Parliament to mosque and back: A ritual MP-imam Mohibbullah says will continue

At 1 pm Monday, just before the afternoon namaz at the Jama Masjid on Parliament Street, there was a curious discussion among worshippers: “Will the Imam find time to lead the prayer today?”

The curiosity ended minutes later as Mohibbullah, 48, arrived, walking nonchalantly, to lead around 30-odd worshippers in the prayer. The namaz began at 1.20 pm sharp and lasted around 10 minutes before Mohibbullah headed out again — across the road, to Parliament.

Mohibbullah was busy attending his first Parliament session after becoming MP from the Rampur constituency in UP. Fielded by the Samajwadi Party, despite opposition by party veteran Azam Khan, he won the seat by defeating BJP’s sitting MP Ghanshyam Lodhi by 87,000 votes.

Born in Razanagar village in Rampur’s Suar region, Mohibbullah studied at the Madrasa Jameul Uloom Furqania in the district before moving to Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow. He later shifted to Delhi, where he completed his graduation in Arabic and also got a Master’s in Islamic Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia before landing the Imam’s job at the Parliament Street mosque on March 28, 2005.

Being the imam at the mosque, just across the road from Parliament, meant frequent chances to meet politicians and other prominent persons who would come for namaz. Among the prominent persons who have stood behind him in prayer, Mohibbulah recalled, were former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

“It was by God’s grace that I was appointed here… This is a historical mosque which has seen freedom fighters offer namaz before Independence. The mosque has always had prominent persons as guests – Muslims and non-Muslims,” Mohibbullah said, adding that his only relative to be involved in politics in recent times was his uncle