Biography of Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri

His family

Shaykh Abdullah Gurdspuri was born in 1916 in the area of Gurdaspur (East Punjab) in the village of “Waraich”.

His father’s names was Hakeem Imamudin, who was a pious person and very respectful of scholars and preachers.

His education

When Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri reached the age of understanding, he went to public school, and he passed middle with excellent number. Afterwards he went to High School in Bhagawal at the age of 15.

After hearing Shaykh Sanaullah Amritsari and Shaykh Ata’ullah Shah Bukhari in a conference near his area, Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri was very affected and decided to study religious studies instead of public education.

His father made him join “Madrasah Dar As-Salam” in Batalah, which was under “Anjuman Khadim Al-Muslimin” and Shaykh Ata’ullah Shaheed was a teacher there. Shaykh Ata’ullah Shaheed was martyred (insha Allah) by Sikhs during troubles during partition in 1947.

After completing Dars Nizami from Shaykh Ata’ullah Shaheed, Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri went to Madrasah Ghaznawiyah where he studied some books from teachers there. Afterwards he went to Madrasah Rehmaniyah Delhi and stayed there for some time. He also went to Dar Al-Ulum Deoband and benefited from some of their teachers. Afterwards he went to study Tafsir from Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim Mir Sialkoti

His teaching and preaching in India

After completing his studies in 1937, he started to give Khutbah. There was a huge British Dolan Mill in Dhariwal, and its British owners made a Masjid, a Hindu Temples, a Sikh Gurdwara and a Church for all their employees of different faith. Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri was hired as the Imam there for 50 Rupees a month, which was an excellent salary for this time.

Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri stayed there from 1937 to 1947. With delivering the Khutbah there, he would also teach in the Dar Al-Ulum of the local Ahl e Hadith Masjid in Dhariwal.

Syed Muhammad Shah Rabbani was a school teacher in this area, he was always busy in Zikr and people would come to him to ask him to make Du’a for them. He had established 4 Masajid in his life. One day he called Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri and informed him that he wanted to transfer all Masajid he established from Rabbani Trust to Anjuman Ahl e Hadith Dhariwal, and he wanted All India Ahl e Hadith Conference to supervise these Masajid. Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri went to see Shaykh Sanaullah Amritsari, who was the general secretary of All India Ahl e Hadith Conference. Shaykh Sanaullah Amritsari organised a conference in Dhariwal and announced in it the great news of the decision of Syed Muhammad Shah Rabbani.

His teaching and preaching in Pakistan

In August 1947 at the partition, some Sikhs started to kill Muslims in East Punjab, so Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri left India for Pakistan with his family of around 60 people. They went first to Narowal, Sialkot, Wazeerabad, Sohadrah, Gujranwala and then to Lahore where they settled in the area of Raiwind 4 days before Eid Al-Adha.

There was only one Masjid at the time in Raiwind which was Ahl e Hadith. When Haji Muhammad Aashiq who was in charge of the Masjid heard that a scholar had arrived, he went on the day of Eid to see Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri who was sitting in the crowd, and asked him to lead the Eid prayer and Khutbah. Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri’s Khutbah was on the Hijrah and sacrifice of Ibrahim (as), which affected listeners and many cried.

Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri was allocated a small mill of clothes in Santnagar in Lahore. He would deliver Khutbah freely in Raiwind. He also played a role in the extension of this Masjid. In 1948, he would also deliver Khutbah in Qasur Jami Ahl e Hadith Masjid, also known as Jami Faridiyah.

In 1949, the Jama’at of Burewala asked him to move there, so he went there and delivered Khutah there for the rest of his life. He established a Madrasah called “Madrasah Muhammadiyah” in the Ahl e Hadith Masjid in Burewala.

Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri’s lectures and sermons were highly appreciated, he would speak in a very gentle manner, and he would also mention anecdotes of elders, especially Shaykh Sanaullah Amritsari and Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim Mir Sialkoti, and also Hafiz Ismaeel Ropri, Shaykh Ali Muhammad Samsam and Shaykh Muhammad Branbri.

He would meet everyone, elder and young, all different members of the society with a jovial manner. He was a very lively person possessing a great heart, and would love softness and gentleness and as a result of his preaching and sincerity, Allah (Ta’ala) brought many laymen from Burewala to the Ahl e Hadith Maslak.

His Milli efforts

In 1953 he was imprisoned for some time due to his participation in the movement against Qadiansim. He also participated in this movement in 1974 and was arrested under the Safety Act.

Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti wrote: “He did lots of Dawrat in many places of the country asking for Nifaz of the Islamic system (Islami Nizam) in the country and educated people about its benediction”.

Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri had joined Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith Pakistan since its creation and Shaykh Dawud Ghaznawi and Shaykh Ismaeel Salafi and other senior leaders of the Jamaat had full confidence in him.

He also exerted efforts in the Tahreek Nizam e Mustafa in 1977 against Zulfiker Bhutto as mentioned in his biography in the magazine Mohadis September 2012

His children

Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri had 4 sons and 6 daughters, his sons are:

a) Dr Muhammad Sulayman Azhar (Newcastle), who became a world renowned scholar famous for compiling “Tahreek Khatm e Nubuwwat” in more than 70 volumes, and “Tarikh Ahl e Hadith” in currently more than 20 volumes. He recieved many awards for his gigantic efforts. May Allah (Ta’ala) take further services from him.

b) Hafiz Muhammad Luqman Ghazanfar Salafi: Graduate of Madinah University, he taught in Jami Masjid Ahl e Hadith Mian Channu and passed away on the 10^th June 2002.

c) Riyadh Qadeer: He is a businessman and a pious person

d) Zubair Ahmad: He is teacher in a school in Burewala, and also delivers Khutbah in the Masjid.

His death

Shaykh Abdullah Gurdaspuri passed away on the 7^th May 2012 and his funeral prayer was lead in Burewala by Shaykh Irshadul Haqq Athari on the 8^th May, may Allah (Ta’ala) grant him Firdaws Al-‘Ala. His funeral prayer was historic in Burewala in the sense that schools, colleges and shops were closed for his funeral prayer.

Sources: “Bazm Arjumandan” of Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti, article of Shaykh Ramzan Yusuf Salafi in “Mohadis” September 2012, and others.