TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

Chapter sixThe First Few I‘tikāf in Sahāranpūrfrom 1384/ Jan, 1965 to 1399/ 1979Shaikh Nūr al-Ĥasan Kāndhelwī writes,The number of people who came to spend Ramadan with theShaikh was increasing and it was understood that they would wantto spend the maximum amount of time in Ĥađrat’s blessed company.Therefore from Ramadan of 1384/1965 Ĥađrat decided to performi‘tikāf in the masjid. This i‘tikāf took place in the old masjid of therenowned school Māżahir al-‘Ulūm. People were excited to hearof Ĥađrat’s i‘tikāf, and they began coming in from every part ofthe country. In the last ten days, there were about forty people ini‘tikāf. Due to lack of space, many were told not to come. Despitethis, enthusiasts continued pouring in until more than a hundredpeople had gathered, and who were then accomodated in the schoolbuilding. Regarding this Ramadan, Ĥađrat writes in his diary:This year, Zakariyyā decided on performing i‘tikāf in themasjid. There were seven people in the beginning, whichincreased to forty by the last ten days. Many were told notto come due to lack of space. The gathering exceeded onehundred people in the last ten days this year.He said in one of his gatherings regarding the first i‘tikāf inSahāranpūr:20