Children & Descendants
Mawlawi Muḥammad ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's first son was Mawlawi Muḥammad ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Ṣiddīqī Qādirī. He was known by the title "ʿAzīz Pāshā." He received thorough religious and Arabic education and was awarded the gold medal in Tajwīd. His marriage took place as arranged, but his wife passed away during the plague; he never remarried. He possessed extraordinary physical vigour — his gymnastic feats were remarkable — and he was also the inventor of a method of soap manufacturing that gained wide recognition. He passed away and was buried at Maḥbūb Ābād beside his wife.
After his passing, Hazrat was blessed with a dream in which he saw ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz submerged in a sea of light — a vision that brought his father great consolation and joy.
Mawlawi Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Ṣiddīqī — First Successor
Hazrat's second son was Mawlawi Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Ṣiddīqī Qādirī (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi). He was born on 14 Shawwāl 1308 AH and used the pen-name Ḥayrat. He served as a teacher at Medak and gathered a large circle of disciples. Among his most distinguished students was Makhdūm Muḥyī al-Dīn.
He was the first among Hazrat's sons to receive the khilāfa (spiritual succession), formally bestowed in a ceremony at Ṣiddīq Gulshan attended by thousands, including Pīr Najm al-Dīn Gīlānī. The turban of succession was placed upon his head in the presence of the assembled gathering. The bond between father and son was one of the deepest intimacy, expressed in the Persian verse:
Translation: I became you and you became me; I became the body and you became the soul.
He lived to the age of 83, dying beside his father on the same takhta (prayer-couch) — a departure the family regarded as a great spiritual blessing. He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat, and the stream of guidance continued through him.
Mawlawi Abū Turāb ʿAlī Ṣiddīqī — Second Successor
Hazrat's third son was Mawlawi Abū Turāb ʿAlī Ṣiddīqī Qādirī. He was born on 1 Shawwāl 1323 AH and used the pen-name Nāfī. He devoted his life to teaching, Hadith transmission, and service to the silsila. Under his direction the Hasrat Academy flourished, as did the Bazm-e-Hasrat Ṣiddīqī — a scholarly literary gathering that preserved and disseminated Hazrat's legacy. He passed away on 29 Ṣafar 1409 AH, on a Friday at the time of Fajr.
He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat, and the stream of guidance continued through him.
Mawlawi Abū'l-Qāsim Muḥammad Ṣiddīqī — Third Successor
Hazrat's fourth son was Mawlawi Abū'l-Qāsim Muḥammad Ṣiddīqī Qādirī. He was born on 15 Shaʿbān 1329 AH and used the pen-name Muslim. He was a martial arts expert and a man of great physical and spiritual discipline. The Majmaʿ al-Salāsil document — affirming his place in the chains of spiritual transmission — was formally drawn up under his care. He taught Arabic and was instrumental in propagating Hazrat's scholarly tradition. He performed Hajj three times. He was honoured with a dream in which the Prophet ﷺ bestowed his favour upon him.
After the passing of Mawlawi Abū Turāb ʿAlī, Hazrat's brothers permanently appointed him as the Third Successor. He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat.
Mawlawi Ḥusayn Shujāʿ al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī — Fourth Successor
Hazrat's fifth son was Mawlawi Ḥusayn Shujāʿ al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī Qādirī. He was known as "Ḥusaynī Pāshā" and used the pen-name ʿIzzat. He was recognised as successor upon the passing of Mawlānā Abū'l-Qāsim Ṣiddīqī.
At the time of his mother's death he was the youngest among the children, and so his father bore for him the love of both father and mother. From childhood the manner of receiving the father's love and affection remained, and until the time of Hazrat's passing his presence was the most constant. As murshid, when Hazrat's spiritual gaze fell upon him, love received further nourishment:
Translation (Persian verse): Say not that I am worthless — hereafter I am another person.
It was for this reason that he had more opportunity to serve his father. When the whole household was asleep, only he would be seen awake through the night in his father's service. The service that fell to his lot — it is not known from where it came.
After Hazrat ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Ṣāḥib, he was the first among all the sons to be honoured with khilāfa — at the age of 18. He was given the recitation of the Divine Names (asmāʾ al-ilāhiyya), repeating each Name from 100,000 to 1,000,000 times, a practice he maintained for life. In approximately 15 Divine Names, three reached a crore (ten million). He also had kashf (spiritual unveiling), on some occasions confirmed by Hazrat himself.
His definitive verse in praise of the Prophet ﷺ (naʿt):
Translation: You people of the world laugh at my madness — on the Day of Judgement I shall show you what connection I have with Muḥammad ﷺ.
His life was very simple — food, clothing, and lifestyle all extremely plain. Before building a house at "Ṣiddīq Gulshan" he rented for a long period; in whichever neighbourhood he lived, the people spoke of goodness and blessing on account of his presence, and many would become disciples.
A time passed over him when at night he would walk through the Rikāb Ganj neighbourhood toward the hill-shrine of Hazrat Bābā Sharāf al-Dīn, shouting "Yā Hūw Allāh Hū" through the dark and deserted roads — lost in the ecstasy of divine Unity (tawḥīd). Near the shrine the cry would subside, he would pray, and return home.
Hazrat Khwāja Miyān Ṣāḥib's rosary — which Hazrat had always kept in his hand — was destined for Ḥusaynī Pāshā. Hazrat presented it to him saying: "You have truly kept the rosary as though in your own loving care. You too, keep it in your loving care." He was then seated by Hazrat himself as successor on the gaddi (seat of spiritual authority), with the turban of succession placed upon his head.
He and his wife, the honoured Shams al-Nisāʾ Begum (daughter of Mawlawi Ḍaniyāʾ al-Dīn Anṣārī), had three sons and four daughters, all alive and married. He passed away on 23 Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1419 AH. His wife passed away approximately two months before him.
Mawlawi Ḥasan Muḥyī al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's sixth son was Mawlawi Ḥasan Muḥyī al-Dīn Ṣāḥib Ṣiddīqī Qādirī (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi). He was known as "Muḥyī al-Dīn Pāshā" and used the pen-name Ghayrat. He was the eldest son of Hazrat's second wife, the honoured Begum ʿĀʾisha Begum Ṣāḥiba.
From the very beginning when he began to speak, he would address his father with a particular form of calling. He is the only one among the sons who took bay'ah upon Hazrat's chest.
His educational life was distinguished. From Class 1 to receiving the M.A. degree, he stood First of the First every single year. Scholarships were awarded to him at both Matric and M.A. level. An article he wrote as a research scholar on Ibn Ḥazm was sent to Orientalists for their opinions. At that time Osmania University had an M.Phil. but not a Ph.D. During his years of study he met all his needs from his scholarship alone — he was a burden to none.
Reader at Gulbarga College: After his M.A. he took admission at the Niẓāmiyya Ṭibbiyya College, receiving about two years of training in Yunānī (Graeco-Islamic) medicine. He then turned to the family's traditional vocation of teaching. He was appointed as Reader at Gulbarga College, where he worked for many years, retiring with merit. He was equally dear to senior and junior students and colleague teachers alike, respected by all, and progressed in every dimension of college life.
His reading was very broad — so broad that he could converse and even teach on every art and every subject. He was well acquainted with scholarly circles, and his wit and quick repartee made everyone in his company feel wiser and more educated. He was equally popular with the old and the young — among the old, a wit; among children, a child himself.
He possessed extraordinary perception. Even in the company of important people, he never tried to have his own distinguished friends introduced to those great ones — rather, whenever the opportunity arose, he would introduce his friends to the great ones, never letting an inferiority complex arise in any ordinary friend. His exterior and interior were one and the same. A smiling face was at every moment upon his features.
His brief introduction: he was a bright mind, a luminous heart, and a shining lamp.
His nisbat (spiritual connection) with his father and guide was extremely strong. The samāʿ gathering was his spiritual way (mashrab). He maintained his daily devotional practices (awrād) throughout his life. He had the honour of Hajj and ziyārat. He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat. The stream of guidance continued through him. Shortly before his death he began to prepare those around him for his departure — and even now, whenever his memory comes, his gently smiling face appears, and the feeling arises that he is still alive and present.
He passed away on 11 Rajab 1403 AH. His wife, the honoured Muḥammadī Begum (daughter of Mawlawi Sardār Ḥasan Ṣāḥib), survived him; he had two sons and five daughters.
Mawlawi ʿAbd al-Qādir Muʿīn al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's seventh son was Mawlawi ʿAbd al-Qādir Muʿīn al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī Qādirī (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi). He was known as "Qādir Pāshā"; Hazrat would affectionately call him "Qadū Shāh." His date of birth was 1325 AH. After the fall of Hyderabad (1948), he immediately emigrated to Karachi, Pakistan and settled there.
He was a straightforward, simple-hearted, unaffected, gentle person. His life was extremely simple; he kept his needs to the possible minimum. He was a person of extraordinary good qualities and a pure character. His temperament was very gentle — no one ever heard a complaint about anyone from his mouth, nor would he even listen to those who came to complain. He was the embodiment of forbearance and patience. He would answer harsh words calmly. From his face innocence and guilelessness dripped. He never allowed hopelessness or despair to come near him. He always strove to be of use to others. His tongue was always flowing in devotion to God and His Messenger ﷺ. After emigrating to Pakistan, the circumstances changed from hardship to ease, and the state of gratitude.
Once during a train journey he was asleep, and in his sleep he heard God speaking distinctly. He wished that the message of Islam be presented with simplicity and in an engaging manner. This utterance came from the depths of his heart.
Dr Mūsā ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ṣiddīqī said upon his first visit to Hyderabad after emigrating: "When I arrived in Karachi, I found injustice everywhere. Of all our relatives, not a single one paid any attention to us, except for Qādir Pāshā Bhāī — he took me in, gave me a place, and helped in every way." He said further: "What I know about him, even his brothers don't know. He has gathered the brothers-in-the-path at a single centre and taken on their guardianship."
He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat. His wife was his cousin Sayyida Amatu'llāh (known as Sardār Pāshā), daughter of Mawlawi Sayyid Muḥammad Isrār al-Raḥmān Ṣāḥib Ḥayshtī. He had one son and four daughters, all married and with children. He passed away in Karachi in 1961 CE.
Dr Mūsā ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ṣiddīqī — Tamgha-e-Imtiyāz
Hazrat's eighth son was Dr Mūsā ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ṣiddīqī (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi), known as "Mūsā Pāshā." His date of birth was 22 Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1331 AH. He was the eldest son of Hazrat's fourth wife, Rābiʿa Begum Ṣāḥiba.
He obtained the M.B.B.S. degree from Osmania University. In 1955 CE he emigrated to Karachi, Pakistan. After returning from England in 1960 CE, he obtained specialisation in Anaesthesia. After qualifying at Liaquat Medical College, he served the Pakistani Armed Forces as Chief Anaesthetist during the 1965 war. In 1969 CE he was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiyāz (Medal of Distinction) by the Government of Pakistan. From the end of 1969 CE to the beginning of 1973 CE he served on secondment in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Azhar University: In 1973 CE, on the occasion of the Arab-Israeli War, he was sent with a medical delegation to Egypt. There, when he met the Shaykh of al-Azhar University, he served as interpreter. The meeting lasted approximately 35 minutes. He conversed in Arabic, to the Shaykh's astonishment. He then briefly introduced his father's name and the book Al-Dīn. The Shaykh displayed great respect and warmth. After reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel he retired from the army.
He was an extremely busy doctor and a deeply patient person. Once during dhikr, people saw that the souls of all the planetary systems of the universe were presenting themselves in his service. He reported this to Hazrat, who said: "Put it in your pocket — the purpose is not to subdue anything."
During his service as a doctor in Saudi Arabia, he performed operations on unconscious patients. At the moment of anaesthesia he kept hearing God clearly: "I will make the operation fully successful." The operation succeeded completely, to the astonishment of the British doctors present. His aspiration was that the message of Islam be presented alongside the spirituality of the West with simplicity and charm.
Hazrat once said: "We have two suited-and-booted faqīrs. One is Pīr Najm al-Dīn Gīlānī; the other is Mūsā." And once: "Mūsā is upon my nature — he has been given my all-round quality (jāmiʿiyyat)."
Once in the manner of the Khalwat al-Ghawthiyya, Hazrat ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi) honoured him with a meeting as though in the manifest world (ʿālam-e-shahāda) he was meeting him physically.
He was his father's walking, living picture — a specimen of his father's purity. The carnal desires in him had completely died. He served the servants of God with absolute selflessness, his tongue always on God and the Messenger ﷺ. The rare example of selfless human service he presented as a doctor is soul-nurturing.
He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat. His wife, the honoured Bint-e-Ṣāḥiba, was the daughter of Maulāna Ilyās Barnī Ṣāḥib Fārūqī (Head of Economics, Osmania University). He had two sons and four daughters, all married and with children.
Mawlawi Aḥmad ʿAbd al-Shakūr Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's ninth son is Mawlawi Aḥmad ʿAbd al-Shakūr Ṣiddīqī Qādirī, known as "Aḥmad Pāshā." Date of birth: 24 Dhū'l-Qaʿda 1332 AH.
He took his M.A. in Economics from Osmania University and also completed a B.Ed. By nature he is a student — day and night are not enough for him to read. He is never forgetful of books. He has absolutely no concern with worldly affairs. He neither speaks ill of anyone nor listens to it. There is no arrogance in his temperament. He has a tranquil, at-rest heart — a heart that no worldly thing can satisfy. He has no complaint about his difficulties except to God. He maintains proper decorum with everyone and behaves with courtesy and propriety with all.
His wife, the honoured ʿĀʾisha Begum (known as Maḥbūba Ṣāḥiba), was the daughter of Maḥbūb ʿAlī Khān Ṣāḥib (Niẓām al-Mulk Nawwāb Mīr Maḥbūb ʿAlī Bādshāh), and from the daughter's side was the granddaughter of Nawwāb Naṣīr Jang Bahādur. He has three sons and one daughter. His wife also passed away within one year of her husband.
Mawlawi Ghawth Muḥyī al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī — Fifth Successor
Hazrat's tenth son is Mawlawi Ghawth Muḥyī al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī Qādirī, known as "Ghawth Pāshā." Date of birth: 1352 AH. He received education up to B.A. at Niẓām College. He is the youngest among Hazrat's sons — Hazrat's cherished vision and lakhṭ-e-jigar (piece of the liver — the dearest child). Hazrat was in advanced old age when he was in his youth, and would seat him in his lap. Until Hazrat's passing, the dimension of his intense spiritual ardour (ghalānī) also received constant nourishment in love from the murshid's gaze.
Even after Hazrat's passing, his marriage was arranged by Hazrat's prior planning, and it took place under the guardianship of his honoured mother. Trade is his vocation. His heart is detached from the world. He continuously advances toward his aim without allowing loss, misfortune, or weariness to impede him. His exterior and interior are fully congruent — this is generally rarely achieved through training, but attaining this congruence at every step is his constant advance. Alḥamdulillāh his step on this path is steady and even — the proof of complete training.
He states his opinion with courage and listens to others with patience. He has absolutely no shame in asking about what he does not know. If there is any matter or issue, he brings all related details with great pleasure and clarity. Those who take counsel from him remain happy, and he too remains happy.
After the passing of Hazrat Ḥusaynī Pāshā Ṣāḥib (Fourth Successor), the instruction was given that he sit upon the eternal masnad (seat of authority) — and so he became the Fifth Successor. At the time of writing, two of his sons are alive.
Second Son-in-law: Mawlawi Muḥammad Anwar al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's second son-in-law, Mawlawi Muḥammad Anwar al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī Qādirī (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi), was the first cousin (ʿam-zād) of Hazrat Baḥr al-ʿUlūm — the eldest son of Hazrat's paternal uncle, Mawlawi Muḥammad Nūr al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī Ṣāḥib. His date of birth was 10 Jumādā'l-Ākhira 1308 AH. He was the paternal uncle of the author (Rāqim al-Ḥurūf).
His initial employment began in the Revenue Department; he was among those surveying the ʿUthmān Sāgar (Gandipet) project as overseer. Later, at his father's urging, he left that arduous post. He was then appointed in the Education Department (Nāẓimat-e-Taʿlīmāt) as a record-keeper, and around the same time was married to Hazrat's daughter, Khadīja Begum Ṣāḥiba. He subsequently rose to Head Registrar (Sarrashta-dār) and later to Organiser, before retiring with merit.
Mawlawi Fayḍ al-Dīn Ṣāḥib (Director of Education) placed complete trust in his nobility, honesty, and competence — all correspondence was done by him, and official orders issued under his direction. On this basis, all the headmasters and principals of schools throughout Hyderabad came regularly to meet him, maintaining a special relationship, treating him with great respect and regard. In reality, all these people considered him the real executive. Despite a never-ending stream of schoolteachers visiting his house, he received each of them with great warmth and courtesy, and assisted them in their matters wholly for the sake of God — never accepting any gift despite insistence. It was through him that a great many educated young men of the family obtained employment in education.
A quality of the father the author can never forget: whenever he helped someone or did a favour, he would never mention it again, nor seek any gratitude.
He had extraordinary refinement of taste. In his youth he was counted among the most fashionable people of his era — a complete gentleman, yet fully dyed in the colour of Islam. His extensive and rigorous reading encompassed Urdu literary journals such as Tirañg, Hamdard, Takhzan, Tamaddun, ʿIṣmat, and Zamāna; the works of Khwāja Ḥasan Niẓāmī and Mullā Wāḥidī; the newspapers of Mawlānā Abū'l-Kalām Āzād; the works of Mawlānā Ḥālī, ʿAllāma Shiblī Nuʿmānī, and other masters of Urdu prose and verse; and the texts of the great Sufis. He had a thorough grasp of Ḥanafī jurisprudence, had studied Tajrīd al-Bukhārī with Hazrat, and recited the entire Qurʾān with Tajwīd to Hazrat — receiving from him the chain of transmission.
He wrote two booklets for children — Rūḥ-e-Jughrāfiya and Jughrāfiya al-Ṭifl — which became widely used in schools. In response to the Niẓām's policy of tafḍīliyya (which had begun drawing some Sunnis away from their tradition), he composed a highly popular book called al-Faḍāʾil (201 pages, published Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1349 AH), presenting in the light of Qurʾān, Hadith, and history the dignity of the Prophet ﷺ, the ranks of the Companions, and the virtues of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs. After listening to this book in its entirety, Hazrat wrote upon it: Aḥsanta mā katabta, fa-mā baʿda al-ḥaqqi illā al-ḍalāl — "You have written excellently; after the truth there is only misguidance." He also wrote a treatise on the permissibility of Fātiḥa recitation called Luzūm-e-Fātiḥa.
He was graced with spiritual visions. While Kitāb al-Faḍāʾil was in the course of publication, in a drowsy state he saw Sayyidunā Ṣiddīq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) come and greet him with salām. On another occasion, in a similar state, he saw Hazrat Baḥr al-ʿUlūm come and introduce him to "Hazrat Mawlā" — at whose feet he was honoured to bow. The author observes: "When I wake from seeing your vision, the first thing my gaze falls upon is the face of Hazrat." Without any ostentation or claims, the father was a person of very high spiritual station (faqīr) — which he kept hidden throughout his life.
Toward the end of his life, at the funeral of Mawlawi ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Ṣiddīqī at Ṣiddīq Gulshan, seeing the grave positioned exactly at Hazrat's feet, he said to his son Muṣṭafā ʿAtīq al-Dīn: "Raḥīm Pāshā is placed exactly at the feet — so where is my place at the feet?" Twenty-four days later came his turn (23 Shawwāl 1388 AH). In exact conformity with his wish, his burial took place directly at the feet of Hazrat. His age at the time of his passing exceeded eighty years by a few months and fourteen days.
On the very day of his passing, he invited Aḥmad Pāshā Ṣāḥib and his wife for afternoon lunch — treating them with full hospitality and cheerful conversation, giving no indication of his inner distress. As they took their leave, he bade them farewell and recited:
Translation: "Go in safety, and return safely."
As soon as they left, he asked for Dr Muḥammad ʿAbd al-ʿAlīm Ṣiddīqī to be brought immediately. The family gathered around his bed. The father performed the dhikr of lā ilāha illā Allāh aloud, all joining together. Then an extraordinary state appeared on his face — a spiritual relish (dhawq) — and the breath began to slow. The words Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh were heard distinctly, and his soul obtained its freedom from the bodily cage, attaining the life of the Prophet (ḥayāt al-nabī). Instead of weeping, the brothers embraced one another in congratulation. All found their hearts filled with gratitude for this great bounty.
He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat. His wife, the respected Sikandar al-Nisāʾ Begum (daughter of Mawlawi Sayyid Sulaymān ʿAlī ʿĀbidī Ṣāḥib), had three sons and four daughters.
Fourth Son-in-law: Mawlawi Maḥmūd ʿAbd al-Ṣabūr Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's fourth son-in-law, Mawlawi Maḥmūd ʿAbd al-Ṣabūr Ṣiddīqī Qādirī (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi), was the second son of Hazrat's younger brother Mawlānā Muḥammad al-Muqtadir Ṣiddīqī Faḍl (raḥmatu'llāhi ʿalayhi). His date of birth was 6 Shaʿbān al-Muʿaẓẓam 1322 AH, a Monday. He used the pen-name Yūsuf Pāshā and the honorific Faḍīlat.
His initial education was at the Meik Central School. He read the books of Hadith with his own father. For Tafsīr and philosophy, he benefited from his eldest brother Baḥr al-ʿUlūm and from Sayyid Mawlānā Ibrāhīm Ṣāḥib Adīb and Mawlawi Sayyid Nabī Ṣāḥib. He studied logic with Mawlawi ʿAbd al-Wāḥid Ṣāḥib. In Tajwīd his teacher was Ḥāfiẓ Qārī Faḍl ʿAlī Ṣāḥib. He had a distinctive melodious recitation — sweetness in his voice and continuous Ṣalāt upon the Prophet ﷺ.
He obtained his B.A. from ʿUthmāniyya University and was married to Hazrat's daughter Maymūna Begum (known as Ḥamda Begum Ṣāḥiba). He taught at institutions throughout Hyderabad and was appointed lecturer at all schools, then served at Venus College, Niẓām College, Chādar Ghāṭ College, and ʿUthmāniyya University as Reader in Arabic. Even after retiring with merit, he continued teaching Arabic in various places and mosques. He never charged any fees from his students, nor accepted any stipend or offering. The details of his lessons remained preserved in his mind, always fresh.
To cultivate a taste for Arabic among children, he arranged many Arabic-language dramatic performances, greatly appreciated by teachers and headmasters. One published drama, ʿĀqibat al-Ghubāʾ, combined reasoned thought and good wisdom. His treatise on Tajwīd, Miftāḥ al-Tajwīd, was published in countless editions.
He performed the ziyārat of the Two Holy Sanctuaries twice — first with his wife and younger daughter, and the second time with his own special disciples. In 1350 AH he travelled to Iraq with his parents, visiting Baghdād Sharīf, Karbalāʾ al-Muʿallā, Najaf al-Ashrāf, Kāẓimayn Sharīfayn, Sāmarrā, and Baṣra.
The author spent about two years with him in Kāmāreḍḍī and later worked alongside him at Chunjal Goḍa Boys' School. His personal qualities were: he never treated his official duties as mere obligation but performed them as inherently necessary; whether at school or college, he kept to himself and his work; his character was pure and his countenance radiant. When speaking, a smile always played on his face, reflecting innocence and absence of ego. There was a sense of humour in his nature alongside his asceticism — his clever phrases in the midst of conversation would make hearers blossom with delight. He was a man of great self-respect and loyalty in friendship — possessing all the qualities that render a person truly deserving of respect.
Hazrat observed his condition once and said: "Bābā, Yūsuf is a man of learning and writing — he is another ʿAbd al-Qādir."
This lamp of knowledge was finally extinguished on 29 Dhū'l-Qaʿda 1403 AH, a Monday. He is buried at the feet of his father at Marqad-e-ʿIshq ("The Shrine of Love") in the Ḥaydarī ʿIshq Miān Bāzār area. He had received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat. Having no male heirs, he trained his son-in-law Fayḍ al-Dīn ʿAlī Ṣiddīqī in every way, granted him khilāfa, and appointed him as his successor.
Eldest Grandson: Dr Muḥammad ʿAbd al-ʿAlīm Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's eldest grandson, Dr Muḥammad ʿAbd al-ʿAlīm Ṣiddīqī Ṣāḥib, is the eldest son of Mawlawi Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Ṣiddīqī. He is known as "Mubārak Pāshā" and uses the pen-name Armān. His date of birth is 29 Dhū'l-Ḥijja 1337 AH.
He obtained the M.B.B.S. from ʿUthmāniyya Medical College and maintains a private practice. He also treats the sick with Quranic verses, convinced that healing is effected both through medicine and through supplication — and that treating the sick in this way strengthens the faith of the patients and produces within them gratitude toward God.
His Tajwīd education was at the hands of the celebrated Qārī Rawshan ʿAlī Ṣāḥib of Hyderabad. He attained complete mastery through years of practice, and his articulation of the makhārij (points of pronunciation) was of extraordinary beauty. His teacher Sayyid Nabī Ṣāḥib — a renowned Arabic scholar who produced a series of Arabic textbooks of the highest standard — once asked him to write an essay, then said: "This has been done by you — I have merely delivered it." He later said: "After me, my successor in Arabic literature is none other than ʿAbd al-ʿAlīm Ṣiddīqī Ṣāḥib."
Students of Arabic gather at his service and study with him — many have obtained the M.A. degree through him — and research scholars writing doctoral dissertations find his spirit driving their work. He has a good grasp of Tafsīr, Hadith, jurisprudence, and other religious sciences. Looking at him, it is difficult to gauge how deep, vast, and established his knowledge is. Hazrat often prayed for him: "May God grant you my knowledge." And Hazrat's prayers have proved immensely fruitful. Hazrat once said to him: "Bābā! A time will come — very high, very high. At that time you shall be settled in your father's place as successor. By God, you are the true impression of your father."
He is capable of writing verse and prose in English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Hindi. When he writes in the style of any distinguished poet, it appears as though the very spirit of the poet himself is at work — if his verses were mixed with the originals, it would be difficult to tell them apart. He is also proficient in calligraphy (khaṭṭ-e-Nastaʿlīq) and has prepared various perfumes, hair oils, and fine manuscript soaps of exceptional quality. From childhood he had a passion for exercise and physical culture, astonishing everyone with his accomplishments.
His brief introduction: he is a bright mind, luminous heart, and the image of his grandfather. He stands unmoved in his own place, firm as a mountain. His wife is the daughter of Fāṭima Marāj al-Dīn Ṣāḥib; he has six daughters.
Ḥusayn ʿAṭāʾ Allāh Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's grandson, Mawlawi Ḥusayn ʿAṭāʾ Allāh Ṣiddīqī Ṣāḥib, is the second son of Mawlawi Abū Turāb ʿAlī Ṣiddīqī. He is known as "Ḥusayn Pāshā." His date of birth is 13 Shawwāl 1351 AH.
His particular distinction is that he is Hazrat's last khalīfa (spiritual successor). The narration of the Holy Qurʾān and the authentic Hadith collections he received from his father; his education up to B.A. level was also received from his father.
His life was visited by various ups and downs — such as few lives encounter. He faced the faithless and the deceivers. Yet his further distinction is that stars fall by themselves and gather in his lap.
He was capable of writing verse and prose in English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Hindi. When he wrote verses in the style of any distinguished poet, it appeared as though the very spirit of the poet himself was present. During a period of severe trial, he emerged into a state of taslīm wa riḍā (surrender and contentment). He then devoted some six or seven years to serving the library at Ṣiddīq Gulshan — from morning until night reciting Quranic verses and Divine Names continuously, until his father directed him to moderate his sittings to one hour morning and evening. During his time at the library at Ṣiddīq Gulshan, hundreds of people afflicted with various diseases and forms of spiritual affliction came to him daily, and through him many families were freed from superstitious practices and returned to tawḥīd and the Sunna.
His wife, Sayyida Khayr al-Nisāʾ Jīlāniyya, is the daughter of the late Mawlawi Sayyid Muḥyī al-Dīn Aḥmad Qādirī Ṣāḥib, whose paternal lineage traces back to the Ghawth al-Aʿẓam, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī.
Note: Ḥusayn Pāshā passed away on 19 Dhū'l-Ḥijja (2 July 1990 CE). (Academy)
Grandson: Muḥammad Waqār al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī
Hazrat's grandson, Mawlawi Muḥammad Waqār al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī Ṣāḥib, is the second son of Mawlawi Muḥammad Anwar al-Dīn Ṣiddīqī (the author's sixth brother). He bears the pen-name Waqār. His date of birth is in Jumādā'l-Ākhira 1353 AH. He is an M.A., LL.B., and B.Ed. graduate, and recently retired on a good-service pension from a position as Lecturer in Arabic at a college.
He learned the art of Tajwīd from Hazrat and received from him a chain of transmission (sanad-e-riwāyat). He has also received the transmission of the authentic Hadith collections from Hazrat.
When Hazrat's Tafsīr-e-Ṣiddīqī was being compiled, Mawlawi Maẓhar al-Dīn Qādirī would write it as Hazrat dictated; in his absence, Waqār al-Dīn was entrusted with bringing Hazrat's work to completion. When the Tafsīr reached its final stage, Hazrat called certain individuals to him and said: "These are servants of the Qurʾān (khādim al-Qurʾān)." He has since appointed fixed Qurʾān teachers at a number of mosques and remains occupied in the service of the Qurʾān throughout the day. The series of Tafsīr lectures has been continuing for several years, with the permission and blessing of Hazrat.
Knowledge has become his very nature. Piety (taqwā) and purity (ṭahārat) have been with him from birth. Love of God, the Messenger, the spiritual guide, and the beloved ones of God was nurtured in him from the cradle. Courtesy, refinement, character, humanity, nobility, sobriety, and forbearance came to him as inheritance. Despite suffering losses of life and wealth, he has never descended from the station of surrender and contentment (taslīm wa riḍā). He has had the honour of visiting the Two Holy Sanctuaries with his wife.
He has a natural affinity for poetry and music. In his verses there is freshness of thought, novelty of expression, and a magical effectiveness of pain and ardour (dard wa soz). At poetic gatherings (mushāʿara), his recitation is awaited with eager anticipation. He commands equal eloquence in Urdu, Persian, and Hindi, and his compositions in all three languages are beloved by both the elite and the common people. His prose has literary quality and depth of meaning, with rhetorical power and elevation of thought. His unravelling of the intricacies of four chapters of Ibn al-ʿArabī's Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam is a work of extraordinary supra-rational insight.
He received bay'ah and khilāfa from Hazrat. The chain of spiritual guidance continues. His wife, the respected Kulthūm Begum Ṣāḥiba, is the youngest daughter of Mawlawi ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Ṣiddīqī. His elder and younger daughters are married and have children. The middle daughter passed away in America in an accident along with her two young children; their remains were brought to Hyderabad and buried at Ṣiddīq Gulshan.
Note: Mawlawi Waqār al-Dīn Ṣāḥib passed away on 13 Ramaḍān 1416 AH, corresponding to 22 January 1996 CE.