Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi
The name of Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi was not strange and obscure to me during any stage of my life. From childhood I was aware of his name and fame. However, a name is not always taken in good light. Where there were accounts of him being an excellent Aalim; Mudarris in Kanpur; a Mufti, on the other side of the scale from Bareilwi voices of him possessing corrupt beliefs and being a hard-core Wahhaabi were heard.
During that time, I read all the parts of Behshti Zewar. In fact, I even taught some parts to a senior lady in the family, but taking it to be just an Urdu book, not thinking of it to be a Kitaab on Fiqh.
I also read Kaleed-e-Mathnawi during that time. [Kaleed-e-Mathnawi is Hazrat Thanwi’s outstanding commentary on the Mathnawi of Moulana Roomi, Rahmatullahi alaih.]
In any case, it became embedded in my mind that this is some hard-core Molvi steeped in harshness; grounded in ‘dryness’; frowning over everything; rebuking everyone; “this action is haraam; that act is bid’at; this is na-jaaiz; that is sinful”.
(To be continued, Insha Allah)
