By Asim Ahmad

• His Taqwa

Possessing taqwa is truly a heroic deed in our depraved times. But the level of Shaikh ul Hadiths taqwa is unheard of in our times, a profound taqwa that endeared so many people to him and revives memories of the Sahaba. Since it is a lengthy topic, we will suffice with two incidents to highlight this facet of his life.

1. By the time he graduated from Saharanpur, Shaikh ul-Hadith’s erudition in hadith had earned him a reputation as an eminent master of hadith in his time. His reputation spread far and wide, and multiple offers to teach hadith came in from prestigious institutions. Many of them offered salaries thirty times his salary at Saharanpur (many schools even tempted him with a personal chauffeur). But Shaikh ul-Hadith turned them down and replied to one such offer with a terse one liner, “we do not want to live as ingratiating servants.”

2. Shaikh ul-Hadith was strongly opposed to taking a salary for teaching at Saharanpur, the grassroots institute where he graduated and taught throughout his life. After much disagreement with senior officials, who were aware of his financial situation, and insisted he take a salary, he acquiesced under the condition that they “hold” it for him until further notice. In 1921, he took temporary leave from the school to accompany his shaikh to Arabia but didn’t possess the funds to pay for his trip. His shaikh asked him, “How are you going to pay for the expenses of your trip?” He replied, “I will take a loan.” The shaikh asked, “But isn’t some of your salary with the school?” Reluctantly, the Shaikh ul-Hadith collected the salary that had added up to quite a sum for the past years and vowed to repay it at the earliest opportunity.

Upon his return, the Shaikh ul-Hadith reimbursed the school and gave a little more on his part. This was the first and last time he ever accepted a salary. His whole life is a story of complete reliance on Allah.