Imam Ahmad Raza Services and Influence Abu Zohra Rizwi Translated by Abu Hanzala Contents Attestation ......................................................................................................... 2 Prologue ............................................................................................................ 3 Vicegerent of the Prophets and Messengers ....................................................... 5 Mujaddid Alf and Mujaddid al-Asr.................................................................... 6 Graduation and issuing edicts ............................................................................ 8 Branches of knowledge.................................................................................... 10 The number of pages he wrote ......................................................................... 13 Knowledge of Qur’an and Tafsir...................................................................... 14 Mastery of hadith............................................................................................. 15 Mastery of fiqh ................................................................................................ 16 Rational sciences ............................................................................................. 17 Poetry and literature......................................................................................... 18 His comprehensive worldwide influence.......................................................... 19 Issuing fatawa.................................................................................................. 20 Ilm al-Hadith ................................................................................................... 20 Tafsir al-Qur’an............................................................................................... 21 Hanafi fiqh ...................................................................................................... 22 Teaching and education ................................................................................... 22 Polemics and debate ........................................................................................ 25 Inviting to Islam .............................................................................................. 25 Reformation and Tabligh ................................................................................. 26 Politics ............................................................................................................ 26 Refutation of Qadyanism ................................................................................. 27 Bay’ah and spiritual orders .............................................................................. 27 Writing and authoring...................................................................................... 29 1 Mufakkir-e-Islam Khatib-e-A’zam Lisan al-Asr Qamar al-Millat wa’d Din Hadrat Allama Qamar al-Zaman A’zami – Secretary General of the World Islamic Mission London, founder of al-Jami’at al-Islamiya, Ronahi, Faizabad’s Attestation I have seen Mawlana Abu Zohra Rizwi’s book Imam Ahmad Rida: Services and Influence. The author has highlighted some new aspects from the life of A’la Hazrat and after reading the book, I have to pay homage to his research and meticulousness. The personality of Imam Ahmad Raza is a great one in that every individual can find new facets according their own interests. He is an ocean from which every diver emerges with new pearls. Thousands of pages have been written about his life and works but no writer will claim that he has fulfilled his right. Whole books can be written on his every branch of knowledge. Mawlana Abu Zohra possesses an extremely investigative eye on his life and works. Hence, in this book, he has highlighted the efforts of the Mujaddids according to their dates and eras and that Allah sent them according to the situation in their era. For example, in the time of Mujaddid Alfi Thani, there was revolt against Tawhid, hence, he placed the greatest importance on Tawhid and in the time of Imam Ahmad Raza, there was revolt against the belief in Prophethood, its rank and its finality; hence, A’la Hazrat highlighted this aspect in his revival. Mawlana Abu Zohra has authored numerous monographs on the life and works of Imam-e-Ahle Sunnat which will be published soon, InshaAllah. In one of his unique works, he has shown from the beliefs of the scholars, muhaddithin and imams of the past 14 centuries that the creed of Imam-e-Ahle Sunnat is exactly the same as theirs. He has proven in light of evidences that the path of Imam Ahmad Raza is not a new one – it is hoped this book will be published soon. I pray that Allah blesses the research and diligence of Mawlana Abu Zohra and that he continues to author valuable books in the field of Rizwiyat. The unworthy Muhammad Qamar al-Zaman A’zami 2 Prologue In this short booklet, some astounding aspects from the life of Imam Ahmad Raza Baraylawi are being presented. Thereafter, a brief glance is taken at his accomplishments in religion, knowledge and Ijtihad. Then it has been shown that in the hundred or so from his own era to the present day, however many movements have arisen amongst Ahlu’s Sunnah, they are all from the blessings of A’la Hazrat - whether they be religious, social, knowledge based, thought, propagation or reformation. The same is the case for teaching and education, writing and poetry and literature. The blessings of A’la Hazrat and the individuals he prepared are active in every department. A’la Hazrat not only influenced his own era, his beneficence is the life blood of Ahlu’s Sunnah in every department to this day. This research has proven that his personality is like the tree of life whose blessings are . ﺗﻮﺗﻰ اﻛﻠﮭﺎ ﻛﻞ ﺣﯿﻦ ﺑﺎذن رﺑﮭﺎ flowing to this day according to The adage: ﺳﺎرے ﻋﺎﻟﻢ ﭙہ ﮨﻮں ﻣﯿﮟ ﭼﮭﺎﯾﺎ ﮨوا I envelop the whole world bears true on his personality. ﮨزاروں رﺣﻤﺘﯿﮟ اﯾﺴﮯ ﻣﯿﺮ ﻛﺎرواں ﭘﺮ ﮨوں ﮐہ ان ﻛﮯ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺑﮭﻰ ﺑﺎﻗﻰ ﮨﮯ ﺷﺎن ِرﮨﺑﺮى ان ﻛﻰ Thousands of blessings on the leader of the group Whose leadership remains even after he has gone Abu Zohra Rizwi 3 Imam Ahmad Rida Baraylawi was born in 1856 [1272 AH]. He lived for 68 years and passed away in 1921 [1340 AH]. In the Indian subcontinent, this was an era of revolution and tribulations. Anyone who is aware of the history of the subcontinent knows the struggles which Islam and Muslims underwent on a social and religious level. History is witness that whenever such times are faced by a nation, circumstances give rise to saviours. In order to safeguard the treasures of his nation, an individual is born who changes the downtrodden destiny of his people. It was Nietzsche who said the emergence of Napoleon was only possible due to the French revolution1 which proves the above theory. Similarly, it was the result of the Crusades that Salah al-Din Ayyubi emerged. When we examine our religious past, we see that when the mischief of the Mu’tazila arose and it was necessary to present ‘aqida and kalam in a different light, a theologian like Imam Abu’l Hasan Ash’ari was born. When logic and philosophy were at a zenith, Imam Ghazzali came to challenge the calamity that they bought. When an attempt was made to create a new religion by the name of ‘Din-e-Ilahi’, Allah sent Mujaddid Alfi Thani to protect Islam. Every destruction brings its rectifier with it. The laws of nature are indeed strange that when a demise reaches its lowest point, it is that which creates the ingredients for revival. A study of history also shows that individuals who become widely accepted and go down in history are similar to each other even if they are from different times and places. Whether it is thinking and the arts, poetry and literature or politics and governance; similarities in knowledge and action in individuals specialising in each category are easy to find. These similarities between individuals can sometimes even reach the level that it seems they have a personal connection. Mujaddid Alfi Thani says in his Maktubat that in previous nations, a Prophet [Nabi] would be present at all times. When 100 years had passed, Allah would send a Messenger [Rasul] and when 1000 years had elapsed, He would send an Arch-Prophet [Ulu’l ‘Azm]. This has always been the Divine practice. The reason for sending Messengers every 100 years and an Arch-Prophet every 1000 years was due to prevalent circumstances and also the need for legislation. The fixed time between Messengers and Arch-Prophets is not without reason. There is a hadith which says, At the start of every century, Allah chooses a man to revive the religion.2 Both these references prove that the time span between Messengers and revivers of Islam is of great importance. This time span not only serves to show the peaks and 1 Awaz-e-Dost, p.242 2 Abu Da’ud in his Sunan; Hakim in Mustadrak; Mulla Ali Qari quoted it from Mu’jam Awsat of Tabrani; Kanzu’l ‘Ummal narrates it from Ma’rifat al-Sunan wa’l Athar of Bayhaqi. In its takhrij, Allama Abdul Hayy Lakhnawi mentioned Hulya Abu Nu’aym; Musnad Bazzar; Musnad Hasan bin Sufyan; Kamil ibn Adi (Majmu’a Fatawa, v.2, p.151) 4 troughs of a nation but also paves the way for the work that a Prophet or Messenger or reviver will undertake and also assigns their rank and status. The way in which this relationship of time continues from one Messenger to the next and from the Arch- Prophet of a thousand years to the following; it also occurs from the reviver [mujaddid] of one era to the reviver of another