Biography of Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhwi (1806-1893)

Sayid Mian Nazeer Husayn Dehlawi: “The noble complete cognisant pious, gathering the rational and transmitted knowledge, following the example of prophets, the elite of the jurists, the Molvi (scholar) Muhammad, the truthful successor of the Molvi Barakallah Lakhwi”

Shamsul Haq Azeenbadi: “The complete scholar, the pious son of the pious (father), Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhwi Al-Punjabi”

Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri: “The complete scholar, possessor of pious behaviour, Al-Hafiz Muhammad Al-Lakhwi Al-Punjabi”

Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhwi is counted among the noble saints, he was born in 1221/1806 in the place Lakhw in this district of Fayrozpur (eastern Punjab). His father’s name was Hafiz Barakallah and he was among the people of Allah, known for his piety and abstinence, he was a non extravagant person living a simple life, he would spend the most of his time in the remembrance (of Allah) and with this he also had the character of not thinking about rulers and leaders, he would express dislike at (meeting) them, all his life was devoted to the call to Allah, admonishing and directing people, he passed away in 1266/1850.

Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah started his studies with his noble father by memorizing the Quran. Afterwards he studied other subjects such as Arabic syntax, Arabic grammar, Fiqh, Ma’ani, Tajweed, Qira’at and others also with his father. Afterwards Hafiz Muhammad went to Ludhiyanah and he benefited there from different teachers.

After returning from Ludhiyanah, he went to his village and after a stay of few days, he went to the city of knowledge Delhi and went to benefit from Sayid Muhammad Nazeer Husayn Dehlawi, and in this travel, he was accompanied by Shaykh Sayid ‘Abdullah Al-Ghaznawi and Shaykh Ghulam Rasool Qal’awi.

After completing their studies in Delhi, he returned to Lakhw and laid the foundations of a religious centre called “Madrasah Muhammadiyah” where he started to teach lessons and give lectures. He spent (there) all his life teaching, preaching and admonishing and directing people.

His students

The list of his students is very long, the most famous of them are:

Shaykh Muhiyudin AbdurRahman Lakhwi (his son)
Shaykh Abdul Qadir Lakhwi (nephew)
Shaykh Ghulam Nabi Rabbani Sohadrawi
Shaykh Abdul Wahab Sadri Dehlawi
Shaykh Raheem Bakhsh Lahori

The memory of Hafiz Muhammad Lakhwi was very strong, Allah (Ta’ala) favoured him with this specific blessing in such a manner that he would read a book once and it would be preserved in his chest. He was excelling in knowledge, virtue, piety, purity, ascetic life, fearfulness, memorisation, precision, integrity, trustworthiness, trustfulness and honesty. He lived his whole life in a simple manner, he would hate the theatrical manners and showing off of (many) scholars, and up to the end of his life he would pray in congregation and not abandon the night prayer (Qiyam Al-Layl).

His writings:

Hafiz Muhammad Lakhwi while being busy in teaching, lecturing, calling to Allah and directing people, did not neglect writing. He has books in Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Punjabi. The list of the books is listed below:

1) Nisab Al-Fiqh (Anwar Barakallah) (Punjabi poetic style)
2) Sher Tareeqat (Punjabi poetic style)
3) Hawashi Anwa’ Abdullah Lahori (Persian)
4) Hawashi wa Ta’liqat Sunnan Abi Dawood (Arabic)
5) Ta’liqat ‘ala Mishkat Al-Masabeeh (Arabic)
6) Sayf As-Sunnah (Punjabi poetic style)
7) Ahwal Al-Akhirah (Punjabi poetic style)
8) Hisn Al-Eman (Punjabi poetic style)
9) Zinat Al-Islam (Punjabi poetic style)
10) Qisah Shaykh Qasuri (Punjabi poetic style)
11) Aqaid Muhammadi (Punjabi poetic style)
12) Tafsir Muhammadi (Punjabi poetic style)
13) Mahamid Al-Islam (Deen Muhammadi) (Punjabi poetic style)
14)Rad Nichri (Punjabi poetic style)
15) Firqah Isma’eeliyah (Urdu)
16) Kheti (Punjabi poetic style)
17) ‘Ajalah Dawiyah (Arabic)
18) Fadhail Abu Hanifah (Urdu)
19) Sabeel Ar-Rashad (Persian)
20) Abwab As-Sarf (Persian)
21) Qawaneen As-Sarf (Persian)
22) Ilm as-Sarf (Persian)
23) Ilm An-Nahw (Persian)
24) Ilm Al-Ma’ani (Persian)

Brief presentation of his famous writings:

The brief presentation of five famous writings of Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhwi is listed below:

Hawashi Sunnan Abi Dawood: This Hawashi was first published in 1857 in Qadiri press Dehli. Shaykh Shamsul Haq Diyanwi Azeemabadi collected 12 manuscripts of Sunnan Abi Dawood when he was writing “Awn Al-Mabood” (his explanation on Sunnan Abi Dawood) and this manuscript (of Hafiz Muhammad Lakhwi) was also included in them. (“Awn Al-Ma’bood” v 4 p 553)

Ta’liqat ‘ala Mishkat Al-Masabeeh: Hafiz Muhammad, mercy be upon him, wrote his Hawashi in Arabic language and this book was published in 1272/1856 and a copy of it is present in the library of Muhammad ‘Ataullah Haneef (rah). It is now a very rare book.

Hisn Al-Eman: “Taqwiyatul Eman” is a famous book of Shaykh Shah Isma’eel Shaheed Dehlawi and it gathers different topics related to Tawheed. The noble Hafiz translated it into Punjabi poetic style and wrote Hawashi upon it in Persian. It was first published in 1282/1866.

Sabeel Ar-Rashad: Shaykh Muhammad Isma’eel Yamani, the author of “Subul As-Salam Sharh Bulugh Al-Maram” wrote a book on Tawheed entitled “Tathir Al-I’tiqad ‘an Adran Al-Ilhad” (Arabic). Hafiz Muhammad translated it into Persian and also wrote some Hawashi on it. This book was first published in 1294/1877.

Tafseer Muhammadi: This is Hafiz Muhammad’s famous Tafseer in Punjabi. Its historical name is “Muwadih Furqan”. He included in it the Persian translation (of the Quran) of Shah Waliyullah Dehlawi entitled “Fath Ar-Rahman” and the second translation is in Punjabi language and the Tafseer is in Punjabi poetic style, and this Tafseer is the translation of “Ma’alim At-Tanzeel” of Imam Baghawi. This Tafseer has been widely accepted, Muslims from Punjab benefited abundantly from it especially women.

The noble Hafiz started this Tafsir in 1285/1868 and completed it in 1296/1879 and it is in seven volumes. Shaykh Ghulam Rasool Mehr writes in his book “Sarzasht Mujahid”: “The famous scholar of Punjab and exegete Hafiz Muhammad Lakhwi is very famous as a writer, among his books, Tafseer Muhammadi has been read or heard by hundreds of thousands of Muslims of Punjab.”

His death

Hafiz Muhammad Lakhwi passed away at the age of 90 years on 13 Safar 1311/27 August 1893.

Source: "40 Scholars of Hadith" by Shaykh AbdurRasheed Iraqee

Biography of Shaykh Muhiudin AbdurRahman Lakhwi

He was the son of Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhwi. He was a great scholar and spiritual person, he went by foot to Ghazni to benefit from Shaykh Sayid Abdullah Ghaznawi, and he changed his name from Muhiudin to AbdurRahman, and after he was known as Muhiudin AbdurRahman Lakhwi.

Shaykh Muhiudin AbdurRahman Lakhwi was born in 1252 in Lakhw in the Ferozpur area. He memorized the Quran at the age of 8 and studied after many books and went at the age of 17 to Delhi and benefited from Shaykh Basheerudin Qanuji and Mufti Sadrudin Dehlawi.

After completing his studies, he returned to Lakhw and became teacher in his familial Madrasah, Madrasah Muhammadiyah. At this time, he started to exert great worship and wished to benefit from the spiritual teachings of Shaykh Sayid Abdullah Ghaznawi, so he traveled by foot to Ghazni to benefit from him.

Shaykh Muhiudin AbdurRahman Lakhwi was a great worshiper, living a simple life, he was an ardent follower of the Sunnah, he would remain silent a lot but would not miss to speak to spread good and condemn evil. Many ill people would come to him and get cured (through his invocation and Ruqya).

He wrote 7 or 8 epistles in Urdu and Punjabi, he translated "Araba'een Nawawi" in Punjabi poem style and wrote some notes on "Musalam Ath-Thoboot" (a famous Hanafi book of Usul Al-Fiqh)

On 15 Sha'ban 1312, he arrived at Makkah with the intention of Hajj, he performed Umrah and went to Madeenah but fell ill on his way and passed away in Madeenah on 12 Zul Qi'dah 1312 and was burried in Al-Baqi'.

 

Biography of Shaykh Muhammad Ali Madni Lakhwi

He was the son of Shaikh Muhiudin AbdurRahman Lakhwi, and great son of Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhwi

He was born in 1307/1890 in Ferozpur area in Lakhw. He joined the religious Madrasah of his family “Madrasah Muhammadiyah” and studied many books from Shaykh Abdul Qadir Lakhwi. After he went to Madrasah Ghaznawiyah in Amritsar and benefitted from Shaykh Sayid Abdul Jabbar Ghaznawi and other teachers. After he went to Wazeerabad and obtained Ijaza in Hadith from Hafiz Abdul Mannan Wazeerabadi. He also remained some time with Shaykh Abdul Wahid Ghaznawi and benefitted from him.

After completing his studies, he taught for some time in his familial Madrasah, Madrasah Muhammadiyah.

In 1928 or 29, he went to perform Hajj and remained there 10 months, and after he went many time and remained there for 2 and sometimes 3 years until he decided to reside permanently in Madinah as he was appointed by Saudi government as teacher of Hadith in Masjid Nabawi.

Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti wrote: “Shaykh Muhammad Ali Lakhwi started to teach Hadith in Masjid Nabawi, and it was a new methodology for the students there, and students really appreciated his methodology of teaching Hadith, and many students from Saudi, Egypt, Soudan, Algeria, Shaam, Indonesia and other African countries benefitted from him…students in Indian subcontinent also benefitted from him. With his lessons on Hadith, he was also giving lessons on Tafsir”

Shaykh Muhammad Ali Lakhwi taught approximately 45 years in Masjid Nabawi.

When Anjuman Ahl e Hadith Punjab, its first president was Shaykh Abdul Qadir Qasuri and secretary general Shaykhul Islam Abul Wafa Thanaullah Amritsari and Shaykh Muhammad Ali Lakhwi was nominated in the Majlis Aamilah (executive body)

Shaykh Muhammad Ali Madni Lakhwi passed away on 19 Semptenber 1973 in Madeenah (22 Zul Qi’dah 1393) at the age of 83.

Source: summarised from “Tazkirah An-Nubala fi Tarajim Al-Ulamma” of sh AbdurRasheed Iraqee.

 

Biography of Shaykh Muhiudin Lakhwi

He was Shaykh Muhammad Ali Madni Lakhwi's eldest son. He was born in 1914 in Lakhw, Ferozpur area.

He started his studies in his familial Madrasah Markaz Al-Islam Muhammadiyah in Lakhwi and benefited from Shaykh Ataullah Lakhwi. He also benefited from Shaykh Ataullah Haneef Bhujiyani.

He was a great worshiper since young, and was considered among Awliya of Allah. He was also a great orator and many people were influenced through his speeches. He lived a simple life and was considered Mustajab Du'a (meaning many of his invocations were answered)

In 1951, he was elected on the constitutional assembly in West Pakistan. Shorash Kashmiri said: "If people like Shaykh Muhiudin Lakhwi get elected in parliament, it can change the destiny of the country. People like him should come into power, but what can we do and where can we find such people with a great biographies and simple life styled (darweesh)?"

Unfortunately Shaykh Muhiudin resigned from the assembly seeing its atmosphere was not right.

The Shaykh was very busy in preaches and Azkaar, he was also an excellent poet in Urdu and Punjabi.

Shaykh Muhiudin had 2 wives and 9 daughters and 7 sons.

His eldest son is Hafiz Muhammad Lakhwi, he was teacher of Hadith in Jamiyah Muhammadiyah Okara. he passed away in his father's life.

All of his other sons are also teachers, 5 of them obtained degrees of MA in Islamic sciences and Arabic. The sixth graduated from Jamiyah Muhammadiyah Okara.

Among Shaykh Muhiduin's sons:

Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad Lakhwi is teacher on Government High school of Dipalpur.

Muhammad Hamid Lakhwi was also teaching in the same institution.

Muhammad Hamood Lakhwi was teacher in Government College in Okara.

Dr Muhammad Hammad Lakhwi was teacher of Islamic sciences in Punjab University. (He appears on peace TV and Paigham TV where he has Tafsir lessons, came many times to lecture in UK)

Muhammad Hameed Lakhwi was teacher in Government Public High School in Dipalpur.

Muhammad Zaid Lakhwi was teacher on District Public High school in Okara.

All of Shaykh Muhiudin Lakhwi's sons are involved in knowledge, teaching and preaching, following the tradition of their elders.

Shaykh Muhiudin Lakhwi passed away on 28 February 1998.

Source: Summarized from "Tazkirah An-Nubala fi Tarajim al-Ullama" of shaykh AbdurRasheed Iraqee.

 

Biography of Shaykh Mu'een Ad-Deen Lakhwi

He was Shaykh Muhammad Ali Lakhwi Madni's little son. He was born in Lakhw in Ferozpur area in 1921.

He started his studies at Madrasah Muhammadiyah Lakhw. He benefitted from his father and his maternal uncle Shaykh Ataullah Lakhwi.

In 1942, he joined the lessons of Tafsir of Shaykh Ahmad Ali Lahori and obtained Ijaza from him. In 1943, he joined the lessons on Hadith of Imam Al-Asr Shaykh Muhammad Ibraheem Meer Sialkoti.

After completing his studies, he started teaching in his familial Madrasah in Lakhw.

Shaykh Mu'een Ad-Deen had great religious and political services. He displayed great efforts in Tahreek Pakistan (movement of independence and creation of Islamic republic of Pakistan). He joined the Qadiyan tahreek in 1953 and was imprisoned in it.

He was elected in Municipal elections in 1953 in Okara and again in 1958.

In 1985, 1990 and 1997, he was elected in the national assembly. In 1980, he was nominated in the Majlis Shura of General Zia Al-Haqq.

He had a great role in organizing the Jamaat Ahl e Hadith. He was elected Ameer of Jam'iyah Ahl e Hadith in 1975 and occupied this position for 14-15 years.

He was also a great teacher, he was teaching for approximately 45 years, and the list of his students is huge.

Shaykh Muhammad Ishaq Bhatti, who was among his close friends writes: "Shaykh Mu'eenudin Lakhwi was from a great religious and spiritual family. He was a scholar of the religion and a person of influence, a religious scholar with attributes of Taqwa and religiosity, and with these attributes he was naturally enthusiastic and optimist person"

He authored the following books:

1) Punjab ka Azeem Muslih (biography of Hafiz Muhammad Lakhwi)

2) Qanoon Diyat

3) Qanoon Shahadat

He also has a compilation of his Fatawa.

In 1947, he was director of Jamiyah Muhammadiya Okara. He was married to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Junaghari's daughter. he has 3 sons and 7 daughters.

The name of his sons is:

1) Barakallah Anjum, MA
2) Dr Za'eem Ad-Deen 'Abid, MBBS
3) Dr Azeemudin Zahid, MBBS

Shaykh Mu'een Ad-Deen passed away in December 2011 at the age of 93, after a long illness of 7 years. He was buried in Tara Singh village near Deepalpur in Okara district, his nephew Dr Hammad Lakhwi led his funeral prayer.

Source: "Tazkirah An-Nubala fi Tarajim Al-Ullama" of Shaykh AbdurRasheed Iraqee.

 

Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi.

 

Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi was born in 1834, he was the son of Shaykh Hakeem Muhammad Shareef ibn Barakallah and the nephew of Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhvi (famous Tilmiz Mian Nazeer Husayn Dehlwi).

 

Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi learned Islamic sciences from his uncle Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhvi in their familial Madrasah Muhammadiyah in Lakhv. He went afterwards to study Hadith from Shaykh Sayid AbdulJabbar Ghaznawi at Madrasah Ghaznawiyah in Amritsar. Afterwards he went to Wazeerabad to benefit from Hafiz AbdulMannan Wazeerabadi and obtained Ijazah from him.

 

After completing his studies, he started teaching in his familial Madrasah Muhammadiyah in Lakhw. The Shaykh was very proficient in Islamic sciences and very ascetic. Shaykh Muhiudin AbdurRahman Lakhvi (son of Hafiz Muhammad Lakhvi) who was also teaching in Madrasah Muhammadiyah at the same time would refer students to Shaykh AbdulQadir when they had questions arguing that he is older than him and greater in knowledge.

 

Among famous students of Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi we count: Shaykh AbdulWahid Ghaznawi, Shaykh AbdulAwwal Ghaznawi, Shaykh AbdulGhafoor Ghaznawi, Shaykh AbdulWahab Dehlwi, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Lakhvi.

 

Hafiz Abdullah Ropuri also learned Nahow and Sarf in Madrasah Muhammadiah from Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhwi.

 

Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi taught approximately for 50 years Tafsir and Hadith and other sciences and passed away in 1924. He was also the maternal grand father of Shaykh Muhiudin Lakhvi and Shaykh Mueenudin Lakhvi, as his daughter was married to Shaykh Muhammad Ali Lakhvi ibn Muhiudin AbdurRahman ibn Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhvi.

 

Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi had 2 wives, he had 2 sons from first wife: Sa'dullah, Abdullah and Ahmadullah. His second wife was from Lodhi family and was Hafiz Muhammad Lakhvi's sister in law. He had from her Shaykh Ataullah Lakhvi who was also know as Ustadh Al-Punjab due to his large circle of students.

 

Source: "Tazkirah Molana Muhiudin Lalhvi, Halat, Khidmat, Khandan" of Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti

 

Shaykh Ataullah Lakhvi:

 

Shaykh Ataullah Lakhvi was born in 1882 in his familial village Lakhv (province Fayrozpur). He learnt the Qur'an from Qari Abdul Aziz at age of 4 or 5. Afterwards he started his religious studies in his familial Madrasah Muhammadiyah and learnt Hadith, Fiqh, Nahow and Sarf from his father Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi who was teaching there.

 

Afterwards he went to Lahore and studied in Madrasah Nu'maniyah and benefited from Shaykh Ghulam Ahmad there. Then he went to Amritsar and studied the books of Hadith in Madrasah Ghaznawiyah and took Sanad Hadith from Shaykh AbdulJabbar Ghaznawi.

 

Afterwards he went to study Mantiq and Falsafah in Rampur, Brelly and Saharanpur in different Madaris.

 

After completing his studies, he married Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhvi's daughter Ruqiya Bibi, and started to teach in Madrasah Muhammadiyah Lakhv, the familial Madrasah of the Lakhvi family. He and his father Shaykh AbdulQadir Lakhvi were preeminent teachers in this Madrasah and they would spend a lot of their time to teach students.

 

Shaykh Ataullah taught so many times books of Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Arabic literature, Ma''ani wa Bayan, Sarf wa Nahow that he memorized such books. he was excelling particular in Sarf and Nahow (Arabic morphology and grammar) and was considered as an Imam in these fields.

 

Shaykh Ataullah Lakhvi taught for 48 years in Madrasah Muhammadiyah, and had a huge circle of students, hence he was considered as Ustadh al-Punjab. among his famous students we count:

 

1) Shaykh AbdulJabbar Kandhalwi

2) Shaykh Atatullah Haneef Bhujiyani

3) Shaykh Abdullah Odh (Ameer of Jamaat Ghuraba Ahle Hadith Punjab)

4) Hafiz Abdullah Badheemalwi

5) Shaykh AbdurRahman Bhujiyani

6) Shaykh Abdullah Bhujiyani

7) Shaykh AbdurRaheem Bhujiyani

8) Shaykh Ataullah Badheemalwi

9) Shaykh Sayid Baksh Kamowi

10) Shaykh AbdulQadir Derwi

11) Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq Husaynwi

12) Shaykh Mu'eenudin Lahvi.

13) Hafiz Ahmadullah Badheemalwi.

14) Hafiz AbdulQadir Hasari

15) Shaykh Muhiudin Lakhvi.

16) Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf (Dar ul Hadith Rajanwal)

17) Shaykh AbdurRaheem Rehmani.

18) Hafiz Muhammad Bhutwi.

19) His son Shaykh AbdurRahman Lakhwi

 

Shaykh Atatullah Lakhvi passed away on 26 February 1952 in Jamiyah Muhammadiyah Okarah (Jamiyah Muhammadiyah was transferred to Okarah after partition), and was burried in Chak 18 near Renalah Khurd. His children and grand children were all scholars.

 

Shaykh Ataullah Lakhvi was the maternal uncle of Shaykh Muhiudin Lakhvi and Shaykh Meenudin Lakhvi, as his sister was married to Shaykh Muhammad Ali Lakhvi ibn Muhiudin Abdurrahman ibn Hafiz Muhammad ibn Barakallah Lakhvi.

 

source: Source: "Tazkirah Molana Muhiudin Lalhvi, Halat, Khidmat, Khandan" of Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti