May 5, 2010
Shaykh al-Islam Mawlana Sayyid Husayn Ahmad Madani (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) advised:
‘‘One should be concerned with pleasing the Knower of the unseen. No matter how much success and fame we attain in this world, it is but for a few days. We should [seek to] attain the proximity and pleasure of that Pure Being who is attributed with perpetual eternity.’’
Malfuzat Hadrat Madani, p.107 (Delhi: Dar al-Isha‘at, July 1998 ed.) by Mawlana Abu ‘l-Hasan Barah Bankwi
February 5, 2010
Shaykh al-Islam Mawlana Husayn Ahmad Madani (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) advised,
‘‘ The blessed age of youth is extremely valuable; adorn it with the pleasant hues of Allah’s remembrance.’’
Malfuzat Hadrat Madani, p.83 (Delhi: Dar al-Isha‘at, July 1998 ed.) by Mawlana Abu ‘l-Hasan Barah Bankwi
January 27, 2010
Shaykh al-Islam Mawlana Husayn Ahmad Madani (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) advised,
‘‘Spend every moment of your life in the remembrance of Allah and in the service of din. Be mindful of death and that which is to come after it.’’
Malfuzat Hadrat Madani, p.84 (Delhi: Dar al-Isha‘at, July 1998 ed.) by Mawlana Abu ‘l-Hasan Barah Bankwi
November 2, 2009
Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi[1]
(1238-1302 /1823-1885)
Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar ibn Lutf ‘Ali ibn Muhammad Hasan al-Siddiqi al-Hanafi Nanautwi—the righteous imam, ‘arif (knower of Allah) and mujahid—was amongst the leading scholars of fiqh, hadith, and tasawwuf in his time.
A descendant of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), he was born in Nanautah, a village in the district of Saharanpur (UP, India). He initially studied under his father with whom he completed the memorization of the Qur’an (hifz). He then travelled to Delhi, where he studied under Mufti Sadr al-Din Dehlawi, Mawlana Rashid al-Din Khan, the teacher of many shaykhs Mawlana Mamluk al-‘Ali Nanautwi, Mawlana Ahmad ‘Ali Saharanpuri and Shah ‘Abd al-Ghani Dehlawi. He studied some books of hadith from the renowned scholar of hadith Shah Muhammad Ishaq Dehlawi, the great grandson of Shah Wali Allah Dehlawi and successor of Shah ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Dehlawi.
After studying in Delhi, Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi occupied himself in correcting manuscripts (tas’hih) at the publishing house of Nawlkashur. Later he taught Islamic sciences at Ajmer College, and then at Agra College.
The Battle of Shamli
In 1273/1857, Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar fought against the British in the Battle of Shamli under the leadership of Haji Imdad Allah Muhajir Makki, alongside senior scholars such as Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi, Hafiz Zamin Shahid, Mawlana Rahmat Allah Kiranwi and his own younger brother Mawlana Muhammad Munir Nanautwi. It was in this battle that he sustained serious wounds.
Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi relates:
‘‘It was the habit of Mawlana Mazhar Nanautwi that he would often lick his upper lip. Someone once asked him the reason for this, but the respected Mawlana did not inform him. When this person insisted, Mawlana remarked, ‘When the battle against the British took place at Shamli, and the Muslims were being attacked, some of my comrades were dying and my leg was also hit by a bullet (due to which it became paralysed). In this state, I saw Hurs (damsels of Paradise) with glasses in their hands. The glasses were filled with a special type of drink that they were giving to those of my fallen comrades who were dying and had no chance of surviving. As this was happening, one of the damsels came towards me. She had just placed a glass against my mouth when another damsel took hold of her hands, pulled them away [from me] and said, ‘He is not among those who are to pass away.’ A very small amount of this drink fell on my upper lip, the [sweet] taste of which remains till today. This is why I have this habit [of licking my upper lip.]” [2]
After the battle was over, Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar went into hiding at Bareilly. Once a general amnesty was declared, he emerged from hiding and thereafter began teaching at his home.
Teaching the Islamic Sciences
Many students studied fiqh, usul al-fiqh (principles of Islamic law), kalam (scholastic theology), mantiq (classical logic), Arabic grammar and other related sciences from him.
In Shawwal 1283/February 1867, he was appointed headteacher at a madrasah founded in Saharanpur by Mawlana Sa‘adat ‘Ali Saharanpuri, the well-known jurist (faqih), who was a participant of the 1273/1857 jihad and a devoted follower of Shah Ahmad ibn ‘Irfan Barelwi—the martyr of Balakot.[3] When this madrasah progressed and an exclusive building was established for it, it was named Mazahir-e-‘Ulum in Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar’s honour. He exerted his efforts in teaching the Qur’an and Sunnah (hadith), and in disseminating knowledge and the Islamic sciences. He was also involved with the administration of Mazahir-e-‘Ulum at every level and taught there until the end of his life. During his nineteen years at Mazahir-e-‘Ulum he taught all the six canonical collections of hadith as well Mu’atta Imam Malik, Shama’il al-Tirmidhi and Sunan al-Darimi. He taught [from the] various renowned commentaries of the Qur’an as well as Durr al-Mukhtar and other famous works of Hanafi fiqh and usul al-Fiqh. He toiled hard to ensure that the madrasah maintained a high academic standard and he succeeded in doing so. This was acknowledged and appreciated by scholars associated with the madrasah, including Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. It is testimony to the efforts and sincerity of Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi that after his death the consultative committee of Mazahir-e-‘Ulum were unable to find anyone of his calibre to replace him in his all-encompassing role at the madrasah.
He had many outstanding students; most prominent amongst them was the eminent hadith scholar Mawlana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.[4] Hujjat al-Islam Mawlana Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi, founder of the renowned Islamic seminary, Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband, also studied some primary books[5] under his tutelage.
He also assisted in completing Ghayat al-Awtar, the Urdu translation of Imam ‘Ala’ al-Din al-Haskafi’s al-Durr al-Mukhtar, as stated in its introduction by Mawlana Muhammad Ahsan Nanautwi.[6]
From the legacy of Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi’ is the continuous chain of exceptional hadith scholars that have graduated from Mazahir-e-‘Ulum, which include and is not limited to the likes of:
His Characteristics and the Spiritual Path
He trod the path of tasawwuf under the guidance of Shaykh al-Sunnah Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, who granted him permission (ijazah) to initiate others into the path. This despite him being older than his beloved shaykh.
Mawlana Qari Muhammad Tayyib Qasimi relates from his father, Mawlana Muhammad Ahmad Qasimi:
‘‘Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi once saw Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi and Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi in a dream, sitting on a throne. Mawlana (who was older than the two shaykhs) relayed the dream in a letter to Haji Imdad Allah in which he also requested him to accept his bay‘ah (pledge of spiritual purification). In reply, Haji Imdad Allah interpreted the dream by instructing him to give bay‘ah to either one of the two [shaykhs]. Therefore, Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar brought the letter to Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi and requested him to accept his bay‘ah. Embarrassed, Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi replied, ‘Accept my bay‘ah instead!’ Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar remarked, ‘Here, this is the letter [of Haji Imdad Allah] and this is the instruction.’ Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi then said, ‘Let me give you some sound advice. Proceed to Gangoh.’ Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar went there. At first, Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi also declined. He, however, later accepted bay‘ah.’’ [7]
Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi would express his embarrassment at the love, respect and veneration afforded him by Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi. Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi was a person of great insight (basirat). The respect he showed his shaykh due to his eminence and lofty rank, and the love he felt for him, was natural for him as a disciple. However, Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi was unable to disregard his disciple’s seniority in age and felt obliged to act according to the blessed words of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), ‘‘He who does not have mercy on our young, and does not respect our elders is not of us.’’ (Tirmidhi)
Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi was also granted ijazah in tasawwuf by Shaykh al-‘Ulama’ Haji Imdad Allah Muhajir Makki, in whose heart he held a special place, as indicated in his letters (maktubat).
Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi was from amongst the ascetic and righteous ‘ulama’; he would be referred to in matters of fiqh. He was an erudite scholar of the rational (ma‘qul), literary (lughawi), and Islamic sciences, who embodied Shari‘ah and Tariqah. He would habitually use perfume when reciting the Qur’an in tarawih prayers. He would refrain from affectation (takalluf) and was an awe-inspiring person; very few people would have the courage to speak in his presence. He was known for his simplicity, humbleness, piety, intelligence and wisdom.
Mawlana Sayyid Abu ‘l-Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi wrote of him:
‘‘He was a scholar of deep learning, who had mastery over the [Islamic] sciences. He gave bay‘ah to Imam Rashid Ahmad ibn Hidayat Ahmad Gangohi, who granted him ijazah. He would recite the Qur’an often, would be constantly engaged in the remembrance of Allah, and his tongue would remain moist with [the utterance of] Ism al-Dhat (Allah). He remained aloof from affectation, was an ascetic of an austere nature, dignified and was awe-inspiring.’’ [8]
Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya writes in Tarikh-e-Mazahir-e-‘Ulum (History of Mazahir-e-‘Ulum):
‘‘Mawlana Mazhar Nanautwi had very close relationships with Mawlana Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi and Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. Despite being senior in age to Mawlana Gangohi, he was from amongst his deputies (khalifahs) and beloved servants. In fact he was an ardent lover of Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi and was extremely devoted to him. He had great understanding of fiqh and hadith. He was an Allah-fearing, pious, soft-natured and virtuous saint. ’’[9]
Journeys on Hajj
His first Hajj, in which Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi and Mawlana Ya‘qub Nanautwi accompanied him, was performed in 1277/1861. He performed his second Hajj in 1294/1877 in the company of his shaykh Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi, Mawlana Ya‘qub Nanautwi, Mawlana Shah Rafi‘ al-Din, Shaykh al-Hind Mawlana Mahmud al-Hasan and others.
Famous Brothers
He had two brothers, both younger than him, who were accomplished scholars.
The elder of the two, Mawlana Muhammad Ahsan Nanautwi, was a prominent Hanafi jurist who translated a number of classical works in Urdu. In contrast to his brothers, elders and companions, Mawlana Muhammad Ahsan Nanautwi actively opposed the jihad of 1273/1857. Due to this, under duress of the local populace, he was forced to leave Bareilly, his town of residence. He returned later, after the battle had ended. There, aided by his two brothers, Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar and Mawlana Muhammad Munir, he established a publishing house called Matba‘-e-Siddiqiyyah.[10] A number of brilliant works were published from there, including:
Mawlana Muhammad Ahsan Nanautwi’s translations include:
He translated and annotated:
He also annotated the following works of Shah Wali Allah Dehlawi:
He also collated the juridical edicts (fatwas) of Shah ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Dehlawi.
Mawlana Muhammad Ahsan was wrongly and unjustly declared an unbeliever by some ‘ulama of Bareilly[11] when he attested to a verdict of the famed scholar ‘Allamah ‘Abd al-Hayy Lucknowi, in which the latter had authenticated the narration of Sayyiduna ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the creation of seven Earths and the existence of Prophets on each of them.[12]
His teachers included Mawlana Mamluk al-‘Ali Nanautwi, Mawlana Ahmad ‘Ali Saharanpuri and the renowned hadith scholar Shah ‘Abd al-Ghani Dehlawi, from whom he also received ijazah in tasawwuf. Luminaries with whom he enjoyed close relationships included:
He lies buried in the Qasimi cemetery in Deoband alongside Mawlana Dhu ‘l-Fiqar ‘Ali, father of Shaykh al-Hind Mawlana Mahmud Hasan Deobandi.
The youngest brother, Mawlana Muhammad Munir Nanautwi, was a student of Mawlana Mamluk al-‘Ali Nanautwi, Mufti Sadr al-Din Dehlawi and Shah ‘Abd al-Ghani Dehlawi. He served as a principal of Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband for a short period upon the request of Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. He also actively fought alongside senior ‘ulama’ in the battle of Shamli in 1273/1857. He was heavily involved with Mawlana Muhammad Ahsan’s publishing house, Matba‘-e-Siddiqiyyah. His academic works include an Urdu translation of Imam Ghazali’s Minhaj al-‘Abidin. He had a very close relationship with Mawlana Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi and was particularly known for his knowledge, piety, honesty and integrity.
Final Illness and Death
Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi endured pain in his kidneys for a number of years and passed away at the age of sixty-four (Islamic years) after Maghrib prayers on the evening of Monday 24th Dhu ‘l-Hijjah 1302/October 1885. During his final illness, he would often touch his forehead searching for traces of sweat, as according to the Prophetic hadith it is a sign of a believer’s death. When his death was near and he began sweating from his forehead, his face lit up with joy. He was not survived by any children.
May Allah enlighten his resting place. May Allah shower His mercy upon him and grant him, his teachers and students the highest stations in Paradise. Amin.
[1] Adapted from Al-I‘lam bi man fi Tarikh al-Hind min al-A‘lam (also known as Nuzhat al-Khawatir), Akabir ‘Ulama’-e-Deoband, Hadrat Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi awr unke Khulafa’, Awjaz al-Masalik ila Mu’atta al-Imam Malik, Tadhkirat al-Rashid, Tarikh-e-Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband and other sources.
[2] Malfuzat-e-Faqih al-Ummat (Karachi: Dar al-Huda, September 2005 ed.) Vol 3, p. 264-265 by Mufti Muhammad Faruq Mirathi.
[3] One of the greatest spiritual guides of the Indian sub-continent in the last few centuries. He is popularly known as Sayyid Ahmad Shahid.
[4] Mawlana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri’s love for his teacher can be gauged from the fact that when he became extremely ill in 1340/1922, he wrote in his will, ‘Bury me beside my teacher Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi.’ (See Sawanih ‘Ulama’-e-Deoband (Deoband: Nawaz Publications, Jan 2000 ed.), Vol 1, p. 502-503)
[5] Mawlana Anwar al-Hasan Sherkoti writes in Anwar-e-Qasimi that Mawlana Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi studied Sharh Mi’ah ‘Amil, Hidayat al-Nahw, ‘Ilm al-Sighah and other books from Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi. (See Sawanih ‘Ulama’-e-Deoband (Deoband: Nawaz Publications) Vol 1, p. 501)
[6] See Ghayat al-Awtar (Karachi: H M Sa‘eed Company, 1398 AH ed.) Vol 1, p.10
[7] Arwah-e-Thalathah, also known as Hikayat-e-Awliya’ (Karachi: Darul Isha‘at, December 2001 ed.) p. 227-228.
[8] Al-I‘lam bi man fi Tarikh al-Hind min al-A‘lam also known as Nuzhat al-Khawatir (Idara Ta’lifat-e-Ashrafia, 1413/1993) Vol 7, p. 480 by Mawlana ‘Abd al-Hayy al-Hasani Nadwi and Mawlana Abu ‘l-Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi.
[9] Akabir ‘Ulama’-e-Deoband (Lahore: Idara Islamiat, Ramadhan 1419/January 1999 ed.) p.37-38 by Hafiz Sayyid Muhammad Akbar Shah Bukhari.
[10] See footnote in ‘Ulama’-e-Hind ka Shandar Madi (Karachi: Maktabah Rashidia, 1406/1986 ed.) p.306 by Mawlana Sayyid Muhammad Miyan.
[11] Mawlana Naqi ‘Ali Khan, father of Mawlana Ahmad Ridha Khan, in particular.
[12] See Sawanih ‘Ulama’-e-Deoband (Deoband: Nawaz Publications, Jan 2000 ed.), Vol 1, p. 529-534 for details.
June 15, 2009
Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn Kandhlawi (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) has been mentioned several times on the blog. I recently came across some more biographical information about the mawlana which readers may find interesting.
The mawlana’s biographers write that he was of an extremely pious disposition from a young age and an ardent follower of the sunnah. His condition, later in life, became such that his body would not accept even a morsel of food procured from doubtful sources. Once, when mawlana was involved in the construction of a mosque in Kandhla, Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan — on account of close family ties — donated some money. Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn’s taqwa was such that he refused the cash saying, “Your income is haram and cannot be used for a mosque.’’
Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn Kandhlawi was among the trusted colleagues and students of Shah Muhammad Ishaq Dehlawi[1] and his brother Shah Muhammad Ya‘qub (may Allah shower His mercy upon them). He was among those who were named by these two savants as their successors in India when they migrated to the Hijaz.[2]
Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn was also from among the leaders of the 1857 War of Independence against Colonialism. The mawlana strove greatly and rendered remarkable services during the war. Mawlana Rashid al-Hasan Kandhlawi notes that it is regretful that much has not been written regarding the services of Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn and the zeal and fervour of the people of Kandhla and its surrounding areas during the 1857 jihad.
As a shaykh of the Naqshbandi tariqah, Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn had thousands of disciples, a number of whom received ijazah from him, including Mawlana Rafi‘ al-Din Deobandi (d. 1309 AH), Mawlana Isma‘il Kandhlawi (d. 1315 AH),[3] Mawlana Muhammad Husayn Faqir Dehlawi (d. 1324 AH) and Hafiz Tafaddul Husayn Baghrawi (may Allah shower His mercy upon them all).
It was Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn’s practice to visit and reside in the mosques of neighbouring towns and villages for three to four days at a time. During his stay he would explain the method of offering salah to the people, teach them the rulings of religion, and encourage them to bring them into practise. Mawlana Muhammad Isma‘il Kandhlawi (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) inherited this practise from Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn. This method of preaching was later popularised by his son Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) and is now prevalent throughout the world in the form of the Tablighi Jama‘ah movement.
Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn also authored a treatise — Radd-e-Rusum (Refutation of Customs) — in refutation of innovations and the practise of not marrying widows, something that was prevalent in India at that time.[4] Mawlana Rashid al-Hasan Kandhlawi writes that he is in possession of a manuscript of this treatise in Hafiz Damin Shahid’s (may Allah shower His mercy upon him)[5] handwriting.
Adapted from Makatib-e-Rashidiah (Lahore: Idara Islamiat, August 1996/Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1417 ed.) p.195-196[6]
[1] Grandson and successor of Shah ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Dehlawi (may Allah shower His mercy upon him)
[2] See Mawlana ‘Ubayd Allah Sindhi’s (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) ‘‘Shah Wali Allah Awr Unki Siyasi Tahrik’’.
[3] He was the father of Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi and Mawlana Muhammad Yahya Kandhlawi (may Allah shower His mercy upon them).
[4] The notion of considering the marrying of widows shameful is something that had become prominent in India owing to local Hindu culture. The practise was also strongly opposed by Sayyid Ahmad Shahid and his followers (may Allah shower His mercy upon them all).
[5] He was a senior khalifah of Shaykh Mianji Nur Muhammad Jhinjhanawi and a close companion of Haji Imdad Allah Muhajir Makki. He was martyred in the Battle of Shamli in 1857. He left this temporal world in a mosque with his head resting in the lap of Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (may Allah shower His mercy upon them all).
[6] This section of the book comprises footnotes by Mawlana Rashid al-Hasan Kandhlawi. The book itself was compiled by Mawlana Mahmud Ashraf Usmani.
February 22, 2009
Hadrat Mawlana Ihtisham al-Hasan Kandhlawi (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) writes:
”Hadrat Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) would say that from among the students of Shah Muhammad Ishaq [Dehlawi] (may Allah shower His mercy upon him), three were extremely pious (muttaqi). The most pious was Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn [Kandhlawi] (may Allah shower His mercy upon him).[1] The second was Shah ‘Abd al-Ghani [Dehlawi] (may Allah shower His mercy upon him)[2] and the third was Nawab Qutb al-Din Khan (may Allah shower His mercy upon him).[3]”
[1] Hadrat Mawlana Muzaffar Husayn Kandhlawi (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) was among the senior scholars of his age. He was renowned for his exemplary piety (taqwa) and strict adherence to the sunnah. (translator)
[2] A descendant of Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi. He was among the greatest hadith scholars of his age. In order to appreciate his high standing as a scholar and spiritual guide it would perhaps suffice to say that his students and khulafa’ (spiritual successors) include the likes of Hadrat Mawlana Ahmad ‘Ali Saharanpuri, Hadrat Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Hadrat Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi, Hadrat Mawlana Ya‘qub Nanautwi, Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Mazhar Nanautwi, Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Ahsan Nanautwi, Hadrat Shah Rafi‘ al-Din et al. (may Allah shower His mercy upon them all). (translator)
[3] He was among the prominent scholars of hadith and fiqh in 13th century India. He is perhaps most well known for his Urdu commentary of Mishkat al-Masabih, entitled Mazahir-e-Haq. He passed away in Makkah al-Mukarramah in 1289 AH. (translator)
Sawanih ‘Ulama’-e-Deoband (Deoband: Nawaz publications) Vol. 1, p. 228, compiled by Dr. Nawaz Deobandi.
June 15, 2008
It is written in Tadhkirat al-Rashid that Molwi Mumtaz ‘Ali Anbethwi relates:
‘‘Mawlana Abu ’l-Khayr[1] was coincidentally here in Baluchistan when the news of Hadhrat [Mawlana Rashid Ahmad] Gangohi’s death reached us. Twice, I received a message from him, requesting that I visit him. Finally, when I went to him I saw that the mawlana was weeping uncontrollably. Upon seeing me, his weeping increased to the extent that he began shrieking. The effect of this on the gathering was such that people were close to losing consciousness through excessive weeping. In this state, Mawlana Abu ‘l-Khayr remarked, ‘O Molwi Mumtaz, a great person has been taken from India. What great sorrow! The people did not appreciate who the mawlana was.’ I have heard from a reliable source that Hadhrat Mawlana (may Allah sanctify his secret) once spent the whole night [in Salah] weeping over one verse [of the Qur’an].
This verse was: ‘The day when secrets will be examined. There shall then neither be any power nor assistant for man. [Surah 86 (Al-Tariq), Verses 9 & 10]’’’
Akabir-e-Deoband Awr ‘Ishq-e-Rasul (salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) (Karachi: Maktabah Arsalan, p143-144) (Quoted from Tadhkirat al-Rashid, p. 191-192)
[1] Mawlana Abu ‘l-Khayr Mujaddidi of Delhi was from amongst the prominent shaykhs of India in his era and a student of Mawlana Rahmat-Allah Kiranwi (may Allah shower His mercy upon them both).
May 21, 2008
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Below is a link to a wonderful talk given by Mawlana Nabeel Khan (of www.annoor.wordpress.com) regarding the ‘Ulama and Masha’ikh of Deoband, entitled, ‘Those were our Forefathers’. The Shaykh gives us a glimpse into the lives of various Masha’ikh affiliated to Dar al-’Ulum Deoband.
Recommended listening for anyone who has a nisbat to this noble group of ‘Ulama and for those who wish to know more about them. Click here to listen to the talk.
April 21, 2008
Mauritanian Shuyukh on the Deobandi ‘Ulama
Introduction
Several months ago, Pearls of the Elders received an email from a Mauritanian student of the Sacred Sciences who expressed admiration and love for the ‘ulama of Deoband. In a subsequent email, he sent a fascinating account of how the erudite ‘ulama of Mauritania had come to know of the ‘ulama of Deoband and how they had benefited from them, especially their books.
The student, who asked his name not be published, became acquainted with the writings of the blessed scholars of India and Pakistan through the effort of tabligh. With his permission, Pearls would like to share this email with our readers and hope it will be a means of kindling the love of, and respect for, the ‘ulama of Deoband.
The email has been edited to make it suitable for a wider readership. Translations of Arabic words, relevant footnotes and subheadings have also been added.
He wrote:
Brother Abu Unaysah, wa ‘alaykum salaam wa rahmatullah,
I wanted to take some time out to write this because it is an important subject.
I was first introduced to the Deobandi ‘ulama through the effort of tabligh when I was in the USA. I lived there from 1996 to 2004. Obviously, I benefited greatly from the elders of tabligh. From an academic perspective though, it was from Hadhrat Shaykh Zakariyya Kandhlawi’s writings that I benefited the most. These include the books of fadha’il,[1] the English translation of his commentary of Shama’il al-Tirmidhi and his autobiography, Aap Beti, which I have read several times and greatly benefited from.
I often tell my close friends that people who have children — as well as people who wish to understand how important it is to be associated with the mashayikh of tasawwuf — must read Aap Beti.
Sometimes our brothers fail to realise how much Mawlana Ilyas Kandhlawi (rahimahullah) and Mawlana Yusuf Kandhlawi (rahimahullah) relied on Hadhrat Shaykh Zakariyya (rahimahullah) to advance the effort of tabligh. Understanding this would help the brothers associate themselves more assiduously to the ‘ulama; our elders still insist on this in their lectures. We ask Allah for tawfeeq.
Studying in Mauritania
Mauritania is a very poor country and the ‘ulama here, for the most part, have remained in the country. A few have had the opportunity to travel and bring books back from countries such as Egypt and Morocco.
Of course, a couple of hundred years ago, printing did not exist so certain books were copied on manuscripts etc. The teaching style in Mauritania is very different from other parts of the world. Generally it is based on memorising a matn (text) on a subject in the form of a nadhm (rhyming verses). The explanations and details of the texts are taken from the shaykh and his competent students.
For example, in nahw (Arabic grammar), the Alfiyyah of Ibn Malik (rahimahullah) is taught. In usul (principles of fiqh) it is the Kawkab of Imam Al-Suyuti (rahimahullah), or the Maraqi al-Sud of the Mauritanian scholar, Al-’Alawi (rahimahullah). Classical books and their commentaries on different subjects were brought to the country by those ‘ulama who travelled abroad.
Deobandi Books in Mauritania
Books written by Deobandi ‘ulama were introduced to our native Mauritanian ‘ulama very recently; I would say, in the past 20 to 30 years. The ‘ulama who have travelled abroad during the period when the works of some prominent Deobandi ‘ulama had been published did get access to them and benefited from them, as is evident by some of them quoting from their works.
One example is Shaykh Muhammad Habibullah al-Mayyaba (rahimahullah) who passed away in 1944. He was a great ‘alim and hafidh of hadith. It is said that he had memorised the six mutun (texts) of hadith with their sanad (chains of narration). He also wrote a nadhm on the importance of the Mu’atta [of Imam Malik] and a short commentary on it in which he repeatedly quotes from Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (rahimahullah).
Another interesting point is that Mawlana Yusuf Binnori (rahimahullah) has taken from him and was greatly impressed by him. In his introduction to Awjaz al-Masaalik,[2] Mawlana Yusuf Binnori (rahimahullah), when quoting Shaykh Muhammad Habibullah (rahimahullah), writes: قال شيخنا بالإجازة (“Our shaykh in ijazah said…”)
I intend to further question some of our ‘ulama on how our elders have benefited from Indo-Pak ‘ulama and vice versa.
As you know, Al-Haramayan al-Sharifayn used to be a place where ‘ulama would meet and take from each other. For instance, Mawlana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (rahimahullah) had an ijazah in hadith from Ibn Dahlan (rahimahullah), who resided in Makkah al-Mukarramah.
Awjaz al-Masalik in Mauritania
As far as contemporary Mauritanian ‘ulama are concerned, the ones I know here have benefited from Awjaz al-Masalik in ways that cannot be described. Hadhrat Shaykh’s (rahimahullah) work can be most greatly appreciated by one who has studied fiqh, usul and Arabic in-depth; and alhamdulillah, these subjects are studied and mastered by the Mauritanian ‘ulama, hence their appreciation of the book to its fullest.
I have, alhamdulillah, gifted the book to five different ‘ulama — two of whom are considered among the most qualified fuqaha (jurists) here — and the comments I have received have been the same each time: “The person who wrote this is a real ‘alim,” or, “The book is greatly beneficial.”
This book is more so beneficial given that writings on hadith from our ‘ulama are very rare. Shaykh Muhammad Habibullah (rahimahullah) has written a commentary of Bukhari and Muslim (Zad al-Muslim fi ma Ittafaqa ‘alayhi al-Bukhari wa Muslim). His brother has also written a commentary of Bukhari, and al-’Alawi (rahimahullah) has compiled a nadhm on the terminology of hadith (mustalah al-hadith), which is a summary of the Alfiyya al-’Iraqi.
Hadith is studied in Mauritania on an individual basis. After a student has studied fiqh, nahw, mustalah of hadith, and balaghah and bayan (rhetoric), they have enough knowledge to study hadith through their own reading of the commentaries.
An Interesting Note on Hadhrat Shaykh Zakariyya’s Awjaz al-Masalik
One interesting thing to note is that Hadhrat Shaykh (rahimahullah) has quoted from the mu’tamad (relied upon) books of the different madhhabs in Awjaz al-Masalik and relied on them for giving the mashhur (well-known) opinion on a given madhhab.
This means that when a Maliki ‘alim reads Awjaz al-Masalik, he sees the evidences for the Maliki madhhab as he knows it from his long years of study as well as being able to benefit from Hadhrat Shaykh’s (rahimahullah) commentary on other aspects of the hadith.
Hadhrat Mawlana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri’s (rahimahullah) Badhl al-Majhud.
Another more recent and more obvious example of the benefit derived from the mashayikh of Deoband is Mawlana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (rahimahullah)’s Badhl al-Majhud.[3]
I gifted the book to Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Ibn Ahmad al-Khadim[4] a year ago. He is an ‘allamah who has written on almost all subjects. The Shaykh is in his early 70s. He is without doubt among the five most knowledgeable ‘ulama in the country. Anyone who reads his writings can appreciate the depth of his knowledge. When I asked him a couple of months later if he had time to look into Badhl al-Majhud (he is busy teaching and writing all day; he teaches from 11am to Maghrib time with a break at Dhuhr time), he told me: “I have not had much time yet to look into it but I have benefited from it. There was a mas’alah (juristic problem) that had been unclear to me for a long while and I found the answer to it in there.”
For us who know Shaykh Muhammad Hassan, this means a thousand words. At the time when I gifted him the book and told him about Mawlana Khalil Ahmad, he said: “The ‘ulama of India are ‘ajeeb (wonderful), they are very strong Sunnis in their ‘aqidah (creed)”.
Sorry, I’m making this email long, but the subject deserves it. Insha-Allah I hope we can exchange correspondence in the future.
We have several books written by our ‘ulama here that may be of interest to your ‘ulama, and we’ll be happy to send copies. I can give you a list of the books and the subjects they deal with, or if there is a specific subject some are interested in you can send me that and I will tell you what we have available.
May Allah Almighty accept your efforts and please remember us in your du’a. Also, we’ll be happy to receive you as a guest for a short visit. There are three to four places here that are really worth visiting to meet the ‘ulama.
[1] Hadhrat Shaykh Zakariyya’s brilliant books of fadha’il — originally written in Urdu, and translated into several languages, including English, French, Persian, Gujarati and Bengali — consist of selected verses of the Qur’an, hadiths, their commentary and other material. The books are read globally and consist of: Stories of the Sahabah, Virtues of Salah, Virtues of the Qur’an, Virtues of Remembering Allah, Virtues of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Virtues of Invitation and Preaching, Virtues of Sending Salutations, Virtues of Charity and Virtues of Haj.
[2] Awjaz al-Masaalik is a multi-voluminous commentary of Imam Malik’s Mu’atta, authored by Hadhrat Shaykh. It has recently been researched under the supervision of Shaykh Taqiuddin Nadwi, a student of Hadhrat Shaykh, and republished in 18 large volumes by Dar al-Qalam in Damascus.
[3] Badhl al-Majhud is also a multi-voluminous commentary of Imam Abu Dawud’s Sunan; it was also recently researched and republished in 14 large volumes by Shaykh Taqiuddin and published by Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyyah in Beirut.
[4]Shaykh Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Khadim is one of the most senior ‘ulama of Mauritania. Extremely pious and humble, the shaykh is a master in every field of the Islamic sciences, without exception. He is also the only Mauritanian scholar who has so many published works to his name (over 30), having written books on fiqh, usul al-fiqh, usul al-hadith and tasawwuf. Among his published works is a commentary on the Alfiyyah of Imam Suyuti (rahimahullah) in usul al-hadith, a commentary on the Nadhm of Jam’ al-Jawami’ of Imam Suyuti (rahimahullah) in usul al-fiqh, a commentary on the Nadhm of Imam al-Kafaf (rahimahullah) in Maliki fiqh and numerous books on tasawwuf.
He is also a senior Sufi shaykh of the Tijani tariqah and very strict in following the Sunnah and wary of bid’ah (innovation). The Shaykh also has great love for the ‘ulama of India and has great admiration for their service to hadith as can be noted from the above.
February 15, 2008
(From www.attalib.blogspot.com)
Every Shaikh of Tariqat envies a disciple like him
Very rarely Allah blesses humanity with people like him
Introduction
The life of Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb Raipuri (Nawwarallahu Marqadahu) yields many precious lessons for the Muslim Ummah. Some insight into his life can be gained through reading Hazrat Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi’s “Savanih-e-Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri”. Hazrat Raipuri’s life can be looked at in three different stages: First, his childhood and education. Second, his search for Shaikh-e-Kaamil and acquiring training from him. Third, after the demise of his Shaikh, how he benefited thousands with the nur of Ma’arifate Ilahi (Divine recognition) of Allah.
Childhood and Education
Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb was born in the house of Hazrat Hafiz Ahmad Saheb in 1295 Hijri in district of Sarghoda (present day Pakistan). The father of Hazrat Raipuri belonged to a religious and knowledgeable family. Hazrat Raipuri became a hafiz of the Quran under the supervision of his uncle, Maulana Kaleemullah Saheb. He learned Arabic grammar from Maulana Muhammad Rafiq Saheb, who was a student of Qutbul Arshad Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Ala’ih). Thereafter, he left his home town for acquisition of higher Islamic studies. Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb went through great sacrifices and hardships in the pursuit of knowledge. He used to go from city to city on foot and had a very simple and content childhood. Never did he look towards any creation or ask from any person for help or dependency, because Allah alone was sufficient for him. He studied in Saharanpur, Panipat and Delhi. In Delhi, Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb studied the books of Hadith in Madrasa Abdur Rabb under Maulana Abd al-A’li (Rahmatullahi Ala’ih), who was a student of Hujjatul Islam Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Qasim Saheb Nanotawi (Rahmatullahi Ala’ih). Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb also had the honor of attending some lectures on Tirmizhi Sharif by Imamul Asr Hazrat Maulana Anwar Shah Saheb Kashmiri (Rahmatullahi Ala’ih).
After completing his studies in Quran, Hadith, Arabic, Farsi, Fiqh and Muntaq, Hazrat Maulana also studied Greek Medicine and likewise excelled in that as well. Thereafter, for some time he gave lectures relating to Quran and Hadith in Bareily and some other places. The knowledge of Quran and Hadith had ignited the fire of Ma’arifate Ilahi inside his heart. Hazrat left all his engagements and set out to find the Shaikh-e-Kaamil that could ingrain the recognition and love of Allah and Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) in the depths of his heart.
Search for Shaikh-e-Kaamil
Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb searched for a Shaikh-e-Kaamil very intensively. He had a strong urge in him for finding a guide that could connect his soul with the Creator of the universe. Somebody that could teach him how to suppress the nafs, desires and the whisperings of shaytan, the evil devil. Somebody that could quench the thirst of love in his heart. After his long and diligent search for Shaikh-e-Kaamil, he finally reached the Khanqah of Hazrat-e-Aqqadus Maulana Abdur Raheem Saheb Raipuri in Raipur (Utter Pardesh, India). In the very first meeting, he was overwhelmingly impressed and affected from Hazrat-e-Aqqadus Maulana Abdur Raheem Saheb. He requested Hazrat to take him under his bayat and become his pir. Hazrat Maulana Abdur Raheem Saheb gave him the suggestion to go to his Shaikh, Qutbul Arshad Hazrat Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Saheb Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Ala’ih). But, Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb said: “I am totally related to you.” Thereafter, Hazrat-e-Aqqadus Maulana Abdur Raheem Saheb gave him some azkaar and said: “What is the hurry?” and then sent Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb back to his native land of Sarghoda. After a short span of time, Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb returned to Raipur and took bayat on the hand of Hazrat Maulana Abdur Raheem Saheb Raipuri. From then on, he remained busy in Zikrullah (remembrance of Allah), Mujahidaat (sacrifices) and Khidmat-e-Shaikh (service of his spiritual guide). Hazrat-e-Aqqadus Maulana Abdur Raheem Saheb remained pleased with him until his last breath and upon his demise, he made Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb his chief successor and Khalifa and commanded Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb to remain in his khanqah and continue his efforts in reformation of people.
While in the Khanqah, Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb was always consistent in his spiritual practices and became determined in achieving his purpose. He had the highest Adab (respect) for his Shaikh, who became the most dear to him after Allah and Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam). His character was beautifully built to such an extent that all sorts of people flocked towards him for their spiritual rectification. Hazrat was very simple and self-less. He had used Tassawwuf as it was meant to be used to gain the recognition of Allah and please Allah through following Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam). But, this condition of fana’iyat (absorption) in Allah which he had achieved was the result of his companionship with his Shaikh, who had been trained under the auspicious Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Saheb Gangohi himself, whose illuminated personality and attributes can not be explained in words. It was also the result of his consistency in his azkaar and other spiritual practices. If somebody wants to see what can be achieved through Tassawwuf, the life of Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb is enough as a proof of the benefits of Tassawwuf.
Benefiting Humanity
Once a person is trained to benefit humanity, he is called “Khalifa”. Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Saheb was the Khalifa and successor of his Shaikh. After the demise of his Shaikh, for forty-five long years, he remained benefiting people by connecting them to Allah and ingraining the love of Allah in their hearts. Hundreds of Ulama (scholars) achieved ma’arifate Ilahi under his supervision and thousands of common people came on the true teachings of Allah and Rasulullah (Alayhi Salatu wat-Tasleemat) through their connection with him. He reformed people from all branches of life, including farmers, businessmen, traders, politicians, lawyers, etc., A large number of Ulama benefited from their roohani nisbat (spiritual relationship) with him. Some of them are: Hazrat Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariya Kandhalvi, Hazrat Ji Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Saheb Kandhalvi, Mufakkire Islam Hazrat Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Manzoor Saheb Nomani, Ameer-e-Shariat Hazrat Maulana Syed Ata’ullah Shah Bukhari, Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz Saheb of Sargodha, Maulana Syed Anwar Hussein Nafees of Lahore, Maulana Syed Abdul Mun’im Abu Zar Bukhari of Multan, and many others.
This lamp of guidance and source of enlightenment finally met the Lord of the universe and Creator of the heavens and the earth on 14th of Rabiul Awwal 1382 Hijri. May Allah elevate his status in the hereafter and give us all the ability to follow the footsteps of such illustrious and sincere followers of Syedul Bashr (Salallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam). Ameen.
(from alashrafia.com)
Pearls of the Elders 