Remembering Our Pious Elders - Muharram ul Haram 1447

Our Pious Predecessors

Mawlana Abu Majid Muhammad Shahid Attari Madani

Muḥarram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. 105 noble Companions رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم, saints and Islamic scholars رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ who passed away in this month or whose ꜤUrs takes place in this month have been briefly introduced in the Muḥarram 1439 to 1446 AH editions of Monthly Magazine Faizan-e-Madinah. Read about 11 more below:

Noble Companions رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُم

Martyrs of Qādisiyyah

The Battle of Qādisiyyah took place in Muḥarram 14 AH during the Caliphate of the second Caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, under the command of the renowned Companion, Sayyidunā SaꜤd b. Abī Waqqās رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. The Muslims were victorious in this engagement. Rustam, the leader of the Persian army, was killed, and the Muslims conquered a large part of the Persian empire. 6,000 Muslims were martyred in this battle and were laid to rest in the Valley of Musharriq (Qādisiyyah).

Sayyidunā ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ said regarding the participants of the Battle of Qādisiyyah: “Most distinguished and worthy of praise are those who took on perils; most brave are the people of Qādisiyyah.”[1]

(1) Sayyidunā Arṭāh b. KaꜤb al-NakhaꜤī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was an esteemed Companion who was beautiful in appearance, eloquent in speech, and a leader of the NakhaꜤ tribe. He and his brother Zayd b. KaꜤb al-NakhaꜤī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُما accepted Islam in the Prophetic court at the same time. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم supplicated for him to be blessed, had a letter written for him, and handed him a flag. He joined the Battle of Qādisiyyah (Muḥarram 14 AH) while holding this flag, along with his two brothers, Sayyidunā Zayd and Sayyidunā Qays رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُما, as well as other members of his tribe. All three brothers were martyred, one after the other, but they did not allow the flag to fall.[2]

Scholars of Islam رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ

(2) Imam Abū Sufyān WakīꜤ b. al-Jarrāḥ رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was an Imam of the Muslims, Hadith master of Iraq, mufti of his era, and an author. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 129 AH and passed away in Muḥarram 197 AH. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه would issue legal edicts based upon the opinion of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. His book Muṣannaf WakīꜤ b. al-Jarrāḥ is well-known among Hadith scholars.[3]

(3) Asad al-Sunnah, Imam Abū SaꜤīd Asad b. Mūsā al-Umawī al-Qarashī al-Miṣrī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was a Hadith master from the second and third century Hijrī. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 132 AH, in Basra or Egypt, and passed away in Muḥarram 212 AH in Egypt. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was a reliable narrator of Hadith, an author, and a personality who is accepted among Hadith scholars. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه put together a compilation of Aḥādīth which is famously known as Musnad Asad al-Sunnah. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه also has another book by the name of Kitāb al-Zuhd.[4]

(4) Imam Abū Yaḥyā ꜤUthmān b. Ṣāliḥ al-Sahmī al-Qarashī al-Miṣrī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Egypt in 144 AH and passed away there in 219 AH. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was a student of Imam Mālik b. Anas and Imam Layth b. SaꜤd رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, and teacher of the renowned Hadith master, Imam al-Bukhārī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was well-known for his piety and righteousness.[5]

(5) Shaykh al-Azhar ꜤAllāmah Muhammad Shinwānī al-Azharī al-ShāfiꜤī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Shinwān, Egypt. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه passed away in 1233 AH, and was laid to rest in RubꜤ al-Mujāwirīn, Cairo. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was a Shaykh and graduate of al-Azhar, an erudite Islamic scholar, Hadith master, Quranic exegete, master of Arabic grammar and an expert in the rational sciences. Some of his written works include al-Jawāhir al-Saniyyah bi Mawlid Khayr al-Bariyyah, Thabt al-Shinwānī and Ḥāshiyat Ꜥalā Mukhtaṣar al-Bukhārī li Ibn Abī Jamrah.[6]

(6) Just like his noble father, Shaykh Aḥmad b. ꜤAbd al-Raḥmān Kuzbarī Dimashqī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was also a major Hadith master, esteemed Islamic scholar and someone visited by the commonfolk and elite alike. After his elder brother, he took up the seat of teaching in the Grand Umayyad Masjid of Damascus and continued instructing there until he departed this world. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1236 AH and passed away on 21 Muḥarram 1299 AH.[7]

(7) Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir b. Muhammad b. Sawdah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Rajab 1301 AH and passed away on 12 Muḥarram 1389 AH. He was a Maliki scholar of Fes (Morocco), Hadith expert, teacher, someone who travelled widely, and was also a poet, teacher of Islamic jurisprudence and Hadith, and author. He authored over ten works, which include al-Riḥlat al-Kubrā and al-Fuyūḍāt al-Wahbiyyah fi Mawlid Khayr al-Bariyyah. The renowned Islamic scholar, Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Salām b. Sawdah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was his son. In 1329 AH, he رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه visited al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and wrote an endorsement for Imam Ahmad Raza Khan’s celebrated book al-Dawlat al-Makkiyyah.[8]

Honourable saints رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ

(8) The founder of Khanqah Meera, Mawlānā Khawājah Aḥmad al-Chishtī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1252 AH in Baluchistan, and passed away on 5 Muḥarram 1330 AH. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was a memoriser of the Quran, Islamic scholar, spiritual disciple of Khawājah Sulaymān al-Taunswī, and spiritual representative of Khawājah Allah-Bakhsh al-Taunswī. Khānqāh and JāmiꜤah Akbariyyah Miyanwali, Khānqāh Basālwī Attock, Khānqāh Chabar Sharīf Jhelum and Khānqāh Birbal Sharīf Sargodha all benefitted from his spiritual blessings.[9]

(9) Shaykh Pīr Mehtāb Shāh Naqshbandī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in WaꜤūla, District Chakwal in the household of Pīr Qurayshī. He was an Islamic scholar, spiritual disciple and representative of Khawājah Abū al-Khayr al-Diḥlawī, and an accomplished orator and poet. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه established an Islamic seminary for memorisation of the Quran in WaꜤūla, which produced many memorisers. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه passed away on 2 Muḥarram 1375 AH, and was laid to rest in the local graveyard.[10]

(10) Nūr al-Mashāˈikh, Khawājah Faḍl ꜤUmar Khān al-Mujaddidī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1302 AH in Kabul, and passed away on 24 Muḥarram 1376 AH. He was laid to rest in Khānqāh Mujaddidiyyah QilꜤah Jawād. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was a learned scholar, distinguished spiritual guide, founder of Madrasah Nūr al-Madāris Ghazni, one who strived in the way of Allah Almighty, and possessed an abundance of spiritual blessings. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه had thousands of spiritual disciples and countless spiritual representatives.[11]

(11) The spiritual guide, Sayyid Zayn al-ꜤĀbidīn Aḥmad Bakhsh Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Darga Nurāˈī Sharif, near Hyderabad, Sindh, and passed away on 12 Muḥarram 1393 AH. He was a spiritual guide in the Qādirī path, penned poetry in 14 languages, and was also an author.[12]