RAMPAL
Mason by day, teacher after fajr prayer
Photo: Agamir Somoy
On one hand he leads prayers at a mosque. On the other he works as a mason. In between these responsibilities, Md. Rafiqul Islam has been teaching Quran and religious education to village children for the past seven years without receiving any salary or allowance.
Even though his own family struggles with financial hardship, he quietly runs a maktab to help other children receive an education. Around 35 children regularly come to him to learn the Quran. Around 10 elderly people also come to learn.
Rafiqul Islam is the imam of Baytunnajat Jame Mosque in Kadamdi village of Ujarkul Union in Rampal Upazila of Bagerhat. His home is in Kadamdi Paschimpara of Ward No. 9 of the upazila near Madrasa Bus Stand.
Alongside serving the mosque he established a maktab there on his own initiative. For seven years he has been providing religious education to children and elderly people without any payment.
Local residents said Rafiqul Islam sits with the children immediately after the Fajr call to prayer. Classes continue from early morning until 7 a.m. During this time the children learn to read the Quran as well as various surahs, duas, the call to prayer and ghazals. He occasionally organizes different competitions to encourage the children. After working as a mason during the day around 10 elderly people also come to him at night to learn the Quran.
Rafiqul Islam’s family has seven members including his elderly parents. He lost a daughter when she was young. He is now responsible for supporting his family including his younger daughter. He regularly has to work as a mason to cover household expenses. The income from construction work somehow covers the family’s daily expenses.
Although he feels physically exhausted after working in construction all day Rafiqul never backs away from his responsibility to teach the children. Even when his workplace is far away he tries to manage his time around his responsibilities at the maktab and mosque. When there is work in the area, he leads all five daily prayers himself. When he has to work somewhere far away, he arranges in advance for another person to lead prayers at the mosque. After returning from work he resumes teaching the children and carrying out his other responsibilities at the mosque.
Rafiqul Islam said, “There is financial hardship in my family. I somehow support my family by working as a mason. But I am running the maktab because I do not want the children of the village to be deprived of Quran and religious education. I have not taken any salary for seven years. I am doing this work for the satisfaction of Allah.”
He said, “I start teaching the children after the Fajr call to prayer. After teaching until 7 a.m. I leave for work. At night the elderly come to learn the Quran again. My body remains tired after working all day but when I sit down to teach the children I no longer feel that fatigue. If they can grow up to become good people that is my greatest reward.”
Local resident Abdus Salam said, “Rafiqul bhai’s own family is going through a lot of hardship. It is difficult to support a family of seven with the money he earns from working as a mason all day. Even then he teaches the children in the area. He does not take any money in return. Very few people like him can be seen in society.”
Another resident Tarikul Islam said, “I often see him returning tired from work. Even then he sits with the children without taking any rest. Because of him many children in the area have the opportunity to learn the Quran and basic religious education. It is not only children. Elderly people are also learning the Quran from him.”
Local resident Shaishab Sheikh said, “Rafiqul Islam is not only the imam of the mosque. He is like a teacher for the children in our area. For seven years he has been teaching the children without pay without thinking about his own hardship. If wealthy people in society and the relevant authorities stand by him the maktab could be run in a better way.”
According to local residents Rafiqul Islam dreams of building a better future for children while setting aside the financial hardships in his own life. Despite working hard every day to support his family he has taken responsibility for educating other people’s children. He has continued this initiative for years without expecting any payment or financial benefit.
He has not even kept a record of how many children have received their first lessons in the Quran and religious education at his maktab over the past seven years. Around 35 children currently attend his classes regularly. In addition around 10 elderly people learn the Quran from him at night. Despite his limited means he continues trying to help shape a generation with religious and moral education.
Despite living in a financially struggling family Rafiqul Islam’s initiative to teach 35 children the Quran without pay for seven years while also teaching elderly people has become a unique example of quiet humanitarianism. He considers the future of the children more important than the hardships in his own life. His only expectation is that every child in the area will become educated in the Quran and moral values and grow up to be a good person.
