TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

the ramadan of shaikh muĤ ammud zakariyyĀasked my father to lead tarāwīĥ. My father said that, “From theage of seven I had never needed to open a Qur’an until the 29thof Sha‘bān/ November, 1903 of that year due to fear of my shaikh[Shaikh Rashīd Aĥmad Gangohī]. Once my fear had passed afterthe first day of tarāwīĥ, I was fine.”I have written repeatedly that my father was always busy recitingQur’an. He was busy in his book shop, taking books out, packagingthem, and writing addresses etc. all the while reciting the Qur’anloudly.During his stay in Sahāranpūr, he spent every Ramadan thereexcept for one Ramadan [I don’t remember where he was at thetime]. In 1332/1914, when the masjid of Dār al-Ţalaba was ready,my father led the first tarāwīĥ on the request of my Shaikh [ShaikhKhalīl Aĥmad Sahāranpūrī]. My father’s devotions in Sahāranpūrwere as follows:Aside from the time he was teaching at the school, my fatherspent most of his time, including ifţār, in the Mauchī Walī Masjid[adjacent to Ĥakīm Ya‘qūb’s house]. He opened his ifţār withwhatever was present, though he preferred dates and Zamzam.Dates and Zamzam were a necessary part of my shaikh, ShaikhSahāranpūrī’s ifţār. If the hajjis brought dates and Zamzam formy Shaikh, they were immediately preserved in boxes and bottles[Zamzam and dates were not as common then as they are todaydue to the ease of modern transportation].My father prayed short voluntary śalāt after Maghrib and atevery little. He ate alone or occasionally with one or two friends, aseating with people usually takes up more time [which he disliked].He then lay down and quietly recited the same part he recited intarāwīĥ [aside from the Qur’an he recited throughout the day]. Thisis the only time I saw him reciting the tarāwīĥ part. After tarāwīĥ,which was not in any particular place [as mentioned previously]he returned home and rested for a short while. My father alwayssuffered from insomnia. He recited Qur’an until he fell asleep. Heate seĥr [which did not consist of anything in particular e.g. milkand tea] in the very last minutes and ate whatever was cooked.162