewitched! (Professor Khalid Bin Saeed, a
noted historian)
1951: To doubt Muhammad Ali Jinnah's sincerity was to question the law
of his life. (Hector Bolitho, British author)
1951: The profound laurels and long accounts of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s
achievements in newspapers failed to impress him. (Rizwan Ahmad, a
close associate)
1951: The force of Jinnah's convictions and his inimitable style
struck large audiences into wonder and agreement. (Hector Bolitho)
1951: "O Yes! He had charm. And he was so good looking. Mind you, I am
sure he was aware of his charm. He knew his strength." (A Parsi lady
who was a contemporary and a neighbor of Jinnah in Bombay, reminiscing
the old days of the1920s)
1951: Sarojini Naidu, the "Nightingale of India" wrote romantic poems
to Jinnah. As far as Jinnah was concerned, she sang in vain. (Begum
Raana Liaquat Ali Khan)
1951: Jinnah was completely free from extremes of emotions. (Nawabzada
Liaquat Ali Khan)
1952: Jinnah's eyes were the 'twin lamps of truth'. Only the honest
could look him straight in the eye. (Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan)
1955: The word ‘holiday’ was foreign to Jinnah's active mind. (Younger
sister, Fatima Jinnah)
1970: To the end of his life, he made no effort to court popularity or
to please the press. (Lord Mountbatten, India’s last British viceroy)