Love for the Hadith and Sunnah, and Respect in Differences of Opinion

Hazrat Shaykh (نور الله مرقده)'s attitude regarding those who had a different opinion to him is remarkable and one worthy of following. Note: that the Ahlul Hadeeth are a group who do not find it acceptable, in their opinion, to be affliliated to a Madhab. They are also known as Salafis.

During my early days of teaching, a certain Ahl-e-Hadith follower, whose name I have forgotten, came to my room quite often. There must still be quite a number of his own publications such as "Meezaanul-Shariat" lying around somewhere in my room.

Although he was blind, he used to collect all the Hadith from Mishkat which favored the mazhab of the Ahlul-Hadith. He would collect ehm in small booklets with very little commentary. For example one was on "Babul-Wudhoo", one on "Babul-Tayammum", "Babul-Haidh", etc. He wrote them himself and had them printed himself and he sold them himself.

Whenever he came to Saharanpur, he stayed at my place and in Deoband, he was the guest of Maulana Anwar Shah Kahsmiri (rh). He had a habit of going into the classrooms and presenting one copy to the teachers. Because of Hazrat Anwar Shah and me, all the other teachers came to know him quite well. Most teachers after accepting a free copy, still paid him the three annas or more and often encouraged students to also purchase from him.

Many people however used to excuse themselves from buying because the booklets only contained those Hadith which favoured the Ahlul-Hadith. I however, always used to purchase twenty five to thirty copies, while Maulana Anwar Shah used to purchase about a hundred and fifty and we both used to pay him more than the prescribed price. We felt that was our duty in view of his service to Hadith, as well as our duties as his hosts. The booklets were always distributed among the student, telling them that although the booklets favoured the Ahlul-Hadith view, it did after all contain Hadith with translations. We did not however, distribute the booklets in his presence, as it would adversely affect his sales.

There must still be some copies in my own library on which his name and address will be found. He was blind and there always used to be a young boy guiding him around. At night he always sat near me when he made up his accounts. The price of all the booklets were written on the covers, but he never used to tell anyone the price. Whoever wished was allowed to give whatever he wished and whatever was given was given was accepted with pleasure.

When he made up his accounts he used to say: "Two copies at two annas each, three copies at three annas each and eight at "Jazakallah" each."

He was a very simple person and at that time my own relations with the Ahlul-Hadith was good. They very often came to me. In both Deoband and Saharanpur, there were many Ahlul-Hadith students, but they never disclosed their adherence to the Ahlul-Hadith.

I told them not to hide their mazhab from me. They could come to my hosue at any time to discuss their problems. Some students (may Allah reward them) came to me to be connected in bay'at.

Some of them even suggested that should I demand of them, they would stop "raf-ul-yadayn" [raising the hands], "ameen-bil-jahr" [saying ameen loudly], etc., but I told them: You people are doing those things in your earnest desire to implement Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم's commands and practices. How can I ever prohibit you from doing so?"

Aap Beti, Page 556-558

Answer to Letter (1)

My beloved friend, Assalamu Alaykum.

Who is so fortunate as to recieve such a blessed present. Because of your love, you have not been very clever as was the demand of your love. Your reason should have told you that you should not have informed me what it was. When I expressed liking for it, [only] then should you have told me what it was. Now, I am worried that if I do not use it, it will be tantamount to turning away from the Sunnah. How will one accept it, that after eating it, you find yourself not liking it. Both these things will boil down to bad manners. Now I am putting this aside until such a time that you get me out of this difficulty.

Ashraf Ali.

Letter to Hazrat Ashraf Ali Thanwy

To Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy
Assalamu Alaykum.

I hereby wish to present a little gift. In the Hadith, there is mention of a certain thing called talbeena, which Mullah Ali Qari says is made up of milk, honey and flour and I have added a little saffron for flavour and taste. Once, some time ago, I prepared it and it turned out to be very delicious and I got the feeling that perhaps Hazrat will also like it. Only Allah knows how it has turned out this time, but I have again mixed the same ingredients.

In Bukhari it is reported from Hazrat Aisha Radhiallahu Anha who says: "I have heard Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam say: "Verily talbeena cures the heart of the sick one and takes away his sorrows."" According to Bukhari, she ordered that talbeena be taken and that it is a beneficial medicine. Hafiz Ibn Hajar says in 'Fath', it is reported by Ahmed and Ibn Majah that Aisha Radhiallahu Anha reported: "Make use of talbeena, the beneficial medicine." And Nisai adds: "I swear by Him in whose hands is the life of Muhammad [sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam] that talbeena cleans the stomach in the same way as any of you uses water to wash dust from his face."

According to the Hadith it appears that it is prepared in a thin form, but I thought Hazrat will prefer it in a thick form so as to eat it like firny. For this reason, I have made it a thick mixture. I have also written its contents down for Hakeem Khaleel Ahmed Saheb and asked him about it, so as to ascertain that it will not be harmful to Hazrat's diet.

Zakariyya Kandhalwy.

Following the Sunnah and the Status of Reason

As Allah's servants and slaves, we have been endowed with intelligence that is limited and that must be used correctly in the appropiate spheres of life. Beyond that, we trust in Allah's revelation in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, as Sheikhul Hadeeth (rahmatullahi 'alayh) explains below.

It was always my view and the advice that I give to my friends that they should follow the Sunnat of Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) diligently, as long as it does not go contrary to their mazhab...

Some time ago I wrote a series of articles on the differences between the Imams, which was published in a monthly 'Al Muzahir' and continued to appear for as long as the monthly was published. In it, I indicated the reasons for the differences, together with examples. I also explained that even if for some reason or other, the statements of Rasullullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) appear outwardly not to be in accordance with our reason, accting according to them is compulsory. When one does not understand the reason, widsom or significance of a Hadith, the fault of not comprehending it should be attributed to our own lack of understanding.

Perhaps I have written somewhere about my youngest daughter, of the time when she was starting to read Qaida Baghdadi. She was only 4 or 5 when she read the lesson 'Aana - baana'. I liked this fight she had with her mother. She was perplexed that when Alif was added, the word turned out to be 'Aana', when Ba was added, it became 'baana', 'taana' etc. But why was it that when 'hamza' was added, it became 'aana' and not 'hamzaana'? She argued with her mother who could not answer her query and only said, "When your father comes home, you had better ask him." The child said, "I will just read it as 'hamzaana'".

In the afternoon the query was brought to me. All I could tell her was, "You are still a child. When you are bigger you will understand. Then you must ask me."

The other sister again wanted to know why it was that when milk is heated, cream forms on top of it.

I cannot understand why it is, that in the rules and regulations of Shari'at, each one of us looks upon himself as a clever research student. What we should actually do is that when something is not understood by us, we should tell ourselves that the rank of Nabuwwat (prophethood) is way beyond us. Our understanding and intelligence can never reach up to that level.