Chronicles of the Khairabādī Family
Rediscovering Our Lost Heritage
◆ Introduction ◆
Certain individuals transcend the boundaries of their environmental, societal, and geographical origins. Their stature is such that their families, surroundings, eras, and homelands are often recognised primarily through their association with these exceptional figures. ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī¹ is undeniably one such luminary. This paper will delve into the historical context of Khairabād, the genealogy of the Khairabādī family, and the intellectual contributions of its notable members, both male and female.
◆ The best of towns - Khairabād ◆
Khairabād has been the abode of numerous distinguished individuals over the centuries, including saints, scholars, poets, and persons of high standing. Nevertheless, it is undeniably true that the enduring prominence of the city is inextricably linked to the legacy of ʼImām Fazl-i-Ḥaq. The widely recognised terms 'Khairabādī family’, 'Khairabādī Madrasa’, 'Khairabādī scholars’, 'Khairabādī curriculum’, and 'Khairabādī pedagogy' are exclusively associated with this town due to its status as the birthplace of this eminent scholar.
Khairabād is situated within the Sitapūr district of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, approximately six kilometres from Sitapūr and 75 kilometres from Lucknow.² While possessing a history of considerable antiquity, the town's emergence as a structured urban centre is attributed to the period of Sultān Ibrāhīm b. Masʻūd b. Mahmūd.³ His concerted efforts to populate the area led to Khairabād's subsequent name (Khairabād). Evidence of a Muslim presence in the region emerged during the twelfth century CE, with the arrival of Yūsuf Ghāzī and his associates.⁴
Khairabād has attracted many exemplary saints, scholars, and poets. To illustrate, two prominent figures emerge: Ḥz.⁵ Uthmān Ghaznawī, a distinguished disciple and deputy of Ḥz. Niẓām al-Dīn Awliyāʼ⁶, and the later Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Alī Khairabādī⁷, a spiritual representative of Shāh Sulaimān Tonswī.⁸ Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Alī’s zāwiyah, remains a testament to his presence.⁹
Renowned for its spiritual and intellectual richness, Khairabād acquired the epithet ‘Khair al-Balād’, or ‘Best of Towns’, a name that persisted among the learned until the end of the nineteenth century CE.¹⁰
◆ The Khirabādī Family - a synthesis of Rahīmiyyah and Farangī Maḥall scholarship ◆
The Khirabādī family's significant contribution to the spiritual and intellectual atmosphere of the town is indisputable. The genealogy of ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khirabādī and, by extension, his family, can be traced back to the second Caliph of Islam, Ḥz. ʻUmar b. Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him).¹¹ Emerging from this lineage were two brothers, Ḥz. Bahāuddīn and Ḥz. Shamsuddīn, who moved from Iran to the Indian subcontinent.¹² While Ḥz. Bahāuddīn established himself in Rohtak, assuming the role of issuing legal rulings (fatwā), Ḥz. Shamsuddīn settled in Badayūn.¹³
During the twelfth to thirteenth century¹⁴ two families emerged as preeminent for their knowledge, social standing, and substantial contributions to the community: the family of Shāh Walī-Allah and the family of ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām Khairabādī (father of ʼImām Fazl-i Haq) a preeminent inheritor of the prestigious Farangī Maḥall.
Remarkably, these two influential lineages (the families of Shah Walī-Allah & ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām) share a common ancestral origin. Both families are direct descendants of the two brothers, Bahāuddīn and Shamsuddīn, who trace their ancestry back to the second Caliph, Ḥazrat ʻUmar b. Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him). Shāh Walī-Allah is a direct descendant of Ḥz. Shamsuddīn, while ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām Khairabādī is a direct descendant¹⁵ of Ḥz. Bahauddin.¹⁶
Mutual respect characterised the relationship between the two families. A further convergence occurred when ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabadi, son of Fazl-i Imām, became a disciple of Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz & Shāh ʻAbd al-Qādir Muhaddith Delhawī, both sons of Shāh Walī-Allah.¹⁷ Considering these families as a unified lineage, Imām Fazl-i Haq emerges as a preeminent figure embodying the combined intellectual and spiritual traditions of both.
Similar to the differentiation between the Farangī Maḥall family and the broader scholarly community associated with the Farangī Maḥall, it is essential to distinguish between the Khairabād family and the wider Khairabādī intellectual tradition. This paper will provide a concise overview of prominent intellectual figures within the Khairabādī family, commencing with ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām Khairabādī and elucidating their contributions to various fields of knowledge.
◆ ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām Khairabādī - head of an illustrious intellectual household ◆
ʻAllāmah Fazl-i ʼImām Khairabādī was born in the final quarter of the twelfth century AH. Having completed his studies under the tutelage of Mullāʼ ʻAbd al-Wājid Khairabādī,¹⁸ he subsequently relocated to Delhi to assume the role of a Muftī. His prominence led to his appointment as Ṣadr al-Ṣudūr¹⁹ of Delhi. It was during this period that he established a seminary destined to become the chief clearinghouse for the greatest maʻqūlī scholars²⁰ of the Subcontinent. This institution nurtured intellectual giants, including the renowned ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī and Muftī Ṣadr al-Dīn Āzurdah.²¹
The seminary's pivotal role in the intellectual landscape of the era cannot be overstated. It is essential to contextualise this within the broader intellectual milieu of Delhi, a city that had emerged as a global centre of learning, exemplified by the presence of institutions such as the Madrasah Raḥīmiyyah.²²
Aside from teaching, ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām Khairabādī wrote extensively. Here is a list of some of his books:
1. Mirqāt - this is a foundational textbook in logic. Serving as one of the final independent treatises on the subject, it comprehensively documents the rules and laws of logic, building upon a centuries-long tradition of textbooks.
The work distinguishes itself by introducing previously unexplored topics at this level of logic manuals, such as multiple definitions of knowledge. Moreover, ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām's detailed examination of the five universals²³ surpasses the depth found in earlier works at that level, including ʻAllāmah ʼAbharī's Isagoge.
Widely adopted across the subcontinent, Mirqāt was incorporated into the renowned Dars-i Niẓāmī curriculum. Initially published in 1886 CE and subsequently in 1888 CE, the text solidified its status as a cornerstone of Arabic logic in the region.
2. ʼĀmad Nāmah - this is a Persian grammar textbook designed to provide a clear and accessible introduction to the language for novice learners. The book systematically presents the grammatical rules of Persian. Notably, the fifth chapter includes biographies of prominent scholars from Awādh, content that was later published as a standalone work titled, Tarājim al-Fuḍalāʼ.²⁴
3. Khulāşa al-Tawārīkh - this is a Persian translation of Abu Naşr Muhammad ʻAbd al-Jabbār ʻUṭbī’s renowned historical chronicle detailing the history of Iran & the eras of Maḥmūd Ghaznawī and Naşir al-Dīn. Remarkably, only three copies of this translation are known to exist worldwide.
4. Nukhbat al-Siyar - this is now an extremely rare manuscript with only one known copy privately held in India.
5. Talkhīs al-Shifāʻ - this is a singular abridgement of ʼIbn Sīna's well-known, Shifāʻ. The scarcity of this work is underscored by the existence of only one known manuscript.²⁵
6. Tash’hīz al-Adh’hān fī Sharḥ Badīʻ al-Mīzān - ʻAbdullah b. Haddād ʻUthmānī authored a work in logic titled, Mīzān al-Mantiq. Subsequently, he composed a commentary on this text himself and named it Badīʻ al-Mīzān. ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām further contributed to this intellectual discourse by writing a commentary on Badīʻ al-Mīzān, which he titled Tash’hīz al-Adh’hān.²⁶ This work was recently published by Dār al-ʼIslām with footnotes provided by Mawlānā Ghulām Ḥaider Ṣiddīqī Khairabādī.
7. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā al-ʼUfuq al-Mubīn - ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām authored this comprehensive commentary on Mullāʼ Bāqir Dāmād's well-known work, al-ʼUfuq al-Mubin. This commentary is exceedingly rare, with only one known extant copy.²⁷
8. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā al-Hāshiyah al-Zāhidiyyah al-Qutbiyyah - only one known manuscript of this work exists.²⁸
9. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā al-Hāshiyah al-Zāhidiyyah al-Jalāliyyah - only one known manuscript of this work exists.²⁹
In his later years, he returned to Khairabād where he eventually passed away in 1244 AH/1868 CE.³⁰ His final resting place is within the sacred precincts of the Makhdūm Shaykh Saʻad Dargāh.³¹
◆ Imām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī - al-Muʻallim al-Rābiʻ ◆
He is the son of ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām Khairabādī and his intellectual heir. He disseminated the rational sciences across the subcontinent, making Khairabād synonymous with ilm and hikmah.
Born in 1212 AH/1797 CE, he began his scholarly journey under his father's tutelage. He studied Ḥadith with Shāh ʻAbd al-Qādir Muhaddith Delhawī and Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAziz Muhaddith Delhawī. In sufism, he was a student of Ḥafiẓ Muḥammad Alī Khairabādī. Interestingly, Imām Fazl-i Haq Khairabādī studied the Fuṣuṣ al-Hikam with Ḥafiẓ Khairabadī, a spiritual representative of Shāh Sulaimān Tonswī. The latter was a leading Chishtī sage of the Subcontinent and the grand teacher of Akbarian, Pīr Mihr ʻAlī Shāh Golrawī.³²
At the tender age of 13, he had already mastered both the rational and transmitted sciences,³³ and began teaching in Delhi at a time when the city was known as a global centre for scholarship & learning, crowded by many elite circles of intellectuals.
He is credited with revitalising the study of the rational sciences through his teachings and writings. His work nurtured a generation of leading experts and sparked new research and discussions in the field. His profound contributions earned him the title of ‘al-Muʻallim al-Rābiʻ ‘ (the fourth teacher).³⁴ His books showcase his scholarly prowess, covering logic, physics, ontology, metaphysics, and scholastic theology. His writings reveal original thought and research, beyond mere transmission of previous scholars' ideas.
He was renowned for his Arabic literary prowess, he exhibited a precocious talent from a young age. As a child, he sought the scholarly guidance of Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz Muhaddith Delhawī to refine his Arabic poetry. On one occasion, he composed a poem in the style of ʼImruʾ al-Qais al-Kindī³⁵ and presented it to his mentor. In one place, Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz offered a scholarly critique, to which the young poet responded with a series of 20 couplets drawn from earlier poetic traditions . Impressed by this intellectual acumen, Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz humbly conceded the correctness of his argument.³⁶
According to Mawlānā Abdullah Bilgrāmī,³⁷ he wrote over 4000 lines of Arabic poetry mostly in praise of the Beloved of Allah, the Holy Prophet (salutations and peace forever be upon him).³⁸
He maintained a lifelong commitment to teaching. Renowned for his piety, he consistently completed a weekly recitation of the entire Qur'ān and regularly observed tahajjud prayers.³⁹
Defying British colonial rule, he issued the fatwā (legal verdict) of Jihād against the British colonial power of the time. He inspired the Muslim community to resist occupation, ultimately leading to his trial.
He defended himself in court utilising arguments that were compelling, employing persuasive arguments and a demeanour that convinced the presiding magistrate to draft an exonerating judgement. However, a surprising turn of events occurred when he proudly confessed to issuing the fatwā, asserting that he would never lie. This admission led to his immediate extradition to the Andaman Islands, a remote archipelago situated in the northeastern Indian Ocean.
The British authorities deemed him a man of ‘extraordinary intelligence and acumen’, concluding that he posed the most significant threat to British interests in India. As a result, his expulsion from the Indian mainland was deemed imperative.
He remained in exile until his martyrdom, a total of one year, ten months, and thirteen days under harrowing conditions.⁴⁰ He endured a suffering vividly detailed in the ʼImām's own account, al-Thawrat al-Hindiyya. Composed on the island and smuggled out by ʻAllāmah ʻInāyat ʼAhmad Kākorwī,⁴¹ this narrative is a poignant testament to his ordeal. As a child, he enjoyed the privilege afforded to a prince – riding to class on the back of an elephant. Despite all this, he chose to defy colonial rule and bravely endured the consequences of his courageous decision. He would remain imprisoned there until he was martyred in 1278 AH/1861 CE. May ʼAllāh Almighty raise him on the Day of Judgement with ʼImām Ḥussain (may Allah be pleased with him). ʼĀmīn.
As mentioned earlier, his writings exhibit original insights and rigorous investigation, extending beyond simple transmission. Here is a list of some of his books:
1. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā Sharḥ Sullam al-ʻUlūm - Mullāʼ Muḥibullah Bihārī's⁴² Sullam al-ʻUlūm in logic is a foundational text that requires no introduction. Among the over one hundred commentaries it has inspired, Qāḍī Mubārak's⁴³ work is particularly renowned. Building upon this tradition, ʼImām Fazl-i Haq Khairabādī composed a supercommentary on Qāḍī’s Sharḥ Sullam al-ʻUlūm.
These supercommentaries, while ostensibly interpretations of existing works, often constitute independent scholarly contributions. In ʼImām Khairabādī's case, his supercommentary in multiple places engages in critical dialogue with ʼIbn Sīna and Fārābī, offering established proofs to challenge their positions. This work is considered his magnum opus.
During his exile, when questioned about what he had left behind as his intellectual legacy in India, the ʼImām presented this supercommentary along with his son, ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī. The supercommentary was first published in 1899 and republished in 1975 under the guidance of Khāwajah Qamar al-Dīn Siyālwī.⁴⁴⁴⁵
2. Ḥāshiyah Saʻīdiyyah - this Arabic work constitutes a valuable and unique contribution to the genre of physics books. Widely adopted and integrated into the Niẓami curriculum, it was also a staple of instruction at al-Azhar University. This work is readily accessible.⁴⁶
3. Al-Rawḍ al-Majūd fī Taḥqīq Waḥdat al-Wujūd - Mawlānā Khair al-Dīn, father of ʼAbul Kalām ʼĀzād, once said: "I have never seen anyone as eloquent as him (ʼImām Khairabādī) in my entire life. He was unparalleled in both (public) gatherings and classroom lectures. One of his discourses on Waḥdat al-Wujūd became so famous that the learned travelled great distances to hear him speak."⁴⁷
Encouraged by his brother, Mawlānā Muḥammad ʼAfzal, ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq then put this very discourse into writing. He titled the book al-Rawḍ al-Majūd. Initially published in 1895, the book has since been reprinted in 1977 and 2011 by Dār al-ʼIslām.
4. Tahqīq al-Fatwā fī ʼIbtāl al-Taghwā - this Persian treatise is devoted to the science of Kalām. It was published by ʼAllāmah ʻAbd al-Ḥakīm Sharaf Qādirī in 1979.⁴⁸
5. ʼImtināʻ al-Nazīr - this is a Persian work situated within the discipline of Kalām. Approximately 25 years after the composition of Tahqīq al-Fatwā, Ḥaider Tonkī⁴⁹ presented a critique of the ʼImām's work. The ʼImām subsequently authored a detailed refutation, providing substantial evidence to counter Tonkī's objections. This response, entitled ʼImtināʻ al-Nazīr, is widely accessible.⁵⁰
6. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā al-ʼUfuq al-Mubīn - this supercommentary, composed in Arabic, is regarded as one of the author's most significant scholarly achievements. It is exceedingly rare, with only two known extant copies. One of these precious manuscripts is housed in the private library of Mawlānā Mu'īn al-Dīn Ajmerī,⁵¹ the esteemed mentor of Khawājah Qamar al-Dīn Siyālwī.⁵²
7. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā Talkhīs al-Shifāʼ - this work constitutes a comprehensive commentary on the author's father's abridged version of ʼIbn Sīna's Shifāʼ.⁵³
8. Al-Jins al-Ghālī fī Sharḥ al-Jawāhir al-ʻĀlī - No known copy of this work has been identified.
9. Risālah Tashkīk al-Māhiyāt - this treatise engages with the age-old topic of ‘Tashkīk al-Māhiyāt’ in the rational sciences. Only one copy of this text is known to exist.
10. Risālah fī Tahqīq al-Kullī al-Tabʻī - the ʼImām wrote a 25 page treatise on the subject of ‘kullī al-tabʻī’ in logic.⁵⁴
11. Risālah fī Tahqīq al-ʻIlm wal-Maʻlūm - this Arabic treatise pertains to the discipline of logic. It has been recently made accessible to a wider audience through its publication by Gānim Publishers, accompanied by footnotes provided by Mawlānā Ghulām Ḥaider Khairabādī.
12. Risālah Qāthīghūriyās - this Arabic treatise delves into the topic of Aristotle’s categories within the framework of logic. The author provides an in-depth analysis of ‘substances’ and ‘accidents’. Regrettably, only one copy of this epistle is known to exist.
13. Risālah fī Taḥqīq Ḥaqīqat al-ʼAjsām - the author cites this work in his Hadiyah Saʻīdiyyah, yet no extant copy has been identified.
14. Risālah al-ʼIlāhiyāt - this treatise pertains to the field of metaphysics. Unfortunately, no known copy of this work has been discovered.
15. Al-Risālah fī al-Radd ʼalal-Qāʼilīn bi Ḥarakat al-ʼArḍ - this work presents a refutation on the theory of a moving Earth. A singular known copy resides within a European library.⁵⁵
16. Taqrīr bar ʼIʻtirāzat bar Risālah Taqwiyyat al-ʼĪmān - this work serves as a refutation of Shāh ʼIsmāʻīl Delhawī's Taqwiyyat al-ʼĪmān⁵⁶ and was published in 1979.
17. Al-Thawrat al-Hindiyyah - this Arabic work constitutes a firsthand account of the War of Independence of 1857, chronicling the conflict from its inception to its conclusion. Beyond its historical significance, it is also celebrated for its literary merit within the Arabic language. The work is widely accessible to scholars and the public alike.
18. Dīwān Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī - this is the ʼImām’s dīwān, a compendium of Arabic poetry comprising 33 poems and a total of 3,370 couplets. A significant portion, 21 poems, is dedicated to the praise of the Holy Prophet (salutations & peace forever be upon him).
Dr. Salamah Sayhūl undertook a rigorous scholarly endeavour to organise this dīwān for her doctoral research, culminating in a PhD awarded in 2010.⁵⁷
◆ ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī: a luminary among stars of scholarship ◆
Son of ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī, he is revered by the subcontinent's intellectual elite as Shams al-ʻUlamā (Sun of the Scholars). Not only did he sustain the lofty scholarly standards of his family but he also significantly expanded their intellectual influence, disseminating it across the entire subcontinent. As a result, the Farangī Maḥall tradition⁵⁸ is preserved today primarily through the Khairabadī lineage.
He was born in 1244 AH/1825 CE, and received a comprehensive education in both the rational and transmitted sciences under the tutelage of his distinguished father. Remarkably, he completed his formal studies at the tender age of 14.⁵⁹ Given the precocity of his intellectual development, one can only speculate about the heights of scholarship he would eventually attain. This exceptional talent is underscored by an anecdote involving Mawlānā Ikrāmullah Ghūpāmawī, who inquired as to who deserved the title of hakim (philosopher). ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Ḥaq modestly replied that there were but three and a half philosophers: Aristotle, Fārābī, his father ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī, and himself, the half.⁶⁰
He dedicated his life to a ceaseless pursuit of knowledge, teaching, and writing. Thousands of students, hailing from elite political and intellectual families both within and beyond India, sought education at his seminary. His passing in 1316 AH/1899 CE marked the end of a remarkable life, and he was laid to rest in the sacred precincts of the Makhdūm Shaykh Saʻad Dargāh.⁶¹
His son, Mawlānā ʼAsad al-Ḥaq Khairabādī, carried forward the family legacy of scholarship and pedagogy. Sadly, he passed away a year and a half after his father's demise.⁶²
ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī authored a vast corpus of works that exemplify his exceptional literary abilities and profound scholarship. Notable among these are:
1. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā Ḥāshiyah Ghulām Yahyā Bihārī - this work was published in 1278 AH/1861 CE.
2. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā Mīr Zāhid ʼUmūr ʻĀmmah - this work constitutes a supercommentary on Mīr Zāhid Harawī’s supercommentary on the ontology section of Mīr Sayyid Jurjānī's Sharḥ Mawāqif. It was published in 1290 AH/1873 CE.
3. Al-Jawāhir al-Ghāliyah fī al-Ḥikmat al-Mutaʻāliyah - this work was published in 1323 AH/1906 CE.⁶³
4. Sharḥ Mirqāt - this work is a commentary on his grandfather’s treatise on logic. Initially published in 1333 AH/1914 CE, it was subsequently reprinted by Dār al-ʼIslām in 2022. An alternative edition, featuring footnotes by ʻAbd al-Hamīd Turkmanī, was released by Dār al-Nūr.
5. Sharḥ Ḥidāyat al-Ḥikmah - this approximately 238 page commentary elucidates ʻAllāmah ʼAbharī's work on the Peripatetic School of philosophy. Published in 1297 AH/1879 CE with editorial contributions and an attestation by Mawlānā ʻAbdullāh Bilgrāmī, the book provides an in-depth examination of the subject matter.⁶⁴
6. Zubdat al-Ḥikmah - this concise work in philosophy is supplemented by a nineteen-page appendix written by his son, Mawlānā ʼAsad al-Haq Khairabādī. It was published in 1331 AH/1913 CE.⁶⁵
7. Tas’hīl al-Kāfiyah - this is a commentary on ʼIbn Ḥājib's Kāfiyah, a foundational text in Arabic syntax. It was published in 1348 AH/1929 CE.⁶⁶
8. Ḥāshiyah bar Sharḥ Ḥamdullāh - this is an extensive supercommentary on Mullāʼ Ḥamdullāh's⁶⁷ commentary on Sullam al-ʻUlūm, spanning approximately 440 pages. It was published in 1314 AH/1896 CE.⁶⁸
9. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā Qāḍi Mubārak bar Sullam al-ʻUlūm
10. Sharḥ Musallam al-Thubūt - this work serves as a commentary on Mullāʼ Muḥibullāh Bihārī's Musallam al-Thubūt in principles of jurisprudence.
11. Sharḥ Salāsil al-Kalām
12. Risālah Taḥqīq-i Talāzum
13. Al-Tuḥfah al-Wazīriyyah fīl-Masāʼil al-Naḥwiyyah
14. Ḥāshiyah ʼalā al-ʻAqāʼid al-Aḍudiyyah - this is a supercommentary on Qāḍī Aḍud al-Dīn ʼĪjī’s al-ʻAqāʼid al-Aḍudiyyah in Ashʻarī Kalām.⁶⁹
15. Sharḥ Tahdhīb al-Kalām
16. Ḥāshiyah Jadīdah bar Sharḥ Tajrīd
17. Sharḥ al-Hawāshī al-Zāhidiyyah alā Mullāʼ Jalāl
◆ Intellectual luminaries: women of the Khairābadī family ◆
The contributions of Muslim women to scholarship are often overlooked by detractors of ʼIslām, despite historical evidence of numerous female scholars and mystics who were instrumental in shaping Muslim societies. While they are commonly less known compared to their male counterparts, their impact is undeniable.
The Khairabādī family exemplifies the existence of a robust scholarly tradition among Muslim women., with a lineage producing not only renowned male scholars but also extraordinary female figures. These women excelled in the transmitted, rational, and literary sciences, with some becoming accomplished Qurʼānic exegetes, gifted poets, and revered teachers of prominent scholars in India. We will examine some of these revered women of the noble Khairabādī family.
◆ Lady Saʻīd al-Nisāʼ Ḥirmañ Khairabādī - teacher of scholars ◆
Daughter of ʼImām Fazl-i Haq Khairabādī, Lady Ḥirmañ⁶⁹ Khairabādī received a comprehensive education in both the rational and transmitted sciences directly from her father.
Her intellectual abilities are evident in a comment made by her brother, ʻAllāmāh ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī. He once remarked that the sole reason for why his scholarly counsel was sought was due to his sister's gender (she was a not a maḥram for those unrelated men);⁷¹ otherwise, given her profound knowledge, there would be no need to consult him.⁷²
A frail, elderly woman, suffering from Parkinson's disease, she once travelled to Tonk. Before her sat the revered Ḥakīm Barakāt ʼAhmad Tonkī,⁷³ once a young boy in the Khairabādī seminary, now the acclaimed teacher of India, his head bowed in humble respect as a student. She delivered a scholarly discourse, seamlessly weaving through the various sciences.⁷⁴ Her intellect, a formidable force, defied her physical limitations.
There is no available information regarding the writings of Ḥz. Hirmañ Khairābādī; however, she possessed a lofty standing in poetry and literary expression, and she composed a tazmīn (an incorporative poetic composition built upon the verses of another poem) upon one of the well-known naʿts (devotional poem in praise of the Prophet ﷺ) of Imām Aḥmad Riḍā al-Qādirī,⁷⁵ which has been preserved.⁷⁶
◆ Lady Hājarah Bī Khairabādī - scholar of ontology ◆
Daughter of Mawlānā Fazl-i Raḥmān and granddaughter of the eminent ʻAllamāh Fazl-i ʼImām Khairabādī, she is a distinguished member of the Khairabādī family. Her familial connections are further deepened through her marriage to ʻAllāmāh ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī and her relationship as niece to the renowned ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī. The following account will illuminate the depth of her own erudition.
Having concluded his formal studies in the Niẓamī curriculum under the tutelage of ʻAllāmāh ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī, the young Ḥakīm Barakāt ʼAhmad Tonkī resolved to forgo specialised studies and return home. He sought leave from Lady Hājarah Bī instead of his mentor.
While congratulating him on his academic achievements, she expressed surprise that her husband had not informed her of his student's completion. Ḥakīm ʼAhmad responded that his studies encompassed the curriculum up to Mīr Zāhid Harawi’s⁷⁷ supercommentary on the ʼUmūr ʻĀmmah section of the Sharḥ Mawāqif in ontology.⁷⁸
Lady Hājarah Bī's reaction was immediate. With a laugh, she queried, "Do you consider yourself a graduate after completing ʼUmūr ʻĀmmah?! Might I test your knowledge on this subject? Even within these domestic walls, we possess familiarity with ontology."
◆ Bībī Ruqayyah bint ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī - a Quranic exegete for women ◆
She was the daughter of Shams al-ʻUlamā ʻAllāmāh ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī. In order to illustrate her intellectual prowess, it is enough to show that she authored an exegesis (tafsīr) of the Holy Qurʼān titled, al-Tafsīr al-Tayyibāt al-Bayyināt, commonly known as ‘Ṣirat-i Mustaqīm’.⁷⁹
At the behest of her paternal aunt, daughter of ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī, she composed a groundbreaking Qurʼānic exegesis specifically tailored to a female audience.⁸⁰
The work, primarily focused on translating and interpreting legal rulings (ʼahkām) from the Holy Qurʼān, was penned in a lucid and accessible style. This book received attestations from some of the leading scholars of the subcontinent. It is perhaps the first ever exegesis of the Holy Qurʼān written solely for women. To date, only two known copies of this work are believed to exist in India.⁸¹
◆ Reclaiming our lost heritage through the family of Khairabād ◆
This paper serves as a preliminary exploration of the Khairabādī family, a pivotal force in pre-colonial Indian subcontinental scholarship and intellectual pursuits. The breadth and depth of the Khairabādī school, encompassing curriculum, pedagogy, scholarly achievements, institutional influence, and the preservation of Sunnī orthodoxy, warrant extensive independent research.
Khairabadi Institute is honoured to present this introduction of the Khairabādī family for an English-speaking audience, addressing a critical need for the revival of the Islamic sciences. Through the grace of ʼAllāh Taʻālā,⁸² we are committed to disseminating the Khairabādī pedagogy through our courses & classes, inspiring a new generation to reclaim our lost intellectual heritage. We pray for Divine guidance in this endeavour. ʼĀmīn.
Muḥammad Mubashir ʼIqbāl Khairabādī⁸³
~ وصلى الله وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين والحمد لله رب العٰلمين ~
1. In Arabic his name is pronounced as Faḍl-ul-Ḥaq, incorporating the Arabic letter ḍād. However, given the Persian and Urdu pronunciation of this letter as z̤ād and the use of the kasra in possessive compounds within these languages, we will adopt the transliteration 'Fazl-i Ḥaq' with consistency throughout this paper.
2. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 19). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
3. Hasan, N. H. K. (1969, pp. 8-9). Khairabād ki 'ik Jhalak: Lucknow, Nāmī Press.
4. Ibid.
5. Ḥz. is an abbreviation of Hazrat, an honorific title accorded to individuals of exceptional standing and reverence.
6. Ḥz. Niẓām ad-Dīn Awliyāʼ (d. 725 AH/1325 CE) is a prominent figure in the Chistī Ṣūfī order, a disciple of Ḥz. Farīd al-Dīn Ganj Shakar (d. 663 AH/1265 CE), who succeeded Ḥz. Quṭb al-Dīn Bakhtiyār Kākī (d. 653 AH/1255 CE) in the spiritual lineage tracing back to Khawājah Muʻīn al-Dīn Chishtī (d.627 AH). The renowned poet and mystic ʼAmīr Khusraw (d. 725 AH/1325 CE) was his disciple.
7. Ḥz. Ḥafiẓ Muḥammad ʻAlī Khairabādī (d. 1266 AH) hailed from a family of scholars and prestige. Demonstrating an early inclination towards worship and spiritual wayfaring, he commenced his education in his native town before undertaking advanced Ḥadith studies in Delhi. Subsequently, he travelled to the two holy sanctuaries. Under the tutelage of his spiritual mentor, Ḥz. Shāh Muḥammad Sulaimān, he engaged in a profound study of ʼImām Muslim's Ṣahīh. His influence is evident in the intellectual & spiritual trajectory of ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī, who studied Shaykh ʼIbn Arabī's Fuşuş al-Hikam under his guidance. Ḥafiẓ Khairabādī is often credited with disseminating the Chistī Niẓāmī order across the regions of Awadh and Deccan.
8. Shāh Muḥammad Sulaimān (d. 1850 CE), revered as Pīr Patān, was one of the most prominent figures in the Chistī Ṣūfī order with a spiritual centre in Tonsah. His influence extended widely across South Asia, as evidenced by the numerous shrines associated with him in locations such as Siyāl, Golra, Bhera, Jalālpur, Makhad, and Khairabād.
9. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 20). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
10. Miah, S. M. M. (pp. 949). Ulema-i Hind ka Shāndār Māzī: Lahore, Jamiʻat Publications.
11. Khān, A. S. K. (1997, pp. 66). Bāgī-i Hindustan: Lahore, Maktaba Qādiriyya.
12. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 22). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
13. Badayūn can also be spelt as ‘Badaūn’.
14. After Ḥijrah (AH).
15. Khān, A. S. K. (1997, pp. 66). Bāgī-i Hindustan: Lahore, Maktaba Qādiriyya.
16. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 22). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
17. Shāh ʻAbd al-Qādir Muhaddith Delhawī (d. 1230 AH/1815 CE) is the younger brother of Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz (d. 1824 CE) & a son of Shāh Walī-Allah (d. 1762 CE).
18. Mullāʼ ʻAbd al-Wājid Kirmanī Khairabādī (d. 1804 CE/1218 AH) descent from the lineage of Ḥazrat ʻUmar b. al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was a disciple of Mullāʼ ʼAʻalam Sinīdlī. Through his affiliation with Mullāʼ ʻAbd al-Wājid, ʼAllāmah Fazl-i Imām is positioned as a great grand student of Mullāʼ Niẓām al-Dīn Sihālwī, the eponym of the Dars-i Niẓāmī curriculum.
19. Ṣadr-us-Ṣudūr: He had three major responsibilities as a minister, namely, he served as the emperor's religious advisor, he distributed the royal charity, and was the chief justice of the empire. The Chief Ṣadr had the responsibility of implementing the Sacred Sharīʻah (Islamic law) and settling disputes over its interpretation as the highest religious leader. It was his responsibility to ensure that the emperor and his government remained true to the Holy Qurʼān's teachings and he also defended ʼIslām. In his capacity as the Chief Qāḍī, the Ṣadr was the second highest judicial authority, next only to the emperor. The Chief Ṣadr also recommended candidates for appointment to the posts of provincial, district and city Qādīs. (source modified: www.cbc.gov.in).
20. Expert scholars in the rational sciences.
21. Muftī Ṣadr al-Dīn Āzurdah Delhawī (1275 AH/1868 CE), a distinguished scholar holding the esteemed position of Ṣadr al-Ṣudūr of Delhi, was also a disciple of both Shāh ʻAbd al-Qādir Muhaddith Delhawī & Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz Muhaddith Delhawī. A prominent figure in the anti-colonial resistance of 1857, he not only signed the fatwā of Jīhād against the British colonial power of that time but he also exerted significant influence on Mawlānā ʼAhmad-Allāh Shāh Madrāsī, another key freedom fighter in the War of Independence.
22. The seminary of Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz Muhaddith Delhawī & Shāh ʻAbd al-Qādir Muhaddith Delhawī.
23. Al-Ṣanāʻāt al-Khamsah in Arabic.
24 Sayhūl, S. S. (2021 pp. 27). Allama Fazl-i Haq Khairabādī: Lahore, Dār al-Islām.
25. Ibid., pp. 26.
26. Ibid., pp. 27.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid., pp. 26.
29. Ibid.
30. Qādirī Badaūnī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 23). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
31. Makhdūm Shaykh Saʻad (d. 922 AH/1516 CE), a revered figure, relocated to Khairabād with the aim of inviting people to Islam & community education. As is customary in Islamic societies, individuals often expressed their veneration for prominent religious figures through burial in close proximity, as evidenced by the burial of ʻAllāmah Fazl-i Imām near his shrine, a testament to Shaykh Saʻad’s esteemed status.
32. Pīr Sayyid Mihr ʻAlī Shāh (d. 1937), a descendant of the Holy Prophet (salutations and peace forever be upon him) through Shaykh ʻAbd al-Qādir Jīlanī, was a prominent Ṣūfī scholar and poet hailing from Punjab, British India (present-day Pakistan). With a rigorous education encompassing both the transmitted and rational sciences, he established a strong foundation for his subsequent scholarly endeavours.
Deeply embedded within the Chishtī Ṣūfī order, he served as a disciple and spiritual representative of Khawājah Shams al-Dīn Siyālwī. His works, such as Tahqīq al-Haq fī Kalimah al-Haq, reveal a profound admiration for Shaykh Muḥyuddīn b. ʻArabī and a mastery of Akbarian thought. A leading Sunnī scholar, Pīr Mihr ʻAlī was at the forefront of the refutation against the Qādiyānī movement, authoring influential works like Saif-i Chishtiyā’ī to counter their claims. His intellectual prowess is further exemplified by a planned public debate with Mirzā Ghulām ʼAhmad in Lahore on 25 August 1900 CE, which the latter failed to attend. Pīr Mihr ʻAlī’s critiques extended to Wahhabism and unorthodox interpretations, as evidenced in his work ʼIʻlā Kalimatillāh fī Bayān-i ‘wa mā ʼUhilla bihī li-Ghairillāh’.
Dr. Muḥammad Iqbāl (d. 1938 CE) sought his counsel on complex philosophical issues related to time and place in light of Shaykh ʼibn ʻArabī's, Futuhāt Makkiyyah. ʻAllāmah ʻAtā Muḥammad Bandiyālwī (d. 1419 AH/1999 CE), promulgator of Khairabadi Pedagogy throughout Pakistan was a disciple of his son, Pīr Ghulām Muḥyuddīn Gilānī (d. 1974 CE). As a prolific author and influential spiritual leader, his influence extended widely across the subcontinent.
33. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 23). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
34. Aristotle, Fārābī, and ʼIbn Sīna are named as the first three teachers.
35. ʼImruʾ al-Qais Junduh b. Ḥujr al-Kindī was a Arabian poet from the ‘period of Ignorance’, hailing from Najd, who achieved prominence as a poet during the late fifth and early sixth centuries CE. Notably, he was the final King of Kindah and is often regarded as a major figure in the development of Arabic poetry.
36. Khān, A. S. K. (1997, pp. 95). Bāgī-i Hindustan: Lahore, Maktaba Qādiriyya.
37. Mawlānā Abdullāh Bilgrāmī (d. 1305 AH/1888 CE) was a disciple of Imām Fazl-i Haq Khairabādī. He pursued Ḥadith studies under the tutelage of Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz Muhaddith Delhawi and entered into a spiritual affiliation with Ḥāfiz ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz, the spiritual deputy of Sayyid Shāh ʼĀl-i Rasūl Mārehrwī. Additionally, he obtained authorisation to transmit Ḥadith, jurisprudence, and tafsīr from Shaykh ʼAhmad Zaynī al-Daḥlān of Makkah Mukarramah. Renowned for his Arabic poetry, Mawlānā Bilgrāmī was a prolific author who wrote extensively against Wahhabism. He dedicated his life to Islamic scholarship through instruction & writing, ultimately passing away on the first day of Ramadan in 1305 AH.
38. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 24). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
39. Misbāhī, Y. A. M. (2017, pp. 362). Mumtāz ʻUlamā-i Farangī Maḥall. Lahore: Akbar Book Sellers.
40. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 23-24). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
41. ʻAllāmah ʻInāyat ʼAhmad Kākorwī (d. 1279 AH/1863 CE) was a preeminent scholar of the subcontinent who actively participated in the War of Independence of 1857. Subsequently exiled to the Andaman Islands alongside ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairabādī and other distinguished religious scholars, he produced his magnum opus, ʻIlm al-Ṣīgah, during his imprisonment. This comprehensive work synthesises five classical texts on Arabic etymology including Ṣarf Mīr and offers additional insights. Widely acclaimed, ʻIlm al-Ṣīgah was later incorporated into the Niẓāmī curriculum. Upon his release, ʻAllāmah Kākorwī returned to India. He was later martyred while in the state of ʻiḥrām during a shipwreck on his journey to Ḥajj.
42. Mullāʼ Muḥibullah b. ʻAbd al-Shukūr Bihārī (d. 1119 AH/1707 AH), born in a village near present-day Aurangabād in the province of Bihār, is considered one of the leading scholars of the Mughal Empire. He studied with Mullāʼ Quṭb al-Dīn ʼAnsārī Sihālwī (d. 1103/1691) who is the father of Mullāʼ Niẓām al-Dīn Sihālwī, who formulated the Niẓāmī curriculum. The great Emperor Aurangzeb appointed him a judge in Lucknow & Hyderabad and later a tutor to his son, Shāh ʿĀlam. When Shāh ʿĀlam I succeeded his father Aurangzeb in 1707 CE, Mullāʼ Bihārī was appointed as Chief Ṣadr of religious endowments in the Empire, though he passed away a few months later. His works, Musallam al-Thubūt and Sullam al-ʻUlūm, have inspired countless commentaries and supercommentaries throughout the ages.
43. Qāḍī Mubārak b. Muḥammad Ghūpāmawī (d. 1162AH/1749 CE), a contemporary of the renowned scholars Mullāʼ Ḥamdullah and Mullāʼ ʻAhmad ʼAlī Sindīlī, flourished during the twelfth century AH. Known for their intellectual camaraderie, this trio engaged in profound discussions on complex scholarly matters. Beyond his influential supercommentary on Sullam al-ʻUlūm, Qāḍī Mubārak authored significant works including a Ḥāshiyah on Sharḥ Mawāqif, as well as marginal annotations to Ḥāshiyah Zāhidiyyah on Risālah Qutbiyyah and Ḥāshiyah Sharḥ Tahdhīb of Muḥaqqiq Dawwānī.
44. Khāwajah Qamar al-Dīn Siyālwī (d. 1981 CE), revered as Shaykh al-ʼIslām, was a preeminent Pakistani Islamic scholar, religious leader, and politician. A descendant of Khawājah Shams al-Dīn Siyālwī, he occupied a prominent position within the Chishtī Ṣūfī order and remained as custodian of his forefather’s zāwiyah in Siyāl (also spelt as Sial) until his passing in 1981 CE. Many leading Ṣūfī saints have been linked to this zāwiyah including Pīr Syed Mihr ʻAlī Shāh (d. 1937 CE) and Pīr Sayyid Ghulām Ḥaidar ʻAlī Shāh (d. 1908 CE) of Jalāpūr. He studied the rational & transmitted sciences under the tutelage of Mawlānā Mu'īn al-Dīn Ajmerī (d. 1359 AH), a renowned Khairabādī scholar. Mawlānā Muḥammad Dīn Budhawī, renowned for his exceptional proficiency in both the rational sciences and a diverse array of other disciplines, was also his distinguished mentor. His political acumen was also impressive; he founded the political party, Jamīʻat ʻUlama-i Pakistan, serving as its president from 1970 CE. A staunch advocate for Pakistan's formation, he played a pivotal role in its establishment. Renowned for his profound scholarship and spiritual leadership, Khawājah Siyālwī garnered widespread respect and admiration, culminating in the conferment of the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz award by the then President of Pakistan in 1981 CE. Among his disciples & khulafāʾ was Pīr Muḥammad Karam Shāh al-Azharī (d. 1998 CE).
45. Sayhūl, S. S. (2021 pp. 73). Allama Fazl-i Haq Khairabādī: Lahore, Dār al-Islām.
46. Ibid., pp. 79.
47. Mehr, G. R. M. ( pp. 309). Naqsh-i Āzād.
48. Misbahī, Y. A. M. (2008 pp. 81). Chand Ulamā-i ʼInqilāb: Karachi, Maktabah Barakāt-i Madinah.
49. Ḥaider ʻAli Rāmpūrī Tonkī was a student of Shāh ʼIsmāʻīl Delhawī.
50. Niẓāmī, M. A. N. (pp. 49). Khūn ke Ānsuñ: Lahore, Maktabah Hāmidiyyah.
51. Mawlānā Mu'īn al-Dīn b. ʻAbd al-Raḥmān Ajmerī (d. 1359 AH) was a distinguished scholar who studied under the tutelage of Ḥakīm Sayyid Barakāt ʻAhmad Tonkī, making him a grand student of ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī. Beyond the traditional Niẓāmī curriculum, he delved into the specialised texts characteristic of the Khairabādī educational framework. His studies encompassed the works of early and later Iranian, Khorasanian, and Transoxanian logicians and philosophers, as well as rare manuscripts on Kalām and Sufism housed within Ḥakīm's private library. Renowned as ʻAllāmah-al-Hind, he attracted students from India, Balkh, Bukhara, China, Afghanistan, and beyond. He entered into a spiritual affiliation with Mullāʼ ʻAbd al-Wahhāb Farangī Maḥallī (d. 1321 AH), son of Mullāʼ ʻAbd al-Razzāq (d. 1307 AH) and father of Mawlānā ʻAbd al-Bārī (d. 1344 AH). Among Mawlānā Mu'īn al-Dīn's notable students was Khawājah Qamar al-Dīn Siyālwī (d. 1401 AH/1981 CE).
52. Sayhūl, S. S. (2021 pp. 88). Allama Fazl-i Haq Khairabādī: Lahore, Dār al-Islām.
53. Ibid., pp. 89.
54. This is a type of universal (kullī) in logic.
55. Ibid., pp. 90.
56. ʼIsmāʻīl Delhawī (d. 1246 AH/1831 CE) was a descendant of the Walī-Allah family. Although a grandson of Shāh Walī-Allah and a nephew of Shāh ʻAbd al-ʻAziz, ʼIsmāʻīl Delhawī adhered to the theological perspectives of Muḥammad b. ʻAbd al-Wahhāb (d. 1792 CE). This doctrinal alignment is evident in his work, Taqwiyyat al-ʼĪmān. Nawāb Waḥīd al-Zamān, a renowned non-conformist scholar, underscores this point in a footnote of his book Hadiyah al-Mahdī, asserting that ʼIsmāʻīl’s Taqwiyyat reflects significant influence from the teachings of ʼIbn ʻAbd al-Wahhāb. (Zamān, N. W. Z. (1325 AH/1917 CE, pp.26) Hadiyah al-Mahdī: Manuscript, vol. 1, n.2).
57. Ibid., pp. 83.
58. Farangī Maḥall: The Indian subcontinent produced some of the greatest experts of the Islamic sciences over the course of centuries. A significant contributor to this chain of prestige scholarship, especially in the last few centuries has been the Dars-i Niẓāmī curriculum, designed by one of the leading scholars of his age, Mullāʼ Nīẓām al-Dīn Sihālwī (d. 1748 CE), after whom the curriculum is named. This tradition was subsequently preserved through the family, school & scholars of Khairabād.
59. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 24). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
60. Khan, A. S. K. (1997, pp. 196). Bāgī-i Hindustan: Lahore, Maktaba Qādiriyya.
61. Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 25). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
62. Ibid.
63. Ibid., pp. 88.
64. Amir, F. A., Bhadroo, M. H. B., & Habib, M. S. H. (2023, pp. 298). Khairabādī khāndān kī ʻilmī o taṣnīfī khidmāt ka taʻārufī muṭā’liʻa: al-Qamar Journal, 6 (1).
65. Ibid.
66. Ibid.
67. Mullāʼ Ḥamdullāh b. Ḥakīm Shukrullāh (d. 1140 AH/1747 CE), a distinguished pupil of Mullā Nīẓām al-Dīn Sihālwī, he earned widespread recognition as a leading teacher of his time. His intellectual brilliance attracted many students, including the notable Mullāʼ ʼAhmad ʻAlī Sindīlī. Among his notable works is a commentary on the taṣdīqāt (judgments) section of Sullam al-ʻUlum, as well as supercommentaries on Shams-i Bāzigah in philosophy and Mullāʼ Ṣadrā's commentary on Ḥidāyat al-Ḥikmah.
68 Qādirī Badaunī, U. H. Q. (2020, pp. 88). Khairabādiyāt: Lahore, Worldview Publishers.
69. Al-ʻAqāʾid al-Aḍudiyyah, accompanied by Muḥaqqiq Jalāl al-Dīn Dawwānī’s (d. 908 AH/1502 CE) commentary Sharḥ al-ʻAqāʾid al-Jalāliyyah was a core text within the traditional Niẓamī curriculum.
70. The word Hirmañ concludes with a nasalised nūn (nūn ghunnah). This is pronounced through the nasal passage and is represented in writing as a nūn without a dot.
71. A maḥram is a person with whom marriage is permanently prohibited.
72. Ibid., pp.26-27.
73. Ḥakīm Sayyid Barakāt ʻAhmad Tonkī (d. 1347 AH) was a prominent student of the renowned scholar ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī. His influence extended geographically, encompassing students from the breadth of Central Asia, including Turkistan and Bukhara, to the eastern reaches of Bengal. Among his most distinguished pupils was Mawlānā Muʻīn al-Dīn ʼAjmerī, who subsequently mentored the influential Akbarian Khawājah Qamar al-Dīn Siyālwī, a revered figure in South Asian scholarship and spirituality.
Upon commencing his studies with ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Haq Khairabādī, Ḥakīm Tonkī had already studied advanced works like Ḥidāyah in jurisprudence and Ḥamdullah on Sullam al-ʻUlūm in logic. However, his mentor deemed it necessary for him to begin with the foundational works again like Mīzan al-Mantiq and Isagoge. He spent the next 15 years under the tutelage of his teacher.
Ḥakīm Tonkī's intellectual pursuits extended beyond the confines of the Niẓamī curriculum, encompassing works such as al-ʼUfuq al-Mubīn, Shifāʼ, Tūsī's Sharḥ al-ʼIshārāt, Ḥawāshī Dawwānī, Ḥawāshī Mirzā Jān, Muʼallafāt Qushjī, and ʻAllāmah ʻAbd al-Haq's very own Jawhāhir al-Ghāliyah. A prolific author, Ḥakīm Tonkī's wrote extensively on sufism. In the twilight of his life, he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to worship and spiritual wayfaring.
74. Shaykh Mubeen Raza, of Hijrah Press, has kindly provided the following clarification for this paper: "The venerable female scholar teaching the noble Sayyid can in no way be misconstrued to support modernist, liberal approaches to free mixing between genders in educational settings. Her frailty, and the ailment she was tested with, clearly show that Ḥz. Ḥirmāñ was advanced in age when this incident happened, hence the permissibility of this scenario. In the sacred, pristine Sharīʻah, a Muslim male is not permitted to even reply to the greetings of an unrelated Muslim female who has not reached old age, let alone freely interact with her without any barrier or proper segregation. This prohibition is lifted when a woman becomes so advanced in age that the fear of temptation (fitnah) no longer exists. (ʻAbidīn M. A. U. A. (pp. 369) Radd al-Muḥtār: Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, (6))."
75. Imām Aḥmad Riḍā Khān al-Qādirī (d. 1921 CE) was a polymath scholar who authored over 600 works across more than 50 disciplines during the course of his life. He is also counted, through one of his teachers, among the grand students of Imām Faẓl-i Ḥaq Khairābādī. This connection is traced through his teacher, Mawlānā ʿAbd al-ʿAlī Rāmpūrī.
At the age of twenty-one, he was initiated into the Qādirī Sufi order at the hands of Shāh Āl-i Rasūl, who was notably a student of Shāh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Walī Allāh Muḥaddith Dehlawī, as well as of Mullā Anwār al-Ḥaqq Farangī Maḥallī and Mullā Nūr al-Ḥaqq Farangī Maḥallī. At their first meeting, Imām Aḥmad Riḍā was granted not only discipleship (bayʿah) but also permission to guide others on the spiritual path (khilāfah) by Shāh Āl-i Rasūl.
His devotion to the Qādirī order is reflected throughout his writings, and he became a revered reference point for Qādirīs of his era. Pīr Sayyid Jamāʿat ʿAlī Shāh, a leading scholar and mystic of the Subcontinent who played a notable role in the formation of Pakistan, is reported to have seen a dream in which he was blessed with a vision of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī. He asked the leader of the saints who, in that age, was his deputy; Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir is reported to have replied that it was Imām Aḥmad Riḍā of Bareilly. He later travelled to Uttar Pradesh to meet Imām Aḥmad Riḍā al-Qādirī. See: Misbāḥī, M. M., Misbāḥī Khuṭabāt dar Taʿāruf-e-Riḍā o Riḍwiyyāt, p. 33.
76. Sayhūl, S. (2001, p. 43). Allāmah Faẓl-e Ḥaqq Khairābādī. Lahore: Al-Mumtāz Publications.
77. Mīr Muḥammad Zāhid b. Muḥammad ʼAslam al-Harawī Kābulī (d. 1096 AH/1685 CE) was a preeminent scholar of the Mughal period. He Initiated his studies under his father, Mullāʼ Muḥammad ʼAslam (d. 1014 AH/1605 CE), who served as Qāḍī of Kābul during the reign of Sultān Jahānghīr (1037 AH/1627 CE). He later expanded his knowledge through rigorous training under distinguished scholars such as Mullāʼ Muḥammad Fādil Badakhshī, Mullāʼ Sādiq, Mullāʼ Jamāl Lāhorī & in Turān with Mirzā Muḥammad Jān Shirāzī. He delved into philosophical studies with Mullāʼ Yusuf. He held the influential position of serving as muḥtasib of military accounts during the reign of Sultān Aurangzeb (1118 AH/1707 CE). In his later years though, he dedicated himself entirely to teaching and spiritual pursuits. His profound influence is exemplified in the intellectual development of Shāh ʻAbd al-Rahīm, father of the renowned Shāh Walī-Allah Dehlawī, whom he mentored in the rational sciences.
78. Ibid., pp. 28-29.
79. Ibid., pp. 29.
80. Māwlānā ʻAbd al-Shāhid Khān identifies only one daughter of ʻAllāmāh ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī, ʻĀʼishah Bībī (Bāgī Hindustān, pp. 329). He attributes Bībī Ruqayyah to Māwlānā ʼAsad al-Ḥaq Khairabādī (Ibid., pp. 331). However, Māwlānā ʼUsaid al-Haq Qādirī asserts that Bībī Ruqayyah is in fact the daughter of ʻAllāmāh ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī, based on a handwritten manuscript of the tafsir which says the words ‘Bībī Ruqayyah bint Māwlānā ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī’ on the front cover (Khairabādiyyāt, pp. 29). This claim is further corroborated by Māwlānā Barakāt ʼAhmad’s attestation on the work (Ibid.). While it is possible that Māwlānā ʻAbd al-Shāhid made an oversight, it is equally as possible that the scribe made a mistake aswell. However, the evidence presented by Māwlānā ʼUsaid al-Ḥaq is more compelling as the author of the exegete also attributes herself to ʻAllāmāh ʻAbd al-Ḥaq Khairabādī at the end of the work, and so this position has been adopted for the purposes of this paper. ʼAllāh knows best.
81. Ibid., pp. 30.
82. Exalted is He.
83. About the Writer: Shaykh Muḥammad Mubashir ʼIqbāl is the founder of Khairabadi Institute. He embarked on his journey of sacred knowledge at the age of eleven, spending a decade developing his understanding at Jamʻia al-Karam. During his final years at the seminary, he not only deepened his own comprehension but also imparted knowledge by teaching Arabic.
Driven by a thirst for further development, he expanded his studies at Dārul Qurrāʼ and Islamic Research Centre in England, delving into Persian texts and advanced works within the Dars-i Niẓāmī curriculum.
In pursuit of broader horizons, Mubashir travelled to Istanbul, Turkey. There, he engaged in studies and lessons with scholars from diverse backgrounds, including the scholars of Shām.
Continuing his quest for knowledge, Mubashir pursued Ḥadith Studies at Dār al-ʻUlūm Muḥammadiyyah Ghawthiyyah in Bhera, Pakistan, also known as the Al-Karam International Institute. He further enriched his scholarship at Jamʻia Qādiriyyah in KPK, Pakistan, delving into the last books of the traditional Dars-i Niẓāmī curriculum, including al-Ḥidāyah, Mīr Zāhid ʼUmūr-i ʻĀmmah, Mīr Qutbī, Shams-i Bāzigah, and various commentaries on Sullam-ul-ʻUlūm, among others.
Throughout his educational travels, Mubashir was honoured to receive special licences and ʼijāzahs from esteemed teachers. Some of these licences trace back to luminaries such as ʼImām Fazl-i Ḥaq Khairābādī, Mullāʼ Niẓām al-Dīn Sihālwī, Qāḍī Aḍud al-Dīn al-ʼĪjī, ʼImām Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, and the venerable ʼImām of the ʼAhl al-Sunnah, ʼAbū al-Hasan Ashʻarī (may ʼAllāh have mercy upon them all). With extensive teaching experience, he excels in the classical Khairābādī/Farangī Maḥallī curriculum. He has disseminated his knowledge in various seminaries across England, including Greengate Islamic College, Cambridge Muslim College, and Manchester Muslim College, leaving an indelible mark on his students.
Mubashir is also the founder of Khairabadi Institute, an Institute that strives to eliminate the obstacles hindering students' access to the traditional works within Islamic scholarship. This is achieved by facilitating their engagement with these traditional texts within the framework of Khairābādī pedagogy, transmitted with an unbroken chain through generations.
Classical Arabic Foundations Programme
A formal introduction to Arabic as a science, from the Muqaddimah to Mīzān al-Ṣarf, within the Khairābādī and Farangī Maḥallī pedagogical framework.
