Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali
Thanvi R.A
Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi was the founder of the
Islamic
revivalist movement
Tablighi Jamaat. Born in 1885 to a family of
religious scholars, his early education was completed at home.
He was then sent to study at the famous centre of Islamic learning,
Darul Uloom Deoband, where he studied under
several famous
Ulema.
After completing his studies, he taught at various
madrassas. In
the late 1920s founded
Tablighi Jamaat.
Early Life and Childhood
Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Khandalwi was born in
Khandala in
1303 Hijri. His birth name was Ikhtar Ilyas. His father Maulana Muhammad
Ismaeel Sahib died in 1315 Hijri. He had two brothers, Maulana Muhammad Yahya
Sahib 15 years younger and 12 years older Hazrat Shaykh-ul-Hadeeth Sahib. His
Mother Bibi Safiyyah memorised entire Qur’an after marriage. She knew the Quran
so well and prayed it so much that in Ramadan she would pray one Quran and 10
paras every day. In this way she would pray 40 Qurans every Ramadan. Maulana
Yahya was his older brother who took care of him after the death of their
father. Shaikhul hadees was his nephew not his brother.
Education
He spent the first part of his childhood in
Khandala and after that he was in the service of his father in
Nizamuddin
–
Delhi. He
memorised the entire Qur’an at a very young age. Maulana Muhammad Ilyas gained
his early knowledge from Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Ibrahim. After that was in the
service of Hazrat Gangohi. At this time he was only 10 or 11 years old. Hazrat
Gangohi died in Zul – Hijjah 1323. At this time Maulana Muhammad Ilyas was 20
years old. From this it can be seen that he was in the service of Gangohi for
approximately 10 years.
When he used to learn any Kitaab(book), he would do Mutalla in such a way that
when the lesson was being taught it would be as if he had already done it
before. Sometimes because his Mutalla was good, the teacher would tell him to
teach the class. In this way he was a student as well as a teacher.
In 1326 Hijri Maulana Muhammad Ilyas learnt Bukhari and Tirmidhi from Hazrat
Shaykh – ul- Hind Maulana Muhammad – ul – Hasan Sahib. It took him only 4
months to do this. Then he taught in Mazahir – Uloom (for 8 years)
Maulana Yahya was his older brother who took care
of him after the death of their father. Shaikhul hadees was his nephew not his
brother
Haji
Muhammad Abdulwahhab Sab
Golden Voice of Tableeghi Jamaat (RA)
Maulana Umar Palunpuri
The well-known ‘golden voice of
da’wah work’, Moulana Muhammad Umâr Palanpuri (RA) passed away on Wednesday, 21
May 1997 at 1.30pm in Nizamuddin, Delhi.
The previous day he had gone with other elders of the Markaz, for an Ijtima in Agra, a five-hour journey
by car. He fell ill en-route and returned to Delhi where he was immediately admitted to
hospital. He was discharged on Wednesday morning feeling much better. Later
during the day he had a heart attack and passed away. Moulana (RA) was orphaned
at an early age and was left solely to the care of his pious mother. He showed
signs of a brilliant mind front a young age. This prompted his uncle to help
him pursue a secular education. The Moulana’s mother however had other plans.
She wanted her son to devote his energies to acquiring the knowledge of Dîn.
That is what happened. The Moulana (RA) studied at Darul Ulûm Deoband, from
where he graduated with marks which impressed even his teachers.For the purpose
of tazkia [purification of the soul], he approached Shaikhul Hadîth Moulana
Zakariyya Kandalvi (RA) who in time granted the Moulana khilafat. He visited
the UK
several times. On each occasion he accompanied the late Amîr of the Tablighi
Jamaat, Moulana Inamul Hasan (RA). His last visit was in 1994 when he attended
the international gathering in Dewsbury. On this visit he related the following
story. As a young man his mother would ask him to read to her. On one such
occasion, overjoyed, she prayed, "May you see the day when you are
speaking and thousands of people are listening, as opposed to now, when your
mother is your sole listener." Tears welled in his eyes when Moulana (RA)
narrated this incident. The mother's prayer, as the world witnessed, was
answered to the letter. Moulana (RA) was sixty-five years old. He had memorized
the Qur’ân during his old age - a remarkable achievement. Hundreds of thousands
of people have benefited immensely from his discourses and pious company. He
was erudite and a devoted saint of Allâh, yet his humility cast a veil over his
impressive ‘god-fearing’ qualities. His demise brings to three the number of
great personalities the world of Tabligh has lost in the last two years -
others being, Moulana Izhaar (RA) and Hazratjee Moulana Inamul Hasan (RA). May
Allâh grant them Jannah and replace them with noble personalities. Amîn.
Posted
by ♥کђσαιв คђα๓є∂.♥کค๓♥, at 1:53 AM 
Third Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat (RA)
Hazratjee Maulana Inaamul Hasan
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
Second Ameer of Tableeghi Jamaat (RA)
Hazratjee
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhlavi;
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.
Hazratjee Maulana Ilyas;
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.
