Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Nikaah is among the mubaarak sunnats of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) as well as the sunnats of the Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam). Through nikaah, a person will be able to protect himself from falling into sin. Hence, the teaching of deen is that when one has a need to get married, then one should make nikaah.
During the time of Hazrat Moulana Qaasim Nanotwi (rahimahullah), there was a general custom among the Muslims of India that if a Muslim woman’s husband passed away, it would be regarded as shameful for her to remarry. As a result, many Muslim women who had the need and desire to marry would be prevented by their families from remarrying and would have to remain widows until the end of their lives. This custom had entered the lives of the Muslims through the influence of the Hindus.
Hazrat Moulana Qaasim Nanotwi (rahimahullah) was greatly concerned over this, as this custom was totally against the teachings of Islam. Thus, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) commenced making an effort to correct the people’s mindset and eradicate this Hindu custom from the lives of the Muslims. Hence, during his lectures, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) continued to explain to the people that in Islam, a widow should not be prevented from remarrying.
Furthermore, together with explaining the correct mas’alah to the people, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) also instructed those people with whom he had a close relationship to get their widowed daughters married.
Among the mureeds of Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) was a pious, respected person of Deoband known as Haaji Muhammad Yaseen. Since Hajee Muhammad Yaseen’s daughter was a widow, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) instructed him to get his daughter married. Accordingly, Haaji Muhammad Yaseen got his daughter remarried, and in this way, the wrong custom was opposed and the sunnah of nikaah was revived.
Coincidentally, during the time when Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) was delivering these talks to correct this wrong custom, his own sister became a widow. This created an opportunity for people to criticize Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) and accuse him of preaching what he did not practise, as his sister had not yet remarried.
Hazrat Qari Muhammad Tayyib Saheb (rahimahullah), the grandson of Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) explains this entire incident as follows. He says:
Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) was once delivering a lecture on the topic of ‘widows getting remarried’ in a place called Deewan. During the lecture, one of the prominent people of the area stood up and said, “Hazrat! I have a question to ask you!”
From the manner in which this person spoke, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) made out that this person was going to object to what Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) was saying by mentioning that Hazrat’s own widowed sister had not remarried. Thus, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) said to the person, “Please wait a little while before you ask your question. An urgent need has come up. I will come back soon.”
Saying this, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) left the gathering and went home, while the entire crowd remained seated. On entering the home, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) went to his widowed sister. She was older than him, and by this time, she was very weak as well. He held her feet, and in earnest, he said to her, “Through your courage today, a sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) will be revived, and I will become the means of bringing this sunnah alive as well.”
Hearing these words, his sister was perturbed and said, “O my brother! What are you talking about? Leave my feet! Where am I worthy of being the means for the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) being revived”? Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) then explained the situation to her and said, “Please get ready to have your nikaah performed immediately.”
His sister replied, “My brother! You can see that I am gone weak. My hair has turned white. I am not of that age where I can get married.” Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) replied, “What you are saying is correct, but your nikaah today will be solely for the purpose of reviving the sunnah of widows getting married once again. This nikaah will not be to fulfil any human needs.”
Upon this, Hazrat’s (rahimahullah) sister agreed and her nikaah was performed immediately. As soon as the nikaah was performed, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) left the home and returned to the gathering where the people were still waiting.
On returning, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) recommenced his bayaan, but as he spoke, the person who had initially stood up again woke up and objected saying, “What I wish to say is that you are speaking about widows getting married whereas you have a widowed sister in your own home!”
Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) replied, “Who said that she is sitting at home unmarried? The witnesses of her marriage are here, present in this gathering!”
The witnesses then stood up and bore testimony to the fact that Hazrat’s widowed sister had once again made nikaah. The entire gathering was extremely touched by this, and approximately 50-70 nikaahs of widowed women were performed in that very gathering. After this incident, the effort to get widows remarried spread and gained success in many places.
Another incorrect custom which many Muslims had taken from the Hindus was the custom of not giving daughters any share in the inheritance.
Once, during the majlis of Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah), mention was made regarding the village of Jalaalaabaad which is in the region of Muzaffarnagar. Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) mentioned, “In that place, the daughters are not given their rightful share of inheritance which is stipulated for them by the Shari’ah. Therefore, it is not permissible to purchase any land from the Muslims of Jalaalaabaad.”
Thereafter, Hazrat Nanotwi (rahimahullah) commenced a special effort and movement to eradicate this oppressive custom in Muzaffarnagar, Sahaaranpur, and the other areas where it was rife, until the Muslims became aware of their wrong and began to give their daughters their shar’ee stipulated share.
(Ml Muhammed Qaasim Nanotwi – Hayaat aur Kaarnaame pg. 199-202)
