Compiled by Advanced Level Dars Nizami

Students of Jamia Al-Karam - 2014

CONTENTS

About our Ustadh .. 2

Foreword Shaykh Zulfqar Pirzada Al-Azhari A brief biography of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) ... 6
Introduction . 11
The Response .... 13
The Mistake . 15
The Truth .. 16
Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan Repents 19
The Outcome ..... 20
Conclusion . 21

ABOUT OUR USTADH

Shaykh-ul-Hadith wat Tafsir
Allama Zulfqar Haidar Pirzada Al-Azhari

Shaykh Zulfqar Haidar Pirzada al-Azhari is the son of the respected

scholar and commentator of the Quran, Shaykh Muhammad Imdad
Hussain Pirzada.

Shaykh Zulfqar Haidar Pirzada al-Azhari completed his secondary

education at Al-Karam Secondary School, Nottinghamshire. He then
began his foundational education of Dars Nizami under the tutelage and
guidance of the erudite scholars Professor Bashir Ahmad Siddiqui
(radiallahu anhu) and the learned jurist of our time, Shaykh-ul-Hadith
Allamah Mufti Fazl-e-Subhan Qadri.

After completing three years of Dars Nizami studies Shaykh Zulfqar

travelled to the Al-Azhar University in Cairo where he completed BA
(Hons) in the Faculty of Theology specializing in the department of
Tafsir. Upon returning to the United Kingdom from his studies in the
Arab world in 2004, Shaykh Zulfqar completed his Masters in Arabic
Translation at the University of Leeds.
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The desire for sacred traditional knowledge led him to Jamia Qadria,
Mardan, Khybar Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) in Pakistan; the city of his noble
teacher, the Grand Mufti of KPK, Allama Fazl-e-Subhan Qadri. Shaykh
Zulfqar spent several years undergoing vigorous training in advanced
Dars Nizami texts that are rarely taught in present times. Under the
tutelage of Allama Fazl-e-Subhan Qadri, Shaykh Zulfqar mastered over
fifty sacred traditional texts such as Mir Zahid Umur Amah in Ilm alKalam, Sharh Mulla Jami in Nahw, al-Tawdeeh wat Talweeh in Usul alFiqh, Shams Bazigha in Classical Philosophy, Mir Qutbi in Mantiq (Logic),
numerous texts relating to Farsi literature, numerous texts relating to
Maqulat (rational sciences) which include Mir Zahid Risala Qutbiyyah,
Mir Zahid Mulla Jalal, Mulla Hassan and Hamdullah.

There are only two distinguished scholars in the sanad between Imam
Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) and Shaykh Zulfqar.

The Ustadh of Shaykh Zulfqar, Allama Fazl-e-Subhan Qadri is the direct

student of the great Imam Ustadh-ul-Ulama Mawlana Ata Muhammad
Chishti Bandyalvi (radiallahu anhu), whose illustrious scholarly services
and contributions to Islam are honoured amongst Ulama. Allama Fazl-eSubhan Qadri established the first Sunni madrassa in the province of KPK
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and today the majority of scholars of Ahl-us-Sunnah in KPK are direct or

indirect students of Allama Fazl-e-Subhan Qadri. Allama Fazl-e-Subhan
Qadri also studied numerous texts under the tutelage of his father
Mufti-e-Azam Sarhad Allama Shaista Gul (radiallahu anhu) who was a
direct student of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu).

In 2004 Shaykh Abdul Hakim Sharaf Qadri, a direct student of Ustadhul-Ulama Mawlana Ata Muhammad Chishti Bandyalvi (radiallahu anhu),
granted Shaykh Zulfqar all of his Ijazaat in Ulum Aqliyya (Rational
Sciences), Ulum Naqliyya (Transmitted Sciences) and Tareeqah.

Among the Ijazaat Shaykh Zulfqar has received, a particular Ijazah

through Mawlana Ata Muhammad Chishti Bandyalvi (radiallahu anhu)
reverts with a continuous chain to the Imam of the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal
Jamaah, Imam Abul Hasan al-Ashari (radiallahu anhu).

Upon return from KPK, Shaykh Zulfqar produced the first prospectus of
traditional Dars Nizami in English; Foundation Diploma in Islamic
Sciences & Classical Arabic and Advanced Diploma in Islamic Sciences
and Traditional Scholarship.

He has also authored the first English book detailing the characteristics
of Arabic etymological chapters, namely Diya al-Khawwas, alongside
translating the classical Persian text Nahw Mir into Arabic, editing and
verifying Tasrif al-Zanjani and writing numerous articles. The Shaykh is
currently researching and compiling other Dars Nizami texts.

Presently, Shaykh Zulfqar dedicates his time in service of Jamia al-Karam

pursuing his passion to impart sacred knowledge to the next generation
of scholars and preserving classical methodologies of traditional Islamic
knowledge. Some of the texts of Dars Nizami taught at Jamia al-Karam
are Husaami, Sharh Tahzeeb, Mukhtasar al-Maani, Hidayah, Sharh Jami,
Nurul Anwar, Qutbi, etc. Shaykh Zulfqar possesses a profound insight
into ahadith and he has studied over one hundred thousand ahadith and
read various commentaries of the Quran from cover to cover.

The Luminary of the Nation, Justice Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah alAzhari (radiallah anhu) serves as an inspiration to Shaykh Zulfqar. After
having spent time as a child in the Grand Shaykhs company, Shaykh
Zulfqar seeks guidance and inspiration in the teachings and personality
of the Grand Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari (radiallahu
anhu).

FOREWORD
A brief biography of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu)
By Shaykh Zulfqar Haidar Pirzada Al-Azhari

Imam Ahmad Rida b. Naqiy Ali Khan al-Hanafi more commonly known
as Aala Hazrat, was born in Bareilly, in the United Provinces, India, in
1272/1856. Imam Ahmad Rida Khan was blessed with a spiritual
environment from birth.

His father, Mawlana Naqiy Ali Khan (d.

1297/1880), was a prolific writer and an erudite scholar of the religious

sciences. His grandfather, Mawlana Rida Ali Khan (d. 1282/1865), was
not only a master of the religious sciences but well-known for divine
miracles (karamat) and spiritual unveiling (kashf). His forefathers had
migrated from Kandahar, Afghanistan, to first Lahore and then settled
in Bareilly.

Imam Ahmad Rida Khans most important teacher was his father with
whom he completed the entire Dars Nizami syllabus at the age of
fourteen. His father then entrusted him the responsibility of writing
fatawa due to his scholarly insights and astounding memory.

At the

age of twenty one Imam Ahmad Rida Khan became a disciple of Shah
Aal-e-Rasul (d. 1297/1880) of Marehra, India, and entered the Qadiri
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Sufi Order. During his life he also benefited from Ahmad b. Zayni
Dahlan; the Shafii Mufti of Makkah, Abd al-Rahman al-Makki, Husayn b.
Saleh al-Makki and Shah Abul Husayn Ahmad al-Nuri.

Many exemplary stories about him even whilst he was very young have
been mentioned by his biographers. For example when learning the
Arabic alphabet from his grandfather he instinctively understood the
deeper significance of the letter la with which the shahada begins. He
understood not only its outward meaning that related to Oneness of
God, but grasped its esoteric mystical knowledge communicated to him
by his grandfather. Such stories explain why he later not only became a
great intellectual but a Sufi mystic also.

Another incident occurred

during Hajj when the Shafii Imam, Husayn b. Saleh al-Makki, one day
took him aside after the evening prayer and said he saw the light of Allah
(most High) shine in his forehead. He then gave him a certificate in the
six Hadith collections as well as one in the Qadiri Order signing it with
his own hands. One of the scholars of Makkah; Sayyid Ismail b. Sayyid
Khalil Afandi, after reading a book written by Imam Ahmad Rida Khan
proclaimed, By Allah I tell you the truth! Had Abu Hanifa al-Numan
seen this, his eyed would be cooled and he would include the author of
this book amongst his students. The Hijazi scholars who met him or
read his works held him in high esteem and through his pilgrimages he
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managed to link the Indian Subcontinent with Hijaz in a way no one in

his time did.

Imam Ahmad Rida Khan had encyclopaedic knowledge of religious texts

especially Hanafi Jurisprudence, and his Fatawa; al-Ataya al-Nabawiyya
fil Fatawa al-Ridawiyya, is a work of genius in 30 volumes,
approximately 22,000 pages, containing thousands of fatawa and over
two hundred written reports detailing particular subjects. Abdul Hayy
al-Lakhnawi said, In his (Ahmad Rida Khan) time it is rare to find
someone similar to him in terms of profound knowledge of Hanafi
Jurisprudence and its particulars. His fatawa is sufficient evidence for
this. The poet; Dr. Muhammad Iqbal called him a genius and profound
Jurist. He also wrote an Arabic super-commentary on Ibn Abidins Radd
al-Muhtar. During his pilgrimage to Makka some scholars of Makkah
requested his opinion concerning the status of paper money; an issue
which had troubled even the brightest minds of Makka. In response he
wrote an entire book entitled, Kifl al-Faqih al-Fahim fi Ahkam Qirtas alDarahim (Share of the Discerning Jurist on Judgements Relating to
Paper Money). This he wrote from his astounding memory on journey
without any books at hand and left the scholars of Makka filled with awe
and respect.

Imam Ahmad Rida Khan being a man of his time realised that the Persian
language in the Indian Subcontinent in his time was rapidly being
replaced with Urdu and for this reason most of his works are in Urdu. In
1330/1911 he translated the Quran into Urdu entitled Kanz al-Iman fi
Tarjama al-Quran (Treasure of Faith Relating to Translation of the
Quran). His two works in Ifta Methodology are masterpieces in the
science of issuing religious verdicts according to Hanafi Jurisprudence;
Al-Fadl al-Mawhibi fi Mana idha Sahhal Hadith fahuwa Madhhabi
(Gifted Favour in the meaning of When the Hadith is Sound It Is My
Madhhab) and Ajla al-Ilam annal Fatwa Mutlaqan ala Qawlil Imam
(The Most Manifest Information that the Fatwa is Absolutely According
to the Teaching of the Imam). He authored approximately seven
hundred books in Tafsir, Usul al-Hadith, Takhrij al-Hadith, Asma al-Rijal,
Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Ifta, Tajwid, Ilm al-Kalam and Tasawwuf.

Imam Ahmad Rida Khan lived in India at a time when Indian poets and
litterateurs were seen as cultural heroes. Poets like Mirza Ghalib (d.
1285/1869) had gained much fame throughout India. Poets during that
era used their talent at times for material gains from the rich. However
Imam Ahmad Rida Khan mastered the art of poetry and used his talent
to defend and praise the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with
great love and devotion. He gave himself the name Abd al-Mustafa
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(servant of the Chosen One). The soul of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan
departed from his body on Friday 25 Safar 1340/Friday 28 October 1921
at the exact time when the Muazzin calling people for Friday prayers
said Hayya alal falah.

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INTRODUCTION
Objections have been previously raised and directed towards Imam
Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) by those who failed to recognize the
status of this great Imam.

One such objection was in regards to offensive poetry written against

the Mother of the Believers, Sayyida Aisha (radiallahu anha) that was
falsely ascribed to Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) by scholars
from the School of Deoband. The poetry was published in Imam Ahmad
Rida Khans Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish and in 1955 the issue reached its peak
which resulted in the majority of rightly guided Ulama responding in
defense of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) and exonerating
him from this accusation.

In response to the allegations against Imam Ahmad Rida Khan, Allama

Abdul Hakim Sharaf Qadri refuted this accusation in his book entitled,
Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer ki Kitab al-Barelwiyyah ka Tahqiqi awr Tanqidi
Jaizah in which he gave a comprehensive response clarifying this issue
amongst others.

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Recently, some Deobandi scholars raised these allegations against the

great Imam on social media platforms. Their aim can only be to misguide
and insert doubts in the minds of our young English-speaking Sunni
Muslims who are oblivious of the history behind this incident.

As this issue gained prominence and inciting videos became

widespread, it was brought to the attention of our Ustadh Shaykh
Zulfqar Haidar Pirzada Al-Azhari during one of our lessons. He, in
response, gave a very comprehensive and in-depth reply whilst
referencing Allama Abdul Hakim Sharaf Qadris work.

The following chapters are a transcript of Shaykh Zulfqars response to

this objection on Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu), though
slight changes have been made for the ease of the reader.

Students of Shaykh Zulfqar Haidar Pirzada Al-Azhari

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THE RESPONSE
In essence, Imam Ahmad Rida Khans (radiallahu anhu) works are not in
need of any introduction. However, in the context of this discussion I
will briefly mention a few necessary points relating to his poetic
masterpiece, Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish, which has come under scrutiny.

There is no doubt the Imam was the greatest scholar of his era and was
accepted as such by his contemporaries all over the world. He stood as
an outstanding jurist, a master of Hadith, logic, rhetoric, philosophy,
astronomy, mathematics, and all of the known sciences of his time, even
some sciences which were extremely rare. He was an orator, researcher,
poet and devout lover of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam) and his noble family (radiallahu anhum).

The Imam is an author of approximately seven hundred books of which

Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish is his magnum opus in poetry. Hadaiq-eBakhshish was compiled and published in two volumes in 1907. An
outstanding feature of the Imams work, which includes his Quranic
translation, fatawas, and his poetry, is that he maintains and upholds
the utmost respect and reverence for the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam) and his noble family and companions (radiallahu anhum).
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In 1923, two years after the demise of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan
(radiallahu anhu), Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan collected poetry of Imam
Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) that was found in various texts and
writings of the Imam and not mentioned in the two volumes of Hadaiqe-Bakhshish. Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan then compiled and published
the previously unpublished poetry and entitled it Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish,
Volume Three. The task of publishing it was given to Nabhah Steam
Press in India.1

Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer ki Kitab Al-Barelwiyyah ka Tahqiqi awr Tanqidi Jaizah, p139,
Maktaba Qadria, Lahore, 2006.
1

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THE MISTAKE
In Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish Volume Three a poem exalting Sayyida Aisha
(radiallahu anha) was published. The scribe, who was not from the Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaah, either intentionally or unintentionally inserted
couplets which were originally written in reference to Umm Zar2 and
other polytheist women into the poem in praise of Sayyida Aisha
(radiallahu anha)3.

Umm Zar and the other polytheist women have been mentioned in numerous
books of hadith including Bukhari and Muslim.
Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer ki Kitab Al-Barelwiyyah ka Tahqiqi awr Tanqidi Jaizah, p140,
Maktaba Qadria, Lahore, 2006.
3

15

THE TRUTH
It is of paramount importance to emphasize that Imam Ahmad Rida
Khan (radiallahu anhu) did not endorse this book (Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish
Volume Three) as he had passed away in 1921, two years prior to its
publication.

Allamah Abdul Hakim Sharaf Qadri raised several points regarding the
lenient nature of Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khans publication:

1. Prior to its (Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish - Volume Three) publication he

(Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan) did not check the book due to his
engagements and trusting the press.

2. He named the book Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish - Volume Three

though it was more appropriate to name the collection
something like Baaqiyaat-e-Rida (the remaining couplets of
Rida).

3. The title page of the third volume states that it was published in
1907. However, this was actually the year in which the first two
volumes were published. As stated previously, the third volume
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was published posthumously. Evidence proving this is the fact

that it says on the title page of Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish Volume
Three radiallahu taala anhu and rahmatullahi alayhi after
Imam Ahmad Rida Khans name. These words of dua are only
used for the deceased, which proves that it could only have been
published after the Imams passing away.

4. Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan published it without showing or

taking consent from the son of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan
(radiallahu anhu), Mawlana Mustafa Rida Khan or his nephew
Mawlana Hasanayn Rida Khan.

5. After publication if Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan had publicly

announced the mistakes in the book as soon as they came to
light, then the situation would not have escalated. However, he
remained silent from the announcement on the basis that when
scholars read the Imams poetry they would realise that these
lines of poetry have been inserted incorrectly and in the new
edition the relevant changes would be made.4

Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer ki Kitab Al-Barelwiyyah ka Tahqiqi awr Tanqidi Jaizah, p140,
Maktaba Qadria, Lahore, 2006.
4

17

The son of Muhaddith-e-Azam Sayyid Muhammad Muhaddith

Kachochwi (radiallahu anhu), Allama Sayyid Muhammad Madani Mian
said:

I do not deny the sincerity of Mahboob-ul-Millat (Mawlana Mahboob

Ali Khan), nor am I prepared to accept that he did this due to some old
strain in his relationship with the Imam. However I cannot stop myself
from making this reality apparent that by adding the third volume of
Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish without any consultation, Mahboob-ul-Millat
committed the most lenient act of his life; it was such an error that has
no parallel. The sole responsibility of this error is on the shoulders of
Mahboob-ul-Millat. 5

Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer ki Kitab Al-Barelwiyyah ka Tahqiqi awr Tanqidi Jaizah, p141,
Maktaba Qadria, Lahore, 2006.
5

18

MAWLANA MAHBOOB ALI KHAN REPENTS

Protests against Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan were initiated by Deobandi
scholars who claimed that Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan blasphemed
against the Mother of the Believers, Sayyida Aisha (radiallahu anha), and
demanded his removal from the Sunni Jami Masjid of Bombay.

At the instance Mawlana Mahboob Ali became aware that his

unintentional mistake had caused such a disturbance, he publicly
accepted responsibility for his leniency in the publication of Hadaiq-eBakhshish Volume Three. Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan issued a
repentance statement (Tawbah Namah) which was published in
numerous newspapers and magazines.6

Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer ki Kitab Al-Barelwiyyah ka Tahqiqi awr Tanqidi Jaizah, p141,
Maktaba Qadria, Lahore, 2006.
6

19

THE OUTCOME
Despite Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khans public repentance and
acknowledgement of the mistake, Deobandi scholars continued their
protests and disregarded the Tawbah Namah.

The scholars of the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jamaah thereafter issued a

fatwa stating that his repentance was undoubtedly accepted as he
neither uttered the words of the couplets, nor wrote them. His only
mistake was his negligence in verifying the books content in the final
script before its publication.7

Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer ki Kitab Al-Barelwiyyah ka Tahqiqi awr Tanqidi Jaizah, p142,
Maktaba Qadria, Lahore, 2006.
7

20

THE CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is unreasonable to raise an objection against Imam
Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) when Mawlana Mahboob Ali Khan
accepted full responsibility for the error in publication. The volume
under objection was not published during the life of the exalted Imam
and therefore could not be endorsed by him.

The Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish Volume Three was a collection of poetry of

Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) by Mawlana Mahboob Ali
Khan and the couplets dishonouring Sayyida Aisha (radiallahu anha)
cannot be found in any works of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu
anhu).

The defamatory couplets are in contradiction to Imam Ahmad Rida

Khans (radiallahu anhu) life mission, which was to rekindle the love and
respect for the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), his family and
companion (radiallahu anhum) in the hearts of Muslims.

Finally, we hope to clarify any objections regarding the contributions of

Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (radiallahu anhu) as well as the incident
regarding Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish Volume Three. We are confident that
21

an unbiased and objective reading of this information will remove all

doubt and confusion and prevent any future reference to the incident
as an attack on the great Imam, inshaAllah.

May Allah (the Almighty) bless us with sincere and accurate

understanding and protect us from speaking against the beloveds of
Allah (the Almighty).

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