Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alayhi’s Life History
Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alayhi was born in 1916 in the village of Sirikot in Hazara district of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. He was the second son of the renowned Ali-e Kamil Qutubul Auliya Allama Syed Ahmed Shah Sirikoti Rahmatullahi Alayhi. He is the 37th descendant of Imam Hussain (RA). He belonged to the Syed family on both the paternal and maternal sides. The lineage of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) running through his veins and the teachings and spiritual steps of the great ascetic obtained through generations, enabled him to cross the threshold. This is evident from the incidents that occurred before his birth and in his childhood. Some of those incidents are quoted below:
1. Once Allama Syed Ahmed Shah Sirikoti (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the service of his Pir Khwaja Abdur Rahman Chauhravi (may Allah be pleased with him), then Khwaja Chauhravi (may Allah be pleased with him) placed the Shahadat of Allama Sirikoti (may Allah be pleased with him) on his back and rubbed it with his fingers and said – ‘يه پاک چيزتم لی لو’ “You take this holy thing”. Just as Ghausul Azam Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah have mercy on him) rubbed the back of Shaykh Ali ibn Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) and gave birth to a child. Later that child became famous as Ibnul Arabi.
2. 6/7 months after the birth of Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (may Allah have mercy on him), Khwaja Abdur Rahman Chauhravi (may Allah have mercy on him) arrived in Sirikot. Then, while feeding him Shirni, Khwaja Abdur Rahman Chauhravi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, ‘Thaib tum nahijn kehaat tum hm bah nahijn kehaange’ (Tayyab, if you do not eat, we will not eat either). Hearing this, he started eating Shirni.
3. When Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (may Allah be pleased with him) was about two years old, his mother took him to the service of Khwaja Abdur Rahman Chauhrawi (may Allah be pleased with him). While he was there, he, in the presence of Khwaja Chauhrawi (may Allah be pleased with him), in a childish manner, wanted to drink his mother’s milk. Then Khwaja Chauhrawi (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “You have grown up, do not drink milk.” Later, he did not drink his mother’s milk anymore. Despite many attempts, it was not possible to make him drink milk again.
It can be mentioned here that Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) was originally a gift from Allah to Allama Syed Ahmed Shah Sirikoti (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) by his Pir Khwaja Abdur Rahman Chauhravi (Rahmatullahi Alaihi). Because at that time Allama Sirikoti (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) was about 60 years old. Usually, children of old age become weak and the lineage does not last long. Therefore, refuting that, Allama Chauhravi (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) has given the good news of both the son and grandson by mentioning ‘Pak Shij’. Because the Arabic synonyms of the word ‘Pak’ are ‘Tayyab’ and ‘Tahir’, as Allah mentioned about Yakub (Peace be upon him) in the case of giving Isaac (Peace be upon him) to Ibrahim (Peace be upon him).
Since he came to the court of the Pir in 1912, the kind gaze of the Pir-Murshid was always on him, so in just four years, Allama Sirikoti Rahmatullahi Alaihi received from his Pir’s court a holy son, who was active in spiritual practice from birth and loyal to spiritual personality. It is clear from the above-mentioned deeds that the gift received before need and demand will be blessed, pure and full of spiritual knowledge and glory. Moreover, Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alaihi grew up under the tutelage of Allama Chauharvir Rahmatullahi Alaihi. Also, in the light of the verse, it can be said that such descendants given by Allah Ta’ala are born guided, righteous, dignified and guiding. Therefore, the latent spiritual talent was developing in Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alayhi from his childhood. He was close to his father until he was only four years old; but already he requested his father, ‘نماز مہیں اب الله کو دیکهتی هیں مجهے دیکهنا هے ’ “You see Allah in prayer, I also want to see Allah”.
It is also mentioned that Allama Sirikoti Rahmatullahi Alayhi went to Ajmer Sharif with his family for a visit at some point before going to Burma in 1920 on the instructions of his Pir. There, the child Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alayhi kept wandering around in his mind in the premises of the tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Rahmatullahi Alayhi; Then suddenly a bright man came and sat next to him and recited some dua. At that time, Allama Sirikoti (may Allah have mercy on him) was staying in the house of a servant. Later, when he came to know about it, he said, ‘You are my slave’. ‘Son! He was a Khwaja”.
In fact, all these were the special grace of Allah Almighty on Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alaihi. Therefore, from his childhood, his nobility and spirituality began to manifest. In fact, he was a ray of light from the Holy Prophet, the blessing of Allama Abdur Rahman Chauhravi Rahmatullahi Alaihi, a saint born from his mother’s womb and a worthy successor of his father. It is known that he received his primary education from his father. However, he completed the memorization of the Quran Majeed at the age of only 11 from a local teacher. One incident that occurred while he was memorizing the Quran Majeed is particularly noteworthy.
The incident is this – Once, the respected teacher of Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alayhi was blessed with a dream in which he met the beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). At that time, the beloved Prophet informed the teacher that there was a descendant of his among the students, so that he should take care of him. Then the teacher woke up. He became worried, who was that? So without delay, he tested it in this way – he gave each student an orange and said, Go! Eat the orange in your hand in such a way that Allah Ta’ala does not see. After receiving the teacher’s instructions, each child ate the orange in his own way; but the child Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alayhi returned the orange to the teacher and said – ‘Allah har jaga me hai’ “Allah is in every place”. Hearing this, the teacher got the identity of the descendant of Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
After completing the memorization of the Holy Quran, Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (may Allah have mercy on him) spent about sixteen years studying Islamic knowledge in all its branches. Possessing keen intellect, sharp intelligence and extraordinary memory, this great man completed Zahiri knowledge at the age of twenty-seven and received the final certificate. Among his teachers, the names of Allama Hafiz Abdur Rahman, Allama Hafiz Abdul Hamid (may Allah have mercy on him) and others are particularly noteworthy. In addition, he traveled to various countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East to visit the mausoleums of more than two hundred prophets, companions and saints and was blessed with their blessings.
He was a devoted servant of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama’at, a follower of the Hanafi school, a successful preacher of the Qadiriyya Tariqa, a living embodiment of the Sunnat-i Rasool, a Mujaddid (reformer) of the age and a guide to the helpless Muslim people. He was succeeded by his father in 1958. At the invitation of those who had been succeeded by Allama Sirikoti (may Allah have mercy on him) so far, he came to Bangladesh in 1961 to fulfill the assigned duties after the death of his father. However, information about his first arrival in Chittagong was available in 1942. He first arrived in independent Bangladesh in 1976 and remained in this country until 1986, providing guidance on Sharia and Tariqa and leading Sunnism. Moreover, he was the only one who was appointed as the Imam during the lifetime of his father Allama Sirikoti (may Allah have mercy on him) when he was ill.
Basically, here too, the matter is following the example of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). For example, out of the four Caliphs of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) was not called the first Caliph, but he highlighted his great status and instructed him to fulfill the important responsibility of the Imamate. In addition, his father had already predicted that he would complete the incomplete work of this Silsila and highlighted his great status. He has set a shining example of this by establishing more than fifty madrasas, mosques, and khanqahs in this country to propagate the Sharia and Tariqa among the devotees.
According to him, love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is true faith. That kingdom or mystery is achieved through sincerity, love; which is not even in anyone’s dreams, imagination. Therefore, Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (may Allah have mercy on him) reorganized the Khatam-e-Gausia recitation method, which was prevalent in the Silsila-e-Qaderiya Alia propagated by his father, in order to awaken that love hidden among his devotees. He added the performance of Hamd-Na’t, Qasidah-Durood and made the list of the names of the Shaykhs, i.e. Shajra, a rhythmic and captivating list. Because the indescribable feeling that arises in the human heart when listening to and reading a sweet and rhythmic melody is undoubtedly irresistible. For this reason, it has been seen that in every house, neighborhood and neighborhood in this region, the Khatam-e-Gausia Sharif has spread rapidly. As a result, instead of indecent songs, praise of the Prophets and Saints has been observed on the lips of every young and old man and woman. Many have been guided by listening to this Gausia and Shazra Sharif. Religious feelings have awakened in their minds and hearts. Prayer has become their daily companion.
This leader of Sharia and Tariqat, in order to further stir the flame of love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the minds of simple-minded Muslims through Khatam-e-Gausia Sharif, introduced Eid-e-Miladunnabi (peace be upon him) processions on the 9th and 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal and introduced the recitation of prayers and salams before the call to prayer to introduce them to the correct outline of Islam of Ahl-e-Sunnah wal Jama’at. To unite them, he established the Gausia Committee Bangladesh. In order to enrich the knowledge base on Sharia and Tariqat, he also arranged for the publication of a monthly magazine called Tarjuman-e-Ahl-e-Sunnah wal Jama’at. In addition, to make permanent arrangements for all of this, he established numerous religious education centers, mosques, madrasas and khanqahs. Due to his tireless efforts, the faces of the Sunni Muslim people of this region are constantly adorned with the verses of the Holy Quran, Hamd, Na’at and the praise and glorification of Allah, His Messenger, and His family and friends. He always had a kind of gentle, calm, enchanting and luminous aura. For this reason, everyone who was close to him could be heard saying, “He loved me more.” Their pride in this was boundless. But whenever he heard even the slightest inconsistency regarding the status and dignity of the Prophet and saint, he would immediately protest, challenge and give a sharp reply, despite all the adversities.
He was the greatest scholar, orator, logician and thinker of the era. Every day he would deliver a speech after the Fajr prayer. Many renowned scholars from home and abroad would gather in his congregation and would be happy and satisfied to sit. Many of them also became his disciples. It is known from reliable sources that he used to secretly help numerous madrasas and religious students financially. Therefore, they knew him as a charitable person and would come to him every week/month. Moreover, after the death of his father, he was the lifelong director and principal of the Islamia Rahmania Madrasa in Haripur.
In fact, his strong faith in Allah Ta’ala was his foundation, his love for the Messenger of Allah was his inspiration, his Sunnah was his daily routine, his Uswa-e-Hasana was his model, his Shariah and Tariqah were the source of his gatherings, his mercy was his companion, and his friends, scholars, and the poor and needy were his companions. All the programs he initiated bear witness to all of this. He was the 39th descendant of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Therefore, he was very dedicated to fulfilling the responsibility of propagating the religion of Islam that he had received through the line of inheritance. He was always immersed in his work. He would run to this place and that place day and night for the propagation of the religion of Islam. Even then, he did not shy away from prayer and riyaz; Rather, when his companions were in deep sleep due to tired body and mind, he would stand up in his room for prayers and remain engaged in solitary prayer. When he needed rest, he would lie down on the floor facing the Qibla and rest his head on the elbow of his right hand and three fingers.
Needless to say, he was never averse to the world because of Tablighi. He was an ideal father of two sons and a daughter. He was caring towards his family. Despite all this busyness, he gave his children proper education and initiation and raised them to be worthy successors to him. As a result, they too were able to achieve extreme excellence in spirituality.
For this reason, from 1987, he entrusted his eldest son Allama Syed Muhammad Tahir Shah (M.J.A.) with the responsibility of accelerating the mission he was leading, and spent his vacation in peace. On the other hand, he refrained from leaving his house except for the work of the Madrasa in Haripur and special needs. He would only meet the guests who came. On this occasion, he continued to concentrate more on prayer and riyaz. It is known that he also composed a few books. The manuscripts of the books have been preserved.
Finally, at the age of about 77, on Monday, June 7, 1993, 15 Zil Hijri, 1413 AH, at around 9:30 AM, while reciting Tasbeeh, he took eternal rest with a smiling face. Then, after the funeral prayer in his village, he was laid to rest under the cornice of the mosque next to the tomb of his father, Allama Syed Ahmad Shah Sirikoti (Rahmatullahi Alaihi).
It is evident from the brief biography of Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullahi Alaihi that this extraordinary spiritual great man of ordinary appearance and immense talent prayered of Allah and His Messenger throughout his life, showed the way to unity of the Muslim nation through the awakening of religious sentiment, and praised the Holy Prophet as the only exemplary model for the full development of humanity or humanism. Basically, he ignited the love hidden in the hearts of Muslims and tried to make them great and rich with the power of faith in the fire of love for the Prophet.
Note:
1. This description is the most famous. However, some now express the opinion based on reliable sources that Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (R.A.) was born sometime after 1916.
2. Dr. Mohammad Abdul Adud, Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (R.A.): His Contribution to Islamic Education and Culture (Kushtia: Islamic University Studies-1999), Volume: 08, Issue: 01, p.91.
3. Syed Muhammad Asiyor Rahman, Biography of Murshid-e-Barhak Allama Hazrat Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah Rahmatullah Alaihi, (Chittagong: Taslima Academy-2006) p.42.
4. According to the list of the ancestors of Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (R.A.), it is seen that his name is in the 40th place. There, the name of the Prophet (PBUH) is also mentioned first in the sequence. In fact, the name of Hazrat Fatima (R.A.) will be the first to appear as a descendant of the Prophet (PBUH). Accordingly, the name of the father of Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (R.A.) will be the 38th and his name will be the 39th. According to this sequence, he is the 37th descendant of Imam Hussain (R.A.).
5. Seminar titled Ghaus-e-Zaman Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (R.A.) The Great Reformer of Islam (Chittagong: Anjuman-e-Rahmaniyyah Ahmadiyya Sunniyya-1998) p.04.
6. A. K. M. Fazlur Rahman Munshi, Gausul Azam Hazrat Barpir Abdul Qader Jilani (R.A.) (Dhaka: Bangladesh Taj Company Ltd. 1999) Edition: 08, pp. 139-140.
7. Syed Muhammad Asiyor Rahman, op. cit., p. 46.
8. Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Nayemi, Tafsir-e Nayemi (Lahore: Maktaba-e Islamia-1387 AH) Vol. 7, p. 653.
9. Al-Quran, 6:86.
10. Syed Muhammad Asiyor Rahman, op. cit., p. 47.
11. op. cit., p. 48.
12. Muhammad Janaf Musa Zai, Tazkira-e Pir Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (Peshawar: Majlis-e Gausia Sirikotia-1993 Eng) p. 07.
13. Syed Muhammad Asiyor Rahman, op. cit., p. 49.
14. Maulana Nurul Islam, (former student- Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunni Alia, Chittagong; owner,-Noor & Sons, Jalsa Market, Chittagong) narrated this incident in an interview.
15. Syed Muhammad Asiyor Rahman, op. cit., p. 52-53.
16. Muhammad Janaf Musa Zai, op. cit., p. 17;
17. Allama Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (R.A.) did not make any changes or additions to the original verses of Khatme Ghausiya Sharif and the names of the Shaykhs. He only arranged them in a new style and rhythm. Muhaddis Abdul Awal Forkani (former Shaykhul Hadith, Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunnia Alia, Chittagong.) gave this information in an interview.
18. Syed Muhammad Ahmad Shah, Ghaus-i Zaman Khwaja Abdur Rahman Chauhravi (A.), (Manuscript), p. 03
19. Muhammad Janaf Musa Zai, aforementioned, p. 9.
20. Badiul Alam Rizvi, The Five Jewels of Sunniyyat (Chittagong: Reza Islamic Academy – 1998) First Publication, p.235.