[Biography] – Shaikh Abul-Hariz Malik Abdul-Aziz Munazar Multani [1389H]

Compiled, Translated and Annotated

Abu Hibbaan & Abu Khuzaimah Ansaari

Compiled 2003

These biographies of these hadeeth masters and all the others that have been presented on this blog are by no means justice to these great Hadeeth Masters but rather an insight and glimpse of the heritage and History of the scholars of Hadeeth, The Ahlul Hadeeth Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah, the Salafis.   

This is a brief biography of Shaikh Maalik Abdul Azeez. He was born approximately at the turn of the 19th century at about 1899 in the eastern part of Multaan, a major city of the state of Punjaab, in Paakistaan. He was born in a district 7 miles to the east of Multaan, in an area known as Khudaadwala in a family of farmers.

Seeking Knowledge 

He starting seeking knowledge from an early stage, however the environment around was not entirely scholarly. So he moved to the city where he sought knowledge and achieved the studentship of the two famous and well-known scholars teaching there.

They were

1. Shaykh al-Allaamah Abdul-Haqq Multaanee

2. Shaykh al-Allaamah Abdul-Tawaab Multaanee

1. Shaykh al-Allaamah Abdul-Haqq Multaanee 

He was originally from Dhera Ismaa’eel Khaan and a Faraanee Afghan, he later moved to Multaan. He was from amongst the first people who started to call the people to the Tawheed of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalaahu Alayhee Wasallam) in that area. Suffice it to say that he was one of the foremost students of al-Allaamah al-Muhaddith al-Muftee Mian Nazeer Hussain Muhaddith Dehlawee (d.1318H), from who he learnt all the different branches of Islaam. His rank and position with his teacher was such that he (Mian Nazeer Hussain) would have complete trust and reliance in him.

When questions would come to Mian Nazeer he would pass them onto Shaykh Abdul-Haqq who would answer them and Main Nazeer would then just add his approval. So when one looks at ‘Fataawaa Nazeeriyyah’ of Allaamah Nazeer Hussain some of the verdicts have the name of Abdul-Haqq next to them. This was his rank. Then another well-known student of al-Allaamah Mian Nazeer Hussain, Shaykh al-Allaaamah al-Muhaddith Abul-A’la Muhammad Abdur Rahmaan Mubaarakpooree, the author of  Tuhfatul Ahwadhee, checked Fataawa Nazeeriyyah.

2. Shaykh al-Allaamah Abdul-Tawaab Multaanee 

Born in 1288H, he also learnt ahadeeth from the hadeeth master, al-Allaamah al-Muhaddith al-Muftee Mian Nazeer Hussain Muhaddith Dehlawee. Thereafter he gained permission of hadeeth from,

1. Imaam Ahmad bin Abdur-Rahmaan al-Banna Misree, the one who put al-Musnad of Imaam Ahmad in an order.

2. Shaykh al-Allaamah Muhammad Raaghib at-Tabbakh al-Halabee Shamee (d.1370). He was highly influenced by the works of the two Shaykhain, Shaykh ul-Islaam Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah and Imaam Shams ul-Islaam Ibn Qayyim as well as the works of Imaam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee. He would often re-print their books and give them out free especially ‘A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een’. He authored many books. He died in 1366H.

Thereafter the Shaikh travelled to Siyaalkot and studied in ‘Jaamia Ibraaheemiyyah’ where he benefited from Shaykh Muhammad Ibraaheem Meer Siyaalkotee. Then when the seeking of knowledge further instilled zealously in him, he travelled to ‘Jaamia Sa’eediyyah’ in Delhi and learnt from Shaykh al-Allaamah Abu Sa’eed Sharf-ud-Deen Dehlawee, the famous student of al-Allaamah Mian Nazeer Hussain Muhaddith Dehlawee, where he completed his studies.

He spent most of his life as the rector of ‘Daar ul-Hadeeth Muhammadiyyah’ in Multaan. He spent years teaching the Prophets hadeeth in this institution as well as delivering the Friday sermon at the Jaamia Masjid. He also travelled and visited other cities where he helped to establish and propagate the dawah. 

One of his most memorable such programs was in the town of Dhera Ghazee Khaan, where he, alongside another Shaykh, severely refuted the madhab of the Raafidhee’s and the censurable concepts of shirk and innovation.

Debates 

During his life he had many victories whilst debating with Ahlul-Bid’ah on various issues. He was a close companion of Shaykh al-Allaamah Thanaullah Amritsaree and both of them would indulge in defending Ahlus-Sunnah equally against the accusations and objections of the people of shirk and innovation. Some of his well known debates were with the Shee’ah, one of them was with the Shee’ee Sayyid Zain al-A’abideen Shaah and another one with Ismaa’eel ash-Shee’ee, both of whom were severely refuted and their arguments annihilated by the Shaykh, Walillahil-Hamd.

In the district of Shaah Ghardaiz in Lucknow (a place known for shee’ah residency), in the house of Sayyid Asghar Alee Shaah, Sayyid Zain al-A’abideen in the presence of other shee’ahs debated with the Shaykh on different issues between Ahlus-Sunnah and the shee’ahs. The Shaykh was so knowledgeable about the shee’ah madhab that he (his) opponent began to sweat as the expertise of the Shaykh was such that all his arguments were based and referenced from the books of the shee’ahs themselves. The Shaykh would always return victorious.

He also debated with the famous Hanafee mullah, Maulana Khair Muhammad Jalandharee and it has been narrated that after the debate the Hanafee Maulana did not know his way back home. 

His Works 

The main areas of writing and research of the Shaykh were shee’ism and the refutation of Taqleed hence most of his works revolve around this.

In refutation of the Shee’ah he wrote,

1. The Decisive Word On Who Murdered Hussain.

2. The Decisive Word On the Marriage of Umm Kulthoom (bint Alee to Umar al-Khataab).

3. Hadeeth Qartaas.

4. The Garden of Fidak.

5. Ehtimaam Janaazah Khair al-Anaam.

6. al-Burhaan al-Ma’qool Fee Tarbee’a Binaat ar-Rasool.

7. Khilaafat Saadiqah.

8. Fadhail Khulafa Raashideen.

9. Fadhail Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthmaan From Shee’ah Narration’s. 

On the Hanafees he wrote,

10. Isteesaal at-Taqleed

11. Faisalah Raf ul-Yadain

12. Faisalah Munazarah Raf ul-Yadain (Murattab)

13. Risaalah Qiraa’h Khalf al-Imaam.

14. Tahqeeq at-Taraaweeh

Other books include:

15. Akaazeeb Mirzaa (Ghulaam Ahmad Qaadiyaanee)

16. Hayaat Maseeh (Eesaa Ibn Maryam)

17. Fadhail Durood Shareef

And many more…

He would work on his farm in the early mornings preparing the produce and generally carrying out the daily duties associated with running and maintaining a farm with the help of his children. Later during the morning he would teach the student Aqaa’id, ahadeeth, fiqh, usool al-Fiqh in the institution and he would continue this until the end of the day. In the evening he would retire to his home

and engage in seeking knowledge and research. He never took any money for teaching or for delivering sermons and lectures during his whole life.

At the end of his life he left Daar ul-Hadeeth Muhammadiyah and approximately 2-3 years after he died due to asthma. This Hadeeth master died in the first week of July in 1969 leaving behind a legacy.

May Allaah grant his Jannatal Firdaus. Ameen

Completed 2003