Shaykh AbdulQayum Rehmani (1920-2008)

His family

Shaykh AbdulQayum ibn Zaynullah ibn Sulayman ibn Amanat ibn Khudda Bakhsh was born near 1920 in the village of Dudhnayan Nabrag in the suburb of Basti (nowadays Sidarath Nagar) in the province of UP. His ancestors were non Muslims Rajput who became Muslims at the end of the era of the Mughals.

His studies

Shaykh AbdulQayum started his studies in the primary school of Sewra and he learned beginners’ religious books from his grand father’s brother Zuhoor Ahmad. Afterwards he went to Jandhanagar where he studied some books from Shaykh AbdurRahman Dokami and Shaykh AbdurRauf Rehmani Jandagarhi.

In 1933 he went to Maonath Bhanjan and joined the Madrash Faydh e Aam. He studied there from Shaykh AbdurRahman Maowi. In 1934 he joined Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah Delhi. There he studied “Bulugh Al-Maram” from Shaykh Ubaydullah Mubarakpuri, “Nur Al-Anwar” from Shaykh Nazeer Ahmad Rehmani, “Mishkat” from Shaykh AbdulGhafoor Baskohri. In Delhi he learned books of Hadith from Shaykh Ahmadullah Partabghari in Madrasah Zubaydiyah and Shaykh Abu Sa’eed Sharfudin Dehlwi in Madrasah Sa’eediyah. He also passed Molvi Fazil in Punjab University.

After his studies, Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani taught in different places. In 1948 he established a high school in Sidarath Nagar which became after an inter college. He established in the village Mahdiya in the suburb of Sidarath Nagar, Muslim Higher Secondary school.

His students

Among those who benefited from Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani, we count:

1) Dr Abdul Aleem Abdul Azeem Bastawi

2) Shaykh Salahdin Maqbool Ahmad

3) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ziyad At-Tuklah (Shaam)

4) Shaykh AbdurRahman Huzaifi (Madeenah)

5) Shaykh Khalid Al-Mutairi (Kuwait)

6) Shaykh Arif Javed Muhammadi (Kuwait)

7) Dr Muhammad Ishaq Zahid

8) Dr Asim Qariyuti

9) Shaykh Badr Otaybi

10) Dr Waleed ibn Muhammad Al-‘Ali (Kuwait)

11) Shaykh Safwan Adnan Dawudi (Shaam)

12) Shaykh Nizam Ya’qubi (Bahrain)

His political efforts

Shaykh AbdulQayum Rehmani had a great respect for Shaykh Abul Kalam Azad. During his studies he would attend political gatherings and after completing his studies he participated in the political activities for the independence of India. He was arrested on the 22 August 1942 in his village and imprisoned in City Jail. Afterwards he was sent to Gorakhpur Jail and some times after he was transferred to Neeni Tal Jail. At this time Sundar Laal, Feroz Gandhi, Laal Bahadur Shastri, Shaykh Husyan Ahmad Madni, Balabh Bhai Patel were also in the same jail.

Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani had excellent relations with many leading politicians such as Shaykh Husayn Ahmad Madni, Pundit Johar Laal Nehru, Khan AbdulGhaffar Khan, Qadhi Adeel Abbasi, Qadhi Jaleel Abbasi, Laal Bahadur Shastri, Charan Singh, Sundar Laal, Rafee’ Ahmad Qadwai, Indira Ghandi and many others.

In 1947 Johar Laal Nehru called the Asian conference and Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani participated in it and acted as a translator at the request of Nehru.

After the independence, Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani was given some lands by Pundit Johar Laal Nehru, who became the prime minister, for his efforts for the independence.

Indira Ghandi at an independence ceremony gave him an award and shield like to other freedom fighters. Like other freedom fighters, he was given a free train first class pass for life.

Shaykh AbdulQayum Rehmani participated as an independent candidate in the election of 1967 but unfortunately he was not successful and afterwards he left active politics.

The Shaykh was a fearless leader speaking the truth. Once when Rajiv Ghandi tried to control the population birth rate, and Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani opposed him and lead a Jalsah (conference) in Patna with the Ahl e Hadith Jamaat against this law. The police tried to stop this Jalsah and the captain went to see Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani, who replied that the Jalsah will certainly happen and he will do a speech, he said: “We are not afraid of the English people, so how will we be afraid of you?” so the captain left and the gathering was very successful.

His writings

Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani authored many articles in different magazines. He authored a book in Arabic entitled “Tarikh Al-Yahood wa Nasara fil Quran Al-Kareem” and two books in Urdu “Khayr Al-Umam” and “Hazir wa Nazir”

Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti mentioned in “Chamestan Hadith” that it is said that he wrote a Tafsir of the Quran and its manuscript was not preserved but Shaykh Khalid Haneef Siddiqi said in “Tarajim Ullama Ahl e Hadith” that it is famous that the Shaykh wrote a Tafsir but it is not correct, and Allah knows best.

His teaching and preaching

Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani was an active preacher and a great Mufassir of the Quran, he would travel a lot to deliver lectures and teach Tafsir of the Qur’an. In 2006 he conducted a Majlis Sima of Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim in Shaykh Muhammad Nasir Al-Ajmi’s house in Kuwait. Shaykh Arif Javed Muhammadi was present in this Majlis Sima’. Shaykh Arif Javed Muhammadi also conducted Hadith hearing sessions in his Markaz Da’wah Al-Jaaliyat with Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani.

His death

Shaykh Abdul Qayum Rehmani led a conference of the Ahl e Hadith Jama’at on the 12^th May 2008 in Tiwari in the suburb of Sidarath Nagar. The next day he went to deliver a lecture in another place and returned home on the 22 may and had diarrhoea. He took some treatments but the illness increased and on the 28 may he was transported by Jeep to Lucknow and he passed away 2 hours after being admitted to the hospital there and his body was driven back home in the evening. The next day on the 29 May, Shaykh Abdul Hameed Rehmani led his funeral prayer in which thousands of students, scholars and laymen participated. This Freedom fighter was led to rest in the cemetery of his ancestors. Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Rajiun.

Source: “Chamestan Hadith” of Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti and “Tarajim Ullama Ahl e Hadith” of Shaykh Khalid Haneef Siddiqi vol 1.