About Shaykhul Islam Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani رحمة الله عليه
*Shaykhul Islam Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani* رحمة الله عليه
His lineage goes up to Hadhrat Zainul Abidin Ibn Hussain Ibn Ali (Radhi’Allahu Anhuma). He went to Deoband at the tender age of 13 and was fortunate enough to receive the great affection of Shaykhul Hind who insisted that he would teach Maulana Madani the basic kitabs. Maulana studied sixty-seven kitabs in Deoband over a period of six and a half years. He then moved to Madinah Munawwarah.
At the age of 24, he was offered a senior teaching position in Masjidun Nabwi. He began teaching in Masjidun Nabawi and was so engrossed in teaching that he would only rest for three hours daily. He delivered fourteen to fifteen lessons daily. Once, en route to Madinah, Maulana was blessed with a dream of Nabi ﷺ. He asked Nabi ﷺ to make Dua for him, for he wished to remember the kitabs he had studied and understand the kitabs he hadn’t studied. Nabi ﷺ replied, “That has been granted to you”. He taught Hadith in Masjidun Nabawi for a period of eighteen years. In those eighteen years, he made three trips to India, due to which his teaching was interrupted for approximately four years. Many Ulama from around the world benefitted from him during those eighteen years.
The Algerian Shaykh Al-Bashir Al-Ibrahimi had attended many lessons of different Ulama in Masjidun Nabawi. He later preferred two of them whose lessons he began to frequent: Shaykh Muhammad Aziz Wazeer of Tunisia and Shaykh Husain Ahmad of India. This was after he had memorised much and had acquired a firm grip on Islamic knowledge. He said: I bear testimony that I have not seen any of the Ulama of Islam who can compare to these two personalities till today. I have never seen anyone similar to these two in clarity of expression, deep insight, extracting the actual meanings, clearness of thought, elucidating of difficult aspects and simplifying difficult meanings.
From 1335 A.H to 1338 A.H., Maulana was imprisoned in Malta together with his beloved teacher, Shaykhul Hind. Upon his release, he returned to India.
A few years later, he was requested to take up the post of Shaykhul Hadith at Deoband in 1346 AH. He continued teaching there and benefiting the Ummah until 1377 AH, the year of his demise. During this period, almost 4000-5000 students had the honour of studying under him.
On one occasion his beloved wife had passed away and he had arrived to lesson. The students mentioned Hadhrat? You’re wife passed away today? You can take the day off”. He calmly responded, if I teach today, I can send the reward to my dear wife”.
May Allah have mercy upon him, elevate his status and enlighten his grave
