While reading the booklet written by Fazal Mahmood Rokhan sahib titled, “Martung Babajee”, I was surprised to know that though illiterate, Miangul Abdul Wadud had great respect for religious scholars. It was unusual on the part of an aristocratic head of a state and in a society wherein the Mullahs are always ridiculed and often physically attacked by his own followers in the mosques under one pretext or other.
Badshah Sahib hosted Maulana Khan Bahadar alias Martung Babajee for fifteen years in his own Palace at Baringal, Saidu Sharif. They alongwith other staff lunched and dined on the same floor, taking the same food. Other ‘Ulemas’ were also there. Maulana Abdul Majeed and Ibrahim of Bazargi, Buner are the translators of Fatawa Alamgiri into Pushto, under the tile of “Fatawa e Wadudia”. Qazi courses at tehsil level and Darul Qaza, the Supreme Sharia Court in the State, was established in the capital Saidu Sharif.
Martung Babajee was strictly against camera photography. Badshah Sahib wanted to record his movements and voice. So he arranged for a movie camera, without telling him and recorded a short film. After ‘Isha’ prayers, Badshah Sahib asked his staff to run the film while Babajee was busy talking to someone. The lights went off and the screen on the wall, lighted up. Martung Babajee was first shocked to see himself on the screen. After the show, he told Badshah Sahib that he often thought how the actions, sins and good will be presented to a man, and he will see all his life passing before him. Now his belief is firm and consolidated.
So was Miangul Jahanzeb, very respectful to religious scholars and attended to their needs. Each school had one or two qualified Theology Teachers from the authorized Darul Ulums of the Subcontinent and after 1940, from the State run institution at Saidu Sharif and Charbagh.
Now about a personal event, I witnessed. Wali Sahib was due to visit Chakesar in 1963. I was there to receive him and attend to his inspection of the under construction ten beded hospital. The elders of the village were standing in a line headed by a great Khan. The three Qazis came and stood in line with the Khans. One of them asked them not to stand with the Jirga elders and go away. They formed another line away from the reception area. Wali Sahib arrived at 11 A.M and after taking the salute form the local group of State force, he turned to me. I shook hands with him, then we started towards the reception line. The Hakim Chakesar, Shirin by name suddenly took Wali Sahib by the hand and said, pointing to the Qazis, “Sir, those are the Qazis of Chakesar”. Wali Sahib went first towards them, leaving the Khans. He asked about each one problems and then ordered the Hakim to increase their salaries.
And after, he turned to the line of the Khans, shook hands and exchanged a few words with each other. We went among the street upto the site of the work. Women and children were standing on the roofs to have a look at the Ruler. At one turn, we heard a women asking loudly, “Oh sister, Which one is the king of Swat.”
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