Mauna Sharif is a village blessed by the tomb of Maulana Abu Zafar, Siddiqui Maunavi, a pious man and son in law of the famous mystic Hazrat Hafiz Hanif Teghi, Aabadani (R). Hazrat Hafiz Hanif Teghi (R) was the first Khalifa of Hazrat Tegh Ali (R) from Surkahi Sharif. This village is a Muslim dominated settlement where three mosques, a Madrasa and an Urdu Middle School exist.
Mauna Sharif has every right to be called Sharif like Pokhraira Sharif, Surkahi Sharif, Kichhaucha Sharif, Rudauli Sharif, Bihar Sharif, Ajmer Sharif, Dewa Sharif, Gulbarga Sharif, Bareilly Sharif, Furfura Sharif and numerous others where a Dargah or a tomb of a holy man is located and indeed the Mazar and Dargah of Maulana Abu Zafar Qadri Siddiqui lies in Mauna entitling it to be called as Mauna Sharif.
I wrote some arguments in favor of Mauna to be called Sharif because when I wrote it in an article, an illustrated so called Maulana got angry and compelled me to delete the same from an article I wrote mentioning this place blessed by a friend of Allah and a center of learning the best way to lead a human life – Islamic Sciences as Mauna Sharif.
Maun Sharif is my maternal home where I spent my formative years of my childhood. I recollect going to the mango orchard only 300-400 meters away from the tiny settlement where the progeny of Parnana Dost Ali resides, which is the best and prosperous family of Maunavis. There was a giant Biju mango tree in title of my maternal family, which produced trucks of mangos and this tree alone was sufficient to satisfy the mango fruit needs of the family. Biju mango is a local variety of mango, which is small in size but very tasty and juicy.
There is another grove across a stream, which has recently dried, only 100-200 meters away from the outer courtyard of the house. It was the science of my childhood playing activities. I played Kabaddi, the ancestor of cricket – Gulli Danda and other recreation activities. This grove lies on the way to vast tracks of fields, lush green with various kinds of crops, paddy, wheat and colorful mustard plants where I would go mostly with eatables for workers working in these fields.
And there would be a grandstand in the middle of the lush green fields about 15-20 ft high to guard and supervise the fields and protect them from animal, birds as well as humans. It was a pleasure spot to seek refuge from scorching heat during summer season feeling air and listening birds singings on the nearby trees in abundance.
One of the cherished memoirs of Mauna Sharif I have is my leading Taravih prayer during Ramazan when I completed Hifz-e-Quran at tender age of only 12. My first year as an Imam in Taravih prayer was spent in the small ancestral mosque situated in that area of the settlement where the family of Dost Ali lived earlier. Now, this area is occupied by the children of his brother, whose name I do not remember at this time. This mosque needs repair and renovation works. I led Taravih prayer in at least two other years in the mosque situated O Paar Mauna in the north most habitation of the village.
In the graveyard of Mauna Sharif, my mother was laid to rest about two and half years back. My sister namely Noori also is buried here, who was a favorite granddaughter of late Maulana Abu Zafar Siddiqui, the founder of Darul Uloom Gulshane Madina Jamia Nooria. Boundary is built around the tiny grave of Noori, who would taunt her Nana “My father’s home at Tehai is pucca house, but yours is not.” So when she died at her tender age 08, her Nana built a pucca house for her.
Whenever I go to my ancestral home at Tehai Madaripur, officially known Dharampur Narayan from Delhi, I do visit Mauna Sharif to say Fatiha to my maternal grandfather, mother and others and meet with my maternal family including my maternal uncle Mufti Saghir Ahmad Noori, who is my first teacher and mentor, under whose guidance I completed memorizing Holy Book of Islam, Quran and started Dars-e-Nizami books such as Nahw Meer, Minhajul Arabia, Faizul Adab, Meezan Munshaib, Aamadnama, Gulsitan Bostan and other books.
SOME MEMOIRS OF MY GRANDFATHER LATE MOHD ASHFAQ AHMAD SIDDIQUI
TAHFIZUL QURAN, TEHAI MADARIPUR
DARUL ULOOM GULSHAN-E-MADINA JAMIA NOORIA
Hamid Siddiqui – Director: MOI Portal
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