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Naqshe Hayat

The Autobiography Of

Shaykhul Islam Sayyed Moulana Hussain Ahmad Madni (RA)


2 Naqshe Hayat Moulana Hussain Ahmad Madni RA

Contents Page Preface Forward: (to be included) Chapter 1: My Birth Chapter 2: My Genealogy Chapter 3: Family Livelihood Chapter 4: My Father’s Birth and Upbringing Chapter 5: My Father’s Marriage Chapter 6: My Father’s Children Chapter 7: My Father’s Property in India Chapter 8: My Father’s Migration to Madeenah Chapter 9: My Father’s Life; A brief Insight (Updated 15/09/13)



Author’s Preface

Bimillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection, we confide in Him, we trust Him alone and we seek protection against the evils and mischief of our souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever He guides on the right path, none can misguide him; and whosoever He declares misled, none can guide him onto the right path. We bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. He is alone and has no partner. We bear witness that our leader and patron Muhammad is His servant and Messenger and may Allah send salutations upon him, upon his family, his companions and may He bless and grant them peace. Since a long period of time, friends have continually asked me about different aspects of my life and I have from time to time fulfilled their requests. Some friends have quoted my words in newspapers and other publications, yet these articles have not been free from exaggeration, additions and omissions. When the published material was reviewed, it became apparent that some details had been misprinted and thus emphasis was laid upon the need to write accurate narrations. My extensive commitments and busy schedule did not allow me to even write a short summary about events in my life. Nevertheless, in 1914, when I was held in detention at Neeni Jail, Alabaad, a strong inclination arose within me and I thought to myself, 'At this time you are liberated from many engagements, so why not see this as a valuable opportunity and complete this important task; because apart from being able to provide accounts of a historical nature, there will be hidayat (guidance) and light within it for generations to come.’ Furthermore, I found that it would be a befitting way to relay the blessings of Allah T'aala. After contemplating, I realised that just like the showering of rain, the blessings and mercy that Allah had bestowed on me both spiritually and in terms of physical health were gifts that I was neither worthy of nor could ever lay personal claim to. Following the absolute destitute condition of our family, as a result of the revolutionary times, the way our family were raised again in status is only owing to the deep kindness of Allah T’aala and we are indebted to Him. It was a family tradition that in every era, at least one or two sahih majzoob and many ahle salook remained. However, just before 1857, the family became empty of ahle and irfan e Sulook and eveyone became engrossed in the world. Ignorance



and the pursuit of desires replaced knowledge and ma’arifat. Later, the events of 1857 completely destroyed all forms of livelihood; all wealth and valuables were stolen and most of the property was lost, and thus, the extreme poverty from all four sides left us crippled. The elders of our family had travelled to their eternal abode and any provisions that could have helped us to rise again had been destroyed. The continuous famine that manifested itself towards the end of the 19th Century and left all of India, especially thousands of people in UP and Eastern Oudh in death’s valley. Complete households and lineages were wiped out. Sir William Digby has also stated that between 1875 and 1900 India suffered eighteen droughts and three million lives were lost. At such a time, was it not the matchless blessings of Allah T’aala that He took care of the needs and welfare of these destitute families and orphaned children and showered them with unlimited blessings? We are indeed indebted to Him always. (Persian verse to be added) As a proclamation of Allah T’aala’s blessings in conformity to the words of the Qur’aan: ’But the bounty of the Lord - rehearse and proclaim,’ I find it essential to mention His Grace and Favour that enveloped my parents, my family and myself, and still remains present over us. I want to sing verses of gratitude to Him, and make fragrant the minds and hearts of the onlookers. (Persian verse to be added)

I have observed how pious predecessors in previous generations have written their autobiographies such as the writings of Hadhrat Shah Waliyullah Rahmatullah Alaih and others. Likewise, there are many present examples of them written by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. An individual knows his own life’s events and accounts like no other would, so there remains no reason for me to refrain from writing my autobiography. It is written specifically because there is hope that people will benefit from learning about the accurate nature of events.

To conclude my explanation, I want to present the following words, and raise my hands to Him because of His many favours and pray that He protects me from 'who He is not pleased with’ and gives me the ability to do and say all that is pleasing to Him.

‘And it is not hard for Allah and there is no success but from Allah. In Him I trust and I turn to in repentance: My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for your favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my offspring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslimeen (submitting to Your Will).’

Chapter 1: Birth



I was born on Tuesday night* on the 19th of Shawwal 1296 Hijri (at 11.00 pm in the town of Bangarmau, situated in the Unao District. At birth, I was named Chirage Muhammad (Lamp of Muhammd Sallalahu-alaihi-wasallam): this was the only name my late father had written for me in his commonplace book and no corresponding English date was recorded- it equates to the year (October)1879.

In those days my late father was the Head Teacher at The Urdu Middle School in Bangarmau where he lived for many years with his dependants. My middle brother, the late Moulana Sayyed Ahmad Sahib was also born there before me in 1293 Hijri- 1876 CE. There was a viscous outbreak of Malaria during the time period I was born and it resulted in many deaths. My late mother used to say that it was common occurrence that mothers that gave birth during that time and their new-born did not survive. In the whole town, only she and another mother with children managed to survive.

My early upbringing took place in Bangarmau and I was quite young when my father left Bangarmau and settled in our ancestral town of Tanda in the District of Faizabad. He chose to relocate to Tanda and made effort to be transferred there as it was difficult for him have ownership of land in Bangarmau because of his roots in another area. The higher authorities, however, were evasive towards his request; as the Head Teacher’s monthly wage in Tanda was only twenty Rupees and yet he was currently receiving thirty Rupees in the same post in Bangarmau. The need of the time left him with no choice but to transfer to Tanda regardless of his reduction in his wages. At the time, I was no more than three years old, so I have little memory of our relocation. Thereafter, we remained in Tanda until I was twelve years old and it is where I started my early years education.

_______________________________________________________________________

* According to Islamic tradition the new day begins after sunset, therefore, Tuesday’s night would

follow after sunset on Monday.

Chapter 2: My Genealogy



My Genealogy until Shah Noorul Haq Tandwi Rahmat Ullah Alaih

My genealogy is as follows: Hussain Ahmad, son of Sayyed Habeebullah, son of Sayyed Peer Ali, son of Sayyed Jahangeer Baksh, son of Shah Noor Ashraf, son of Shah Madan, son of Shah Muhammad Mahe Shahi, son of Shah Khayrullah, son of Shah Siffatullah, son of Shah Muhibbullah, son of Shah Mahmood, son of Shah Ludhan, son of Shah Qalandar, son of Shah Munawwar, son of Shah Raju, son of Shah Abdul Wahid, son of Shah Muhammad Zahidi, son of Shah Noorul Haq (May Allah T’aala have mercy on them).

Shah Noorul Haq was the first person from our distant ancestors to come and settle in Tanda. In that period the Rajbhar Tribe had the ownership and control of all the areas surrounding Tanda and caused trouble to the Muslim residents. When Hadhrat Shah Noorul Haq Sahib arrived in Tanda, he invited them towards Islam; however the Rajah and the people became confrontational. Shah Noorul Haq’s heavy force made them retreat and the Rajah left his fort. Shah Noorul Haq Sahib resided there and named it Alhadadpur, thus shedding light on its etymology. Relics of the fort still remain: bricks of the Northern wall and Eastern pillars are evident today and continue to house the graves of Shah Noorul Haq Sahib and all his progeny.

Currently, our family does not have any form of written evidence about the genealogical chain before Shah Noorul Haq or information which could explain when Shah Noorul Haq arrived in Tanda and where he migrated from. However, the Shajra-e-tareeqat (spiritual chain) which remains preserved highlights that he was the Khaleefa of Shah Dawood Chisti; who was the khaleefa of Shah Qutubuddeen Chisti; who was the khaleefa of Shah Najmuddeen Chisti; who was the Khaleefa of Shah Rumi Chisti; who was the Khaleefa of Hadhrat Khwaja Qutubuddeen Bukhtayaar Rehmatullah alayhum.

This Shajra-e-Tareeqat has been preserved on ancient paper and the author of it was the son or mureed (seeker of the path) of my father’s great-grand father Shah Noor Ashraf Quddus sirruhu.

The Shajrae Tareeqat leading to Shah Noorul Haq Tandwi (RA)

Shajrae Tareeqat (Persian): to be added

Footnotes of the Shajrae Tareeqat:

1. Shah Dawud Chisti: His name was Shah Dawud Sarmast and he was the khaleefa and son in law of Shah Qutub Beena-Dil Qalandar Sarandaz. He was authorised in the Chistiya, Qalandariya ,Qadriya Suharwardiya silsilas. He was the inhabitant of Sarharpur and he had two Khaleefas: Shah Noorul Haq Sarharpuri and Shah Noorul Haq Tandwi. I could not locate the date of birth or death of either our distant ancestor Shah Noorul Haq or that of Shah Dawud Sarmast Rahmat Ullah alayhum.



In Miratul Asrar it states: Persian text to be added

2. Shah Qutubuddeen Chisti: His name was Shah Qutub Beena-Dil Qalandar Faruqi Sarandaz. He was born blind; however, his vision through his spiritual heart’s eyes was superior to one with perfect vision so he was given the title ‘Beena-Dil’ (one able to see with his spiritual heart). During Dhikr, the rest of his body would separate from his head and that is why he was given the title ’Sarandaz’. He was born on the 25th of Shabaan 776 Hijri-January 1375C.E in Sarharpur and passed away in Sha’baan 924 Hijri - 1518 C.E. His grave is in the Allanpur vicinity: He lived for 149 years. Allahu A’alam.

3. Shah Najamuddeen Chisti: His name was Shah Najmuddeen, son of Nizamuddeen, son of Nuruddeen Mubarak Husaini Ghaznawi Dehalwi (of Ghazna and then of Delhi). He was born in 637 Hijri-1239/1240 CE and he became bayt (took the oath of allegiance) with Hadhrat Nizamuddeen Muhammad Badayuni and he stayed in his khidmat (servitude) for a long period. During his stay with Shah Chisti, the doors of kashf (spiritual unveiling) and shuhood() did not open for him, so Hadhrat Nizamuddeen (May Allah have mercy on him) told him to go to Rum. He therefore went to Rum and met Hadhrat Khidhr Rumi Hussaini Qalandar and stayed in his khidmat and became authorised with the Qalandariya Tareeqa. He then returned to India and resided in Mandu. Amongst his Khulafa are Shaykh Hussain Sarharpuri and Shaykh Qutubudeen Jaunpuri etc. He passed away in 837 Hijri -1434 CE in the month of Zil Hijjah. He lived for two hundred years: spending his time in both Arab and non-Arab lands and the latter twenty-five years with family in Mandu where he passed away.

4. Shah Rumi: His name was Shah Khidhr Hussaini Qalandar Rumi. It was from him that Shah Najmuddeen, son of Nizamuddeen, son of Mujaduddeen Mubarak Hussaini Ghaznawi Dehalwi acquired the tareeqa. Shah Khidhr Rumi’s (May Allah Have mercy on him) was born in 500 Hijri-1106/1107 CE and he passed away in 750 Hijri-1349/1350 CE: he lived for two hundred and fifty years. During the rule of Sultan-ut-Tamash in India, he entered the silsila (spiritual chain) of propagating Deen. He received the Qalandariya ijazah from Sayyed Abdul Azeez Makki and thereafter reciveved ijazah (permission) in the Chistiya silsila from Khwaja Qutubuddeen Bukhtayar Kaki (may Allah have mercy on him) as an exchange. He then went on to introduce the Qalandariya Chistiya silsila. His grave is situated on the outskirts of the city of Khandesh in Bawan-Berar.

The above mentioned genealogy represents, in duality, both a genealogical and spiritual tree leading to Shah Noorul Haq sahib and thereafter the family genealogy stems away. I am extremely grateful to have found the details of our genealogical tree (mentioned below) and an insight into many historical accounts in Hadhrat



Shah Wilayat Ahmad Sahib Laherpuri’s work ‘Masaa’ee Jameela’. May Allah reward him with goodness.

References to the genealogical chain leading to the Prophet Sallallahu Aalaihi Wasallam in Shah Wilayat Laheri’s work Masaa’ee Jameela.

During the short reign of Sultan Mubarak Shah Jaunpuri (the second ruler of Jaunpur) between 802 Hijri and 804 Hijri, Saadaat (descendants of Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam through his daughter Hadhrat Fatema RA) came to Jaunpur and settled there in different villages. The honourable Ruler gave them paid work and land.

The ancestral Saadaat settlers in different villages were; the Saadaat of Tanda (District of Faizabad), Saadaat of Mawsuwi, Saadaat of Bichukar, Saadaat of Malupur and Kadipur (in the district of Sultanpur), Saadaat of Wardhapur, Saadaat of Kamalpur and Takhni, the Saadaat of Mandya and Hawpur, the Saadaat of Dev Gaon (Zikre Saadate Tanda). However, Ah-Basyar Najeeb-Und and most of the ancestral tribes of Isha Sahib Jah-wa-Jalal Budha-Und roots leading to the Siyadat (decendancy to the prophet) is most likely non-existent.

Additionally, the Saadaat of Bavi and Khursawan also form a reliable lineage: They join to and have marital ties with the Saadaat of Tanda who are from the progeny of Hadhrat Sayyed Tawkhta Tamthale Rasul Sallahu Alahi Wasallam as can be gleaned from the following: Sayyed Shah Zayd, Son of Sayyed Shah Ahmad Zahid, son of Sayyid Hamza, son of Sayyed Shah Abu Bakr, son of Sayyed Shah Umar, son of Sayyed Shah Muhammad, son of Hadhrat Makhdoom Sayyed Shah Ahmad Tawkhta Tamthale Rasul Sallahu Alahi Wasallam, son of Sayyed Ali, son of Sayyed Husain, son of Sayyed Muhammad Madni (this was the title of Sayyed Nasir Tirmidhi), son of Hussain , son of Sayyed Musa Humsa, son of Sayyed Ali, son of Sayyed Hussain Asgar, son of Hadhrat Imam Ali Zainul Abideen.

Sayyed Muhammad Madni (real name Sayyed Nasir Timidh) arrived and from his children Hadhrat Makhdoom Sayyed Ahmad Sawkhta Tamthale Rasul Sallahu Alahi Wasallam went to Lahore and passed away in 602 Hijri-1205/1206 CE where he is also buried. From amongst Sayed Muhammad Madni’s children; Sayyed Shah Zayd, son of Sayyed Shah Ahmad Zahid belongs to the ancestral Saadaat of Tanda etc. The grave of a saint, who was from Sayyed Shah Zayd’s progeny, named Sayyed Shah Abdul Wahab Quddus Sirruhu is located in a place called Shah Dahurah which is adjoining to Jaunpur.

The miracle about Sayyed Shah Abdul Wahab was that whenever a non-Muslim’s coffin was carried passed by his house, it would not burn during cremation. He was a Chisti saint and was the Khaleefa of Hadhrat Sultanut-Taifa Junaid Baghdadi Quddus sirruhu who was from the distant ancestors of Hadhrat Sayyed Ahmad Tawkhta Tamthale Rasul Sallalahu Alahi Wasallam. Hadhrat Baghdadi had given him a dua that within his progeny there would be many Awliya Ullah (Friends of Allah) and one Qutub (the highest station in the Sufi hierarchy of saints) will always remain in every generation.



(Note) Tawkhta is a Turkish word and it means to stand for a very long time. Sayyed Ahmad Tawkhta’s Spiritual Leader and Guide called him to his room and thereafter became busy with Dhikr and other practices. When Sayyed Ahmad tried to enter the room he found the door was locked from inside so he stood outside on the porch all night. In the morning when his Shaykh opened the door and saw him standing there he gave Sayyed Ahmad the title Tawhkhta.

Secondly, he is referred to as Tamthale Rasul because his contemporary, a Saint, actually asked the Prophet Sallahu Alahi Wasallam: ’If I wanted to see somebody from your descendants in this era that has your resemblance who would you say it was?’ The Prophet Sallalahu Alahi Wasallam replied, ‘Visit Sayyed Ahmad Tawkhta as he resembles me; looking at him will be as though you have looked at me. This is the reason why he is given the title ‘Tamthale Rasul’ Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam

Hadhrat Makhdoom Sayyed Noorul Haq Chisti Tandwi Quddus Sirruhul Azeez is from the progeny of Hadhrat Sayyed Ahmad Tawkhta Tamthale Rasul, from the progeny of Sayyed Muhammad Madni (appellation of Sayyed Nasir Tirmidhi), from the progeny of Hadhrat Sayyed Hussain Asghar, son of Hadhrat Ali Zaynul Abideen, son of the Martyr of Karbala; Hadhrat Imam Hussain Ali.

(Consensus formed upon amongst the Authors of the genealogy: Umdat-Talib, Munbi-ul-Ansaab

Kanzul Ansaab, Aymatul-Huda, Tareekhee Ainae Uodh)

In his works, Shah Wilayat Ahmad Sahib also writes:

‘Following much effort and research, the history of the genealogical family tree of Shaykhul Islam that could be ascertained, has been stated here. It is a shame that the chain that followed after Sayyed Shah Zayd, son of Sayyed Shah Ahmad Zaahid could not be found out. I have already mentioned earlier regarding the sisilae Tareeqat and how Hadhrat Makhdoom Sayyed Shah Noorul Haq Chisti Tandwi (Qudduss sirruhul Azeez) and Shah Noorul Haq, son of Shah Naseerul Haq Qalandar (Qudduss sirruhul Azeez) were both the Mureed and Khulafas of Hadhrat Shah Dawud Chisti Qalandar (Qudduss sirruhul Azeez). The latter of the two Saints passed away in 962 Hijri-1554/1555 and his grave is in Sarharpur. On the other hand, the year of death for Shah Dawud could not be located; yet his Shaykh and father-in-law Hadhrat Shah Qutubuddeen Beenadil Qalandar passed away in 925 Hijri-1519 CE. According to Akhbarul Akhyaar – in the section Adhkarul Abrar (pages 92-93) Hadhrat Shah Qutubuddeen’s distant ancestors link to my respected Murshidaan (Spiritual Guides) within the Chisti order (May Allah have mercy on them all) and he was known as a Saint of a very high calibre and excellence.’

Dreams related to our lineage

My father used to say about himself; ‘When I was a Headmaster at Safipur and Bangarmau and people would mention that I belonged to the Saadaat (descendants of Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam through his daughter Hadhrat Fatema RA) and that I was the progeny of a Saint, others would not believe it to be true



because Tanda (Oudh) was a place famous for Cloth Weavers. The majority of Tanda’s population were of this profession. This is why many people thought that our family also belonged to that group.

However, Moulana Fadhlul-Rahman Sahib Ganj Muraadabaadi Quddus sirruhu once stated in a full audience: 'Mudarris* is a Sayyed and from the progeny of a Saint. His distant ancestor was Shah Noorul Haq (RA) who was from amongst the very prominent Awliy-Ullah: He came to me in a dream at night and said, 'Look after my son Habeebullah, he is from the progeny of a prominent Saint.’ Thereafter, Moulana Fadhlul Rahman’s (Quddus Sirruh) kind attention was very heavily upon me. The people’s thoughts about my lineage also changed and the statement that he made became famous.

My father also related about himself, 'In my younger years I used to see a dream that Hadhrat Fatima Radhi Allahu Anha was sitting at the edge of a large lake under a tree working at a spinning wheel. In the dream I was a child and was standing on the edge of the opposite side of the lake. I then saw that I was swimming in the lake and going towards Hadhrat Fatimah Radhi Allahu Anha like a child would go to his mother. In my dream I thought she was my mother and I have reached her.’ Following his migration to Madina Munawwarah, my father Rahmat Ullah Alaih mentioned how he could not understand the meaning of the dream so I told him, ‘The meaning is clear; You were on the other side of the sea and now you have made hijrah (migration) and have come to Hadhrat Fatimah Radhi Allahu Anha and in respect of the genealogy, she is our mother.’

Once he also told me, 'I was searching for our genealogy and thereafter I saw a dream that I was standing next to Imam Hussain Radhi Allahu Anhu who was seated on a horse ready for Jihaad. He said to me,’ you are from my progeny.’ Although these dreams cannot be presented as categorical proof about our genealogy, however it surely does shed light upon it.

Our Ancestral family ties and status

Our ancestral family ties in this region are rooted in well-known and preserved Saadaat Families, as well as being rooted in generations of the Shuyookh that were considered as the most pre-eminent in terms of their lineage. Marriages in the family were not performed with families who fell short of this nobility. In line with tradition, the people of India would look in to the lineage of families and would not go ahead with a marriage if any short-fall was found within the lineage of the prospective bride or groom. (However, this is a completely wrong practice.) A genealogy is usually formed from forefathers and male relations and not from the female relations.

*This is what Moulana Fadhlul Rahman Quddus Sirruh used to call my late father



All the Saadaate Hussainiya are from the progeny of Zainul Abideen’s mother, namely Hadhrat Sheher Banu Radhi Allahu Anha who was from the progeny of the Shahs of Persia and was previously a captive. Likewise these forms of lineage can be found in many of the Ai’immae (leaders) Saadaat and amongst the Siddiqiyya and Farouqiyya Shuyookh. Similarly, Hadhrat Isma’eel Alayhis Salam, from whom all the lineages of Arabia take root, is the son of Hajrah Radhi Allahu anha and it is well known that she was a slave-woman.

There have also been many offspring born to slave-women in the lineage of nobles and saadaat of Hijaaz yet they continue to be haughty and arrogant about their own lineage. The Shahs of Turkey have continued to be excessive in their respect towards them as well. Similarly, this was a misguided practice amongst the Indian nobles, which in most probability, originated from the practices of their Hindu neighbours. In India it was common for Muslims migrants to established lineages through marriage with Indian women or by Milke-yameen (marrying a female slave).Therefore, how can the limitations and criteria set for marriage partners be deemed correct?

Amongst our ancestral family relations, there were roots with Saadaat and Shuyookh who were affiliated with Shia’ism and this plague spread throughout Uttar Pradesh and particularly concentrated in Oudh because of the Shi’ite authority in Oudh. If a few Awliya-ullah did not exist within our family at the time, then most likely our family would have been unprotected from this curse. Nevertheless, there was no clear escape for us: our late Nana Hasan Ali Shah (who was the trustee and had power over the family estates), started a new tradition amongst our families. He built an imambarah, held a mehendi (henna) ceremony on the night of the sixth of Muharram and led a procession through the whole city with great pomposity, lights and the playing of bajas (musical instruments).

The effects of some of these innovations remained; until our childhood days, we witnessed the housing of a ta’ziyah (a commemorative model of the tomb of Imam Hussain) within all our family households. All praise is to Allah T’aala as this affliction was gradually lifted from our family and whilst the curse of the Mehndi ceremony still remains, most relationships with the Shi’ites have ended and remain only in a small minority.

Pride and arrogance with regard to lineage is a vile illness that Islam has endeavoured to eliminate. It is only one’s effortful deeds that will hold importance in the court of Allah. Noble Lineage without Amale saleh (virtuous deeds), Akhlaqe Kaamilah (perfect character) and Aqaaide sadiqa (true beliefs) hold no worth. The prominent lineage of Abu Lahb, Abu Jahl, Ummaya (Bin Khalaf) and Waleed (Bin Mughyrah) prevented them from attaining even a millionth share of the status and prominence that Hadhrat Bilal (Habshi), Hadhrat Salman (Farsi) and Hadhrat Suhayb (ar-Rumi) Radhi Allahu Anhum achieved during Islam’s establishment. The arrogance of the Quraishi leaders led them to become the fuel for the hell fire. Despite his distant lineage, Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhi Allahu Anhu became the first Caliph, received the title Siddique Akbar and was buried alongside Hadhrat Khatumun Nabiyyeen Alaihis Salatu Wassalam because of his sincerity and true sacrifices. Even though Hadhrat Abbas and Hadhrat Ali Radhi Allahu Anhum are of closer lineage to the Prophet Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam they did not receive this



honour that Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhi Allahu Anha received. ‘This is the bounty of Allah that He bestows upon whom He wishes’. It is very sad that the Muslims of India, until today, hold onto this false arrogance and wrong vanity in relation to their lineage which should be completely removed from hearts and minds.

The destructive nature of arrogance about one’s lineage

Hadhrat Qutubul Aarifeen Sayyed Ahmad Sahib Shaheed Rahmat Ullaha Alahi states

in ‘Siraatul Mustaqeem:

(Persian text to be added….)

Hadhrat Sayyed Sahib Shaheed Rahmat Ullaha Alahi was from amongst the Saadaat

and the progeny of a very prominent saint. He had ties with the well-known and

distinguished families amongst the prominent people of Takia, Rae Bareli. Many

great Awlia-Ullah have passed in his ancestral chain. Regardless of his own

lineage, his words (Persian text above) effectively express the negativity of pride

about one’s lineage. It is extremely important that this baseless pride is removed

from the mind and instead effort is made to improve and rectify one’s deeds,

character and beliefs; as this is the only way one can achieve perfection and the

closeness of Allah and its innumerable blessings. Not only will this lead to

salvation, it will be a source of respect and honour both in the world and in

religion for the whole family and Allah T’aala will adorn them with His pleasure

and His happiness.

Those that have pride about their lineage are both crippled and have become idle

in their deeds and therefore their character and beliefs have become ruined. The

ghost of ignorance and imperfection and the devil of wordly-worship and self-

worship has got a hold over them. They have become so intoxicated with

nonsensical and baseless visions that they look down at all the Muslims, including

the people of knowledge and the God Fearing (Ahlul Ilm wat-taqwa). Furthermore,

they confront others with impolite words and offensive practices; with utter

boldness, they continue to practically disgrace and humiliate those people who are

less noble or of a lower class in terms of their lineage, disregarding them even if

they are God Fearing individuals, Scholars and have qualities of forbearance.

This practice is completely against Islamic teachings and the practices of previous

predecessors (Aslaaf). Ahadeeth have strongly discouraged that a Muslim looks

disdainfully at another Muslim. Instead Islam actively orders that other Muslims are

shown respect and compassion and the Ahle Tasawwuf are very conscious about

this matter.



Respect for others and the Ahle Tasawwuf

Hadhrat Sayyed Saahib Shaheed states in Siratul Mustaqeem:

Persian text

Hadhrat Sayyed Saahib Shaheed’s statement addresses those who have climbed the

different levels of Sulook and attained the level of perfection in Tasawwuf and

Roohaniyat (spirituality) or have reached a high level in llmi kamalat (Perfection

in Knowledge). These individuals, having attained perfection, need to ensure that

they do not fall short in respecting and revering all Muslims and show courtesy to

them according to their different statuses and positions because:

1. If a Muslim said the word Allah with his tongue without any defect even

once or twice, it will give the reciter status and respect as this word holds a

very high status, and that the reward for saying it is immeasurable and

unparalleled.

2. Regardless of the superior status a man achieves, he was once; a nutfa

(sperm), then an alaqa (clot of blood), then a mudagha (piece of flesh),

then a lifeless human form and then a living body. At first, he did not

understand anything and was unable to walk or talk, fulfil his own needs and

was helpless in gaining his own honour and respect. All humans are the same

in this matter. Every human should reflect upon his origin and initial phases

of development and ponder whether he can have pride and haughtiness and

whether he can look at anyone with disdain.

3. A person should think about his final outcome: Spiritually, one’s khaatima

(end) is a very important matter and it is the basis for one’s whole life,

deeds, character, respect and honour etc. If ones khaatima is good then his

life will be considered respectful and honourable and his deeds profitable. If

Allah forbid, ones khaatima was bad then all his deeds have been in vain

and let alone his noble lineage, his nobility as a human is also turned to

dust. Upon entering asfalus safileen (The lowest of the low), they will have

fallen in lower status than the most disliked animals such as dogs and pigs

and will become the fuel for the Hellfire.

No one knows about how someone’s Khaatima is going to be. Let it not be,

May Allah forbid, that there is a bad khaatima for a man of noble lineage

who was arrogant and ignorant and that he is even more degraded than an

animal. On the other hand, by Allah’s Mercy, the person that he used to

once call degraded and debased has a good end and becomes from Allah

Ta’aala’s close ones and amongst those who have been granted salvation.

In terms of the human body itself, there is no honour left when death is

near and all the functions of the senses, mind and strength lose capability.



Furthermore, everyone knows the condition of a person when the ruh (soul)

has been extracted, whether the body was of a King or one who was

debased, poor, strong or weak; He becomes inorganic matter; that bloats,

bursts, rots, causes the infestation of eels, creates a strong pungent smell,

gorges with pus and blood, disintegrates into the earth and becomes part of

it. Noble lineage does not make a difference at this time and neither does

wealth, riches, authority or strength.

4. Allah’s absolute and limitless mercy and blessings are so abundant that it

would not be surprising if in a single moment he was to turn a particle into a

mountain or a drop of water into an ocean. Likewise, it is not difficult for

Him to turn a common person into a Qutub ul-Aqtaab, an ignorant man into

a Scholar or a madman into Plato (Greek philosopher). If an ignorant

herdsman started proclaiming, ‘I spent the night as a Kurdiya and in the

morning I awoke as as an Arab scholar’ then is it not possible that an eighty

year old fire worshipper and idol worshipper is blessed with imaan and is

made the Qutub uz-zaman and the Gawth e-Dawrah. To give someone

capacity that has no capacity and someone status who has no status, is the

play of His Left Hand.(Urdu phrase i.e. very easy for Him)

Persian verse to be added

The conclusion is that pride in lineage that is found in Muslims everywhere

and particularly in India and specifically amongst the Saadaat, the children

of prominent saints and Shuyookh is a false pride and is the cause of much

corruption and ruination. Despite Islam’s relentless efforts to remove its

roots, unfortunately its full removal did not occur. Instead when these

people came to India, they began to emulate their fellow countrymen and

the problem grew worse.

In reality, the perfection of knowledge and deeds lies in good character and

in attaining Allah T’aala’s pleasure. It is the reason why the respected

Aslaaf (May Allah have mercy upon them) received prominence and honour

over their contemporaries and their own progeny. Nevertheless, if their

children or grandchildren followed in the footsteps of the Aslaaf and were

to attain similar deeds and character then they too would be eligible to be

called Khalfe Sadq (Truthful progeny) and Sapoot (dutiful sons). Otherwise,

they will be similar to Prophet Nuh Alayhis Salam’s disobedient son and will

be counted amongst the disobedient sons. These disobedient and ill-

mannered people should always be fearful lest the lineage of the respected

Aslaaf and its nobility is cut off like what happened to the son of Nuh

Alayhis Salam’s and it is proclaimed; ‘Surely he is not of your family; verily

his work is unrighteous’, and they are made to taste the ‘great punishment’

as part of the deprivation from the blessings of the respected Aslaaf.



Instead, these people have become absorbed in pride and arrogance, and to

a greater extent in humiliating, debasing and disgracing others. These forms

of impolite actions cause distress to minds and heart rending blows to the

poorer Muslims, Muslim labourers and reverted families. Additionally, it

creates a negative impact on propagating Islam and it’s all embracing

nature and crumbles Islamic principles and its high status. They become a

veil over Rasullullah Sallahu Alaihi Wasalam’s guidance and leadership and

are obstacles in the growth of the Ummat which has been severely warned

against within Islamic Teachings.( We seek refuge with Allah)

The above mentioned reasons are the very reasons why I feel fearful and

ashamed; that I can call myself or refer to myself in writing as a Sayyed or

the son of a prominent Saint and express pride in my lineage, when I only

have my existing impoverished deeds and character. However, there

remains no doubt that the bounties of Allah upon all humans-without

anyone’s choosing, are also significant blessings. For example; the birth of a

human and all the correctly formed and healthy bodily parts, beauty and

bodily proportion, acumen and memory etc. are from those blessings of

Allah in which a human has no say. A person should remain forever grateful

to Allah T’aala and should ‘proclaim’ the blessings bestowed upon him,

contemplate and make Allah T’aala happy through the expression of

gratitude. In the same way, nobility of lineage is a blessing and gift from

Allah, without anyone’s choosing. Thus it is important to show thankfulness

for it and in accordance with Quranic Ayah ‘But the bounty of the Lord -

rehearse and proclaim’, it is essential that a proclamation is made.

Therefore the following extract has been included in this book:

Hadhrat Shaheed Rahmat Ullaha Alahi writes in Siraatul Mustaqeem:

Persian text

In conclusion, the progeny of the Ahlul Kamal (people of perfection) possess

many qualities. If those qualities and capabilities are utilised by them, there

is an opportunity for them to make a considerable attainment and very

quickly make achievements. In contrast, if there is a failure in putting these

qualities and capabilities to use, then consequently the bad deeds and the

lack of knowledge of the progeny of the Arbabe Kamal (men of perfection)

will lead them to becoming deprived of Kamal and at times, human respect

itself. They will have become like a paralysed pair of hands or feet that

have lost the capacity to support a person in walking or disabled them from

using their hands to hold anything. Another example of them is that of a

rusting iron sword that begins to deteriorate and become useless. It was the



compulsory duty upon the honourable families to put a lot effort into

acquiring knowledge and practicing good deeds so that their own qualities

did not begin to rust and become completely ruined.

In accordance with the undoubted promise; ‘And those who believe and

whose offspring follow them in faith’ may they also journey on the same

route and live a similar existence (of their elders) and may Allah grant

them the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of their Aslaaf and allow it

to become a means of reaching the eminent status of the Aslaaf, regardless

of their limited deeds.’

Wallahi Wa-littawfeeq



Chapter 3: Family Livelihood

Leading up to the 1857 Revolution my family was in charge of thirteen to fourteen villages. Other families also resided in these villages in peace and comfort. The Delhi Authority distributed seventy two villages amongst three families; our family in Al-Haddadpur were gifted land-ownership of twenty four villages. The loss of family documents made it difficult to ascertain the era in which these villages were gifted or why they were gifted. However, my father has mentioned that a document that was seen in the possession of the Delhi Ruler, suggested that the village land was gifted to them so that the village land could be a provision for khanqahs. (Allah knows Best) During 1857, no trace of the Khanqahs remained, maintenance costs of the villages were ongoing and eleven villages had already left the family ownership because of unrecorded occurrences. It was during the British rule that the value of property and land had risen considerably to unprecedented levels. It had become increasingly easy for Muslims, especially for the richer Muslims; to sell off their property for basic needs, to mortgage their lands or gift it to others. Many villages were given away as gifts in exchange for basic services. Consequently, only thirteen villages remained in our family ownership; Al-Haddadpur, Jarawanpur, Chandpur, Gawbhardinpur, Mehripur, Fareedpur, Rasulpur, Beheknapur and so forth. Furthermore, during the time period, the administration of the villages was under my real maternal grandfather Akbar Ali Sahib (Marhoom). In the latter days of 1857, he was returning, by boat across the River Ghagra, from some villages in the district areas having already sent ahead his associates in an earlier boat. A strong storm capsized his boat midstream, forcing him to jump overboard with only his sword in hand and swim to safety. The strong water current caused his drowning and all efforts made to save him were unsuccessful. His body was also never recovered. The Raja of Beti had deep enmity and hatred towards my grandfather and used this occurrence as an opportunity to surround his property and take possession of it. He threatened that he would kill the son of Akbar Ali Sahib. My grandfather had three sons named; Tasadduq Hussain, Tafaddhul Husain and Abdul Gafoor and one daughter (who was my respected mother). The womenfolk took the decision to leave the property in the night dressed as servants and travelled to the nearby village in the city of Tanda. The women of the household realised that these enemies were intent on killing the children who were still of tender age and there remained insufficient security; as no authoritative figure was present in the neighbourhood, powerful enough to confront the Raja and his soldiers in the circumstances. The women of the household had long established relations in Tanda and the Raja of Beti was incapable of carrying out an attack there. The Raja realised the property was empty, so he looted and transported all its possessions and goods for a whole month. He assumed power over the villages that were in my grandfather’s possession. Al-Haddadpur and Jarawanpur were the only two villages that had remained safe from his aggression, and these were distributed amongst different inheritors within our family. When my maternal



uncles grew up, they put forward a claim at the civil court for the villages that were taken from them. However, their limited funds and the excessive fees of the civil court were no match against the rich Landowner Raja Beti. In order to raise the fees for the court case, they had also pledged their existing land as mortgage, hoping that they would win their case and regain their assets. Instead, they lost everything and there was no escape from the interest-based loan; and it resulted in poverty and a life of continued hardship. My paternal grandfather was the inheritor of two annas and eight (land measurement) within the two afore mentioned villages. At the time, when my Father left Bangarmau and came to Tanda, this inheritance was also taken by the bank as part of the mortgage repayment. What only remained was one seer (measurement) of land, which my Father’s eldest brother used for cultivation



Chapter 4: My Father’s Birth and Upbringing

My father was born four or five years prior to 1857 in Al-Haddadpur; I make this

judgement because he was able to recollect the 1857 period and memories of a

more affluent lifestyle, for example; earthenware pots used to be filled with

Ladoo (sweatmeats). My Paternal grandfather was called Peer Ali and he had two

brothers called Nawazish Ali and Teeg Ali.

From amongst the three brothers, only Peer Ali (my grandfather) had children. His

middle brother Teeg Ali and his wife were very passionate about having children;

when my grandfather Peer Ali was blessed with his middle child named Najeeb-

Ullah, Teeg Ali and his wife ( May Allah be pleased with them) took him into their

care and regarded him as their own(adopted-mutanabah) son. Sadly, it was Allah’s

will that Najeebullah passed away in childhood which deeply affected everyone.

Thereafter, when my father was born, my grandfather persuaded his brother Teeg

Ali to take him in to his care which he declined. However, following much

persuasion Teeg Ali and his wife took my father into their care (as a adopted-

mutanabah son) and looked after him with much love and tenderness. It was to be

Allah’s Will that all three brothers (my grandfather and his two brothers) passed

away by the end of 1857. There was no male provider left in the household; only

women and children remained. The land and wealth were snatched away from

them. Poverty and affliction had enveloped them all. My paternal grandmother

took care of my father in these difficult impoverished times. I have memories of

my paternal grandmother from my own childhood; she used to say, ‘I have brought

Habeeb-Ullah up by spinning cotton.’

My father was highly intelligent and possessed an excellent memory by the mercy

and blessings of Allah. He was both mature and perceptive; he attended

educational institutes in Tanda during his orphaned and poverty stricken state. He

passed his Quran, Persian and Urdu schooling in Middle Class. In his youth, he

became a teacher with a monthly wage of eight Rupees at a school near Tanda in

Iltifatganj. This employment created ease in their living conditions. At that time if

there had been another provider in the household he would have advanced much

further in his education. Whilst in Iltifatganj, the thought crossed his mind about

promotion. In those days it was difficult to progress in one’s employment or climb

the salary scale without passing Normal School, therefore he moved to Lucknow.

The only Normal School in the province was in Lucknow. He succeeded very quickly

in Lucknow because of his intelligence and upon completing he was given the

position of Headmaster at Safipur in the Unao District. Thereafter, he transferred

to Bangarmau where he remained continuously for many years.

He had been unable to gain knowledge of the Arabic sciences because of poverty

and concern about providing for the family. Although people called him a Molvi, he

was illiterate in the Arabic sciences. He only knew Urdu, Persian and Hindi and

spent his time teaching; it was usual to refer to teachers as Molvis in those days.



After having passed Normal School, he started to learn English following much

persuasion from his close associates. A week later, after starting his English

studies, he saw a dream in which both of his hands were soiled in excreta which

resulted in his dislike for the English language. His continued effort in career

proved successful.

Chapter 5: My Father’s Marriage

When my father was 18 years of age and in employment at Iltifatganj, Teeg Ali’s

wife (my father’s adoptive mother) strongly expressed that he should get married.

As I have mentioned earlier, my maternal grandfather Akbar Ali Sahib (May Allah

have mercy on him) was the administrator and manager of all the land owned by

the family. He died by drowning in River Ghagra in 1857 and had left behind three

young sons and one daughter (my respected mother). My mother was six months

old at the time of her father’s death. The income from their remaining land was

minimal and neither was there another earning adult in the family. Therefore,

raising these orphaned children took place in poverty stricken conditions. My

maternal grandmother was well educated and good at managing the household

affairs. She taught the children Urdu and Persian etc. according to the standard of

the time. My paternal grandmother made a specific effort to ensure my father was

married within the family and succeeded in doing so; when my mother was

fourteen years old she was married to my father and my eldest brother was born in

1288 Hijri.

My maternal grandmother was from the saadaat family from Nandroli situated in

Bikapur in the Faizabaad District. Her maternal Uncle was a Kaamil Walliyullah

and Sahibe Ilm and he had undertaken the upbringing of my maternal

grandmother. Apart from being able to write Hindi and Urdu, she was competent in

shariat wa tareeqat, and had mastery in kashfe quboor etc. She put an utmost

level of effort and self-sacrifice into riyazate shaqah and dhikr wa adhkar . She

had also taught my mother how to speak and write Hindi, as well as teaching her

literature in Hindi such as Padmavat and Hans Jawahir. She instigated within her a

passion for Tasawwuf which deepened after she took bay’at with Hadrat Molana

Fadhlul-Rahman Gunj-Muradabadi. Although she had many children, my mother

used to regularly wake-up in the night and perform tahajjud prayers and engage in

dhikr and munajaat until morning. It was her practice until the latter part of her

life to recite Surah Ikhlas two hundred times daily and gift it to the beloved

Prophet Sallahu alayhi wasallam. Throughout her lifetime, she worked diligently at

her housekeeping as well.

When My mother moved to Madinah Munawwarah, she had to grind flour with her

own hands owing to the poverty that befell them: it was something she never had

to undertake whilst living in India. Even at this old age she used to grind flour daily

with one of her three daughter- in-laws. She showed wisdom in her love for the

children and never complained about having to separate them for their educational



development. She took great concern in the education and upbringing of the

children. From a young age, she displayed a passion for deen and she took care

that stories and parables contained elements of spiritual and moral development

for the children.

Her genealogy is as follows: Binte Akbar Ali bin Makhdoom bin Toorab Ali bin Shah

Madan (May Allah be pleased with them). Shah Madan had three sons; Toorab Ali,

Hidayatullah and Noor Ashraf. My father was from the children of Noor Ashraf and

my mother was from the children of Toorab Ali and had three brothers called

Tasdeeq Hussain, Tafaddhul Hussain and Abdul Gafoor (who had no children). Shah

Madan’s third son also had no children. My mother passed away in 1322 Hijri and

was buried in Jannatul Baqee. Thereafter my father married several times but did

not attain the contentment that he hoped to achieve by remarriage. My mother

was very fortunate; from the moment she married many blessings were witnessed

in the wealth and number of children in our family. Although she encountered the

death of some of her children during infancy, she never had to face the death of

any children during their youth.

My father, intentionally, transferred his employment from Bangarmau (to Tanda)

on a lower wage scale, as their remaining landownership was at risk. My paternal

uncle was unable to release it from the existing mortgage and he was not safe

from the violence and aggression of the affected shared owners. My father reached

Tanda and took a loan out on cottonseed oil and had the mortgaged land released.

Within six to seven years they were able to repay the new loan because of the

income of the land, and thereafter, the land was mutually divided between them.

My paternal uncle and his children were able to live with ease, my father was also

able to gain benefit from the landownership and they were both able to conduct

their children’s marriages etc. without incurring any loans.

Chapter 6: My Father’s Children

My Father had five sons and three daughters:

Moulana Mohammad Siddique (marhoom), the eldest son, was born in Al-

Haddadpur in 1288 Hijri-1813 CE and passed away in 1331 Hijri-1912/13 CE. He was

buried in Jannatul Baqee. Moulana Mohammed Siddique had many sons and

daughters through many marriages. However, only one son, Molvi Waheed Ahmad

(marhoom) survived him. Molvi Waheed passed away in Tanda, Al-Haddadpur; he

had three sons and two daughters, by Allah’s Grace, they are still alive today;

their names are Fareed Ahmad, Rasheed Ahmad, Saeed Ahmad, Safiyyah (well

known as Nayyirah) and Radhiyyah (May Allah grant them peace).



Saeed Ahmad Sahib (marhoom) was born in 1293 Hijri- 1876/77 CE in Bangarmau

and most probably passed away in Madinah Munawwarah in Shawwal 1359 Hijri-

1940/41. He was buried in Jannatul Baqee. He had married many times and

fathered many sons and daughters, but only one daughter survived him. He

founded a Madrasah e Shar’iyyah called Madarasa-tul Uloom ash-Shar’iyyah li-

Yatamaa al-Madinah an-Nabawiyyah. Following the War, The government founded

many Madaris (schools) focussing on modern sciences, with limited provision of the

Islamic sciences. During the Turkish Rule, even the limited provision of Islamic

Sciences came to an end; the children of Madinah Munawwarah were left without

direction and were becoming estranged to the knowledge of Islamic Sciences.

Realising this concern, Saeed Ahmad Sahib established the Madrasah and some

committed and good-willed people from India offered help and support; this is why

many benefits were reaped from this Madrasah.

The two elder brothers (may Allah have mercy on them both) were graduates from

Darul Uloom Deoband. Prior to attending Darul Uloom, they passed their studies at

the Urdu Middle School with exemplary results and completed their Quran and

Persian studies with our parents. My eldest brother, Moulana Mohammad Siddique

received Khilafat and Ijazah from Moulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi (Quddus

sirruhul Azeez), yet my second eldest brother stayed at his Khanqah for many

years, was honoured with the opportunity of khidmat and the practice of dhikr and

ashgal, but did not receive the honour of ijazah from him. Thereafter, Hadhrat

Shaykhul Hind and Moulana Khaleel Ahmad (May Allah have mercy on them both)

granted him ijazah. Both of my brothers taught the Islamic Sciences in Madinah

Munawwarah.

Jameel Ahmad (Marhoom), was born Al-Haddadpur in Dhil Qa’dah, 1302 Hijri –

1885 CE. He was studying the middle level of Arabic studies at the time my father

decided to migrate. He was enrolled at the Turkish Madrasah Rushdiyya in Madinah

Munawwarah. Owing to his deep intelligence and his previously developed

competence in his Arabic studies; within a small period of time he made

considerable progression and achieved first position at each level. He was given a

medal for achievement in the highest category and received special attention from

his teachers. When he graduated from all the stages of Madarasah Rushdiyya, the

Turkish authorities sent him to Istanbul along with all the other graduates. From

amongst the graduates he was the only one that had achieved at the highest

category. The Governor of Madinah was Uthman Pasha and the Sultan of the era

was Abdul Hameed Khan; Uthmaan Pashaa arranged a celebratory parade for their

departure from Madinah to Istanbul and communicated their arrival via a telegram

to the royal court. As the graduates were from the city of Madinah, Sultaan Abdul

Hameed Khan (May Allah have mercy on him) ordered that they receive a special

welcome when they reached Istanbul; much pomp and parade awaited them and

were given special treatment when they were enrolled into Madrasah Edaadiyah.



Within his first year of study there, my brother managed to achieve first position

from amongst 150 students approximately. In effect, he gained the special

attention of his teachers and the authorities. However, it was destined that he

would become ill with tuberculosis. He remained ill for many months and

underwent many different treatments but they were to no avail. Consequently, he

returned to Madinah Munawwarah, only to remain alive for some days; he passed

way in his youth and was buried in Jannatul Baqee. It was only natural that my

father severely mourned the death of his son.

Mahmood Ahmad was born in Shawwal 1308 Hijri-1891 CE, in Al-Haddadpur. At the

time of migration he was eight years old and was studying basic Urdu. He was also

enrolled in a Turkish Madrasah. Following the completion of all the levels, my

brother and all the other graduating students at the highest level were admitted to

different institutes as apprentices. Mahmood Ahmad was admitted into the

Department of Justice, where he very quickly made progress and within a very

short period of time he was given a paid role as an employee within the legal

writing department. Following the War, during the authority of Shareef Hussayn he

was made he was Chief Scribe/Head Clerk and during the rule of Saudi he became

a judge/magistrate in Jeddah. He lived in Jeddah for many years, yet was

unsettled there, so he requested a transfer to Madinah Munawwarah. His request

was declined, so he resigned and returned to Madinah Munawwarah and took up

trade: which he had simultaneously begun whilst working as an employee in the

Department of Justice. He imported water irrigation machinery from Germany

which he sold to orchard/plantation owners and he also opened a workshop for

repairs and equipment which were profitable for him. The authorities of Madinah

continued to include his presence in important courts /departments because they

were highly assured by his capabilities and capacities; and no form of complaint

was ever received from the public. He has since been retained as a member in

both a paid and unpaid capacity. Alhumdulillah he is successfully spending his

time. He has one son called Habeebullah who is in his youth and a few daughters.

Habeebullah is presently the supervisor and Principal of Madrasah Shar’iyyah.

My Father had three daughters; one daughter was called Zaynab who was born in

Al-Haddadpur in 1299 Hijri – 1881/82 CE and passed away when she was three to

four years old. The second daughter was called Naseem Zahra who was born in

1311 Hijri- 1893/4 CE and she passed away at the tender age of one to one and a

half years old. The third daughter, Riyadh Fatemah was born in 1305 or 1306 Hijri -

1887 -1889 CE and passed away in 1330 Hijri – 1911/12 CE leaving behind a

daughter; who also passed away a few days after her mother. Both mother and

daughter were buried in Jannatul Baqee.

During my father’s (marhoom) lifetime, thirty three to thirty five members of our

family (May Allah have mercy on them) passed away in the city of Madinah

Munawwarah and were buried there.



Chapter 7: My Father’s property in India

During my father’s stay in Bangarmau, he decided to invest most of his wages into

laying a foundation of a separate house (in Tanda) because he had many children

and his elder brother also had many children; in addition, relatives also owned a

share in our ancestral home. Thus, my father lived his life in very strained

conditions; to the extent that he survived for months in extreme difficulty.

Alhumdulillah, he was able to build a large and comfortable house, even though it

was only made of unbaked bricks and tiles. When my father actually moved to

Tanda he made a further extension to the house.

Chapter 8: My Father’s Migration to Madeenah

My father’s effective management skills, when residing in Tanda, allowed our land to be

released from its mortgage and to be then divided amongst the shared owners. There was

a profitable income from our share of land. It also meant that different family

celebrations such as the aqeeqas, circumcisions and weddings were catered for without

the need to borrow money. The basic salary and the ownership of a small amount of land

enabled him to meet the daily expenses, educational fees and celebrations of our large

family. My father’s management skills also meant that we sufficed without the need to

seek external financial aid. In any case, in his role as a school headmaster, the

opportunity did not arise to seek external aid; and secondly my father was very religious

and was completely opposed to prohibited forms of income outlined by shari’at. Under

closer observation; his circumstances were nothing short of being miraculous. The

continued savings from his income made it viable to finance and host large family

celebrations.

The Nikah of my eldest brother and also that of my second brother took place in 1305 Hijri

(188/1888 C.E) - The baraat (wedding procession) of the eldest brother travelled the

distance of six kaws (a measure of distance variously from 1.25 to 3 miles) to the village of

Shehzadpur and my second brother was married into the family of my maternal uncle

Tafaddhul Hussayn Sahib Marhoom. A large amount of money was spent on jewellery,

clothing, the guests and the waleemah etc. The cost was covered by the money that had

been saved over time. Thereafter, in 1312 Hijri (1894/1895 C.E.), my marriage took place

in Katalpur (which situated in Atraulia in the Azamgarh District) and many expenses had to

be borne. Although the conditions of the time seem basic by the standards of income we

have today; it was considered a comfortable and a blissful lifestyle compared to the

conditions my parents (marhoom) had faced in their early childhood and in their youth.

My eldest brother (marhoom) began his employment in teaching in Sahawar and

Bulandshahr and my second brother, Saeed Ahmad’s (marhoom) expenditure was covered



by Darul-Uloom Deoband, yet he sent one rupee to my father to help him cover his

additional expenses on a monthly basis. Sometimes we found ourselves in a situation of

debt largely because of our own foolishness and we were severely reproached for it.

Furthermore, we had to cover the cost of travel for our annual holidays from Deoband to

our home and this is the reason why we went home only after a two year period had

passed.

At the time, my father’s future vision was to develop plantations for all the children and

extend our house, but it was fated that in on the 22nd of Rabiul Awwal; 1313 Hijri (August/

September 1895 C.E.), my parents’ peer and murshid; Hadhrat Moulana Fadhlur Rahman

Ganj Muradabadi (Quddus Sirruhul Azeez) passed away at the age 105 years. It is true that

every Mureed will have formed a connection and developed love to some degree for his

murshid, however my parents, and in particular, my father had an extremely deep love for

his murshid. My father had remained in his khidmat for a very long time and was blessed

with dhikr-wa-shugal, istifada-e-batini (spiritual benefits) and the completion of the

manazile-sulook. Moulana’s (marhoom) special favour and attention had always remained

on him. For a long while he remained grief-stricken; he wrote very many Qasa’id (poems)

expressing his separation from his murshid and many of them were written in powerful

words in the language of bahakha (referred to in Hindi as birog: separation or separated

lover). During the prevailing period, my brother Sayyed Ahmad wrote a letter to my father

stating: ’Miah, (that is what we used to call our father) India has no longer become a

place for living and we should move to Madinah Munawwarah. The concern of developing

the plantations is a waste.’

My brother’s words greatly affected my father like a burning match in liquid spirit: His

reading of the letter, enflamed the fire of love for the beloved Prophet Sallahu Alayhi

Wasallam. Thereafter he constantly remained in deep thought and developed the idea

that he should migrate to Madinah with the whole family. He started thinking about

strategies of how it could be achieved; it was not a simple task for a family of eleven or

twelve to relocate to Madinah. People explained to my father that he should go himself

and perform Hajj and Ziyyarah, yet he was persistent in his viewpoint. The in-laws of his

sons placed a lot of pressure on him and then he replied,’ you may take with you the

divorce of your daughters if you want as I will be taking my sons with me’. He told his

daughter-in-laws; ‘Whoever amongst you chooses not to relocate should request a divorce

from her husbands, yet all of you should know and should be reminded how it is

considered a detested practice in the Indian tradition and within our society.’

I expressed to my father that I had still to complete some books on Adab (Arabic

literature) and Hay’at (Astronomy) and that he should commence his migration and that I

would join him after one or two years. He replied, ‘You may complete them in Madeenah

Munawwarah’. My wife was brought up by her maternal uncle, Shaykh Kifayatullah

Marhoom Katalpuri because her father had passed away much earlier on. Shaykh

Kifayatullah was her guardian at the time of marriage and had worked for the Government

in Balrampur. He was residing in Lucknow at the time and was working for the Lucknow

Government. He tried to prevent me from leaving and he spoke to my father himself and

said, ‘I am present in Lucknow , I will keep Husayn Ahmad here with me and I will send

him to Hakeem Abdul Azeez Sahib (marhoom) to study medicine. Leave him here.’ My

father replied, ‘Should I mount Husayn Ahmad on a donkey after having mounted him on a



horse? He has been given an education in Uloome Deeniyah and what education can there

be more worthy than that?’

Friends, relatives and others tried to explain matters to him but in the words of the poet;

Upon the one who is sick with love, May Allah’s mercy be,

The sickness only grew worse with every attempted medicine.

His passion and love was further heightened nearing the time of his migration to Hijaz. It

was known that there were many difficulties meted out by the Government at the time

(which will be discussed later).Someone mentioned the difficulties sustained because of

the quarantines placed in Allahabad and advised him not to make intention to go that

year. He replied, ‘If it was said unto me that you will be mounted at the mouth of the

cannon and it will be blasted so that you will reach Madinah Munawwarah. I’m ready for

that as well’. In our household, apart from my brother Saeed Ahmad Sahib (marhoom), no

one was of the same thinking as my father on this matter. My eldest brother observed my

father’s strong will and complained to Hadhrat Gangohi (Quddus Sirruhu); he replied, ’It is

not a problem, you take leave as well.’ My brother then added ’Hadhrat, I have not yet

completed my spiritual education and I want to pursue it.’ Hadhrat replied, ‘Go for now

and then later on take leave from them and return here.’

Consequently, my father’s passion and yearning kept growing and he started thinking of

ways to sell the land he had owned so he could leave. This process took a long-time and it

was only after much effort, a rich man from Tanda called Rajah Ali Hussayn purchased all

the owned plantations in Al-Haddadpur and Jarawanpur at the price of approximately

three thousand rupees. He also wanted to sell our homeland but he could not find anyone

who was ready to pay even half or a third of its price and thus it was not sold. We finally

left India during the end days of Shabaan 1316 Hijri (1898/1899 C.E.).



Chapter 9: My Father’s life; A Brief Insight

As I have already mentioned, my father was blessed with the endless bounties of the

Almighty. His heart and mind were of an incomparable nature. If conditions had been

more favourable, his astuteness would have allowed him to become an exemplary scholar

of deep learning and research and achieve a prominent status in Ilm e maarifat and

tasawwuf. Equally, if he had been able to gain secular knowledge, he would have acquired

a senior position because of his intellectual capacity. Despite all the challenges and

difficulties he faced, as well as the poverty stricken conditions since his childhood, he

made remarkable progress. Not only did he manage to overcome these difficulties, he

persevered in the development of his dhikr, fikr and muraqabah by remaining in the close

company of Moulana Fadhlur-Rahman Ganj Muraadabadi quddus sirruhul Azeez and

attained a high spiritual status and used to experience strong kashf frequently. Many of his

Mukashifaat (pl. of Kashf) were proved to be correct. One of these occurrences took place

in Madeenah; He once stated, ‘From amongst you, one of you will have to go to India.’ I

wasn’t aware that I, a madman, would be drawn from the lots (to make this journey).

He disliked the world and people attached to the World. He had not received khilafat and

Ijazah from Moulana Fadhlur-Rahman Ganj Muraadabadi during his lifetime. However,

after Hadhrat Molana rahmatullah alayhi’s death, my father saw him in a dream in which

he said; ‘I grant you ijazah of bayt’. This is the reason why he accepted the bayt of two

people in Tanda and the very reason why he did not allow his children to pursue English

studies and encouraged them to attain Deeni knowledge. This was despite the fact that

they had displayed the capacity to achieve an eminent status in worldly knowledge; both

my eldest brother marhoom and Bhai Saeed Ahmad marhoom had achieved the first

position in their Middle School Class Examinations held throughout the province of Oudh.

His over-riding concern remained that his children receive an exemplary status in uloome

arabiyyah.

Once, he gathered us all when we had reached adulthood and expressed, ‘I have brought

you up so that you strive in Allah’s path and your actions lead you to martyrdom.’ It was

because of his desire and encouragement that we all had become passionate about

tareeqat and received the honour of sweeping the dust in Hadhrat Gangohi Quddus

sirruhul Azeez’s court. We benefited from staying in Hadhrat’s company and received

tawassul during our residence in India solely because of his kind attention. Thereafter,

following our migration to Madeena Munawwarah and despite many hardships encountered

there, he made us journey to (the same) pearl of all courts. He decided to write a letter

to Hadhrat Gangohi rahmatullah ilayhi after Bhai Saeed Ahmad had spent quite some

years in Gangoh Shareef and expressed;

‘If Saeed Ahmad has reached a capable level then grant him ijazah and

send him back to me as I have need of him. However, if he has not yet

become qabil then it is better that he stays with you, making strenuous

effort and meets his death there.’

Hadhrat Gangohi rahmatullah ilayhi expressed his deep happiness upon reading the letter

and stated, ‘Molvi Saeed Ahmad’s father is very familiar with sulook and tareeqat and



thus, is aware of its worth and all its levels’. He thereafter laid a very strong emphasis on

dhikr etc. upon my brother and increased his husn tawajjuh –kind attention towards him.

During his stay in Madeenah, despite his weak and old age, he remained constant in

practicing the sunnah and committed to reading the five daily prayers with jamaat etc;

Regardless of extreme cold and hot weather, he kept punctual with the timings,

something that we as youth were incapable of managing. Till his death, He diligently

completed all his waraid, wazaif and muraqabah.

He diligently managed both domestic affairs and the needs of the construction work which

entailed; clay kneading, transferring the kneaded clay and stones to the builders,

gathering broken bricks and stones etc and likewise, out construction hours; moulding

bricks, visiting the bazaar daily to buy necessary building material, making pegs and bed

posts-whilst residing in India he never needed to undertake such tasks. Whenever anyone

of us would explain to him that these were his days of old age and rest, and question him

about why he chose to endure these difficulties day and night, he would remark, ‘I cannot

remain lying around and being useless’.

Furthermore, he had sound skills and expertise in curing illness and Naqsh-bandiya

amaliyaat. It was for this very reason his health once became critical in Tanda where he

undertook the practise of trying to cure an illness; the patient recovered, but he in turn

became so ill that people doubted his recovery and life. This was because his practise of

curing the illness was first to draw the illness towards himself and then to expel it from

himself. On this occasion, the illness was of a severe nature and his body was not able to

tolerate its effects, so he consequently was afflicted with the same illness (of the

patient).

Within the field of taweez and amaliyaat he had notable skill and complete expertise. He

used to mention, ‘There was a time when I had become so proficient that I used to write

naqsh myself for curing illnesses and benefits were derived from them.’ At the time when

my father granted me verbal ijazah to practice amaliyat and nukoosh, he added, ‘I have

fulfilled the zakaah required for all the amaal within this common place book (his own

hand-written compilation). There is no need for you to fulfil the zakah. I present you with

ijazah; however, it will be better for you to carry out all the amaal in my presence once.

Unfortunately, owing to my own insolence and idleness I avoided this opportunity because

I considered it an exertion and gave precedence to my Ilmi commitments. I was left

regretting my decision thereafter.

Apart from the amaliyaat passed down within the family, my father acquired many

amaliyaat from renowned people during his stay in Lucknow and Safipur etc. To add to

that, when Molvi Muhammad Ramzan sahib Marhoom Bawryuwi had made a printed copy of

Risalah Ma’dan-ul-amal wal-masail and sent it to Moulana Fazlur-Rahman Muradad-aabadi

quddus sirruhul Azeez , he called my father and gave it to him and stated ,’I grant you

permission of all the amaal that have been mentioned in here.’

In 1327 Hijri (1909 CE), when I was in India, my father marhoom wrote the following words

across the top of the Risalah Ma’dan-ul-amal wal-masail;



Bismillah-hirRahmanir-Raheem

Alhumdu lillahi Rabbil –alimeen-wassalatu wassalam ala sayyidil-

mursileen

I, weak servant Habeebullah, grant permission to my son Hussayn

Ahmad to practice, to write and to gift it to anyone (but family) all

this book’s amaliyaat and taweezat in the same way Hadhrat

Murshiduna Moulana Fadhlur-Rahman Rahmatullah ilayhi gifted and

presented it to me without amal (practise) or the fulfilment of its

zakah. He has also similarly received it without amal and the

fulfilment of zakah. Insha Allah Ta’ala, he will benefit Allah’s

creation. In the same way I have given him permission of another

handwritten book. Thus, may Allah Ta’ala, the Omnipotent, allow

people to take benefit from him, ameen. If my son, Saeed Ahmad is

desirous and would like permission then this note of permission is

sufficient.

Merely

Habeebullah (written by my own hand)

20 Jamadil Thani 1327 Hijri (8th July 1909 C.E.)

He distributed all his remaining provisions and assets amongst family members upon

reaching Madinah Munawwarah, in accordance to the compulsory Islamic laws of

inheritance. He used to say, ‘I have made the intention of hijrah and I have come to die

only here. I will not be moving from here. I give all of you my permission should you

decide to remain here or return to India.’ It was inconsiderate to leave alone a doting and

elderly parent and so neither our mother nor anyone amongst us children was happy to

separate. Our father marhoom was the only one who had made an intention of hijrah,

therefore we had made an intention to remain with him during his lifetime. It was

intended that the assets (mentioned earlier) would be used for business- the details be

will explained later.

My Father had a natural passion for poetry and in particular, those Qasaid that were

composed in the Hindi language were deeply intriguing and powerful; they were rich in

their theme of tasawwuf. Apart from these, he also has many verses written in Urdu and

Persian. He has written many heartfelt poems about his separation from Moulana Fazlur-

Rahman Muradad-aabadi quddus sirruhul Azeez, and some Qasaid have also been printed

in Bar-fugan dile Hashmi (Bearer of lamentations of the Hashimi Heart). If it had not been

a lengthy process, I would have included them in their full form here. However, as an

example, I will write a few poems here so that my father’s qabiliyat and the nature of

grief can be understood:



Urdu Verse (Separation from Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam)

Willing or not, those that leave your gathering,

Take with them, sorrow, grief and regret.

To depart from life; is the departure of a beloved from thee,

Living life yet dying a death.

I now only remain in this gathering oh Saqi

People have drank their fill and left.

Oh Rasule Arabi (SAW), those killed by your separation,

Swift footed, ascend Hereafter’s bridge.

Remain my head or not, within it may passion remain.

The love of Ahmad, Oh Allah, is our only desire.

Upon Habeeb’s wounded heart, may your eyes fall,

The remedy of the pained hearts; is only in your care.



A Naat in Bahaka and Urdu (love of Prophet sallahu alayhi asallam)

What plague have I? My heart’s allure where can I find?

The guise of the beloved, to behold in my eyes.

Search where? Go where? My endeavours make no pathways,

So I wander in my thoughts, this is my coming and going.

Sometimes In the desert, I am a whirlwind billowing dust

Sometimes, I am the plunging of a pearl diver at sea.

My eyes have roamed gardens and orchards, persistent to relinquish its lover

Oh morning breeze, you then tell me where is this blossoming flower?

What can I say about where the fire of separation and pain within the heart

is heading?

In the footprints of my beloved I have set out, to foreign lands I must

venture.

Many days have passed Oh comforts. Measure the lessons of the beloved;

A sin has created a mound of the lover’s heart.

Madinah, be it on the earth or the heights of the divine throne

That is where evening lives; I need to traverse that land.

*I have no guise of Agar and no manners I know.

….To be translated.*

I am more belittled than a helpless and destitute slave child,

Yet I carry in my heart and mind, a love for you.

My entire family, my being, my heart and soul are for you

Sacrificed. Oh Nabi Ullah (SAW), you are an matchless beloved.

The eyes gain strength by the mud stricken alleyways, Oh Habeeb.

Heart, life, belongings, trade all! Apply the surma of that soil you must.



(Three additional poems have been presently omitted: ‘Separation from Murshid’ written

Bahaka, ‘Munaajaat’ written in Bahaka and an Urdu/Persian poem)

In his youth and madrasah days, he was very apt with mathematics and calculation. He

was able to instantaneously solve the most difficult of questions. In later years, he

became so deeply impassioned by tasawwuf that he had forgotten everything (in relation

to that topic). If anyone would present a question him on that topic he would tell them ‘I

have now forgotten everything’. He was also very hard working; within the enclosure

where our buildings were being constructed he dug six seven wells and post holes etc.

with his own hands. He managed the tasks although it was hardened ground that was full

of stones and presented many difficulties; it was only possible to dig approximately one

and half to two hand spans within an hour.

Whilst residing in Madinah, he busied his time in dhikr wa fikr (remembrance and

reflection), awraad wa wazaif (regular invocations) and Salatus salaam (Blessing and

Salutations) and sometimes he would sit with other muhajireen from India and ahle islah

wa taqwa to appease his heart. He socialised very little with the general public and

neither did he waste time in useless and unnecessary talk. He had a habit to smoke

hookah; Hadhrat Moulana Fadhlur Rahman sahib marhoom smoked hookah and all his

Mureeds did likewise. In Arabia, hookah tobacco was not available so we used to take

tobacco there or asked someone to bring it. The Turkish authorities had very strict

customs and it presented problems at times. My father also had a habit of chewing

tobacco leaves and betel leaves.

In 1333-34 Hijri, at the time of the World War and when Turkish authorities had also

become involved, Hadhrat Moulana Shaykhul Hind quddus sirruhul Azeez and Moulana

Khaleel Ahmad Sahranpuri quddus sirruhul Azeez had come to Hijaz. For different

reasons, the police of Madinah Munawwarah had become suspicious of our family,

especially of those who had lived in India. Following Shaykhul Hind quddus sirruhul

Azeez’s return from Madeenah after visiting Makkah, my father and two brothers; Saeed

Ahmad Marhoom and beloved Mahmoon sallamahu were arrested without any prior

knowledge and were taken to Adrianople. The women and children were left behind in

Madeenah. They provided the army with many explanations, but they avoided giving a

response. At the time, a daughter of Moulana Abdul Haq sahib Madni: Muhtamim of

Madrasahh Shahi Masjid Muradabaad, was married to Bhai Saeed Ahmad and he (Bhai

Saeed Mahmood) had been acquainted with him since many years. He displayed great

affection and was considerate in looking after all the children and the women (during the

absence of the menfolk). Jazahullahahu Khayrul Jaza (May Allah reward him with a good

return).

At the time, amongst these women and children was my wife, daughter Zahra aged ten-

eleven, son Ashfaq around one and half years old, Bhai Saeed Ahmad’s wife, Mahmood’s

wife and my father’s wife who was elderly. It was only natural that he would become

greatly affected by the oppression and difficulty encountered. His heart and mind were

deeply affected by his separation from the weaker members of our family and by his

lifelong burning desire to meet his death in the courtyard of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi

Wasallam. He was reluctant to travel to any other town, to the extent that he did not



want to leave Madinah to go on a pilgrimage to Makkah Muazzamah as he sincerely wished

to be buried in Madinah.

The climate in Adrianople was extremely cold. All three of them were taken there and

held in detention. They were not allowed to make any journey beyond one mile of the

city. Each of them was issued with three Ashrafi (notes) on a monthly basis. At the time,

the value of the Turkish note had considerably dropped. My father’s body was not able to

tolerate the extreme cold weather and consequently he became affected with pleurisy.

After spending a month in Adrianople he passed away. Innalillahi wa inna ilahi rajioon. He

was buried in Adrianople.

My father marhoom was extremely gifted with the quality of being a mastujab ud-dawaat

(One whose all duas are readily granted). There were many incidents where it was seen

that the one who troubled him or whom he cursed did not prosper. Rahima –hullahu –wa-

raziya anhu- warzaahu (may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him, and he be

pleased with Him). In truth, the qualities that Allah Ta’ala had placed in both my parents

combined can be scarcely be found in a group of people.

Our father, A father-if there was for all the people

A father like him, he would still be richer in qualities than all.

In the latter part of his life, especially after my mother’s death he remained restless and

grieved. From amongst his family, his children and grandchildren, around forty individuals

had passed away one after the other. He, himself exclaimed, ‘with my own hands I have

buried up to forty individuals from our family’. Regardless of these hardships, He displayed

great patience and steadfastness. It was painstaking, that his hopes and desires met their

end in this manner and that his death and burial took in a place away from Madeenah.

Thalika taqdeerul azeezil Aleem (This is the Decree of the Almighty the All-Knowing). At

the time of his demise, I was in the company of Shaykhul Hind Rahmatullah ilayh in

captivity in Malta. When I received the news of his death, I was deeply saddened, but

there was nothing that could be done except to be patient and grateful. Fa lil-Lahil hamd

wa shukr- alaa ma qaddara wa qadha (For Allah is praise and gratitude for what He has

decreed)

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