Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi

Who was Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi?

Abul Hasanat Sayyid Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi Qadiri, popularly known as Hadrat Abdullah Shah Sahib, was a scholar of Islam and spiritual reformer. He is more particularly known as a muhaddith (one who specializes in Hadith literature), honorifically as Muhaddith-e Dakkan (the Muhaddith of the Dakkan). A prolific writer of Islamic sciences, he wrote extensively on fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and compiled his best-known work Zujajat al-Masabih in five volumes. A unique and comprehensive collection of Hadiths pertaining to the Hanafi school of law, the book is considered a magnum opus in hadith and fiqh literature. As a mufassir (Qur'anic exegite) and expounder of other Islamic religious texts, he is one of the most celebrated Sufis produced by India in the 20th century. He is popularly considered to be one of the saint-scholars among the masses of South India, particularly Hyderabad.