Allaamah Anwar Kashmiri (Rahmatullah alayh) said that Shah Abdul Azeez (Rahmatullah alayh) and Hadhrat Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Rahmatullah alayh) were o

Answer

All our Akaabir Ulama are in agreement regarding the superior Fiqhi status of Hadhrat Shah Abdul Azeez and Hadhrat Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. They were Fuqaha such as the Fuqaha of former times.

There is no technical definition for Faqeehun Nafs. It is not necessary that an Aalim who has a lofty status in Fiqh is also a Mujtahid.

Furthermore, Ijtihaad applies now to only developing issues - to issues which did not exist during the age of Ijtihaad, that is Khairul Quroon. The principles of the Fuqaha will be employed to reach a conclusion on a developing issue. The Aalim may not operate his brains beyond the confines of the established Usool of the Fuqaha. The masaa-il which have been decided and finalized during the era of Ijtihaad may not be tampered with. It is in this regard that we find baseless ‗tafarrudaat‟ being innovated by Hadith Ustaadhs who gain the idea of themselves being on par with the Muhadditheen and Fuqaha of former times.

Fiqaahat is a roohaani attribute. It is not acquired by

means of book-knowledge. Vast textual knowledge is not Fiqaahat (spiritual indepth understanding). Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:

"Beware of the Firaasat of the Mu‟min, for verily he looks with the Noor of Allah." Ilm is a Noor of Allah Ta'ala. It settles in the purified heart of the Mu'min. True Ilm is not book knowledge.

The senior Ulama of Taqwa in an age will recognize who a Faqeeh is. A Muhaqqiq is one who has profound firaasat. He understands issues which other Ulama fail to unravel. It is not necessary for him to have a vast knowledge of kitaabs and references. The Fuqaha of the Khairul Quroon era did not have kitaabi references for their istimbaat. The kutub are based on their Knoweldge which was the effect of Firaasat and Noor of Allah Ta'ala. They had no need for references.