TOPImam Ahle Sunnat Shah Ahmad Raza Khan Qadiri (may Allah be pleased with him) has made his 'Love for the Prophet' not only a motto for his life but also a mission for his life. According to him the fundamental of all Muslims, the beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah’s grace and peace be upon him) is the holiest of the holy and he was the beloved of Almighty Allah Himself who has lavished praises on him again and gain in the Holy Quran in boundless measures. It is therefore incumbent upon every Muslim believer to become an obedient slave of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah’s grace and peace be upon him).
The guidance of the Holy Prophet (Allah’s grace and peace be upon
him) is to be sought not
only for the welfare of this mundane world, but also for the
ultimate salvation in the hereafter. He emphasized that in
fact we owe our Faith and all our blessings of life, spiritual
and material to him. This demands that our devotion to him
should be so great that we place him and his reverence above
everything and we should be prepared to lay down even our
lives for him. Imam Ahmad Raza (may Allah be pleased with him) also learned from the
history of Islam that since the days of the Prophet (Allah’s grace and peace be upon
him) and
afterwards, the anti-Islamic forces like hypocrites, Jews and
Christians were determined to instigate the fall of Muslims.
Failing in their efforts to win them over by force they tried
to weaken their ideology and faith in the Prophet Muhammad (Allah’s grace and peace be upon
him) by preaching and propagating such ideas to undermine the
sanctity, love and faith in the Prophet (Allah’s grace and peace be upon
him).
The beloved Prophet (Allah’s grace and peace be upon him) was the focal point and apex of all
religious and spiritual authority for Ahmad Riza. The goal of
this devotion is lead by a Pir. All such forms of devotion are
undertaken ultimately to reach Almighty Allah, and whoever
seeks the help of the Saints and the Prophets and of the
Master of the Prophets, Muhammad Mustafa (Allah’s grace and peace be upon
him) is in reality
seeking Almighty Allah. His poetry in praise of the Holy
Prophet (naa't) is known all around the world today.
Veneration of the beloved Prophet (Allah’s grace and peace be upon
him) has a long history in
Sufi devotionals. It dates back to Sheikh Ibn-al-Arabi,
Maulana Rumi and numerous other great poets and Sufis.
Though he was well-versed in numerous branches of knowledge he
later restricted his interest in the following branches of
religious learning. The skills and arts, which he had obtained
full competence, and degree of love and passion, are three,
all of which are very beneficial. Imam Ahmad Raza writes:
"I left Philosophy when I realized that it was superficial, dark and rusty and suppresses religion, lessens the fear of the Hereafter, whereas I have many responsibilities. For pleasure I engage in Mathematics, Astrology, Geometry and also they help in the determination and changes in time for worship and fasting. But I am most interested in 3 things:
1. Top of the list, the most superior, loftiest and highly
praised is defending the honor and dignity of the Holy
Prophet, the leader of all the prophets (on whom be peace and
blessings of Allah). At all times I am fully alert and ready
to denounce and refute the derogatory remarks and words made
against the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). If the Lord and
Creator can accept this effort of mine it will most certainly
be sufficient for my salvation. I am certain that the mercy of
my lord will grant acceptance to my effort, because he says
"Whatever thought my servant has with Me I will deal with
him in a likewise manner".
2. On the second stage I use my energies to refute the false
beliefs of the irreligious sects besides
the 'Wahabis',
who though claim to be the leaders of religion are actually
causing disunity and dissension.
3. Lastly, I issue religious verdicts in accordance with the
Hanafi school of thought, which is firm and lucid. All these
are equal to an asylum or refuge to me, and of these I fully rely. [al-ijazatul Matiena Le Ulema-e-Bakkata Wal Madina: pages 160-166]