TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

Ramadan of the Eldersmaraderie after tarāwīĥ. We sat, drank tea, and dicussed mattersof interest. In Thāna Bhawan, when we returned fromthe second congregation [in the small masjid], Shaikh Ţayyiband I kept up this habit in our room. The rule in the khanqāwas that no one was allowed to do dhikr or recite loudly aftertarāwīĥ until 3 a.m. in the morning so that those who awokein the latter part of the night for tahajjud were not disturbed.There was no concept of camaraderie in the khanqā whatsoever;it was pindrop silence after ‘Ishā. Our discussions after‘Ishā could be heard from far away. The people in charge ofthe khanqā were aware that we were Ĥađrat’s special guests,so they ignored us for a day or two. On the third day, oneof the in-charge stood some distance from the room and saidloudly, “Talking after ‘Ishā is forbidden in the khanqā.” Wethen realized our mistake and went to sleep immediately afterśalāt.We observed this rule and the implementation of this rule in thekhanqā. After some time, I read a narration of ‘Umar g and ‘Ā’ishaj that ‘Umar g said to people who stayed awake and gossipedafter ‘Ishā, “Go to sleep, maybe you will be able to pray tahajjud.” Asimilar narration is attributed to ‘Ā’isha j.Now, think about the fruits of such an oft-overlooked andsimple rule. How can someone living in this blessed environmentnot become regular in his tahajjud? Such a person would not beable to survive without praying his Fajr in congregation.In our times, the night begins at midnight. One friend says, “Iknow when it hits 12 a.m. in Karachi that something has hit.” 79One effect of this irreligious mentality is that one becomesincapacitated from praying śalāt, especially Fajr. Even regulars forśalāt find it difficult to pray any śalāt on time, let alone the modernists79 Muftī Shafī‘ is comparing the teachings and practice of Islam to modernmentality. The aĥādīth instruct one to sleep early in order that one can wake up inthe night and pray tahajjud. The modernist, on the other hand, awaits the night sohe can go to clubs and other such things. He refers to this mentality in the wordsof a friend, “I know when it hits 12 a.m. in Karachi that something has hit.”143