Salafi Research Institute SRI
Compiled & Translated
Abu Khuzaimah Ansari
So, no long introductions straight to the point. 6 scholars – 3 fathers and 3 sons who spent decades upon calling to Tawhid and Sunnah, teaching hadith, reprimanding Madhhabism and the associated bigoted taqlid. If anything take the benefit of nurturing your children on the pure pristine Salafi Manhaj and keep away from blind fanaticism of madhhabs and take evidence when it comes to you. Same people who fall prey to technical fiqhi buzz words and think they have a defence!
[1] Shaikh al-Allamah al-Muhaddith Muhammad Sa’id Muhaddith Banarasi
He was born in a sikh household in 1274H and died in 1322H/1904CE. He was born as Mawl Singh in Gujrat and his father’s name was Karak Singh. He was a sikh and converted to Islam. He first sought knowledge in Deoband but later became Ahlul Hadith and eventually studied with major Salafi Ahlul Mashaykh like Shaykh Nazir Hussain Muhaddith Dehlawi who he studied hadith and tafsir with as well as Shaykh Abdullah Ghazipuri and Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim Arawi.
He then went to the Banaras (Varanasi) the holiest city of the idol worshippers and set up Madrasah Sa’idiyyah in 1297H and taught for a few decades until he died. He also set up a printing press called Matba’a Sa’idiyyah and printed thousands of pages of amazing books that promoted the Madhhab of Ahlul Hadith and Salafis and refuted the bigoted Madhhabists
From Sikhism to establishing a Salafi Madrasah built upon Tawhid and Sunnah in the holiest place of the idol worshiping Hindus and a phenomenal printing press.
Shaykh Abdur Rahman al-Faryawa’i said about him, “He had numerous works and treatises most of which were fierce and vehement refutations of the muta’ssub Madhhabists and the bigoted staunch Muqallidin he also had a book on Fatawa in 2 parts.” (al-Harakatus Salafiyyyah wa Dawriha Fi Ihya as-Sunnah (p.44)
He died in 1322H/1904CE. He had a son, who he nurtured on the Quran and Sunnah with care, affection and diligence and he was,
[2] Shaikh al-Allamah al-Muhaddith Abul Qasim Muhammad Sayf Banarasi
He was born in 1307H Banaras. He completed his Hifz of the Quran by the age of 7 and by the age of 16 he started teaching after having taken all the knowledge from his father, Shaykh Nazir Hussain Muhaddith Dehlawi, Shaykh Abdul Mannan al-Wazirabadi, Shaykh Shams ul-Haq Azimabadi, Shaykh Hussain b. Muhsin Ansari.
He began teaching in his father’s Madrasah Sa’idiyyah where he taught Bukhari and Muslim 30 times (each) during his life. He spend his life defending and spreading hadith. When a Hanafi bigoted muqallid wrote a book called “Jarh Alal Bukhari” and 6-7 other books criticising and disparaging Sahih al-Bukhari and hadith in general. Shaykh Abul Qasim Sayf Banarasi answered and refuted all of them in overwhelming detail.
He defended and spread the Madhhab of Ahlul Hadith and Salafis through his numerous works. He was a prolific author and wrote books in Arabic and Urdu which number more than 65. Some of them include,
Jam’a al-Quran wal-Hadith, Qadhiyatul Hadith Fi Hujjatul Hadith, Husul al-Maram, Kitab ar-Radd Ala Abi Hanifah – an rendering of the work of the Ahlul Hadith Muhaddith Imam Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Shaybah, Arba’in Muhammadi, Hidayatus Sa’il Ila Ahadith Wa’il, Naf’i al-Ahnaf, Hal Mushkilat Bukhari in 3 volumes also known as Kawthar al-Jari Fi Jawab al-Jarh Alal Bukhari, al-Amr al-Mubram Li-Ibtal Al-Kalam al-Muhkam, al-Siyar al-Hathith Fi Barah Ahlul Hadith, Ijtilab al-Manfa’a Liman Yatal’ih Ahwal Ai’matul Arb’a, 5 more books refuting the Hanafi muqallid who attacked Sahih al-Bukhari and many more. He died in 1369H/1949CE.
[3] Shaikh al-Allamah al-Muhaddith Abu Muhammad Abdul Haq al-Hashimi
One of the formidable scholars of Ahlul Hadith who spent 70 years teaching over 2 continents calling to the Quran and Sunnah, refuting the bigotry of the La-Mutabbi Madhhabists and holding them at bay and their distorted call to taqlid. He was born in 1884/1302H and sought knowledge from many scholars, most of whom were upon the way of knowledge without Madhab fanaticism.
He had over 60 teachers, some of them included, Shaykh Abdul Tawaab Qadirabadi, Shaykh Abu Abdullah Uthman al-Hussain Azimabadi, Shaykh Abul Hasan Muhammad bin Hussain Dehlawi, Shaykh Abul Wafa Thanullah Amritsari, Shaykh Abu Sa’id bin Abdur Rahim Batalwi, Shaykh Hussain bin Haydar Hashimi, Shaykh Abu Idris Abdul Tawwab bin Abdul Wahhab Secundarabadi, Shaykh Khalil bin Muhammad bin Hussain bin Muhsin al-Ansari, Shaykhana Sayyid Nazir Hussain Muhaddith Dehlawi.
He taught for almost 25 years in Saudi Arabia and 45 years in the subcontinent.
The Shaykh said, “My Aqidah is the Aqidah of the Salaf us-Saleh, the same Aqidah of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jam’ah, the Fuqaha and the Muhadithin. My Aqidah is to act on the Quran and Sunnah and to take the apparent ie Zahir meaning without ta’wil or tahrif and my madhhab is the madhhab of Ashabul Hadith in belief and actions.” (Aqidah firqatun najiyyah p.5)
He also said, “It is Allah’s blessing upon me that I am from the Ummah of the leader of the children of Adam and then he had further blessings on me that he guided me to the Ahlul-Hadith and Salafiyin in Aqidah and actions.” (Aqidah firqatun najiyyah p.18)
He opposed taqlid and loved the pure Sunnah, he warned and abandoned taqlid while have respect for the Imams as he says. (Aqidah firqatun najiyyah p.5)
Shaykh Hamad al-Ansari said, “He did not restrict himself to a madhhab as he had profound knowledge of the hadith likewise his immense knowledge of hanafi fiqh.” (Majmu’a Tarjamah al-Shaykh Hamad al-Ansari 2:613)
The Shaykh said, “I have many teachers and I would like to mention the ones I sought knowledge from and they are those whose beliefs were in accordance with the Salaf us-Salihin with regards to Tawhid, Iman and in issues of the Sifat of Allah ie the ones who had the correct and sound Aqidah. The very same teachers who who rejected and shunned taqlid and lived their life accordance with following and obeying ie Ittiba of the Quran and Sunnah, they gave me their asanid and ijazat”. (Aqidah Firqatun Najiyyah p.23-27)
Some of his works are, Tafsir al-Quran bil-Quran Wal-Sunnah – 9 volumes and incomplete, Sharh al-Bukhari, Sharh Muslim, Sharh Muwatta, Nusrah al-Bari Fi Sharh Tarajim al-Bukhari – 4 Volumes, Mashariq al-Anwar Fi Sharh Ma Fi al-Muwatta wal-Sahihayn Min al-Akhbar – 14 volumes, Kashf al-Mughta An Rijal al-Sahihayn wal-Muwatta, Miftah al-Muwatta wal-Sahihayn – 7 Volumes, Kitab al-Lubab Fi Sharh al-Tarajim wal-Abwab – 5 Volumes, Atraf al-Musnad – 2 Volumes, Sharh Musnad Imam Ahmad, Fihrisah Musnad al-Imam Ahmad, Tarajim Rijal al-Musnad Imam Ahmad – 4 Volumes, Sharh Muqaddimah Sahih Muslim – 1 Volume, Tarajim Rijal al-Sahihayn – 1 Volume, Thabt al-Marwayat – 1 Volume, Kitab al-Tamin Bil-Jahr, Kitab Raf al-Yadain Fis Salah – 1 Volume, Kitab Qirah Khalf al-Imam – 1 Volume, Musannaf Sahihayn – 9 Volumes, Musnad Sahihayn, Kitab Jam’a Bayna Manzumah al-Amir al-Yamani, wal-Fiyyah al-Iraqi wal-Suyuti, Sharh al-Fiyyah al-Suyuti, Kitab Al-Maghazi, Muqaddimah Sharh al-Musnad al-Imam Ahmad – 1 Volume, Dalail al-Risalah al-Muhamadiyyah, Kitab al-Takhrij Ahadith al-Musnad, Al-Jam’a Bayna al-Sihah Sittah (incomplete), Al-Muwazanah bayna musnadi al-imamayn ahmad bin hanbal wa baqi bin makhlad, Al-Rubaayat al-mansubah ilal Bukhari, Qadm ashbab al-Hadith, Manaqashah amali Mahmud al-hasan hawl sahih al-Bukhari, al-Radd Ibn al-Turkamani, Nazam Rijal al-Sahihayn. He died in 1392H -1972CE.
His son is,
[4] Shaikh al-Muhaddith Abdul Wakil Abdul Haq al-Hashimi
He was born in 1357H/1938CE in Kathrah Ahmad Khan in Ahmadpur Sharqiyyah in the state of Bhawalpur, Pakistan. He studied in his local school and past his metric exams. He received his early Islamic education from his father and grandfather and also received Ijazah for hadith and riwayah. He later enrolled at Madrassah Dar ul-Hadith Jalalpur in Multan and studied with Shaikh ul-Hadith Muhammad Abdullah Budhyamalwi and also gained Ijazah from him.
He then travelled to the prestigious Jam’i Rehmaniyyah in Delhi and studied with the scholars of Ahlul Hadith. He gained Ijazah from Shaikh ul-Hadith Ubaydullah Rehmani Mubarakpuri. He later moved to Saudi Arabia and enrolled in Dar ul-Hadith Makkah and studied with the Mashaykh and gained Ijazah from them.
After graduating from Dar ul-Hadith Makkah he started to teach in Madrassah Dar ul-Muhajirin. He continued to teach in Masjid al-Haram for over 20 years teaching various books.
His teachers then include the likes of his father, the formidable hadith scholar Shaikh Abu Muhammad Abdul Haq al-Hashimi, Shaikh ul-Hadith Ubaydullah Mubarakpuri, Shaikh ul-Hadith Sultan Mahmud, Shaikh ul-Hadith Abdus Salam Bhutwi, Shaikh ul-Hadith Muhammad Abdullah Budhyamalwi, shaikh Isar’il an-Nadwi, Shaikh Thanaullah Madni, Shaikh Abdur Ra’uf Mar’i al-Misri and many others..
His works are many and they include, Inayah al-Bari (also referred to in an earlier biography as- Dalil al-Qari) Fi Dhabt Muwa’dih Asma ar-Rijal Fi Sahih ul-Bukhari, Kawthar al-Jari Fi Mu’ajam Ahadith Shuyukh al-Bukhari and many others others. (Tazkirrah Ulama Ahlul Hadith (3/30-31), al-Ijazat al-Hindiyyah (1/215)
His video of saying he is upon the Salafi Madhhab is well circulated when he was asked what fiqh Madhhab he folllowed. The Shaikh Hafizahullah is alive and resides in Makkah and has had period of bouts of ill health.
[5] al-Allamah al-Muhaddith Uthman bin al-Hussain Azimabadi al-Mudarris
He was born in 1294H. He first enrolled at Madrassah Islah al-Muslimin in occupied greater India in 1308H. Later he enrolled Madrassah Dar ul-Ulum in Kanpur and graduated in 1313H. He also enrolled in at least 4 other institutes and eventually graduated in 1320H. He went onto study medicine until 1325 for 2 years. In 1327H he taught at a madrassah in Sankori and in Jamalpur in 1333H.
He studied with the likes of Shaikh Nazir Hussain Muhaddith Dehlawi and was granted an Ijazah by him in 1319H. He was also from the teachers of Shaykh Abu Muhammad Abdul Haq al-Hashimi as stated above.
At some time during 1340H-1350H the Shaikh migrated to Makkah. The Shaikh taught Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tafsir al-Baghawi in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah in 1361H. Shaikh Abdul Wakil also benefitted from him/
His son, Shaikh Yahya b. Uthman al-Mudarris said about his father, “My father taught in Arabic and upheld the Salafi Aqidah and he was upon the Madhhab of Ahlul Hadith”. (Najm ul-Badi, p.11)
The Shaikh died in 1375H and was buried in Makkah. (Najm ul-Badi, al-Ijazat al-Hindiyyah (4/2404)
[6] Shaikh Yahya bin Uthman al-Mudarris
The Shaikh was born in 1357H in Makkah. His father enrolled him in Dar ul-Hadith in Makkah when he was 16 years old. His teachers included his father, Shaikh Abdul Haq al-Hashimi, Shaikh Abu as-Samh Abdul Muhaymin, Shaikh Sulayman bin Abdur Rahman al-Hamdan, Shaikh Ubaydullah Mubarakpuri, Shaikh Abdur Razzaq al-Hamza, Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah Nur Ilahi, Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah as-Sumali, Shaikh Muhammad bin Umar as-Sudani, Shaikh Naji bin Muhammad al-Mukhlafi.
He studied the six books of hadith Bulugh al-Maram, Nazhatun Nazar, Fath ul-Majid, al-Ajrumiyyah and many others. His lessons in the Haram were always well attended for decades. He stuck and propagated the way of Ahlul Hadith despite teaching various of fiwh of the Madhahib.
He taught in Dar ul-Hadith in Makkah for approximately 14 years and for 32 years in the Mahad Haram al-Makki and approximately 70 years of teaching in Masjid al-Haram for 7 days a week. The Shaikh had numerous students throughout his teaching years. (Najm ul-Badi, al-Ijazat al-Hindiyyah (1/478)
He passed away on Jumada al-Akhar 1443H/ January 2022
These 6 scholars expounded the way of Ahlul Hadith and curbed the fanatical incursions of the muta’ssub Madhhabists, May Allah have mercy on all of them.
