Narratives of the Living : New,
A transl. of Inba al-Hayy, which is a
Commentary of al-Dawlah al-Makkiya,
by Shaykh Imam Ahmad Rida al-Qadiri [d.1340h],
Transl. by M. Abdul Hadi Rizawi
Published by Sufi Pages, South Africa.
Description:
In 1323 AH, whilst being unwell during his pilgrimage to Makkah Mukarramah, Imam Ahmad Rida رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ was presented with five challenging questions about the beloved Prophet’s ﷺ knowledge of the unseen. His response, Al-Dawlah al-Makkiyah bil Maddah al-Ghaybiyya (The Makkan Treasure on the Subject of the Unseen), completed in under eight hours, astonished the scholars of the Holy Sanctuary and earned endorsements from eighty-two Islamic intellectuals. When one scholar, Allama Sayyid Ahmad Barzanji, rahimahullah, declined to endorse the work due to its affirmation that the Holy Prophet ﷺ possessed knowledge of the five unseen matters and the exact timing of the Day of Judgement, this masterwork emerged as Imam Ahmad Rida’s رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ scholarly response.
The Narratives of the Living [Inba al-Hayy] a Super-Commentary [hashiya] presents this remarkable theological defence in English translation after 100 years. Through intricate reasoning and masterful citation of classical sources, Imam Ahmad Rida رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ demonstrates how every form of knowledge—direct and indirect, explicit and implicit—is contained within the Qur’anic revelation.
This is not merely a scholarly rebuttal, but a profound celebration of divine omniscience as manifested in the Speech of Allah ﷻ Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the comprehensive nature of Qur’anic knowledge and the theological foundations of Islamic belief.
Drawing upon the Qur’anic Verse: ‘And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things,’ Imam Ahmad Rida’s رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ arguments remain as compelling today as they were a century ago. This translation preserves both the scholarly rigour and spiritual reverence of the original, making accessible to English readers a theological masterpiece that earned acclaim.
Inba al-Hayy Anna Kalamahu al-Masun Tibyan Li Kulli Shayy [Narratives of the Living] : This is AlaHadrat Shaykh Imam Ahmad Raza Khan's, 'alayhi ar-Rahman w'al-Ridwan, detailed Hashiya of al-Dawlah al-Makkiya. This work consists of scholarly discussions and intricate theological debates. It is equally beneficial for both the general masses and scholarly audiences.
Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Qadiri (1856-1921 CE) of Bareilly, fondly referred to as A'la Hazrat (Grand Master) by his devotees, was a Mufti (Islamic jurist), 'Alim (scholar), Sufi (mystic), Sha'ir (poet) and master of many other disciplines who emerged as a central figure for the Ahl-e-Sunnat movement during British India. He played a pioneering role in countering the theological beliefs of other movements that emerged in this period from amongst the Muslims of India, including the Ahl-e-Hadith, Deobandi and Qadiyani movements. It is for this reason that he was regarded by his devotees as a mujaddid – a reviver of Islam that emerges each century to purify the religion back to its most pristine state and preserve the religion against heresies.
In western academia, Imam Ahmad Raza's historical significance has previously been explored scarcely and been limited to biographical accounts and references to a handful of his books and fatawa (legal verdicts). A focus on his role as a poet is almost non-existent. Imam Ahmad Raza's devotional poetry, found in the collection Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish (Gardens of Salvation), was an instrumental tool in launching his theological defence and disseminating what he considered as the true beliefs of Islam.---Muhammad Nadir Raza.
Dimensions : 24.7 x 17.4cm.
