Respect for Sacred Knowledge

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

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

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

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

Announcement

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

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

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

Anger of the Awliya

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

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

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

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

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

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