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From Pearls of the Elders

Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah on Contemporary Scholars

Of the Indian Subcontinent



The renowned contemporary Hadith scholar, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah, born in Aleppo, Syria and currently residing in the illuminated city of Madinah, was asked about scholars around the world whom he considered beacons of guidance. In reply, he mentioned some of those whom he was aware of and who came to mind at that time. Below is a translation of what he said about the scholars of the Indian Subcontinent.



In Karachi, Pakistan: [There is] the eminent Dr. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaq Iskandar, the director of Jami’ah [al-‘Ulum al-Islamiyyah in the Binnuri Town area], whose da‘wah efforts within and beyond Pakistan are huge. There is also the eminent Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abd al-Halim Chishti, who is the brother of our Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rashid Nu‘mani, may Allah shower His mercy upon him. There is also the eminent Shaykh Muhammad Taqi ‘Uthmani whose academic endeavours within and beyond Pakistan are great, and his elder brother Shaykh Muhammad Rafi‘, the rector of Jami’ah Dar al-‘Ulum Karachi. There are others too.



In India: [There are] senior exemplary scholars, who are known for their academic and da‘wah efforts, in particular, the scholars of the two great Islamic universities - Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband and Mazahir ‘Ulum Saharanpur. From the scholars of the first university is the eminent Shaykh Arshad Madani, son of Shaykh al-Islam Sayyid Husayn Ahmad Madani, who has until now published seven large volumes of Imam al-‘Ayni’s commentary of Imam al-Tahawi’s Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar, entitled Nukhab al-Afkar.



From the scholars of the second university is the eminent Shaykh Muhammad ‘Aqil, son of the ‘Allamah, the great research scholar (al-muhaqqiq, al-mudaqqiq) Shaykh Muhammad Ayyub Saharanpuri, author of Tarajim al-Ahbar, which contains biographies of the narrators in Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar. From amongst the senior scholars of this university is the eminent Shaykh Habib Allah Qurban, who resides with us in the illuminated city of Madinah, and is from amongst the students of our master Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi, may Allah shower His mercy upon him. He is exclusively occupied with teaching and writing.



In Bangladesh: [There is] the eminent Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abd al-Malik, who is one of those people who were trained and became well versed in this science (hadith) at the hand of our Shaykh, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah and Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rashid Nu‘mani, may Allah shower His mercy upon them, and whose efforts in teaching (ta‘lim) and authoring (ta’lif) are laudable.