Allama Syed Shah Tahir Razwi Qadri is an Islamic scholar of modern times. He is one of the most famous Sufi scholars of the modern times.[1] He was also the vice chancellor of Jamia Nizamia and was later made the Sadr Ush Shuyukh i.e. the Dean of Jamia Nizamia.
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Hadhrat Syed Shah Tahir Razwi Qadri was born on March 17, 1930 in a family, which was known and respected for their knowledge, piety and spirituality. His father was Hadhrat Ibrahim Adeeb who has written a number of works covering as diverse a range of topics as Tasawwuf, classical Arabic poetry, philology, Tafseer and many more. The orientalist, D.S. Margoliouth said: My tour of India would have been wasted if I had not met Ibrahim Adeeb.
He completed his primary education at the hands of his father. Later on, he was enrolled into Jamia Nizamia, Hyderabad, from where he gradually cleared Maulvi, Alim, Fazil and graduated with a Kamil in Tafseer (Exegesis of the Quran). He also did his MA (Arabic) from Osmania University, Hyderabad.
His teachers
His teachers were all masters of both the normative and the spiritual sciences. His first teacher was his father, Hadhrat Ibrahim Adeeb Razwi (deceased 1958). Others include: Hadhrat Syed Shah Mufti Muhammad Makhdoom Hussaini Qadri Chishti (deceased 1966), Hadhrat Abul Wafa Afghani (deceased 1975), Mufti Abdul Hameed (deceased 1978), Mufti Makhdoom Baig (deceased 1957).
Hadhrat Syed Shah Tahir Razwi Qadri was a disciple of his father and also received his Khilafah (authorization to accept disciples and pass on the teachings to others) from him. He has permissions in all the 4 great spiritual orders of Islam, viz. Qadri, Chishti, Naqshbandi and Suharwardi. He actually subjected himself to rigorous spiritual exercises (Mujahidaat). There are countless disciples of his in India and abroad.
His caliphs
He was not only the caliph of his father but also the Sajjada Nasheen of his grandfather Syed Jamaluddin Qadri. From among his disciples, he has granted the Khilafah to the following people:
Hadhrat Syed Shah Tahir Razwi Qadri was one of those rare people whose abilities have been acknowledged by the scholars and laymen alike. He started teaching in Jamia Nizamia, where he had studied for years. Due to his extraordinary capabilities, he was soon made Shaykh Ul Adab, Arabic, i.e. Dean of the Department of Arabic.
He was then appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Nizamia. During his tenure there, Jamia Nizamia crossed many milestones in its march of progress. Right from punctuality to teaching methods to syllabus to expertise in Arabic to love for the founder of Jamia Nizamia, Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam Imam Muhammad Anwarullah Farooqui, he made many changes. He would encourage the students to study the works of Hadhrat Shaykh Ul Islam. He made many positive changes in the examination system as well. The number of students greatly increased in his tenure and hundreds graduated as Moulvi, Alim, Fazil, Kamil.
Hadhrat Abdur Razzaq Shah Qadri had founded Lateefiyah Arabic College to encourage and promote education among Muslims. Here the medium of education is oriental languages and it is affiliated to Osmania University. Hadhrat Syed Shah Tahir Razwi Qadri taught there for many many years and innumerable students benefited from him. He taught here for approximately 50 years and retired.
Some of his students are:
Syed Abdur Razzaq Qadri, Founder, Lateefiya Arabic College, Mughalpura.
Maulana Syed Jafar Mohiuddin Qadri, Director, Sadrus Seerah Society, America.
Maulana Qari Abdul Hafeez Junaidi, Member, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Bengaluru.
Maulana Mufti Muhammad Azeemuddin, Chief Mufti, Jamia Nizamia,
Maulana Mufti Khaleel Ahmed, Shaykh Ul Jamia Nizamia
Maulana Muhammad Khwaja Shareef, Shaykh Ul Hadith, Jamia Nizamia
Maulana Hafidh Muhammad Abdullah Qureshi Al Azhari, Naib Shaykh Ul Jamia, Jamia Nizamia
Maulana Hafidh Muhammad Altaf Hussain Farooqui, Dairatul Ma’arif Osmania
Maulana Syed Siddiq Hussaini Qadri, Sajjada Nasheen Hadhrat Yahya Pasha, Qazi Pura.
Maulana Syed Khursheed Ali Sahab Mazhari, Research Officer, Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad (retired)
Mufti Hafidh Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Qadri, Shaykh Ul Fiqh, Jamia Nizamia and Founder/Director Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center
Maulana Syed Muhammad Arifuddin Jeelani
Mufti Muhammad Abdul Quddus, former Shaykh Ul Maqulat, Jamia Nizamia
Maulana Dr. Shaykh Ahmad Mohiuddin Sharafi, Founder, Dar Ul Uloom An Nomaniya
Maulana Syed Azizulah Qadri, Shaykh Ul Maqulat, Jamia Nizamia
Maulana Syed Abdur Pasha Qadri, Teacher, Dar Ul Uloom Deeniya, Bargah Banda Nawaz, Gulbarga.
Maulana Dr. Muhammad Saifullah, Shaykh Ul Adab, Jamia Nizamia.
Maulana Muhammad Mukhtar Ahmad, former Naib Shaykh Ul Maqulat, Jamia Nizamia
Maulana Muhammad Abdul Qavi, Naib Shaykh Ul Maqulat, Jamia Nizamia.
Maulana Dr. Syed Badiuddin Sabri, Professor, Department of Arabic, Osmania University.
Maulana Muhammad Faseehuddin Nizami, Chief Librarian, Jamia Nizamia
Maulana Qari Shaykh Abdul Gafoor Nizamia, Shaykh Ut Tajweed, Jamia Nizamia.
Syed Ahmed Jeelani(M.Phil)HCU,Sr News Anchor & Copy editor,Etv urdu.
He was actively engaged in trying to guide the Ummah for approximately 50 years. Among all his other engagements, the Dars of Quran, i.e. lessons of Quran held primary importance. He gave the Dars in Masjid Afzal Gunj for 13 years. His style of explanation was that in plain language, he would cover the most difficult-to-explain concepts in a very simple way. He was equally adept in Fiqh, Tafseer, history, theology (Kalam). In his weekly address at Masjid Afzal Gunj, in 10 years, he finished only the 1st Para (Alif Lam Meem)
Those who attended his lessons would say that in his lessons there would be a certain spiritual aura all around and those in the lesson would become oblivious to the world outside.
It is also said: It is the result of his attention that Kul Hind Markazi Majlis Ahle Sunnat has been able to complete 10 years…..otherwise it is very difficult for any organization to complete 10 years.[2]
He would give lessons at multiple places in and around the city.
Every Friday, he would give a lesson in Tafseer before the Friday Salaat in Masjid Regimental, Secunderabad and once a week also in Masjid Amrullah Shah Sahab, after Zuhr, he would expound the Tafseer.
He would describe the meanings of the Quran in Little Star High School, Razzaqpura before Salaat Ul Asr.
Every Sunday, after Isha, he would explain the meanings of the Quran at Masjid Qadriyya, Syed Ali Guda.
Every second Sunday of the lunar month, he would organize and oversee a session of Dhikr and Tasawwuf in his house at Muradnagar.
He has also addressed thousands of Milad Un Nabi and Seerat Un Nabi sessions in fifty years.
He performed Haj twice, once in 1981 along with the family and second time in 1992, on the invitation of the Government of Saudi Arabia. On the second occasion, he presented a Qasida (ode) in an international convention of Arabic poets, which was televised as well. An Arabic magazine “At Tazamun Al Islami” published this Qasida as well.
He was also was attached to various societies, etc., which work for the betterment of the Ummah in some way and also guided the Muslims in that manner. He was the Ameer of the Imarat Shariah Andhra Pradesh. He was also the chief patron of Kul Hind Bazm Anwaar-e-Ihsaan, under whose auspices weekly sessions of Dhikr, Tasawwuf, etc. and yearly conferences were organized. Research papers were also published through this organization.
He was also the secretary for Majlis Ulema Deccan. Under his presidentship, the sessions of Ruyat-e-Hilal (moon sighting) committee were held.
He married the daughter of Shaykh Ul Hadith Hadhrat Hakeem Muhammad Hussain. He is survived by 5 sons and 1 daughter.
For his scholarly efforts and prowess, he was chosen for the President’s Award by the Government of India. He was given this award in a glittering ceremony on November 2, 1996. In the same function, Maulana Mufti Muhammad Azeemuddin was also given an award for his service to Arabic language.
He died in the early hours of 27th Ramadhan.