(xi) A‘lahazrat as a Researcher

Alahazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Qadiri (may Allah be pleased with him) has researched in various fields. Whatever he went into, he went to the full depth of it.

(1) Wuzu [ablution] is the act of washing the parts of the body, which are generally exposed, in a prescribed manner. For making Wuzu, water is required. But water is a wide term. Which type of water is fit for making Wuzu and which type of water is unfit for the purpose. Such a question came up for consideration before A‘lahazrat. My readers will be deeply surprised to know as to how deeply A‘lahazrat went into the matter. In 1915, he wrote a separate treatise over this issue. A‘lahazrat has described 160 kinds of water; the Wuzu is permissible to make with. Besides, the water with which Wuzu cannot be made, A‘lahazrat has given 146 kinds thereof. Thus, in all, A‘lahazrat has described 306 kinds of water.

(2) Tayammum is an alternative of ablution [Wuzu or ghusl] made without water under certain circumstances. A‘lahazrat has drawn a list of 181 things fit to be used for Tayammum. He has given a separate list of 130 things unfit for the purpose.

(3) Mawlana Zafar al-din Rizawi, one of the noted students of A‘lahazrat, is author of "Hayat-i-A‘lahazrat", an authentic biography of A‘lahazrat. The Mawlana states that he was able to fill up the "Naqsh-i-Murabba" (a sixteen column quadrilateral) by 1152 methods. He further states that A‘lahazrat from whom he learnt this art, knew to fill it up by 2300 methods. Nowadays, the position is that one who knows to fill it even by 16 types, thinks himself to be a perfect Master. The Mawlana has written a book in which he has practically shown 1152 different ways of filling up the Naqsh. The knowledge of a student speaks of the heights of his Master. This shows that A‘lahazrat made an in-depth research whereby he could succeed to chalk out 2300 methods.

(4) Once someone asked A‘lahazrat if there were only 99 names of Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (Allah’s Grace and Peace be upon him). A‘lahazrat replied: "About 800 names of Holy Prophet are usually found in the books. I have been able to gather upto 1400 names and Allah knows better the exact number." It is difficult for a savant to enumerate even 200 such names while A‘lahazrat is talking of 1400. Certainly his research was not deep but deeper. Moreover, he does not say that he has been able to find out 1400 names and that is all. He keeps the issue open for further research. Such is the greatness of a great researcher.

(5) His Holiness Imam ‘Aàli Muqam Hazrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be pleased with him) proceeded from Mecca for Karbala (Syria) on 3rd Zilhij and reached there on 2nd of Moharram. Some of the people raise an objection to it. According to them, it was impossible for Hazrat Imam Hussain to reach Karbala from Mecca within such a short time, particularly when in those days the caravans used to proceed only on horses and camels.

On this point, A‘lahazrat made a full research. He pointed out that the caravan of Hazrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be pleased with him) proceeded on horses. He also pointed out the various kinds of horses. He even pointed out the number of horses in the fleet of Hazrat Imam Hussain, their individual races, and various routes through which the caravan proceeded. He went to the extent of pointing out the respective distances and the aggregate distance from Mecca to Karbala, the different kinds or routes, the holy caravan, passed through — sandy, stony and otherwise. He pointed out the different speeds of different horses. He pointed out their speeds vis-à-vis the kinds of routes. He pointed out the time to be taken by a particular horse of a particular race on a particular route. Thus, after making a thorough research, the "thorough-bred researcher" proved fully that the caravan of Hazrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be pleased with him) having proceeded from Mecca on 3rd Zilhij carrying horses of such and such races passing through such and such routes, must have reached Karbala-i-Mo‘alla only on 2nd Moharram and so it came to be.

Research is a matter of talent but the talent of A‘lahazrat in the field of research is a matter of research itself.