The Story Of Qari Abdul Rauf: A Refugee, A Teacher, A Beekeeper

In the city of Kohat, located in the hilly province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lives a humble man named Qari Abdul Rauf. He is not a politician, nor a celebrity. He is an Afghan refugee, a religious teacher, and a beekeeper. But more than anything, he is a man of resilience, responsibility, and quiet faith.

Qari Abdul Rauf came to Pakistan with thousands of others, escaping war and instability in Afghanistan.

In his new life, he found purpose in two things: teaching and beekeeping. By day, he served as the imam of a local village mosque, where he provided Islamic education to Afghan refugee children.

His classes weren't big or fancy, but every day, he sat with young boys and taught them Quran, faith, and manners. His voice was calm, his teachings sincere, and soon he became a spiritual father to many children who had lost their way.

But faith alone couldn't feed his growing family.

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As the only breadwinner, Qari Abdul Rauf had to find a source of income. In the early days, he would go into the nearby hills with his students and gather honey from wild bees that built hives in trees and bushes.

This honey, produced by native bees from forest flowers, was not easy to collect. It required patience, care, and often involved climbing and risk. But it was honest work, and with that, he made enough to feed his family.

As time passed, the burden on his shoulders grew. He got married, not once, but twice, and later took full responsibility for two nephews after their father passed away. Both young boys suffered from mental health challenges, and they too became part of Qari Abdul Rauf's household. His family was large and his resources limited, but he never gave up.

To create stability, he slowly transitioned from collecting wild honey to beekeeping. He built small wooden boxes behind his house and began raising bees. He learned how to care for them in all seasons, how to protect them from disease, and how to improve honey production.

Eventually, he saved enough to rent a small shop in the local Kohat market. There, he sold honey, some from his own bees, some purchased from other trusted beekeepers. His customers trusted him because of his honesty, and because his honey was pure and natural.

He now has seven or eight varieties of honey in his shop. With years of experience, he can tell by just the smell whether a honey is real or fake, and even identify the plant from which it came. He believes that beekeeping is a sacred livelihood, one that teaches patience, discipline, and responsibility.

But today, his entire life is under threat.

The Pakistani government has announced that all Afghan refugees must return to Afghanistan. If Qari Abdul Rauf is forced to leave, he won't just lose a shop, he'll lose a life he patiently built over decades. He is particularly worried about his bees.

“Bees are not like other animals,” he says.“They cannot survive in one place throughout the year. We have to move them with the seasons, from hot plains to cooler mountains. If we can't transport them, they die. And if the bees die, the business dies.”

He pleads with the Pakistan government and UNHCR to issue permits or identity cards to beekeepers like him, so they can move freely between Pakistan and Afghanistan for their work. Without this, he fears that not only his livelihood, but the entire ecological role of bees in the region could be lost.

Qari Abdul Rauf doesn't ask for charity. He asks for recognition and justice. He continues to lead prayers at the mosque, teach children at home, and care for his bees, all while carrying the weight of a large family. He is a man of quiet strength who believes that with hard work and faith, a refugee can still become a contributor, not a burden.

He says,“Let people learn from my life. If you don't give up, you rise.

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