brother, you are mistaken. He is not a shaykh of tariqah either. The spiritual head of the Chishti Nizami Habibi order in South Africa is Shaykh Sa'eed Soofie. He is the elder in the family. Irshad is a junior who is also an ex-teacher.
George Bernhard Shaw and the Islamic Scholar Text and commentary of their historic conversation in 1935 Download from here.
For me a Shaykh = Spiritual Guide ... Correct me if I'm wrong isn't the the Spiritual Head of the Chisti Nizami Habibi Soofi order in Durban a much respected Khanqah with historical significance for Indian Muslims? He may not be as educated as a Mufti but he knows the Shariah. He is the spiritual guide for so many people in South Africa and the youth especially are endeared to him.
Irshad is certainly no 'Shaykh'. He only knows Urdu. He has not even studied the foundation works of a Dars-e-Nizami syllabus.
Many books translated into English by Molana Afthab Cassim Razvi of Imam Mustafa Research Centre including The Chain of Light Vol. 1 and 2, Bahare Shariat, 'Discourses of Muhaddith e Kabeer', Proper Sunnhi Beliefs, etc. Also book on Hazrat Taajush Shariah Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan's trip to Syria: http://www.noori.org/ebooks.html
Listen to Hazrat Ghazi e Millat Pir Sayed Hashmi Mia al-Ashrafi al-Jilani on Hazrat Soofie Saheb R.A. and the Siddiquis in an English lecture he delivered at the Pietermaritsburg Soofie Darbaar i.e. the Khanqah where Imam Irshad Soofie is the Imam: [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]04 February 2011[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]prelude part 1by Imam I[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]rshad Soofi[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Siddique Sahaba title in Qur'aan part 2 by Ghazi e Millat Hazrat Pir [/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Sayed Hashmi Miyan[/FONT] The Imam Ahmed Raza Academy in South Africa mention that "Long before his demise Hadrat Badsha Peer (alaihir rahmah) had predicted that a great Muslim missionary and saint by the name of Hadrat Shah Goolam Muhammad Soofie, Hadrat Soofie Saheb (alaihir rahmah) will be arriving in South Africa to settle and propagate Islam." in their short biography on Hazrat Shaykh Sayed Ahmed Badsha Peer R.A. at http://www.raza.org.za/personalities_badsha_peer.html Short biography of Hazrat Soofie Saheb R.A. on the Imam Ahmed Raza Academy in SA website: http://www.raza.org.za/personalities_soofie_saheb.html Last year or the year before or the year before that the Imam Ahmed Raza Academy hosted Imam Irshad Soofie Siddiqui Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofie as the guest lecturer at their Meelad Shareef. Contact Shaykh Abdul Hadi al-Qadri Razvi president of Raza Academy in SA if anyone has any doubt.
JazakAllah for the concern, but Alhamdulillah the person who runs the site is Imam Irshad Soofie Siddiqui who is a descendant of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique R.A. and is the great grandson of Hazrat Ghulam Mohammed Soofie Saheb Siddiqui R.A. who started 12 Mosques/Khanqahs around 100years ago in South Africa. Hazrat Soofie Saheb R.A. is the Khalifah of Hazrat Khwaja Habib Ali Shah Chisti Nizami R.A. and played a major role in cementing Islam in SA. Hazrat Soofie Saheb R.A. located the grave of the Majzub saint Hazrat Sayed Badsha Peer Qadri Chishti Naqshbandi Suhrwardi R.A. who gave glad tidings to the people before his death of the arrival of the Saalik saint Hazrat Soofie Saheb Siddiqui R.A. Please see: http://www.Badsha.Peer.org.za http://www.Soofie.Saheb.org.za
Regarding Islam in South Africa click on 'Our Sufi Order' at http://www.sufi.co.za Also if you click on Audio Lectures for the English lecture Dismantling of Caliphate and Wahabism by Hazrat Molana Shah Ahmed Noorani Siddiqui al-Qadri R.A.. Also click on Translated Speeches to read online lectures of Hazrat Molana Mohammed Shafee Okarvi al-Qadri R.A. translated into English. These have been published in book format in 2 Volumes entitled 'Discourses of Love' and can be purchased from http://www.sufi.co.za Many English speeches by Shaykh Zain ul Aqtab Siddiqi (son of Hazrat Allama Abdul Wahhab Siddiqi R.A.) at: http://www.youtube.com/user/asuislam also see http://www.suyuti.co.uk On Youtube there are many English lectures by Shaykh Abdul Hadi from Raza Academy SA (http://www.raza.co.za ) search for 'Shaykh Abdul Hadi' and also 'Pir Saqib Shaami' or visit http://www.youtube.com/abdulmustafa786 see the comments for the link to Shaykh Abdul Hadi's lectures
I just wished more people were aware of the works of Hazrat Abdul Aleem Siddqiui Rehmatullah Alaih. His energy and visionary efforts paid dividends throughout the world stretching from the Far East to the West Indies. His forward-thinking, progressive stance is just what was and is still required but there are few personalities today prepared to make the impact that this special individual made. He learnt the languages of the countries he visited which endured him to the natives, he did not adopt a rigid policy but rather an open willingness to engage with others, not many could have held a dialogue with George Bernard Shaw let alone impress him. If they were alive today, I'm pretty sure I have no doubts about this that a few users here would have claimed he was on the wrong track but that's the beauty of individuals like this that they are more concerned with the greater benefits.
oh yes, there is no doubt that he was a Khalifa of Ala Hazrat and one of his major students. His elder brother (the pious and revered shaykh, Allamah Mukhtar Siddiqui) took him to Ala Hazrat once he had graduated from university. here is an excerpt on the happening on the day that Ala Hazrat blessed him with khilafat. http://www.sunniport.com/masabih/showthread.php?t=7806 Allamah Abdul Alim wrote this on Ala Hazrat: there is no doubt Ala Hazrat was the greatest Wali of his era and this is according to the great Allamah Abdul Alim!
I am pretty sure that Mawlana Abdul Alim Siddiqi was a khalifa of Alahazrat. His name is mentioned in the book Khulafa Muhaddith Barelwi by Mas’ud Ahmad.
Actually, Sayyidi Allamah Abdul Alim Siddiqui was not a murid of Ala Hazrat. He was murid of his esteemed father, Allamah Abdul Hakim. This in fact demonstrates the vastness of Ala Hazrat's supremacy as a Wali and Scholar combined that even though these greats were already accomplished scholars and sufis and came from the lineage of great sufi masters they all sought some sort of nisbah with him.
Please do provide their names brother, if you can. The aim is to gather the names of shuyukh/senior students of knowledge who can translate Sunni literature and sayings of elder and mujtahid Sunni scholars into foreign languages (in nonMuslim majority societies) like English, French, German, Korean, anything at all - at a level that the common man can both access it and understand it. I think this whole crew of winters, hanson, keller et al is an absolute disgrace. From the English-speaking lot, mention someone other than these "interfaith harmony" boys. I think Shaykh Monawwar Atiq would be a good example, from the little I have read of/by him. Plus I don't know who the Sunni scholarly people are in non-English-speaking societies where Muslims are a minority, like France, Germany, Holland, christian Africa, Korea, Japan, Philippines etc. The wahabis have done excellent work in all such places mentioned.
A few shuyukh inside Afghanistan and uzbekistan. Very few in western and eastern Iran. Many in northern 'Iraq and eastern Turkey. One in Jerusalem. They have established or growing local intellectual influence like that of Shaykh 'Abdul Aleem Siddiqi, and his noble son Shah AHmad Noorani Siddiqi of Meerut India. They are fighters of Ahl alSunnah. I am also acquainted through them with a few fighters within the Russian Federation.
Salam Alaikum As an excellent murid of Ala Hazrat and an extremely responsible Sunni who had the vision to spread the teachings of Ahlus Sunnah far and wide, he did have a great part to play in the spreading of the Sunni maktab-e-fikr, both due to his drive, desire and a no-nonsense focus on core Sunni-ism, as well as his ability to preach in the language of the local population. Who do the others think is the one who is actively following in his footsteps or has the capability to - in various different countries outside of the subcontinent?
