Baba Haqiqat Rai Jee

[nWo]

Taken From Tapoban.org

One Very Amazing Story

Baba Haqiqat Rai Jee :WW:

Haqiqat Rai was born in 1724 to Mata Durgi who was the daughter of parents who

believed in Sikhism. I think that her brothers were Singhs. It is not known if the family

where she was married was a Sikh family or not.

Haqiqat Rai belonged to a wealthy family and he grew up learning Gurmat and Sikh

history from his mother. He heard about the Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh and was

especially impressed by Baba Zoravar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh. He thought about

them all the time.

In those days persian was very prevalent in Punjab and mostly persian was taught by

Maulvis (Moslem priests) in masjids (Moslem place of worship). Haqiqat Rai started

learning persian in the village masjid and he was the only non-Moslem student there.

Haqiqat Rai was extraordinarily bright boy and therefore many Moslem boys were

jealous of him.

In 1735 when he was only 10-11 years old, Haqiqat Rai got into argument with the

Moslem students of the school. The Moslem boys teased him by calling bad names to

Durga Mata (Goddess of Hindus). Hearing this Haqiqat Rai called Bibi Fatima (daughter

of Mohammad Sahib, the prophet of Moslems) bad names. At this he was severely beaten

by the Moslem boys.

Fearing that Haqiqat Rai would tell the Maulvi and have them punished the Moslem boys

went straight to the Maulvi and exaggerated the argument with Haqiqat Rai and told him

that Haqiqat Rai had said very derogatory things about Islam. Hearing this Maulvi could

not control his anger and he along with a group of other Moslems marched towards 11

years old Haqiqat Rai to teach him a lesson.

On the other side when Haqiqat Rai reached home all swollen his mother got very upset

when she found out that she was beaten by Moslem boys so badly. She told him that she

will talk to the maulvi personally about this.

By that time Maulvi reached their home with a lot of other people and he grabbed

Haqiqat Rai by his hair and started beating him mercilessly. They beat him so badly that

he got unconscious. Their anger did not extinguish at this. They carried him to the

Faujdaar (governor) of Sialkot (now in Pakistan).

Haqiqat Rai was brought before the Faujdar and questioned. Haqiqat Rai told them the

truth but no one believed him. The Faujdar along with the Qazi, ordered him that the only

way he can escape death is if he embraced Islam, the religion he allegedly condemned so

much.

At that point Haqiqat Rai remembered Baba Zoravar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh. He

politely but forcefully declined their demand. He said that he will never convert to Islam.

This made the Qazi and other Moslems there mad. The Qazi ordered that he be tied by

the tree upside down and beaten with hunters (a kind of cane made out of leather). Where

ever the hunter fell it ripped the skin from the body. Haqiqat Rai did not bow.

Finally when Haqiqat Rai remained unyielding he was sent to Zakariya Khan at Lahore.

Haqiqat Rai's father pleaded for mercy and even offered money equal to the weight of his

son but the tyrants did not listen to him.

Before he was deported to Lahore from Sialkot, Dhan Mata Durgi the mother of Haqiqat

Rai told him that she would rather be mother of a shaheed than being mother of a loser

who gave up his religion because of fear of death. It was a very emotional departure and

many people present there had tears in their eyes.

Haqiqat Rai was brought before the subedar of Lahore, Zakariya Khan and he remain

defiant there also. People were amazed at this 11 years old young boy who wouldn't give

up his Dharam despite all the torture and threats. Haqiqat Rai came to this stage that he

did not care any more. He just wanted to be with his heros Baba Zoravar Singh and Baba

Fateh Singh.

Finally when all the measures to convert him failed his head was severed from his body

at the order of Zakariya Khan in January of 1735. Haqiqat Rai happily embraced death

but did not give up his religion.

I urge our youth to look up to these kids who did not give up their Dharam even in the

most difficult times. But what has happened to us ? Why are we giving up Gurmat when

we don't have any threat or danger to our lives like these?

When the Khalsa forces of those times found out about Haqiqat Rai's shaheedi, everyone

was upset. Nawab Kapur Singh and others vowed to avenge the death of Haqiqat Rai

which they did.

Dhan Baba Haqiqat Rai jee and his mother Mata Durgi jee.