The blessed life of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah, Mujaddid-e-Deen-o-Millat, Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه was devoted to complying with the blessed Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and keeping the status of Islam high and elevated. While A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه spent his entire life in serving Islam by writing books and issuing Fatawa (Islamic verdicts), his usual routine and blessed habits also kept motivating others. For example: 1 It was the routine of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه that he would perform one sacrifice on behalf of his blessed father ‘Maulana Naqi ‘Ali Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه’ and one sacrifice on behalf of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم on the blessed day of Eid-ul-Adha. Thereafter, he would distribute the meat. So, he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه said, ‘It is the routine of this Faqeer [used for own self for showing humbleness] that each year, he performs one sacrifice on behalf of his blessed father and distributes the meat, etc. of this sacrifice as Sadaqah and performs one sacrifice on behalf of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and gives all the meat of this sacrifice to Sadaat-e-Kiraam.’ (Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 20, pp. 456, summarised)
2 By virtue of the association of the Sadaat-e-Kiraam with the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would show great reverence for them and have immense devotion to them. It was his blessed routine that he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه, on the blessed day of Eid, would firstly kiss the hand of a Sayyid and congratulate him. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه and his family would give double share to the blessed Sayyids from Sheerini [sweetmeats] on the occasion of the Meelad gatherings. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 286, 288)
3 The way of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah’s meeting with Za`ir-e-Madinah (those visiting Madinah) was also uniquely great and full of the devotion to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم; so, when someone would return from Makkah and Madinah after performing Hajj and would go in the court of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah, he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would first ask the question, ‘Did you visit the blessed ‘Raudah’ of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم?’ If he would answer in the positive, he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would immediately kiss his feet and if he would answer in the negative, he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would not pay attention to him in the least. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 294)
4 Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would show great reverence for the ‘Qiblah direction’. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would try his best not to sit keeping his back facing to Qiblah direction; so, sometimes he would recite Awraad-o-Wazaaif (Islamic invocations) while walking in the Masjid but no one ever saw him turning his back to Qiblah direction. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 261)
5 Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would show great reverence for the relics associated with his blessed elders and the pious predecessors. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would show such great reverence and devotion to ‘Baghdad’, ‘the blessed city of Ghaus-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه, that he had learnt about the direction of this blessed city when he was just 6 years old. Thereafter, he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه never stretched his legs to that blessed direction out of respect. Showing reverence for the Qiblah direction is a part of the practice of Adaab-e-Qiblah [reverence for Qiblah] but showing reverence for the Samt-e-Murshid (direction to spiritual guide) is from the part of his deep devotion. (Tazkirah Imam Ahmad Raza, pp. 4)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ grant us the privilege to adopt the blessed acts of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه.
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن
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