Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri and his abundant study.

Mufti Muhammad Taqi ‘Uthmani hafidhahullah writes that his father, Mufti Muhammad Shafi’ (ra) said:

“One time, Hadhrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri Saheb (ra) was extremely sick and his illness had been prolonging. During this time, a false rumor of the demise of Hadhrat Shah Saheb spread at the time of Fajr Salah. It was as if lightning had struck us, and right after the Fajr prayer we all rushed to his house along with ‘Allamah Shabbir Ahmad ‘Uthmani (ra). Upon arriving at his house, we found out that the news of his demise was false. However, his sickness had remained. When we all entered the room of Hadhrat, we found him sitting at his prayer place and in front of him lay a book on a pillow, which he was studying while bending down because of the lack of light. His students were perturbed at this scene, because studying in this posture could increase his illness. Hence, ‘Allamah Shabbir Ahmad ‘Uthmani (ra) willingly said:

‘Hadhrat! We can not understand this. How can there still be an academic discourse that has not been studied by you? If there is some discourse that you are unaware of and should study it, what is the urgent need to know it right now and why cannot this study be postponed until you feel better? If it is really urgent, then are not we here at your disposal? You could have told any of us and we would have read this material and informed you of its contents. This academic endeavour and labour of yours in this poor health can not be tolerated by us’.

‘Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri (ra) looked at ‘Allamah Shabbir Ahmad ‘Uthmani (ra) for some time with virtuousness and innocence and then replied, ‘Brother, you are right, but books also hold a craving, what should I do about this addiction’? (Akaabir-e-Deoband Kiya They? Page.43).

Hadhrat Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi (ra) once said:
 

Hadhrat ‘Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri’s (ra) abundant studying was such that when he had lost the ability to move his hands during his final illness, he would lie down on his side and an open book would be placed standing on a chair in front of him. When he would finish studying a full page, he would motion to someone to turn the page and someone would turn it. Hadhrat would then begin studying the next page.
(Malfoozat [Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi], Volume 3, Page 232)

The Great Scholar Allama Anwar Shah al Kashmiri (ra).

Imam Allama Anwar Shah Al Kashmiri (ra) was amazing. One of the phrases that some of the Ulama used to use about him was that one of things that didn’t work in his favour is that he came in the last century, and therefore people weren’t able to appreciate him. Had he been one of the earlier scholars, he would have been without doubt regarded as one of the greatest classical scholars of Islam. He had an amazing memory, a photographic memory. He wouldn’t forget. Many Ulama would ask Imam Allam shah al-Kashimiri (ra) about his memory. And this was his consistent reply: "If I read a book by skimming through it, I probably wont forget that book, or what I have read, for a good thirty years. But if I ever read a book properly, no skimming through it, but actually reading it, insha’Allah I will never forget it for the rest of my life." He also had a piercing insight and a brilliant scientific and analytical mind. A lot of people have good minds, but they don’t have good memories. Those who possess both, a good memory as well as piercing insight and brilliant analytical skills, that is a lethal combination. Very few people have that. Imam Allama Anwar Shah al Kashmiri (ra) possessed both. He would comment on issues of philosophy, dialectics, history, and all manner of other subjects. When he was talking about Bukhari, just by passing he would say things like – ‘This narrator, in this chain, is one of the students of Imam Zufar, but his position is such and such. He is also the same narrator who has been declared weak by such and such Imam on this occasion, but declared authentic by the same Imam on another occasion.’ Purely out of memory. He could quote absolutely anything. But the same Allama anwar shah al kashmiri (ra) says, and this is the point I’m trying to get at, he said: "There is no science or discipline of learning in which I do not have an opinion, except in Fiqh. I am, in fiqh, a pure Muqallid. I do not entertain my own individual opinions, I am a follower of the Hanafi Fiqh." Of course roles are reversed now, those were the old days. Now we all have our own ‘opinions’. When it comes to the Qur’an and Sunnah we have an opinion on every verse of the Qur’an, every hadith of the Messenger (saw), and every law of fiqh! Let us not delude ourselves, we are not experts by any stretch of the imagination. There is indeed 'safety in following one madhab.' [Excerpt from a lecture by Shaykh Riyadh Ul Haq, with a few additions/changes]

Allama Anwar Shah said about his mastery and deep study on Hadith sciences::

My study and research on Hadith commentary surpasses that of many Hadith commentators. Although, my knowledge on different narrations and different chains of narrations is less than Hafiz Ibn al-Hajar al-Asqalani, but my understanding of the meanings hidden in Hadiths is greater than him and I can comment on Hadith, in respect to its meaning, better than him. On whatever Hadith I comment, I know more than him. Even Hafiz has made mistakes in citing his sources. My commentary would have fewer mistakes than his. Hafiz also lacks the knowledge of some principles of Hadith sciences and I would employ these same principles (in commentary). (Malfuzat-i Muhaddith-i Kashmiri 259-60)

The Presidential Address of Hazrat Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri to the Annual Session of the Jami’at ul-‘Ulama-i Hind, Peshawar, 1927

This lecture was delivered by Maulana Sayyed  Anwar Shah Kashmiri(1875-1933) as a presidential address to the 1927 Peshawar meeting of the Jami'at ul ‘Ulama-i Hind ('The Union of the ‘Ulama of India'), an organisation of largely Deobandi ‘ulama from all parts of India. The lecture, recently published in Urdu by the Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Research Centre (Kokerbagh Dak Khana, Nowshehra, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190011) runs into over a hundred pages in the original Urdu. Here Is the translation(by Mr. Yogender Sikand) of  only those portions of the lecture which deal with the question of Hindu-Muslim unity.

This is not a word-to-word translation, for the Urdu language is such that a literal translation cannot do justice to the original. However, every effort has been made to present as near a rendering as possible.

An Agreement Between the Muslims and the Non-Muslims. 
"Respected elders! The Jami’at-ul ‘Ulama was formed at a time when there was much talk about a joint pact between the Muslims and the non-Muslims of India. Both communities [Hindus and Muslims] were united in the struggle to free their country from alien rule, and for this were working together from a common platform. I have no hesitation in saying that the Muslims did not go back on their pledge. They committed no treachery against the country (mulk) or the nation (qaum), nor did they resort to any oppression against their non-Muslim compatriots. Despite this, the atmosphere [of unity] which the two communities had succeeded in establishing through dialogue and broad-mindedness (rawadari) did not last long, and today the situation is even worse than it was before 1920. I do not wish to talk about the causes of this development, but I will certainly say that the Muslims bear no responsibility for this, and that they, in accordance with the teachings of their holy faith, are ever obliged to behave with broad-mindedness and the highest standards of morality (husn-i akhlaq). I can say with full confidence that if our fellow countrymen turn to tolerance and consensus, they will find no greater advocates of peace, agreement, loyalty and decent behavior than the Muslims. If the responsible elders of both the communities can jointly work out a just and fair settlement that will satisfy both parties so that both communities can thereby live with respect and freedom and carry out their religious duties without hindrance, what better way is there to ensure India's prosperity?

The basis of any such settlement is that each community must fully respect the other and must desist from attacking the life, property and respect of the other. Everyone should be allowed complete freedom to follow his faith and there should be no interference in or attack on anyone's religion. The Muslims, within the limits set by the commandments of Islam and the Islamic law (Shari'at) will be the first to welcome any such agreement, and, in accordance with the teachings of their faith, will turn into the protectors of the life and property of those with whom they enter into such a treaty.

History is replete with thousands of instances that tell us that even at the height of their power and glory, the Muslims protected the life and property of the non-Muslims with whom they had entered into agreements, and for that they even sacrificed their very lives...

I want to make it amply clear that if anyone desires that the Muslims should budge even an inch from their religion in order to enter into an agreement with others, this is not at all possible, and if any organization of Muslims, owing to ignorance of Islamic teachings, enters into such an agreement it will be wholly unacceptable and cannot last long. Muslims cannot transgress the boundaries set by Allah. Any agreement that seeks to placate others while at the same time angering Allah cannot be acceptable to us. There is a tradition (hadith) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him], which says that if anyone seeks to please others by adopting a way that angers Allah, then Allah shall appoint people to destroy him.

I must stress here that just as India is the land of the Hindus, so, too, is it the land of the Muslims. The first Muslims came here many centuries ago. They ruled this country for many hundreds of years. Even today allover India there are reminders of the glory of the Muslims of the past which give ample testimony of their knowledge, skill, and love of the country (hubb al-watan)...

The Muslims have as much love for India as any true lover of his country should, and why not, because they have before them the glorious example of their blessed master, the Holy Prophet [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him]. When the Holy Prophet [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him], faced with the opposition of the unbelievers, left his beloved town of Mecca in accordance with Allah's orders and migrated [to Medina], he addressed Mecca thus: 'By God, I love you the most among all places on God's earth, and if my people had not forced me, I would never have left you'. After this, when, in compliance with the Divine commandment, he shifted to Medina...and Medina became his [new] home, he prayed thus: 'Oh God! Make Medina as precious to my heart as Mecca was or even more than that...".

...Because of the great love that the Holy Prophet [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him] had for his land it is impossible that a Muslim can be a true Muslim if he does not have love for his country. That is why, you should rest assured, Muslims have love for their country [India]. Besides the Muslims there are other communities living in India and India is their country as well. Therefore, it is natural that all Indians should have an equal desire in their hearts that India should be independent. However, because the Hindus are in a majority in India and the Muslims in a minority, it is also natural that the Muslims should be concerned about the protection of their religious and other rights. Hence, the best solution is that both communities should come to a just and fair agreement so that no one should feel apprehensive that after the country gains independence the minorities would be mistreated by the majority. If the fears of the Muslims are put at rest by such a pact, they should have no cause for fear. They love their country as well as their religion, and their religion teaches them broad-mindedness and enjoins upon them the honouring of agreements which they enter into. If the concerns that they entertain vis-à-vis the majority are dealt with justly, they can, in fact, prove to be a powerful force for the defence of India.

As for the fear of how the Muslims of India will react if after India wins independence an outside Muslim power attacks the country, I must say that if the Muslims of the country are satisfied with any agreement that they enter into with their non-Muslim compatriots and are not made the victim of the majority, their reaction will be the same as that of a person whose house is attacked, even if the attacker belongs to his own religion and community. An even more important point is that if the Muslims are bound by any agreement with the non-Muslims of the country and the agreement is just and is properly enforced, no outside Muslim power has the religious legitimacy to attempt to breach this pact. Rather, it is binding on such a power to fully respect such an agreement. As the Holy Prophet [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him] says: 'The promise and duty of the Muslims are one. If even the least among them makes an agreement, others are bound to respect it'. 

This is a short summary of the historical pact of the Holy Prophet [may peace arid Allah's blessings be upon him]... My intention in raising these issues is to...help Muslims know how they can, by exhibiting a certain degree of broad-mindedness and tolerance, enter into a just agreement with their compatriots. As I said earlier, these two communities [Hindus and Muslims] have to live in India and India is the country of both.

[Here, in a footnote, Maulana Kashmiri adds: "A well-known incident in early Islamic history well exemplifies this principle. In the war of Persia, a Persian general [presumably a Zoroastrian- y.s.] disguised himself and sought refuge with a Muslim soldier. When his identity was discovered and the matter of his punishment arose, the general of the Muslim army, Hazrat Abu Ubaida ibn Al-Jarrah, heard that a Muslim soldier had given him shelter. He saved the life of the Persian because to respect the promise of a Muslim is a duty for all other Muslims].

I assure my [non-Muslim] countrymen that if they enter into a just and fair pact with the Muslims, and implement it sincerely and do not resort to political viles, they will find the Muslims fully loyal and good-intentioned neighbours, because the Muslims, in accordance with the commandments of the Holy Qur’an, are duty-bound to fulfill their agreements. The Holy Qur’an says that Muslims must honour all pacts that they have entered into with the non-Muslims till the term of those treaties is over, provided the latter, too, abide by the terms of the treaties and do not assist anyone against the Muslims. And Allah says [in the Holy Qur’an] that if the non-Muslims deal fairly with the Muslims, the latter, too, must deal fairly with them. Undoubtedly [the Holy Qur’an says], God is the friend of those who practice forbearance.

Respected ‘ulama! On this occasion there is another issue which one must consider, one that is often the cause of much misunderstanding. This relates to the rules of the Shari'at. These rules are of three types: those that concern 'the abode of Islam' (dar ul-Islam); those related to 'the abode of peace' (dar ul-aman); and those related to 'the abode of war' (dar ul-harb). We need to consider in which one of these three categories India today finds herself. As far as the principles of the Shari'at are concerned, at best India can be considered to be 'the abode of peace' because [at present] there appears to be no possibility of enforcing the rules of 'the abode of Islam' here. Our revered Shaikh-ul-Mashaikh Hazrat Maulana Shah ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Muhaddith Dehlawi [a leading eighteenth century ‘alim of Delhi] has said that under the present circumstances India cannot be considered to be an 'abode of Islam'...

...In the event of India not being an 'abode of Islam' today, our duty is to search the books of [our] religion to see which rules apply for 'the abode of peace', and in the light of those commandments fulfill our duty of guiding the Muslims of India. Although in this short speech I cannot elaborate on all the commandments that apply to 'the abode of peace', it is necessary that I should make some suggestions. In this regard, it is best that I draw your attention to some sections of the pact that the last prophet of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad [may peace and Allah's blessing be upon him] entered into with the Jews of Medina after he migrated there. By studying those sections of the treaty you will be able to understand what sort of agreement Muslims can enter into with non-Muslims in 'the abode of peace' or 'the abode of war'.

The Pact Between the Holy Prophet Muhammad [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him] and the Jews of Medina

As the treaty is very lengthy, I shall simply present those sections of it that are related to the point I wish to make.

'In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. This is a treaty of Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him] and the Muslims and those people who have entered into an agreement with them as allies. All parties to this agreement [Muslims from Mecca and Medina and those Jews who have signed the treaty] will be considered as one party (jama'at) and one community (qaum) as against other non-Muslims and those who have not entered into this agreement... It is binding on the Muslims that they should oppose those who try to create strife (fitna, fasad) and oppress and persecute the creatures of God. All Muslims must unite and act against such people, even though the latter may be their own sons...

‘It is binding on the Muslims that they should help those Jews who have entered into this agreement with us and behave kindly with them and save them from oppression and not help any oppressor against them... It is their Islamic duty for Muslims to remain true to their pledge and exhibit the highest standards of morality possible... The Jews of the tribe of Banu Awf are allies of the Muslims and have entered into a treaty with them. The Jews will be free to practise their own religion, and the Muslims will be free to practise theirs. In matters other than religion, the Jews of the tribe of Banu Awf and the Muslims will be considered one party, and those who resort to oppression, violate this treaty or commit any crime will be liable for punishment. (After this, the Holy Prophet Muhammad [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him] mentioned the names of various other Jewish tribes who had also entered into the treaty, such as the tribes of Banu al-Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa'idah, Banu Jusham and Banu Al-Aws, and stated that they would have rights similar to those of the Banu Awf). If any third party should declare war on the Jews and the Muslims, all the treaty partners should fight unitedly. The Muslim and the Jewish armies will be responsible for their own expenses... It is binding on the treaty partners that they should behave with piety and good intentions with each other. They must refrain from oppression and injustice and should help the persecuted. Consider your neighbour as valuable as your own life, provided he abides by his word and the rules of morality and commits no crime".*

This is a short summary of the historical pact of the Holy Prophet [may peace and Allah's blessings be upon him]... My intention in raising these issues is to...help Muslims know how they can, by exhibiting a certain degree of broad-mindedness and tolerance, enter into a just agreement with their compatriots. As I said earlier, these two communities [Hindus and Muslims] have to live in India and India is the country of both. Therefore, it is the duty of every Indian to try to create such a climate in the country that the daily strife and killings are stopped so that everyone can lead a life of peace and contentment". (Translated from Urdu by Yoginder Sikand).

Fakhrul Muhaddisin Hazrat Maulana Anzar Shah Sb. Kashmiri (R.A).

Maulana Anzar Shah Kashmiri was one of the most prominent and respected Ulama of Deoband. He was the youngest son of Hazrat Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri (1875-1933). Maulana Anzar Shah Kashmiri was born in Deoband on 6 December 1927. His father was the world renowned genius and scholar of Islam Hazrat Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri whose profound knowledge, universal personality and extraordinary power of memory was given as example and who had been counted among rare great Muslim scholars of India. His ancestors were a prominent and respected family of scholars belonging to the lineage of the Prophet peace be upon him.
Maulana Anzar Shah received education at Deoband and benefited from the outstanding personalities of his time. Shaikhul Adab Hazrat Maulana Azaz Ali (d. 1955) was his main teacher and patron who supervised his study and educational upbringing after his father left him an orphan of 5 years. Shaikhul Islam Hazrat Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani (1879-1957) was his second inspirer and teacher to whom he accredited much of his love, respect and dedication. Maulana Kashmiri was very close to noted Islamic scholar Hazrat Qari Muhammad Tayyib (1897-1982), former Mohtamim of Darul Uloom Deoband.

Illustrious Dimensions of His Dynamic Life
Maulana Kashmiri as Teacher of Generations: Due to his academic skills and abilities Maulana Anzar Shah was appointed as teacher in Darul Uloom at the prime of his life just after completing his education from Darul Uloom Deoband. He spent the best 55 years of his life as teacher of hadith, tafseer, fiqh and other Islamic sciences. He has the honour of teaching all important books of Dars-e-Nizami from beginning to end. Since last 30 years, he was Shaikhul Hadith of Darul Uloom Waqf Deoband. During these 55 years he taught thousands of students and enlightened them with the light of knowledge, piety, righteousness and morals he possessed. Due to his deep knowledge of Hadith and Tafseer he was considered an authority on the same. Apart from his thousands of students, he left nearly two dozen books, mostly in Urdu on subjects of Tafseer, Hadith, biography and others.
Oratory Skills: He was well-known for his oratorical skills. He attracted multitude of audiences in his speeches. His both; His scholarly and public, speeches were marked with abundant knowledge, flow and linguistic taste. Even the lengthy talk of him would not let the audience be bored, instead whenever he finished his talk the audiences wished Maulana would have never wind up his speech.
A Man of Urdu Literature: Though, the word ‘literature’ sounds incompatible with a person who is absorbed in academic learning and pure Islamic teachings, but Maulana Anzar Shah Kashmiri might be an exception. Not only he had a good taste of Urdu and Arabic literature, but also he enjoyed having a unique style in Urdu writing which can be described as ‘his own style of writing’. His colourful writings are full of gushing flow, treasure of vocabulary and tremendous appealing. His book ‘Naqsh-e-Dawam’ (biography of his late father) is an exemplary book of this kind where he dried away the last drop of ink in his pen.
In Political Field: In the beginning of his career and as per his instinct he was never a politician, but in the last stages of his life he, for some reasons, was drawn nearer to the political field. But, he never let the scholarly prestige of him down and never soiled his sense of honour in the dirty corridor of politics. He was awarded with Presidential Award for his noble services to the nation and in 2004 he was selected as the Vice President of Uttar Pradesh Congress.
His Personal Behaviour: One very important aspect his life was his fatherly and kind behaviour towards his youngers and juniors. He respected remote relations and valued greatly the relatives of his father, teachers and acquaintances.
In short, Maulana Anzar Shah a noted Islam scholar of his time and he owned many unmatched qualities and traditions which have been buried with him in the grave. But, the later disputes which appeared during 1980-1982 as a tussle to take control of Darul Uloom Deoband, eclipsed his personality since he turned a loser in the fight and his rivals led by late Maulana Asad Madani managed to overtake him and his group. Maulana Anzar Shah was one of the main players of this famous ill-fated tussle. Many of his contemporaries who are well aware of his academic skills are of the opinion that had Maulana been busied himself in academic engagements as per the instinct he inherited from his great father he would have gone farther beyond the destinations we find him. But, to much extent his scholarly abilities and fervour was marred by unfortunate series of events which took place during the tussle and which affected a great deal his future life.
Having lost Darul Uloom, he with the ousted Mohtamim Hazrat Qari Muhammad Tayyib laid the foundation of Darul Uloom Waqf Deoband in 1982. Maulana took active part in evolving Darul Uloom Waqf and transforming it from a sapling into a full-grown encompassing tree. By the virtue of his wide network of contacts he managed to collect extensive funds for Darul Uloom Waqf. Later, in 1997 he established his own educational institution namely Jamia Anwar at Deoband in the auspicious memory of his late father just beside Darul Uloom Waqf. Jamia Anwar is a unique type of madrasa where he started experiencing a mixed syllabus of Dars-e-Nizami with some modern subject like English, computer, Hindi and so on.
Demise Widely Condoled
The sad demise of Maulana Kashmiri was widely condoled all across the India specially and the world generally. In India, all important Muslim organizations and institutes like Darul Uloom Deoband, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and Imarat Shariah and others have expressed condolences at his demise. Many world figure and representatives of governments also conveyed their heartiest condolence messages to his family members.
They expressed their profound grief and sorrow over the demise of the religious scholar and sympathized with the bereaved family. Many termed his death a great loss to whole Muslim community and said that his services to Muslims and the nation will be remembered for a long time to come.