Following interview of Shk Shabbir Taheri, Dubai, by Sakina Sh Noman Miyajiwala and Mudar Patherya

During one of Aqa Maula's various trips to Dubai, Anjuman-e-Najmi arranged an audience of his with a gathering of Arab dignitaries, ambassadors, businessmen and opinion makers.

Aqa Maula went into event detail; he inquired what would be served. I showed Huzurala the menu, which included tea, coffee, soft drinks and juice.

Aqa Maula studied the largely foolproof list and then advised, "Thando cocoa rakho!"

This triggered a fleeting dilemma; I felt that tea and coffee would be better appreciated; Huzurala felt otherwise. How would I tell him? Huzurala immediately read my mind. He added: "Thando cocoa apva ma aasani rehse."

The matter ended. Huzurala's wisdom struck me only when the programme was over. Had we served the alternative beverages, there would have been innumerable requests for 'A little more sugar or 'Slightly stronger coffee please' or 'Can you get me one without milk?'. This would have stretched us organizationally and we would not have been able to cater to the diverse requests immediately. This could have affected the smoothness of our event management. However, by serving cocoa, we had eliminated the problem completely.

Sometimes when we interact with Huzurala at a non-religious level, there could be a latent feeling that we are closer in touch with reality. Make no mistake; the opposite is true!

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