The Sanad of Ala Hazrat

Taken from the preface of al-Fatawa ar-Ridawiyyah:

The degree of authorization of this supplicant in his asking of the light-some alms; whose chain of authorization traverses the honorable Hanafi scholars – the Muftis the writers and the knowledgeable elders among them. [1]

Allah be praised; I have authorizations from many chains [2] , the most outstanding amongst them is the one I narrate from [3]:

1. The light of the two sanctuaries, the [chief] Muftī of Hanafiyyah in Makkah, Mawlana Shaykh Ábd ar-RaHman as-Siraj the son of the prominent Muftī Ábdullah as-Siraj who narrates from

2. Muftī of Makkah Sayyidi Jamal ibn Ábdullah ibn Úmar who narrates from

3. the illustrious shaykh, MuHammad Áabid al-Anśarī al-Madanī who narrates from

4. Shaykh Yūsuf ibn MuHammad ibn Alauddīn Mizjaji who narrates from

5. Shaykh Ábd al-Qadir ibn Khalīl who narrates from

6. Shaykh Ismaýīl ibn Ábdullah, better known as Álī Zadah al-Bukharī who narrates from

7. the Gnostic [4] Shaykh Ábd al-Ghanī ibn Ismaýīl ibn Ábd al-Ghanī an-Nablūsī (the author of Hadīqatu’n Nadiyyah, al-Maťalib al-Áliyyah and other pure and prominent works) who narrates from

8. his father Shaykh Ismaýīl, the author of SharH Durar wa Ghurar who narrates from [5]

9. The two prominent Shaykhs

a. Ahmed ash-Shūbari

AND

b. Hasan Sharnblali, the author of Hashiyah Durar wa Ghurar, Nūr al-ĪđaH and its two explanations: Maraqi’l FalaH and Imdad al-FattaH among other glorious works; both of them narrate from [6]:

10. first chain:

Shaykh Úmar ibn Nujaym the author of Nahr al-Fayiq

AND

Shaykh Shams [al-Ayimmah] al-Hanūtī, author of Fatawa

AND

Shaykh Áli al-Maqdisi the author of SharH Nažm al-Kanz

second chain:

Shaykh Ábdullah an-Nahrīrī

AND

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ábd ar-RaHman al-Masīrī

AND

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmed al-Hamawī

AND

Ahmed al-MuHibbi, and all the seven [7] narrate from

11. Shaykh Ahmed ibn Yūnus ash-Shalbī, author of Fatawa who narrates from

12. Shaykh Ábd al-Barr ibn ShaHnah author of SharH al-Wahbaniyyah who narrates from

13. Kamal ibn Humam, the researcher par excellence [8] and author of FatH al-Qadīr who narrates from

14. Shaykh as-Siraj Qariu’l Hidayah, who narrates from

15. Shaykh Alauddīn Sīyrafī [9] who narrates from

16. Sayyid Jalaluddīn al-Khabbazi, [10] the exegete of Hidayah who narrates from

17. Shaykh Ábd al-Azīz al-Bukharī, author of al-Kashf wa’t TaHqīq, who narrates from

18. Jalaluddīn Kabīr who narrates from

19. Imam Ábd as-Sattar ibn Muhammad al-Kardari who narrates from

20. Imam Burhanuddīn [al-Mirghīnanī] author of Hidayah who narrates from

21. Imam Fakhr al-Islam al-Pazdawi who narrates from [11]

22. Shams al-Aimmah al-Halwani who narrates from

23. Qađī Abū Álī an-Nasafī who narrates from

24. Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Fađl al-Bukharī who narrates from

25. Imam Abū Ábdullah [12] as-Sabzmūnī who narrates from

26. Ábdullah ibn Abū Hafś al-Bukharī who narrates from his father,

27. Ahmed Abū Hafś (better known as Abū Hafś al-Kabīr) who narrates from

28. Imam Abū Ábdullah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ash-Shaybani who narrates from

29. Imam al-Aážam Abū Hanīfah who narrates from

1. Hammad who narrates from

2. Ibrahīm [an-Nakhaýī] who narrates from

3. Álqamah AND Aswad both of them narrate from

4. Ábdullah ibn Masúūd rađiyallahu ánhū who narrates from

Nabiyyuna Sayyiduna MuHammad Sallallaho Ta’ala Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam

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Footnotes:

Footnotes by AlaHadrat himself are all included here; I shall precede them with ‘AlaHadrat:’

1. Sanadu’l Faqīr fi’l Faqri’l Munīr Musalsilan bi’l Hanafiyyati’l Kiram wa’l Muftiyyīn wa’l Muśannifīn wa’l Mashayikhi’l Aálam

2. Ťuruq

3. AlaHadrat: ‘My Lord! Accept this degree of mine in the subject of the radiant subject of fiqh which is handed down by the respectable Hanafi scholars, and famous muftis, imams and authors. Allah be praised, there are many routes of transmission, but this one is the most prominent among them. Here I narrate fiqh from the Light of the Sanctuary, the Mufti of Makkah, Mawlana Ábd ar-RaHman as-Siraj, the son of the outstanding mufti, Mawlana Ábdullah as-Siraj al-Makki who narrates from Imam al-Aázam through 27 links and he, from our Radiant Master, the Prince of all Messengers śallAllahu álayhi wa sallam through four links.”

4. al-áarifu bi’llah

5. Shaykh Ismaýīl narrates from two routes.

6. both of these shuyūkh narrate from seven shuyūkh through two routes; the first chain from three, and the second from four.

7. and all the seven shuyūkh from these two chains narrate from ash-Shalbi

8. AlaHadrat uses the epithet, ‘MuHaqqiq Haythu aťlaq’ which translates to a literal ‘unfettered researcher’ and an idiomatic ‘absolute researcher’. Actually, he means a mujtahid of a certain rank, but saying so would confuse the uninitiated who would oversimplify this to mean absolute ijtihad.

9. AlaHadrat: “Thus it is in my chain of transmission by the letter faa [as-Sīyrafī] and this is the well-known spelling. It is also spelt with meem as as-Sayramī as mentioned in Fat’H al-Qadīr, at-ŤaHťawī and Radd al-MuHtar. Sīyraf is like Shīraz, a coastal city in Persia close to Kirman; the famous grammarian Abū Saýīd was also from this city. Sayram with a mīm is a city in Turkey [erstwhile Rome]; the grammarian Nižamuddin ibn Yūsuf ibn Fahd, a student of at-Taftazani was from this city.”

10. AlaHadrat: “Thus it is in this chain of transmission; but in my other chain, it is from the route of as-Siraj al-Hanūti narrating from Ibrahīm al-Karki, the author of al-Fayđ narrating from Shaykh MuHibbuddīn al-aqśar nee Qari al-Hidayah who narrates from as-Sīyrafī in these words: ‘Narrating from Sayyid Jalaluddin ibn Shamsuddin al-Karlatī from Ábd al-Azīz bin Muhammad ibn AHmed al-Bukharī…’.

Sayyid Jalaluddin is the author of ‘al-Kifayah an exegesis of al-Hidayah’ is the student of Husamuddin al-Saghnaqī, the author of ‘an-Nihayah’, the among the earliest explanations of al-Hidayah. Al-Khabbazi is the author of ‘al-Mughnī fi’l Usūl’. Úmar ibn Muhammad ibn Ámr is also an exegete of al-Hidayah and both of them are students of Ábd al-Azīz al-Bukharī the author of al-Kashf wa’t TaHqīq. Allah táala knows best.

11. AlaHadrat: ‘Thus it is in my chain; whereas in the chains of [both] Sayyid at-ŤaHťawī and Sayyid ash-Shamī [ibn Áabīdin] it is: ‘….Fakhr al-Islam narrates from Shams al-Aimmah as-Sarkhasi who narrates from Shams al-Aimmah al-Halwanī…’

I must point out that this is an additional blessing since this chain is a closer one [than that mentioned by at-ŤaHťawī and ash-Shamī]. This is because Fakhr al-Islam narrates from Shams al-Aimmah al-Halwanī directly as well. Imam adh-Dhahabī says in his Siyar al-Aálam an-Nubala’a in the biography of Imam al-Halwanī: ‘among his students were Shams al-Aimmah as-Sarkhasī and Fakhr al-Islam al-Pazdawī and his brother Śadr al-Islam..’

Imam Al-Halwanī passed away in Bukhara in 456 AH, whereas Fakhr al-Islam passed away in Kish in the Rajab of 482 AH; he was born around 400 AH. Thus, when Imam Al-Halwanī passed away, Fakhr al-Islam was about 56 years old. [it is not surprising that he might have studied under him directly]

12. AlaHadrat: ‘Thus it is in my chain of narration as well as that of at-ŤaHťawī and ash-Shamī and the latter has affirmed this. It is popularly known that his kunyah is Abū Muhammad and his name is Ábdullah ibn Muhammad, as mentioned in my other chain of transmission coming from the route of Ízz ad-Dīn Ahmed ibn al-Mužaffar and Ábd al-Azīz al-Bukhari, and both of them narrate from Hafižuddīn al-Bukharī who narrates from Shams al-Aimmah al-Kardarī who narrates from Badr al-Aimmah Úmar al-Warsaki who narrates from Imam Rukn ad-Dīn Ábd ar-RaHman al-Kahanī who narrates from Fakhr al-Quđat al-Arsabandī who narrates from Ímad al-Islam Ábd ar-RaHīm az-Zawzanī who narrates from Abū Zayd ad-Dabbūsī who narrates from Imam Abū Jaáfar al-Ustrūshīnī who narrates from Abu’l Hasan Áli an-Nasafi who narrates from Imam al-Fađalī who says: ‘narrated to us, Imam Abū Muhammad Ábdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Yáqūb as-Sabzmūnī al-Harithi..’

It is possible that he had two kunyas, Abū Muhammad and Abū Ábdullah. (Allah Táala knows best)

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AlaHadrat (Radi ALLAHu Ta’ala Anho) mentions another Chain:

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A`lâ Hadrat Mawlânâ ash-Shâh Ahmad Ridâ Khân al-Barêlwî (RaHmatullahi Ta’ala Alaih) mentions another chain of his in the Fatâwâ Ridawiyya. He has a chapter called: Surûril-`îdis-sa`id fî Halid-du`â’i ba`d Salâtil-`îd. It is an answer to Mawlânâ `Abdul-Hayy Laknawî (Radi ALLAHu Ta’ala Anho) who wrote that making du`â after the `Îd prayers is not established from the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam), the Sahâba or Tâbi`în (Radi ALLAHu Ta’ala Anho). He quotes a statement from one of the Akâbir Tâbi`în and relates the quote via two chains of transmission in answer. As you will see below, it is quite an impressive answer.

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Making du`â after the two Eid prayers is established from the superior ones among the Tâbi`în.

Faqîr `Abdul-Mustafâ Ahmad Ridâ al-Muhammadî as-Sunnî al-Hanafî al-Qadrî al-Barkâtî al-Barêlwî [refering to himself] – Allah forgive him and accept his wishes, states:

Told us Mawlâ `Abdur-Rahmân as-Sirâj al-Makkî, the grand Muftî of Bilâdul-Harâm by Bâbus-Safâ, at his house on the 22nd of Dhul-Hijja 1295AH gifted all of his narrations and ijâzas to me, whether in the form Fiqh, in Hadîth or any other form,

* He narrates on the authority of Hujja Zamâna Jamâl ibn `Abdullâh ibn `Umar al-Makkî,

* He narrates on the authority of ash-Shaykh al-Ajal `Âbid as-Sindî,

* He narrates on the authority of his uncle Muhammad Husayn al-Ansârî,

* He took ijâza from ash-Shaykh `Abdul-Khâliq ibn `Alî al-Mizjâjî,

* He from ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Alâ’uddîn al-Mizjâjî,

* He narrates on the authority of Ahmad an-Nakhlî,

* He narrates on the authority of Muhammad al-Bâhilî,

* He narrates on the authority of Sâlim as-Sanûrî,

* He narrates on the authority of an-Najam al-Ghaytî,

* He narrates on the authority of al-Hâfiz Zakariyya al-Ansârî,

* He narrates on the authority of al-Hâfiz Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalânî

* He from Abû `Abdullâh al-Jarîrî,

* He from Qawâmuddîn al-Itqânî,

* He from al-Burhân Ahmad ibn Sa`d ibn Muhammad al-Bukhârî and al-Husâm as-Safatâqî, they said:

* From Hâfizuddîn al-Kabîr,

* He from al-Imâm Muhammad ibn `Abdus-Sattâr al-Kurdarî,

* He from `Umar ibn al-Karîm al-Warsakî,

* He from `Abdur-Rahmân ibn Muhammad al-Kirmânî,

* He from Abû Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Muhammad who is al-Imâm Fakhrul-Qadâ al-Irshâbandî,

* He from `Abdullâh az-Zawzanî

The second [which joins this one], which is greater [shorter] to it by 4 levels [i.e. narrators] is from,

My shaykh [shaykhî], my blessing [barkatî], my blessed guardian [walî ni`ma], my master [mâwlâ’î], Sayyidî Dhakhrî, my support for today and tomorrow [sanadî li yawmî wa ghadî], Sayyidunâ al-Imâm al-Hamâm al-`Ârif al-Ajal al-`Âlim al-Akmal as-Sayyid Âl ar-Rasûl al-Ahmadî al-Mârharwî radiyallâhu ta`âlâ anhu wa ridâhu (Allah make his place in Janna al-Firdaws) at Mârharwa Munawwara, at his abode, on the 5th of Jamâd al-ûlâ, 1294AH, gifted me all of his ijâzas which he took on the authority of his teacher, Shâh `Abdul-`Azîz al-Muhaddith ad-Dehelwî[3],

* He narrates on the authority of his father,

* He narrates on the authority of ash-Shaykh Tâjuddîn al-Qala`î – muftî of the Hanafîs,

* He narrates on the authority of ash-Shaykh Hasan al-`Ajamî,

* He narrates on the authority of ash-Shaykh Khayruddîn ar-Ramlî,

* He narrates on the authority of ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Sirâjuddîn al-Khânûtî,

* He narrates on the authority of Ahmad ibn ash-Shiblî,

* He narrates on the authority of Ibrâhîm al-Karkî, that is the author of Kitâbul-Fayda,

* He narrates on the authority of Amînuddîn Yahyâ ibn Muhammad al-Aqsarâ’î,

* He narrates on the authority of ash-Shaykh Muhammad Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Bukhârî al-Hanafî, that is Sayyidî Muhammad Pârsâ, author of Faslul-Khitâb,

* He narrates on the authority of ash-Shaykh Hâfizuddîn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn `Alî al-Bukhârî at-Tâhirî,

* He narrates on the authority of al-Imâm Sadarush-Sharî`a, that is the writer of the commentary on al-Waqâya,

* He narrates on the authority of his grandfather, Tâjush-Sharî`ah,

* He narrates on the authority of his father, Sadarush-Sharî`a,

* He narrates on the authority of his father, Jamâluddîn al-Mahmûbî,

* He narrates on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abî Bakr al-Bukhârî, famously known as Imâm Zâda,

* He narrates on the authority of Shamsul-A’imma Zartajrî,

* He narrates on the authority of Shamsul-A’imma al-Halwânî,

* Both of these narrate on the authority of al-Imâm al-Ajal Abî `Alî an-Nasafî.

Like this, he has narrated the entire chain with “`an [rafiq: which I have translated as: on the authority of]”.

* Then narrates Imâm al-Istarûshnî,

* He from Abû `Alî Husayn ibn Khidr an-Nasafî,

* He from Abû Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Bukhârî, who is known famously as al-Imâm al-Fadl,

* He from Abû Muhammad `Abdullâh ibn Muhammad ibn Ya`qûb al-Hârithî, that is al-Ustâdh as-Sanad Mawfî [?],

* He from `Abdullâh Muhammad ibn Abî Hafs al-Kabîr,

* He from his father,

* He from Muhammad ibn Hasan ash-Shaybânî [1],

* He from ABÛ HANÎFA,

* He narrates on the authority of Hammâd,

* He narrates on the authority of Ibrâhîm, who states:

“The Prayer of the two Eids is perform before the khutba. The Imâm then stands on the platform and makes du`â. The prayer is performed without adhân and iqâma.”

So Ibrâhîm an-Nakha’î, who is from among the greater Tâbi`în is informing us that this was the practice of the greater Tâbi`în of his era.

Ponder over this noble sanad (chain) and its status. Its men from Sayyiduna Shaykh to Imâm of the Madhhab Imâm A`zam are all known and famous Hanafîs. Information of the Madhhab is present from most of them.

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[1] Muhammad ibn Hasan Shaybânî, Kitâbul-âthâr (Karachi: Matba’a Idaratul-Qur’an wal-`Ulûmil-Islamiyya), Bâb Salâtul-îdayn, 41

Taken from: Imâm Ahmad Ridâ Khân al-Barêlwî, al-`Atâyâ an-Nabawiyya fil-Fatâwâ ar-Ridwiyya (Lahore: Jâmia Nizâmiyya Ridwiyya, 1995), 8/512-5)

So A`lâ Hadrat Imâm al-Hind (RaHmatullahi Ta’ala Alaih) took the narration from Kitâb al-âthâr of Hadrat Imâm Muhammad ibn Hasan ash-Shaybânî (Radi ALLAHu Ta’ala Anho) but quoted it via two of his chains through the imam.