السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
It’s Friday 28th January 2022 / 26 Jumādā al-Thānī 1443H.
As I come to the final part of this very special 7 part series on Muftī Ṣāḥib, what lessons can we all learn from this ocean of knowledge?
There are so many qualities that I can mention, but will pick out the top 5 I have seen in this beloved teacher and friend.
No.1 has to be his love for the Holy Qur’ān. Since the last 50 years, I don’t know of anyone in the UK, who has continuously led the full 20 Rak’āt Tarāwīḥ in the month of Ramaḍān. Twice in one night on many occasions.
A couple of years ago, I met Muftī Ṣāḥib during Ramaḍān, while he was out walking with Āpā Muḥtarmah. He was reciting the Qur’ān on his Nokia phone, to a student who was listening on the other end. Amazing. Last year he lead the full 20 Rak’at at Dārul Uloom Blackburn and I previously wrote about the Tarāwīḥ led by Muftī Ṣāḥib at Dārul Uloom Bury in 1975.
No. 2 is the punctuality of praying Ṣalāh with Jamā’ah in the Masjid. On numerous occasions, I have witnessed Muftī Ṣāḥib getting up from gatherings and heading for the Masjid. Muftī Ṣāḥib schedules his commitments around Jamā’ah times.
There have been times when we were in the company of Muftī Ṣāḥib when Jamā’ah time approached. Being a bit lazy and careless, we would say, ‘let’s pray here Muftī Ṣāḥib’ (meaning, at home or whichever location we were at). But, Muftī Ṣāḥib would insist on going to the Masjid to catch the Jamā’ah.
No. 3 has to be hospitality. Not sure if this quality is to be attributed to Muftī Ṣāḥib, or Āpā Muḥtarmah (probably both), I have been blessed on so many occasions to be on the dastarkhwān at Muftī Ṣāḥib’s house, with so many eminent scholars and personalities.
The afternoon of Tuesday 11th June 2019, when Shaykh ul-Islām Muftī Muḥammad Taqī Usmāni, Muftī-e-Gujarāt Muftī Aḥmed Khānpuri and Shaykh ul-Ḥadīth of Dārul Uloom Deoband Muftī Sa’īd Pālanpuri were all on Muftī Ṣāḥib’s dastarkhwān, was a sight to see.
So many distinguished scholars of the UK were also present. Our Ḥaḍrat had also been invited to the dāwat but could not make it. That would definitely have been the icing on the cake. This particular quality of hospitality is also exhibited by Muftī Ṣāḥib’s children.
No.4 has to be Muftī Ṣāḥib’s service to humanity at large. For over 35 years, Muftī Ṣāḥib served as the Head Muftī in the Dār ul-Ifta’ of Dārul Uloom Bury. Thousands of Fatāwā have been issued on virtually each and every aspect of Islām.
Even today, Muftī Ṣāḥib is regarded as the most knowledgeable and head Muftī of the UK. Muftī Ṣāḥib is also instrumental in supporting the work of many charities and has always supported and guided us at Muslim Welfare Institute, something I will write about separately, اِنْ شَاءَ الَّلهُ, if time permits.
Finally, last but not least, how did Muftī Ṣāḥib achieve all this? What is the overriding quality which has taken Muftī Ṣāḥib to such heights?
No. 5 is humility and simplicity. Without a shadow of doubt, Muftī Ṣāḥib is the humblest and simplest of people I have seen. These are amazing qualities. He is hardly ever seen on stage.
Muftī Ṣāḥib will always sit in the back of the car, leaving the front seat vacant for others. I have hardly seen attendants (we call them khādim) around Muftī Ṣāḥib. He sacrificed his whole life for his beloved Dārul Uloom Bury, Jāmī’ah Bradford, Madīnatul Uloom Kidderminster, and Markazul Uloom Blackburn.
A few years ago, Muftī Ṣāḥib was forced to leave Dārul Uloom for no real reason. How did Muftī Ṣāḥib respond? Not a word against his beloved Dārul Uloom or any of its staff. I have included a reference to this incident only to highlight Muftī Ṣāḥib’s qualities and personality, not to rekindle any controversy.
Muftī Ṣāḥib continued with his mission of pleasing the Almighty and, to date, teaches Bukhārī Sharīf and other books at Dārul Uloom Blackburn (Jamiatul Ilm Wal Huda) and oversees the Fatāwā being issued by his son on Islamic Portal, along with the Fatāwā at Dārul Uloom Blackburn.
May Almighty Allāh lengthen Muftī Ṣāḥib’s shadow upon us and allow us to benefit from his vast knowledge and understanding of this beautiful religion of ours, Āmeen.
Finally, I’m sure most of you will have worked out who I was referring to as Muftī Ṣāḥib. Originating from Jogwād (India), and having lived in the Blackburn Road area of Bolton upon his arrival into the UK, ‘My Teacher – My Friend’, Muftī Shabbir Ṣāḥib moved to the Daisyfield area of Blackburn, before moving to his present residence in Little Harwood, here in Blackburn.
Apologies for the length of this final part. There is so much more that deserves to be written, but had to be left out to try and keep this brief, and avoid boring you. If you like me to expand upon this, please use the contact form.
جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا, so much for reading this very special 7 part series on ‘My Teacher – My Friend, Muftī Shabbir Ṣāḥib’.
جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا
Request for Du’ās
وَالسَّلَامُ Hanif Dudhwala
Graduate of Dārul Uloom Bury (1991)
Part 1 ; Part 2 ; Part 3 ; Part 4 ; Part 5 ; Part 6 ; Part 7