TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

the ramadan of shaikh muĤ ammud zakariyyĀśalāt. Shortly before dawn, he took a few spoonfuls of pāpe (type offood), a cup of chicken soup, and then continued voluntary śalātuntil adhān.Ramadan of 1387-1388/1967-68The program and spiritual atmosphere was much the same in theRamadan of 1387-88/1967-68; the same gatherings of dhikr andrecitation of Qur’an, Ĥađrat’s devotions and the murīds’ diligencein worship.The following Ramadan the numbers had increased. As thenumbers swelled and the area of i‘tikāf became small, organizersbegan demarcating a 1½ foot of area to each person. Once themasjid was full, newcomers were accommodated for the night inrooms that were set aside for sleeping only, as they otherwise werespending their whole day in the masjid.My First Meeting With Ĥađrat and Bai‘a to HimI first took bai‘a with Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir Raipūrī in 1957 whenI was in medical school. As a student, Ĥađrat did not want that Ido any dhikr or ashgāl. In 1961, I finished my last exam and wentstraight to Raipūr. Fortunately, I met with Shaikh Abū al-Ĥasan‘Alī Nadwī in Sahāranpūr as he was leaving for Raipūr and wasblessed with his company on the journey to Raipūr. Ĥađratprescribed dhikr to me in that meeting, though I never kept atit due my carelessness and indifference. Then, Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir Raipūrī passed away in 1962 and I had meanwhile movedto Saudi Arabia. In 1964, I was blessed with the opportunity toperform hajj with Ĥađrat and Shaikh Yūsuf and stay with Ĥađratfor eight days in Madina after hajj. During this time, I askedĤađrat to accept me in bai‘a but he refused saying, “I do notaccept bai‘a of anyone who has already taken bai‘a with ShaikhĤusain Aĥmad Madanī or Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qādir Raipūrī. Theirbai‘a is my bai‘a; therefore, if you have any questions, just ask[there is no need for bai‘a].”After that, I returned to Madina [where I practiced medicine]28