The Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofie

KANZ-UL-EEMAN (By Imam e Ahle Sunnat, Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan (born 1858: called to the realm of Divine Beauty 25 Safar 1921) (may Allah be well pleased with him) of Barailly with other Translations

The translation of Imam e Ahle Sunnat, Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan was completed at the beginning of the 20^th Century i.e. 1910. He was a great jurist and a learned scholar of Islam, considered to be the most learned and authentic authority on Qur’aan, Sunnah and Jurisprudence by the majority of Ahle Sunnah wa Jamaat scholars. He wrote over a thousand books on Islam and various sciences. He was a devoted lover of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) and wrote and spoke in his defense when Wahabbism polluted mainstream Sunni belief. Muftis and Ulama of all four schools of jurisprudence awarded him certificates of proficiency when he performed Hajj at the Sunni Uthmania controlled Haramain Sharifain (Makkah and Madinah) at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Though he has written numerously, but his two most famous works the translation of Holy Qur’aan in Urdu and Fatwai Razvia in twelve huge volumes have proved his superiority, deep thinking, ability and extreme love of Allah Almighty and. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him and his family) over entire group of Ulama of his time. Ahmad Raza filled a new spirit and enthusiasm for Islam in the hearts of Muslims. He revived love and affection of the last prophet and of his teachings. Seeing his works for the revival of Islam, he deserves to be called a revivalist of 20th century.

And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.

al-Qur’aan al-Kareem: Sakhr Software – Saudi Arabia

Did He not find you wandering and guide you?

(An English Translation published in Beirut Lebanon by Dar-Al-Choura).

And He found thee wandering, and He gave the guidance.

(Abdullah Yusuf Ali).

And found thee lost on the way and guided thee?

(Mohammad Asad).

And He found thee wandering in search for Him and guided thee unto Himself.

(Maulvi Sher Ali Qadiani).

And He found thee wandering, so He guided thee.

(Abdul Majid Daryabadi).

And found thee groping, so He showed the way.

(Maulana Mohammad Ali Lahori Qadiani).

And He found you uninformed of Islamic Laws so He told you the way of Islamic laws.

(Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi),

Did He not find thee erring and guided thee?

(Arberry).

Did He not find thee wandering and direct thee?

(Pickthal).

And saw you unaware of the way so showed you straight way.

(Maulana Fateh Mohammad Jallendhri).

" And He found you drowned in His Love therefore gave way unto Him "

Aala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan

(may Allah be well pleased with him)

in such a way that it affected directly the personality and prestige of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) whereas the consensus is that the prophet is sinless prior to the declaration of prophet hood and after the declaration. The words wandering groping, erring are not befitting to his dignity. The word "Dhal" has many meanings the most appropriate meaning has been adopted by Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan.

That Allah may forgive thee thy faults of the past and those to follow; fulfil His favour to thee; and guide thee on the Straight Way;

al-Qur’aan al-Kareem: Sakhr Software – Saudi Arabia

has been translated by almost all famous translators of the Holy Qur’aan as ‘sin or error or faults’. Thus the verse has been translated usually as "so that ALLAH may forgive your faults (or errors or sins)". Whereas the basic faith of Muslims is that the prophet is sinless, and faultless.

"So that Allah may forgive the sins of your formers and your latter on account of you."

Here the prefixed particle "La" gives the meaning of "an account of" according to various commentators of Qur’aan particularly in the commentaries of Khazin and Ruhul Bayan.

Before ALLAH has known the men fought hard. (The Quran Dar-Al-Choura) Beirut.

While yet ALLAH knoweth not those of you who really strive. (Pickthal).

Without God know who of you have struggled. (Arberry).

While yet ALLAH has not known those who have striven hard. (Abdul Majid Daryabadi).

While yet ALLAH (openly) has not seen those among you have striven on such occasion. (Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi).

And yet ALLAH has not known those among you are to fight. (Maulana Mahmoodul Hassan),

"And yet ALLAH has not tested your warriors" (Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan)

Now the readers can themselves see the difference of translating of this verse. Most of the translators while translating this verse have forgotten to remember that ALLAH is the knower of seen and unseen. God forbid! The general translators have given the conception that ALLAH does not know anything before its occurrence.

"While ALLAH has not yet distinguished those of you that strive in the way of ALLAH"

(Maulvi Sher Ali).

Even al-Qur’aan al-Kareem: Sakhr Software – Saudi Arabia has, respectfully, translated it as:

without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (in His Cause) and remained steadfast?

And that on which another name has been invoked besides that of ALLAH. (Abdullah Yusuf Ali).

And that over which is invoked the name of any other than ALLAH. (Abdul Majid Daryabadi).

And the animal that has been earmarked in the name of any other than ALLAH (Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi)

"And the animal that has been slaughtered by calling a name other than ALLAH".

(Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan).

Now see the difference in translation. Generally the translators while translating these words have conveyed such meaning that makes all lawful animals that are called by any other name that ALLAH unlawful. Sometimes animals are called by other names for example, if anyone calls any animal like Aqiqa animal, or Walima animal or sacrificial animal sometime people purchase animals for Isal-e-Sawab (conveying reward of a good deed to their near and dear ones) and call them as Ghaus-ul-Azam or Chishti U’rs animals, but they are slaughtered in the name of ALLAH only. Then all such animals would become unlawful.

The only befitting translation is of Ahmed Raza Khan that conveys the real sense of the verse. All such lawful animals become unlawful if they are slaughtered in any other name that ALLAH.

O ye assembly of Jinns and men! if it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass!

al-Qur’aan al-Kareem: Sakhr Software – Saudi Arabia

O' Company of Jinn and men if you have power that you may go out of the boundaries of the heavens and the earth (then let us see) do go but you can not go out without strength.

(Ashraf Ali Thanvi).

O' tribe of Jinn and of men if you are able to pass through the confines of heaven and earth, pass through then you shall not pass through except with an authority.

(Arberry)

Similarly Abdullah Yousuf Ali and Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi have translated this verse.

" O' Company of Jinn and men, if you can that you may go out of the boundaries of the heavens and the earth, then do go. Whatever you will go, His is the Kingdom. "

(Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan)

This is in keeping with the Scientific Age where man has crossed the boundaries of the earth. Some commentators have stated that none can cross the boundaries, thus creating doubt in the minds of people, but Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Khalifatullah fil ard actualized in his translation has expelled these doubts. His Successor , Maulana Abd al-Aleem Siddique (may Allah be well pleased with him) and Grand- Successor Prof. Maulana Fazlur Rahman Ansari have spoken on this topic in depth.

Irshad Soofi Siddiqui
Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofi
Khanqae Habibia Soofia
189 East Street
Pietermaritzburg
Kwa - Zulu Natal
Republic of South Africa
website: http://www.sufi.co.za/