Quenching A Future Imam's Learning Aspiration
Secular academia generally looks down on the traditional syllabus taught in Madaaris. This small discussion shows the superiority of traditional syllabus. Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi rahimahullah relates a conversation from his student days…
Maulāna Ashraf `Ali Thānvi rahmatullah alayh says that Hadhrat Maulana Gangohi rahmatullah alayh used to say after all his mujahadat, “I am nothing.” One time he took on oath saying “I am nothing.” Two groups of people in the gathering started to argue whether the oath was valid or not. One party said that the …
Maulāna Muhammad Anwarī Lā’ilpūrī says that the year in which he was studying hadīth under Hadhrat ‛Allāmah Anwar Shāh Kashmīrī rahmatullah ‛alayh at Darul Ulūm Deoband, ‛Allāmah ‛Ali al Yamanī thumma al Misrī, a hāfidh al hadīth, came for vacation to India. He came to Mumbai and then went to Randheir. In Randheir he met …
Hadhrat Maulāna Shāh Abdul Qādir Rāipūrī rahmatullāh ῾alayh was a student of Hadhrat ῾Allāmah Shāh Kashmīrī rahmatullāh ῾alayh. He mentions himself that he studied “Mulla Hasan” (1) and part of “Sunan Tirmidhī Sharīf” from Shāh Sāheb rahmatullāh ῾alayh. “While teaching he would jump from one topic to another, and I would have become gher muqallid …
One person who had pledged on the hands of Maulāna Thānvī Rahmatullah ‛Alayh requested ijāza for the recitation of Hizbul Bahr. Maulāna answered that there was no need to seek ijāza in this matter. He insisted that he seeks ijāza for barakah. So Maulāna said “Very well, I make du‛ā’ that Allah gives you ability to practice upon it and accept that deed of yours.”
There is a core essence of Tablīgh and boundaries that govern it. We have been given ta῾līm (guidance) for everything and this ta῾līm is of a very pure nature. So pure that even the theories of elite philosophers also fail to produce something similar.
Which is the Beneficial Knowledge?
Arabic is a very important language which ought to be learnt. It is not possible to understand Sharīah in its entirety without knowing Arabic; but in case one is unable to learn this Shar’ī knowledge in entirety then this should not be a reason to abandon some form of lower category of Islamic learning (e.g. basic understanding of Islam in Urdu language) as well.