Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hadhrat Qaari Siddeeq Baandwi rahmatullahi alaih mentioned an incident that had taken place in his days of khidmah of his shaikh Hadhrat Moulana As`adullah Sahib rahmatullahi alaih. He says, “I used to help Hadhrat Naazim Sahib rahmatullahi alaih to make wudhu. Hadhrat was very particular about performing every Salaah with jamaat. Throughout my student days I did not see Hadhrat ever missing out one Salaah with takbeer-e-ula. He always went to the Musjid immediately after the azaan was given. After Maghrib Salaah he would remain standing in Awwaabeen Salaah for long periods. I would sit behind him. Sometimes, he would ask for water to drink in between but would only have one sip. I imagined that he was just checking to see if I was there or not.”
Once, a meeting was held with the shurah members of the Madrasah. Hadhrat rahmatullahi alaih was also a member of the shurah. During the meeting, the azaan was called out and the time for jamaat commenced. Hadhrat could not leave the meeting immediately for some reason. The meeting terminated exactly at the time of the Salaah. Hadhrat’s office was some distance away from the Musjid. Hence, I became very perplexed and did not know what to do. I filled the water jug and waited for Hadhrat. The jamaat had already commenced when I saw Hadhrat walking very fast towards me. Immediately I began pouring water for him to make wudhu. The Salaah was almost over when Hadhrat asked me, ‘Is there any Musjid where we can perform our Salaah with takbeer-e-ula?’ Someone mentioned that perhaps we may get the takbeer-e-ula at a Musjid near the Madrasah. We immediately set off for that Musjid but found that, unfortunately, the Salaah there was completed as well. Hadhrat was extremely grieved. Another person told him that perhaps there was hope of getting the jamaat in another Musjid. We immediately rushed off to that Musjid but unfortunately, here too, the Salaah was over. Hadhrat was even more grieved. Eventually, someone told him that in a certain orchard there is a Musjid where Salaah is performed very late. Very few people gather there for Salaah.
Hadhrat heard this and it was as though a new life had come into him. That orchard was approximately 200 meters away. On that day we witnessed how fast Hadhrat could walk. He walked so swiftly that I had to literally run behind him to keep up. As we approached the orchard, we saw some people standing up. From a distance he indicated to them to wait a while. When Hadhrat reached the Musjid, the people told him that they were waiting for a servant of Allah to arrive and lead the Salaah. Hadhrat performed his Salaah with jamaat, with the takbeer-e-ula and returned to the Madrasah. (Hayaat-e-Siddeeq – English, p. 102)
