The chains of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan in the Hadith of Mercy.

The Hadith of Mercy (Rahmah) is known commonly amongst the scholars of Hadith as al-Hadith al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah (The patterned Continuous chain of first-ness). It is known by this name due to majority of the narrators in the chain hearing this as the first narration of hadith from their teachers. With each narrator stating, “And it was the first Hadith I heard from him” up until Imam Sufyan b. Uyaynah.

Most of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan’s recorded chains are via his spiritual guide (murshid) the great saint of Marehra; Shah Aale Rasul Mareharwi. He is a direct student of the greatest Hadith authority in India; Shah Abdul Aziz Dehalwi. He also narrated from the Grandson of Shah Aale Rasul; Shah Abul Hassan Noori. Allah have mercy upon them all.

The first chain of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan:

1. He heard it from Shah Aal Rasul Mareharwi

2. He heard it from Shah Abdul Aziz Dehalwi

3. He heard it from Shah Waliullah Dehalwi

The complete chain of Shah Waliullah is recorded in his book Al-Fadl Al-Mubin

It is often assumed that the only chain of this Hadith was brought to the subcontinent by Shah Waliullah via his travels to the Hijaz, however another earlier scholar also possessed this chain and Imam Ahmad Raza Khan also possessed this chain.

The second chain of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan:

He heard it from Shah Aal Rasul Mareharwi

He heard it from Sayyid Aal Ahmad Mareharwi

He heard it from Shah Hamza b. Sayyid Aal Muhammad Bilgirami Hassani al-Wasiti

He heard it from Sayyid Tufail Muhammad Atrulwi

He heard it from Sayyid Mubarak Fakhr al-Din Bilgirami

He heard it from Shaykh Abu Rida b. Ismail Dehalwi

He heard it from Shah Abdul Haq Dehalwi

The complete chain of Shah Abdul Haq is recorded in his thabt, Dhikr Al-Ijazat Al-Hadit

The third chain of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan:

He heard it from Shah Abul Hussain al-Nuri Mareharwi

He heard it from Shaykh Ahmad Hassan Al-Sufi Muradabadi

He heard it from Shaykh Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Dimyati

He heard it from Shaykh Muhammad b. Abd al-Aziz

He heard it from Shaykh Abu al-Khayr b. Umus al-Rashidi

He heard it from Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyyah al-Ansari

He heard it from Shaykh Ahmad b. Hajr al-Asqalani

The complete chain of Shah Abul Hussain Nuri is recorded in his work An-Nur wa Al-Baha (not printed)