A Silent Mother’s Endless Wait: Young Quran Student Dies in Tragic Anantnag Darul Uloom Fire

By Arif Rashid

 

Anantnag, May 12: In a small house in Choidraman Wadwan village, grief sits heavily in every corner. A mother who has never heard a voice nor spoken a word now mourns in unbearable silence after losing her beloved son, 15-year-old Bilal Ahmad Kumar, in the devastating fire that engulfed a Darul Uloom in Anantnag.

 

For Bilal’s mother, silence was always a part of life. But today, that silence has turned into a pain too deep to describe. Unable to cry out, unable to hear the condolences of neighbours and relatives, she keeps staring at the doorway, searching for the son who once served as her voice, her support, and her bridge to the world.

 

During the intervening night of 11th & 12th may, a massive fire broke out at Darul Uloom Faizan Baba Hyder Rishi in the Old Mattan Adda area of Anantnag. Around 33 students were present inside the seminary building when the flames, reportedly originating from the attic, spread rapidly and filled the structure with smoke.

 

Bilal was among those trapped in the blaze. Locals and rescue teams rushed to save the students and managed to evacuate most of them, but Bilal and three others suffered critical burn injuries. They were shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, where Bilal later succumbed to his injuries. The three injured students are still undergoing treatment, with one shifted to Srinagar for specialized care.

 

Bilal was not just a student, he was the biggest hope of his struggling family. His father, a daily wage labourer, worked tirelessly so his son could pursue Islamic education and fulfill his dream of becoming a Hafiz-e-Quran.

 

The young boy had already memorized four Siparahs of the Holy Quran. Heartbreakingly, the day of the tragedy was also the day he had begun reciting his fifth Siparah, moving one step closer to the dream he cherished deeply.

 

He leaves behind a younger sister and little brother who looked up to him with admiration and love.

 

The sorrow inside the family home is impossible to ignore. Neighbours say Bilal’s mother has barely moved since hearing the news. Though she cannot speak, her trembling eyes and shattered expressions tell a story words could never fully explain.

 

“For a mother who cannot speak, losing her child becomes a scream buried inside the heart,” said a local resident.

 

“He was a brilliant and humble boy,” another neighbour told ANN. “He carried the hopes of his labourer father and the silent prayers of his mother. His death has left the entire village in mourning.”