World of Tasawwuf

In the time of the Prophet, Tasawwuf was a reality without a name, today Tasawwuf is a name, but few know its Reality

Silsila al Ashrafiya

Introduction



There have been many eminent personalities to have come through the Ashrafi Silsila since Hadrat Makhdoom Ashraf Rahmatullahi alayh but few have had a greater role and impact than His Eminence Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Makhdoom al-Millat Hadrat Sayyad Muhammad Abul Muhamid al-Ashrafi al-Jilani Rahmatullahi alayh. This impact led to them being given the acclamation of:


  "One of the Greatest Muhaddith's to have come from Asia"



We shall give you a brief life history of Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh from their childhood to their last days.


Makhdoom al Millat
Muhaddith al 'A'zam al Hind
Rahmatullahi alayh


Birth




His Eminence Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh was born in the Jais village of Rai Bareilly, which is in the state of U.P - (Uttar Pradesh) - in Northern India on the 15th (Wednesday) of Dh'ull Qu'ddah 1311  A.H (that is 1894).




Parents




Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh were the son of Raees al-Hukma Hadrat Allama Mawlana Sayyad Nadhar Ashraf Fadil-e-Kicchochwi Qudas sirrah al-Aziz who was the son of Hadrat Allama Mawlana Sayyad Fadl-e-Husayn Ashrafi al-Jilani Qudas sirrah al-Aziz. Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam's  Rahmatullahi alaih mother was Sayyida Muhammadi Khatun Bint-e-A'la Hadrat 'Ashrafi Miya' Qudas sirrah al-Aziz and maternal grandfather was Mahboob-e-Rabbani Murshid-e-Anam A'la Hadrat Sayyad Shah Ali Hussain 'Ashrafi Miya' Qudas sirrah al-Aziz.





Childhood




Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam Rahmatullahi alayh started to read the Noble Qur'an al-kareem in the traditional family age of  'four years' that is on the 19th Rabbi al-Awwal 1315 A.H (1898). Under their parents guidance Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh went onto formal education in the Jais village of Rai Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh in Northern India.




Education



Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh went onto Higher Education and took their studies to alims [scholars] of the highest authorities and categories, to places like Aligarh, Badayun, Bareilly, Lucknow and Philibit.


Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam Rahmatullahi alayh's teachers have been ; 


Mother - Sayyida Mohammedi Khatun
Father -  Allama Sayyad Nazar Ashraf
'Behr al-Ulum' Mawlana Abdul Bari Firanghimahali
'Ustad-e-Zama'n Allama Lutfullah Aligarhi
Allama Vashi Ahmad Muhaddith Surti
A'LA HADRAT IMAM AHMAD RIDA KHAN Fadil-e-Barelwi
Sayyad Shah Matiuras al-Badayuni


- Ridwanallaha ta'alayhi m'ajmain


Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh were given the acclaimed title of "One of the Greatest Muhaddith's of the subcontinent" by Sayyad Shah Matiuras al-Badayuni in 1328 A.H - that is 1911; at the age of only 17 [seventeen].







Khilafat



Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh became a mureed (disciple) and got Khilafat from Alim-e-Rabbani, Arif-e-Haqqani, Waiz-e-Lasani, Sultan al-Munazirin, ''Shehzada-e-'A'la Hadrat' Ashrafi Miya'', Imam-e-Ilm o' fan Hadrat Mawlana Ahmad Ashraf Ashrafi al-Jilani Rahmatullahi alayh. 




Marriage




Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh married at the age of 22 years (1915) to the grand-daughter of 'A'la Hadrat Ashrafi Miya' Rahmatullahi alayh; that means the daughter of 'Sultan al-Waizeen' Alim-e-Rabbani Mawlana Ahmed Ashraf Rahmatullahi alayh.





Religious & Social Activites




Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh established a School of hadees [A'Hadith] under the leadership of Hadrat Allama Sayyad Muhammad Mir Saheb in Delhi in 1330 at the age of 19. Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam Rahmatullahi alayh also started the publication of  'Ashrafi Monthly' from Kicchocha Shareef in 1339 A.H (January 1922) in which he comprehensively refuted the heretical Wahhabis, Qaddianis and other deviant and blasphemous sects.


Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh presided over and governed several Institutions of Ahl as-Sunnah w'al Jama'ah like 'All India Conference', at Banaras, 'Jama'at-e-Raza-e-Mustufa' Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, 'All India Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind' and 'Al Jame 'Ashrafiya'. Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh also presided and uplifted several universities of Islamic literature like Jame-Ashrafiya, Mubarakpur, Darul Uloom Ashrafiya-Behraich, Darul Uloom Faruqiyah, Banaras and countless other such madrassas and idaras [Islamic Educational Institutes].



Islamic & Spiritual Service




It has been widely reported that during Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh's many travels and journeys [see SPIRITUAL DESTINATIONS], he encountered many non muslims. Such was the personality and piety of Muhaddith al A'zam Rahmatullahi alayh that through his guidance more than 5,000 (five thousand) unbelievers embraced Islam and became Muslims.


Throughout Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh's travels, he made millions of Muslims his mureeds [disciples] and led them to the Great Silsila's [Order] of Qadiriya, Chistiya, Naqshbandiya and Suhrawardiya. 




Literature




Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alaih have penned more than 100 books and booklets. Of the most common and well known have been his translation of the Quran-al karim into urdu by the name of Ma'aref al-Qur'an.


Here is a list of some other works ;


Tafsir al-Qur'an-e-Paak
Taqviy al Qulub
Qahar Qahaar Barooh-e-Nahanzar
Hayat-e-Ghawth al-A'lam
Tahqiq al-Taqlid
Rudaad-e-Munazarah Kicchocha Shareef
Nauk-e-Teer
Khuda ki Rehmat
Maqsad al-Abrar
Shaykh al-A'lam
Piran-e-Peer
Sultan al-Mashaykh
Sultan al-Arif'in
Sawaneh Ghawth al-A'zam
Milad-e-Ashrafi
Fitnah-e-Azeem aur uska Dafeeyah
Sirat al Khulafaa
Kitab-e-Salaat
Fatawah-e-Ashrafiyah
Munafiqin-e-Islam ka Agaz aur Irtaqah
At-Tahqeer al Bare fi Huqooqis-Share


Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh has also written many Naat's [Poetry in Praise of Prophet Muhammad, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam] and Mankabat's and written a famous book about them called 'Farsh Pe Arsh'. These Naats 'are of the highest quality and are extremely well known. Hadrat Muhaddith-e-A'azam-e-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh is also known by the literary title of 'Sayyad' Kicchochwi.




Hajj




Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh were extremely fortunate as they went on the sacred Pilgrimage [Hajj] to Makkah al-Mukarrama and Madinah t'al-Munnawarra Five (5) times and received countless blessings.



Spiritual Destinations



Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh never ceased to travel to as many new places as possible to spread the 'Message and the Religion of Islam'. Hadrat's travels took him to the following destinations:


Haramayn Tayyebain,
Baghdad Shareef,
Najaf Ashraf,
Kazmeen,
Ballad,
Qufa,
Bait al-Muqaddas,
Damascus,
Egypt,
Yemen,
Eden,
Sri Lanka,
Rangoon,
Burma,
Dhaka,
Peshawar,
Lahore,
Karachi,
Khayber,
Calcutta,
Madras,
Kerala,
Hyderabad,
Karnataka,
Ghazni,
Kabul,
Multan,
Bihar,
Bengal,
Mathar Pradesh,
Orissa,
Gujarat,
Maharashtra,
Rajashtan
Punjab


... and possibly many other destinations throughout the Middle-East, Asia and South.


Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh never rested till they achieved their goal in spreading the Message of Islam which meant travelling almost 11 months a year. Only Ramadan [9th Month of Islamic Calendar] and the last few days of Muharram [Ist Month of Islamic Calendar] for the Urs of MAKHDOOM ASHRAF JAHANGIR SEMNANI [d.807H/1405CE] Radi Allahu anhu kept Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh in Kicchocha Shareef.


Final Journey



The last spiritual journey of Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh saw them travel all over the southern part of India which included Gujerat. However Hadrat fell ill during this time and had to travel back to the northern city of Lucknow for treatment. This was on the 10th of November 1961 and Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh remained there for 44 days to recover and rest from his illness.


Sadly Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh never recovered and passed away to Jannah [Heaven] on Monday the 25th of December 1961 at 12.30pm that is 16 Rajjab 1381H.



Janazah Salaat



His Eminence Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh's Janazah Namaz [funeral prayer] was performed by Shaykh al-Mashaykh Hadrat Sarkar-e-Kalan Allama Pir Muhammad Sayyad Shah Mukhtar Ashraf al-Ashrafi al-Jilani Rahmatullahi alayh [d.1417HIJRI] Sajjada Nasheen Khanquah-e-Ashrafiya Husayniya.



Janasheen



The spiritual successor to His Eminence Hadrat Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh was appointed soon after and 'Raees al-Muhaqiqeen' HADRAT SHAYKH AL ISLAM W'AL MUSLIMEEN Allama Mufti Pir Sayyad Shah Muhammad Madani Miya al-Ashrafi al-Jilani was appointed Sajjada Nasheen [spiritual successor] of al-Huzoor Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Rahmatullahi alayh.





Legacy




Hadrat SHAYKH AL ISLAM has carried on his pious and noble father's tradition of preaching and spreading Islam to the furthest corners of the globe and the great Saintly Order of Ashrafiya continues in these safe hands. 


THE MISSION CONTINUES


Tis our belief, that the Prophet's Mercy continues,

His Prophethood still stands, his miracle's continue,

Of such miracle's, his Progeny continues,

His Progeny are mindful, his mission continues,

One Progeny Muhaddith al-A'zam, did influence to continue,

In Asia, Europe, in America it continues, 

His Progeny too, do tirelessly continue,

In London, Birmingham, in Preston it continues,

Such is the Mission of Muhaddith al-A'zam

The Prophet's love continues, the Sunni's continue!





Family Tree



The immediate family of His Eminence Muhaddith al-A'zam al-Hind Makhdoom al-Millat Hadrat Allama Mufti Pir Sayyad Shah Muhammad Abul Muhamid Ashrafi al-Jilani Rahmatullai alayh [d. 1381H - 1961CE)


A'la Hadrat Ashrafi Miya  -  Maternal Grandfather
Mawlana Ahmad Ashraf   -  Maternal Uncle and Murshid
Sayyad Mukhtar Ashraf   -  Brother-in-law, Murshid's son


Sisters         -    Sayyeda Ahmedi Khatun
                        Sayyeda Saida Khatun

Daughters    -    Sayyeda Iqbal Banu
                        Sayyeda Sultana Khatun

First Son      -    Sayyad Muhammad Makki Miya
                        (Passed away at the age of 12 yrs)

Second Son -    Sayyad Muhamid Ashraf - 'Majzoob al-Elahi'  
                        He has two Sons : 
                              Sayyad Arabi Miya   
                              Sayyad Jilani

Third Son     -    Sayyad Hasan Muthanna Anwar Miya
                                  He has five Sons :
                              Sayyad Khalid Miya
                              Sayyad Rashid Miya Makki
                              Sayyad Fakir Miya
                              Sayyad Shahid Miya
                              Sayyad Ahmed Raza Miya
                                   and a daughter :
                              Sayyeda Anis Fatima

Fourth Son   -     Sayyad Hassana Miya
                         (Passed away at the age of  5 yrs)

Fifth Son &
Janasheen    -     HADRAT SHAYKH AL ISLAM W'AL MUSLIMEEN
                              Sayyad Muhammad Madani Miya
                             

Sixth Son      -    HADRAT GHAZI AL MILLAT
                               Sayyad Muhammad Hashmi Miya
                                   He has four Sons : 
                               Sayyad Noorani Miya
                               Sayyad Ghazali Miya -
                               (Passed away at 9 yrs)
                               Sayyad Subhani Miya
                               Sayyad Samdani Miya
                                   and a daughter :
                               Sayyeda Noor Fatima