Ustaz al Ulama Hafiz Abdur Rauf Quadri Balyavi
Hafiz Abdur Rauf Balyavi
[1332-1391 A.H/ 1912 -1971 C.E]
Ustad al Ulama, Hafiz Abdur Rauf Quadri Misbahi Balyavi bin Muhammad Islam was born in a village called Bhojpur, in the district of Balya, in the Northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India in 1332 A.H /1912 C.E. His father was an employee of Indian Railways whose posting was at Calcutta; therefore, Hafiz Adur Rauf spent his childhood at Calcutta.
Islamic Education
He completed memorizing Holy Quran and studying elementary Arabic and Persian books at Calcutta.
In 1351 A.H /1932, he migrated to Amroha, where he studied for some months, then to Madrasa Ahsan ul Madaris, Kanpur and finally to Dar ul Ulum Ashrafiya Misbah ul Ulum, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh. At Dar al Ulum Ashrafiya he studied under Hafiz al Millah Mufti Abdul Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Quadri Ashrafi Mubarakpuri.
When Hafiz al Millah disassociated himself from Dar al Ulum Ashrafiya and went to Nagpur, Hafiz Abdur Rauf also followed in the footsteps of his dear teacher to Nagpur along with Rayis al Qalam Arshad al Quadri Razvi Misbahi, Mufti Zafar Ali Nu'mani Quadri Razvi, and Shaykh Mufti Maslihuddin Quadri. They were all awarded Sanads [Certificates of Distinction] after completing their studies at Nagpur.
Malik al Ulama
Hafiz Adur Rauf Balyavi was also one of the students Malik al Ulama Mufti Sayyid Zafaruddin Muhaddith Quadri Razvi Bihari in 'Ilm al Tawqeet'.
Malik al Ulama studied 'Ilm al Tawqeet under Imam al Akbar Ahmad Raza Khan Quadri Bareilvi. Imam al Akbar said regarding him that he is the lone master of 'Ilm al Tawqeet' in the sub continent.
Hafiz Abdul Rauf learnt this Art when Malik al Ulama was teaching at Madrasa Bahr al Ulum, Purniya, Bihar. Hafiz Abdul Rauf stayed with Malik al Ulama for 6 months to gain expertise in this science.
Teaching Career
Hafiz Abdur-Rauf taught at some Madrasas in Nagpur and Bareily for sometime. When Hafiz al Millah returned to Dar al Ulum Ashrafiya, he sent for his student Hafiz Abdur Rauf and asked him to teach at Ashrafiya and from then on until his demise he served Dar al Ulum Ashrafiya at various capacities.
Contribution to Ahl us Sunnah
Who does not know 'Fatawa Razviya' of Imam al Akbar Ahmad Raza, it is one of the greatest encyclopedia of Hanafi Fiqh in the world, written in Arabic, Persian and Urdu. This Fatawa is in 12 volumes and the latest edition in which the Arabic and Persian Fatawa were translated into Urdu was published in 30 Volumes by Raza Foundation, Lahore, a Research Institute affiliated with the great Islamic University of Ahl us Sunnah- Jamiya Nizamiya Razviya in Pakistan.
Hafiz Abdul Rauf Balyavi was one of the few Scholars along with Bahr al Ulum Mufti Abdul Mannan Quadri Razvi who compiled and copied it from the Imam Ahmad Raza’s hand written Manuscripts and published them from the Sunni Dar al Isha'th, Mubarakpur which Shaykh Abdur Rauf Balyavi founded while teaching at Dar al Ulum Ashrafiya for the publication of the Imam books. He edited, compiled, verified, copied the Fatawa of Imam al Akbar and saved his books and Fatawa from being lost. In all, the Institute published 5 volumes of 'Fatawa Razviya' under his super vision. The Volume 1 and 2 of Fatawa Razviya was already published earlier from Bareily. Volume 3 to Volume 7 was published by the Institute under the patronage of Shaykh Abdur Rauf, the remaining volumes were supervised, edited and verified by Bahr al Ulum Mufti Abdul Mannan Quadri Razvi A'zami. This was all under the permission and blessings of Mufti al A’zam Imam Mustafa Raza Khan Quadri Barkati Bareilvi.
Teaching Career
He sacrificed his whole life in the service of Islam and Ahl us Sunnah, leaving behind hundreds of scholars who carried his mission forward. With no less than 100 great students, his name ranks amongst those who were instrumental in the transformation of a small Madrasa Misbah al Ulum in to one of the greatest Universities of Islamic world- Jamiya al Ashrafiya, Mubarakpur, whose scholars today are leading Scholars of Muslims in the sub continent in every field.
Demise
Islam and the Ahl us Sunnah lost this luminary of the Indian subcontinent in 1391 A.H/ 1971 C.E. The Funeral Prayer was led by his teacher Hafiz al Millat Mufti Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Ashrafi Mubarakpuri. Hafiz al Millat saddened by his death cried a lot.
Mufti al A'zam Imam Mustafa Raza Khan used to love and respect him for his scholarly expertise and revolutionary thought.
Compiled and Edited by
Basharath Siddiqui Ashrafi
Ahl us Sunnah Foundation