Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri

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Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri
خلیل احمد سہارنپوری
Personal
Born
Khalil Ahmad

December 1852
Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi
(maternal uncle)
Muslim leader
Disciple of Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (Rh)
Students
Influenced by
Influenced
  • Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi
Part of a series on the
Deobandi movement
Ideology and influences
Founders and key figures
Notable institutions
Darul ulooms and madrasas
Centres (markaz) of Tablighi Jamaat
Associated organizations

Abū Ibrāhīm K͟halīl Aḥmad ibn Majīd ‘Alī Anbahṭawī Sahāranpūrī Muhājir Madanī (

Chishti order, being a disciple and successor of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi.[1][3]

Name and family background

In one of his books he introduces himself as, "

ṭarīqah (Sufi order) and maslak (track)."[7]

Biography

Khalil Ahmad was born in late Safar 1269 AH (early December 1852) in

British India (in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India).[5][6][8] He was named both "Zahiruddin" and "Khalil Ahmad", but the second name was what he became known by.[8] The chronogram "Z̤ahīruddīn wa Aḥmad" (ظہیرالدین و احمد, "Zahiruddin and Ahmad") equates to the year of his birth, 1269, using Abjad numerals.[7]

His mother Mubarak-un-nisa was the daughter of

Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi, who would later be sadr mudarris (head teacher) at Darul Uloom Deoband.[9]
On his father's side he was Ayyubi Ansari and on his mother's side he was Siddiqi.

Early education

Khalil Ahmad began his education at the age of five in a

hifz (memorization) of the Qur'an and study of the primary Urdu and Persian books under various teachers.[8][9]

At the age of eleven, he began his Arabic studies in

English-medium school and commenced secular studies.[9][10]

Higher studies

When Darul Uloom Deoband was opened in Muharram 1283 AH (May 1866) and Maulana Yaqub Nanautawi was appointed as sadr mudarris (the head teacher), Khalil Ahmad took permission from his parents and travelled to Deoband, where he resumed his Islamic studies from Kafiyah. Six months later Mazahir Uloom was established and Mazhar Nanautawi was appointed sadr mudarris. Due to the environment not suiting him at Deoband, he transferred to Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur and entered in the class of Mukhtasar al-Ma'ani.[9][8][10]

At Mazahir Uloom he spent several years acquiring knowledge of subjects including

Hidayah were among the books studied in 1286 AH (1869). In the annual examinations Khalil Ahmad was regularly among the students who received prizes for high marks. He received his sanad-i faraghat (graduate degree) in 1288 AH (1871) at the age of 19. That year he received a copy of Sahih al-Bukhari as a special prize from Maulana Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri.[8]

Following his graduation, he was appointed as an assistant Arabic teacher at Mazahir Uloom. However he soon left for Lahore to pursue further studies in adab (Arabic literature) with Maulana Faizul Hasan Saharanpuri, head of the Arabic department at the Oriental College in Lahore.[5][8] In a few months Khalil Ahmad studied books of adab from him including Maqamat and Mutanabbi.[8][9]

Bay'at

One day, Moulana Khalil's paternal uncle, Moulvi Ansar Ali said, "After your studies, you should acquire

wudhu
, and performed Istikhara. When Gangohi arrived, he instructed Moulana Khalil to repent and initiated him into the System of Subjection thereafter.

Career

In 1871, Khalil became a teacher at

Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur. His monthly salary was three rupees. However, soon after, he proceeded to Lahore to pursue further studies in Uloomul Adabiyya. He remained in Lahore for a few months. After studying Maqaamaat and Mutanabbi under Moulana Faidhul Hasan, he travelled to Deoband. Moulana Ya'qub arranged for him to be employed as the translator of Qaamus into Urdu. The monthly salary was ten rupees. He was sent to a mountainous terrain to execute this task and returned after approximately two months. Thereafter, he became the principal of Manglore's madrasa. At around this time, an offer of employment from Bhopal arrived for Maulana Ya'qub for a monthly salary of three hundred rupees, but he declined the offer. However, he was pressed to send another reliable person to occupy the post, so he decided to send Khalil. By the choice of his honourable uncle and on the approval of Gangohi, he departed in 1293 AH to occupy the post in Bhopal at a monthly salary of fifty rupees. However, due to his dislike of Bhopal and its atmosphere, Khalil resigned and requested permission to return. In accordance with the instructions of Moulana Gangohi, Khalil remained in Bhopal until the Hajj
season. Khalil then departed from Bhopal with a few months of salary in advance.

After returning from his first Hajj, Khalil spent a few days in his hometown. Thereafter, he departed for

Bhawalpur
at a monthly salary of thirty rupees.

Thereafter, Khalil returned to

Sunan Abu Da'ud, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, and Sahih Muslim. Khalil, together with internal spiritual knowledge, also possessed external theoretical knowledge. He could lecture on any kitab with ease and possessed perfect methodology. Even Moulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri
would visit Khalil for advice and guidance in his writings and discourses.

Hajj pilgrimages

Khalil performed Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) seven times.

The first time was in 1293 AH, while he was living in Bhopal.

Khalil's second Hajj was when he was living in

Bhawalpur
in Shawwaal of 1297 AH.

Khalil's third and all subsequent Hajj journeys were undertaken from Saharanpur. The third Hajj was after the death of Gangohi.

Khalil's fourth Hajj was in 1910.

Khalil's fifth

Nanital
with their luggage. They were released shortly afterwards.

Khalil's sixth Hajj occurred in 1920. He left Saharanpur on 21 April 1920 and reached Mecca on 29 May 1920. Khalil returned to Saharanpur in Safar of 1339 AH.

Khalil did not return to India after his seventh Hajj He left Saharanpur on 29 April 1926 and reached Mecca on 6 June 1926

Final years and death

Towards the end

Maghrib Salaah, he no longer had any strength to lift himself. Besides Pas Anfas, which is a method of dhikr
by breathing, Khalil was not able to do anything else. He did not respond to any conversation nor did he ask any questions. Twenty-four hours passed in complete silence and on Thursday, 13 October 1927, Khalil died as he repeatedly proclaimed "Allah!" aloud. Then, his eyes closed and he became silent.

Funeral

Despite the small amount of time available, funeral arrangements were accomplished successfully. Sayyid Ahmad Tawwaab performed the

Jannat al-Baghi cemetery. Khalil was buried in his grave shortly before Isha
prayer.

Legacy

His biographical works include: Tazkiratul Khalil by Aashiq-e-Ilahi Mirathi.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ The Urdu spellings of proper nouns have been preserved in Nuzhat al-Khawatir, and thus also in transliteration here.

References

  1. ^ a b c Profile of Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri on jamiat.org website, Retrieved 12 May 2017
  2. ISBN 9782745155818
    .
  3. TDV Encyclopedia of Islam (44+2 vols.) (in Turkish). Istanbul: Turkiye Diyanet Foundation
    , Centre for Islamic Studies.
  4. ^ Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. ہدایات الشیعہ / Hidāyātush-Shī'ah (in Urdu). Lāhaur: Maktabatul-Madīnah. p. 4.
  5. ^ a b c Abd al-Hayy ibn Fakhr ad-Din al-Hasani (1999). نزهة الخواطر وبهجة المسامع والنواظر / Nuzhat al-khawāṭir wa-bahjat al-masāmi' wa-al-nawāẓir (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Bayrūt: Dār Ibn Ḥazm. pp. 1222–1223.
  6. ^ a b Yusuf Abd ar-Rahman al-Mar'ashli (2002). معجم المعاجم والمشيخات والفهارس والبرامج والأثبات / Mu'jam al-ma'ājim wa-al-mashyakhāt wa-al-fahāris wa-al-barāmij wa-al-athbāt (in Arabic). Vol. 2 (1st ed.). ar-Riyāḍ: Maktabah ar-Rushd. pp. 385–386.
  7. ^ a b Husayn Ahmad al-Madani. "ترجمة المؤلف / Tarjamah al-Mu'allif [Biography of the Author]". {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) In Khalil Ahmad as-Saharanfuri. Badhl al-majhūd fī ḥall Abī Dāwūd (in Arabic). Bayrūt: دار الكتب العلمية / Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmīyah.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sayyid Muhammad Shahid Saharanpuri (1982). "مقدمہ و تعارف / Muqaddamah wa ta'aruf". {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) In Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. فتاویٰ مظاہر علوم / Fatawa Mazahir-i Ulum (in Urdu). Vol. 1. Biharabad, Karachi: Maktabatush-Shaykh.
  9. ^
    Muhammad Zakariya Kandhalawi
    . "Hadhrat Aqdas Maulana al-Haaj Khalil Ahmad". The Mashaikh of Chisht: The Spiritual Tree (Shajarah) and Life Episodes of the Noble Auliya and Mashaikh of Chisht. Translated by Majlisul Ulama of South Africa from Tarikh-i Masha'ikh-i Chisht (1973).
  10. ^ a b c Javed, Iffat Masood (1996). Contribution of Mazahir-e-Uloom of Saharanpur to Tasawwuf (PhD). New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  11. Muhammad Zakariya Kandhalawi
    (1973). حضرت اقدس مولانا الحاج صاحب نور الله مرقده [Hadrat Aqdas Maulana al-Haj Khalil Ahmad Sahib Nawwar Allahu Marqadah]. تاریخ مشائخ چشت [Tarikh-i Masha'ikh-i Chisht] (in Urdu).
  12. hdl:10603/338413
    .

bibliography


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