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Hudur Taajush Shari'ah's Journey to Egypt
[MAY 2009]
A four-day visit that expiated the forty
years' gap!
Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah is awarded “The
Pride of al-Azhar” award
Originally
Written in Urdu by: Maulana Salman Raza Khan
Graduate of Jami'atur Raza (Bareilly
Sharif),
Currently studying at the al-Azhar
University Cairo, Egypt
Translated into English by:
A humble servant of Sayyidi Taajush
Shari'ah,
Mawlana Muhammad Kalim al-Qadiri,
Bolton,
U.K.
[This was published in a book in South Africa]
What a
blessed day 3rd May 2009 was for the
people of Egypt. A day that brought such
joy and happiness that had not been seen
for many years; that kindled the love of
Allah and His friends into the hearts of
many; that was much anticipated by Arabs
and non-Arabs alike. It was a day in
which the long-awaited dream finally
became a reality; when the ardent lovers
of al-Habib al-Mustafa SallAllahu 'alayhi
wa Sallam gathered in their hundreds to
welcome one of the greatest legends of
this age, a sincere and devout lover of
al-Habib al-Mustafa SallAllahu 'alayhi
wa Sallam, a true Wali of Allah and
bless the ancient city of Cairo with his
august presence; to welcome a true and
sincere and devout lover of al-Habib
al-Mustafa SallAllahu 'alayhi wa Sallam,
a true Wali of Allah - the successor of
al-Mufti al-Azam, Taajush Shari'ah
Hazrat 'Allama Mufti Muhammad Akhtar
Raza Khan al-Qadiri al-Azhari [May Allah
Most Exalted preserve him].
Taajush Shari'ah blessed the residents
of Cairo with his paramount knowledge
and blessings for four days during which
many great 'Ulema and Mashayikh, and
students from diverse cultural
backgrounds and nationalities, sought
blessings from this great spiritual
personality.
On 4th May 2009 from 11 a.m. until 12
noon, Shaykh al-Azhar Shaykh Muhammad
Sa'eed Tantawi met with Hazrat Taajush
Shari'ah in the Mashikah al-Azhar. As
well as engaging in a lengthy
conversation, Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah
also presented the Shaykh with a set of
books written by Hazrat's great
grandfather A'la Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza
Khan RadiAllahu 'anhu as well as books
written by Hazrat himself. Shaykh al-Azhar
was greatly impressed with this fountain
of knowledge that poured forth beautiful
pearls of knowledge and wisdom, and was
moved when he perceived Hazrat's piety
and God-fearingness. Hence, Shaykh al-Azhar
respected him much and showed much
reverence to Hazrat.
In this meeting, Shaykh al-Azhar had
expressed two issues contradictory to
the viewpoint of Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah.
The first was with regards to the Hadith “Ashaabikal Nujum bi-ay-yihim Iqtadaytum Ahtadaytum” which Shaykh al-Azhar had previously deemed as Ghayr Maqbul (not accepted). However, since learning about the intricate details of the sanad and matn of this Hadith from Hazrat, Shaykh al-Azhar changed his opinion and now believed that through talaqqi bil-Qabul, this Hadith is deemed Maqbul (accepted) and is not Mawdu' (fabricated).
The second point of difference was regarding the name of the father of Hazrat Ibrahim 'Alayhis Salaam. Shaykh al-Azhar had previously believed Azar (who was rebuked on many occasions in the Holy Qur'an for worshipping idols) to be the father of Hazrat Ibrahim 'Alayhis Salaam. However, after this brief meeting with one of the authorities in the field of knowledge and one of the greatest men of haqiqah, Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah, Shaykh al-Azhar now endorsed the fact that it was not Azar who was the father of Hazrat Ibrahim 'Alayhis Salaam, but Târikh, whilst Azar was his uncle. It should be kept in mind that Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah has already written two detailed books discussing both of the above points at great length, both of which were published in Egypt and widely disseminated throughout Arab and non-Arab lands.
During the meeting, al-Azhar also
expressed the need to forge stronger
relationships between Indian and
Egyptian scholars and assured every kind
of support between Jami'ah al-Azhar and
Jami'at ar-Raza: the latter founded by
Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah. Shaykh al-Azhar
promised a visit to India to meet him
and other scholars and Mashaa'ikh of the
Indian sub-continent.
With much respect and reverence, Shaykh
al-Azhar bid farewell to Hazrat Taajush
Shari'ah after this very successful
meeting.
On the same day, 4th May 2009, at around
4 o'clock in the afternoon, there was an
international conference held in the
prestigious and well-known conference
hall, Markaz Salih 'Abdullah Kamil,
situated in Nasr city in the vicinity of
al-Azhar University. Hundreds of people
from various walks of life attended the
conference, amongst whom were more than
45 teachers from al-Azhar University,
Jami'a 'Ayni Shams, Jami'ah Qahirah
(Cairo University), Jami'ah ad-Duwal al-Arabiyyah
(the Arab Republican University). These
people desired to meet with and seek
blessings from Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah.
Personalities worthy of note from the
attendees were:
1. Ex-Vice President of Jami'ah al-Azhar: Dr. Taha Abu Kuraisha
2. Head of the Department of Philosophical Studies in the Faculty of Religious
3. Sciences at al-Azhar University: Taha Jayshi ad-Dusuqi
4. Teacher at the Department of Arabic Studies: Dr. Fathi Hijazi
5. Dean of the Islamic Propagation's Department: Dr. Ahmad Rabi' Ahmad Yusuf
6. Teacher at the Languages and Translations Department: Dr. Hazim Ahmad Mahfuz
7. The Chief Editor of the Al-Azhar magazine: Mehmud Habib
There were also many students attending,
who came from over sixty countries and
studied a variety of subjects. The crowd
also included Mashayikh and writers.
The compere of the event was Shaykh
Jalal al-Azhari, translator of the
Central Dar al-Ifta of Egypt. Shaykh
Jalal gave an excellent introduction to
Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah and also
presented a qasidah in praise of Sayyidi
Taajush Shari'ah.
Professor 'Abd al-Qadir an-Nassar,
Shaykh Taha Jayshi ad-Dusuqi, Shaykh
Sa'd Jawaish and many others delivered
speeches on this occasion, all of whom
denied the false accusations levied on
Ahl-as-Sunnat wal Jama'at Maslak-e-A'la
Hazrat and defended and backed its
pristine teachings. They made it evident
that Maslak-e-A'la Hazrat is not a newly
innovated sect, but that this Maslak was
followed by the Sahaba and the Tabi'in
(the Imams of the Schools of
Jurisprudence) and by the righteous who
followed them and who shall continue to
follow them until the Last Day.
During the final moments of this
wonderful gathering, the successor of
Mufti-e-A'zam, Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah
delivered an extraordinary speech for
more than thirty fives minutes in
eloquent Arabic. Hearing this beautiful
Arabic speech from the tongue of a
non-Arab and observing the vast ocean of
knowledge possessed by this great man of
Allah, all those present, from the great
Ulema and Mashaa'ikh to the students,
both Arab and non-Arab alike, praised
Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah and his
excellence.
Finally, there was a lengthy question
and answer session and Hazrat answered
each question in an articulate and
persuasive manner that satisfied the
questioner.
The closing words of thanks were
delivered by Shaykh Gul Muhammad al-Azhari.
As soon as these words ended, there was
a surge of Mashayikh, Ulema and
students, who had waited in much
anticipation to see Hazrat Taajush
Shari'ah, the light that shines on his
blessed face and to gain barakah by
kissing his hands. All of the Ulema and
Mashaa'ikh also met Hazrat individually
and expressed their joy, happiness and
honour upon meeting this Alim-e-Shariat
and Rehbar-e-Tariqat. Thereafter, there
was a large food ceremony for the
hundreds who attended this unique
gathering which marked the history of
Cairo.
Thus ended one of the most exceptional
international conferences held in the
capital of Egypt. Such a great
conference in honour of a great scholar
from the Indian sub-continent, in which
Ulema, Mashayikh and students in their
hundreds had attended, was the first of
its kind and was the most unique
conference the people of Cairo had
witnessed for many years.
On the
morning of 5th May 2009, there
was a special meeting held between Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah, the President
of Al-Azhar, Shaykh Ahmad Tayyib and a
great scholar and prolific writer of the
Arabian peninsula who has the name,
Shaykh 'Umar 'Abdullah Kamil in Idarah
al-Jami'ah. Hazrat was warmly welcomed
and the meeting involved conversations
on intricate issues and emphasis was
placed on the strengthening of bonds
between scholars of Egypt and those from
the Indian sub-continent. When the
President of al-Azhar University, Shaykh
Ahmad Tayyib, was informed that there
were more than ninety students who were
murid and devout lovers of Hazrat
Taajush Shari'ah, he was overcome with
joy and happiness.
At the end of this meeting Shaykh Ahmad
Tayyib awarded Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah
with a special award of al-Azhar, an
honour reserved for the elite Ulema and
Mashayikh. [See photo above].
On
5th May 2009, in the evening, there
was Dars-e-Hadith held at Hazrat's
accommodation following 'Asr Salaah.
Alongside many students from the Indian
sub-continent, students from Iraq,
Libya, Sudan, Bahrain, al-Jaza'ir and
Yemen also attended and took benefit and
blessings from this Dars-e-Hadith given
by Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah. Students
from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri
Lanka also attended in large numbers.
For more than an hour Hazrat Taajush
Shari'ah quenched the thirst of the Arab
and non-Arab students by sharing his
vast, sacred Islamic knowledge and
wisdom.
During the night, there was a feast held
at al-Muqattam in the house of a devout
lover of A'la Hazrat and the owner of a
renowned book publishing company, Dr.
Muhammad Khalid Thabit. Hazrat Taajush
Shari'ah was the guest of honour and
many other Ulema and Mashaa'ikh were also
invited, amongst whom were Shaykh Yusri
ar-Rushdi, the teacher of Bukhari Sharif
in al-Azhar University, and Dr. Ahmad
Shahatah, the teacher of Tafsir in the
Department of Islamic Da'wah. Hazrat
Taajush Shari'ah prayed a qasidah in
Arabic, which he had composed himself.
Finally, Allama Yusri asked many
questions which were answered by Hazrat
in articulate Arabic with references to
and evidence from the Qur'an and Hadith.
They were awe inspired by Hazrat's
knowledge and, most importantly, by his
piety and God-fearingness, had a massive
impact on those present, which included
the Mashaa'ikh and Ulema. They all,
including Shaykh Yusri, rushed forward
to swear the oath of allegiance (bay'ah)
to and become muridin (disciples) of
Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah. Hazrat Taajush
Shari'ah took their bay'at in the
silsila mentioning the etiquettes, adab
and the words of bay'at in Arabic. He
also endowed them with Ijazah in Hadith
and also Ijazah in the silsilah.
On 6th May 2009, Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah
made ziyarah of the great Awliyah and
Mashayikh who rest in Cairo. Hazrat lead
the people in prayer for Zohar at the
renowned Masjid of Imam al-Husain
RadiAllahu 'anhu and lead the 'Asr
prayer at the Masjid of Sayyidah Zaynab
RadiAllahu 'anha, at which many people
continued to enter in to the silsilah
and became murids of Hazrat.
Furthermore, both the Muhaddith of
Alexandria and the Grand Mufti of Egypt,
Shaykh Dr. Ali Jumu'ah, conversed with
Hazrat via the phone to seek ijazah from
Hazrat in the field of Hadith, which
they were granted. The Grand Mufti also
presented his books to Hazrat.
Thus ended this fruitful visit to Egypt.
Hazrat Taajush Shari'ah had last visited
Egypt when he was studying at al-Azhar
in 1963. However, in just four days,
Hazrat expiated the forty years' gap and
blessed the people of Egypt with his
august presence.
