A'LA HADRAT, IMAM-E-AHLE SUNNAT, MUJADDID-E-DEEN-O-MILLAT, ASH SHAH IMAM AHMED RAZA KHAN MUHADDITH BAREILWI AL-QAADIRI (RADI ALLAHU ANHU)-3
Al Malibari
IMAM AHMED RAZA KHAN _ISSUING OF FATAWA AND HIS IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE
IMAM AHMED RAZA KHAN'S FIRST FATAWA ON FOSTERAGE
In a letter sent to his illustrious Khalifa, Malakul 'Ulema, Hadrat Mawlana Zafaruddeen Bihaari, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi (Alaihir Rahmah) wrote: “With the Grace of Almighty Allah, this servant wrote his first Fatawah at the age of 13. It is also at this age that I completed my religious education and gained a certificate of proficiency in this field. On this day, a question was put forward to me as to whether milk, if reaching the belly of a child, would prove fosterage or not? I replied that even if milk reached the child's belly, either through the nose or mouth, fosterage would be proven, therefore, making it Haraam upon the child to marry this women”. [Al Malfuz, Part I, pg. 12]
ASSIGNED TO ISSUE FATAWA
His father was so amazed and delighted by this in-depth reply that he assigned the young Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) the task of issuing Fatawa [Islamic Verdicts]. For many years, thereafter, Imam Ahmed Raza carried this very important duty with absolute dignity and responsibility. Imam Ahmed Raza began answering hundreds of Fatawa daily. He received them in all languages - Arabic, Urdu, Persian, English and many other languages.
A few days after the Nikah of Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah), a certain person came to Bareilly Shareef and presented a Fatwa of Mawlana Irshaad Hussain Mujaddidi to Hadrat Allama Mawlana Naqi Ali Khan for an answer. The Fatwa bore the signatures of many 'Ulema.
Hadrat Allama Naqi Ali Khan (Alaihir Rahmah), instructed the messenger with the following words: “Go into the room. Moulvi Sahib is there. He will answer your question.” The messenger entered the room and only saw Imam Ahmed Raza sitting there. He returned to Hadrat Allama Naqi Ali Khan and said, “There is no Moulvi Sahib there. All I see in the room is a young lad.” Hadrat Allama Naqi Ali Khan told the messenger: “Give the Mas'ala to him and he will answer it.” The messenger went to Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) and handed him the Fatwa. He studied it and realised that the answer on the Fatwa of Mawlana Irshaad Hussain was incorrect. Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi (Alaihir Rahmah) wrote the correct answer to the Fatwa and respectfully presented it to his father who verified it as being correct.
The Fatwa was then taken to the Governor of Rampur. After studying the Fatwa of Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah), the Governor requested the presence of Mawlana Irshaad Hussain Sahib. When the said Mawlana appeared before the Governor, the Fatwa was shown to him. Mufti Irshaad Hussain Sahib humbly acknowledged that his Fatwa was incorrect and that the Fatwa from Bareilly was correct. The Governor of Rampur then said, “If the Fatwa of Bareilly is correct, then how is it that all the other 'Ulema verified and endorsed your Fatwa?” Mawlana Irshaad Hussain replied, “They endorsed my Fatwa because I am prominent, but the true Fatwa is the one written by the Mufti of Bareilly.”
Regarding Imam Ahmed Raza's knowledge of sheep in reply to a Fatwa, Mawlana Mufti Mazharullah said: “Once, I enquired from Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi about the holy sacrifice offered by Muslims. He, in his reply, described innumerable kinds of sheep which was a matter of surprise for me. I kept his letter with me. It so happened that Mawlana Kifaayatullah came to see me and by chance he saw the letter. He was astounded and said, 'No doubt his learning and knowledge knows no boundaries'.”
Once Sayyidi A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) went to Pillibit Shareef. He stayed with Muhaddith-e-Surat, Hadrat Mawlana Wasi Ahmad Sahib (Alaihir Rahmah). Before leaving for Bareilly Shareef, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi requested to borrow a Kitaab called Uqoodul Arya from him. As there was only one copy of the book he gave it to Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi and said, “After studying the book, please return it as these are the only few kitaabs that I have for Fatawa writing.”
Sayyidi A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) was supposed to depart from Pillibit Shareef that night, but since he had been invited at another person's home, he stayed one more night in Pillibit Shareef. Imam Ahmed Raza spent the entire night studying the Kitaab, which consisted of numerous volumes.
The following morning, before leaving for the railway station to meet Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi (Alaihir Rahmah), Hadrat Muhaddith-e- Surat found that the Kitaab that he had lent Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi had been returned. He thought that Imam Ahmed Raza was angry and displeased with him for asking him to return the Kitaab quickly. He immediately went to Imam Ahmed Raza and asked for pardon. Sayyidi A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) smiled and then said, “That is not the reason for returning the Kitaab. I stayed one more night, so I studied the book and, therefore, did not find the need to take it with me.”
When Hadrat Muhaddith-e-Surat (Alaihir Rahmah) heard this he was surprised and exclaimed, “You have studied this book in one night!” Sayyidi A'la Hadrat Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) replied, “Insha-Allah, for the next 3 months I will not need to look at the book to find any statements, and as for the essence of the book, Insha-Allah, I will not forget it in my lifetime.” He then said, “The book did not have a table of contents. I have drawn up one for you.”
MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN
Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) was fair-complexioned, bright-looking, medium-structured, smart, simple, soft-spoken, sweet-voiced and taciturn.
In the year 1291 A.H. (1874), Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah) married Sayyidah Irshaad Begum who was the beloved daughter of Sheikh Fadhl Hussain Sahib. He was 18 years old at the time of his Nikah.
Allah Ta'ala blessed Imam Ahmed Raza with 7 beautiful children - 2 sons and 5 daughters.
His sons Mawlana Hamid Raza Khan (Alaihir Rahmah) [d.1362/1934] and Mawlana Mustafa Raza Khan (Alaihir Rahmah) [d. 1402/1981] are celebrated savants of Islam. They rendered great services to Islam and the Muslim Nation in India.
A'la Hadrat's eldest son, Hujjatul Islam, Hadrat Allama Mawlana Muhammad Haamid Raza Khan was very much efficient in Arabic and various other religious sciences. He was a great savant, orator, author and poet. He was such a master of argumentation that he was called “Hujjat al-Islam” [Argument of Islam]. His features resembled his illustrious father. Hujjatul Islam (Alaihir Rahmah) ?left this mundane world on the 17th of Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1362 A.H., while in the state of Salaah.
Ghausul Waqt, Huzoor Mufti-e-Azam-e-Hind, Ash Shah Imam Mustapha Raza Khan (Alaihir Rahmah), the younger son of Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah), studied primarily under the guidance of his elder brother. He also received education at the blessed feet of his father and earned himself a certificate of proficiency in religious sciences. Huzoor Mufti-e-Azam-e-Hind (Alaihir Rahmah) has approximately ten millions Mureeds (disciples) around the world. He was such a great Mufti that he was called “Mufti-i-'Azam” [The Great Mufti] of India. He left this mundane world on the eve of the 14th of Muharram 1402 A.H. (1981).
The grandson of Imam Ahmed Raza (Alaihir Rahmah), Hadrat Ibrahim Raza Khan Jilani (Alaihir Rahmah) was such a great Mufassir that he was called “Mufassir-i-'Azam” [The Great Commentator] of India.