Abu Bakr Khawkir: From Dahlan’s Tafkiri Student to Tawheed and the Sunnah
All praise is due to Allah who grants success to whom He wills for guidance, illuminates the path of guidance, and clarifies the reality of the path of misguidance. And prayers and peace be upon the guiding Prophet, the guide to the path of salvation and safety, who warned us from the ways of deviation. And may Allah be pleased with his companions and those who followed them from those who adhered to the path of guidance.
To proceed:
Our Lord, the Almighty, guides whom He wills and leads astray whom He wills, with wisdom and justice. Glory be to the One who brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living…
Thus was the reality of beholding the light of truth and the dissipation of the heaps of ignorance for a young cub who was raised and nursed on the paths of misguidance, and who lived in a society dominated by the tyranny of grave-worship and the prevalence of superstitions and innovations.
This young cub Abu Bakr bin Muhammad Arif Khawkir—went to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca after having studied the jurisprudence of the Hanafi school. There, he attached himself to the study circle of one of the grave-worshippers, whom some scholars nicknamed “the Sheikh of Liars,” Ahmad Zaini Dahlan may Allah deal with him as he deserves. At that time, the Haram was under the supervision of some of the Ashraf who opposed Tawheed and its people, thus elevating the status of the grave-worshippers. This young man devoted himself to Dahlan for many years until Dahlan died, by which time the young man was nearly twenty-two years old.
He continued his scholarly journey, forging his own path. His teacher, Sheikh Abd al-Rahman bin Siraj al-Hanafi, the Mufti of Mecca, advised him along with some of his distinguished colleagues to study the Hanbali school so that there would be scholars from the Hijaz who could hold the position of issuing fatwas in this school. This was because the Ashraf did not wish the Najdi Hanbali scholars to occupy this position due to the estrangement that existed between them and the people of Najd.
The Sheikh progressed and became deeply rooted in knowledge until he became strong and firm. He had a memorable day when he met the great scholar Ahmad bin Ibrahim bin Isa al-Hanbali al-Najdi—may Allah have mercy on him—the commentator of the *Nuniyyah*, a mountain of knowledge. The students of knowledge in the Hijaz attached themselves to him, and among them was this young man. He studied under him the science of Tawheed and Hanbali jurisprudence. The lesson on Tawheed had a remarkable effect. They debated with evidence and proof, and the discussion lasted for a considerable time until Allah opened this young man’s heart to the belief in Tawheed. He then renounced grave-worship and polytheism, declared his repentance, and adopted the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, the followers of the pious predecessors. The credit for this goes to Sheikh bin Isa, through whom Allah guided in the lands of Hijaz major students of knowledge from among the grave-worshippers and Ash’aris, such as Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Tilimsani al-Maghribi al-Ash’ari, who later became Salafi and was a close friend of this young man, and the scholar Muhammad Nasif—may Allah have mercy on him for what he offered and presented.
After this, Abu Bakr arose and studied the books of the Salaf in creed. He became a caller to pure Tawheed. He began to combat shirk, innovations, and superstitions. He debated, argued, and authored beneficial treatises on these matters, especially concerning the common folk seeking intercession through graves, asking the dead for their needs, those who travel to visit the shrines of saints, offer vows and sacrifices to them, rub themselves against graves hoping for blessing, and humble themselves before their occupants hoping for good and the removal of harm from them. And Allah says: {And they do not possess for themselves any harm or benefit, nor do they possess death or life or resurrection.} (Quran 25:3)
Then came the Sunnah of Allah (i.e., His way). The matter of Khoqeer was raised to Sharif Hussein bin Ali. They harmed him, prevented him from calling to Islam and from teaching at the Sacred House, and then threw him into prison, in a solitary room in the lower floor of the government palace (the basement).
One of the eyewitnesses, Professor Umar Abd al-Jabbar, says: “I saw Sheikh Abu Bakr Khoqeer during my entry into the prison in his room wearing worn-out clothes. He was disheveled; his hair and beard had grown long, as prisoners were not allowed to use scissors or a razor. I greeted him, and he returned the greeting. He said: ‘Indeed, Allah is with the patient, and I have an example in our Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal.'”
He remained in prison for eighteen months. Then he was imprisoned a second time on fabricated charges for about seventy months, meaning approximately seven years.
Sheikh al-Amir Abdullah bin Faisal al-Farhan, who was among those stationed at al-Rughamah and who besieged Jeddah with King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman, says:
“The army of King Abdulaziz, led by Khalid bin Lu’ayy, entered the Holy City of Mecca—may Allah increase it in honor. The army and the Ikhwan—may Allah have mercy on them—set about demolishing shrines and domes, securing the inhabitants of the Holy City, and performing Tawaf around the Ancient House. Then they proceeded to the prison and brought out Sheikh Khoqeer and those with him.”
At the dawn of that day, while Sheikh Khoqeer was leading his students and those with him in prayer in the prison, they saw joy and gladness on his face and persistently asked him about the reason for this. He informed them that while he was asleep, he saw a group who had broken into the prison, removed the chains from their legs, and set them free. He asked about those people and was told: ‘These are the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.’
Sheikh Khoqeer and those with him in prison were unaware of the momentous events happening outside. Then, the Sheikh’s vision materialized like the break of dawn, as the Ikhwan entered the prison—among them were those who knew him—and a caller among them announced: ‘O Khoqeer, O Khoqeer!’ They then brought out the Sheikh and those with him.”
The Sheikh had been appointed Mufti for the Hanbalis in the year 1327 AH. After his release, he engaged in the book trade and had a library at Bab al-Salam. He was appointed as a teacher at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and devoted himself to writing beneficial works until he died—may Allah have mercy on him—in Mecca in the year 1349 AH. People gathered to witness his funeral, and they followed him with righteous praise and deep sorrow.
Among the praises of the scholars for him is what the great reformer Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Rida—may Allah have mercy on him—said after meeting him several times, describing him as: “Our friend, the knowledgeable, practicing, reforming Sheikh Abu Bakr Khoqeer,” and said about him: “The greatest of the Salafi scholars and Hanbali jurists in the Hijaz.”
The scholar and historian Abd al-Sattar al-Dehlawi—may Allah have mercy on him—described him, saying: “The famous Salafi Athari scholar of Hadith … our virtuous Salafi friend, and our perfect companion.”
The scholar Muhammad Munir Agha al-Dimashqi—may Allah have mercy on him—described him, saying: “The dignified Sheikh and the zealous Mujahid,” and said: “The late translated one (i.e., Khoqeer) studied the Hanbali school, mastered it, and excelled in it.”
The scholar Salih al-Qadi—may Allah have mercy on him—praised him, saying: “He was a marvel in the science of Hadith. He received his religious sciences in India and at the Sacred Mosque, where he studied for a period. He was among our closest colleagues in Mecca, and he had fame and renown that spread—may Allah have mercy on him.”
The scholar Abd al-Mu’ti al-Saqqa al-Shafi’i al-Azhari—may Allah have mercy on him—described him, saying: “The virtuous scholar, the profound and comprehensive master, the teacher Sheikh Abu Bakr Khoqeer, the teacher at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.”
A group of scholars from Al-Azhar praised him when they endorsed his book *[What is Essential in Matters of Religion]*, most notably Muhammad Bakhit al-Muti’i al-Hanafi, the Mufti of the Egyptian Legal Administration.
**His Travels:**
Sheikh Abu Bakr Khoqeer made several trips to India to bring Salafi books and disseminate them in Mecca. He seized the opportunity to receive knowledge from its major scholars. He also traveled to Egypt, where he printed some of his works. He met with scholars from Al-Azhar who received him with great honor and praised his books immensely.
**His Works:**
1. *What is Essential in Matters of Religion* – Endorsed by a large number of Al-Azhar scholars, headed by the Mufti of the Egyptian Legal Administration.
2. *The Decisive Statement and Guidance for the Strayer Regarding the Intercession Sought by the Ignorant* – A valuable book in which he refuted one of the strayers and clarified the path of truth with its evidence.
3. *The Liberation of Speech in Answering the Indian’s Question on the Attribute of Speech*
4. *Verification of the Path* – A critique of Sufi paths.
5. *An Abridgment of the Jurisprudence of Imam Ahmad*
6. *Entertaining the Guest on the Journey of Winter and Summer*
7. *The Prison and the Prisoners*
8. *What the Legally Responsible Person Cannot Afford to be Ignorant Of*
9. *The Indispensable: A Commentary on ‘What is Essential’*
10. *Proper Connection with ‘The Decisive Statement’ in Refuting Babseel and Kamal*
11. *The Famous Record of Transmitters (Thabat al-Athbat al-Shahirah)*
May Allah have mercy on this towering mountain and this tumultuous sea. With his death, the Ummah lost one of its great figures. It is obligatory to introduce him, verify, and disseminate his books, for he strove, defended, was harmed, and remained patient. May Allah have mercy on you, O Abu Bakr, and elevate your status in the highest ranks.
**References:**
The introduction to my two books:
*What is Essential in Matters of Religion* by al-‘Unaburi
*The Decisive Statement and Guidance for the Strayer Regarding the Intercession Sought by the Ignorant* by al-Shahal
Prepared by Abu Umar al-Manhaji – The Defense of the Sunnah Network.
See original Arabic in Arabic here: https://saaid.org/feraq/el3aedoon/15.htm