Life and Works of Maulana Muj addid Ashraf Ali Thanwi Rah. BY Hadhrat Qutbul Alam Professor Mohammad Abdullah, Ph.D. CONTENTS Page I. Biography 5 11. The Khanqah or Residence 13 1. Location 13 2.' Schedule or Notice 13 3. Khanqah Activities 14 111. Life HistorJi 15 4. Expenditure 15 5. The Will 16 6. Daily Routine of Benefaction 17 7. Distinguishing Leadership 18 IV. Personality and Habits 18 8. Features 18 9. Life-style of the Holy Prophet (Sal-am) 18 10. Following the Holy Prophet (Sal-am) 19 11. Disposition 19 12. Habits 20 13. Etiquette of Accepting GiRs 218 14. Family Life 22 15. Treatment of Servants 23 16. Childhood Activities 23 17. Rights and Dealings 24 18. Time Conciousness 24 19. Self-Criticism 2 5 20. Respect for Religious Authorities 26 2 1. Special Features 27 22. Allah's Blessings and 2 8 Shaikh's Blessings 29 V. The Mujaddid's Meeting --.. 30 23. A Glimpse 30 24. Impressions 3 1 25. Mujaddid's Policy 3 1 26. The Nature of Xhanqah 34 27. A Declaration 34 1. BIOGRAPHY In India before the Muslim rule, Rajah Bheem settled a Qasbah inDistrict Muzaffarnagar on his name "ThanaBheem" Then came the Muslims who settled here and called it "Muhammad Pur" but this name could not be popular but the 28. The Reform of Khanqah ;1 name was changed to "ThanqBnawan"from Thana Bheem. VI. The Revival of Series The Muslims were prosperous, powerful and educated. 29. The Revival The forefathers of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi settled 30. Training Programme :nturies ago in Tq-ma Bhawan. On his fatherside they came 3 1. Caution irom Thanesar, District Karnal and were Farooqi by descent. 32. Some Statements of Training On his motherside they migrated from Jhanjhana ta Thana 33. The Training Book (Tarbiyyatus Sa' Bhawan and were Alavi by descent. 34. The Deputies VII. The Mujaddid's Standard of Knowledge His father Mr. Abdul Haq was a rich man, educated in 35. The Mujaddid's Contribution Persian, knew Qur'an very well and was very clever in under- 36. Golden Advice standing people. 37. A Review of Mujaddid's Knowledge His mother was also an intelligent and saintly lady. His by Syed Sulaiman Nadvi maternal uncle Pir Ji Imdad Ali sahib Rh. was a saint. He 38. The Mujaddid's Public Lectures, followed the advice of Majzoob Hafiz Ghulam Murtaza and VIII. Some Special Topics went to Hyderabad, Deccan and later became Mureed ofMirza 39. Islamic Renaissance i Sardar Beg Sahib Rah. 40. Muslim Way of Life 4 1. Taqlid and Ijtehad His maternal grandfather Mir Nagahat Ali sahib Rah. knew 42. Wisdom of Durood Sharif 1 Persian very well and was mureed ofa deputy ofh4aulana Shah 43. Visiting the Prophet's Tomb and Salam Niaz Ahmad Barelvi and was friendly with Hafiz Ghulam 44. Vision of Prophet (Sal-am) in Dream Murtaza. 45. Night of Qadr and Ascension His great grandfather was Sultan Shahabuddin Ali "Farrukh 46. Gradual Reform Shah Kabuli" in whose progeny were Shaikh Mujaddid Alf- 47. "Waswasa" is the work of Devil Thani, Shaikh Jalaluddin Thanesari, Shaikh Fariduddin Ganj- 48. Propagation of Faith and Deeds is Shakar to mention a few. Essential 49. Nature of "Tawassul" According to aDerwish's prophecy hewas born on 5 Rabius IX. Table Talks or "Malfoozat" Thani 1280 A.H., Wednesday Fajr time. His date of birth is X. Suggested Reading "Karam Azeem" which is nice. and-self, and rubbing the beak meant that Allah will enlighten by Himself your soul and self His mother died in his childhood at five and his father looked after him with great care, discipline and affection and trained His earlier education was in Meerut where he learnt earlier him well. He did not allow him sweets from the mosque after books of Persian and memorized the holy Quran. Then he Tarawih's end in Ramadhan but bought for him from the shop returned to Thana Bhawan where he read Arabic elementary so that he may not be greedy. He was reprimanded for saying books and Persian advanced books with Maulana Fateh that Maulana Rafiuddin, Muhtamim No. 1, Darul Uloom, Mohammad sahib, then from his uncle Wajid Ali sahib Rah. Deoband was not much educated and told not to use the advanced books ofPersian. Then he went to Deoband when he language against his elders. mastered this language with Manfa-at Ali sahib Rah. At 18 he wrote a Mathnavi "zeero-bam" He did not play with children. He knew the games but was not interested. In his games he used to copy the prayers with He entered Deoband in 1295 A.H. and graduated after 5 I congregation. There was a expert blind Hafiz sahib who knew years in 1301 A.H. at 19-20 years of age and mastered Arabic Quran very well. He used to read Nafl Quran in Namaz for him and Religion. and told him he would decieve him in Quran in this verse. When In his student life he was aloof from fellow students and he came there he recited Allah as if he was going to Ruku. He I relatives and spent his time in books and his special teacher laughed and then started again the Niyyat for prayer. Maulana Hohamned Yaqoob sat in his company and listened I At the age of 12-13, he used to pray Tahajjud and recite to him carefully, a thing that is becoming less and less available Zikr. His aunty used to say it is too early for you to do that but now. he was disciple ofMaulana Fateh Mohammad sahib Rah., how His teachers were becoming aware of his abilities. Thus could he leave them. when ~aulana as heed Ahmad Gangohi came to examine the He used to vomit if he saw any man topless. He could not i students on the graduation list his teacher Shaikhul Hind sleep in a room with strong smell. He could not eat food Maulana Mahmood Hasan praised him of his intelligence and leftover by someone. He was a man of principle that his first presence of mind. The examiner asked difficult questions and wife used to say he would have been born in a king's family. was quite satisfied with their replies. Maulana Shaikh Mohammad sahib Thanwi Rah. who was He was well versed in intellectual knowledge and logic and Haji Imdadullah's co-mureed examined him and said he will be used to argue with others. ! 'in my place after me. I 1 In 1300 A.H. he heard that prize distribution and graduation He saw a dream in his childhood that a cage with two ceremony was going to be in full colour. He took his fellow pigeons was placed in a big house. When evening came they students and went to MaulanaMohammed Yaqoob sahib Rah. asked him to lighten the cage and he said you light yourself. They and said we heard that we weregoing to be graduated and given rubbed their beaks and thelight resulted enlightening the whole certificates although don't deserve it. P!ease cancel it. This will cage. His material uncle Wajid Ali Rah. said the pigeons were soul bring a shame to the institution that such unworthy students 9 were issued with certificates. throughout India: He said you are wrong. Infrant of your teachers vou don't 1. Molvi M. Ishaq sahib Bardanwi Rah. who was the feel anything and this is what you should feel Wher you go successor ofMaulana Thanwi Rah. in Kanpur and who founded outside you will realize your worth. You will be +here and Madressa Aaliya in Calcutta. nobody will be there to oppose you. 2. Molvi Ahmed Ali sahib Rah. who specialized in Fiqh and He was good looking and had a melodious voice and used made public his knowledge in Fatehpur and Barabanki. to recite Quranwonderfhlly.Helearnt "Tajweed" (recitation of 3. MolviFazle Haq sahib Rah. of Allahabad wrote "Mishnat Quran) from Qari Mohammed Abdullah Muhajir Makki in But Takveer" showed his mastery over Philosophy and taught Mecca who was famolls over Arabic Qaris as well. at Q annauj. Now was the time for pracitce. For 14 years he served 4 Molvi Hakim Mohammad Mustafa sahib Bijnauri was an Madrasa (Faize Am) inKanpur, taught, wrote, gave sermons, authority on Arabic literature and logic. Heused to write down wrote fatwa. His teaches's prophecy came true. "You will be points fromMaulana Thanwi's sermons and then rewrite it like there and no body will t?p there to oppose you. " He taught high the original.He wrote an explanationofMaulanaThanwils"Al- level books there. Intibahatul Mufeedah" which is remarkable. The Madressa authorities asked him to collect funds for the 5. Molvi Syed Ishaq Ali sahib Kanpuri who was Professor organization but be refused and resigned, and did not take back of Arabic at Allahabad University. his resignation. 6. Molvi Zafar Ahmad sahib Usmani Rah. who was nephew He went to see Hazrat Maulana Shah Fazlur Rahman sahib of Maulana Thanwi. he wrote " Aylaassunan " 1 1 volumes in Rah. and met the Qutbul Alam. On his return he was stopped Fiqh and Hadith. in Icanpur and requested to teach at in Jameul Uloom in Masjidal-Jamiya Patkapur. He thought of taking up Hakim His principles of education included the following: Medicine but could not continue it and left in favour ofteaching 1. The teacher should struggle to make easy the lessons in Kanpur on his Shaikh's advice. Byt later he left for Thana before his students Bhawan on Haji Imdadullah's advice and blessings.