Syed Afsar Basha Qasmi Sibghatullahi (DB) is a caliph of Muhi-us-Sunnah Hazrat Shah Abrar-ul-Haq Sahab (QS). He is a Hakim in Vellore town of the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India. He makes at least annual visits to Anona House. During one of his visits Hazrat Shaikh (DB) was feeling sick and he was requested to conduct the sitting (majlis). In the sitting he told, among other things, the story in which Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (QS) buys the cloth from a merchant whose cloth even the king found himself unable to buy. The merchant was desperate for he has put his all into preparation of that cloth. Thus Shaikh (RA) saved the merchant. But there is second part to the story that is even more touching. The cloth was not enough for the garment for which the Shaikh (RA) gave the cloth to the tailor. The tailor was instructed to add some more cloth to it. Which type of cloth? Jute, suggested the Shaikh (RA). That will be odd. No, let it be jute cloth, the Shaikh (RA) insisted. And then the Shaikh comes to his Sitting (majlis) in that garment. People pointed that the garment looks rather compound. "Does it?" asked the Shaikh (RA) innocently. The style adopted by Hakim Syed Afsar Basha (DB) was much more endearing.
He is the author of Life of Sunnah Reviver (Hayat-e-Muhi-us-Sunnah) from which we have taken the list of the caliphs of Muhi-us-Sunnah Shah Hardoi (RA). Two aspects of this biography are notable. Maulana Basha's love for his Shaikh (RA) oozes out of each word in it. Secondly there is poem requesting the Complete Shaikh ( Shaikh-e-Kamil) for self-correction. You get the feeling as if Hafiz Shirazi is requesting Shaikh Najmuddin Kubra (RA) for attention. He has written many other books and booklets. A partial list is given here.
(1) Manahil Al-Furqan Fi Rasoom Al Qura'n (On Quranic Recitation) (2) Azhar Al-Qawaid (On Quranic Recitation)(3) Nawadir-ad-Daqa-iq ( Translation of Jawahir Al Haqa-iq) (Mysticism) (4) Imam al Muhaddiseen Syedina Imam-e-Azam Abu Hanifa (5) Philosophy of Fasting (Roze ka falsafa) (6) Problem of Moon Siting (Masala-e-rawaiat-e-hilal) (7) Haj 1997: Field of Mina or Field of Doomsday? (Haj 1997: Maidan-Mina ya maidan-e-hashr?) (8) Place of the Beloved (Maqam-e-Mehmood) (9) Tabarukat Aasar (10) Regard for Syeds (Saadat ki Azmat) (11) Second Call and the Pious Predecessors (Azan-e-sani aur salf-e-swaliheen) (12) (Ilm-o-amal insaf ki adalat mein) (13) (Ashkal jawab-e-ashkal) (14) (Aadad-e-bismillah) (15) (Walima kab aur kaise?) (16) (Hauz-Shams aur mehakma-e-aasar-e-qadima) (17)(Kya atba-e-qadim surjury jante the?) (18) (Aqtab-e-vellor ka akhiri chashm-o-chiragh) (19) (Junoob ka bahar-e-uloom)(20) Life of Sunnah Reviver (Hayat-e-Muhi-us-Sunnah) (RA) (21) Place of Abi Hanifa (Maqam-e-Abi Hanifa) (22) (Shajrah-e-mubaraka)
