Shaykh Ul Islam - A great Imam of the Ummah

 

Allah Most High has made Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam Imam Muhammad Anwarullah Farooqui (May Allah shower His mercy on him), a great repository of outward and inward knowledge.  He is not only the Imam of the Shariah but also the guide of the spiritual paths (Tariqa).  He spent his entire life in the service of Islam.  By virtue of his company many people became scholars, Sufis, Hadith experts and jurists.

 

Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) fulfilled the great duty of reforming the beliefs and the affairs of the people.  He is such a great scholar and a reformer of the Ummah that his contributions, be them intellectual, literary or social can never be forgotten.  His favors on the Ummah are as clear as the day itself.

 

        These are the words of Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Qadri, Professor, Islamic Law, Jamia Nizamia, Founder-Director, Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center, in the weekly lecture held under the aegis of AHIRC at Masjid Abul Hasanaat, Jahnuma.

 

The revered Mufti said that Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) shone like the sun and illuminated the whole country and especially the area of Deccan.

 

He is a descendent of Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) through 39 generations.  He is an epitome of both the Shariah and the Tariqa and is the teacher and mentor of the Nizams of the Asafjahi Dynasty.  The 6^th Nizam, Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, studied under him and his son the 7^th Nizam, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan also studied under him until he reached the age of 21.  By teaching and instructing the rulers, Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) did a great service in reforming the populace.

 

Through his writings as well, Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) rendered a service to the Ummah.  His writings are highly considered in the world of scholarship.

 

To promote the Islamic sciences, Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) established a great Islamic university, Jamia Nizamia.  He was the in charge of religious affairs of the whole of Deccan.  He strove a lot to make the society pious and pure.

 

To make the people bearers of high morals and character, Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) founded an organization, “Anjuman-e-Islaah Ul Muslimeen.”  He appointed preachers in the city and in the villages, etc. to develop Islamic awareness in the populace and ensured that the needy people got all religious books free of cost.  Slaughterhouses were being handled by people who didn’t know the rules of Islam in this regard.  Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) set this right by appointing educated persons who were well cognizant of the rules of the Shariah about slaughtering of animals.  In those days, marriage was only a spoken agreement and this was creating numerous problems.  People would create false documents and claim alimony and inheritance.  Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) set this right by creating a comprehensive document, the “Syahnaama” which had all the details about marriage and gave it legal status.  In Deccan, the units of measurement were not standardized.  Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) standardized all weights and saved people from a great sin and thus ended all the quarrels and misunderstandings created due to this.  Even in the present times, those weight standards are being used.  Alcohol is the mother of evils.  Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam (May Allah shower His mercy on him) prohibited buying and selling of alcohol within the limits of the city. 

 

The revered Mufti said that we should learn to value this great personality of Islam and do our best to implement his teachings and follow his example in our lives as well.

 

The session ended with Salaam and Dua.  Maulana Hafidh Syed Ahmed Ghouri, Teacher, Jamia Nizamia, led the proceedings.