Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan Syed Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

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Beacon of knowledge and spirituality

 

Hadhrat Abul Hasanaat Syed ‘Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) is that personality who has created history with his scholarly and spiritual accomplishments.  He was a beacon of knowledge and spirituality who provided guidance to countless souls. Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was born on 10th Dhul Hijjah, 1292 Hijri, at dawn.  He was the very sun of knowledge and gnosis whose light illuminated not only the subcontinent but the whole world.  He guided millions of seekers to their destination.  People would be drawn to his doors and there they would sate their thirst of knowledge and would benefit from his spiritual presence.

 

The scholarly, spiritual and reformative accomplishments can never be ignored.  The scholarly world looks upon his works with deep admiration.  He compiled a 5-volume compendium of Hadith in support of the Hanafi School of Jurisprudence, named “Zujaajatul Masabeeh” and authored highly scholarly explanatory notes for them.  This magnum opus runs into 2500 pages.  There are more than 6500 Hadith in it.

 

The reason which Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) gave for the writing of Zujaajatul Masabeeh is this:  After a (deep) study of Mishkaatul Masabeeh, I often got a thought that I should write a book on the lines of Miskhaat, in which I follow the school of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him).  However, my inability was holding me back.  In those days, I saw the light of the universe, the full moon of guidance, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in a dream.  He greeted me with Salaam.  I returned the greeting.  May my life be sacrificed for Him!  He embraced me and held me to His sacred bosom, which is the fountainhead of knowledge and wisdom.  I woke up from the dream really happy.

 

I praised Almighty Allah for this and thanked Him for this great bounty.  Thus, this blessed dream enlightened me and all the (perceived) difficulties of this task were rendered easy for me.  I resolved to write and complete this book and readied myself for this.

 

By the grace of Almighty Allah, I did send Durood on the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) while writing each and every Hadith and I named this book as Zujaajatul Masabeeh.  [End]

 

When this book got published, scholars and intellectuals said that the debt which was overdue on the Hanafis for the last 1300 years has been cleared by this scholar from Hyderabad.

 

This book has been providing light to the eyes and the hearts ever since.

 

The knowledge of Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was such that when he finished his religious studies, his father, Hadhrat Muzaffar Hussain Naqshbandi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) presented him before the scholars.  They asked him to interpret any verse of the Holy Quran.

 

Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) started after Salaat Ul ‘Isha and until the time for Tahajjud started, he spoke only on “Wal Fajr” of Surah Fajr!

 

His pious father was a disciple and Caliph (i.e. authorized representative) of Hadhrat Miskin Shah Sahib (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  Because of this, Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) also gave his allegiance to Hadhrat Miskin Shah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  But because of educational responsibilities, Hadhrat could not fully benefit himself from the divine blessings of Hadhrat Miskin Shah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  After finishing his education, he turned his complete attention towards traversing the path (Sulook) to Allah Most High.  By that time, Hadhrat Miskin Shah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) had passed away into the presence of Allah Most High.  Those days were illumined with the radiance of Hadhrat Syed Muhammad Badshah Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  What else need be said about him except that if his disciple was like this, then what about the master?  Hadhrat entered his circle of disciples and traversed the path to divine love and approval.  The details of the striving and worship of those days, though not revealed by Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) himself, those who saw him during those days say that apart from the necessary activities, the Shaykh would spend his entire time in remembrance of Allah Most High (Dhikr).  He would always be seen engaged in meditation (Muraqaba).

 

The Shaykh would offer Salaat Ul Fajr in the mosque of his master and sometimes in the mosque of Chowk and then he would walk 4 miles daily to the mosque of his master.  After Fajr, he would remain busy in remembrance of Allah and gaining his master’s blessings, etc.  From there, he would return at about 10 o’clock after offering Salaat Ul Ishraaq and Chaasht.  Till Salaat Ul Zuhr, he would be busy in meditation.  Then he would return from the mosque after Maghrib.  After having dinner, he would go to the mosque and remain there busy in remembrance of Allah, meditation, etc. till midnight.  He would return to his house and rest.  He would again get up at 2:00 and offer Salaat Ul Tahajjud, recite the Holy Quran and spend the night in praying and crying before Allah.  Just before Fajr, he would rest for sometime and then go to his master’s mosque to offer Salaat Ul Fajr.  For 20 years, irrespective of season and situation, he used to be present in his master’s mosque in Fajr.

 

Hadhrat Bukhari Shah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) had innumerable disciples, but he would prefer Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  Seeing his firmness on Shariah, following of the Holy Prophet’s (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Sunnah and his striving in the path of Allah Most High, Hadhrat Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) made him His Caliph (i.e. he authorized him to take disciples and teach/instruct them).  He gave him his robe and headdress too, because of which, Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was overwhelmed with love and ecstasy of Allah Most High and slowly normalized with the divine attention of his master.

 

Many of his disciples have reported strange events, which led them to become disciples of Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  A brother said that he was really anxious about finding a master.  He saw in a dream that Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) was coming out of the shrine of Hadhrat Sa’adullah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), but because he did not know who he was, he could not give his Bait to him.  He once saw him in Makkah Masjid and looking at his features understood that this was his master and then and there offered him his pledge (bait), which Hadhrat accepted and took him as a disciple.

 

Hadhrat was a very great personality, a great scholar and a great saint.  In spite of all this, he spent his whole life in the service of the creation.  His whole life is a model of the commandments of Allah Most High and His Beloved Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

He passed away on Thursday, 18th Rabee’ Thaani, 1384 Hijri, 1964 AD at 8 AM.