TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

Chapter SixTwenty to twenty-five people came from Niżām al-Dīn the yearShaikh Yūsuf passed away in 1384/1965, and said, “We want toperform i‘tikāf in Sahāranpūr.” I had performed i‘tikāf in Niżāmal-Dīn several times but never in Sahāranpūr, and the facilities fori‘tikāf in Niżām al-Dīn were better. I said to them,“There is no space in the old masjid, you can either stayin the guesthouse or go to the tablīghī center in Sahāranpūrand perform i‘tikāf there.” But they insisted they wanted toperform i‘tikāf here only. Finally, it was decided they wouldalternate in performing i‘tikāf with me.There is little information on the gatherings of dhikr, the sayingsof Ĥađrat, and the spiritual atmosphere of this Ramadan asidefrom whatever is mentioned in Ĥađrat’s diary. He writes regardinghis daily recitation of Qur’an:My routine ran as follows:In voluntary śalāt after Maghrib: 8 partsAfter tarāwīĥ before tea: one partIn tahajjud [nightly śalāt]: 10 partsIn pre-noon śalāt [đhuhā]: 6 partsIn Sunna of Ẓuhr: 3 partsŚalāt of tasbīĥ 21 : 2 partsReciting in the Qur’an after śalāt of tasbīĥ: 2 partsReciting to Yaĥyā after ‘Aśr: 3 partsCombined: 35 partsRamadan of 1385/1966 and the Beginning of I‘tikāf in theNew ComplexIn Ramadan of 1384/1965, many of those who wished to performi‘tikāf with Ĥađrat were unable to do so due to lack of space in theold masjid. Therefore, in Ramadan of 1385/965-66 the beautiful21 A Sunna śalāt in which the tasbīĥ: Subĥān Allāh wa al-Ĥamd li Allāh wa lāIlāha illa Allāh wa Allāh Akbar, is recited seventy-five times per rak‘a in the differentmotions of śalāt.21