Biography of Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi was born on the 12th October 1921 in Goth Peer Jhandah. His name was suggested by his grandfather Shaykh Rushdullah Shah Rashdi. Shaykh Muhibullah’s younger brother Shaykh badiudin Shah was born 2 years and 10 months after him.

His grandfather Shaykh Rushdullah Rashdi (d 1923)

Shaykh Rushdullah Rashdi was a student of Mian Nazeer Husayyn Dehlwi. He established in 1901 in his village “Peer Jhandah” the Madrasah Dar Ar-Rashad. In 1910, Shaykh Husayn ibn Muhsin Ansari Yamani inaugurated the first conference to distribute Isnaads. Shaykh Rushdullah Shah Rashdi was an opponent to the British rule in India and due to this, the British closed his Madrasah in 1918 and it opened again in 1920. Shaykh Rushdullah Shah Rashdi was very active in “Tahreek Khilafat” and he presided a conference of this movement in Larkanah, after which he was arrested and spent some time in jail.

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi said (as quoted in an interview in “Bahrul Ulum” p 514): “Our family took a great part in the Tahreek Khilafat against the British until people would call our grandfather Sayid Rushdullah Shah as “Peer Khilafat Wale”. Our grandfather was also selected as the president of Tahreek Khilafat Sind”

Shaykh Rushdullah Shah Rashdi authored many books among which we count:

a) Translation of Allamah Majdudin Fayrozabadi’s “Safar As-Sa’adah” in Sindhi language under the name “Thamar Akhirat”

b) “Darj Ad-Durar fi Wad’ Al-Yaday ‘alal Sadr”: on putting the hands on the chest in prayer

c) “Al-Qura li Musali Al-Jumu’ah Fil Madan wal Qura”: On praying Jumu’ah in villages

d) An epistle in Arabic explaining that there is no need to sit in Tashahhud in the middle when praying 3 Rak’at of Witr.

e) “Raf’ Al-Ghayb fi Masalah Ilm Al-Ghayb”: In Sindhi of the knowledge of the Unseen

f) In the field of the Qur’an, Shaykh Rushdullah Shah Rashdi translated the last Juzz Amma of the Qur’an in Sindhi language.

His father Shaykh Ihsanullah Shah Rashid

The father of Shaykh Muhibullah, Shaykh Ihsanullah Shah Rashdi was a great and respected scholar, even King AbdulAziz had excellent relations with him and would exchange letters with him (as mentioned by Shaykh Muhibullah in his auto biography present in “Bahrul Ulum” p 41)

Allamah Sayid Sulayman Nadwi wrote: “Sayid Ihsanullah Shah (rah) was a great scholar of Hadith and its narrators. He had a treasure in his library of rare manuscripts of Hadith, Tafsir, and narrators (Rijaal). His yearning was such that he had copists busy in copying new manuscripts from manuscripts of west and east, Egypt and Shaam, Qustantiniyah (Turkey). He (rah) was a follower of the path of the Salaf and was distinguished in knowledge and action”

Shaykh Ihsanullah Shah Rashdi passed at the age of 45 while Shaykh Muhibullah was 18 years old.

Shaykh Muhibullah’s teachers:

1) Hafiz Muhammad Ameen

2) Shaykh Wali Muhammad

3) Shaykh Muhammad Isma’eel Afghani

) Shaykh Qutbudin Halejo

5) Shaykh AbdulWahhab

6) Shaykh Hamidudin

7) Shaykh Muhammad Akram Sindhi

8) Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf

9) Shaykh Nur Muhammad

10) Shaykh Ubaydullah Sindhi

11) Shaykh Muhammad Madni

12) Shaykh Muhammad Khalil

13) Shaykh Mahmud Ahmad

14) Shaykh Bahaudin

15) Shaykh AbdulHaqq Hashmi Makki

16) Shaykh Abu Sa’eed Sharfudin Dehlwi

17) Shaykh Ata’ullah Haneef Bhujiyani

18) His father Shaykh Ihsanullah Shah Rashdi

His studies

After completing his religious studies from the Madrasah of his father “Dar Ar-Rashad” and the books of Dars Nizami, he started state studies. He completed his Matric, FA and afterwards completed his MA in Islamic sciences and he was fluent in Sindhi, Arabic and English. His papers for MA were written in English. The strength of his memory was such that he had memorised the Quran in 2 and half months at the age of 19.

His famous students:

The Shaykh listed 18 of his students in his autobiography present in “Bahrul Ulum” in the following order:

1) His brother Shaykh Badi’udin Shah Rashdi

2) Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim A’wan

3) Shaykh AbdulGhani ibn Shaykh Allah Bakhsh Tenio

4) Shaykh Bakhsh Muhammadi (Nawab Kot)

5) Shaykh Gul Muhammad (Lohar Sakrand near Nawab Shah)

6) Hafiz Mutee ur-Rahman (Sialkot, currently Sheffield UK) who studied Sunnan ibn Majah from him

7) Shaykh Ya’qub ibn Musa Habashi (Makkah) who studied Sahih Bukhari from him.

8) Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai who read bits of the Sihhah Sittah and obtained Ijazah.

9) Abu Ayub Mamduh ibn Fathi Barkawi (Kuwait)

10) Shaykh Abdullah ibn Shaykh Naseerudin Thari

11) Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Zahiri

12) Shaykh Shamsudin Jalalani (Shahdadpur)

13) Shaykh Ghulam Muhammad Abarra

14) Hafiz Ghulam Murtadha

15) Hafiz Muhammad Isma’eel

16) Shaykh AbdurRaheem Lakmer

17) The Shaykh’s son Muhammad Raashid Shah

18) The Shaykh’s son Qasim Shah

His writings

His Arabic books:

1) At-Ta’liq An-Najeeh ‘ala Jami’ As-Sahih (Sharh Sahih Bukhari)

2) Tarajim Ar-Ruwat Al-Qira’ah Khalf Al-Imam lil Imam Al-Bayhaqi

3) Kashf Al-Litham ‘an Tarajim Ar-Ruwat Al-A’lam Alazina Yarwuna Hadith La Salah liman La Yaqra bi Fatihatil Kitab.

4) Tariq As-Saddad wa Fadl Al-Maqal fi Tarajim Ar-Rijal Ath-Thiqat An-Nubal Alazina laysa lahum Zikr fi Tahzib Al-Kamal

5) Thiqat Ar-Rijal Al-Multaqatah min Tarikh Jurjan

6) Awnullah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) Al-Quddus As-Salam li Ta’liq Al-Aniq At-Taam ‘ala Ar-Risalah Al-Musammah Bi Idrak Ar-Rak’ah bi Idrak Ar-Ruku’ ma’al Imam.

7) Tahsil Al-Ma’lah bi Bayan Hukm Al-Jahr bi Basmalah fi Salah: Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi favoured saying Bismillah silently in Salah while Shaykh Badiudin favoured saying it loudly.

8) Al-Haam Ar-Raheem Al-Wadud wa Tanqid Fath Al-Ma’bud

9) Ta’liq Al-Muhib Al-Husayni ‘ala At-Taqrib lil Hafiz Al-‘Asqalani

10) At-Ta’liqat ‘ala Sahih ibn Hibban

11) Izalah Al-Akinah ‘an Ba’d Al-Mawadi’ fi Tamam Al-Minnah fi Ta’liq ala Fiqh Sunnah

12) “At-Ta’qib Al-Mani’ ‘ala Hadiyah Al-Badi’: An Arabic epistle refuting his brother Shaykh Badiudin Shah Rashdi on putting the hands on the chest after the Ruku’, published in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 9

13) “Ad-Darb Az-Zari’ ‘ala Al-Jawab Al-Waqi’”: Shaykh Badiudin Shah Rashdi replied to the previous epistle of Shaykh Muhibullah in his book “Al-Jawab Al-Waqi’ ‘an Ta’qib Al-Mani’” and Shaykh Muhibullah wrote a reply to it in this epistle, published in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 9

Urdu Books:

1) Hiyaz As-Salah min Bayan Ad’iyah As-Salah: Invocation in prayer.

2) Sidq Al-Maqal wa Saddad Al-Ittijah fi Bayan Sawanih Hayat Muhibullah: The Shaykh’s autobiography.

3) Sawanih Hayat Sayid Ihsanullah Shah Rashdi: The biography of his father Shaykh Ihsanullah Shah Rashdi.

4) As-Sa’i Al-Hathith fi Tahqiq At-Talaqqub bi Ahlil Hadith: On using the term Ahl e Hadith.

5) As-Sawa’iq Al-Mursalah min Al-Kitab Al-Aziz Al-Furqan li Ihraq Al-Khada’i wal Abatil Al-Waqi’ah fir Risalah Al-Musammah bi Balagh Al-Quran: refutation of the epistle “Balagh Al-Quran”.

6) Tanbih Al-Fatin Ad-Dari ala Faltani Al-Fadhil Al-Hasari Al-Mulaqqab bi At-Tawbikh At-Zajjar liman Yamna’u ‘an Ada Rak’atayn Jalisan ba’dal Witr.

7) Al-Manhaj As-Siwa fi Mulahazat ala Tafsir Al-Ghaznawi

8) Ar-Rad ‘ala Risalah li Nurullah Shah Rashdi

9) Tayid Alim Al-Ghayb Asg-Shahadah Al-Kabeer Al-Muta’al li Ahlil Irsal fi Tahqiq Nayl Al-Amani wa Husul Al-Aamal wala Yahiqu Al-Qunut wal Yas ila bil Mubtil Al-Mu’anid aw Al-Mujadil Al-Mukabir min Ahli Dalal.

10) Nayl Al-Amani wa Husul Al-Aamal bi Tahqiq annal Hay’at Al-Masnunah lil Qiyam ba’da Ruku’ hiya Al-Irsal: On not putting hands on chest after Ruku

11) Izalah Niqab At-Tazwir ‘an Wajh Masalah At-Taswir

12) Jawdah At-Tanqih fi Masalah Rak’at At-Tarawih

13) At-Tahqiq Al-Mustahala fi Thubut As-Salah ‘ala Nabi (Salla Allahu Subhanahu wa Ta’ala aleyhi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) fil Qa’dah Al-Ula: on sending Salah on the Prophet (saw) in the first Tashahhud.

14) Al-Qutuf Ad-Daniyah fi Ajwibah As-Suwalat Ath-Thamaniyah

15) Guzarishat Humari bar Jawab Insani A’dha ko Piondkari

16) In’am Zil Jallal wal Ikram bi Tahqiq Istihbab Taghtiyah Ar-Ras fi Ghayr Halatil Ihram

17) Haqiqat Pasandanah Musghalah barae Jaizah Qiblah Rukh Paon karne ka Masalah

18) Imam Muhammad ibn AbdilWahhab Ek Mujaddid

19) Al-Burhan Al-Qati’ min Allah Al-Wahhab Al-Waahid ‘ala Anna Saydana Isa ibn Maryam (aleyhima Salah wa Salam) wulida bila Waalid: On Isa (pbuh) being born without a father.

20) Ittihaf As-Sadat Al-Kiram bi Tahqiq Anna Awwal Salah Al-Masbuq huwa ma Adrakahu ma’al Imam

21) Ihdhar Al-Lum’ah li Tahqiq Al-Azan Al-‘Uthmani Yawm Al-Jumu’ah

22) Khutbah Sadarat Conference Lahore

23) Idah Al-Maram wa Istifa Al-Kalam ala Tad’if Hadith Nahi an Inti’al Halatal Qiyam: Weakening of the Hadith forbidding wearing shoes while standing.

24) Taskin Al-Qalb Al-Mushawish bi I’ta At-Tahqiq fi Tadlis Ath-Thawri wal A’mash

25) Darhi Kitni Rakhni Chahie: On the beard’s length.

26) Guzarish Bandah Haqeer par Taqseer Mukhlisanah Nasihat Nafis bi Janib Muhtaram Molana Muhammad Idris Sahib

27) Ar-Radd At-Tahqiq ala Kitab Pegham e Khuda

28) “Fardh Namazon ke Ba’d Ijtima’i Dua” present in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 1 on collective Du’a after the prayers.

29) “Pardah or Islam” on the veil, present in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 1

30) “Jannah Mafqudah”: replying to the objections of a woman on Islam, present in Maqalat Rashidiyah vol 4.

31) “Al-Mughtarayat”: Reply to objections on Uthman (rad) that he favoured his relatives, present in Maqalat Rashidiyah vol 4

His Sindhi books translated by others to Urdu:

32) The Urdu translation of “Al-Manhaj Al-Aqwam fi Tafsir Surah Maryam” is present in Maqalat Rashidiyah vol 4

33) His Urdu translation of “Fatawa Rashidiyah” have been recently published by Nomani Kutub Khanah in 664 pages.

34) The Urdu translation of “Bazl Aqsa Al-Wasi fi Ajwibah As-Suwalat At-Tis’” is present in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 1

35) The Urdu translation of “Al-Qawati’ Ar-Rehmaniyah li Iftira Al-Firqah Al-Qadiyaniyah” is present in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 1

36) The Urdu translation of “Izhar Al-Ghiwayah Al-Waqi’ah fi Kitab Pegham e Hidayat” refuting Allamah Mashraqi is present in Maqalat Rashidiyah vol 4.

37) The Urdu translation of “At-Tahqiq Al-Jaleel fi Annal Irsal ba’da Ruku’ fi Salah huwal Haqq min Haythu Ad-Dalil” is present in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 9

38) The Urdu translation of “Awn Al-Wali Al-Hameed fi Rad ‘ala AbdilWaheed” on the refutation of evolution is present in Maqalat Rashidiyah vol 4.

39) The Urdu translation of “At-Tabisrah ‘ala Kitab “Jehi Zan’a Mona”” entitled “At-Tabsirah ala Kitab kama Raytu” is present in Maqalat Rashidiyah vol 4.

40) The Urdu translation of “Afsahu Al-Bayan wa Awdahu Al-Burhan ‘ala Anna la Salata Liman Lam Yaqra bi Ummil Quran” is present in “Maqalat Rashidiyah” vol 1

Sindhi books:

1) Al-Manhaj Al-Aqwam fi Tafsir Surah Maryam.

2) Fatawa Rashidiyah.

3) Bazl Aqsa Al-Wasi fi Ajwibah As-Suwalat At-Tis’.

4) Safar Namah Istanbul

5) Safar Namah Hijaz

6) Safar Namah Hijaz wa Europe

7) Safar Namah Islamabad conference Ahl e Fikr wa Danish

8) Al-Qawati’ Ar-Rehmaniyah li Iftira Al-Firqah Al-Qadiyaniyah

9) At-Tanqid As-Sunni ‘ala Faltat Al-Molvi AbdulGhani

10) Izhar Al-Ghiwayah Al-Waqi’ah fi Kitab Pegham e Hidayat

11) At-Tahqiq Al-Jaleel fi Annal Irsal ba’da Ruku’ fi Salah huwal Haqq min Haythu Ad-Dalil

12) Anyas Al-Firagh fi Bayan Haqaiq Ulum Al-Balagh

13) ‘Awn Al-Wali Al-Hameed fi Rad ‘ala AbdilWaheed

14) Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) jo Ihsan Sundus Mony Bara Jaizah

15) Al-Bayan Al-Anbal fi Sharh Al-Mufassal

16) At-Tabsirah ‘ala Kitab “Jehi Zan’a Mona”

17) Shi’r wa Sha’iri

18) Afsahu Al-Bayan wa Awdahu Al-Burhan ‘ala Anna la Salata Liman Lam Yaqra bi Ummil Quran.

19) Mulahazat bar Kitab Maqam Mustafa

Shaykh Muhibullah’s great library Maktabah Al-Aaliyah

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi and Shaykh Badiudin Shah Rashdi both took half of the great library of their father and both added to their respective libraries and both libraries were famous in the world. Shaykh Irshad ul Haq Athari wrote about the fame of the library of Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashidi (as quoted in “Bahr Al-Ulum “v1 p 155):

“The famous Hanafi verifying scholar Allamah Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah described the book “Im’an An-Nazar bi Sharh Nukhbatil Fikr” of Shaikh Muhammad Akram ibn AbdirRahman Sindhi:”I saw this great Sharh in my trip to India and Pakistan in the year 1382 in the Maktabah of Shaikh Muhibullah Shah (Rashidi)…in his village of Peer Jandha near Hyderabad Sind, and it is a great Sharh reaching 350 pages…and this Maktabah is the most filled regarding manuscripts that I saw in India and Pakistan, there are extremely precious and rare among books of Hadith and its science, I remained there for 2 days and they were like the best days of my life, may Allah reward his owner with a great reward” (Notes of Shaykh Abu Ghuddah in the notes of “Ar-Raf wa Takmeel” of Shaykh Abdul Hai Luknawi)

Shaykh Taqi Uthmani wrote about this library (“Bahrul Ulum” p 383): “Today by the favour of Allah, I came in the presence of Peer Sahib (ie Shaykh Muhibullah) and I had the honour to visit this abundant treasure of knowledge in his guidance, and this was not less than a great favour, the books and manuscripts present in this person’s library have no similar in the whole of the Indian Subcontinent (Bare Sagheer)”

Many books in recent times such as “Al-Mustadrak” of Imam Hakim and “Sunnan Al-Kubra” of Imam Bayhaqi have been published using manuscripts from Shaykh Muhbullah’s library. Shaykh Irshad Al-Haqq Al-Athari when he published “Musnad Abi Ya’la” and “Al-Ilal Al-Muntanayah” of Hafiz ibn Jawzi also used manuscripts from Shaykh Muhibullah’s library. Likewise Shaykh Hamdi AbdulMajeed published “Musnad Ash-Shamiin” after obtaining a manuscript from the Shaykh’s library.

Many scholars benefited from his research, Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai wrote (as quoted in “Bahr Al Ulum p 172) that Shaykh Hamdi AbdulMajeed Salafi wrote in his Tahqiq of “Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabeer Lil Tabarani” (v 1 p 209) about a narrator: “He is Majhul (unknown) according to his rule as said by our Shaykh Muhibullah”

Shaykh Muhibullah’a active call to Tawheed

In 1939, Shaikh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi, with his mother, nephew and others went by ship to perform Hajj. When the ship started to seal from Karachi, an individual shouted loudly “Labayk Ya Rasoolallah”. Shaikh Muhibullah said loudly: “Other than Allah are invoked! I don’t know what’s going to happen to this ship”. Look at the power of Allah, as soon as the ship left the limits of Karachi, a storm occured and people started to scream, the waves were so strong, so all the people started to invoke Allah, falling into prostration, they started as well to read the Quran, imploring Allah for safety and removal of this difficulty. The staff of the ship said that they haven’t seen such a storm in 40 years. The difficulty was so intense that they all invoked Allah even the person who said “Labayk ya Rasoolallah” was only invoking Allah falling in prostration. The captain of the ship turned the direction of the ship towards another direction than Jeddah. All the people were saddened that they won’t be able to perform Hajj this year. For 3-4 days, the situation remained the same, and then Allah saved them from the storm, the ocean stream returned to its natural condition, so the captain turned back the direction towards Jeddah.This perilous trip in the life of Shaikh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi lasted for more than 11 days, and they all safely reached Jeddah and performed Hajj. As summarised from “Karwan e Salaf” of Shaikh Ishaq Bhatti p 379-380.

The Insaf of Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi with Ahnaaf

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi said about taking the good books of Shaykh Mawdudi: “Molana Mawdudi, this personality also did a lot of work regarding this (Tafsir). His books (which are famous and well known in the whole country) are a clear proof of his efforts. If someone does injustice or by Ta’asub (bigotry) does not benefit from these books only for the reason that Molana did not declare himself Ahl e Hadith or he was not from this Maslak (school of thought), and for this reason he does not read his books, then this shows extreme narrow heart and narrow tolerance. There is an Arabic saying “Al-Hikmah Daalatul Mumin” and “Khuz ma Safa wa Da’ ma Kadara (take what is pure/clean and abandon what is muddy). Hence one should not feel ashamed in benefiting from these books and neither one should be ashamed in taking his correct statements due to difference in Maslak. In reality if we deal with justice, then in the books of Molana Mawdudi (despite being wrong in many things), there are many beneficial information and the distinguished particularities of his books is to defend from new attacks (on Islam) in a new colour. A non-biased and non-Muta’asib person can take great benefits from him, his Tafsir and some of his epistles in Urdu and English are extremely beneficial.” (“Bahrul Ulum” p 480)

Afterwards Shaikh Muhibullah Shah Rashidi also praised 3 English books (“Islam at the crossroads”, “The Road to Mecca”, “The principles of state and Government in Islam”) of Muhammad Assad (Austrian-Polish Jew convert Leopold Weiss) though Muhammad Assad has serious mistakes in his Tafsir such as extrapolating miracles, hence Saudi Arabia refused to print his English Tafsir. Once should take into consideration that books of Shaykh Mawdudi such as Tafsir which contain good but also mistakes such as Maturidi creed and others, only students who can distinguish should read if they want while books that are free from mistakes in defence of Islam can be read by laymen.

Shaykh Anwar Shah Rashdi said about his grandfather Shaykh Muhibullah, as translated from Urdu from his post on Facebook:

“My noble grand father (Allamah Sayid Muhibullah Shah Rashdi rah) also had kept good links (Ta’aluq) with Shaykh Taqi Usmani, Shaykh Anwar Ahmad (rah) and with many of his Ahnaaf teachers, but he would never, by opting for Mudahanat, compromise the Ahl e Hadith Maslak. With remaining in the circle of good character, he defended well the Ahl e Hadith Maslak by writing and speeches. Many scholars of the Ahnaaf were in continuous link with my noble grand father. Shaykh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah Dimashqi (rah) came twice to “Maktabah Aaliyah Ilmiyah” Peer Off Jhandah, and once he stayed 2 complete days, when he met my noble grand father, he was forced to praise him and said with astonishment that such an outstanding personality is not know in the Arab world and that he would write about him when he returns to Shaam, and he said that he counts his stay at Peer Jhandah among his best days, and his impression is still present in the visit book, and he left after gifting some of his books (to Shaykh Muhibullah).

Shaykh Muhibullah’s Ta’awun with Religious movements

Membership of Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith

After the death of Shaykh Isma’eel Salafi, when Hafiz Muhammad Gondalwi was the Ameer, Shaykh Muhibullah was nominated as a member of Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith and he participated in many meetings until differences occurred and the Jamiat divided into 2 groups.

Ameer of Jama’at Ahl e Hadith Sind

Shaykh Badiudin Shah Rashdi was the Ameer of Jama’at Ahl e Hadith Sind and after his emigration to Makkah, Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi was nominated as the Ameer of this Jama’at. When Shaykh Badiudin Shah returned to Sind, the Jama’at reappointed him as Ameer.

Establishment of Ahl e Hadith Youth Force in Sind

Allamah Ihsan Elahi Zaheer requested Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi to support his movement Ahl e Hadith Youth Force which was very active in Punjab. Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi accepted and instructed his son Shaykh Qasim Shah Rashdi to participate actively in it, so an office of Ahl e Hadith Youth Force was established in New Sa’eedabad and without informing Shaykh Muhibullah Shah, they appointed him as their Ameer of Ahl e Hadith Youth Force Sind. Shaykh Muhibullah was not interested in any position but his aim in joining movements and helping them was only for the spread of the Ahl e Hadith Maslak.

His efforts against the communism of Bhutto

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi said (as quoted in his autobiography mentioned in “Bahrul Ulum” p 84-85): “The movement (Tahreek) against Bhuttosim: When the religious parties (Deen Pasand Jamatein) stood together against Bhutto and decided to confront him in elections, then at this time I (Raqim al Huruf) according to the best of my capacity helped them (Ta’awun kia) and I did a tour with these religious parties in most areas of Sind, Hyderabad, Nawab Shah, Mirpur Khas, Jacobabad, Larkanah, and in each places with zeal I delivered speeches against the socialism of Bhutto…”

His participation in the movement of Sadr Azad Kashmir Sardar AbdulQayum

Shaykh Muhibullah wrote in his autobiography (Bahrul Ulum p 86-87) that when the president of Azad Kashmir launched his movement, he invited him in the first conference in Peshawar. Shaykh Muhibullah participated in it and afterwards in the conference in the conference in Hyderabad but then he ceased going to further invitation to his conferences as Sardar AbdulQayum did not reply to his letter objecting on photography and avoided him in the conference of Hyderabad.

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi wrote after mentioning his participation in all these movements: “Meaning I did Ta’awun with all my capacity with all the movements which rose in Pakistanand it is the favour of Allah that He conferred me the Tawfeeq of such”

His participation in Politics

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah wrote in his autobiography: “National politics were not according my temperament; hence I could not take a lot of part in it. I do not consider politics separate from the religion nor I consider the religion and Madhab as a private matter, but the way politics was going or is going, my heart was not happy…”

He further wrote: “When Ayub Khan established PD system, on the insistence of friends, I stood as candidate in Union Council Peer Jhandah, and against me my uncle Sayid Sarwar Din Shah’s son Sayid Muhammad Basheer Shah stood, and the election took place in the governmental house in Great Mark, and I was successful in it, and afterwards I was successful in being elected as the chairmen of Union Council and I remained chairman of Union Council but afterwards I left this matter.”

His death

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi passed away on the 21st January 1995

His family

Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi’s first two sons passed away young and after he had 3 sons and one daughter:

1) Sayid Muhammad Yasin Shah from his first wife, and the rest of his children are from his second wife.

2) Sayid Muhammad Raashid Shah

3) Shaykh Sayid Muhammad Qasim Shah: He graduated from Dars Nizami and became teacher in Madrasah Dar Al-Huda wal Irshad (Peer Jhandah Wala) and he was conferred the responsibility of Shaykh Muhibullah’s Madrasah and library.

Shaykh Muhammad Qasim Shah’s son Shaykh Anwar Shah Rashdi also completed Dars Nizami and is a proficient scholar in the field of Hadith and Jarh wa Ta’dil, following the legacy of his ancestors.

Sources: “Bahrul Ulum” and other sources. The special number of the magazine “Bahrul Ulum” on Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi in 679 pages was compiled by Shaykh Iftikhar Ahmad Azhari.

Shaykh Iftikhar Ahmad Azhari also published “Maqalat Rashidiyah” currently 13 volumes with more to come, collecting the epistles of Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi and Shaykh Badiudin Shah Rashdi.

Some Arabic books of Shaykh Muhibullah Shah Rashdi have also recently been published by Shaykh Muhammad Rafeeq Athari.