BY DR. HANEEF AKHTAR FATMI
(Head of the Department of Sybernitix, University of London)

The Qur’an is the scripture from Allah and His last message to mankind. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arranged for its committal to writing and security and spent his life for its propagation.
He followed the laws enacted by the Qur’an and the laws derived from it. His refined character and behavior were an explanation of Qur’anic principles. His reverend companions and after them, their followers tried to mold their lives according to the Qur’anic doctrine and the principles provided by the refined character and sayings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.

This necessitated the need for explanation and interpretation of the holy verses of Qur’an and Sayings of Prophet ﷺ so the learned pious scholars of Islam since exceedingly early days of Islamic History spent most of their lives in the scared job of explanation and interpretation of Qur’ān and Sunnah.

The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic. For this reason, the Muslims speaking different languages rendered it into their own languages and these renderings increased every day. The multiplicity of the Qur’ān is possible from Arabic. This confirms the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “The wonders of Islam will never end, and multiple recitations will never age the scripture” This saying indicates that the interpretations and rendering of the Qur’ān will continue indefinitely.

In India and Pakistan, the renderings of the Qur’ān were mainly in Urdu initiated by the family of Shah Waliullah. As they were not fully satisfying more translations appeared. The one rendering by Shah Abdul Qadīr remained incomplete from the point of view of the meanings. The rendering of Ashraf Ali Thanvi was better but came out superficial and some important matters were ignored. He used the same meanings of words in the whole in the whole text of Qur’ān while the style of the Qur’ān is unique in all manner of writings with unique qualities which are not present in any other language, so also its examples, metaphors, proverbs, declination’s.

This question can’ be answered very simply in the negative. Even if it is rendered into Arabic with different choice of words the meanings would become different, and their message lost. Ibn Qiba takes the view that the revelation of translator can render it into any other language completely in the same manner as the Bible has been translated from one language into another. Similarly other religious scriptures have been rendered into Arabic more fully from their non-Arabic texts, as there is greater richness of expression in Arabic than in any other language. For this reason, the Qur’ān cannot be completely rendered into any language.

For example, it is impossible be render literally the words of the verses 8:58 and 18:11 into any other language. But the meaning of the Qur’an can be rendered into other as far as possible in an explanatory style.

If the existing translations of the Qur’ān are examined, it will be seen that only one by Imam Ahmad Raza has fully considered the sentiment and higher emotion which Qur’ān shows towards Allah and His Messenger.

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan was a pathan. He belonged to the Hanafi school and was initiated in the Qādri order of the Sufis. He came from Bareilly. His father Naqi Ali Khan died in 1880 and his grandfather Raza Ali Khan in 1886. Both were learned scholars as well as Sufi men of state. The Imam mentioned them in his poetical works as: Ahmad Hindi Raza, son of Naqi, son of Raza. The Imam was born on 14 June 1856 Bareilly. He obtained the date of birth from the Qur’ān: “. . . they are the ones in whose hearts Allah has inscribed faith and they are helped by His spirit. . .” (58:22).

The Imam was given the name Muhammad. The date of birth corresponded to the name: al-Mukhtar. His grandfather called him Ahmad Raza. Later he added the name: ‘Abdul Mustafa’. In his poetical works he says “Raza! Do not fear the least, you are the servant of the Secure. For you is security, for you is security.”

The Imam was a prodigy. At the age of 14 he completed his education and began to practice as an Islamic lawyer (Mufti) on behalf of his father. He writes to Maulana Bihari in a letter.” At the age of 13 in 1286H (1869) I wrote my first legal advice (Fatwa) in 1336H (1919) I will complete fifty years in the profession. For this gift how can I offer my thanks to Allah.” The Imam not only completed religious courses but also secular courses. The total number of courses in which he was an expert are sixty-two. In theology he was expert on the knowledge of Qur’ān, the knowledge of the traditions (Hadith), the principles of Hadith, he was expert on the principles of mysticism (tasawwuf), the methods of mysticism (Suluk). In secular sciences he was an expert on Philosophy, Mathematics, Logic, Algebra, History, Besides these he was adapt in nine other sciences for example astrology, Persian, prose and poetry, Hindi prose, and poetry. It is hardly possible if any Imam could equal his academic stature.

He writes: “I left Philosophy when I realized that it is superficial, dark and rusty and suppresses religion, lessens the fear of the Hereafter, whereas I have many responsibilities. For pleasure I engage in Mathematics, Astrology, Geometry and, they help in the determination and changes in time for worship, fasting. But I am most interested in three things: (1) To support the Leader of the Prophets against those who defame him for the blessings of my Lord according to my abilities, as Allah deals with His subject according to his abilities (2) To uproot those who perpetrate disorder in religion, (3) To write explanatory legal opinions following the Hanafi School according to my abilities.”

In 1877 the Imam was initiated in the presence of his father by Shah Ale Rasul in the Qadri order of the Sufis and was permitted to teach. He wrote in praise of his teacher: “Be happy that Ale Rasul came to India. Be happy that you have sacrificed your head for the family of the Prophet”. The Imam was also a teacher in a dozen or more orders of the Sufis and had permission to teach many Sufi texts, for example, Hasah Hassain, Musafihah al-Husania, Musafiha al-Khizria, Musafiha al-Muammaria, Musafiha al-Manamia. He was a master in Chistia, Suhrawardia, Naqshabandia and Alvia orders.

In 1905 the Imam performed the second pilgrimage and wrote a famous verse: “thanks Allah, the moment of the journey has arrived “The learned scholars of Makkah greeted the Imam. On this occasion he wrote in Makkah: The treasure of Makkah on the Sources of Knowledge (al-Dolat al-Makkiyya, 1906), The judgment of Haramain on uprooting the Infidels and the Liars (Hussam al-Haramain) and The Key of the Lawyer in Understanding Laws relating to Paper Money (Kifl al-Faqih).

Shaikh Ismail writes: The people of Makkah gathered around him and asked to be examined which the Imam did. Maulana Hāmid Raza accompanied by Shaikh Hussain, then Shaikh Salih Kamal, then Shaikh Ismail, Mustafa Khalil, Ahmad Khazravi, Abdul Qadīr, Shaikh Farid, and Sayyid Muhammad. Then the Imam went to Madina where Maulana Abdul Karim wrote: “I have been in the town several years and thousands of scholars visit the town. Nobody is bothered about them. But they witnessed before. This is Allah’s grace He gives whom he Wills”. Here also he conferred degrees on many scholars, for example, Shaikh Umar bin Hamdan, Manun al-Barri, Shaikh Muhammad Saeed.

The Imam died on 25 November 1921 at Bareilly U.P., India “From Allah we come. To Him we return.” Maulana Hasnain Raza writes: The Imam first wrote his will and the executed it. Then he asked for time and removal of the clock and pictures. The audience wondered because there were no pictures around him. He said: Remove money, postage, envelopes. Then the Imam asked Maulana Hamid Raza to perform ablution and bring the Qur’an. Before the Qur’an was brought, he asked Mustafa Raza Khan not to remain sitting but to recite the Chapters of the Qur’an, Ya. Sin, and Raad. A few minutes before death the recitation was completed and the Imam listened to the Chapter with such presence of the heart and certainly that if there was the slightest doubt during recitation, the Imam recited the verses himself. Sacred is Allah.

Then the Imam recited the prayers for the journey. Then the sacred statement: No one is there to be worshipped except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. When the strength departed, he was performing the loud meditation (zikr pas-anfas) then a brilliant light appeared on his face like the ray of the sun and as it departed the body became motionless. “From Allah we come, to Him we return.”

Maulana Abdul Aziz, the Caliph of Ajmeer Sharif writes: After the Imam’s death he met a scholar from Syria at Delhi whom I asked why to have you come to Delhi. The Scholar said that on 25 November 1921 I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the dream. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is sitting with His companions. But everyone is silent as if waiting for some one. I asked: Who are we waiting for. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: Ahmad Raza, I said: Who is he? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: He lives in Bareilly. On waking up I enquired about the Imam and came to see him, but I learnt that he had departed.

The tomb of the Imam is in Mohallah Saudagran in Bareilly (U.P., India). The death anniversary (Urs Mubarak) is celebrated on 24-25 Safar. He left at least a thousand papers. The leading publications are: The Gift of the Prophet on Approved Statements (Fatāwa Razvia) and The Treasure of Certainty in the Rendering of Qur’ān in Urdu (Kanz-ul-Iman). The Commentary on the Imam’s rendering is written by his Caliph, Maulana Naimuddin. This work is full of love, ecstasy, sensibility, subtle vibrations, and culture. It is unique.