Fake photo of Allama Anwar shah Kashmiri  

One day Maulana Ahmad Raza Bijnori, one of the most famous students of Allama Kashmiri asked him about the status of photography in Islam. He Wrote-“ when I was asking the question I was assured that as Allama Kashmiri is well aware of the whole Islamic literature, any relaxation related to photography if it is there in Islam, will not get away unnoticed.” He writes further- In those days modern scientific commentary of Quran by Sheikh Tantavi had mesmerized a group of scholars. His style of writing, his rational approach and his arguments made it very hard for a reader to remain uninfluenced. This commentary was somewhere advocating the approval of photography. Maulana Ahmad Raza was waiting for response. After few minutes Allama Kashmiri replied “This commentary is beneficial for those who want to get the knowledge of modern science but regarding to your question my opinion would be with the previous scholars, they did not like it.”

This long description can be streched to a longer discussion from a juridical point of view but the point to make here is about a fake photo of Allama Kashmiri that has now gone viral on internet. Pity that a photo is being used as real one while Allama Kashmiri does not even favour photography. 

Jamia Imam Anwar Shah a famous seminary of Deoband run by Maulana Ahmad khizar Shah Masoudi (Grandson of Allama Kashmiri) recently published a refutation notice related to this photo in its monthly magazine namely “Muhaddis-e-Asr”.

Maulana Naseem Akhtar Shah Qaiser (Grandson of Allama Kashmiri) rejects this photo. He says- “Besides many people who has seen Allama kashmiri rejects it, it is not logical to consider a very old man with a white beard as Allama Kashmiri who died at the age of 58.”

Maulana Naseem Akhtar Shah insists that any photo of Allama Kashmiri is not available anywhere and this fake photo is just a wrong attempt to grab the attention of viewers.   

Zarb al-Khatim ala Hudus al-Alam(Final verdict on the creation of the Universe).

This book is a philosophical discussion on the existence of the God and the creation of the universe. Allama Kashmiri penned this work in 1926 while he was teaching in Dhabel. The aim for writing this work was to refute the theory of creation, which was having an adverse effect on the minds of Muslims youth, and also on students who were enrolled at the different educational institutions in India and the Arab world. This book was written in Arabic in poetry form and consists of 400 stanzas (Asha’rs). It was written in poetry form in order to facilitate the Islamic Studies students to easily grasp its message.

In its introduction, Allama Kashmiri mentioned that he would make use of modern scientific and old philosophical arguments in order to prove his case. He further stated that he had read innumerable books on the subject discussed in his work, especially the acclaimed Al-Zawrah of Jalal Dawwani, but found all such literature to be inconclusive. He felt that his input would be unique. Al-Zarb al-Khatim ala Hudus Al-Alam was published bu Majlis-e-Ilmi, Karachi in 1962 for the first time. Its second edition appeared in 1996 and was published by Majlis al-Ilmi in Karachi.

Allama Kashmiri opinion on Qadiyanism (The Ahmadiya movement)

"According to my thorough study of Islam, in the last fourteen hundred years, there has not been a Fitna as serious as that spread by the Qadianis. Uninformed Muslims are threatened by this dangerous and misleading fitna...

Prophet Muhammad^(pbuh) will be very pleased with the person who devotes himself for the purpose of exposing and removing this fitna (which is directed toward his^(pbuh) Prophethood) and will be more satisfied with this effort than with any other."

Hazrat Maulana Shams-Ul-Haq Afghani says that Hazrat Maulana Syed Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Rehmat-Ullah-Alleh) brought his cot to the compound of Jamia Mosque Deoband three days prior to his death. He gathered all the students, teachers, and administrative staff and addressed to them.He said, I advise you all and especially those who have learnt Hadith from me (about 2000); if you all require absolution salvation and mediation of the Holy Prophet (S.a.w) on the Day of Judgment, then you must work for the honor and glory of Khatm-e- Nubuwwat. This is the best way of attaining mediation of the Holy Prophet (S.a.w). To the extent you will have hatred for Mirza Qadiyani, to the same extent you will attain proximity to the Holy Prophet (S.a.w). This is so because enemy of the friend is your enemy; in the same manner as friend of the friend is your friend.

Once addressing to a gathering at  Darul-Uloom Deoband, Allama Syed Muhammad Anwar shah said “Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiyani is a scoundrel since eternity. To consider him more cursed than Satan is the integral part of faith. Satan confronted and opposed just one prophet. This rogue opposed all".

Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri wrote many books, in Arabic and Farsi, to counter the misinformation campaign by the Qadianis. These included:

     (1)  Aqeeda-tul- Islam fi hayat-i Isa 'alaihis-salam (Islamic faith regarding the life of Jesus ^(pbuh))

     (2) Tahiyyat-ul-Islam fi Hayat Isa alahissalam

     (3) Al-Tasrih bi ma twatara fi Nuzulil Masih

     (4) Khatam-ul-Nabiyyen

     (5)Ikfar-ul-Mulhideen

     (6)Dawat-e-Hifzul Iman                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Al-Arf Al-Shazi

Al-Arf Al-Shazi is a commentary on Sunan Al-Tirmizi. It was compiled by Maulana Chiragh sb. from the dictations of Allama Kashmiri. Maulana Chiragh studied under Allama Kashmiri at Darul Uloom Deoband. After completing his studies in 1918, he took up a teaching post in Gujranwala, Punjab (present day Pakistan) and later established an institute of higher Islamic learning in Gujranwala. Allama Kashmiri did not have the opportunity to revise the manuscript which was later published in two volumes and titles as Al-Arf Al-shazi. In its introduction,  Maulana Chiragh mentions the difficulty he had in the process of compiling this work. For example, it is stated that Allama Kashmiri dictated his lectures in the Urdu language and he chose to compile these lectures in the Arabic language. He, therefore, admits that the work was not devoid of shortcomings and that he, and not Allama Kashmiri, is responsible for any discrepancies in the work.

It is unfortunate, however, that despite the fact that Maulana Chiragh took full responsibility for any shortcomings in Al-Arf Al-Shazi, Maulana Abd-ul-Rehman Mubarakpury in his commentary on Sunan Al-Tirmizi, namely Tuhfa al-Ahwazi highlighted the errors in Al-Arf Al-Shazi and attributed them to Allama Kashmiri. The writer of this dissertation is of the view that such an accusation casts a slur on Allama Kashmiri teaching capabilities, insinuating that he commited errors during the course of his lectures and misguided his students. Its seems that Maulana Abd al-Rehaman Mubarakpuri did not carefully read the introduction Of Al-Arf Al-Shazi in which Maulana Chiragh exonerated Allama Kashmiri from any shortcomings in that work. 

Al- Tasrih bi ma Tawatra fi Nuzul al-Masih

In this work, Allama Kashmiri quotes seventy authentic Ahadis which are directly related to sayyiduna Isa(a.s) and his return to this earth. He also Quotes the opinions of the companions of the Prophet(s.a.w) on this issue. This work was first published in beruit with two forwards one by Shaykh Abd-ul-Fattah Abu al-Ghudda(d. 1999) and the other by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani(d.1975). Its second edition was published by Jamiyat tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwat in Multan, Pakistan. The only other famous book written on this topic is by Qazi Al-Shukani, the author of Nayl al-Awtar. This book was republished by Majlis-e-Ilmi in Karachi in 1996 with an introduction written by Maulana Yusuf Binuri(d.1977) and Shaykh Abd-ul-Fattah abu al-Ghudda.

Mushkilat-ul-Quran By Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri

Mushkilat-ul-Quran is predominantly in Arabic, but passages in the Farsi language also appears throughout the work. The main objective of undertaking to write this book was to interpret only those verses of the Holy Quran which are generally considered to be difficult to understand. Thus, while analyzing these verses, Allama Kashmiri began by first discussing the opinion on some of the notable Mufassirin and thereafter he gives his view. Allama Kashmiri believed that a proper commentary of the Holy Quran could best be done in the light of Asbab al-Nuzul. Knowing the causes for the revelation of the verses would assist the Mufassir to be in a position te relate the Quranic verses to contemporary time. A special feature of this particular work is that the author has, in addition, set aside 190 verses which, in his opinion, required further discussion and repeated consideration.

Mushkilat-ul-Quran was published after Allama Kashmiri’s demise by Majlis-e-Ilmi in Dhabel. The 228-page book was later republished by one of the Allama Kashmiri’s renowned students, namely, Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Binuri with a 38-page introduction. In his introduction, Maulana Binuri touches briefly upon Allama Kashmiri’s life and his involvement in the study of the Holy Quran and discusses all the sciences that are somehow related to the Holy Quran. He also touches upon the conditions that qualify a person to write a commentary on the Holy Quran. This edition was published by Majlis-e-Ilmi in Delhi, and was printed by Jamal Press in 1937.

The second edition of this book made its appearance in 1996 and was published by Majlis-e-Ilmi in Karachi and this edition comprises of 448 pages.

Allama Kashmiri “The Matchless Scholar”

When Allama Muhaddis Ali Hanbali al Misri, the world famous scholar and the Hafiz of the Sahihayn(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) visited Deoband, he attended the lectures that were delivered by Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri on Sahih al-Bukhari. During the course of the lectures he sought explanations from Allama Kashmiri on many issues. Allama Kashmiri promptly answered his questions in the Arabic language. After the lesson was over, he remarked that he had travelled widely throughout the Arab world and in Egypt and he himself has taught Sahih al-Bukhari for ten years, but he had not met any scholar of Hadis of the caliber of Allama Kashmiri. He further remarked that he tried to test Allama Kashmiri’s knowledge by asking him some most difficult questions but was amazed that Allama Kashmiri possessed vast knowledge.

Books Written By Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri

Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri resolved to dedicate his entire life in the service of Islam and through his writings, he managed to clarify certain issues which kept on puzzling many a Muslim scholar. He tackled the religious controversies that were in vogue during his time in order to guide the Muslim masses. His work covered a wide range of subjects that were, for example, related to the Holy Quran, Aqa’id(Fundamental Beliefs), Metaphysics, Islamic Jurisprudence, Zoology, Poetry and Political thought. Here  are the names of his few works: (1) Mushkilat-uk-Quran (2) Zarb-ul-khatim Ala Huduas al- Alam (Final Verdict on the creation of the Universe), (3) Mirqat al-Tarim li Hudus al-Alam(Steps leading to the Creation of the Universe), (4) Sahm-ul-Ghayb fi Kayd Ahl al-Ryb, (5) Aqidat al-Islam fi Hayat Isa(a.s)(Islamic belief in regard to Jesus being alive), (6) Ikfar-ul-Mulhidin(pronouncement of unbelief against those who deny the basic beliefs of Islam), (7) Tahiyat-ul-Islam fi Hayati Isa(a.s), (7) Al-Tasrih bi ma Tawatra fi Nuzul al-Masih, (8) Khatam al-Nabiyin(Finality of  prophethood), (8) Fasl al-khitab fi Umm al-Kitab, (9) Al-Nur al-Faiz ala Nazm al-Faraid, (10) Nayl al-Firqadayn fi Masalah Raf al-Yadayn, (11) Bast al-Yadayn, (12) Kashf al-Satr an Salat al-Witr, (13) Khaza’in al-Asrar.

Scholarship of Allama Anwar shah Kashmiri

Allama Anwar shah Kashmiri(r.a) was considered an authority on the Quran and Hadis and has profound knowledge of the Arabic language and his contemporaries acknowledged his expertise in the various fields of Islamic sciences. He had a passion for books and he had read almost all books, old and the new ones, in order to acquaint himself with the latest Islamic literature that were then available in the muslim world. He was an avid reader and his reading speed was far above average. He could daily scan through two hundred pages of Musnad  Ahmad Ibne Hanbal. What is indeed fascinating is that while conducting his lectures in Hadis, Allama would quote Ahadis from Musnad Ahmad Ibne Hanbal without having to refer to the written text. He also managed to read the entire Fat’h-ul-Qadeer within a period of twenty days and mastered it. It was common practice among  many of  the Indian Ulama to refer to Allama Kashmiri’s views and opinions in their literary works

Fayz Ul Bari is a commentary on Al- jami Al- Sahih of Imam Bukhari(r.a) in Arabic language and was compiled from the lectures notes of Allama  Anwar Shah Kashmiri(r.a) by one of his students, namely, Maulana  Badr-e-Alam  Meeriti. Faiz ul Bari consists of six lengthy volume. Its first volume consists of a lengthy introduction, which deals with the biography of Allama Kashmiri  and notes on “Isnaad” (chain of narrators) by Allama Yousuf Binuri. It also includes a biography of Imam Bukhari, and the special characteristics of Imam Bukhari hadis compilation and other related issues. This work gives extensive coverage to Tarjumatul Abwab in order to acquaint the reader with the relationship that exists between the headings of the chapters and the Ahadis Contained in them. The subject of Aqaid (beliefs) is also discussed in great detail so as to impress upon the reader the need for one to have the correct beliefs as a muslim. Certain omissions of Imam Bukhari are also highlighted. An effort has also been made to explorate a Fiqhi (legal) ruling, wherever possible, from some of the subjects that have been tackled in Sahih Bukhari Shareef.