Strange Love

Here Sheikhul Hadeeth (رحمة الله عليه) discusses one of his 'bad habits', that is, to ask his guests the duration for which they intended to stay with him and to enforce that upon them. This was the case even with his elders, as we shall see. In fact, in this case, his guest was not allowed to even stay for the time that he had requested. The following extract is with regard to Hazrat Raipuri (رحمة الله عليه):

He arrived with the mail train and as soon as I had shaken hands, I asked him: "Hazrat, what is the programme?"

He replied: "I have decided to stay in Saharanpur tomorrow and the day after tomorrow - two days. The third day will be according to what your instruction is."

I replied: "There will not be permission even to stay tomorrow. As soon as the fajr azaan is heard perform your own jamaat and leave. You will find some tea ready to drink. Please leave before the madrassa jamaat commences fajr."

Hazrat replied: "I am very tired. At least give me permission for one day."

I said: "There is no permission to stay longer than half an hour after the azaan for fajr."

You can just imagine the anger which the Tableeghi brothers must have felt. I will always remember the anger on the face of Bhai Altaf. The whole world Hazrat to stay with them. Here Hazrat himself offers and in fact asks to stay and I refuse permission. In spite of everything I saw him off early in the morning. At that time I told him: "Hazrat this is June, the heat is extreme. If you stay here you will not experience any comfort. Furthermore, these Tableeghi brothers will come to me to ask of you to attend the jalsa - even for a while. The day after tomorrow the jalsa will end in the morning. At the time of Dhuhr, Maulana Yusuf and myself will come to Raipur for two days."

After Hazrat had sat down in the car, Shah Masood Saheb begged him to come and stay at Bahut, but he replied, "When Sheikh has not given permission to stay in Saharanpur, I will not stay anywhere else."

He arrived at Raipur at the time of sunrise. After his arrival there, I heard from everyone coming from there that Hazrat had made a lot of dua for me. I also heard from many townspeople as well as villagers that he had said:

"I had asked to stay for two days. Sheikh did not even allow me to stay for a day. That is what is called love. Love should be learnt from such people. Can anyone possibly accept that Sheikh did not want me to stay? But he considered my comfort above his desire. May Allah grant him high rank. May Allah also grant him comfort and ease... ."

For two days he continued to make dua for me and even now when I think of how I practically forced him away, I feel great joy for the duas I received. Anyway, two days later Maulana Yusuf and myself arrived in Raipur on Monday afternoon after the jalsa.

Khilafa of Hazrat Gangohi (رحمه الله)

Hazrat Haji Imdadullah (rah) gave khilafat to Hazrat Gangohi after eight days and told him: 'Moulvy Rasheed Ahmed sahib whatever favour Allah has bestowed upon me, He has also bestowed upon you. It will be your duty to go develop that nimat and work on it.'

Hazrat Gangohi used to say: 'I was very surprised. I could not understand what nimat he was referring to, which had been granted to him and also to me. I only managed to understand and realise what it was fifteen years later.' [Tazkira e Khaleel vol 1]

It is written in 'Tazkira e Rasheed' that Hazrat Gangohi told Haji Imdadullah Saheb: 'I cannot become involved in zikr and shugl.' Hazrat Haji Saheb smiled and replied: 'That does not matter.' A mureed asked: 'Hazrat what happened after that?' Hazrat Gangohi replied: 'I became annihilated (in the efforts).'

Appendix Aap Beti Part V

Duas for Hazrat's Daughter

Please make dua for the daughter of Hazrat Shaykhul Hadith (rah). She passed away on the 3rd of May 2009. May Allah swt enlighten her resting place. Ameen

Steadfastness in the Face of Adversity

In this excerpt, Hazrat Shaykh ul Hadith (rah) portrays the distressful days of the partition of India and the formation of Pakistan. Amidst all the turmoil, The elders of Deoband (Hazrat Madani, Hazrat Rajpuri and Hazrat Shaykh ul Hadith rahimahumulla) gather to decide whether they will migrate to Pakistan or remain in the service of the Muslims of India. It is admirable how steadfast our elders were and how clear their focus in life was. Following is Hazrat Madani's reply as the other elders await his decision after making out their cases in front of him:

Maulana Madani listened to all this very carefully, took a long breath and said with tears streaming down: "Our scheme has failed, otherwise all this killing and destruction and this movement of whole populations would not have taken place....Now I do not stop anyone from wanting to leave. My home is in Madina...But I cannot leave my India brothers at this stage of destruction and bloodshed without guidance."

..Even more amazing than that was the courage shown by Hazrat Madani. In those dangerous times he undertook numerous tours all over India telling Muslims of the reward of remaining steadfast in the face of calamities.

Respect for Sacred Knowledge

There is an irrefutable link between Sheikhul Hadeeth's رحمة الله عليه utmost respect for the words of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم and his renowned achievements in the science of Hadeeth. Our teachers will often tell us that the more respect one has for knowledge, the more Allah will open up its noor on the seeker of knowledge. Below is an oft-quoted example of such respect.

The two of us had two golden rules during our Daura year, namely that not a single hadeeth with its chain of narrators should be left out without being read. Secondly, never to recite any hadeeth without wudoo. Whenever any one of us had to leave the class to perform wudoo, as we had to attend lessons for five to six hours on end, he would touch the other to inform him of the need for wudoo and quickly leave the class. The seated one of us would then quickly raise some problem for father [who was teaching] to answer. This happened very seldom, perhaps once or twice in a month or two. At that time, our health was quite good. In those days I had the habit of performing Esha with wudoo performed for Zuhr. This carried on for many years. But now and then the need did arise for wudoo in between.

My father understood from the very first time it happened when he saw one of the two friends suddenly getting up, leaving the room to return in haste rolling down his sleeves. From this he understood and was quite pleased.

Once Hasan Ahmad touched me to inform me of his need for wudoo and quickly got up. I immediately asked: "Hazrat, in Fat'hul Qadeer is written....". I said this without having thought and did not even know what Fat'hul Qadeer wrote. But on hearing my mention of Fat'hul Qadeer, my father burst out laughing. Placing a marker in the kitab, he closed it and said: "Let me tell you a story until Hasan Ahmad comes back. Why should I start a fight with you over what Fat'hul Qadeer says?"

Announcement

Alhumdulillah, Aap Beti has a new contributor to help with the posting. Insha allah this will mean the blog is updated on a more regular basis than before [may Allah reward the new contributor well].

Readers are requested to make du'aa for us both.

Ya Allah, raise us on Yawmul Qiyamah amongst Your Friends! Aameen

Anger of the Awliya

In this section of Part IV of Aap Beti Shaykh ul Hadith (rah) describes the zeal with which his father Hazrat Maulana Yahya Kandhlawi (rah) studied sacred knowledge. Hazrat Yahya (rah) had the great fortune of studying Hadith under Hazrat Rashid Ahmed Gangohi (rah), one of the founders of Darul Uloom Deoband. In this excerpt, we learn of the great love his teacher had of him and the incident of the result of his teacher's anger on a certain student of Hazrat Yahya (rah)'s time:

My father had this strong urge not to miss any lesson in class. Once he had to go to Kandhla at the request of Hazrat Gangohi and Hazrat promised not to teach anything during his absence. When he returned from there, the reader started the lesson leaving out a chapter. My father and some others objected that he was reading from the wrong place but he continued reading. Later it so happened that my grandmother in Kandhla asked Hazrat to send him home for some reason or the other. My father did not want to go because as he said: "Last time I went one whole chapter was missed." Hazrat replied "Tomorrow we will go over that chapter."

Sitting in class Hazrat Gangohi asked "Moulvi Yahya, which chapter did you miss?" Thereupon Hazrat taught that chapter. It was a mere coincidence that the reader on that day was the same student. At the completion of the chapter he asked sarcastically: "Is there any other chapter that has been left out? Then it will also be taught." Hazrat became angry and said " Go on, you are mad." A few days later that student lost his mind.

That was the time when the mas'ala concerning crows was quite in the public eye. This same student used to tie crows to a long bamboo and carry it around through the streets of Gangoh saying: "This is halaal."

اللهم انا نعوذبك من عذابك و غضب رسولك و غضب اوليائك
'O Allah we seek refuge in You from your anger and from the anger of your Rasul and your saintly servants.'

This is something concerning which I have written many times. Be very careful of the saintly ones. May Allah protect us from their anger and displeasure.

The Crying of Hazrat Madani (رحمه الله)

During my life I have heard no one else weeping so much in dua before Allah in the latter part of the night as I have heard Maulana Madani and my father. Very often in spite of my deep sleep I used to be woken up by this crying. Hazrat Madani would recite Hindi lamentations with so much pain and sorrow. I was unacquainted with Hindi and could not understand, but the wailing and crying still echoes in my ears. It was almost like a child who was recieving a hiding and is crying. As much courage as Hazrat had, as brave as he was and as much as he encountered ordeals, I have not seen this type of crying in any of my Elders.

(Part IV pg 376)

The way of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), the way of perfection...

Here Sheikhul Hadeeth (رحمة الله عليه) expresses his astonishment at those who leave the Sunnah. Of course, to those of us who are unconnected, we cannot understand what the problem is. But those who enjoy a qalbi connection with Allah's Beloved (صلى الله عليه وسلم) can only grieve when they see other ways being preferred over the Sunnah.

According to another hadeeth quoted by Hazrat Umar Radiallahu anhu, he once asked Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), "We hear some words from the Jews, which to us appear very nice. If you permit us we shall write them down."

Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied, "Are you in doubt regarding your deen as the Jews and Christians were? Verily I have brought to you a clear shariat. Even if Moosa should be alive today, he would have had no way out than to follow me." (Mishkat).

Many other hadeeth on this topic have been mentioned in hadeeth and we people, while not only discarding to follow the example of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), do not even find time to read about the life and character of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). No, we want to see what the newspapers say. We want to see what France and America say...

...When it is said, "Listen to what Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said" or "Listen to the translation of what Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said or did", we cannot find the time. But when it comes to reading newspapers and magazines, then let alone attending classes, even if the salaah passes by, no attention is paid to it. We are not speaking about the general public. We refer to those who are supposed to be religious minded. When I even see how the taskbeer oolaa is being recited in the masjid and students of deen are still sitting in shops or restaurants reading newspapers, then I know what heaviness passes over my heart.

"In the Will of Allah no one has a say..."

There is another letter from Ala Hazrat on the occasion of my father's death:

"From Abdul Raheem to brother Moulvy Zakariyya Saheb."
Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullah.

A telegram was brought to me from Bahut addressed to Shah Saheb and reached me at 20 minutes after eleven, at the hands of Haji Ghulam Muhammad Saheb. From it I came to know of the sudden demise of Maulana Yahya Saheb. It is such a shock and brought me much sorrow, which I am unable to describe in words.

In the Will of Allah no one has a say. He is the Master who does as He pleases in what is His. Kindly inform us quickly about his illness. We are all struck with grief and I would have come there immediately but because of my condition I am unable to do so. What else is there that one can write at this moment?


Abdul Raheem from Raipur.
Saturday 11.20am"

"My nose has not been cut off"

Sheikhul Hadeeth رحمة الله عليه describes the reaction of his community to the simple, hassle-free nikah of his two daughters.

The nikah was performed but thereafter I had to bear the brunt of all the attacks. People did not know the boys and an announcement had been made that it was my daughters getting married. The two bridegrooms were both handsome young men, still without beards with the Madani turbans around their heads, which I myself had put on for them, while going to the mosque. Here are some of the taunts I received:

a. "What kind of people are those Molvies. They see two handsome young boys and give their daighters away to them."

b. "Two young men from among the rich ones of Bombay arrived at the jalsa. Seeing two rich ones, they gave their daughters away."

c. "They must have known them from before because they would not just see two boys walking along and then give their daughters away to them. These Molvies are no good."

d. One of the pious wealthy men from our mohalla went home and very happily told his wife about the marriage of my daughters. The wife became quite angry (may Allah pardon them both). She said, "The poor mice are jumping all over their house because they cannot find anything to eat. Everyday they send people to our door to beg and borrow. If they did not marry them off, then what else would they have done? You tell me: Allah had given you great riches and lots of wealth. Allah forbid that I have to let my daughters get married like paupers."

Thereafter because this nikah was against the custom of our people and because in the history of Kandhla it had never been performed like this ever, there was a lot of talk this way and that. One person's reaction reached me as having said, "Zakariya has cut his own nose and thereby he has brought dishonour to all of us. Is this the way to have a nikah performed?"

I replied, "I have not been dishonoured. My nose has not been cut off."

I told the messenger, "Even you can feel with your hand that my nose is still in place, so you may go and tell them what you have seen. No, my nose has not been cut off and no one else has been dishonoured."

Respecting our Teachers

The hadeeth kitabs which were taught in the madressa by other teachers were always accompanied by long lectures. Whenever I saw these lectures being held, my mouth used to water to attend. I sought my father's permission to be allowed to listen to these lessons held by someone else, but he always refused permission most emphatically and every time he used to say:

"You are unmannered. You only repsect me because of the shoes with which I beat you and you honour Hazrat [ie. Hazrat Khalid Mahmood Saharanpuri رحمة الله عليه] by heart."

This is reference to a specific incident to which he referred to on many occasions saying: "You do not even go on to the roof of Hazrat's house (out of respect for him) but you are prepared to climb on my head."

The story is this: My father's room was the western-most room of the library, which is now included into the library. The outside area of it was empty (as already mentioned in connection with the reading of Sharah Tahzeeb). When one wished to come along the stairs to my father's room, one had to walk over the roof of Hazrat's room. To come to his room instead of crossing over Hazrat's roof I climbed over the wall alongside his roof. Actually this was done for show because I am not even in possession of good manners upto this day. This is the reason why my fahter said: "You are unmannered. If you should act unmannerly to a falsafa or mantiq teacher, that knowledge will leave you and it will be a calamity for me. But if you should act unmannerly to any hadeeth teacher, this will be completely unbearable and unacceptable to me because you will then be deprived of the blessings of hadeeth."

In this he was right. I have not been able to show due respect to my Ustads and in spite of my ill-manners, my Ustads have treated me with great love, sympathy and goodwill. May Allah grant them all high ranks. Except for Hazrat Saheb, all the rest of my teachers treated me as an equal as if I was their contemporary or class-mate.

A most pertinent talk on this topic can also be found on the Sacredlearning website [see links] titled 'Debt to our Teachers'.

O Lovers of Rasulallah صلى الله عليه وسلم !

This post is a little bit of a side track from usual. I wish to share with the readers a verse from a beautiful poem that Hazrat Yusuf Motala (db) mentions being read out in a Jalsa in Delhi. The following are the words of Hazrat Saheb.

Amongst the Saints on stage Molana Muhammad Ilyas (founder of Jamaat-e-Tabligh) was also present and when the following verse was read from a poem by Allaama Iqbal:

You are the wealthy of both worlds and I am the poor one,

Accept my excuses on the Day of Judgement,

And if you are to take account of me,

Then take it out of the sigh of Mustafa...

Molana Ilyas became much moved and in this state he continued weeping, later stating that this seems to be the words of a sincere person.

I wish they do not place me before him on Doomsday...

"That which had passed never returns": Appreciating our Scholars

...there is one very important fact to which I wish to draw attention.

When the Elders passed away many people desired to see those special qualities which were part of the Sheikh (in those that succeeded them). But it is clear that all those who follow the Elders and in their footsteps will be less gifted than the Sheikh except in some cases, as Allah pleases.

Those people who, because they do not see the qualities of the Elder in his followers, turn away from that Sheikh's line of Tasawwuf, are only doing themselves great harm. I began to see this very clearly since the time of Hazrat Gangohi. During the time of the most prominent Khalifas of Hazrat, I saw many of their contemporaries, who were also attached to Hazrat through Bay'at, saw that now some of the special qualities which Hazrat had were no longer present in the Khalifas. They then declined to return to these Khalifas for spiritual guidance. This caused me a lot of pain and sorrow because the Khalifas were near in relationship (with Allah Ta'ala) and men of 'Nisbat'. If indeed these people had become connected to one of the Khalifas, they would have progressed greatly.

Similarly I have seen many in the third generation of Khilafat who did the same thing. I did my utmost to explain to them the wrong of their actions. After the death of my uncle, Hazrat Ilyas رحمة الله عليه , I have heard many people say that this 'Hazrat-ji' was not nearly in the same class as Maulana Ilyas Dehlawy.

To those people I replied: "You have spoken the truth. But in Hazrat Dehlawy we did not see those special qualities which we saw in Hazrat Saharanpuri."...

...Now it is the era of Maulana Inaamul Hasan and very often we hear the complaint that it is not the same as in the time of Maulana Yusuf. Then I tell them: "My friends, after him you will not find even those qualities which are in him. That which had passed never returns."

Dispute Over Pay (2)

Hazrat Thanwy was also one of the trustees and supervisors of the madressa. I told him and Maulana Zafar Ahmad Thanwy, the Mufti of Thanabavan with whom I was most informal, "If any application concerning my salary from the madressa should come to Hazrat Thanwy, please let it be rejected."

I do not kno what he told Hazrat Thanwy. A letter of application was sent to Hazrat Thanwy for one and a half years leave of absence. Mohtamim Saheb also wrote: "He has some salary left with us. Kindly give permission for it to be paid to him."

Hazrat Thanwy approved the leave of absence and with regard to the salary, he wrote: "If the salary had not been received by him, then why is the permission of the trustees required? If there is any other doubts regarding the salary, then please explain it so that we may ponder over it."

Another trustee was Maulana Aashiq Ilahi and I also told him: "You are also a trustee. That salary is not permissible for me. Disapprove it."

However, after Hazrat had approved it, Maulana Thanwy could still disapprove, but what right had any of Hazrat's attendents to do so? I had done all these contemptable things as I always do.First of all, Maulana Ashiq Ilahi debated the issue with me and when, like in the case of Nazim Saheb he could not convince me, he wrote on my application: "Leave of absence for one and a years is approved. And just as in the case of of his leave of absence his application regarding his salary should also be accepted, that is, that his salary should also be granted by the madressa."

When Hazrat saw Maulana Meeruty's [ie Maulana Aashiq Ilahi's] note, he knew I had also had a debate with him. Thereafter Hazrat told me with great sympathy: "Bazal is not my own work. It belongs to the madressa. If I should take you with me in service of the madressa, and apart from going and living there, I let your expenses come from the madressa, then what do you have to say?"

I replied: "Then I will say: That is permissible. I have no hesitation."

Hazrat said: "The salary of your's which is in the madressa will be less than what the madressa will now give you."

I replied: "That is true."

Hazrat said: "This is what you should understand."

Dispute Over Pay

Here Sheikhul Hadeeth رحمة الله عليه relates the argument that took place over his salary.

I said: "Hazrat, do not worry, arrangements will be made for my expenses. It will not be permissible for me to take that money." I have always been a bit forward in the presence of the elders.
Hazrat asked: "Why?"

I replied: "In those months when I did not take salary, I taught with the neyat of doing so without salary. Now I am not entitled to take it."

Hazrat asked: "Did you put any application to the madressa when you were hired? The madressa was the hirer. What right did you have of cancelling the contract of hire from your own side unilaterally until such a time that we accepted your application?"

I replied: "But Hazrat, this has nothing to do with a hiring contract. If a person of his own self does a job for the sake of Allah, what right has he afterwards of receiving renumeration?"

At that time, Hazrat Nazim Saheb was also seated there. He said to Hazrat, "Leave him, I will explain the matter to him."

Hazrat became happy and I also, because in Hazrat's presence I spoke with fear, while with Nazim Saheb an open and lively debate took place and in the end he told Hazrat: "He does not want to budge from his view."

Flattery and Humility

A very short extract, but it just struck me how those connected with Allah responded to flattery with, not pride, but humility!

One such story was told about the 'Babul Istihaadhah'. Once on my visit to Deoband, Hazrat Madani said to me: "You have in Kitabul-Haj of Owjaz written a very nice thing, which pleased me very much. Many of Imam Bukhari's objections have been removed through your commentary."

At that moment Hazrat was walking towards his class to go and teach. I bent my head and was so moved that I could not even ask to which part of my writing he was referring to, which caused Imam Bukhari's objections to end. On many occasions I have wanted to ask him, but because of my shyness I could not.