(Information about the pious predecessors who passed away in Rabi’-ul-Awwal)
Rabi’-ul-Awwal is the third month of the Islamic year. The blessed companions, Islamic saints and scholars who passed away in this month are briefly mentioned under five different headings:
Blessed companions
1. Mother of believers, Sayyidatuna Juwayriyah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا was the daughter of the chief of Banu Mustaliq tribe. She was an embodiment of inner and outer beauty, and would perform Zikr and worship abundantly. She passed away in Rabi’-ul-Awwal 50 Hijri and was buried in Jannat ul Baqi’. (Al-Istee’aab, vol. 4, pp. 366, 367, Sharh-uz-Zurqaani, vol. 4, pp. 427, 428)
2. The apple of the eye of Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyiduna Imam Abu Muhammad Hasan Mujtaba رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ passed away on 5th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 49 Hijri. To read more about him, see page No 79.
Islamic saints
3. The beloved son of Ghaus-e-A’zam, Sayyid Shamsuddin ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Jeelani Qaadiri رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 532 Hijri in the blessed city of Baghdad, ‘Iraq. His date of demise is 18th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 602 Hijri. His blessed shrine, situated in Hayaal (Aqrah district, province of Dohuk, Iraq), is one of the famous holy sites. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was a scholar of Hadees, a religious orator, a teacher and the teacher of Islamic scholars. The keeper of the shrine of Ghaus-e-A’zam is from his blessed lineage. (Qalaaid-ul-Jawahir, pp. 35)
4. The chief of saints, a teacher of scholars, Sayyid Muhyuddin Abu Nasr Muhammad Jeelani رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in Baghdad and passed away on 22nd Rabi’-ul-Awwal, 656 Hijri. His blessed shrine is situated in Baghdad. He is the twentieth (20th) spiritual guide in the spiritual order of Qadiriyyah, Razawiyyah, ’Attariyyah. (Qalaaid-ul-Jawahir, pp. 47; Sharh Shajarah Qadiriyyah, pp. 92)
5. Founder of the spiritual order of the Ahmadiyyah Badawiyyah, Sayyid Ahmad Badawi Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 596 Hijri in Zarqa-ul-Hajar (near Faas) in Morocco. He passed away on 12th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 675 Hijri. His blessed shrine is situated in Tanta (province of Gharbia), Egypt, which is a place of supplications being accepted. He is among prominent saints. (Tabqat Imam Sha’rani, Juz: 1, vol. 1, pp. 254, 256; Chaar Baray Aqtaab, pp. 44, 53)
6. Sayyid Shah Abul Fazl, Aal-e-Ahmad, Achchhay Miyan Maarah-Rawee Qaadiri رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1160 Hijri in Marehra (district of Eita, UP), India. He passed away at the same place on 17th Rabi’ ul Awwal 1235 Hijri. He was a prominent and acclaimed Islamic scholar, a religious orator, an author and a spiritual guide. Books, such as ‘Adaab-us-Saalikeen’ and ‘Aa`een-e-Ahmadi’ remind us of his great works. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه is the thirty-sixth (36th) spiritual guide in the Qadiriyyah, Razawiyyah, Attariyyah spiritual order. (Ahwaal-o-Aasaar Shah Aal-e-Ahmad, pp. 26)
7. Shayr-e-Rabbani, Shaykh-ul-Mashaaikh, Shayr Muhammad Sharqpuri Naqshbandi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1282 Hijri in Sharqpur (district of Sheikhupura, Punjab), Pakistan and passed away on 3rd Rabi’-ul-Awwal 1347 Hijri. His shrine is located in Sharqpur and is visited by common as well as special people. (Tazkirah Akabir Ahl-e-Sunnat, pp. 180 to 183)
Scholars of Islam
8. The great Imam of the Maliki school of thought, Sayyiduna Imam Maalik Bin Anas رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 93 Hijri in Madinah Munawwarah and passed away on 14th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 179 Hijri. His blessed grave is in Jannat-ul-Baqi’. His book ‘Muwatta Imam Maalik’ is one of the oldest and famous collections of Ahadees. (Tazkira-tul-Huffaz, vol. 1, pp. 157, Seer A’laam-un-Nubula, vol. 7, pp. 435)
9. A student of Imam-e-A’zam, chief justice of the Abbasid kingdom, Sayyiduna Imam Abu Yusuf Ya’qoob Bin Ibraheem Ansari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 113 Hijri in Kufa. He passed away on 5th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 182 Hijri. His blessed shrine is situated in Masjid Imam Abu Yusuf Kaazmiyyah, Baghdad, Iraq. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was the chief justice, teacher of jurists, Mujtahid, Muhaddis and an illustrious Imam of the Hanafi school of thought. (Tareekh Baghdad, vol. 14, pp. 247-263)
10. The great leader of the Hanbali school of thought, Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 164 Hijri in Baghdad, and passed away on 12th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 241 Hijri. He was buried at the western side of Baghdad, in Bab-e-Harb. Later on, due to a flood in the river Tigris, he was shifted to Sajd ‘Arif Aagha, Haydar Khaanah (Shaara’-ur-Rasheed, Baghdad). He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was a Mujtahid, Muhaddis, a leading scholar, a prominent personality of the Ummah of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and one of the four Imams in Islamic jurisprudence. His monumental piece of work ‘Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal’ consists of forty thousand (40,000) Ahadees. (Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, vol. 7, pp. 339)
11. A teacher of Qutb-e-Madinah, ‘Allamah Ghulam Qaadir Haashimi Siyalvi Bhayrwee رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1265 Hijri in Bhera (Gulzar-e-Taybah, Sargodha district), Pakistan. He passed away on 19th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 1327 Hijri. His blessed shrine is in Begum Shahi Masjid, near Misti gate, Markaz-ul-Awliya, Lahore, Pakistan. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was an acclaimed scholar, spiritual guide in the spiritual Chishti order, an excellent teacher and the author of more than a dozen books. ‘Islam ki Giyarah Kitabayn’ (Eleven Books of Islam) was written by him. (Sayyidi Ziyauddin Ahmad Al-Qaadiri, vol. 1, pp. 613; Tazkirah Akabir Ahl-e-Sunnat, pp. 326)
Contemporaries of A’la Hadrat
12. Maulana Fazl-e-Rahman Siddeeqi Ganj Muradabadi Naqshbandi Qaadiri رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1208 Hijri in Sandila (Hardoi district, UP, India). He passed away on 22nd Rabi’-ul-Awwal 1313 Hijri. His blessed shrine is in Ganj Moradabad (Unnao district, UP, India). He was a practicing scholar, a teacher and a leader of other scholars and saints, and was a leading personality of the Ahl-us-Sunnah. Grandfather of A’la Hadrat, Maulana Raza ‘Ali Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was his disciple and spiritual caliph. (Tazkirah Muhaddis Soorti, pp. 53-57, Tajalliyat Taj-ush-Shari’ah, pp. 86)
13. An admirer of A’la Hadrat, Shaykh-ul-Islam, Sayyiduna Shaykh Muhammad Baa-Baseel Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1245 Hijri in Makkah Mukarramah and passed away at the same place on 24th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 1330 Hijri. His blessed grave is in Jannat-ul-Ma’la. He was the chief of scholars, Mufti of Shaafi’is, a practicing scholar and an author. He also wrote commendations for the books ‘Ad-Dawlat-ul-Makkiyyah’ and ‘Hussam-ul-Haramayn’. (Imam Ahmad Raza Muhaddis Baraylvi aur ‘Ulama Makkah Mukarramah, pp. 251-278)
Students and spiritual caliphs of A’la Hadrat
14. An Islamic thinker and a professor, ‘Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Sulayman Ashraf Bihari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1295 Hijri in Meerdad, district of Patna, Bihar, India. He passed away on 5th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 1358 Hijri. His burial took place in the Shayrwani graveyard situated inside Ali Garh Islamic University. His various books, such as An-Noor, Ar-Rishaad, etc., are his monumental works. (Tazkirah Khulafa-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 144; Sayyidi Ziyauddin Ahmad Al-Qaadiri, vol. 2, pp. 266-268)
15. Maulana Sayyid Ghulam ‘Ali Ajmayri Chishti Razavi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was a practicing scholar, a devotee of Sultan-ul-Hind (Khuwajah Ghareeb Nawaz رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه) and an admirer of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. He also had an excellent character and was a custodian of the shrine of Ajmer. He passed away on 15th Rabi ul Awwal 1374 Hijri. He was buried in the graveyard adjacent to the shrine of Khuwajah Ghareeb Nawaz. (Tajalliyat Khulafa-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 471 to 474)
16. Qutb-e-Mewar, Maulana Mufti Muhammad Zaheer-ul-Hasan A’zami رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1302 Hijri in the town of Aurangabad, Azamgarh (UP), India. He passed away on 12th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 1382 Hijri. His blessed shrine is situated in the area where Awliya are resting, adjacent to the Masjid in Barham pole, Udaipur (Rajasthan), India. He was an acclaimed Mufti of Islam, a teacher in Madrasa Islamiyyah Udaipur, a practicing scholar and a spiritual guide. (Saalnamah Yadgar-e-Raza 2007, pp. 143-151)
17. A sympathiser of the nation, Maulana Haafiz Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Meerathi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was born in 1290 Hijri in Bareilly (UP), India. He was a Haafiz of Quran, an influential Islamic scholar and a very sincere religious leader. For the purpose of publishing religious books, he established the Tilsimi press in Meerut, as well as a Muslim Dar-ul-Yatama Wal-Masakeen (an orphanage). When he came to Pakistan, he laid the foundations for a great and splendid Jami’ Ghausiyyah Masjid in Gulbahar. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه passed away on 14th Rabi’-ul-Awwal 1384 Hijri. His burial took place in the Paposh Nagar graveyard of Bab-ul-Madinah (Karachi). (Tazkirah Khulafa-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 213; Saalnamah Ma’arif Raza 2008, pp. 236-238)
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