Pious Predecessors Urs in the Month of Ramadan

Our Pious Predecessors

Maulana Abu Majid Shahid Attari Madani

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Ninety-five noble Companions رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُم, saints and Islamic scholars رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ who passed away in this month have already been mentioned in the Ramadan 1438-1444 AH editions of the Monthly Magazine Faizan-e-Madinah. A further 11 are mentioned in this edition.

Noble Prophetic Companions رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُم

Martyrs of Buwayb: This battle occurred in 13 AH under the command of Sayyidunā Muthannā bin Ḥārithah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ on the banks of the Euphrates at Buwayb near Kufa. Mihrān Hamdānī, the leader of the disbelievers, was killed, and the Muslims attained a glorious victory. Many leaders from amongst the Muslims were martyred in this battle. [1]

1. Sayyidunā MasꜤūd bin Ḥārithah al-Shaybānī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was the brother of the renowned warrior, the conqueror of Persia: Sayyidunā Muthannā bin Ḥārithah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. Even prior to embracing Islam, he was considered amongst the brave warriors of Arabia. He took up residence with his brother in Hirah, Iraq, during the caliphate of Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. Then, he moved to Babel, participating in jihad alongside his brother. He was martyred in Ramadan 13 AH in the battle of Buwayb. [2]

Honourable Saints رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ

2. Sayyid ꜤAqīl Shāh al-Samarqandī al-Qowqandī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Shaban 659 AH into a family from the Prophetic household in Samarqand and passed away at his birthplace on 16 Ramadan 711 AH. His resting place is widely frequented by visitors. He was a practising scholar, an accomplished saint and the spiritual guide of his age. He established a spiritual lodge in Kokand city, Uzbekistan, where both leaders and the general public benefited. [3]

3. Sayyidunā Quṭb al-ꜤĀlam Gīlānī, famously known as Dādā Miyān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, was born in 1327 AH in the spiritual lodge of Suja Sharīf, Rajasthan, India. His supplications were readily accepted, and he held a lofty spiritual station and was the custodian of this spiritual centre. He passed away on 17 Ramadan 1382 AH. [4]

4. Bābā Jī Sarkār Pīr Khalīfah Jalāl al-Dīn al-Qādirī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Birampur, Hoshiarpur province, East Punjab, India. He passed away on 21 Ramadan 1391 AH and is buried in Chak 297 JB, Jhang Road, Gojra subdistrict, Tobah Dar al-Salam Province. He was a shaykh of the Qādiriyyah Qalandariyyah spiritual order and a true devotee of the Prophetic Companions, the Prophetic Household  and the Crown of the Saints: Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه

Eminent Scholars رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ

5. Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad bin ꜤAbbās al-Khwārizmī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was the nephew of the famous Quranic exegete Imam Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. He memorised 20,000 lines of poetry. He lived in Aleppo, Syria, for a long time and then moved to Nishapur. Dīwān Abī Bakr al-Khwārizmī and Rasāˈil Khwārizmī are from his memorable writings. He passed away in Ramadan 383 AH in Nishapur, Iran. [5]

6. Sayyid Muhammad Sharīf al-Sanūsī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1262 AH and passed away in 1313 or 1314 AH in Jaghbub, Barqah Province, Libya. He was laid to rest there alongside his noble father, al-Shaykh al-Kabīr Muḥammad bin ꜤAlī al-Sanūsī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. He was a religious scholar, an advisor to the Sanūsī movement, head of the education department and seminary, and an accomplished teacher. He had 8,000 books in his library. His death anniversary is commemorated on 27 Ramadan. [6]

7. Qāḍī Miyān Muḥammad Chishtī Sabhralwī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1230 AH into a scholarly family in Sabhral, Soon Valley Sakesar, Khushab province. He passed away on 25 Ramadan 1329 AH. His resting place is in the Muhammadiyyah Siyalwiyyah Sabhral Sharif spiritual centre. Not only was he an erudite scholar, but a teacher of scholars, a student of ꜤAllāmah Muḥammad ꜤAlī Makhdawī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, and a disciple and spiritual successor to Shams al-ꜤĀrifīn al-Siyālwī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. [7]

8. Shaykh al-Qurrāˈ Mawlānā Abū al-Fayḍ Ghulām Muhammad Khān Qādirī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1373 AH in Langar, Jand, Attock Province. He passed away on 5 Ramadan, 1419 AH. He was a hafiz, a graduate of Jamiah Razawiyyah Mazhar al-Islam (Faisalabad), a fine reciter of the noble Quran, a motivational speaker, an author, and a teacher of Dars-e-Nizami and Quranic recital and memorisation. He was a disciple of the Qādiriyyah spiritual order and spiritual successor to his elder brother Mufti Riyāḍ al-Dīn al-Riḍawī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. [8]

9. Khawājah Akbar Wārithī Mīruthī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Bajoli, Meerut Province, India. He had mastery in Arabic, Persian and Urdu and was an excellent poet. He gave oath of spiritual allegiance to Haji Wārith ꜤAlī Shāh, Dewa Sharīf and gained spiritual successorship from Shāh ꜤAlī Ḥusayn Ashrafī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. From amongst his 12 divans, Mīlād-e-Akbar received immense fame. Hafīẓ Jālandharī is renowned amongst his students. He passed away on 6 Ramadan 1372 AH in Karachi. He was laid to rest in Mewah Shah cemetery.[9]

10. ꜤAllāmah Fatḥ Muhammad Muḥaddith Bahāwalnagarī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1304 AH into a family of landowners from the Wattoo tribe in Habeeb, Bahawalnagar Province. He passed away on 29 Ramadan, 1389 AH and was laid to rest on the eastern side of Jami Masjid Faruq-e-Azam, Faisal Colony, Bahawalnagar. He was an erudite scholar, an expert in the rational and transmitted sciences, a teacher of Dars-e-Nizami, an author and a shaykh of the Chishtiyyah Nizamiyyah spiritual order. He was also a poet in Arabic, Persian and Punjabi. He taught for over 55 years; many leading scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah were his students. [10]

11. ꜤAllāmah Ghulām Muhammad Townswī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in approximately 1355 AH in Sanjar Sadan near Tonsah Sharīf, Dera Ghazi Khan and passed away on 6 Ramadan, 1435 AH. He was from the talented students of ꜤAllāmah ꜤAṭāˈ Muhammad Bandiyālwī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. His fields of speciality were Logic and Philosophy. He was naturally inclined towards teaching and would ensure to prepare thoroughly before lessons. Leading scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah are from his students. Assuming the positions of a teacher, lead teacher and Shaykh al-Hadith at various seminaries, he taught over 100 books in over 30 sciences over a span of approximately 65 years. [11]