Our pious predecessors

Abu Majid Muhammad Shahid Attari Madani

Shaban al-Muazzam is the eighth month of the Islamic year. From the companions, saints and scholars who passed away or whose lives are commemorated in this month, sixty-five have been mentioned in the Shaban ul-Muazzam issues of the Monthly Faizan-e-Madinah Magazine published between 1438 AH and 1442 AH. Here, there is mention of a further twelve.

Honourable companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُم

Sayyiduna Basheer bin Sa'ad and the martyrs of Sariyyah: In the month of Shaban, in 7 AH, Sayyiduna Basheer Bin Sa’ad al-Ansari رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was sent along with 30 noble companions رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُم to Banu Murrah, in Fadak. They fired arrows at the Banu Murrah throughout the night, until they exhausted their supply of arrows.. The Banu Murrah attacked in the morning, which resulted in some companions becoming martyred. Sayyiduna Basheerr was badly injured. Assuming that he had passed away, The Banu Murrah left him. He went to Fadak by night and returned returned after his wounds had healed.^{^[1]}

1. One of the companions of the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyiduna Hishaam Bin Subabah al-Kinaani al-Laythi رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ participated in the ghazwah of Bani Mustaliq (Shaban, in 5 AH) and displayed great courage. An Ansari companion from the Banu Najjar mistook him for a non-Muslim and martyred him (at a place called Muraysee). The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم gave his blood money to his brother.^{^[2]}

Noble saints رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ

2. Sayyid Shah Ismail Qadri Nellori رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه came to India from Baghdad and stayed at Naylor (Andhra Pradesh). He belonged to the family of Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani. The Shaykh adhered to the Shariah, was known for his spirituality, and manifested saintly miracles. In summary Sayyid Shah Ismail رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was a greatly influential figure. He passed away at the end of Shaban 1000 AH. His shrine is in Nellore.^{^[3]}

3. Shaykh Sayyid Isa Jilani Qadiri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Srinagar (Kashmir). His family members were spiritual and people of knowledge belonging to the Qadri order. He studied subjects relating to both the physical realm and spirituality under the tutelage of his noble father. He was an erudite scholar, an accomplished Sufi and manifested many saintly miracles. He spent his entire life guiding others and propagating sacred knowledge. He passed away on the 13th of Shaban 1256 AH, in Peshawar.^{^[4]}

4. Maulana Abdul Waali Firangi Mahalli Qadri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1189 AH and passed away on 22 Shaban 1279 AH. He was an accomplished scholar belonging to the learned household of Firangi Mahalli (Lucknow, U.P. India). The Shaykh was a great saint who showed patience and contentment. People attained spiritual blessings from him. He was strict in his routine of offering Salah in congregation. Most members of the Firangi Mahal household were his disciples (mureedeen).^{^[5]}

5. Allamah Shah Muhammad Masoom Mujaddidi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1263 AH in Delhi, and passed away on the 10th of Shaban 1341 AH, in Makkah. He belonged to the family of Mujaddid Alf Thaani. The Shaykh was also a Hafiz of the Quran. Moreover, he was knowledgable in both rational and transmitted sciences. Allamah Shah Muhammad Masoom was also an author, a spiritual guide, an Islamic poet and an influential personality who was visited by the public and elite. He is the author of اَحْسَنُ الْکَلَامِ فِی اِثْبَاتِ الْمَوْلِدِ وَ الْقِیَامِ.^{^[6]}

6. Shaykh Abdullah bin Muhammad Baakatheer رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Kenya’s south-eastern coastal city of Lamu (Africa), in 1276 AH. He passed away on 14 Shaban 1343 AH, on the island of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. His tomb is situated near Masjid al-Barazah, also located in Zanzibar.. He was a scholar and spiritual guide belonging to the Alawi order. 'The Shaykh taught scholars, the general public and authored many books. He spent time in Makkah, as well as Hadramaut and Egypt. Adding to this, he is also famous for his work رِحْلَةُ الْاَشْوَاقِ الْقَوِیَّةِ اِلٰی مَوَاطِنِ الْسَّادَۃِ الْعَلَوِیَّة.^{^[7]}

The scholars of Islam رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ

7. Mufti Maulana Makhdoom Ghulam Abbas Siddeeqi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in approximately 902 AH, and passed away in Hingorja (Khairpur, Sindh) in Shaban 998 AH. His original hometown is Patt (Dadu, Sindh). Mufti Makhdoom was a practicing scholar, a jurist (faqeeh), scholar of Hadith (muhaddith) and an accomplished Sufi.^{^[8]}

8. Maulana Nooruddeen Lilyaanwi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in Lilliani (Bhalwal, Sargodha) in 1265 AH and also passed away there on 19 Shaban 1333 AH. He was an expert in Arabic and Persian literature. The Shaykh was a disciple and representative (khaleefah) of Khawajah Shams-ul-Arifeen. Furthermore, in Lilliani, Kalanaur and Bahawalpur, he was a teacher of Eastern studies and had countless students. He remained the officer of religious institutes in Bahawalpur for 25 years.^{^[9]}

9. Maulana Khalifah Haji Tajuddeen Ahmad Jawhar Chishti Sulaymani Fakhri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was an active scholar in Lahore. He was an eminent lawyer of Punjab Court by profession, the secretary of Anjuman Numaniyyah Lahore, manager (nazim) of a religious institute (darul uloom) and editor of the booklets issued by Anjuman. In 1313 AH, he went to Bareilly upon the invitation of Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. He passed away on 24Shaban 1358 AH in Lahore.^{^[10]}

10. Maulana Mufti Ghulam Muhammad Siyalvi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born to a learned and spiritual family. He learnt sacred knowledge from his noble father and spent his entire life teaching while residing in his own village. He was a courageous, truthful and practicing scholar who passed away on 5 Shaban 1384 AH and was buried in the ancestral graveyard of Sadwal, Chakwal.^{^[11]}

11. Maulana Abdul Rahman Bangawi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1309 AH in Dulhal (Fateh Jang, Attock) and passed away on 19Shaban 1383 AH in Multan. He completed the traditional scholarship course (Dars e Nizami) and also taught it. Maulana Abdul Rahman was a Sufi, disciple of Peer Mehr Ali Shah and the author and translator of numerous works.^{^[12]}

12. Qazi Mufti Peer Zuhoorullah Hashimi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه was born in 1947 in Jeendhar (Gujrat, Punjab) and passed away on 13 Shaban 1440 AH in Rawalpindi. He was an erudite and practising scholar. Mufti Zuhoorullah was a spiritual guide, international Islamic preacher and an active individual. He is the author of Khutubaat-e-America.^{^[13]}

[1] Subul al-Hudah wa al-Rishaad, vol. 6, p. 132

[2] al-Isaabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, vol. 6, p. 422, Maghazi li al Waqidi, vol. 1, p. 404

[3] Tazkirah al-Ansaab, p. 105

[4] Encyclopaedia Awliya Kiraam, vol. 1, p. 385

[5] Mumtaz Ulama Firangi Mahalli Lakhnow, p. 126

[6] Shuara i Hijaz, p. 369-372, Tareekh al-Dawlah al-Makkiyyah, p. 46

[7] Rihlah al-Ashwaaq al-Qawiyyah, Ibtidaiyyah, al-Harakah al-Ilmiyyah fi Zanjbar, p. 229

[8] Burhanpur ka Sindhi Awliya ma Taliqaat, p. 15

[9] Fawz al-Maqal fi Khulafa i Peer Siyal, vol. 7, p. 386-394

[10] Sad Saalah Tareeqah Anjuman Numaniyyah Lahore, pp. 20, 42, 185

[11] Tazkirah Ulama Ahle Sunnat Zila Chakwal, p. 34

[12] Tazkirah Ulama Ahle Sunnat Zila Attock, p. 192