Urs of Pious Predecessors in Dhul Qadah

Our Pious Predecessors

Dhu al-Qaʿda is the eleventh month of the Islamic year. From the honourable Companions, saints and scholars of Islam whose passing away is commemorated in this month, 82 have been briefly mentioned in the Dhu al-Qaʿda instalments of Mahnama Faizan-e-Madina, from 1438-1442 AH. 13 more of these blessed personalities shall now be discussed here:

Honourable Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ:

1.   Sayyidunā Abū Sinān or Sinān ibn Sayfi رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ belonged to the Ansari Banū Salamah ibn Saʿd clan of the Khazraj tribe. He was from the 70 people of Madina who embraced Islam 13 years after the proclamation of prophethood, in the month of Dhu al-Qaʿdah, during the third pledge at Aqabah, located five kilometers from Makkah. He participated in the expeditions of Badr and Khandaq, and was martyred in the latter in Dhu al-Qaʿdah, 5AH. He had a son named Masʿūd but Sayyidunā Abū Sinān died without any surviving children or successors.^[1]

2.   Sayyidunā Anas ibn Aws ibn ʿAtīk رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was an Ansari Companion from the Banū Aws tribe. He could not take part in the Expedition of Badr but participated wholeheartedly in the Expedition of Uhud. He was martyred by the arrow of Sayyidunā Khālid ibn Walīd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, who was not yet a Muslim, in the Expedition of Khandaq. According to one opinion, he was martyred in Uhud. Sayyidunā Mālik ibn Aws, Sayyidunā ʿUmayr ibn Aws, and Sayyidunā Ḥārith ibn Aws رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْھُم are his brothers.^[2]

The Awliya رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی:

3.   The illustrious son of al-Ghawth al-Aʿẓam, Sayyidunā Shaykh Muhammad Jilani رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه, was born in the home of al-Ghawth al-Aʿẓam and passed away on 25^th Dhu al-Qaʿdah, 600 AH. His burial took place near his blessed father’s shrine, in the graveyard of Halba. He attained knowledge from his father and other scholars. He was a Shaykh al-Hadith and a charismatic orator.^[3]

4.   Mawlana Khwāja Sayyid Nūr Muhammad Badayūnī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was an Islamic scholar, spiritual guide, and a godly soul whose saintly miracles are well known. He was a disciple and spiritual heir of Khwāja Sayf al-Dīn Sirhindī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه. He passed away on 11^th of Dhu al-Qaʿdah, 1435AH and was laid to rest in the garden of Nawab Mukarram Khan, near the shrine of Khwaja Nizamuddin Awliya رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه in Delhi.^[4]

5.   Sayyidunā Khwāja Sayyid ʿAbbās ʿAlī Shāh Gīlānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was born in Thathi Noor Ahmad Shah, near Pindi Gheb District, Attock, in circa. 1242 AH, and it was also here that he passed away on 12^th Dhu al-Qaʿdah 1307 AH. He performed many saintly miracles, was a determined wayfarer of the spiritual path, and his supplications were always accepted. He was a spiritual heir of Khwāja Shams al-ʿĀrifīn.^[5]

6.   The epicenter of Zawiya Qadiriyya, Sayyidunā Mian Muhammad Hasan Qadiri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was born in 1198 AH at Zawiyah Qadiriyyah (Katbar Sharif, District Lahri, Sibbi Region, Baluchistan) and passed away on the 27^{th of} Dhu al-Qaʿdah 1274 AH. He was buried neighboring his blessed father. He was the son and Khalifa of the founder of the Zawiya, Mian Muhammad Kamil Qadiri, an exceedingly intelligent scholar, an ascetic and a possessor of saintly miracles.^[6]

7.   Shah Mazhar Wali, Makhdūm Sayyid Shāh Yaḥyā ʿAlī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه is a famous saint. He was born in the sayyid Zaydiyya household and passed away on 10^th Dhu al-Qaʿdah, 1264 AH, with the burial taking place in Madina al-Awliya Safipur (Anau District, UP, India). He was a spiritual guide in the Qadriyya Abu al-ʿĀlāʾiyya Munʿamiyya order.^[7]

8.   Sayyidunā Mian Muhammad Amīrullah Kalanwari رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was born in Kalanwar (Gurdaspur District, India) in 1254 AH, and passed away on the 24^th of Dhu al-Qaʿdah 1353 AH. He was greatly respected in his locality and was an affluent individual, always engrossed in doing the best for his nation, a disciple and spiritual successor of Amīr-e-Millat and a practicing personality.^[8]

9.   Pīr Abū al-Makhdūm Sayyid Ṣabirullah Shāh رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was a sayyid from the Kakakhail branch, a person adorned with the knowledge of the outward and the inner, one who was blessed to be in the company Sadr al-Afadil, as well as a disciple and spiritual successor of Sayyid Shāh ʿAlī Ḥusayn Ashrafī. He was a talented calligrapher, thinker, and a poet. He founded the Na’eemiyya Razawiyya Sawad-e-’Azam institute, Lahore. He was born in Muradabad and passed away in Lahore on the 19th of Dhu al-Qaʿdah 1394 AH. His shrine is in Gulberg graveyard, Lahore.^[9]

10.   Ashraf al-Awliya, Maulana Sayyid Abu al-Fath Muhammad Mujtaba Ashraf Ashrafi Jilani رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was born in 1346 AH in Kichocha Sharif, and passed away on the 21^st of Dhu al-Qaʿdah 1418 AH. He was also buried in the sanctified grounds of Kichocha Sharif, and was the grandson of the one who resembled Ghaus al-A’zam, Sayyidunā Shah Sayyid Ali Hussain Ashrafi Jilani Kichochvi, as well as his Khalifa. He was graduate of Jami’a Ashrafia Kichocha Sharif, a debater who ardently defended the creed of the Ahl al-Sunnah, a founder and patron of 20 religious educational institutes (madaris) and a Shaykh of spirituality. He spread guidance throughout Bengal and is remembered through the grand institution known as Makhdoom Ashraf Mission, Pandoh Bengal.^[10]

Noble Scholars رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ:

11.   Shaykh al-Islam Abū al-Waqt ʿAbd al-Awwal ibn Isa Sajzi Haravi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was born in Harat in 458 AH. He was the Imam of his era, an accomplished muhaddith, a perfected Sufi, an embodiment of good character, pious, humble, one who worshipped and shed tears profusely at night and a compendium of knowledge and practice. He had a huge amount of students. He passed away in Baghdad on the 6th of Dhu al-Qaʿdah 553 AH, and his funeral prayer was performed by Ghaus al-A’zam Shaykh Abd al-Qadir Jilani رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه.^[11]

12.   Sayyidunā Shaykh Shams al-Dīn Abū ʿAbd Allah Muhammad ibn Sulaymān al-Rawdānī al-Mālikī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was born in 1037 AH in Taroudant, Souss-Massa province Morocco. After attaining knowledge from various countries, he settled in Makkah Sharif and was regarded as one of its influential and acclaimed personalities. He was an expert in Hadith, Fiqh, mathematics, astronomy and Arabic literature. In serving the religion of Islam, he adopted the role of Imam, issued Fatawa and taught profusely. He was also engaged in writing and authorship, and from his 7 books, his most renowned works are جَمْعُ الْفَوَائِد مَن جَامعِ الْاُصُوْلِ وَ مَجْمَعِ الزَّوَاْئِد. This distinguished muhaddith passed away on the 10^th of Dhu al-Qaʿdah in Damascus 1094 AH and was buried in Mount Qasioun.^[12]

13.   One of the most erudite scholars of his time, Miyan ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه was born into a scholarly family based in Ghorghushti, Attock, in 1305 AH. He passed away on the 3^rd of Dhu al-Qaʿdah 1414AH. He was a teacher of scholars, a diligent teacher of Dars-e-Nizami, was passionate about acting upon the Shari’a and making others act upon it too. Furthermore, he was a disciple and Khalifa of the founder of Zawiyah Chishtiyya Meera Sharif and was loved by people from all walks of life. His religious edicts (fatawa) were especially acknowledged in the Chechi area.^[13]