Early Life
Moulana Asgar Husain ̨ belongs to a noble Sayyid family and was born in 1294 A.H. He initially studied under his father and thereafter was admitted to Darul ‘Uloom Deoband where he was fortunate to study under great personalities as Sheikhul Hind ̨, Mufti ‘Azizur Rahmaan ̨, Haafiz Muhammad Ahmad ̨ and Moulana Habibur Rahman Usmaani ̨. He was popularly known in Deoband by the name of Hadhrat Mia Saahib.
Career
After qualifying, he spent one year serving Darul-Uloom Deoband in the department of administration. In 1320 A.H. he was recruited by an institute in Jonpur where he was appointed the head-teacher. He served this institute until 1327 A.H., when Sheikhul Hind ̨ recalled him to Deoband. He also was the editor of the monthly “Al Qaasim” journal.
Istiqaamat
Punctuality was his outstanding trait. In 1354 A.H. his daughter passed away. He very patiently recited Inna lillahi… and after the Fajar Salaah handed over the shrouding and burial to his sons. He then proceeded to the Madrasah and taught his lessons as normal until the appointed time after which he told the students to make du’a for his late daughter. Thereafter he joined the janazah salaah which was performed by Hadhrat Moulana Husain Ahmad Madani
Piety
Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi’ Saahib ̨ once commented that Hadhrat Moulana Asghar Husain Saahib ̨ was a teacher of the highest calibre. He was an expert in the knowledge of the Qur-aan and Hadith.
His house was made of mud and every year during the rainy season, it became necessary to re-plaster it. Much time and effort used to be spent in this repair. Once Mufti Shafi’ ̨ asked him to build a brick house and save himself the inconvenience of annually repairing his mud-house. The reply he gave indicates what level of sympathy and compassion these pious elders had for the people. He said: “All my neighbours are very poor and have mud-houses. If I have to build a brick-house, it may distress them because they are not affluent enough to be able to build brick-houses as well.”
Mufti Shafi Saahib ̨ related: “Once I went to his house and he presented me with some mangoes. After having eaten them, I proceeded to throw the pits and peels away. He asked if I knew how to throw them away. I asked him what was there to know in throwing away peels. Is it some special art? He replied in the affirmative and remarked that I was not aware of it. He then picked up the basket and proceeded to discard them himself. First he separated the pits from the peels. Then he placed the peels on the side of the road in specific places. He left the pits in one specific spot. On being asked the reason for this, he replied: “Only the poor and destitute live in our neighbourhood. Most of them can barely afford even a coarse diet. If they have to see the peels of fruit in one pile, they will intensely become aware of their own poverty and they will feel distressed at their destitution. I will be the cause of this dismay and distress. Therefore, I scatter the peels and, that too, in such places where animals pass by. It can be of use to them. I placed the pits where the children play. They roast the pits and eat them. These peels and pits are also a bounty of Allah. Thus it is inappropriate to waste them.”
It should be remembered that Moulana Asgar Husain ̨ himself hardly ever ate mangoes. He normally kept them for visitors and the children of the neighbourhood. He passed away on 26 Muharram 1364 A.H.
Biography of Hadhrat Moulana Maseehullah Saheb RA.
