Muhaddith - E- Deccan, Hazrat Mawlana Syed Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi Qadri (RA)

MUHADDITH-E-DECCAN
HAZRAT MOULANA SYED ABDULLAH SHAH Moulana Abul Hasnath Syed Abdullah Shah, alias Muhaddith-e- Deccan, was born in Hussaini Alam, Hyderabad on 10 Dil Hajj, 1292 AH or 6 Feb 1872 AD. Moulana Syed Muzaffer Hussain Ibn Syed Yaqoob of Naldrug was his father. Since the migration of his ancestor, Hazrat Syed Ali, this family has been the recipient of land grant from Adil Shah I, the ruler of Bijapur. The daughter of Hazrat Gul Badshah was his mother.

In keeping with the traditions of the then society, this young sufi didn't attend any formal school for his education and training. He received his elementary education and lessons in Persian from his father; logic and philosophy from Moulana Mansoor Ali Khan; the Quranic sciences and other subjects from Moulana Anwarulla Khan; jurisprudence from Moulana Habeebur Rahman Saharanpuri; and the science of Hadith and literature from Moulana Hakim Abdur Rahman Saharanpuri.

Even while a student, he started teaching, in both formal and non-formal ways. At times this was in the form of adult education. Most of his audience consisted of elite and common people. He began his teaching career at the mosque named Ali Aqa at Hussaini Alam, Hyderabad, and continued it uninterrupted till his last breath.

At first he became the discipline of Hazrat Miskeen Shah. On the death of the latter, he approached Hazrat Syed Muhammad Badshah Bukhari, who was a renowned spiritual personality of that time. The latter practised both the Qadriya and the Naqshbandiya sufi path. So long as his spiritual mentor was alive, he would go to him daily walking about 4 miles whatever the climatic situation. This practice went on for about 20 years until the death of his sheikh. During the life-time of his master, Hazrat Abdullah Shah did not like to have his own followers. The number of his followers in his own life time were in lakhs and now they run into millions. He followed Hanafi school of jurisprudence. He followed his master's practice of initiating his followers in both the Qadriya and Naqshbandiya Orders.

Hazrat Abdullah Shah's greatness lay in the fact that he took care to adhere to the Sunnah in all his actions, sayings and writings. He was always eager to put into practice the teachings of the prophet recorded in Sunnah.

His writings are plenty, and a few are mentioned here as specimens of his literary contributions to the world of knowledge and ideas: Gulzar-e-Auliya, Ilajus Salikeen, Kitab Al-Mahabbat,
Tafseer-e-Sur-e-Yusuf, Mawaiz-e-Hasana, Slook-e-Mujadadiya, Qiyamat Nama, Meraj Nama, Meelad Nama, Noor-ul-Masabih (translation of his magnus opus in Arabic: Zujajat-ul-Masabih), Fazail-e-Namaz, Hassan Hussain, etc

His emotional attachment and sincere commitment to Allah and His Messenger was remarkably evident in all he did. He would spend most of his time in the service of Allah's creations. From Fajr
prayer he would begin his day. He would patiently listen to his disciples. Next he would meet the public and attend to individual grievances till 9 o'clock. After Ishraq prayers, for breakfast and other personal needs, he would spare a few minutes. From almost 10 to 2 0'clock he would have a separate session for women who either approach him for guidance or spiritual consolation. At 2 he would return to the mosque for zuhr prayer and until Asr prayer he would be engaged in giving speeches and individual attention to his disciples, responding to miscellaneous requests for help, and so on. The time between Asr and Maghrib and Awwabeen prayers, he would have dinner, attend to the letters addressed to him and dictate letters of advice. At 10 he would go to the mosque for Isha prayers and return home at 12. He would sleep for three hours. From 2 Am till Fajr prayer he would be busy with Tahajjud prayers. In short, he rested for three hours and the rest 21 hours he devoted to God and His creatures.

One of his miracles observed by a great number of his disciples is worth mentioning here. In the physical presence of their sheikh, they felt their heart stirred and incited to begin the remembrance of God. They have also observed that the end of their sheikh's followers was happy and peaceful. The latter died with the blessed phrase, La Ilaha Illallah (there is no God but Allah), on their lips at their last moment.

When his contemporary Sheikh Hazrat Syed Muhammad Badshah Hussaini died on 25th of August, Hazrat Abdullah Shah predicted that he too would leave this mortal world in two days. His prediction came true. With his death on 18th Rabiuthani, 1384 AH, or 1964 AD, at the age of 92 years, the world lost a great spiritual leader and a scholar. The funeral procession was the biggest of its kind in Hyderabad attended by about 2.5 lakh people. He is buried in Naqshbandi Chaman, Misri Gunj, Hyderabad. The Khalifa and successor of his mission is his son, Moulana Abul Barakat Syed Khaleelullah.

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