Ilm-ud-din

Ilm Deen also written as Ilm Din (4 December 1908 – 31 October 1929) was an Indian Muslim carpenter who assassinated a book publisher named Mahashe Rajpal for publishing the book Rangila Rasul, which was considered derogatory towards the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, by Muslims.[1]

Ilm Deen
عِلم دین
Born4 December 1908
Lahore, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan)
Died31 October 1929 (aged 21)
Central Jail Mianwali, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan)
Resting placeMiani Sahib Graveyard, Lahore, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan)
Criminal charge(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Criminal statusExecuted

Background

In 1923, Mahashe Rajpal published an anonymous pamphlet titled Rangila Rasul, which contained a reexamination of hadiths from Bukhari, among other sources, along with an allegedly salacious commentary. Rangila Rasul had a surface appearance of a lyrical and laudatory work on Muhammad and his teachings and called Muhammad "a widely experienced" person who was best symbolized by his many wives.

Various sections of the Indian Muslim community started a movement demanding that the book be banned. In 1927, the administration of the British Raj enacted a law prohibiting insults aimed at founders and leaders of religious communities.[2]

Murder

Ilm Deen decided to kill the publisher. On April 6, 1929, he set out for the bazaar and purchased a dagger for one rupee. He hid the dagger in his pants and waited for Rajpal at some distance from Rajpal's shop. Rajpal had not arrived yet. Ilm Deen did not know what Rajpal looked like. He tried to find out where Rajpal was through people that were around. Rajpal entered the shop and Ilm Deen did not notice him but soon someone alerted him that Rajpal was inside. The young man entered the shop, lunged forward and attacked him. He stabbed his dagger into the chest of Rajpal. He fell to the ground and died instantly. The police arrested Ilm Deen and took him to Lahori Gate Police Station. Later Ilm Deen was shifted to Central Jail Mianwali. The murder caused considerable religious tension in Punjab and beyond.[3]

Trial and execution

The trial lawyer for Ilm Deen was Farrukh Hussain.[4]

Two witnesses from the prosecution side claimed that he was guilty. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, then a prominent Indian lawyer, and later the founder of Pakistan, was then sought out to appear in the appeal hearing at the Lahore High Court.[5] Jinnah appealed on the grounds of extenuating circumstances, saying that Ilm Deen was only 19 or 20. He asked for the death sentence to be commuted to imprisonment for life. This contention was rejected by the court. Ilm Deen was convicted and given the death penalty according to the Indian Penal Code, and subsequently executed.[6]

Funeral

It is said that around 600,000 people attended his funeral. Many Islamic leaders like Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal supported him and attended his funeral.[7]

References
  1. Rumi, Raza (30 October 2015). "Blasphemy it was not". The Friday Times (newspaper). Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  2. Soli J. Sorabjee (25 June 2006). "Insult to religion". Indian Express (newspaper). Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  3. "Salmaan Taseer murder case harks back to 1929 killing of Hindu publisher". the Guardian. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  4. Project Gutenberg 2003.
  5. Where history meets modern comforts Dawn (newspaper), Updated 30 March 2014, Retrieved 22 April 2019
  6. "Where executed blasphemy killer is revered as a saint". The New Indian Express. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  7. "Not just Imran; Iqbal and Jinnah also supported Islamic terror". Outlookindia. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
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