TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

the ramadan of shaikh muĤ ammud zakariyyĀThe devotions of Shāh ‘Abd al-Qādir RaipūrīMany incidences about Shāh ‘Abd al-Qādir Raipūrī are relatedin Āp Bītī. I have spent more time with Ĥađrat Madanī and Shāh‘Abd al-Qādir Raipūrī than with any other amongst the elders;their affections and love for me are beyond my ability to puton paper. Hundreds of people are still witness to their specialrelations with me. Many people insisted I start working on theirbiographies, but I was so preoccupied with academic work thatI could think of nothing else at that time even if I wanted to.Now, as I sit idle, the academic work at a halt due to my illness, Iremember the events and incidents of the lives of the elders andI cry.My beloved, my master, Shaikh al-Islām, Shaikh Madanī neverasked me to spend time in Ramadan with him, but I could tell byhis demeanor that that was his wish. And my spiritual benefactorand mentor Ĥađrat Raipūrī in his last years not only said it butinsisted that I spend time in Ramadan with him. Though until hisdeath my academic work 82 [knowledge is the greatest hindrance] was sooverwhelming that I could not tolerate anything coming in its way.Perhaps I have already mentioned somewhere in Āp Bītī thatduring the last few years Ĥađrat was so inundated with lovefor me that our separation was difficult for him to bear. When Iwished to return to Sahāranpūr after one or two days in Raipūr,and pardoned myself that I would have to postpone my Bukhārīclass, Ĥađrat occasionally said [and when I remember his words, itbrings tears to my eyes] “You can teach Bukhārī any time you want,but we are not going to be here forever.”When Ĥađrat’s sickness became worse and he settled in Bahitso his personal physician could visit him as needed, Ĥađrat’s loveled me to my habit of leaving straight for the bus station from theschool after teaching Abū Dāwūd [which was in the second hour ofthe afternoon].82 ‘Academic work’ should not mistaken as purely academic but rather thatĤađrat was writing a commentary of the Muwaţţa’ of Imam Mālik, which wasa work of Dīn and a major service to Islam.152