A
Man Among the Men of Allah
Shaykh Akhtar Rida al-Qadiri
[may Allah preserve him]
Shaykh al-Islam wa
al-Muslimeen, Sultan al-Fuqaha, Faqeeh al-Asr, Taaj al-Shari'ah Mufti Muhammad
Akhtar Rida Khan (may Allah preserve him) has produced a number of first-rate
works/translations in various Islamic disciplines. Among them are
(non-exhaustive list):
1) Mufti Akhtar Rida translated “al-Zulal al-Anqa Min Bahr Sabaqat al-Atqa” into
Urdu which was written by Imam Ahmad Rida Khan in Arabic on the commentary of
the verse “those who are most God-fearing will be far removed from it” (92:17).
This scholarly commentary argues to establish that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr
al-Siddique is the most virtuous companion. It contains arguments against
Tafdhili Shi’ites and requires an in-depth understanding of Usul al-Tafsir and
Usul al-Din.
2) Mufti Akhtar Rida wrote an Arabic commentary to a selection of Hadiths to
Sahih al-Bukhari which is titled “Namudhaj Hashiyat al-Bukhari”. His strength
and authenticity of arguments is very clear in the way he rebuts Ahmad Ali
Saharanpuri in a number of Fiqh related issues.
3) He also wrote and excellent Usuli commentary to the Hadith of the intention
“Actions are based upon intentions” which he called “Sharh Hadith al-Niyyah”.
4) [Fiqh/Hadith] The Shaykh dictated the
translation to Imam Ahmad Riza Khan’s magnum opus work on the issue of combining
prayers titled “Haajiz al-Bahrayn al-Waaqi an al-Jam bayn al-Salatayn” into
Arabic. The work combines Fiqh with Hadith and perfectly illustrates how a faqih
analyses Hadith evidences.
5) [Usul al-Hadith] Mufti Akhtar Rida fully
dictated the Arabic translation to Imam Ahmad Rida Khan’s “al-Haad al-Kaaf Fi
Hukm al-Di’aaf” (The Sufficient Guide on Weak Hadiths). It was published by Dar
al-Sananbil of Damascus and Dar al-Hawi of Beirut in 2009. The work uniquely
examines the definitions of weak Hadith, and their application and usage in
areas of Fiqh uncovering Wahhabi fallacies in their understanding of their
acceptance and rejection. It is ample with scholarly discussions and is an
outstanding gift for the student and teacher as its signatory Sayyid Yusuf
al-Hashimi al-Beiruti (p. 139) clearly points in his endorsement,
فوجدته فريدا في بابه، يغني عن تطلابه، ثقيل المضمون، منكوز العلم، مرصوص العبارة، دقيق المباحث، طويل النقول، يتعرض للعويصات والمشكلات. فبالجملة: إن الكتاب له قيمة علمية راقية
This book can be obtained from Dar al-Faqih in Abu Dhabi, Dar al-Dhiya lil-Nashr
in Kuwait, Maktabah Tarim al-Hadithah in Tarim, Dar al-Salam in Cairo, Maktabah
al-Tamam in Beirut and Dar al-Ulum al-Islamiyya in Indonesia. Six Ulama endorsed
it with their remarks. They are: Abu Muhammad Musa Abduh Yusuf al-Is’haqi (from
the Is’haqiyya Ashraf of Somali-Jeddah), Muhammad Anas Muhammad Saleem Murad who
wrote the endorsement on behalf of his Shaykh Sa’d al-Din al-Murad (Jeddah),
Sayyid Yusuf Muhammad Idris al-Hasani al-Husaini al-Hashimi (Beirut), Sayyid
Yusuf Hashim Rifa’i (Kuwait), Shaykh Mahmud al-Huwt al-Nabhani (Halab, Syria)
and Muhammad Nazim Ali Misbahi (Mubarakpur, India).
Sayyid Yusuf al-Rifa’i (p. 240-1) thanks the Shaykh for producing the
translation of a work that was much needed in the Arabic language such that it
now “fills an empty area in the library of the Ah al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah” and
addressed him saying “al-Allamah al-Mukarram al-Akh al-Shaykh al-Mubajjal
al-Shaykh Akhtar Ridha” and “al-Allamah al-Hafid al-Da’iyah”.
Shaykh Mahmud al-Huwt (p. 244-5) refers to the Shaykh as “al-Imam” and “Taaj
al-Shari’ah” and claims that "he has never seen a work of its kind" saying,
فما أن أحظيت بهذا الكنز، وبصرت في عنوانه، وتمنعت في مقدمته، حتى أسلمني أوله إلى اخره، فقرأته في رحلته هذه، والحق أقول: إنني ما رأيت مؤلفا نسج على منواله، ولا كتابا حوى بديع خصاله
Shaykh Musa Abduh Yusuf al-Is’haqi (p. 236) calls the Shaykh “Mawlana
wa-Ustadhuna al-Fadhil” among other revering names. Here is the Arabic,
ولقد قام مولانا وأستاذنا الفاضل وسليل السادة الأفاضل، شيخنا الأكبر ومرشدنا الأنور، تاج الشريعة سماحة المفتي محمد أختر خريج الجامع الأزهر بترجمة "الهاد الكاف في حكم الضعاف" من اللغة الأردية إلى اللغة العربية، وأضاف إليها إضافات سنية ومرضية من معلومات فائقة وشائقة، مما كسا الكتاب رونقا وجمالا، وزاده روعة وكمال، فلله دره، وأطال الله عمره، ويسر الله أمره، ورفع الله قدره، وأجزل الله أجره، ونفع بعلومه الخاص والعام من أهل الإسلام
6) Mufti Akhtar Rida
dictated the complete Arabic translation of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan’s “al-Amnu wa
al-Ula li-Naa’iti al-Mustafa bi-Daafi al-Bala” (Protection and Eminence for the
Person who Praises the Chosen One as an Eliminator of Calamity) which was
published Dar al-Nu’man, Damascus, 2009. This work is a scholarly refutation of
Muftis that considered the “Salat Taajiyah” shirk on the basis that is
impermissible to call anyone other than Allah “Daafi al-Balaa”. It categorically
refutes the Wahhabi stance using numerous verses of al-Qur’an al-Karim and its
commentaries and two hundred and eighteen Hadiths of the Noble Prophet (may
Allah bless him and give him peace) with their sources on the topic making it an
encyclopaedic work. The muqaddima contains an excellent explanation to the types
of Isnad and Nisbah highlighting the correct usage of this title for the Noble
Prophet (may Allah bless him ad give him peace). The Shaykh put excellent Hadith
notes to this work and his student created its bibliographical references.
It contains a three page endorsement by the great fadhil and adeeb, Abdul Jaleel
Ata in which he addresses the Shaykh with titles such as “Fadilat al-Allamah
al-Jalil al-Shaykh Muhammad Akhtar Rida Khan”, “Taaj al-Shari’ah”, “Fadilat
al-Shaykh al-Jalil al-Murabbi al-Fadil” and praises the scholarly activities of
the Shaykh saying,
فاهنأ يا فضيلة الشيخ الجليل المربي الفاضل وأنت تنعش اثارا جليلة تحيي به وفاء واداء بعض ما أنت به قمين لنشر العلوم الغزيرة التي أنبتها روضكم العامر، وأثمرتها أشجاركم الباسقة. يناعة وغذاء للألباب والعقول والأفكار! ولا زلت كما مرّ أسلافك الكرام منارات اهتداء وأسنة مشرعة في الدفاع عن حصن الشريعة الغراء بكل عزة وشموخ وكبرياء. ولا زالت جهودنا الوضيعة في خدمة علومكم الغزيرة فتوة، وتمكّنا بفضل ما طوقتمونا به من ثقة وحسن ظن! فلنكن عند حسن ظنكم، ودام ظلكم الوارف لمزيد من إحياء اثار الجد الجليل، ولتدم منكم الهمة القعساء للنهوض بالأجيال القادمة تربية وتعليما وإرشادا، وحلما وتسديدا. وفقكم الله للمزيد، وفر أعينكم بكل محب مريد، وأدام عطاءكم بلا تحديد
7) Mufti Akhtar Rida Khan dictated the full translation of Shah Fazl al-Rasul
Badayouni’s “al-Mu’taqad al-Muntaqad” from the Arabic into Urdu, and its
commentary “al-Mu’tamad al-Mustanad” by Imam Ahmad Rida Khan. Those teaching
Aqidah know how difficult of a text this work is. It contains many intricate
discussions on Asma wa-Sifaat yet the Shaykh has effectively translated the work
which when read in Urdu seems as though it was originally written in Urdu! The
Shaykh translated this work throughout the car and aeroplane journey to Sri
Lanka in 2003 and completed it within six months. This single example is
sufficient to establish to our readers the immensity of the Shaykh’s knowledge
and determined efforts to teach.
8) [Asma wa-Sifat] The Shaykh has dictated
the translation to Imam Ahmad Riza Khan’s “Subhan al-Subbuh an Ayb Kadhib
Maqbuh” into Arabic. I sat in one of awe-filling majalis to listen to the
Shaykh’s mastery in the subject and translation of the text. This will be the
largest known work on establishing the sifah of truth (sidq) for Allah Most
Sublime and refuting the view of Imkan al-Kadhib. It shall shatter - by the aid
of the Most Truthful - the Deobandi stance in Arabic when released. The work is
a masterpiece in Asma wa-Sifat containing a wealth of rational and transmitted
proofs. The translation is near completion, wal-hamdulillah. None other than an
expert can embark such a task.
9) [Hadith/Aqidah] The Shaykh dictated the
translation of “Shumul al-Islam li-Usul al-Rasul al-Kiram” by Imam Ahmad Rida
Khan into Arabic on the Iman of the parents of our Noble Prophet (upon him peace
and blessings). This was published along with the Shaykh’s study on the Father
of Sayyiduna Ibrahim in Arabic titled “Tahqiq Anna Aba Ibrahim Tarih wa-laysa
Azar”. These works were endorsed by the following Ulama:
Sayyid Abdullah Fad’aq Hashimi (Da’iyah of Makkah
and student of the late Sayyid Muhammad Alawi Maliki), who referred to
the Shaykh as “Fadilat al-Imam al-Shaykh Muhammad Akhtar Ridha Khan al-Azhari
al-Mufti al-Azam fi al-Hind”
Shaykh Isa Mani al-Himyari (Muhadith of Dubai)
who referred to the Shaykh as “al-Shaykh al-Aarif billah al-Muhadith Muhammad
Akhtar Ridha al-Hanafi al-Qadiri al-Azhari”
Shaykh Waathiq Fu’ad Ubaydi (Baghdad) who
called him “Shaykhuna al-Jalil, Sahib al-Radd al-Qati, Murshid al-Saalikeen,
al-Mahfouz bi-Rabb al-alameen, al-Aalim al-Fadhil” and “Taaj al-Shari’ah”
Mufti Jamal Abdul Kareem al-Dabban (Baghdad)
who referred to him as “al-Imam al-Allamah al-Qudwah Sahib al-Fadhilat
al-Shaykh”
10) [Qasaid/Madih] During my stay in Jeddah
in Dhul Hijjah (2009) after the completion of Haj, I visited Mufti Akhtar Rida
Khan in Jeddah and witnessed his knowledge and piety. He gave his daily
commentary on Qasidah Burdah (verses 90-91) fluently in Arabic which was being
recorded (I personally possess 3 unedited audio cds).
The Shaykh has memorised the entire Qasidah Burdah and Dalai’il al-Khayrat by
heart. Every morning after Fajr, he recites the entire Burdah till sunrise.
After every Asr prayer, he recites a section from Dala’il al-Khayrat. This has
been his wird-occupation since teenage years. I witnessed this on the 13th
morning of Dhul Hijjah in Mina and after Asr in Jeddah. The Shaykh has a Diwan
to his name titled “Safinah-e-Bakhshish” which contains several qasaid and
mada’ih on the Noble Prophet (upon him peace and blessings) and the chosen
people, some of which are in Arabic too. One of his famous Qasidahs is which he
recited in his majlis with the Ulama of Damascus in August 2008 and in Jeddah
2009 (partial):
الله الله الله ۔۔۔
ما لي رب إلا هو
يفنى الكل ويبقى هو ۔۔۔ ليس الباقي إلا هو
من كان دعاه أن يا هو ۔۔۔ ذاك حميد عقباه
من كان لربي دنياه ۔۔۔ ذاك سعيد اخراه
من كنت الهي مولاه ۔۔۔ كل الناس تولاه
تنسى ربك يا فاني ۔۔۔ دم إن شئت بذكراه
ترجو الناس لجدواهم ۔۔۔ إن الحدوى جدواه
ربي رب الأرباب ۔۔۔ ليس يضاهى حاشاه
كن لنبي الله رضى ۔۔۔ تحظ لديه بزلفاه
وهذا أختر أدناكم ۔۔۔ ربي أحسن مثواه
When the Shaykh recited the last verse, Sayyid Abdul Aziz Khatib (Damascus)
began profoundly saying (as heard from students that were present):
أختر سيدنا وابن سيدنا
Expressing his yearning for the Noble Habib (may Allah give him peace and
blessing) Mufti Akhtar Rida writes (partial):
رسول الله يا كنز
الأماني
على أعتابكم وقف المعاني
بهذا الباب يعتز الذليل
لهذا الباب يأتي كل عان
لهذا الباب انتدب الرحيم
ذوي الأوزار من قاص ودان
رسول الله إني مستجير
لدى أعتابكم من كل جان
لكم جاءت رواحلنا حفافأ
وكم صدرت محملة عواني
فداكم مهجتي أنتم عمادي
مرادي بغيتي كنزي أماني
ألا تحيون من قلبي مواتا
ألا تأتون مندرس المكان
ولا زالت بحارك تفيض
وأمطار الندى مر الأوان
اما للشمس في ليلي شروق
ألا ما يجلو محياكم كياني
A Notice: The reader must keep in mind that Mufti Akhtar Rida Khan is visually
impaired and cannot read or write. He listens to a text and dictates the
translation and those occupied in translating know how difficult of a task this
is especially when translating difficult texts in Islamic disciplines!
Acclaim Among Contemporary Arab Ulama:
1) Shaykh Abdul Jaleel Ata (Damascus) recited the following qasidah in praise of
the Shaykh in Damascus in the presence of numerous scholars and students who
gathered to join the Shaykh, every letter of which lustres with love and truth,
یا کوکب من بھاء
الدین ذاألق ۔۔۔ ومنھا من دقیق العلم متسق
اقدام قولک في التحقیق مصدرہ ۔۔۔ اھل التمکن في النبراس کالشفق
ولو تباھی رسول اللہ في أحد ۔۔۔ مثل طلعتکم یا فاتح العبق
محمد أختر جاء الرضا به ۔۔۔ فمر حبافي منبع الحصن الدرق
This majlis was attended by Shaykh Abdur-Razzaq Halabi, Shaykh Hussam al-Din
Farfour, Shaykh Abdul Aziz Khateeb, Shaykh Hisham Burhani, Shaykh Abdul Hadi
Kharsah and many others.
2) In his first-rate work on the defining the manhaj of Imam Ahmad Rida Khan
titled “Insaf al-Imam”, the Egyptian author Shaykh Muhammad Khalid Thabit (p.
114-5) speaks of his encounter with Mufti Akhtar Rida Khan in Egypt in the
following words,
منذ أيام – وأنا أكتب هذه السطور- استنارت مصر بزيارة الشيخ الكبير محمد أختر رضا القادري الأزهري المعروف بتاج الشريعة المفتي الأعظم بالهند، حفيد الإمام أحمد رضا خان البريلوي والقائم على جماعته، ورأيت حديثه عن جده الإمام اكثر من حديثه عن نفسه، واعتزازه بجده الإمام الأعظم من اعتزاز بنفسه، ورأيت تمسكه بما أرساه جده من القواعد ومن الثبات على الحق مما يثير الإعجاب حقا...نظرت إلى وجه الشيخ الكبير محمد أختر والبهاء يكسوه، والسكينة والوقار يجللانه، واستمعت إلى كلماته –بلغة عربية صحيحة-تخرج من فمه في قوة وثقة تصدق بالحق المبين فوجدتني أقول: سبحان الله...ذرية بعضها من بعض
3) The Azhar Journal titled “Sawt al-Azhar” (May Issue 2009) referred to the
Shaykh as “Mufti al-Hind”. In this visit, the Shaykh met with Shaykh al-Azhar in
his office for an hour and who presented him an Azhar award for his scholarly
achievements and activities.
Among Those Who Visited Mufti Akhtar Rida Khan
in Bareilly:
1) The late Muhadith of Makkah, Sayyid Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki (may Allah have
mercy on him) travelled to Bareilly in April 2004 during Rabi' al-Awwal. They
engaged in a number of scholarly discussions with Shaykh Akhtar and in his talk
addressed Shaykh Akhtar with the title “al-Mufti al-A’zam bil-alam”. When he
studied the Shaykh’s Arabic Hashiya on Sahih al-Bukhari titled “Namudhaj
Hashiyat al-Azhari” he regarded the Shaykh as “Muhadith Hanafi” before those
that were present.
2) Sayyid Muhammad Umar ibn Saleem al-Mahdi al-Dabbagh of Baghdad was appointed
as the Head of Arabic literature at Jamiat al-Ridha in Bareilly in 2007. He
showed immense love for the Shaykh and wrote a qasidah in his praise which he
publicly recited on the Imam Ahmad Rida Conference in Bareilly on the 24th
Safar, 2007.
3) The Mufti of Damascus, Shaykh Abdul Fattah Bizm visited Mufti Akhtar Rida at
his residence twice during the last Hajj season (2009) in Jeddah and in Madinah
Tayyibah. I personally witnessed the amount of love these Shuyukh had for one
another on both occasions. In his talk in Jeddah, Mufti Abdul Fattah expressed
his feelings about the Shaykh and spoke of his previous meetings with him in
Syria and Bareilly. He said, “When the Shaykh came to Damascus the first time
round, I heard about him and wanted to visit him. Some people prevented me but I
went to meet him and at the first sight Allah made me realise that he is from
the people of Allah (Ahlullah)”.
He then added, speaking of a miracle he experienced, that when the Shaykh
invited him to Bareilly he was in two minds about travelling even to the moment
of submitting his passport. For some reason, the visa was not issued. Upon
collecting the passport, he mentioned that Shaykh Akhtar rang him and said, “If
you make a firm intention, Allah will make the means easy”. Mufti Abdul Fattah
said, “This struck my heart and I came to realise that the Shaykh is aware of
the state of my heart”. Thereafter, I made a firm intention and re-submitted my
passport and received the visa”.
He also said, “When I travelled to Bareilly and saw the thousands of people that
are attached to Shaykh Akhtar, it brought joy to my heart that the people of
India are still connected with their shuyukh and illustrate immense love and
respect for them”. This is what I remember from his comments. If anyone requires
an audio recording of this talk, Insha Allah, I can try to facilitate it and
perhaps others too.
Acclaim in Indo-Pakistan:
Bareilly, as all of us know, has a massive Sunni following in and around the
world. Mufti Akhtar Rida Khan has been the Shaykh of the silsilah and head Mufti
there for many years. The claim that he is not known among India’s people is
clearly a lie intended to discredit the Shaykh. A 700 page book has been
compiled on the life, works and activities of the Shaykh titled “Tajalliyaat
Taaj al-Shariah” containing the comments, letters, articles of hundreds of ulama
from around the world to the Shaykh and their views about him. Majority of these
articles, letters, qasa’id are in Urdu by scholars of India and Pakistan. It
includes articles on the Shaykh’s travels within India and meetings with its
people that shatter the false notion. Mufti Abdul Fattah Bizm has witnessed the
annual urs event at Bareilly in the month of Safar whose remarks I presented
above
The
Manhaj of Mufti Akhtar Rida Khan in Love and Hate:
It would be not be a hyperbolic comment if I were to assert that Mufti Akhtar
Rida is an embodiment of the Hadith “Love for the sake of Allah and Hate for the
sake Allah”. He loves the awliya of the entire world and hates the enemies of
Allah and His Messenger (upon him peace and blessings). He does not unite with
those who “offend” Allah and His Messenger with comments that are by nature
“repulsive”, “repugnant”, “below the standards of scholarly discourse”,
“indefensible breaches of proper respect” and thus “unacceptable to Muslims
around the world” and neither does he have compassion for those who shamelessly
destroy the graves of the companions and Ahlul Bayt, demolish Muslim sites and
heritage whilst preserving Jewish landmarks and relics of their Kings in their
museums, and speak with minimal respect about the Noble Habib (may Allah bless
him and give him peace), his companions, kin, and the majority of the Ummah whom
they consider misguided. He has no love for those who consider it permissible to
shout out Shirk and kufr slogans to those who recite the Burdah and Dalai’il. He
has written and spoken against such people and their beliefs as this is the duty
(wajib dini) of every upright scholar from Ahlus-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, and is
not a hobby as some may assert, to warn people from wavering and falling into
the trap of the Shaytan.
As for the claim that the Shaykh makes takfir of everyone other than himself and
those affiliated with him is another exaggeration, rather, a lie that stems from
animosity. The Shaykh has replied to this accusation in Arabic in his “Mira’at
al-Najdiyyah” published by the name “Haqiqat al-Barelwiyyah”, which is the reply
to Qadhi Atiyyah’s endorsement to Ihasan Ali Zahir’s “al-Barelwiyyah” (Published
in Egypt by Dar al-Muqattam, 2009) asking him to produce a single nas of our
ulama in which they have made takfir of Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Abdul Wahhab and their
followers. Rather, it is these people who make takfir and tadlil of the entire
ummah. This accusation is the popular one found in “Nuzhat al-Khawatir” and
“al-Barelwiyyah” about Barelwis and is false.
Conclusions:
On these premise, our conclusions therefore are that Shaykh Akhtar Rida Khan
a) is a scholar, a
Mufti and one who possesses immense knowledge “Allamah” of the Shari’ah.
b) is a
tireless teacher of the Islamic sciences, valuing time and teaching throughout
his travels.
c) has
excellent command on the Arabic language and translation skills.
d) is beloved
to the Ulama of the Arab world and has been received with warm hearts and love.
e) produces
works in various scholarly disciplines which have brought immense benefit to the
Ahlus-Sunnah.
f) is not
just a scholar of the outward sciences but a man of Allah whose presence is
awe-filling and a person of karaamat.
g) is on the
manhaj of the Ahlus-Sunnah Wa al-Jama’ah.
h) is
well-known in India and its people of the Ahlus-Sunnah.
And to hold otherwise leads to the falsification of popular accounts by ulama
and awliya on the basis of a solitary report lacking proper adab of discourse
which appears biased to anyone who reads it with a sound mind. Supporting false
notions attributed to the Shaykh such that he is not an “alim”, he is “unknown”
and that he makes “takfir of everyone” is unlawful when there are clear signs to
the contrary. Beware too of having animosity towards the awliya as its
consequence from Allah is devastating! And alone gives guidance.
———
Penned by
Shaykh Munawwar Ateeq
[Birmingham - United Kingdom]