It is the story of ALLAH SWT’S Fadhal on me, Power of Duas, immense contribution of parental guardianship and their sacrifices and on the way help of few rarest of rare “Mohsins”

The infinite Grace and Help of ALLAH SWT, made the cherished dream of my late father come true to make his son a doctor 55 years ago, who travelled from his village Olhanpur to England for higher qualification, 51 years ago.

Those were the days when there was no Bihar Anjuman and no Shakeel Ahmed Sb and his forward-thinking Group of BA friends to lend a helping hand to financially strapped students. He and his core friends might have been only 3/5 years old or might not even born when I got admission in Ranchi Medical college in 1960. Life would have been lot easier with some badly needed financial backing, if an NGO like Bihar Anjuman existed at the time.

Most people in our Group are from Darbhanga which in my opinion is educationally more advanced, economically well off and religiously well oriented and vibrant than many other districts of Bihar. There are relatively well-off districts but I am envious of Darbhanga for its Islamic fervor and much better education than the rest of Bihar

I am from Olhanpur in Chhapra which is poorest in the poor state of Bihar.

We had a school in the village since 1935, founded by my grandfather and his friends, foundation laid by the late Dr Syed Mahmoud. In spite of the school in the midst of village, the entire village remained largely uneducated until three four decades ago. The favorite past time was and is village politics, animosity and infighting till death do apart. Hindus benefitted a lot from the school who used to come from ¾ miles away.

My family was the only educated family, if you can at all call it educated because only three of my uncles did matriculation in 1940s. Economic circumstances didn’t permit further education.

I came from a noble Zamindar farmer family. My grandfather used to be summoned by the District Judge to sit in the Jury trial cases of murder and potential hanging.

The veneer of nobility concealed our financial paucity. No one knew we had little money, living hand to mouth.

My father was very bright. He got scholarship for being first and getting highest marks in Maths in the middle school in the entire Saran district. He was a math wizard. Unfortunately, he abandoned his education in his late teens to do a job to earn some money.

I had had five sisters and I was the only son. My father had a dream and determination to educate me to become a doctor and go to England and study at Cambridge.

I couldn’t fulfill his latter dream, but his grandson did 5 years after he died.

He personally taught me Maths until I went in 9th Class.

From the age of 5, every day he will tell me that I was expected to do first in annual exam and aim to be a doctor. In my heart it seemed rather an impossible – a herculean task. He used to tell me those who stand first have not got horn over their heads, they just work hard.

He was relentless in pursuing my educational progress and used to encourage me with the story of educationally successful people. My Abba Marhoom was least interested in acquiring wealth. He was always envious of people doing top in education.

He used to tell me about the amazing achievement of late Dr Abdul Samad Khan who was the maternal grandfather of Nurul Aziz Khan (in the BA Group) and our distant relative. His house was adjacent to my Naana house in the village Sanauli.

His whole career was as top-performer in the whole of Bihar. He received scholarship to do PhD in Chemistry in Manchester, England, at the turn of last century. After PhD, and return from England, he was appointed professor of chemistry in the Science College Patna and then became the first non-European Principal of science College. Later, he was appointed to be the first Indian Director of Public Education in Bihar in the first half of last century. He did it all by himself without any tuition and coaching. He had an amazing unmatched history of academic brilliance and success. He was also religious strict practicing Muslim and emphasized Education and Islam in his family.

There was no science teacher in my school, so my late father sent me to Patna when I was 11 years old. I got admission in Muslim High School Patna on Ramna Road. I used to live with my uncle who was sub-Inspector of Police in Pirbahor Thana, Patna. After a year, I got home sick as I was too young and came back home.

As there was no science teacher in the school, I had to read science subjects on my own with a bit of tuition help from an I.Sc. student until he left the school. Alhamdolillah, I passed with first division with highest mark amongst the five first division students in 1956 but I was very weak in Physics. Just barely managed to pass.

I got admission in Ranchi Medical college on marks basis in 1960. There was no competitive exam at that time.

The day I returned from Ranchi after my admission in the Medical college my mother died that night suddenly after years of Abdominal illness . My father could not afford her treatment. Now, looking back at her symptoms, I know now she died of perforated ulcerative colitis. As I type these memoirs from the past, tears are flowing down my cheeks for my late mother who suffered so much pain and deprivation but didn’t live long enough to see his son and grandchildren succeed. She could not digest any food except banana and rice.

Maize and barley product of our own field was our daily main diet . Still I never felt poor and was immensely grateful to Allah SWT that we didn’t starve and never went to bed empty stomach.

One day while I was a very young, I asked Amma, what was for “Khana” in the night, and she said Rice. I was so thrilled I started jumping up and down with happiness at the thought of eating Rice as if it was a Manno Salwa”.

These are just the glimpses of my early life.

I have deliberately bared open my very private and personal history to let the needy and poor students of today know that they are not that poor. In my opinion they are lot better off. They don’t know to stand on their own feet and fend for themselves as much as possible.

Starting the Medical education

When the time came for me to go to Ranchi to start my first year, Abba had no money for my college and hostel fee.

He somehow borrowed money with great difficulty but it was not easy and quite embarrassing for me.

During my entire education at RMCH, I had no jacket, trouser, shoe and or watch. I used to go to the college in flip flop, the secondhand Kurta and Pajama given by my one of my uncles. I was not at all ashamed. One day I was told off by the Principal for coming to the college in flipflop instead of shoe. I just ignored. I didn’t have new clothes even on Eid time.

As I had no watch. I started saving 3 rupees every month until I bought a watch for 100 rupees after 3 years of saving. I needed it to count the patient pulse in the hospital.

My father used to send me 60 Rupees every month which was a big amount for him, but not enough for my all expenses. It was difficult to manage. So, I skipped breakfast. I used to buy Chana and divide it in 30 parts for each day and soak it overnight and eat it in the morning with a bit of salt. I could not afford hostel canteen, so I used to go outside to the makeshift restaurant in the huts in the hostel campus. I used to go there to eat. Again, only bought as much as I could pay, perhaps rarely had full meal.

Still at the end of month, I was able to lend to some of my classmates when they asked to borrow money to go to cinema.

My father taught me bookkeeping and spend only what I had and only when needed. “Jitni Lambi Chaadar utna hi Pair Phailao.” I still have that training ingrained in me. It does not go well with my children who have all been born in affluence in UK.

I had difficult time during 5 years of my medical education, but I could not ask Abba for any additional money. I knew he was doing lot more than he was able to do.

Alhamdolillah in spite of my pajama and kurta and topi at the time of going to the mosque, Allah had had given me IZZAT in the eyes of Hindu and Muslims alike in the hostel. Expensive clothes do not earn respect, it is your character & Husne Akhlaq.

There was a Hindu boy in my class who was even poorer than me. He had no pen, used to write all lectures with a broken pencil in an old torn note book. At the time of exam, he would borrow a pen from one of our class mates. His father was a dresser in a hospital earning 40 rupees /Month. He passed MBBS with honors. Like me he is a retired doctor in UK. His two sons are with multinational commercial bank in top executive positions.

There is one another example how one could strive to achieve highest education in spite of poverty. A Muslim student from Patna got admission in RMCH with limited financial help from Imarat Shariah, after I had come to UK. He couldn’t manage to pay his hostel and college fee and meal. He was about to leave the college perhaps in first or second year. It was brought to the notice of a benevolent Muslim Eye & ENT Consultant surgeon Marhoom Dr Syed Ashraf Sb. He called him and offered him to stay at his flat with free board & lodging. He declined to live free and said he will give tuition to his children in lieu of his favor (Ehsan). He completed MBBS, did MS from PMCH and himself became Consultant Ophthalmologist and now retired and have his own clinic in Aligarh. He keeps close contact with all of his benefactors, and never gets tired of mentioning Late Dr Ashraf Ehsan. This is another quality missing from today’s generation. Kam Nikal gaya, bhoole se bhi saheb Salamat Nahi.

The immense contribution of Parental Guardianship

After I qualified as a doctor, I wrote a long letter of thanks and gratitude to my late father. I said that I suspected I was his adopted son after five daughters, because he was so strict and harsh with me re my education. I wrote that without his unrelenting pressure and strict discipline I would not have had achieved anything and rotting in `Ohanpur. All my contemporaries in my village stopped after Matriculation.

The next Phase: Going to UK

I had completed my senior houseman ship when the 1967 Ranchi riots and tragic incidence of lynching of a Muslim student Idrees at RMCH happened at the hands of Hindu Medicos.

Thereafter I moved to Hazaribagh to do private practice. A generous Mine owner in Chitarpur, Hazaribagh, Marhoom Hajee Ali Ahmed Sb provided me with free board and lodging in his big house.

I had applied for employment voucher in the UK. The voucher arrived but I had no passport. In those days it used to take over a year to get a passport. Besides CID and intelligence were behind my back because my Hindu friends published a false news in the newspaper that I was a Pakistani spy and had come to India on a false domicile.

I was almost on the point of being arrested.

Nur’s father, Marhoom Anwarul Aziz Khalu, was deputy Director of Agriculture in Ranchi. He told me “beta I will get your passport in 10 days”. He got my application signed by District Magistrate or Deputy Collector and posted the application from his official residence address on my behalf. In less than two weeks he drove from Ranchi to my place in Hazaribagh with my passport.

The Air fare to London

My late tried to sell father tried to sell a piece of land to pay for my air fare, but some jealous relatives stopped the buyer. My father said he was not able to send me the money approximately Rs 24,00.00 needed.

One day I was sitting in a pensive mood in my room when my host Hajee Ali Ahmed Sb Marhoom came to see me.. He asked why I was looking so worried. I said I had no money to buy the ticket to London. He smiled and said Doctor Saheb that was not a problem and nothing to worry about.

Next morning, he called his driver and took me to Ranchi travel agent and bought me the ticket. May Allah reward him abundantly and give him a place in Jannatul Firdaus Aamin.

There is not a single day I don’t do dua for Hajee Sb Marhoon and Anwar Khalu (Nur’s father)

When Allah decides to shower His Rehmat, no one can stop it and if he withholds it no one can give it.

Third phase: Heathrow Airport to the Hospital. The power of DUA & Allah’s timely Help

I got the job, passport and air ticket but I was given merely £3 maximum allowed foreign exchange at the time. I was worried and stressed. I didn’t know where I was going to go (No Google map those days!) and how far was the hospital which turned out to be hundreds of miles from London Heathrow to Truro in Cornwall.

Prior to coming I was doing Dua every day in India and nonstop on the plane to get to my hospital.

I have had arranged with a close relative doctor in UK who is the first cousin of my late mother. He promised to receive me but didn’t turn up at the airport.

I had also made an alternative arrangement with the elder brother of Enam Bhai- Nauman Khan Sb in London. I didn’t know him or his family at all at all at the time. One of my friends told me that his wife’s relative lives in London. I requested him to write a letter with my flight details to his relative (Nauman Khan Sb.)

I had little hope that he will come because he didn’t know me at all. I was counting on my Mothers cousin who didn’t turn up and sent a message to airport reception he was unable to come.

I went to reception desk to enquire about travel to Cornwall. I was told that fare to Cornwall wa £5 plus Taxi fare to King cross station and I had only £3 with me. Besides there was another bad news that there was train strike in the country. My head started spinning. What shall I do?

Here comes the answer to my Duas and Allah’s help from most unexpected quarter!

I was standing there helpless with my suitcase. In next 30 minutes an airport lady came to me with an envelope containing the message “Khan brothers awaiting outside for me”. Outside Nauman bhai with his wife and brother were waiting for me. Alhamdolillah, I can never thank him enough. I don’t know what I would have done if it was not there for him- begging or starving.

It is nearly 20 years since I retired, and I still thank Allah for all His Help and Blessings and rescuing me in London.

Guardianship

I believe parenting with close supervision and continuous coaxing is an essential requirement in bringing up the children and motivate them. The enthusiasm and zeal for education is far less in young generation of Muslims than in other Communities.

My Duas in teen age

When I was 15 in Rajendara college , Chhapra doing ISC, I used to do Dua late in the night, O Allah I get admission in Medical college, Please make my hand upper hand so that I can help my needy relatives and please enable me in future to buy a second hand motor cycle ! Well I could not dream beyond 2nd hand motor bike then. Allah must be wondering “ Is that all you can ask Me the Lord of the Universe.

Though I am retired long time often my eyes get filled with tears of emotion when I think of endless Blessings of Allah SWT. I honestly feel, I didn’t deserve it solely by means of my effort, Allah made my step, every exam, every endeavor and difficulty easy. Many times I really cry thanking Allah Who has been so kind to me all along my life and brought me from rags to riches with health and Eiman.

Coupled with effort and action I am a firm believer in the miracle of the power of Dua from my many personal experiences.

My special gratitude

After thanking Allah, my special gratitude to four people, without their help I won’t be here even here, and I do Dua for them regularly.

1. My late math teacher in the School who started giving me hours of free tuition every day in after hours, two years before matriculation. It was this which really shaped my future career.

2. Marhoohm Anwarul Aziz Khan (Nur’s father and D/D Agriculture) who facilitated my passport.

3. Hajee Ali Ahmed Sb Marhoom who bought me an Air ticket

4. Nauman Ali Khan Bhai (Enam bhai elder Brother) who saved me from begging and starvation.

If any of the links in the above chain of four was not there, I won’t be here to tell the story.

May Allah bless all the helping people & their families in this world and hereafter. Aamin

The unfinished story of my life: From arrival at the shore of UK to the present.

For every blink of our eyes, for every breath from birth to death and more so after death, we always need Allah SWT Mercy and Help. I arrived in Truro, Cornwall in the end of June 1968. I had a month clinical attachment with free board and lodging. At the end of a month I needed a job, but there was no job in any speciality. There was a glut of doctors from India and Pakistan. Many had to go back home. Nur's mother in Patna Zaibun Khala got me a letter from the mother in law of one of the Patna doctors who was working in UK. I posted the letter to him and he helped me in getting a locum (temporary job.)

My intention was never to stay in UK and to use it as a springboard to go and work in KSA permanently. It was my father's wish too. I left for UK a week after my marriage. So, after 7 months, I booked leave to go to India to see my wife. As luck would have it, I was persuaded by some friends to go to Hajj with them in Feb'69. I was so excited on the eve of flight to Jeddah; I was running on the streets of London with joy at the thought of being in Makkah next day. Alhamdolillah I did the Hajj, but I had a bitter experience with Saudis that I decided it was not a place for me to work. Reluctantly I decided to stay in UK.

I passed my Fellowship exam, FFARCS, and after years of training in different parts of the country I was appointed Consultant in 1981 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Perhaps to the best of my knowledge I was the first Muslim from my college or Bihar to be appointed Consultant. My wife joined me a year later in 1969. She has never ventured out of the house and village because of strict Purdah. She was escorted to Delhi airport by my late uncle and she travelled alone from Delhi to London! She has not forgiven me for forcing her to fly on her own. Alhamdolillah, have four children - two sons, two daughters and 11 grandchildren. Daughters are science teachers, elder son who qualified from Cambridge is a Cardiologist and the younger son is a dental surgeon.

3X heart attacks and end of my professional career.

Allah has saved me three times from the clutches of imminent death. It seems to me, apart from the parent's duas, bandon kee dua bhi mera Peecha kar rahi thee and Allah's Rehmat was shadowing me all the time.

In 1993 at the age of 52, I had the first heart attack while I was in operation theatre with my patient on the operating table. Nearly 40-50% of the people don't survive the attack and perhaps never reach the hospital. Allah SWT gave me further lease of life and kept the angels of protection on duty for me. I took retirement in 1995 and did only part time 2 days a week.

In 1999 on Friday morning on 1st Ramadan, I had an atypical heart attack which has a very high mortality. Instead of chest pain, I had pain in my neck (cervical spine) I felt there was no Oxygen in the room and I will die any moment. I was admitted to ICU. All the repeated blood tests and continuous ECG monitoring were normal. After 3 days, the cardiologist told me, it might have had been a viral infection and he would discharge me on Monday.

My cardiologist son was not convinced and he asked for a special test (Tropinin level) which was not common those days and not done in that hospital. It is diagnostic for heart attack if it is raised. My blood sample was sent to another hospital. Next day the cardiologist told me that Troponin was 10 times raised and I would need a stent. I was transferred to Univ hospital and had a stent put in. I resigned from my job and took complete retirement. Alhamdolillah, I am enjoying every day of my retirement.

3rd Heart Attack and emergency CABG

In 2013 on 7th of Shawwal i had my third attack. Angiography showed one artery 95% blocked and the two others 90% blocked. The consultant Cardiologist said one of the blocks was very complicated and beyond repair and I was a very high risk.

Alhamdolillah I had emergency triple bypass graft (CABG) and not had even a minor complication. My medical history is nothing short of miracle from Allah to be alive and fighting fit after 3 heart attacks.

This is called "Enil Hukmo Lillah" Hukm Allah Ka chalta Hai.

Medical science is fine and correct, but the final decision of life & death and veto power lies with Allah.

None of us can count the blessings of ALLAH. He says We give you what you ask, and also a lot more of what you didn’t even ask for.

May Allah make our end on Eiman and Kalimah!

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