These where our Elders: Anecdotes from the lives of the Akabirin

[afriki_haqq]

Incidents of Mirza Mazhar Jaane Jaana رحمة الله عليه

Shah Waliyullah (رحمة الله عليه) mentioned: "Allah Ta'ala has shown me all the Auliyaa of the time. Today I do not find anyone greater than Mirza Mazhar Jaane Jaana (رحمة الله عليه)". He had an extremely sensitive temperament and this was his test and trial. He was once shown that if you wish further progress, you should marry a certain woman. He married her and she had a very bad temper. She would take off with him all the time but he made Sabr on all of this.

Once a discussion took place between some pious people that if Allah Ta'ala had to give you an opportunity to ask for something which will definitely be given to you, what will you ask for? Everyone replied according to their understanding. Mirza Saheb (رحمة الله عليه) replied: I will ask for good company.

(From the 'Asr Majlis of Mufti Ebrahim Salejee, 23 Ramadan 1433 12 August 2012)

[afriki_haqq]

The first jalsah in Dar al-'Ulum Deoband

When Dar al-'Ulum Deoband had its first jalsah, a rivulet was dug up to supply water to the Madrasah. In those days, there were no such arrangements for water as we have nowadays. Eventually it happened such that they received more than the required amount of water. Hadhrat Shaykh al-Hind [Mahmud al-Hasan al-Deobandi] رحمة الله عليه himself dammed the river and stopped the water flow.

Thereafter, he called Hadhrat Mawlana Khalil Ahmad al-Saharanpuri رحمة الله عليه , Hadhrat Mawlana Raipuri رحمة الله عليه and Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi رحمة الله عليه to estimate the food rations. The three buzurgs circled it in the manner Rasulullah
had gone around the heap of dates prepared by Hadhrat Jabir  as is mentioned in the hadith. Thereafter Hadhrat Shaykh al-Hind رحمة الله عليه got the food prepared, which consisted of zardah (a sweet dish) and pulawu (a rice dish). The number of guests turned out to be more than anticipated.

Hadhrat Shaykh al-Hind رحمة الله عليه first fed the students. Thereafter, he tied a belt around his waist, sat on a chair and began feeding the visitors himself until everyone had eaten. Alhamdulillah, there was still food left over. Shaykh al-Hind رحمة الله عليه then sent one of his special students to Chatta Musjid to announce, “With the fadhl (grace) of Allah Ta`ala everything is now complete and the food did not run short.” When this person came to the Chatta Musjid, he found no one there. Thus, he began thinking to himself that to whom should he make this announcement as no one was present, but since it was the command of his ustadh, he obliged. Immediately, Hadhrat Mawlana Saharanpuri رحمة الله عليه , Hadhrat Mawlana Raipuri رحمة الله عليه and Hadhrat Mawlana Thanawi رحمة الله عليه emerged from the inner recess of the Musjid, with tears in their eyes. These three buzurgs were sitting in muraqabah (meditation) for a long period of time.

(Malfuzat Faqih al-Ummah, 2:398-399)

[afriki_haqq]

Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi's Name and Fame

It was the habit of Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi that he would prefer to remain anonymous in his travels. He would even forbid his associates to divulge his name. If someone had to ask him what his name was, he would reply: “Khurshid Husayn”. His name from his date of birth read ‘Khurshid Husayn’. [In other words, the numbers of his date of birth represented, as letters, the words ‘Khurshid Husain’. This is called the Abjad count and such a name is referred to as Tarikhi Naam which literally means ‘historical name’.] However, he was not known with this name and hence no one would realize that this was Mawlana Qasim Nanautwi.

And if someone had to enquire about his hometown, he would reply: “Ilahabad”. He would not take the name of Nanota. Some associates would say: “Hazrat! How is Ilahabad your hometown?” In other words, it was fictitious. He would reply: “Nanota is also a town populated by Allah. Thus, literally every town is Ilahabad.” In other words, this is not fictitious; it is open to two interpretations.

Regardless of such care to conceal himself he, still, would not remain hidden. Allah Ta’ala would make him shine out. The honour of the illustrious Ahl Allah is so great that they are not in need of external paraphernalia of fame and glory. External paraphernalia are adopted by those who do not have true glory. They resort to external means and agencies to get name and fame.

[A Treasure of Stories by Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi, no. 17]

[afriki_haqq]

The 'Ulama Haqqani: An incident from the life of Mawlana Nanautwi

True Ulama desire to remain anonymous and think of themselves to be worthless; adopting all ways towards this end. But Allah Ta’ala places them on the centre stage.

Mawlana Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi's (Allah have mercy on him) external appearance and dress were such that no one would think him to be an 'alim. Neither would he don a robe and gown and nor would he wear fine and exquisite garments. His dress was of coarse and thick fabric. With such dressing he would attend huge gatherings. But in front of him all robe and gown-clothed Ulama would take a back seat. The name of Mawlana Muhammad Qasim would flash brightly, whilst people would not even ask who were the others.

The Shahjahanpur Debate saw a majestic confrontation between Islam and the opponents of Islam. Among the partaking Ulama of Islam were those who were dressed in fine robes and gowns. Mawlana Muhammad Qasim was clad in his usual kurta and lungi. But when he commenced his speech the audience was so captivated that the Hindus of Shahjahanpur confessed: “The blue lungi Molvi won."

His speech was like a river in full flood. No one could respond to any of his points.

(A Treasure of Stories, Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi, no. 16)

[afriki_haqq]

Lessons of humility from our akabirin

In the dawra tafsir conducted during the Ramadan of 1432 H. Mufti Zar Wali Khan (Allah protect him) [of Jami'ah Arabiyya Ahsan al-'Ulum Karachi] mentions an incident of the humility and generosity of Mawlana Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi (Allah have mercy on him). Mawlana Nanautwi was a very handsome man. With the pressure from his elders, a nawab (nobleman) was able to get his daughter married to Mawlana Nanautwi. Once married, the bride came with thirty bags full of gold jewellery. On the wedding night, Mawlana Nanautwi said to his wife, "Social equality is very important between husband and wife. At this age, I can't become rich like you and your father, but there's another way. You can become a faqir (poor) like me."

So his wife replied; "Let's keep the clothes, and give away all the jewellery". Mawlana Nanautwi was very glad to hear this. Right away, in the middle of the night, he went to Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband and he woke up the munshi (accountant). He told him that a traveler was passing and Allah placed mercy in his heart, so the traveler decided to give some wealth to the madrasah. The munshi was greatly surprised at the amount. Mawlana Nanautwi made the munshi prepare a receipt for the amount in the name of “a musafir” (traveler). Then he hurriedly left saying; “let me go and give this to the musafir before he leaves”. All this so that no one would think that Mawlana Nanautwi himself had given this wealth from his own household.

Continue reading...

[afriki_haqq]

The istighna of Mawlana Binnori

Muhaddith al-'Asr Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Binnori (Allah have mercy on him) confronted the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfiqar 'Ali Bhutto, with regards to the Qadiyanis. The Prime Minister was very annoyed and threatened to close down the Madrasah al-Jami'ah al-'Ulum al-Islamiyya. When Mawlana Binnori (Allah have mercy on him) was informed of the threat to close down the Madrasah, he very calmly and nonchalantly responded: “What does the Prime Minister of Pakistan know what a Madrasah is. The roof of my Madrasah is the sky, the floor of it is the earth. Let him close up my Madrasah if he wishes to!”

This answer, filled with istighna by an ‘alim of haq, had such a bombastic effect on Bhutto that he was shocked into silence.

(Jami'at al-'Ulama Gauteng. "Istighna of the 'Ulama." The Shari'ah 2.3 (Ramadan 1432))

[afriki_haqq]

Hafiz Dhamin Sahib’s رحمة الله عليه martyrdom

Hadhrat Hafiz Dhamin Shahid رحمة الله عليه had a set of new clothes sewn which he set aside for wearing if he ever went out in jihad, hoping that he would be martyred in it. When the time for jihad came, he performed ghusl, wore his new clothes, applied surma and purchased a new pair of shoes despite him having another pair that was still in a good condition. Thereafter he proceeded to the battlefield in Shamli where they fought against the British. When Hafiz Sahib رحمة الله عليه was shot, Hadhrat Mawlana Gangohi رحمة الله عليه picked him up and carried him into the musjid. He placed Hafiz Sahib’s head on his thigh and began reciting Surah Yasin until his ruh (soul) left his body.

Reciting Fatihah (Qur’an and du`as) at the grave of Hafiz Dhamin رحمة الله عليه

Once, a buzurg came to the grave of Hadhrat Hafiz Sahib رحمة الله عليه and started reciting Fatihah. After conveying the thawab, he asked, “Whose grave is this? He appears to be a very jovial person. When I
started reciting the Fatihah, he said, ‘Go from here! What Fatihah are you reading here? Fatihah is supposed to be read for the dead, not for the living.’” The people then informed him that he is a shahid (martyr), and the shuhada are all alive in their graves. Allah Ta`ala states: "Do not say regarding those who are killed in the path of Allah that they are dead. Rather, they are alive but you cannot perceive them." (Qur'an)

(Malfuzat Faqih al-Ummah, 2:487-8)

[The Fake Shaykh]

The istighna of Mawlana Binnori

Muhaddith al-'Asr Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Binnori (Allah have mercy on him) confronted the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfiqar 'Ali Bhutto, with regards to the Qadiyanis. The Prime Minister was very annoyed and threatened to close down the Madrasah al-Jami'ah al-'Ulum al-Islamiyya. When Mawlana Binnori (Allah have mercy on him) was informed of the threat to close down the Madrasah, he very calmly and nonchalantly responded: “What does the Prime Minister of Pakistan know what a Madrasah is. The roof of my Madrasah is the sky, the floor of it is the earth. Let him close up my Madrasah if he wishes to!”

This answer, filled with istighna by an ‘alim of haq, had such a bombastic effect on Bhutto that he was shocked into silence.

(Jami'at al-'Ulama Gauteng. "Istighna of the 'Ulama." The Shari'ah 2.3 (Ramadan 1432))

those where our ulama...

[knight]

The intellect of Mawlana Shah Ismail Shahid
Hadhrat Mawlana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi used to say that Shah Ismail's brain was so sharp that he used to make five people sit in front of him and dictate five different subjects to them. He would dictate at such speed that no one's pen stopped
(The narratives of the Ulama No.54)

[At Tayyib]

The intellect of Mawlana Shah Ismail Shahid
Hadhrat Mawlana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi used to say that Shah Ismail's brain was so sharp that he used to make five people sit in front of him and dictate five different subjects to them. He would dictate at such speed that no one's pen stopped
(The narratives of the Ulama No.54)

Taqwiyatul Iman!

This wont go down well with the literalists. Their favourite pastime is to delve into the How-ness? of issues. This approach is the reason they cannot digest the karamahs of the awliya.

The literalist approach simply jams the brain cells. It seems thinking is the most depised and tasking job. Hence, they take the escape route of not thinking, i.e. literalism.