Dakwah Khalid bin Walid ra. di medan perang

Menurut Al-Waqidi dan lainnya, mereka berkata: Satu peristiwa, pada
pertempuran Yarmuk, keluarlah dari barisan musuh seorang panglima besar
musyrik, lalu dia menyeru Khalid bin Al-Walid untuk keluar dari barisan
kaum Muslimin. Khalid pun keluar dengan kuda tangkasnya, hingga
hampir-hampir kedua kuda itu berlaga kerana ketangkasannya. Maka
berkatalah panglima pasukan musyrik itu yang bernama Jarjah:



"Engkaukah yang dikenal Khalid, panglima pasukan ini?".

"Ya, aku Khalid pedang Allah!" jawab Khalid.

"Khalid, pedang Allah?" tanya Jarjah lagi.

"Ya", jawab Khalid. "Dan engkau siapa?"

"Aku Jarjah, panglima perang!"

"Apa maksudmu memanggil aku ke sini?" tanya Khalid.

"Hai Khalid! Bicaralah yang benar, dan jangan berdusta! Sebab orang
yang merdeka itu tidak berdusta. Dan jangan pula engkau menipuku,
kerana orang yang berkedudukan seperti engkau ini tidak akan menipu
yang lain, apa lagi bila hal itu ada pertaliannya dengan Allah!" jarjah
ingin menguji kejujuran Khalid.

"Baiklah", jawab Khalid. "Aku akan berkata benar dan menjawab sesuai dengan kehendakmu!"

"Engkau mengaku diri sebagai pedang Allah, bukan?" tanya Jarjah.

"Ya", jawab Khalid pendek

"Apakah Allah telah menurunkan pedang itu dari langit kepada Utusan
kamu, lalu dia menyerahkan pedang itu kepadamu, dan engkau tidak akan
menghunuskan kepada sesiapa pun, melainkan engkau akan mengalahkannya?"
Jarjah meminta penerangan dari Khalid.

"Tidak!" jawab Khalid pendek lagi.

"Oh, tidak?!" Jarjah mengejek. "Jadi bagaimana engkau dipanggil sebagai
pedang Allah? Bukankah itu ajaib sekali?!" Jarjah menambah lagi.

"Tidak ajaib, jika engkau mendengar cerita yang sebenarnya!" jawab Khalid.

"Kalau begitu ceritakanlah kepadaku!" pinta Jarjah.

"Sekarang dengarlah ceritanya: Sesungguhnya Allah telah mengutus kepada
kita UtusanNya, lalu Beliau mengajak kami memeluk Islam, tetapi kami
menjauhkan diri darinya, dan kami sekalian menyingkirkannya. Meskipun
begitu ada juga setengah dari kami yang mempercayainya dan mengikutnya,
manakala yang lain mendustakannya dan menentangnya, dan jika engkau
ingin tahu aku adalah di antara orang-orang yang mendustakannya dan
menentangnya", Khalid menceritakan dirinya dengan jujur.

"Sesudah itu?" tanya Jarjah yang mendengar dengan penuh minat.

"Kemudian Allah telah melembutkan hati kami, dan membukakan pemikiran
kami, lalu kami diberiNya petunjuk untuk memeluk Islam, dan kami pun
memberikan kesetiaan kami kepadanya", Khalid berdiam sebentar mengenang
dirinya di masa lalu.

"Kemudian, apa yang berlaku?" tanya Jarjah lagl

'Kerana aku memeluk Islam itulah, maka beliau berkata kepadaku: Hai
Khalid! Engkau ini adalah pedang dari pedang-pedang Allah, yang
dihunuskan Allah ke atas kaum musyrik, dan beliau mendoakan bagiku
dengan kemenangan!" jelas Khalid.

"Sebab itulah engkau dikenal dengan pedang Allah?!" tanya Jarjah.

"Ya, aku rasakan itu, dan aku orang yang paling keras di antara pasukan Islam ke atas kaum musyrik", 'jelas Khalid lagi.

"Baiklah", tanya Jarjah. "Engkau membawa pasukanmu ke sini itu, untuk apa?"

Aku datang ke sini untuk menyeru orang-orang seperti kamu kepada Islam, dan mempercayai Tuhan yang Satu!" jawab Khalid.

"Tuhan yang Satu?" tanya Jarjah.

"Ya, dengan menyaksikan bahwa tiada Tuhan melainkan Allah, dan
bahwasanya Muhammad itu adalah Utusan Allah, serta meyakini bahwa apa
yang dibawa Muhammad itu adalah dari Allah yang Maha Mulia", terang
Khalid.

"Kalau kami tidak mahu menerimanya?"

"Bayar upeti, dan kami akan melindungi kamu!"

"Kalau kami tidak mahu membayar upeti itu?"

"Kami akan memerangi kamu habis-habisan!"

"Baiklah, apa kedudukan orang yang mengikut seruanmu itu, dan yang mendampingkan diri dalam apa yang engkau seru itu?"

'Kedudukannya dengan kami sama tentang apa yang difardhukan Allah ke
atas kami sekalian, baik dia orang berpangkat atau orang yang rendah,
yang pertama memeluk Islam dan yang kebelakangan! Yakni siapa yang
mengikut Muhammad sekarang ini akan memperoleh pahala yang sama dengan
siapa yang telah mengikutnya lama sebelum ini, iaitu balasannya dan
kelebihannya?!"

"Bagaimana itu?" Jarjah meminta penjelasan.

"Ya", jawab Khalid, "bahkan boleh jadi lebih utama lagi".

"Bagaimana sampai begitu? Bagaimana agamamu menyamakan orang-orang ini
dengan kamu, padahal kamu sudah mendahului mereka?" tanya Jarjah.

"Mudah saja!" jawab Khalid. "Kita orang-orang yang terdahulu memeluk
Islam secara terpaksa, kerana kita telah menentangnya sebelum itu.
Kemudian kita memberikan kesetiaan kami kepadanya sedang dia hidup di
sisi kita, berita-berita langit sedang turun kepadanya, dia memberitahu
kita tentang firman-firman Allah itu serta dibuktikannya dengan
keterangan-keterangan yang tidak dapat diragukannya lagi", kata Khalid.

"Jadi, apa alasannya?" tanya Jarjah lagi.

"Jadi orang-orang seperti kita ini sudah melihat semua bukti-bukti itu,
dan kami mendengar sendiri darinya, sudah seharusnyalah kami
mengikutnya dan menganut kepercayaannya. Tetapi kamu tidak seperti
kami, kamu tidak melihat apa yang kami lihat, dan kamu tidak mendengar
seperti apa yang kami dengar dan berbagai keajaiban dan bukti-bukti
yang membenarkan seruan dan dakwaannya. Jadi barangsiapa yang mengikut
perkara ini di antara kamu dengan kebenaran dan niat yang baik,
tentulah dia lebih utama dari kami".

Jarjah terharu dengan penerangan Khalid itu, lalu dia berkata: "Demi
Allah, aku yakin engkau telah mengatakan yang benar, dan engkau tidak
menipuku!"

"Demi Allah, aku telah berkata yang benar, tiada suatu pun yang aku
sembunyikan, dan Allah telah membantuku untuk menjawab soalan-soalanmu
itu dengan yang benar", terang Khalid.

"Kalau begitu, apa gunanya lagi aku menyandang perisai ini", kata
Jarjah, dia lalu melepaskannya, sambil memeluk Khalid dan berkata: "Hai
Khalid! Ajarkanlah aku agama Islam itu!" pinta Jarjah.

Khalid Ialu mengajak Jarjah datang ke kemahnya, lalu disiramkan ke
atasnya dengan qirbah air (kulit kambing yang dibuat untuk mengisi
air), kemudian diajaknya Jarjah bersembahyang dengannya dua rakaat.



Akhirnya pasukan Romawi kecewa apabila Jarjah tidak kembali lagi kepada
mereka. Lalu mereka memulai penyerangannya kepada pasukan Islam, dan
pada mulanya mereka merasa bangga dengan kemenangan kecil di mana
mereka dapat mematahkan sayap-sayap pasukan Islam, kecuali yang sedang
dipertahankan oleh lkrimah bin Abu jahal ra. dan Al-Harits bin Hisyam
ra. Khalid bin Walid ra. pun keluar ke medan peperangan untuk
menyelamatkan pasukan Islam, dan keluar bersamanya Jarjah yang baru
memeluk Islam. Keduanya pun memimpin pasukan Islam di tengah-tengah
pasukan Romawi yang mencoba mengepung pasukan Islam. pasukan Islam pun
berteriak semangat dan menggempur di belakang panglimanya, si pedang
Allah, sehingga akhirnya pasukan Romawi tidak mampu bertahan lagi, dan
mereka pun mundur kebarisan mereka yang asal. Khalid terus berjuang
pedang dengan pedang bersama-sama pasukan Islam yang telah kembali
semangat perjuangannya, sedang Jarjah turut berjuang sebelah-menyebelah
dengan pasukan Islam dari sejak tengahari hingga matahari akan
terbenam, dan masuk waktu maghrib. pasukan Islam bersembahyang shalat
Dzhuhur dan Asar secara menunduk-nunduk saja kerana hebatnya
pertarungan yang berlaku di antara dua pihak itu. Akhimya Jarjah,
moga-moga Allah merahmatinya, gugur syahid setelah mendapat luka-luka
berat, dan dia tidak bersembahyang kepada Allah selain dua rakaat yang
dikerjakannya dengan Khalid ra. ketika dia memeluk Islam itu.

Biography of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, The First Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat (RA)

Early Days
On the outskirts of Delhi, near the tomb of Khwaja Nizamuddin, there lived, some seventy years ago, a godly person in the house on top of the red gate of the historical building called Chaunsath Khamba. His name was Maulana Mohammad Ismail.
Maulana Mohammad Ismail
The. ancestral home of Maulana Mohammad Ismail was in Jhanjhana in the district of Muzaffarnagar. But when, after the death of his (Ismail) first wife, he married again in the family of Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh Kandhlawi, who belonged to the same ancestry as him, he visited Kandhla frequently and it became a second home to him.
The family of Siddiqui Sheikhs of Jhanjhana and Kandhla had been known, for generations, for piety and learning, and was held in high esteem in the neighborhood. The lines of descent of Maulana Mohammad Ismail and Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh Become one, six generations upwards. with Molvi Mohammad Sharif. The lineage runs as follows: Maulana Mohammad Ismail, son of Ghulam Husain, son, of Hakim Karim Bakhsh, son of Hakim Ghulam Mohiuddin, son of Molvi Mohammad Sajid, son of Mofti Mohammed Faiz, son of Molvi Mohammad Sharif, son of Molvi Mohammad Ashraf, son of Sheikh Jamal Mohammad Shah, son of Sheikh Baban Shah, son of Sheikh Bahauddin Shah, son of Molvi Mohammad Sheikh, son of Sheikh Mohammad Fazil, son of Es Sheikh Qutub Shah.
Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh
Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh was among the most outstanding pupils of Shah Abdul Aziz. Besides being a distinguished teacher, author and legist, he was, also a Unani physician of a high order, and possessed a thorough knowledge of both the rational and traditional sciences. He had a great command over Arabic, Persian and Urdu poetry as well, as is borne out by his commentary of Banat Su'ad in which he has translated every line of Hazrat K'ab into Arabic, Persian and Urdu verse. He left behind about 40 books in Arabic and Persian of which Shiyamul Habib and Mathnaawi Maulana Rum Ka Takmial are more famous.
Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh had taken ba'it at the hand of Shah Abdul Aziz. A glowing proof of his sincerity and selflessness was that though he was a renowned spiritual mentor himself, on the death of Shah Abdul Aziz, he felt no hesitation in taking ba'it at the hand of the latter's young deputy, Syed Ahmad Shaheed, who was about 28 years his junior in age, and in seeking guidance from him. Mufti Sahib was born in 1748, and died in 1831, at the age of 83 years. All his sons and grandsons were men of learning and position. Scholarship and religiousness have been the characteristics of this family Molvi Abul Hasan's Mathnawi, Gulzar-i-Ibrahim, which forms a part of his well-known work, Bahr-i- Haqiqat, is a poem of rare spiritual feeling. Till recently, it was very popular. His son,Molvi Nurul Hasan, and all the four grandsons, Molvi Ziaul Hasan, Molvi Akbar, Molvi Sulaiman and Hakim Molvi Ibrahim, attained to fame as worthy representatives of their celebrated ancestors.
Maulana Muzaffar Husain
Mufti Saheb's nephew, Maulana Muzaffar Husain, who was a most favorite pupil of Shah Is'haq and a deputy of Shah Mohammad Yaqub, and had, also, been favored with the company of Syed Ahmad Shaheed, was a very pious and godly person. He never touched anything that was of doubtful purity in the eyes of the Shariat. Incidents of his humility and prayer and fullness are still fresh in the memory of the people of the neighboring areas and serve as a reminder to the glorious days of the earliest decades of Islam.
The maternal grand-daughter of Maulana Muzaffar Husain was married to Maulana Mohammad Ismail. It was his second marriage which was solemnized on October 3 1868. Maulana Mohammad Ismail was the tutor of the children of Mirza Ilahi Bakhsh, who was related to Bahadur Shah Zafar the last of the Mughal Emperors. He lived, as we have seen. in the house on top of the red gate of Chaunsath Khamba. Close to it, was a small mosque with a tin shed in front which used to serve as the parlor of Mirza Ilahi Bakhsh, and, owing to it, it was called Bangle Wali Masjid.
The Maulana was spending his days in obscurity and even Mirza Ilahi Bakhsh had no idea of his high station till he had a personal experience of how the Maualna prayers were granted by God. Worship, Zikr (repeating the Names, praise and Attributes of the Lord), attending to the needs of the travelers and teaching the Quran giving instruction in the Faith were his sole occupation in life. He used to take down the load from the heads of the thirsty laborers who passed the way place it on the ground, draw water from the well and give it to them to drink, and, then, offer two Rak'ats of Salaat, expressing gratitude to the Lord that He had given him the opportunity to serve His bondsmen, though he did not deserve it. He had attained the state of Ihsan.
Once, as he requested Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi to teach him Sulook, the latter remarked, "You don't need it. You have already attained the objective that is to be reached through this method. It is like a person who has read the Quran saying that he should, also, read the elementary text book of Arabic because he had not begun with it".
The Maulana was very fond of the recitation of the Quran An old wish of his was that he went on grazing the goats and reciting the Quran. He was very particular about some member of his family keeping vigil in the night. His second son, Maulana Yahya, used to study till midnight, and, then the Maulana himself got up and Maulana Yahya went to bed, and for the last part of the night, he woke up his eldest son, Maulana Mohammad.
The Maulana never bore a grudge against anyone. His detachment with the world was so complete that it had made him attached to everybody. All the persons who came into contact with him were impressed by his piety, sincerity and selflessness. Leaders of the different warring groups of Delhi held him in the highest esteem, and put an equal trust in him, though they disliked each other so much that none of them was willing to offer Salaat behind the other.
The link with Mewat, too, was established in his lifetime. It is related that, once, he went out in the hope of finding a Muslim whom he could bring to the mosque and offer Salaat with him On meeting some Muslim laborers, he inquired from them where they were going.? "We are going in search of work", they replied. "How much do you expect to earn?' asked the Maulana. The laborers, thereupon, told him about the daily wages they, generally, received. "If you get the same here," the Maulana asked, "What is the use of going elsewhere " The laborers agreed and the Maulana took them to the mosque and began to teach the Salaat and the Quran. He would pay them their wages every day and keep them engaged in their lessons. In a few days, they developed the habit of offering up Salaat. Such was the beginning of the Madrassa of Bangle Wali Masjid, and these laborers were its first scholars. After it, about ten Mewati students always remained in the Madrassa and their meals used to come from the house of Mirza Ilahi Bakhsh.
Death of Maulana Mohammad Ismail
Maulana Mohammad Ismail died on :26th February, 1898 in Khajoor Wali Masjid at the Tiraha of Bahram in Delhi. The number of mourners, at his funeral, was so large that though long bamboo poles had been tied to the either side of the bier to enable them to lend a shoulder to it, many people did not get a chance during the entire route of three- and-a-half miles from Delhi to Nizamuddin.
Muslims belonging to various sects and schools of thought, who never got together, joined the procession. The Maulana's second son, Maulana Mohammad Yahya, narrates that my elder brother, Maulana Mohammad, was a very soft-hearted person and had a most obliging nature. Fearing that he might invite someone to lead the funeral service behind whom people of another sect or group refused to offer the prayer, and, thus an unpleasant situation arose, I stepped forward and said that I would lead the service. Everyone then, offered the prayers peacefully and there was no dissent or commotion.
Owing to the vast concourse of men, the funeral service had to be held a number of times and the burial was delayed. During it, a venerable person and another man known for his spirituality had a vision that Maulana Mohammad Ismail was saying, "Send me off soon. I am feeling ashamed The Holy Prophet is waiting for me
The Maulana had three sons: Maulana Mohammad from the first wife, and Maulana Mohammad Yahya and Maulana Mohammad Ilyas from the second, who was the maternal granddaughter of Maulana Muzaffar Husain The Maulana had married her after the death of his first wife.
Maulana Mohammed Ilyas
Maulana Mohammed Ilyas was born in 1885 His childhood was spent in maternal grandfather's home in Kandhla, and with his father at Nizamuddin. In those days, the Kandhla family was the cradle of godliness and piety so much so that reports of the high religiosity nightly devotions and Zikr and Tilawat of its members, both male and female, would seem imaginary and fictitious to the faint-hearted men of our time
The ladies used to recite the Quran themselves in the Nafl prayers as well listen to its Tarawih and other Nafl prayers. standing behind the male relatives The month of Ramadan, in particular, was the springtime for the Quran. It was read for long hours, almost in every home The limit of absorption was that, sometimes, the ladies forgot to pay attention to purdah and would not become aware of the coming of outsiders in the house at a time of urgent need.
The Quran with its translation and commentary in Urdu, and Mazaahir-i-Haq Mashariq ul Anwaar and His-i-Haseen formed the limit of the education of the ladies. Deeds and accomplishments of the families of Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Abdul Aziz were the most popular themes of conversation, and facts regarding these illustrious men of God were on everybody's lips. Instead of the stories of kings and fairies, ladies of the household related these to the children.
Ammi Bi Maulana Ilyas's maternal grandmother
The Maulana's maternal grandmother, Amtus Salam, who was the daughter of Maulana Muzaffar Husain and was known in the family as Ammi Bi, was a very pious lady. About her Salaat, the Maulana, once observed "I saw her likeness of Ammi Bi's Salaat of Maulana Gangohi"
During the last phase of her life, Ammi Bi's state was that she never asked for food and ate only when someone placed before her. It was a large family and there was always so much to do. If the thought of having her meal! did not occur to her in the midst of domestic chores, she simply went hungry. Once, someone said to her, "You are so old and weak. How do you manage to without food ?" "I draw sustenance from my Tasbihat (remembrance of Allah) was her repy"
Bi Safia, Maulana Ilyas's mother
The mother of Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, Bi Safia, had learnt the Quran by heart and attained great distinction in it. It was a regular practice with her to recite the whole of the Quran and additional ten Juze (part) every day during Ramadan. She, thus, completed forty recitals of the Quran in that month and was so fluent in it that her household duties did not suffer on account of it. See, generally, kept herself engaged in some work while doing the recitation. Apart from the month of Ramadan, her daily routine of worship included: DURUD Sharif, 5,000 times; Ism-i-Zaat Allah, 5,000 times; Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, 1,000 times, Yaa Mughnee-u 1,100 times, La illaaha illallaah, 1,200 times Yaa-Haiyyu, Ya Qaiyum 200 times, Hasbiallaah wa ni'mul Vakil, 500 times; Subhan Allah, 200 times; Alhamdu lillaah, 200 times; La ilaaha illallaah, 200 times; Allah O-Akbar, 200 times; Istighfar, 500 times; Ofwwizu amree illallaah, 100 times; Hasbunallaah wa ni'mul Vakil, 1000 times; Rabb-i in-ni maghloobun fantasir, 1,000 times: Rabb-i-inni masanni-az-zurru wa anla ar-hamur rahimeen, 100 times; Laa ilaaha enta subhanaka in-ni kunzu minaz-zalimeen, 100 times. In addition, she recited a Manzil (1/7) of the Quran everyday.
Like all other children in the family, the Maulana Ilyas began his education in the maktab, and, according to the family tradition, learnt the Quran by heart. The learning of the Quran was so common in the family. that in the one-and-a-half row of worshippers in the family mosque, there was not a single non Hafiz except the Muezzin. Maulana Mohammad Ilyas was Ammi Bi's favorite child. She used to say; to him. "Ilyas, I feel the aroma of the holy Companions in you. " Sometimes, placing her hand on his back, she would say, "How is it that I see figures resembling the holy Companions moving along with you?
From his childhood, there was present in Maulana Mohammad Ilyas a touch of the religious ardour and fervent feeling of the blessed Companions which had led Shaikhul Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan to remark that "when I see Mohammad Ilyas, I am reminded of the holy Companions. Eagerness and enthusiasm for Faith were ingrained in his nature. Even in his early days, he, sometimes, did things which were much above the common level of the children. Riazul Islam Kandhlawi, a class fellow of his in .he Maktab, says that "when we were reading in the Maktab, he, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, once, came with a stick and said, "Comes Riazul Islam, let us do Jihaad against those who do not offer up Salaat
Stay at Gangoh
In 1893, his elder brother, Mohammad Yahya, went to live at Gangoh with Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi. Maulana Mohammad Ilyas used to live with his father at Nizamuddin, and, sometimes, with his maternal grand-father's family at Kandhla. At Nizamuddin, his education was being neglected owing to the over- fondness of his father and his own excessive occupation with prayers. Maulana Yahya, thus, requested his father that as the education of Mohammad Ilyas was suffering, he might be allowed to take him to Gangoh. The father agreed – and Maulana Mohammad Ilyas came to Gangoh in 1896 or early 1897 where Mohammad Yahya began to teach him regularly.
Gangoh, in those days, was the seat of Sufi-saints and savants, the benefit of whose company was constantly available to Maulana Mohammad Ilyas. A greater part of his impression able age was spent there. When he went to live at Gangoh, he was 10 or 11 years old, and at the time of Maulana Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi death, in 1905, he was a young man of about 20. Thus, he stayed with Maulana Gangohi for about 9 years.
Maulana Mohammad Yahya was an ideal teacher and benefactor. He wanted his brother to derive the utmost advantage from the society of those illustrious men. Maulana Mohammad Ilyas used to tell that when the Ulema who had been the favorite pupils or disciples of Maulana Gangohi came to Gangoh, his brother would, often, stop the lessons and say that his education, then, lay in sitting with them and listening to their conversation.
Usually, Maulana Gangohi did not take bait from children and students. It was only when they had completed their education that he allowed them to take the pledge. But owing to the exceptional merit of Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, he, at his request, permitted him to do the bait at his hand.
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas had been born with a loving heart. Such a strong attachment did he develop for Maulana Gangohi that he felt no peace without him. He would, often, get up in the night, go and see the Maulana's face, and return to his bed. Maulana Gangohi, too, had a great affection for him. once, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas told his brother of severe headache after which he could not bend his head even to the extent of performing the Sajdah on a pillow for months. Maulana Gangohi son, Hakim Masud Ahmad, who was his physician, had a peculiar method of treatment. In certain diseases, he forbade the use of water for a long time which was :unbearable to most of the patients. But with the strength of mind that was so characteristic of him, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas abided strictly by the advice of his physician and abstained from drinking water for full seven years, and, during the next five years, he drank it only sparingly.
There was little hope that he would be to resume his education after the discontinuation owing to illness. He was very keen to take it up again, but his well-wishers would not allow. One day, as Maulana Mohammad Yahya said to him what he would, in any case, do by studying, he retorted, "What will I do by living?" Ultimately, he succeeded in resuming his studies.
The death of Maulana Gangohi occurred in 1905. Maulana Mohammed Ilyas who was at his bedside during the dying moments and reciting the Sura of Ya-Sin, was so deeply affected by it that he used, often, to say, "Two shocks have been most painful to me. One was of the death of my father, and the other, of the death of Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi. " In 1908, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas went to Deoband where he studied Tirmizi and Sahih Bukhari from Maulana Mahmood Hasan. The latter advised him to approach Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri for spiritual guidance and instruction, since his mentor, Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi, was no more, and, thus, he completed the various stages of Sulook under Maulana Saharanpuri's supervision.
Absorption in prayers
During his stay at Gangoh, after the death of Maulana Gangohi, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, generally, remained silent and spent most of his time in meditation. Says Maulana Mohammad Zakaria, "We read elementary Persian from him those days. His practice, then, was that he sat cross legged, and in utter silence, on a coarse mat behind the tomb of Shah Abdul Quddus. We presented ourselves for the lesson, opened the book, and placed it before him, indicating with the finger where we were to begin from on that day. We would read aloud and translate the Persian verses. When we made a mistake, he would shut the book with a movement of the finger, and the lesson came to an end. It meant that we were to go back, prepare the lesson thoroughly, and, then, come again . . . ................. He used to offer Nafl prayers much and often at that time. From Maghrib till a little before Isha, he devoted himself exclusively to Nawafil. His age, then, was between 20 and 25 years.
Ardor and eagerness
Ardor and eagerness, without which no real success is possible in any field, were deeply rooted in him. It was by sheer determination and earnestness that he accomplished what he did in spite of persistent ill-health. One day, during his last illness, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas related that "once I was so ill and feeling so weak that I could not go down the stairs. All of a sudden, I heard that Maulana Saharanpuri had come to Delhi and I was so excited that I left for Delhi immediately on foot and forgot all about my illness and exhaustion. It was in the way that I remembered I was sick.
Contact with other spiritual mentors
Regular contact with other spiritual mentors and disciples of Maulana Gangohi was maintained during those days. About Shah Abdur Rahim Raipuri and Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi he used to say that they abided in his heart. They, too, had a great regard and affection for him owing to his extraordinary qualities.
Spirit of Jehad
Together with Zikr, Saga (spiritual exercises and exertions) Nawafil and Ibadaat, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas was, also, infused with the spirit of Jehad. Throughout his life, he was never without it, and had, in fact, taken the pledge of Jehad at the hand of Maulana Mahmood Hasan for that very reason.
Estimation in the eyes of elders
From his early days, he was held in the highest esteem by the elders of the family as well as the spiritual leaders of the day. Maulana Mohammad Yahya was like a father to him, yet the former's attitude towards his younger brother was like that of the sacred Prophet towards Hazrat Usman Indifferent health prevented him from taking part in duties involving physical labor. He concentrated wholly on his studies, and on Zikr, and other forms of worship. Maulana Mohammad Yahya, on the contrary, was a very industrious person. He owned a bookshop which he managed with great care. It was not only his source of livelihood, but of his brothers as well. One day, the manager of the shop said that Maulana Mohammad Ilyas did not take any interest in the business which was not good for him, too, benefited from it. When Maulana Mohammad Yahya heard of it, he was very angry and remarked that "a Tradition has it that the sustenance that reaches you and the help you receive from the Lord is due to the blessedness of the weaker ones among you. I believe that I am receiving my sustenance owing to the good fortune of this child. Nothing should be said to him in future. If there is anything to say, it should be said to me.
Sometimes, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas was asked to lead the service in the presence of renowned theologians and spiritual leaders. Once Shah Abdur Rahim Raipuri, Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri and Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi happened to be in Kandhla. When the time for Salaat came and Maulana Mohammad Ilyas was asked to lead it, a senior member of the family, Molvi Badrul Hasan, humorously remarked that "such a small engine has been fastened to so many big carriages." "It depends on the power (not the size of the engine", replied one of them.
Career with a teacher in Mazaahirul Uloom
In 1910, a large number of men, including most of the senior teachers of the Madrassa of Mazaahirul Uloom, left for the Haj from Saharanpur. It necessitated the recruitment of new teachers for the Madrassa, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas being one of them. He was given the secondary books to teach. On the return of the senior teachers from the Pilgrimage, all the new entrants were relieved of their duties, but the services of Maulana Mohammad Ilyas were retained.
At Mazaahirul Uloom, the Maulana had to teach some books which he had not read himself as, in Maulana Mohammad Yahya's scheme of instruction, it was not customary to complete the books, and Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, further, had to miss some secondary books owing to ill-health. During his teaching days, he tried hard to make up for the deficiency and prepared his lectures carefully. For instance, for teaching Kinzul Daqa'iq, he studied Bahr-ur-Ra'iq, Shaami and Hadaya, and consulted even Hisami's notes and comments when he taught Nurul Anawaar.
Marriage The Maulana married the daughter of his maternal uncle, Maulana Rauful Hasans on Friday, October 17, 1912 was performed by Maulana Mohammad, and Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Shah Abdur Rahim Raipuri an Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi, all the three of them, attended the ceremony. Maulana Thanwi's celebrated sermon, Fuwayid us Suhbat, which has subsequently been published times without number, was delivered on that occasion.
First Haj
In 1915, Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri and Maulana Mahmood Hasan, decided lo go on the Haj Pilgrimage. When Maulana Mohammad Ilyas came to know of it, he was strongly seized with the desire to perform the Haj. He felt that it would become dark and gloomy in India with their departure and he would not be able to live in Saharanpur any more. But there was the question of permission. As his sister, the wife of Molvi Ikrarnul Hasan, saw his distress, she offered her ornaments to meet the expenses of the Pilgrimage. Contrary to expectations, the Maulana's mother gave her consent. after which Maulana Mohammad Yahya, also, agreed. The Maulana, then, wrote to Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri asking for his permission, and explained that as far as she wherewithal for the journey was concerned, three courses were open to him. He could take his sister's ornaments or borrow the amount or accept the offers of money made by certain relatives. Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri preferred the third course. Maulana Mohammad Ilyas was fortunate enough to travel by the same boat as Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. He sailed in August, 1914 , and returned in February, 1915, to resume the teaching at the Madrassa.
Death of Maulana Mohammad Yahya
The death of Maulana Mohammad Yahya, on Wednesday, the 9th of August, 1915, was an extremely sad and frustrating event for the Maulana. In addition to being a most affectionate brother, he was, also, his teacher and benefactor. He could not get over the shock till the end of his days. He used to get lost in thought and a peculiar kind of abstraction took possession of him when he talked about his brother.
Stay at Nizamuddin
Two years after the death of Maulana Mohammad Yahya, the eldest brother of Maulana Mohamad Ilyas, Maulana Mohammad, also, passed away. He was a man of angelic disposition and an embodiment of affection, piety and humility. He loved solitude and cared little for worldly comforts. He lived in Bangle Wali Masjid, at Nizamuddin, in the place of his late father. There was a Madrassa in the mosque which had been founded by Maulana Mohammad Ismail. Only primary education was imparted in it, and, among its pupils were mostly the children from Mewat. It had no regular source of income and reliance was placed solely upon God for meeting its needs.
Many people of Delhi and Mewat were devoted to Maulana Mohammad and had benefited from his guidance. His face had the radiance of spirituality. He, often, gave the sermon, but in an informal, conversational way. He remained seated during it, and, generally, read out the Traditions on good morals and Zuhd, ( Islamic asceticism ) and explained their meaning in a simple language.
Once Maulana Mohammad developed a boil under an eye which had to be opened seven times. The doctors insisted on administering the anesthetic but he refused to take it and lay motionless throughout the operation. The surgeon, afterwards, said, that he had not seen the like of it in his life.
Maulana Mohammad spent most of his time in prayer and meditation. During the 16 years before his death, he did not miss the Tahajjud( before dawn prayer ) prayers even once, and breathed his last while performing the Sajda in the Namaz of Witr.
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas had route to Delhi to look after his sick brother and was staying with him in the Nawab Wali Masjid of Qassab Pura. It was there that Maulana Mohammad died and the burial took place at Nizamuddin. Thousands of men attended the funeral.
After the burial, people urged upon Maulana Muhammad Ilyas to take up residence at Nizamuddin in order to fill the void caused by the death of his father and brother. They, also, promised monthly donations for the Madrassa to which the Maulana agreed subject to certain conditions which he observed throughout his life.
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas had made it clear that he would come to Nizamuddin and take charge of the Madrassa only if Maulana Khaiil Ahmad Saharanpuri approved. Upon it, several persons offered to go to Saharanpur to obtain the permission, but Maulana Mohammad Ilyas checked them saying that it was not the way to do it. He would go himself, unaccompanied by anyone.
The Maulana, thus, went to Saharanpur and explained the whole thing to Maulana Khalil Ahmad. The latter gave his approval, but added that, in the first instance, only a year's Ieave be taken from Mazaahirul Uloom and if the stay at Nizamuddin proved useful and it was decided to settle down there permanently, he could resign at any time.
But before Maulana. Muhammad Ilyas could move to Nizamuddin, he was suddenly taken ill with pleurisy and went to Kandhla where his condition worsened. One night his illness took such a grave turn that all hope was lost. The pulse sank and the body became cold, but God had to take some work from him. unexpectedly, he began to improve, and, in a few days, was able to leave the bed.
On regaining health, Maulana came to Nizamuddin from Kandhla. In those days, there was no habitation in that part of Nizamuddin, and, adjoining the mosque, there was a thick growth of trees and underbrush. Maulana Ihtishamul Hasan who, in his childhood, had come to live, for sometime, with Maulana Mohammad Ilyas tells that "I used to go out and stand in the hope of seeing 'a human face. When anyone appeared, I felt so happy as if someone had given me a precious gift."
A small pucca (built of bricks) mosque, a shed, a living apartment, a small settlement of the attendants of the tomb to the south of it, and a few Mewati and non-Mewati students that as all that formed the world of the mosque and the Madrassa.
The resources of the Madrassa were so meager that, some times, they had to starve, but. the Maulana bore it all with a cheerful heart. Occasionally, be would say plainly, that there was nothing to eat. Whoever wanted to stay' might stay and whoever wanted to go might go and make his arrangement elsewhere. The moral and spiritual training the students were receiving, however, was such that none of them. was willing to leave. Often, they would live on wild fruits. The scholars themselves brought wood from the forest to prepare the chappati (flat bread) which they ate with chutney (pickle) The extreme poverty made no impression on the Maulana. What worried him was the prospect of abundance and prosperity which, he was sure, was going to open up, according to the practice of the Lord, after the phase of trial and tribulation.
The outward appearance of the Madrassa held no interest for the Maulana. He was supremely unconcerned with it. Once, during his absence, some residential quarters were built for its staff through the efforts of Haji Abdur Rahman, an old friend of his and an ex-student of the Madrassa, which made the Maulana so angry that he did not speak to him for a long time. The Maulana remarked that the real thing was education, and, referring to a certain Madrassa, said that its building had become pucca, but the standard of education had gone down.
Once a prominent merchant of Delhi begged the Maulana to supplicate to the Lord for him in a very important matter, and presented him a purse. The Maulana agreed to pray on his behalf, but declined to accept the' money. Haji Abdur Rahman, however, took it in view of the chronic financial difficulties of the Madrassa, but the Maulana had no peace until he had it returned. He used to impress upon Haji Abdur Rahrnan that the work of faith was not carried out with motley, otherwise much wealth would have been granted to the holy Prophet
Worshipfulness Maulana Mohamrnad Ilyas, exclusively, kept himself occupied with prayers and other spiritual exertions in those days. He had inherited the inclination for it from his ancestors which blossomed up during the stay at Nizamuddin. He sought solitude and carried out vigorous exercises for the purification of the soul. According to Haji Abdur Rahman, the Maulana remained in seclusion for long hours at the gate of Arab Sara which was the favorite place of worship of Hazrat Nizmuddin Aulia, and was situated to he north of Humayun's tomb. near the mausoleum of Abdur Rahim Khan Khana and the grave of Syed Nur Mohammad Badaynni, the spiritual mentor of Mazhar jan-i-Janan. Usually, his mid-day meal was sent there while the evening meal he took at home, He offered the five daily prayers in congregation. Haji Abdur Rahman and his fellow students used to go to the gate to form the congregation, and for their lessons, they, sometimes, went there, and, some times, the Maulana himself came to Chukkar Wali Masjid.
The Maulana performed the Wuzu (abulation) and offered two Rak'ats of Namaz before commencing the lesson of the Traditions, and remarked that the claim of the Traditions was even greater. He did not talk to anyone, however important, while teaching the Traditions, nor ever complained if the meal came late from Nizamuddin, nor found fault with food.
Interest in teaching
The Maulana took keen interest in his pupils and personally taught all the subjects, elementary as well as advanced. Sometimes, he had as many as eighty students directly under his instruction, and took the class of Mustadrak_i_Haakim before Fajr.
The main emphasis in his method of teaching was on the application of mind. He wanted the students to come thoroughly prepared. The Maulana did not follow the general syllabus of the Madrassas in the selection of books and many books that were but prescribed in the other Madrassas were taught at Nizamuddin He thought of new ways to stimulate the students and develop the faculties of imagination and understanding in them.
Beginnings of the movement of Religious Reform in Meewat
The area to the south of Delhi where the Meos have been settled from the olden days is called Mewat, Presently, it includes the Gurgaon district of the Punjab, the native states of Alwar and Bharatpur and the district of Mathura of the United Provinces. Like all other regions, its boundaries, too, have been changing from time to time and the dimensions of the old Mewat must have been different from what they are now.
The English historians hold that the Meos do not come from the Aryan stock, but are related to the non-Aryan races of ancient India. Their history, thus, dates far back than that of the Rajput families of Aryan blood. According to them, the Khanzadas (lowest order of Mughal nobility) of Mewat, however, belong to the same ethnic group as the Rajputs, and, in the Persian history books, wherever the word 'Mewati' occurs, it denotes the very Khanzadas. We, further, learn from Ain-i-Akbari that the Jatau Rajputs came to be known as Mewatis on embracing Islam.
In the annals of Firoz Shahi dynasty, Mewat is mentioned, for the first time, in the memoirs of Shamsuddin Al-timash. The Mewatis had become very troublesome during the early days of the Muslim Kingdom of Delhi. Aided by the long range of thick forests that extended up to Delhi, they used to raid it frequently and had become such a terror that the gates of the capital were shut at sunset. Still, they managed to enter the town in the night in search of plunder. Ghayasuddin Balban, thereupon, dispatched a strong military force against the Mewatis, killing a large number of them. Outposts manned by the Afghan soldiers were set up in Delhi, the surrounding forests were cut down and the land was brought under cultivation. Mewat, thereafter, remained in oblivion for about a hundred years
After the long lull, the Mewati adventuress, again, became active and started harassing the people of Delhi which forced the authorities to take punitive action against them from time to time. The names of Bahadur Nahir and his successors are, particularly, mentioned in the chronicles in this connection. They succeeded in establishing the Kingdom of Mewat which was, later, reduced to a Jagir (a feudal estate) by the rulers of Delhi.
Another prominent Mewatis was Lakhan Pal who brought the whole of Mewat and its outlying territory under his domination. He embraced Islam during die reign of Firoz Shah.
Moral and religious condition
Owing to the negligence of the Muslims religious teachers, the moral arid religious condition of the Mewatis had sunk so low that there was little to distinguish between their beliefs and practices and wholesale apostasy. Even non-Muslim historians have commented at length on their estrangement with Islam, as the following extract from the Alwar Gazetteer of 1878, written by Major Powlett, will show:
"All the Meos are, now, Muslims, but only in name. Their village deities are the same as those of the Hindu landlords, and they celebrate several Hindu festivals. Holi is a season of special rejoicing among the Mewatis and they observe it like their own festivals, such as, Moharrum, 'Id and Shab-i-Barat. The same is the case with Janam Ashtami, Dussehra and Diwali, The Meos engage the services of the Brahmins to fix the dates of marriages. They have Hindu names, with the exception of the word 'Ram', and their last name, often, is 'Singh', though not as frequently as 'Khan'. Like Ahirs and Gujars, the Mewatis, too, observe Amawas as a holiday on which they abstain from work. When they build a well, they begin with the construction of a parapet in the name of Beeriyi or Hanuman, but when it comes to pillage, they do not show much reverence to the Hindu temples and other places of religious significance. If, on such an occasion, their attention is drawn to the sanctity of these establishments, they, unhesitatingly, says, 'You are "Does" and we are "Meos".' Meos are, largely, ignorant of their faith, i. e., Islam. Very few of them know the Kalima,' and fewer still observe Namaz regularly. About the hours and rules of namaz, their ignorance is complete. This is the state of the Meos of Alwar. In the British territory of Gurgaon, the position is a little better because of the Madrassas. In some parts of Alwar, also, where the mosques have been built, the religious duties are observed to some extent. A few of them know the Kalima and offer up namaz and an attachment for the Madrassas, also, is found among them. As we have seen earlier, the initial ceremonies of marriage are performed by the Brahmins, but the real ceremony (of nikah) is performed by the Qazi. Men wear dhoti and loin-cloth. The pajamas are not worn at all. Their dress, thus, is wholly Hinduised. Even ornaments of gold are worn by men."
At another place, Major Powlett writes:
"The Meos are half-Hindu by their habits. Mosques are rarely to be seen in their villages. There are only eight mosques in the fifty villages of the tehsil of Tijarah. Leaving aside the temples, the places of worship of the Meos are very much similar to those of their Hindu neighbors. These are known, for instance as Paanch Peera, Bhaisa and Chahand Chahand or Khera Deo is consecrated to the service of Maha Davi where animals are offered as a sacrifice. In Shah-i-Barat, the banner of Syed Salar Masud Ghazi is worishipped in all Meo villages."
Similarly, ii the Gazetteer of Gtrgaon (1910), it is stated that ''the Meos, still, are a very loose and careless type of Muslims. They share most of tile customs of the neighboring community specially those which possess an element of fun and merriment . Their basic rule seems to be to observe the religious celebrations of both the communities and disregard the religious duties of either. Lately, some religious teachers have appeared in Mewat and a few Meos have started to keep the fasts of Ramzan and to build mosques in their villages and observe namaz. Their women, too, have taken to wearing Pyjamas instead of the Hindu Chagras. All these are the signs of religious awakening."
The Gazetteer of Bharatpur, again, says:
"The customs of Meos are a mixture of Hindu and Muslim customs. They observe circumcision, perform nikah and bury their dead. They make a pilgrimage to the tomb of Syed Salar Masud Giiazj at Bahraich, and attach a great importance to the vow taken under his banner, and consider it a religious duty to fulfill it. They, also, visit the other shrines of India, but do not perform the Hajj. Among the Hindu festivals, they celebrate Holi antI Diwali. They do not marry in the family or in their own branch or subdivision of the clan, girls do not have a share in ancestral property, and they give mixed Hindu and Muslim names to their children. They are, wholly, illiterate and have a fair number of bards and minstrels among them whom they pay liberally. Many quatrains on the themes of agriculture and rural life are popular which they love to recite. Their speech is rough arid coarse, and the manner of addressing both men and women is the same. Intoxicants are widely in use. They are extremely weak of faith and highly superstitious, and believe in omens and auguries. Both male and female dresses are Hinduised. In the olden days, infanticide was prevalent, but now it has been given up. Highway robbery and pillage had been' their traditional profession, but they have been reformed lately. They. however, are still notorious ifor cattle-ifting.'
Moral virtues
All the same, the Meos are distinguished for some excellent moral qualities and their vices and weaknesses are in the nature of the evil ways and practices that become a part of the moral and social pattern of brave and adventurous races as a result of want of education, isolation from the civilized world and indifference towards religion. These were rampant even among the Arabs during the Age of Ignorance. Natural talents and capabilities had taken a wrong turn owing to the perversity of the environment. Chivalry had degenerated into banditry, manliness had found expression in mutual warfare and bloodshed, sense of pride and self-respect, with no better purpose to serve, had sought fulfillment in the defense of imaginary standards of honor and renown, and high mindedness, for its display, had adopted the path of pomp and flourish on petty occasions in the family or clan. In brief, God-given gifts of mind and character were being put to unworthy use, otherwise there was no dearth of virtue and merit among the Meos,
Rugged simplicity, hardihood and firmness of purpose were the chief characteristics of the Mewatis in which they were far superior to the urban Muslim population. It was on account of these qualities that in spite of having drifted so far away from Islam, the floodtide of Apostasy could not submerge the territory of Mewat even in the darkest period of its history.
For centuries the Maos had been living within the shell of their ignorance keeping by themselves and isolated from the outside world. A parallel can scarcely he found in the Indian history of a community so large and living in such a close proximity to the central seat of power and yet remaining so obscure and isolated. An advantage of it, however, was that the energies of the Mewatis, on the whole, remained conserved, the soil remained virgin while the deplorable habits and customs and superstitious belief and practices were, so to speak, like the weeds and scrubs growing on an uncultivated land. The Meos, in the 20th Century, were very much like the Arabs in the Age of Perversion
Beginnings As we have seen, contact with the Mewatis was established during the lifetime of Maulana Mohammad lsmail. It was not a chance occurrence, but an act of destiny that Maulana Mohammad Ismail came to live in Basti Nizamuddin which was the gateway of Mewat, and much before the arrival of Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, seeds of loyalty and devotion of his. family had been sown on its soil.
When the followers of Maulana Mohammad Ismail and Maulana Mohammad came to know that their true successor, the son of Maulana Mohammad Ismail and the brother of Maulana Mohammad had come to live at Nizamuddin they, again, started coming to it and requested Maulana Mohammad Ilyas for a visit so that the old suppliants of his family had an opportunity to renew the ties of fealty and spiritual allegiance.
Real remedy
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas felt that the only Way to the religious reform and correction of the Mewatis was promotion of religious knowledge and familiarization with the rules and principles of the Shariat.
Maulana Mohammad ismail, and, after him, Maulana Mohammad had adopted the same method. They used to keep the Mewati children with them and educate them in their Madrassa, and, then, send them back to Mewat to carry on the work of reform and guidance, and what little religious awareness was found there was owing to the efforts of these pioneers.
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas went a step ahead and decided to establish Maktabs and Madrassas in Mewat itself so that the influence of Faith could spread to a wider area and the pace of change was accelerated.
Stipulation The Maulana knew what was, commonly, meant by inviting a spirtua! mentor or his successor to their place by his disciples and admirers, and he was not willing to go to Mewat only to fulfill the formalities of attending the dinner given in his honor delivering a few sermons and giving good counsel. He wanted to make sure before undertaking the trip, that some real advance would be made, as a result of his visit, towards bringing the Meos closer to Islam and improving their moral condition, arid, during those days, the setting up of Maktabs and Madrassas in Mewat appeared to him to be the most effective step in that direction. H had, thus, made it clear that he would accept the invitation only on the condition that they promised to establish Maktabs in their territory.
For the Mewatis, however, no undertaking could be harder to give. They considered the establishment of Maktabs next to impossible for the simple reason that no one would be sending his children to them, and, thus, depriving himself of their contribution to the family income as daily wage-earners. The enthusiasm of those who came to invite quickly subsided as they heard of the stipulation. In desperation, however, a Mewati, finally, made the promise, leaving the rest to God
Establishment of Maktabs
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, accordingly, went to Mewat and demanded the fulfillment of the promise. After great persuasion, the beginning was made and the first Maktab was established.
The Maulana used to tell the Mawatis, "Give me the pupils, I will provide the money." The Meos who were, mainly, farmers, could not easily reconcile themselves to the position that their children applied themselves to reading and writing and stopped working in the fields or looking after the cattle. It took a lot of tact and perseverance to bring them round to it.
Ten Maktabs were opened during that visit. Once the ice was broken, the progress was easy. Sometimes, several Maktabs were opened in a day till, within a few years, hundreds of such schools were functioning in Mewat.
The Maulana had not undertaken the service of Faith as a "national cause", the burden of providing the funds for which fell wholly upon the nation or the community, but as a personal affair and felt no hesitation in spending all he had on it. He believed that a person should perform a religious task as his own and expend his time and money freely in its way.
Once a person presented a purse to him with the request that he used it, exclusively, for his own needs. The Maulana replied, "If we do not regard Allah's work our own, how can we claim to be His bondmen ?" With a sigh, he added, "Alas! We are not the just appreciators of the sacred Prophet. We do not know his true worth."
This was the Maulana's rule of life. First of all, he spent from his own pocket on the religious endeavor he had launched in Mewat, and, then, alone, would accept help from others.
Passing Away
Due to Maulana Mohammad Ilyas (RA)'s sincerity and hard work the work of Tableegh began to spread and Jamaats started to visit all parts of the sub-continent within his life time. Hazrat Maulana Syed Suleiman Nadwi (RA) remarks, " Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Ilyas (RA) with his simplicity and dedication to the correct principles of Dawat (invitation) quietly turned the Mewatees into sincere and pious Muslims over a twenty five years and made them the envy of even the Muslims belonging to traditional religious families.
His hard word bore fruit in his life and he raised thousands of dedicated Muslims who continued on the path of Dawat even after his passing away.
Finally the humble, physically weak and thin Maulana passed away in 1324 Hijra leaving behind not one or two but thousands to take up his cause and continue on the path of reformation.
Source: Taken (with Thanks) from www.central-mosque.com

Biography of Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhlavi, Second Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat (RA)

Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf Al-Kandhlawi was born on 25 Jumada I, 1335 H, corresponding to 20 March 1917 at Kandahla in India. His family was well-known for its Islamic scholarship and total devotion...
His father, Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas Al-Kandhlawi (d. 1943), played an important role in the reform movement led by two scholars, Ahmad ibn Irfan and Muhammad Ismaeel, both of whom were to be martyrs. The reform movement aimed to remove all deviation from people's beliefs and return them to the pure Islamic faith. Several scholars in his family studied under Sheikh Abd Al-Azeez ibn Ahmad ibn Abd Al-Raheem Al-Dahlawi, a highly reputable scholar of Hadith. Indeed the family produced a long line of famous scholars who were devoted to the study of Hadith and Fiqh, as well as other Islamic studies.
Paternal lineage:
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf son of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas son of Maulana Muhammad Ismail son of Shaikh Ghulam Hussein son of Hakim Karim Baksh son of Hakeem Ghulam Mohi-uddin son of Maulana Muhammad Sajid son of Maulana Muhammad Faiz son of Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Sharif son of Maulana Hakim Muhammad Ashraf son of Shaikh Jamal Muhammad Shah son of Shaikh Noor Muhammad son of Shaikh Baha-uddin Shah son of Maulana Shaikh Muhammad son of Shaikh Muhammad Fazil son of Shaikh Qutb Shah.
Maternal lineage:
His mother daughter of Maulvi Rauful Hasan son of Maulana Zia-ul-Hasan son of Maulana Noorul Hasan son of Maulana Abul Hasan son of Mufti Ilahi Baksh son of Maulana Shaikhul Islam son of Hakim Qutbuddin son of Hakim Abdul Qadir son of Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Sharif son of Maulana Hakim Muhammad Ashraf son of Shaikh Jamal Muhammad Shah son of Shaikh Noor Muhammad son of Shaikh Baha-uddin Shah son of Maulana Shaikh Muhammad son of Shaikh Muhammad Fazil son of Shaikh Qutb Shah
The paternal and maternal families of Maulana Yusuf Saheb come together in Hakeem Muhammad Sharif. Then the family traces their lineage back to Ameerul Mumineen Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allahu Anhu). These two families were residing in the villages of Kandhala and Jinhjana. They were famous for their religiousness, knowledge and piety.
Childhood & Early Education:
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Saheb was born in such an environment in which the attainment of piety was the purpose of one and all. The whole family was ingrained with spirituality and nearness to Allah. It was a family of Scholars, Huffaz, and Soofia. Memorizing the Quran had been the common practice of all men and women of this noble family. The women of the house used to keep themselves busy in the recitation of the Quran, optional prayer, studying of religious books and rememberance of Allah. Inside the family, there were numerous renowned scholars.
Scholars such as Maulana Muhammad Saheb, Maulana Muhammad Yahya, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, Maulana Muhammad Ihtishamul Hasan, Maulana Muhammad Zakariyyah were all members of this outstanding family in which Maulana Yusuf Saheb was nurtured in.
As a young boy, Muhammad Yusuf Al-Kandhlawi showed very early promise. Indeed, he completed the memorization of the Qur'an when he was only 10 years of age. He then completed his primary education and studied Hadith, starting with the six main authentic collections, under his father. He then undertook a more specialized study of Hadith under the distinguished scholars of Mazahir Al-Uloom, a specialized school which placed particular emphasis on the study of Hadith, and trained its students in the art of Islamic advocacy. During his attendance at this school he particularly benefited from studying under his cousin, Sheikh Muhammad Zakariya Al-Kandhlawi, one of the top scholars of Hadith in the Muslim world in the twentieth century. He graduated from this school at the age of 20, in 1355 H.
"The lap of the mother is the child's first madrassa (school)." This saying is very true, training of the children at home forms the foundation of their beliefs, character and personality. The training and education Maulana Yusuf Saheb had at home was similar to that of the training the Muslim women in the time of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) used to give to their children. Each women of that household was ready to give her son for the work of Rasulullah (SAW). The stories of the companions of Rasulullah (SAW) had replaced the fairy tales in those homes. The lesson of the heroic freedom movement of Maulana Syed Ahmed Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed had become so common in those homes, that when Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi wrote the detailed biography of Hazrat Syed Ahmed Shaheed, Maulana Ilyas Saheb did not find anything new in that biography.
Maulana Yusuf Saheb memorized the Quran at the age of ten from Hafiz Imam Khan Mewati. It was a blessing and a bounty of Allah on Maulana Yusuf Saheb that right from the very beginning the elders of that time had great concern and interest in him. Maulana Syed Ahmed Saheb Faizabadi, the elder brother of Hazrat Maulana Syed Hussein Ahmed Madni, sent an honorary degree to Maulana Yusuf Saheb commemorating his memorization of the Quran.
Hazrat Maulana Khaleel Ahmed Saheb Saharanpuri, who is the Khalifah of Hazrat Maulana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi and the Sheikh of Hazrat Maulana Ilyas Saheb and Maulana Zakariyya Saheb had great affection for the young Maulana Yusuf Saheb. Although, Maulana Yusuf Saheb was about ten years at the time of Hazrat Saharanpuri's death, they had still shared tremendous love. Maulana Yusuf Saheb would call Hazrat Saharanpuri as "abba" (father in Urdu). Once, Maulana Yusuf Saheb rejected eating the bread cooked by the servant of Hazrat Saharanpuri and insisted on eating bread baked by Hazrat Saharanpuri himself. Hazrat Saharanpuri then went in the kitchen and cooked the bread with his own hands and fed Maulana Yusuf with his own hands as well.
Dedication to Tableegh & Arabs:
It was his father, Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas Al-Kandhlawi, who established an organization dedicated to Islamic advocacy. Its members devote a good portion of their time to travel and educating Muslim people in their faith, trying also to explain Islam to others. This organization is well known as Tableegh, or Jama'at Al-Tableegh, with members in many countries of the world. An important aspect of this organization is that it does not concern itself with politics in any way. It is dedicated to Islamic propagation and advocacy.
Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf Al-Kandhlawi began his scholarly career in teaching and writing. However, after consulting several scholars and figures of the Tableegh, his father entrusted to him the leadership of Tableegh as he sensed his approaching death. Al-Kandhlawi dedicated himself to this task which practically filled every day of his life. He traveled all over the Indian Subcontinent giving lectures and speeches and holding circles advocating a return to the pure faith of Islam, which should be implemented in people's life.
Al-Kandhlawi believed that the Arabs must always take the leading role in Islamic advocacy, because they were the people chosen by God for this task as He revealed His final message in their language. Hence he was keen to spread his efforts and the Tableegh work to Arab countries.
He also realized that the best centers to spread this work were Makkah and Madinah, regularly visited by pilgrims from all over the Muslim world.
Therefore, he gave particular attention to educating Indian and Pakistani pilgrims, speaking to them at the ports of Bombay and Karachi, before embarking on their journey.
He would teach them the proper way of performing their pilgrimage rituals, and educate them in the need for Islamic advocacy. Thus, he was able to form groups of advocates from the pilgrims. These groups undertook the task of speaking to other pilgrims in the Grand Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. This generated interest among pilgrims of other countries who approached al-Kandhlawi to send groups to their areas. He responded to their requests and the Tableegh work began to take roots in several Arab countries.
Al-Kandhlawi traveled a great deal to promote the Tableegh work of Islamic advocacy. He made numerous trips to Pakistan where he held heavily attended functions, which contributed to the Tableegh organization taking strong roots in that country. His first pilgrimage was in the company of his father, before he took over the Tableegh. In his second pilgrimage, undertaken in 1374 H, 1954, in the company of Sheikh Hussain Ahmad Madani, a famous Hadith scholar, he met many Saudi scholars and discussed with them the issues and problems of Islamic advocacy and propagation. He made his final pilgrimage one year before his death, in 1383, where he held an endless series of meetings with scholars from all over the Muslim world, and was keen to meet as many Saudi scholars as possible.
Scholarly Work:
Despite his total dedication to the Tableegh work, which took much of his time, Al-Kandhlawi was able to write and his writings reflect his broad knowledge, particularly in Hadith and in the history of the Prophet and his companions. Two books feature more prominently among his writings. The first is Amani Al-Ahbar Fi Sharh Ma'ani Al-Athar, which is an annotation of a major work by Imam Ahmad Al-Tahawi, a famous Egyptian scholar who lived much earlier. The book is in four large volumes.
However, his book Hayat Al-Sahabah, which may be translated as The Prophet's Companions' Way of Life, has earned wide acclaim and become essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the Islamic way of life or to explain Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims. In this book, Al-Kandhlawi collects reports mentioned in books of Hadith, history and biographies about the Prophet himself and his companions.
It highlights the aspects related to Islamic propagation and advocacy. It thus reflects life at the time of the Prophet's companions, and shows their manners, feelings and thoughts in different situations. The book was published in Arabic in three volumes many times by different publishers. It has more recently been published, with annotation, in four large volumes, with two introductions by two highly reputable scholars, Syed Abu Al-Hasan Ali Nadwi, and Sheikh Abd Al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah.
Passing Away:
In 1965, Al-Kandhlawi made a long trip to Pakistan, where he traveled throughout the country, giving a long series of lectures and speeches, and holding a continuous series of meetings, with people from all strata of Pakistani society. Although he was not feeling well at the start of his trip, he continued with his heavy schedule, paying little attention to his deteriorating condition. On the final day of his trip, he was scheduled to give a major speech in Lahore, and although he was too ill to give such a speech, he felt that he could not let people down.
But the speech took its toll of his health. On finishing it, he was immediately taken to hospital, but he died on his way there, at the age of 48. His body was airlifted at night to Delhi, where his funeral was attended by tens of thousands of mourners. May God shower His mercy on him.
Source: Taken (with Thanks) from www.central-mosque.com

Biography of Maulana Inaamul Hasan, Third Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat (RA)

When Allah Ta'aala favors some one He makes unseen arrangements for all the necessary things. The learned say that there are two things which play an important role in making a person's personality...
One of the two things is one's family because the family traditions and virtues are transmitted from one generation to another. This is the probable reason why the prophets were born in the noblest of families only. Imaam Bukhari has quoted a narration in which the Caesar of the Roman empire said (He knew it from the ancient divine scriptures) that prophets were always born in the in the noblest families of their communities .The second thing that builds an important role in building a person's character is the child's environment, surroundings, the birth place and its growth as these become part of the person's whole life and personality.
Hadrat Maulana Inaamul Hasan (RA) was given both of these to a high degree. Allah Ta'aala selected a noble and high Siddiqui family which was blessed with the virtues of religious knowledge, piety, sincerity, Taqwa etc. from their great ancestor Hadrat Abu-Bakr (RA) whose legacy came down from one generation to another. Several great personalities were born with special characteristics and virtues which cannot be easily understood by the people of our times. Hadrat Maulana Sayyed Abul Hasan Nadwi (Ali Mian) (RA) says about this family that not only males but also the females of this family were models of piety. They remained busy in divine worship, zikr, Tasbeeh, and Tilaawat day and night as a daily pattern of their lives. The ladies busied themselves in non-obligatory (Nawaafil) prayers individually and prayed their Taraweeh Salat behind the male members of the family. During the month of Ramadhaan there used to be a wonderful home atmosphere. The recital of the holy Quraan used to be continuous day and night time during the whole month. The ladies had so much enthusiasm that tilaawat was their great pleasure. Their Salaat was such that they remained completely unaware of happenings in their houses. (Hadrat Maulana Ilyas and his Dini Dawat).
Hadrat Qazi Ziyaa'uddin Sanami (RA) a contemporary of Hadrat Khwaaja Nizaamuddin Awliya (RA) was Hadratji's ancestor. Maulana Hakim Muhammad Ashraf Jhanjhanawi (RA) was also one of his ancestors. He was famous for miracles (Karaamat), Ilm, fadl Taqwa and Ma'arifat. Ulama of his days acknowledged his kamal and fadl. A great aalim (Islamic scholar) Allama Abdul Hakim Sialkoti (RA) said that he did not believe in Qudusi persons but I came to know that such persons do exist in this world after having discussion with him in a meeting. On getting an unknown sign Maulana Hakim Muhammad Ashraf went out in search of a murshid (a spiritual Sage- teacher), met such a Buzrug of the Qadiriyyah order of Tasawwuf. He was greatly impressed with what he saw and heard. He took the Bait (an oath of allegiance) and became engrossed in wird, wazaa'if, zikr, azkaar and mujaahida (various activities of divine remembrance and meditation). After two years his murshid asked him to go to another Buzrug. After some time he was sent to yet another who informed him that he (Maulana Hakim Muhammad Ashraf) had reached the final stage (of Tasawwuf) so he was told to go back to his native place and advised that if he wished to declare his spiritual status he should take bait and give guidance to the people, but if he wished to conceal it from the people he should remain busy in teaching. He replied that he preferred to devote himself to the service of the Ilme- Shariah (knowledge of the Islamic Jurisprudence). So the Buzrug made Du'aa that the zaaheri (the publicly known) Ilm (knowledge) of Islamic Shariah would remain in his family. After getting the khilaafat (spiritual authority) he returned to his native place and busied himself in obtaining and transmitting the knowledge (Ilme-deen) of the Shariah.
Maulana Muhammad Ashraf (RA) had two sons, Maulana Muhammad Shareef (RA) and Abdul Muqtadir (RA) . The former followed the footsteps of his father in Ilm, Fadl, ma'aarif. Mulana Ihtisaamul Hasan Kandhalwi writes in his kitaab "Halat-e-Mashaa'ikh-e-khandalah", Hadrat Maulana Ashraf was told by his Pir-murshid that Ilm of Shariah would remain in his children till the day of judgement (Qiyaamah). This was evident first of all in Maulana Muhammad Shareef (RA). Since then this bashaarat has remained in his progeny of eleven generations till this day. Insha'allah this Ilme-shariah will remain in in every generation of his family till the last day.
Maulana Hakim Muhammad Shareef (RA) had two sons. One son Maulana Muhammad Faiz (RA) lived in Jhanjhana Some great scholars like Maulana Isma'eel Khandalwi (RA), Maulana Muhammad Yahya Kandalwi (RA) and his sons Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakaria (RA), his brother the pioneer (Baani) of Tabligh Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) and his son Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Kandalwi (RA) were born in his family. The second son of Maulana Hakim Muhammad Shareef (RA) was Maulana Hakim Abdul Qadir (RA) who lived in Kandhala. Many great religious scholars were born in this family e.g. Mufti Ilaahi Bakhsh Kandhawi (RA), his nephew Maulana Mufti Muzaffar Husain Kandalwi (RA) and others. Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) is also from the same family. Jhanjhana and Kandalwi family branches get together in Maulana Muhammad Shareef (RA). Maulana Mufti Elahi Bakhsh (RA) was very famous in his family. He was one of the very great disciples of Shah Abdul Aziz Dehelvi (RA). He was a famous author, Mufti of his age. His "takmilo" on the mathnawi of Maulana Rumi (RA) is well known, his son Maulana Abul Hasan (RA) was also a great Aalim, (Islamic scholar) as well as a famous physician (Hakim). He had a high position in the matter of piety (taqwa). His son Noorul Hasan (RA) was also a great alim. Sir Sayyed Ahmed Khan, the founder of the Aligarh College was his student. His son Zahurul Hasan (RA) and his son Hakim Riyazul Hasan (RA) were great scholars and physicians. Maulana Hakim Raziyul Hasan (RA) studied the Hadith from Maulana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi (RA). His son Maulana Ikramul Hasan (RA) was the maternal nephew of Maulana Ilyaas (RA). Ikraamul Hasan (RA) got religious education, and then he obtained B.A. and L.L.B. degrees from the Aligarh University. He then for some time had law practice in the Kerana court. After giving up the lawyer's profession, he remained in the service of Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakaria (RA) whose companionship and the service of Madressah Mazaahir Uloom became the aim of his life. Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) loved him very much. He rendered a great deal of help in nursing Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) in his last illness. Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) was his son.
Hadrat In'aamul Hasan (RA) was born in the town of Kandhla., Dist Muzaffar Nagar, U.P., India on the 18th Jammadul Oola 1336 A.H. i.e. 20th February, 1918 C.E. Famous Hafez Mangtu taught him Hifzul Quraan. He learnt Persian up to Boston of Sheikh Saadi (RA) from his maternal grandfather Abdul Hamid (RA) and received Arabic based education from Mizan-Munshaeb to ShahreJami from Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) at Nizaamuddin Kaashiful Uloom. When Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas went for Haj in 1451 A.H., he and Maulana Yusuf (RA) were given admission in Madressa Mazaahirul Uloom Saharanpur. He learnt Hidaya from Maulana Zakaria (RA) and Mebzi from Maulana Jameel Ahmed Thanvi. When Maulana Ilyaas returned from Haj, In'aamul Hasan went back to Basti Hadrat Nizaamuddin where he studied Mishkaat from Maulana Ilyaas (RA) and Jalaalain from Ihtisaamul Hasan Kandhalwi (RA).
He and Maulana Yusuf (RA) were companions of studies. He was admitted again in Mazzahir Uloom, Saharanpur where Maulana Abdul Latif taught him Bukhari Sharif, Maulana A. Rahmaan Kamilpuri taught him Tirmidhi Sharif, Maulana Manzoor Ahmed (RA) taught him Muslim Sharif and Maulana Muhammad Zakaria (RA) taught him Abu Dawood (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood are the famous Hadith literature). His companion in Hadith studies was Maulana Muhammad Yusuf (RA).
It is narrated that both of them had made an arrangement to study at night by turn. One would study till mid-night, prepare tea for the other and wake him up and then go to bed. Then the other would study till Fajr prayer and wake the one whowas still sleeping. Both of them took turns every other day (life story of Hadrat Maulana Yusuf (RA). Page 170- 171)Before he could complete his studies due to Maulana Yusuf's (RA) illness he had to leave Mazaahir Uloom and return to Basti Hazrat Nizaamuddeen. He studied Ibn Majah, Nasa'ee, Tahawi and Mustadrake Haakim (compilations of Hadith) from Maulana Ilyaas (RA) and thus completed his religious education.
As his paternal grandfather Maulana Al-Haj Hakim Raziyul Hasan (RA) wished Hadrat In'aamul Hasan (RA) was engaged for marriage with the second daughter of Maulana Muhammad Zakaria (RA). During his boyhood, Maulana Yusuf (RA) was engaged with marriage to the eldest daughter of Hadrat Shaikhul Hadith (RA). On the 3rd Muharram, 1354 Hegira the annual Jalsa (gathering) of the Mazaahirul Uloom was held. At that time of the Jalsa Maulana Ilyaas (RA) expressed his wish to Shaikhul Hadith (RA) that it would be better if the Nikaah ceremony of both Yusuf and In'aamul hasan should be performed in the Jalsa though there was no preparation for it. The Shaikhul Hadith (RA) readily accepted it. When he was leaving for the jalsa he then informed his wife about it. She said politely that if she had been informed of it she would have got a pair of clothes ready for their daughters. Hearing this he remarked that if he had known that their daughters were naked (in dire need of clothes), he would have been informed earlier. (Our present day Muslim society should follow our elders as the leaders of the community and learn a lesson from this incident). Hadrat Shaikhul Islam Maulana Sayyed Hussain Ahmed Madani (RA) performed the Nikaah ceremony which was attended by the religious elders of the day. Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) went together with Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) for his first Haj-pilgrimage to Mecca in 1356 hegira. Maulana Yusuf (RA) and Maulana Ihtisaamul Hasan were with them. They made the Haj journey from Karachi by steamer. During this journey they did the Tabligh. The Arabs praised their effort and promised them help. During this journey he received several good tidings (Bashaarat) about the tabligh mission. Then he returned home. For a long period Maulana In'aamul Hasan remained ill. He lived in his native place kandhla during this illness. During this period, he was engaged in meditation ( mujahidha), also in the path of Suluk(sufism). Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) died on the 21st Rajab 1363A.H. on 23rd July, 1944 C.E. It was a Thursday morning. Two days before his death he named six persons from among his special people as his khalifas. Hadrat Maulana In'aamul Hasan was among these six people. After the death of Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA), the religious elders held consultation with Maulana Shah Abdul Qadir Raipuri (RA), maulana Fakhruddin (RA) and Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakaria (RA) and decided that Maulana Yusuf (RA) should be the successor of Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) as the Amir (leader) of the Tabligh Jamaat. Hadrat Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) heartily welcomed the decision and became such a helper and advisor of Maulana Yusuf (RA) that he was called the right hand of Maulana Yusuf (RA). He was the brain of the Tabilgh jamaat. He continued it till the last moment of the life of Maulana Yusuf (RA)with complete support and he played the main role in the various activities of of the Tablighi centre (markaz) of Nizaamuddin. Besides he discharged the responsibilities of Mohtamim (Administrator) of madressah Kaashiful Uloom even during the time of Maulana Yusuf (RA) and he did the teachings as well. He taught various branches of Islamic Knowledge, for several years he taught Bukhari Sharif. He was well versed in the Ilme-Hadith (knowledge of the traditions of Nabi sw. Hadrat Shaikhul Hadith included some of his narrations in the marginal notes of his kitaab "Lami'uddarri".Since boyhood Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) had a reserved nature. He was quiet. He avoided unnecessary talk. He remained busy with his own work. He would not see anyone unless it was necessary. He disliked meeting people and their companionship passing time in talk. He strictly observed his routine. He talked briefly and to the point. When necessary he replied to questions very effectively. He was fair skinned. He was active. He had a very active mind. He could understand intricacies very well. He dressed himself in fine and clean clothes. His food was limited as necessary. He could spare enough time for reading because he observed limit in meeting the people and perfect punctuality. He was fond of reading. He passed most of his leisure in studying books. He had an unique collection of books on various branches of knowledge in his own library.
When Hadrat (RA) was writing Hayaatus-Sahaba and Amanil-Ahbar, he thought deeply about problems that would arise and search for information in the books. Even then if he could not get the necessary information he used to send Maulana Abdullah Taariq (RA) to get the necessary information from Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA). Maulana Abdullah Taariq (RA) says that it mostly happened that Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) would open a book and point out the required information exactly in its place or his active mind would give the right information for the solution to the problem. Quickly he would rise up, pick up the book from the cupboard and hand it over saying, "Go and show it to Maulana Yusuf (RA).
One of his special Khaadim's (servants) gives the information that Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) studied the whole volume of "Fatwa Alamgiri" from the beginning to the end completely twice. From this we can get an insight into his enthusiasm and untiring efforts for the search of knowledge. Several of the Mufties of these days don't have this honor. He has written several explanatory notes of research in the manuscript of "Tarajimul Abwab" of the Bukhari Sharif. This shows his scholarship and versatility of the traditions of the holy Prophet (SAW).
The second Amir of the Tablighi Jamaat Maulana Yusuf (RA) died on Friday 29th Zilqaad, 1384 Hegira i.e. 2nd April 1965 C.E. in Lahore, Pakistan. An important problem arose, who could be the successor? It was not only important but also delicate. It was not an easy matter. There was a great need of a person who had a great attachment for the Tablighi mission with mind and heart; and who had remained in the company of the late Amir in the markaz as well as in the journey. Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) was the most likely choice because he was the companion of Maulana Yusuf (RA) from their young days and he was also his right-hand. Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) was a great religious scholar of repute. He had a fine personality. He was trustworthy of Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA). He was the brain of the Tablighi Daawat. Maulana Yusuf (RA) relied on his advice, consultation, co-operation and affection trustfully. Hadrat Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakaria (RA) held consultations with others and thenappointed Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) as the Amir of the Tablighi jamaat as the successor of Maulana Yusuf (RA), Moulana Fakhrul Hasan (RA), an Ustaadh of the Darul Uloom and made the declaration in the assembly of thousands of people. Almost all the previous activists of the Tablighi Jamaat were ter some time resent. All of them expressed their satisfaction and relief and promised their trust and co-operation. Since that day till the last breath Maulana In'aamul Hasan (RA) for a period of 31 years discharged his responsibility as the Amir with foresight and courage. Under his leadership the great mission of Tabligh spread far and wide in all parts of the world. Until the time he became the Amir-e Tablighi Jamaat he had no great linking with oratory (takrir, Bayaan, speech). But when becoming the Amir he made good progress in the art of oratory. He talked briefly but with firmness and to the point. After some years of experience he began to deliver lengthy speeches. We should know that Dawah and Tabligh are not the names of Takrir. It is more than Takrir. He paid much more attention to other activities of the Jamaat than Takrir making. Yet if there was a big gathering (Ijtima) he would give brief but factual guidance and the Ijtima would come to an end with his Du'aa. He had a reservednature. This enabled him to achieve important activities, i.e. if someone asked about a matter, whose reply would create fitna he used to observe silence. As a result the opportunity of fitna never materialized. Mischief was thus buried in the bud. Hadrat Umar Ibne-Khattaab (RA), the second Khalifa once remarked ' observe silence and destroy baatil ( falsehood)". He was an expert in the art of observing silence. As he disliked unnecessary contact, people did not try to get his companionship. It saved his and their time. They devoted their time to some useful activities instead. At the markaz and on journeys it made no difference in people's coming and going here and there, it reduced the waste of their time. Clearly it was advantageous. He believed in the division of labor. He allocated activities. He sentpeople to the responsible man selected for a particular work. He did not interfere in the activities of others. He remained bed-ridden for the last few years continuously. So the special visits were reduced to minimum. Important activities were allocated to others who were made responsible so such visits were not necessary yet he made long journeys to attend large Ijtima's. he supervised every activity himself and remained in close contact with all the matters of the markaz, the country and foreign lands. He kept a careful watch. He could solve the difficulties silently but pretty well. His physical built up did not become heavy till the last so he could move about cheerfully. At ten'o clock at night on the 9th June, 1995 he was taken to hospital in a wheelchair by car. Everything possible was done for his medical treatment.at last he breated his last at the age of seventy years at 1.25 p.m. on Saturday the 10th Muharram, 1416 Hijara, 10th June, 1995 C.E. Innaalillaah... He left behind in this world a son named Maulana Zubairul hasan and a daughter. The sad news of his death spread around the world like lightning. The namaaz-e-janaza was to be held at sixin the evening. There was a huge gathering in the Basti nizamuddin by that time. There was no more space for more people so all the roads leading to the basti hadrat Nizaamuddin were closed to the traffic. His funeral was attended by more than half a million people, but everyone observed perfect discipline and order. After the Magrib namaaz he was laid to rest beside Hadrat Maulana Yusuf . hadratji received the direct training and upbringing from Maulana Muhammad Ilyaas (RA) and he took part in tabligh from the beginning of the Tablighi mission till his last in all the activities. Such a wonderful personality has left us; and the golden age of tabligh has come to an end. We make Du'aa to Allah to shield him from every type of fitna and evil Aameen
Source: Taken (with Thanks) from www.central-mosque.com

TAMSIL TAMSILAN ELDERS

1) Kehidupan akhirat adalah kekal abadi dan dunia ini akan berakhir (fana) dan tidak kekal seumpama
kalaulah dunia ini dipenuhi dengan biji-bijian. Selepas setiap seribu tahun akan datang seekor burung
yang bertugas untuk mematuk sebiji daripada bijian itu dan membawanya ke planet lain, lama
kelamaan bijian itu akan kehabisan pada suatu hari. Tapi kehidupan akhirat adalah satu kehidupan
yang tiada pengakhirannya.
(Imam Ghazali)

2) Manusia yang mengumpul harta dan membina rumah yang besar di dunia ini dan pada masa yang
sama tidak mengenali kehebatan Allah adalah seumpama seekor semut yang membuat sarangnya di
salah satu daripada beribu-ribu tiang istana raja. Semut itu merasakan sarang yang dibinanya amatlah
hebat sedangkan ianya hanyalah secebis dan menumpang di salah satu tempat yang amat terpencil di
tiang istana raja. Begitulah ibarat manusia yang membina binaan yang hebat-hebat. Haqiqatnya
mereka hanyalah menumpang di secebis tempat di sebuah binaan Allah Taala yang Maha Agung.
(Imam Ghazali).

3) Kesah seorang raja yang bermimpikan sekumpulan pengembala unta yang sedang berlari-lari di
atas bumbung istana baginda. Sang Raja bertanya apakah yang kamu sedang buat di atas bumbung
aku.Dijawabnya kami sedang mencari unta yang hilang.Jawab Raja kenapa kamu semua bodoh
kerana mencari unta di sini?. Di balas balik oleh pengembala sebenarnya kamulah yang bodoh kerana
inginkan hidayah Tuhan tapi mencarinya di istana. Selepas itu, Raja pun beruzlahlah dan
meninggalkan istana sehingga telah menjadi Waliallah yang terkenal.
(Kesah Ibrahim Idham).

4) Maulana Ilyas RA berkata amat senang untuk seorang memasuki syurga iaitu hanyalah melalui dua langkah sahaja. Satu langkah menekan nafsu syahwat dan satu langkah lagi telahpun melangkaui syurga. Mengumpamakan seseorang yang ingin memasuki syurga hanyalah perlu mengekang diri daripada mengikut hawa nafsunya iaitu dengan mengikut segala perintah Allah dan Rasul dan mengelak diri daripada apa yang dilarang oleh Allah dan Rasulnya. Apabila mati syurga akan menunggunya.
( Malfuzat Maulana Ilyas).

5.) Maulana Ilyas mengumpamakan kurniaan Allah SWT dua mata kepada manusia seolah-olah mata pertama untuk melihat kebaikkan yang ada pada orang lain dan satu mata lagi digunakan untuk melihat kelemahan diri kita sendiri.
(Malfuzat Maulana Ilyas).

6.) Maulana Ilyas mengumpamakan kerja dakwah sebagai ibu kepada segala kebaikkan adalah ibarat seekor burung yang diletakkan di dalam lingkungan seratus cermin. Maka akan tergambarlah seratus ekor burung di dalam cermin tadi. Tapi apabila kita menangkap burung yang asal di tengah, maka dengan sendiri seratus ekor burung yang tampak di dalam cermin akan kita miliki. Begitulah ibarat apabila kita mengambil kerja dakwah, segala sifat mahmudah yang lain akan beransur-ansur datang dalam kehidupan kita.
(Maulana Ilyas).

7.) Umat yang tidak mahu bermujahadah dan hanya mengamalkan agama yang selaras dengan nafsunya hari ini diibaratkan oleh Maulana sebagai seorang yang mahu tubuhnya ditulis tattoo singa. Apabila Si penulis mahu melukis ekor singa dia merasa sakit lalu dia menyuruh dibuang sahaja ekor singa dan katanya tanpa ekor pun tetap nampak singa. Bila hendak dilukiskan kaki singa dia merasa sakit lagi dan di suruh buang kaki singa. Lama-kelamaan singa yang dilukis tidak lagi kelihatan singa. Begitulah ibarat umat hari ini yang tidak mahu mengamalkan sunnah. Apabila dikatakan simpan janggut, ianya bertentangan dengan nafsu dan berkata tanpa janggut pun masih lagi tinggal agama. Bila dikatakan pergi sembahyang jemaah dia berkata tanpa jemaah pun agama masih wujud. Lama-kelamaan agama ini tidak lagi tinggal agama.
(Maulana Yusof).

8.) Maulana Yusof RA mengumpamakan orang mukmin sebenarnya adalah seperti singa yang sentiasa memakan makanan atau daging yang segar sahaja iaitu tidak memakai bangkai. Begitulah ibarat kehebatan mukmin sepertimana Sahabat RA yang mana sentiasa makanan yang di nusrah Allah SWT. Dan harta yang paling bersih adalah ghanimah (harta rampasan perang). Sayangnya orang islam telah meninggalkan kerja dakwah hari ini mereka terhina.
(Maulana Yusof).

9.) Maulana Yusof mengumpamakan Daie ibarat sebuah matahari yang akan menyinarkan cahaya di kawasan mana yang di suluhnya bermula dari timur ke barat. Begitulah seorang daie akan menyinarkan cahaya hidayah kepada setiap orang yang di dakwahkannya.
(Maulan Yusof).

10.) Maulana Umar Palampuri mengumpamakan keyakinan seorang daei hanyalah kepada yang Maha Esa. Umpama seorang yang membawa cermin dan kemudian pergi ke tengah medan yang gelap lalu dilihat di dalam cermin itu bulan yang cantik. Walau bagaimanapun dia meyakini bulan yang asal adalah tetap di atas. Begitulah seorang Daie yang mempunyai sepuluh kedai miliknya tapi keyakinannya tetap kepada yang Maha Esa yang memberi rezeki hanyalah Allah SWT.
(Maulana Umar Palampuri).

11.) Kata Maulana Zakaria RA seorang yang mengambil habuan daripada agamanya adalah seumpama seorang yang mencuci mukanya dengan kasut. Tidak mustahil mukanya akan bersih tapi perbuatan begitu adalah perbuatan orang yang bodoh. Begitulah ibarat orang agama yang mementingkan habuan dunia yang tidak mustahil bahawa dia akan mendapat habuan dunia dari agamanya tapi perbuatan itu adalah amat dikeji Allah SWT.
(Maulana Zakariya Fadhail Amal).

12.) Kata Maulana, perbuatan orang ramai yang tidak mahu megamalkan perintah agama kerana ianya disampaikan oleh orang biasa adalah umpama satu orang yang tidak mahu mendengar perintah raja hanya kerana ianya disampaikan oleh tukang sapu jalanan.
(Maulana Zakariya Fadhail Amal).

13.) Seorang yang telah mendapat Nur Iman akan mengenali setiap afrad daripada perintah Allah SWT sepertimana seorang petani yang mengenali setiap jenis daripada tanamannya.
(Haji Abdul Wahab).

14.) Seorang yang mendakwa mencintai Allah SWT dan tidak menyintai selain Allah adalah seumpama seorang lelaki yang mendakwa menyintai seorang perempuan yang cantik. Perempuan itu berkata betul kamu menyintaiku? Dijawabnya benar. Perempuan itu berkata lagi cuba lihat di belakangku kakakku yang lebih cantik dariku. Lelaki itu berpaling darinya. Wanita itu berkata jika benar kamu menyintaiku,kamu sesekali tidak akan berpaling dariku. Begitulah diri kita yang mendakwa menyintai Allah tetapi sentiasa berpaling kepada makhluk lain setelah diuji-Nya.
(Haji Abdul Wahab).

15.) Seorang yang menyebut nama Allah hendaklah menggambarkan juga sifat yang lain yang ada pada Allah seperti Rahman, Ghafur Qodir dan sebagainya sepertimana seorang anak yang menyebut nama ibunya tetapi tergambar segala sifat ibu seperti penyayang pemaaf dan sebagainya.
(haji Abdul Wahab) .

16.) Seorang yang membuat usaha agama dan hanya tawajuh kepada golongan yang kaya sahaja seumpama seorang penyembelih lembu yang memegang-megang tubuh lembu sebelum disembelihnya. Orang ramai menyangka tukang sembelih barangkali kasihankan lembu yang akan disembelihnya tapi sebenarnya tukang sembelih sedang memeriksa banyak mana daging yang terdapat pada lembu itu. Begitulah seorang yang membuat usaha kepada orang kaya sekaligus terlihat dia seolah-olah kasihankan orang kaya itu yang sibuk dengan dunia, tapi pada haqiqatnya pada masa yang sama dia sedang memerhati banyak mana dunia yang ada pada si kaya supaya dia juga dapat faedah dari si kaya itu.
(Mufti Zainal Abidin).

`17.) Keadaan umat yang mengamalkan hanya sebahagian daripada syukbah agama dan menganggapnya itulah keseluruhan agama adalah seperti golongan orang buta yang tidak mengenali gajah. Apabila si buta pertama memegang ekor gajah dia berkata rupa-rupanya gajah adalah seperti ular. Si buta kedua memegang perut gajah dan berkata gajah adalah seperti dinding. Yang ketiga datang dan memegang kaki gajah dan berkata rupanya gajah adalah seperti pohon kayu. Sebenarnya itu semua adalah hanya sebahagian daripada gajah. Begitulah keadaan umat hari ini yang hanya mementingkan sembahyang dan menganggap itulah keseluruhan agama. Ada yang mementingkan zikir dan berkata inilah keseluruhan agama. Ada yang mementingkan jihad dan mendakwa inilah sebenarnya agama. Haqiqatnya itu semua adalah sebahagian agama dan bukannya keseluruhan agama.
(Mufti Zainal Abidin).

18.) Mufti Sahab berkata lagi seorang Daie adalah penyelamat kepada umat ini. Apabila seorang Daie pergi berdakwah kepada umat, selalunya orang ramai akan lari mengelakkan diri dari si pendakwah tetapi sekali mereka tertangkap dan dihantar keluar 3 hari mereka akan bertaubat pada Allah SWT dan merasa bersyukur kepada orang yang membawanya keluar sepertimana burung yang berada di dalam sangkar pada mulanya lari bertempiaran apabila ada tangan yang ingin menangkapnya tetapi setelah tangan itu melepaskannya di luar sangkar barulah dia tahu bahawa tangan itu sebenarnya adalah tangan penyelamat.
(Mufti Zainal Abidin).

19.) Mufti Sahab berkata kita bukan saja harus meninggalakn dunia semasa menuju kepada sembahyang, malah kita juga harus meninggalkan khayalan tentang dunia. Apabila kita menuju untuk sembahyang kita telah pun meninggalkan dunia ketika menggangkat takbirot-ul-ihram tetapi tidak semestinya kita telah meninggalkan khayalan tentang dunia umpama kipas yang sedang ligat berpusing tidak akan terus berhenti apabila kita menutupnya. Ianya mengambil masa yang lama untu berhenti. Jadi, cara untuk meninggalkan khayalan tentang sembahyang ialah dengan datang awal ke masjid dan menunggu untuk sembahyang dengan melakukan amalan seperti sembahyang sunat, tilawat dan lain-lain, barulah khayalan akan terhapus.
(Mufti Zainal Abidin).

20.) Pernah satu ketika di Ijtimak Raiwend Mufti Sahab pernah berkata kepada orang Malaysia dan Indonesia yang bermazhab Syafie. Hai! Pengikut-pengikut Syafie kamu telah mewajibkan Fatihah dibaca dalam setiap rakaat sembahyang kamu dan dalam Fatihah ada ungkapan Tunjukilah kami Jalan Hidayah!. Kalaulah Hidayah kamu telah mewajibkannya bagaimana usaha atas hidayah itu menjadi tidak wajib?.
(Mufti Zainal Abidin).

21.) Usaha agama adalah satu tanggung jawab umat ini. Seorang yang mementingkan hanya pahala daripada usaha agama seumpama seorang yang pergi mendapatkan ubat kepada ibunya yang terlantar sakit dan mengharapkan pahala daripada usahanya untuk mendapatkan ubat itu. Maka sebenarnya dia telah berlaku zalim kepada ibunya.
(Maulana Nazir-ur-Rahman).

22.) Seorang yang menginginkan Cinta Allah tapi dalam hatinya masih menebal cinta dunia adalah seumpama seorang faqir yang meminta-minta madu pada setiap rumah yang dia pergi. Setelah tuan rumah keluar dan ingin menuangkan madu kepadanya dilihat bekas si faqir itu dipenuhi dengan kotoran. Tuan rumah membatalkan niatnya dan berkata pergi dan bersihkanlah dahulu kotoran dan kemudian kembali lagi. Begitulah yang terjadi di rumah yang kedua. Allah SWT hari ini juga boleh memberi cinta dan keyakinan-Nya kepada kita tapi masalahnya hati kita masih dihantui dengan cinta dunia. Maka tugas pertama kita adalah untuk mengikis cinta dunia di dalam setiap hati kita.
(Maulana Nazir-ur-Rahman).

23.) Perselisihan umat hari ini adalah disebabkan percanggahan pendapat yang memahami Al-Quran mengikut tafsiran sendiri seumpama kesah empat orang yang terdiri daripada empat pakar bidang tertentu telah memasuki hutan. Orang pertama adalah ustaz, yang ke-dua tukang masak, ketiga tukang sembelih dan yang keempat adalah pahlawan. Tiba di satu tempat mereka telah mendengar satu kicauan burung yang merdu dan berirama. Pahlawan mengatakan aku faham apa maksud kicauan burung itu sambil menyebut “jatuh dan lipatkan tengkuk” senada dengan irama kicaun burung itu. Tukang sembelih kata kamu salah sebenarnya burung itu berkata begini “pisau letak di tengkuk”. Tukang masak kata kamu juga salah sebenarnya begini “bawang, kacang dan daun sup”. Akhir sekali kata si ustaz kamu semua salah sebenarnya burung itu berkata begini, “Subhanallah punya Qudrot”. Begitulah ibarat setiap orang yang memahami Al-Quran dengan persepsi yang terhasil dari bidang masing-masing. Maka serahkanlah pada Ulamak yang pakar dalam bidang ini.
(Maulana Jamsyed).

24.) Keadaan umat yang tidak memahami keperluan utama umat hari ini seumpama seorang yang hampir terjatuh ke lembah dalam yang mana separuh tubuhnya terjuntai ke bawah. Datang satu orang untuk menyelamatkannya tapi dilihat bibir mangsa amat kering lalu diberikannya air di sangka mangsa mungkin kehausan. Orang kedua datang dan melihat kakinya terluka lalu disapukannya ubat. Kedua-dua tindakan mereka tidak salah tapi tidak kena pada tempatnya, Sepatutnya apa yang perlu dibuat adalah pertama sekali tarik mangsa itu dahulu ke daratan barulah boleh diberikan air atau seumpamanya kerana itu keperluan utamanya. Beginilah ibarat umat hari ada yang berpendapat umat hari ini memerlukan peningkatan ekonomi, maka ekonomi mesti di fokuskan. Ada yang kata umat kurang pendidikan, maka pendidikan mesti diutamakan. Haqiqatnya segala masalah umat hari ini adalah disebabkan kekurangan iman, maka hari ini umat memerlukan peningkatan iman terlebih dahulu barulah mereka boleh di selamatkan daripada pelbagai penyakit umat dan selepas itu barulah benda lain datang dengan sendirinya.
(Maulana Tariq Jamil).

25.) Keadaan umat yang hanya suka menegur dan menuding jari terhadap kerosakan umat hari ini adalah seperti orang ramai yang melihat satu lukisan wajah seseorang. Maka satu orang datang dan memangkah pada hidung dan berkata hidungnya bukan begini. yang kedua datang dan memangkah sambil berkata keningnya bukan begini. Lama-kelamaan lukisan itu akan dipenuhi dengan isyarat pangkah. Sepatutnya orang yang mengetahui kesilapan hendaklah menyapu dengan pemadam dan membetulkannya di tempat yang salah. Beginilah ibarat masyarakat hari ini yang hanya pandai menegur dan menuding jari sepatutnya mereka sama-sama turun medan untuk membaiki kesilapan umat. Barulah umat akan kembali terislah.
(Maulana Ubaidullah Raiwind).

26.) Rasulullah SAW telah membuat kerja dakwah dan Baginda SAW telah pun wafat dan meninggalkan dunia ini. Namun kerja masih lagi berbaki. Seumpama di dalam mazhab Hanafi si musafir diwajibkan sembahyang qasar sempanjang perjalanan. Apabila si musafir tadi disuruh menjadi imam di suatu tempat, dia juga diwajibkan hanya sembahyang dua rakaat qasar sahaja. Tetapi si muqim yang menjadi makmun di belakang mereka tidak boleh mengikut imam dengan hanya menunaikan dua rakaat saja, malah mereka hendaklah menambahkan dua rakaat lagi bersendirian. Setelah selesai empat rakaat barulah Imam dan Makmun sama-sama berdoa. Begitulah Rasulullah SAW di ibaratkan seperti Imam tadi yang telah menyelesaikan tugasnya dan baki tanggung jawab telah ditinggalkan oleh Rasulullah SAW untuk kita selesaikan sama seperti makmun tadi yang berbaki dua rakaat. Begitulah jarak masa untuk sama-sama kita dibangkitkan bersama Rasulullah SAW di akhirat kelak hanya ibarat dua rakaat sembahyang.
(Mufti Zainal Abidin).

Alhamdulillah, bitaufiqillah lengkaplah sudah 40 tamsil di dalam usaha agama di sini. Faqir mengkhatamkan tamsil ke-empat puluh dengan Qaul Mufti Zainal Abidin untuk mengingatkan kepada semua umat bahawa tanggung jawab yang ditinggalkan oleh Rasulullah SAW untuk ditunaikan kita masih lagi berbaki. Sama-samalah kita berdoa dengan Allah SWT supaya memberi taufiq kepada kita dan keseluruhan umat untuk menyambung tugas yang di tinggalkan oleh Rasulullah kepada kita. Masa untuk dibangkitkan bersama Rasulullah SAW adalah sangat sedikit berbaki iaitu umpama jarak dua rakaat sembahyang. Dan Faqir percaya hanya satu rakaat yang masih berbaki kerana Rasulullah SAW telah pun meninggalkan kita selama lebih 1400 tahun.