He is the Shaikh al-Imaam al-Haafidh al-Hujjah Abul A’la Muhammad Abdur- Rahmaan ibn Allaamah al-Haafidh al-Haaj ash-Shaikh Abdur-Raheem ibn al-Haaj ash-Shaikh Bahaadur al-Mubaarakpooree.
He was the Aalim and the jurist, an ocean of knowledge and the Imaam in the sciences of hadeeth and Ilmul-Rijaal. He was an expert in narrations and extracting and interpolating from them as well as being one of a kind in mastering the other sciences. He had a strong memory and his preservation of hadeeth was of a remarkable standard. His research and investigation concerning hadeeth and its related sciences was deep and unique.
He had great expertise and was a specialist in the knowledge of hadeeth, Asmaa ur- Rijaal, Jarh Wat-Ta’deel, the tabaqaat of the narrators and scholars of hadeeth, the referencing of hadeeth and their various chains of transmissions. He achieved a great status in the Illal of hadeeth and became known for it. His deep constant and continuous research gave him the status of the possessor of amazing attributes in Ilmul-Hadeeth. He was a Hadeeth Master, He was one of a kind.
He had exemplary manners with desirable characteristics and all the scholars of his time remember him with these attributes. He was soft hearted and compassionate.
This Imaam of Ahlul-Hadeeth was born in 1283H (1867ce) in Mubaarakpoor, the district of A’dhamgardh and A’dhamgardh is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradessh.
His Teachers.
- Haafidh Abdur-Raheem Mubaarakpooree (His father)
- Shaikh Khudaa Baksh A’dhamgardhee
- Shaikh Muhammad Saleem Faraahee
- Shaikh Faidhullaah Mu’ee
- Shaikh Salamatullaah Jaeraajpooree
- Shaikh Muhammad Farooq Charyakautee
- Shaikh Haafidh Abdullaah Ghaazeepooree
- Shaikh Abdur-Rahmaan Jaeraajpooree
- Shaikh Qaadhee Muhammad bin Abdul-Azeez Machleeshehree
- Shaikh Sayyid Mian Muhammad Nazeer Dehlawee
- Shaikh Hussain bin Muhsin al-Ansaari al-Yamaanee.
And others. All of them were Imaams and hadeeth master in their own rights
After completing his studies with his various teachers he started to teach and lecture and he started in his area of Mubaarakpoor where he established a small institute, Daar ut-Ta’leem. After teaching in Mubaarakpoor for a number of years he went to Balraampoor and set up another institute ‘Madrassah Arabiyyah’, where he taught for some time, delivering lectures and more importantly started to explain and teach the Prophetic Ahadeeth.
Thereafter he traveled to Allaahnagar and taught there for a short while and then moved onto to Ghaundah and taught in the institute, Siraaj al-Uloom where he spent a fair amount of time.
After this Muhaddith Mubaarakpooree’s teacher, Haafidh Abdullaah Muhaddith Ghaazeepooree (d.1337H) invited the Muhaddith to teach in the well-known and established Madrassah, Madarassah Ahmadiyyah Araah. The Muhaddith spent a long time under his Shaikh in teaching at this institute.
Whilst teaching the Prophets ahadeeth, explaining them, writing concerning them, delivery lectures on specialist fields and sciences of hadeeth he became known and Allaah Jallo Wa A’la raised his status and he became known to the world as Muhaddith Mubaarakpooree.
Whilst teaching at Madrassah Ahmadiyyah he was invited to teach ahadeeth in Calcutta at the institute of Daar ul-Qur’aan Was-Sunnah, so upon seeking permission from his Shaikh Haafidh Abdullaah Ghaazeepooree, he traveled to Calcutta.
Traveling to Calcutta was the Muhaddith’s last journey to teach at an institute and after this he did not teach at any institute. After this the Muhaddith occupied himself with research and writing.
His Students.
Most of the Shaikhs life was spent in teaching ahadeeth and spreading the Sunnah to hundreds of students whom he taught at the various institutions he taught at. So the list of the number of his students runs into hundreds but from them those who shone and became well known due to their ilm and spreading the Ahadeeth Was-
Sunnah were,
Shaikh al-Imaam Abdus-Salaam Mubaarakpooree.
The famous teacher of hadeeth and the author of the great and manifest work on the life and works of Imaam Muhammad bin Ismaa’eel al-Bukhaari titled Seerah al- Bukhaari. The Shaikh left behind 3 sons, all Shaikhs and Scholars of hadeeth in their own right, from them, Shaikh Ubaid ur-Rehmaan Taalib Rehmaanee and the Imaam Shaikh Ubaidullaah Rehmaanee Mubaarakpooree. (see next)
The Shaikh, the Allaamah, the Imaam Shaikh ul-Hadeeth Ubaidullaah Rehmaanee bin Abdus-Salaam Mubaarakpooree.
The Imaam of Hadeeth of his time and from the Ahlul-Hadeeth scholars of his time. He had a special relationship with Imaam al-Muhaddith Abdur-Rahmaan al- Mubaarakpooree as will be mentioned later. The Shaikh taught hadeeth all his life in Jaami’a Rehmaaniyyah and in Mubaarakpoor. The Shaikh also authored the renowned explanation of Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh titled ‘Mir’ah al-Mafaateeh Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh.’ The Shaikh Rahimahullah started his explanation in 1950 and completed it in 10 large volumes.
Shaikh Hakeem Muhammad Asghar Mubaarakpooree.
He was the nephew of the Shaikh. He would stay in the company of his uncle and constantly learn from him and after completing his studies he taught in the first institution Muhaddith Mubaarakpooree set up in Mubaarakpoor, Daar ut-Ta’leem. Shaikh Asghar Mubaarakpooree taught at this institute all his life up until he died.
Shaikh Abdus-Samad Hussainabaadee.
Shaikh Abdus-Samad received his primary education from Shaikh Asghar Mubaarakpooree and went onto learn from Muhaddith Mubaarakpooree. He went on to teach at some of the well-known Ahlul-Hadeeth institutes. Shaikh Abdus- Samad was a scholar of hadeeth in his own right and was a strong author and authored many works related to Hadeeth and its intricate sciences. He also had a special relationship with the Muhaddith.
Shaikh Abdul-Jabbaar Khandailwee
Shaikh Abdul-Jabbaar was also from the well-known and famous Ahlul-Hadeeth scholars. He spent all his life teaching and educating the people. He spent almost half a century teaching hadeeth, tafseer and fiqh. The Shaikh left many students who were also major scholars. The Shaikh also authored a number of books.
Doctor Shaikh Taqee ud deen al-Hilaalee al-Marakeshee.
Shaikh Taqee ud deen Hilaalee was the Professor of Arabic in Nadwatul-Ulama. He also learnt from the Muhaddith, he learnt and studied hadeeth and Fiqhul-Hadeeth from him. He died in 1983 in Morocco.
And many many more.
