I Want Everyone to Know the Prophet’s Story, Says Author of First Marwari Biography
Rajeev Sharma is a Marwari and Hindi writer from
Rajasthan who has recently published his retelling of Prophet
Muhammad’s story in Marwari. He has previously written several
books but his choice of subject for his latest book has left some in
Rajasthan, the state where the language is widely spoken, intrigued. The
Wire caught up with the young author to ask him a few questions about him
and the book.
Tell us something about your reasons for having written a
book on the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Why were you interested in this
subject?
It was about 15 years ago, when I was in 9th standard, that
I started a library in my native village. While reading books is considered a
major task in schools, I have always been very interested in reading. Because
of my deep interest in reading I got an opportunity to read many books of a
diverse nature, ranging from comics to mythological books. During that time I
found a pocket book depicting the life of Prophet Muhammad. It was when I was
reading that, that I realised he spent his whole life struggling against
negativity, but despite all the sad events in his life, his belief in God was
as strong as a rock.
Apart from finding the book, two other incidents shaped my
interest in the Prophet. I am from a Hindu-Brahmin family, but have always
tried to protest against bad rituals and the ways of these so-called godmen,
which ultimately only benefit them. In my village there was a priest who also
worked as a moneylender. He would give out loans to villagers on sky-high
interest rates. At times, the interest would have risen to lakhs, when the
principal was only a few thousand rupees. Seeing him ruin the lives of
people in the village, I was reminded of how Prophet Muhammad was one
person who had clearly said that taking interest was a sin. He said it was
motivated by evil.
Another time I had heard the story of a girl who was born in
our family. When she was barely 5 years old, the family fixed her marriage
because in the eyes of priests, marrying a girl before 12 years of age was a dharma
vivaah! As luck would have it, at the time of the marriage itself her groom
died. The priest then decided that the girl would live her life as the
man’s widow. This incident always made me sad, and again I found resonance in
the life of Prophet Muhammad, who had married a widow.
Do you feel that Muslims and Hindus in India do not read
enough about each other’s cultures and beliefs?
Yes, that is true. Some people consider each other’s holy
books as untouchable and most do not bother knowing about each other. Studying
or knowing about some other religion or prophet and following their goodness
doesn’t mean that you are going to change your own religion. I firmly believe
in Prophet Muhammad, and I accept that he was a prophet of God. While I try to
follow his teachings, I am as Hindu today as on the first day of my life.
Youngsters should be motivated to study more about different religions, their
teachings, and their beliefs. My younger brother read about Islamic banking in
a finance journal and motivated me to write a book on the life of Prophet
Muhammad.
How did you come across information regarding the
Prophet? What is the source of the information in your book?
I studied lot of books to research his life. Some are them
were authored by writers from Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and even
India. The Internet is also a good source of information.
Have you always been interested in the history of Islam
and the life of the Prophet, or was there any incident that pushed you towards
reading about this subject?
No, I was not always interested in Islam and the life
of Prophet Muhammad. Like many others, my knowledge was limited to the basics.
There wasn’t a single Muslim home in my village, and so exposure to the
religion and its practices was limited. When I started my library and
read a book on the Prophet, I decided to read more, and realized that my
thoughts resonated with his writings. I wanted everyone to know his story then.
What do you think about the incidents of violence that
take place between Hindus and Muslims in the country?
The reason for violence between Hindus and Muslims is simply
misconceptions about each other and a sense of superiority regarding our own
beliefs. All of us read religious books but rarely do we implement their
messages in our life. The reading is akin to reading for examinations – for
marks and not for knowledge. If you read the Quran, you will find words of
peace and kindness. Hindu books clearly say preach that the world is our family
and we know Jesus was praying for even the forgiveness of those who were
crucifying him. These religious messages are what people should preach and
practice in today’s world.
Have you faced any problems because of the subject of
your book? What were the sort of objections that you faced in writing the book?
As I completed this book and was preparing to publish it on
my blog, I was not scared or confused because I knew I was writing the truth.
There is no need to be scared of saying the truth. My family members were fully
supportive of the idea and people liked the book more than I had expected.
While I received messages praising the book from all over
the world, I did receive some hate mail. People are calling for me to be shot
or hanged, and some have even suggested I join the ISIS! Those e-mails really
disappointed me. Was this the reward for writing about the Prophet? While
interestingly none of the hate mail came from Muslims, I believe that those who
post these messages are against the idea of peace, and cannot belong to any
religion, because no religion in the world is opposed to peace.
The book is available online for free currently. Are
there any plans to publish the book? How has the response been so far?
The response so far has been overwhelming in the e-format,
but I think the book should get published in print too. I haven’t yet looked
for a publisher but if a good publisher is ready then I would like to get it
published.
Have you previously written other books in Marwari or
translated works to Marwari? What were the subjects of these books?
Yes, Marwari is my mother-tongue. My first composition in
Marwari was the translation of the Hanuman Chalisa. I have
translated the stories of Tolstoy, letters written by Abraham Lincoln and
teachings of Jainism among other things. I have also written several books in
Hindi, all of which are available on my website.
What is the state of the Marwari publishing industry?
The situation is quite bad. It is difficult to even find
bookstores that sell Marwari books in the entire state of Rajasthan. Marwari
books are generally unavailable, and the younger crowd assumes they are for
people of past generations. This can be corrected though, if books were more
easily available.
From starting it to finally publishing it online,
what was the most difficult aspect of writing such a unique book?
Writing and publishing the book have surprisingly been the
easier parts. The problems for me started after the book was online. While some
relatives assumed I had converted to Islam, others suggested avoiding topics
that were related to other religions. A lot of people talk about this behind my
back, but after a while you learn to laugh about it.
Are there any plans to write another book? Will the
subject of the next book also be related to Islam?
Yes, I would definitely like to write more books. I want to
write about the teachings of the Quran, which I think would be useful for
everyone. I am also planning to write a book on Prophet Muhammad’s associates
and people close to him. I want these books to be available in English and
Hindi, too, along with Marwari.
