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

the ramadan of shaikh muĤ ammud zakariyyĀ
new masjid built within the new complex [of Mażāhir al-‘Ulūm]
was chosen as the new venue for i‘tikāf. The year before, news had
leaked out that Ĥađrat is performing i‘tikāf, raising the hopes of
hundreds of people who wished to perform i‘tikāf with Ĥađrat.
There was much excitement that the new complex had been chosen
as the main venue for i‘tikāf; hundreds made preparations for i‘tikāf
with Ĥađrat.
People arrived for i‘tikāf and moved with Ĥađrat into the new
complex the night of the 29th of Sha‘bān. That year, forty people
made intention to perform i‘tikāf for the whole month of Ramadan.
This gathering increased to 313 people by the end of Ramadan.
Shaikh Abū al-Ĥasan writes with reference from one of Ĥađrat’s
helpers:
I compiled a list of names of the people who came for i‘tikāf
from mid-Sha‘bān to the 28th of Ramadan. Altogether, the
number of people on this list came out to 313 people.
Ĥađrat wrote some details regarding i‘tikāf in the old masjid in
his diary. He wrote about the lack of space, the inflow of guests
from around the country and his decision to hold i‘tikāf in the new
complex the upcoming year. He writes:
I‘tikāf was in the old masjid last year, but it soon became
too small for the number of people who came for i‘tikāf. I
was most dissapointed to find that 15 people who had left
Shaikh Yūsuf behind in Niżām al-Dīn to perform i‘tikāf in
Sahāranpūr had to return due to lack of space in the masjid.
Unfortunately, they weren’t able to perform i‘tikāf in Niżām
al-Dīn either. Therefore, we performed i‘tikāf the whole
month in the new complex of the school. Forty people were
in i‘tikāf from the very beginning. This number increased
until the masjid was full and canopies were pitched in the
courtyard.
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