[SaLifHoq]

THE DEALING OF HADHRAT NANOTWI ( ) WITH THOSE WHO PASSED FATAWA OF KUFR ON HIM

I have heard of the incident regarding Moulana Nanotwi's (RA) dealing with those who passed Fatawa of Kufr on him. Some of the special students of Hadhrat were with him in Delhi. Among those present were Hadhrat Shayk-ul-Hind Moulana Mahmood-ul-Hasan, Moulana Ahmed Hasan Amrohi and Haji Ameer Shah Khan Sahib Marhoom. Moulana Ahmed Hasan Sahib, while sitting with his friends, said, "Brothers, the Qiraat of the Imaam in Laal Kuwa Masjid is excellent. Let us go and perform our Fajar Salaah behind him."

Hadhrat Shaykh-ul-Hind became angry and said to him, "Don't you feel ashamed, didn't you have any skin over your face to make such a suggestion considering the fact that he classifies our Hadhrat with kufr and you ask us to perform Salaah behind him?" He adopted a very severe tone of voice.

This discussion was heard by Hadhrat Nanotwi (RA) who said nothing at the time. The next morning, Hadhrat Nanotwi, accompanied with his students, went to the same Masjid to perform Fajr Salaah. He went and performed Salaah behind this Imaam. The Salaah was completed with Salaam.

Being strangers, the Muqtadis (followers) asked who they were, realising from their dressing that there were scholars of Deen. They asked, "Who are you?" It came to their knowledge that this was Moulana Qasim Nanotwi (RA) while the others with him were his students, Hadhrat Shaykh-ul-Hind Moulana Mahmood-ul-Hasan Sahib and Moulana Ahmed Hassan Muhaddith Amrohi.

The Imaam was left dumbstruck and wondering, "Day and night do I label him as a Kaafir in spite of which he has come to perform his salaah behind me." The Imaam himself went forward and shook hands, saying, "Hadhrat! I used to label you as a Kaafir but am ashamed today considering the fact that you have come and performed Salaah behind me."

Hadhrat said to him, "It is no big deal for I have taken full cognisance of the driving force behind your stance which I also fully appreciate due to which your honour has increased even more in my heart."

"Why is this so? It is on the basis of the information which reached you that I derided Allah's Rasool ( ). The fervour of Imaan came to the fore and demanded of you to label me as such. Nonetheless, I have but a single complaint. You should have investigated the correctness of that report. All the same, the basis of your passing a Fatwa of Kufr was, insult to the Allah's messenger ( ). Whenever any Muslim happens to insult or disgrace Allah's messenger ( ), it will necessitate passing a Fatwa of Kufr. It will cause the person to leave the fold of Islam."

He thereafter said, "I appreciate the sense of honour demanded by your Imaan. Yes! The complaint I have is that you should have at least once determined the veracity or falsehood of the report that reached you. I have therefore come in order to tell you that the report that has reached you is incorrect. I too, consider such a person who insults and disgraces the beloved messenger of Allah ( ) to the slightest degree, as having left the fold of Islam.

"If you are still not convinced of the fact, I am prepared to accept Imaan on your hands right now,

"

The imam now falls at Hadhrat's feet.

The fact of the matter is, those Hadhraat were the embodiment of humility for the sake of Allah . The respect for everything connected to Allah was so firmly entrenched in them that there was not even the slightest whiff of Nafsaaniyat in them. Let alone mocking and belittling those that opposed and hated them, they were not unappreciative of such opposition.

In fact, they lowered themselves to the extent that they could say, "Those who label us as Kaafir, do so on the basis of their strength of Imaan. The only thing they should have done was to investigate whether we do belittle and disgrace Allah's messenger ( ) or not. Whether we are, Allah forbid, the enemies of Rasoolullah ( ) or his friends? Such investigation was Waajib upon them and they should not have passed judgement without inquiry."

The object of my speech is to entrench the fact that respect and honour, civility, culture refinement are the basis, the foundation of Deen to which Aarif Roomi (RA) has indicated:

From Allah do we seek the ability to respect.
For one bereft of respect is deprived of the bounty of Allah"