TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

Chapter Eightand Shaikh Muĥammad Thānwī 46 lived in one place. Their khanqāwas called the store of ma‘rifa (gnosis of Allah u). People came andtook bai‘a with whomever they felt comfortable with. Every oneof the three poles [Ĥājī Śāĥib, Ĥađrat Ĥāfiż Ďamin, and ShaikhMuĥammad] thought nothing of themselves and held the otherin the highest regard. As Syed al-Ţā’ifa Ĥađrat Ĥājī Śāĥib said toShaikh Rashīd Gangohī, “Do not debate with Shaikh Muĥammad,he is one of our elders.” And the statement of Ĥāfiż Ďāmin isknown. He gestured to a newcomer [to come to him] then said,“If you have any juridical questions, go to the big Shaikh [pointingtowards Shaikh Muĥammad] over there, if you want to take bai‘a,al-Hāj Śāĥib is sitting right over there, and if you want to smoke ahuqqa then you can hang out with your good ‘ol friends [referringto himself ].”Anyhow, they took up the idea and started the gathering ofdhikr. The memorial of our elders, Jāmia Islāmia Binnorī town,became the blessed venue for this gathering. Allah u willing, thisgathering will be a source of success for this school and will helpprotect it against evils [fitna] in these trying times.On his return journey from Ĥijāz, Ĥađrat stayed in Karachifor two days. He was overjoyed by this program and toldmany people about it. During his stay, he announced after thebai‘a, “Those who wish to do more than the prescribed dailydevotions should know that my friends gather every Fridayfrom ‘Aśr until Maghrib during which time the gathering ofdhikr is held and the books of taśawwuf are read in the Dāral-Ĥadīth in Jāmia Islāmia, Binnorī Town. Everyone should tryto partipate. You may obtain your copy of the booklet of dailydevotions from there, and if you have any questions, you mayask my friends.”May Allah u make this khanqā a success and allow it to flourishthrough the humility and taqwā that reflects the humility and taqwāof our elders [humility and taqwā are essential for high spiritual46 The spiritual predecessors of the school and elders of Deoband.77