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Hujjatul Islam Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Haamid Raza Khan Qadri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was a personality unparalleled in his era and was a true successor to his father, the Mujaddid of the era, A’la Hazrat Imam Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Faazil-e-Bareilwi (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh).
He was the elder son of A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and was born in the blessed month of Rabi ul Awwal in the year 1292 AH. A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) named him ‘Muhammad’ in accordance with the Hadith of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), which also manifested the numerical value of his year of birth in the 13th century. A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) kept his calling name ‘Haamid Raza’.
His blessed countenance exuded such beauty that people used to accept Islam just by looking at his face. He had a wide forehead, which was a manifestation of the verse of the Holy Qur’an wherein Allah Ta’ala states,
سِيْمَاهُمْ فِيْ وُجُوْهِهِمْ مِّنْ اَثَرِ السُّجُوْدِ ط
“Their signs are on their faces, from the effects of prostrations.” {Surah 48:29}
He had a reddish white complexion and an attractive and beautiful countenance. He had such a handsome and luminous face that even in the largest of gatherings, from a distance it would become known that he is present.
Adeeb-e-Shaheer Hazrat Shams Bareilwi (Alaihir Rahmah) said that Hujjatul Islam was such a handsome personality with his reddish white countenance adorned with a white beard, and his distinguished stature, that even in a gathering of thousands and hundreds of thousands he would be recognised.
Udaipur, a city in Rajashtan, was blessed with the entire region receiving the devotion of Hujjatul Islam. It was the capital of the spiritual kingdom of Hujjatul Islam. He used to often stay here and masses of people used to come to visit him morning and evening to look at his awe-inspiring face.
A resident of Udaipur, Janaab Qamaruddeen Ahmad Anjum, the Chairman of the Pakistan Naat Council Karachi, gave the following account of his experience, “I was first blessed with the opportunity to see Hujjatul Islam at the age of twelve. I remember very well that in the Jaame Masjid of the district Silawatwari in Udaipur, it was like a flood of people who were coming to see Hujjatul Islam. And in such an esteemed gathering I was also blessed with an opportunity to get a glimpse of Hujjatul Islam. Before this my eyes had never seen such a fair-skinned and radiant countenance. Just one glimpse would leave every young and old person in amazement. And every gathering of devotees would only leave after becoming Mureeds (Disciples) of Hujjatul Islam as hundreds of thousands of people derived its spiritual benefit. The shawl that used to be around the neck would be extended and everyone would hold the shawl and enter the circle of devotion (by pledging allegiance). This action would continue for hours. There was such a captivation in his personality, that not only Muslims benefitted, but even many non-Muslims received the blessing of accepting Islam. And for as long as he stayed in Udaipur, this spiritual blessing continued to grow.”
He further states, “After Hujjatul Islam’s trips to Udaipur, till the age of twenty I witnessed that in Udaipur one could not find a Wahabi even if one searched for them. In 1948 when I moved to Pakistan, almost every year I was blessed with the opportunity of presenting myself at the Urs in Udaipur and Ajmer Shareef and till today the blessings of Meelad Shareef and Salaat-o-Salaam are present there in every home.” SubhanAllah!
His blessed face was so illuminated with the lustre of the Noor of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that the one who used to look at him would wish that they could just continue looking at him.
It was the unanimous opinion of the great scholars of Hindustan that they had not seen someone more handsome than Hujjatul Islam. Even the clothes he used to wear would become illuminated with his radiance. His pleasant manner of speaking made it seem like petals were falling from his lips. Whichever gathering he used to attend, he would be the life of the gathering and people’s eyes would remain fixed on him. People would become awe-struck with his radiance and a person would say in a state of ecstasy,
مَا هٰذَا بَشَرًا ط اِنْ هٰذَآ اِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيْمٌ ط
“This is not a human being; this is not but some honourable angel.” {Surah 12:31}
His awe-inspiring beauty was such that he used to overcome the hearts of the people; so much so that even Wahabis and Shias used to say that they had never before seen such a radiant countenance nor had they heard such an intellectual discourse before.
There was a young person from Punjab by the name of Sardar Ahmad who had completed his Matric and moved to Lahore in 1926 in preparation to study Fine Arts (FA).
Soon, the esteemed Jalsah of Markazi Anjuman Hizbul Ahnaf was taking place in Lahore outside the Dehli Gate under the patronage of a pavilion of prominent Ulama and Mashaaikh of the Ahle Sunnat. At one point, Sadrul Afaazil Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Naeemuddeen Muradabadi (Alaihir Rahmah) made the following announcement during his speech, “Gentlemen! The son of Imam Ahle Sunnat Mujaddid-e-Deen-o-Millat Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan Bareilwi, Hazrat Faiz-e-Darjat Mufti-e-Anam Marja’ul Khawaas wal Awaam Hujjatul Islam Maulana Shah Haamid Raza Khan is coming in a certain vehicle.”
Amongst the thousands of people who were listening to this announcement, the young Sardar Ahmad was also listening. He thought to himself what must be the status of that personality who is being introduced with such beautiful and honourable titles by the Sadrul Afaazil of the time.
When Hujjatul Islam arrived, eventually Sardar Ahmad got an opportunity to meet him and to kiss his hands. He saw Hujjatul Islam’s radiant countenance just once and his entire life turned around. He was no longer interested in studying Fine Arts and only wanted to be in the company of Hujjatul Islam. He left everything and travelled to Bareilly Shareef with Hujjatul Islam and eventually this ordinary student of Fine Arts became the great Muhaddith-e-Azam Pakistan Hazrat Maulana Abul Fadl Muhammad Sardar Ahmad (Alaihir Rahmah). SubhanAllah! Such was the effect of the radiant beauty of Hujjatul Islam.
His living miracle was that in 1934 on the occasion of the Urs Shareef of Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaaz (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in Ajmer Shareef, many prominent Kayast Hindus (an ancient upper Hindu caste) entered into Islam just by looking at his luminous face. They stated that his radiant countenance showed that it was the image of truth, sincerity and spirituality. SubhanAllah!
May Allah Ta’ala grant us true love and respect for the Awliya Allah, Allahumma Ameen.
{Compiled from Tazkira-e-Jameel by Qutb-e-Mauritius Hazrat Allamah Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Khushtar Siddiqui Qadri Razvi (Alaihir Rahmah)}
