...But you will never take our Islam...

'....But you will Never take our Islam....'
Shaikh Husain Ahmad Al-Madani

The response of Shaykh al-Islam Husain Ahmad al-Madani (ra) [1] when he was arrested and brought before the British court during the Indian subcontinent's struggle for independence [2]:

The most that you can do is hang or shoot us and martyr us. See that I have brought my shroud on my shoulder for I am fully prepared for my death [3]. If you do not know what we are then let me tell you – we are the essence of Imam Abu Hanifa and the strength of Imam Malik. We are the steadfastness of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal; the purity of heart of Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf-Thani; the insight of Hadhrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi, and we are the heirs of those people who have died and sacrificed to bring us our religion. So you may be able to take our lives but you will never take our Islam from our hearts.


[1] 1879 CE - 1957 CE. He was amongst the senior khulafa (spiritual successors) of Imam Rashid Ahmad al-Gangohi (ra). He held the position of Shaykh al-Hadith at Darul Uloom Deoband for 28 years.

[2] Amongst the predominant initiatives of the British colonialists was to extinguish the strength and influence of the Ulama who were foremost in the struggle for independence. Shaykh Husain Ahmad (ra) himself along with his teacher Shaykh al-Hind Mahmud Hasan ad-Deobandi (ra) were both arrested in the Hijaz (Arabian peninsula) in 1917 CE and imprisoned on the island of Malta for 3 years and 4 months.

[3] Shaykh Husain Ahmad al-Madani (ra) was known to wear his kafan (burial shroud) as his turban.

http://attalib.blogspot.com/2008/11/...our-islam.html