TheRamadan of Shaykh Al-Hadith Ml ZakariyyaKandelwi by Dr Muhammad Ismail Memon Madani

Ramadan of the Elders
who handed them out as needed to the guests. If anyone left his
plate full or unclean, Ĥađrat would clean it himself. If he saw any
pieces of chappati on the mat he picked it up and ate it. After that,
people picked up on this habit and started doing the same thing.
Ĥađrat sat on his knees. He held one chappati in his left hand
and took small bite-size pieces from it as needed. He was the first
to start eating and the last to finish. After dinner, everyone drank
tea. These are the details of an invitation.
If there was no invitation, Ĥađrat left after śalāt for the residence.
The food was prepared and laid out on the two mats, one for Ĥađrat
and the chappati-eaters and the second for the rice-eaters. He usually
finished quickly when he ate at his residence and then sat for a
few minutes after. His devotees sometimes sat and discussed current
affairs or juridical issues during this time. Ĥađrat also participated
in the discussions and then rested for a short while.
As everyone knows, Ĥađrat’s unique recitation and his concentration
[khushū‘] in śalāt was known in the Indian Subcontinent
but also in Arabia and Ĥijāz. In Silhat, Ĥađrat lead tarāwīĥ himself.
Hundreds of people came from all over to listen to Ĥađrat in tarāwīĥ
and tahajjud and left the next morning for their homes [whatever
has been written about Ĥađrat’s recitation and śalāt is absolutely
true. I have stood hundreds of time behind Ĥađrat in obligatory śalāt
but never had the opportunity to spend time with him in Ramadan.
Though I did listen to Ĥađrat’s tarāwīĥ two times, the first time
in Ramadan of 1363/August, 1944, when Ĥađrat was freed from
Ilāhabād jail and arrived in the morning at Sahāranpūr on the 14th
of Ramadan/ September 1, 1944 and took the train to Deoband immediately
after. He stayed one night in Deoband and left for Dehli
the next day [on a Monday] in the afternoon. Since my uncle died
that year on the morning of the 21st of Rajab/ 04 July 1944, Ĥađrat
arrived at the station after Maghrib and went straight to Niżām al-
Dīn to offer his condolences. At tarāwīĥ time, Ĥađrat said,
“Whoever is the imam for tarāwīĥ should lead.” I said,
“Who has the courage to lead in tarāwīĥ when you are here. Only
you will lead today.”
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