Firangi Mahal - From Arabia To India

From Arabia To India

The Firangi Mahal family trace a direct, unbroken lineage to Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of Muhammad. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari belonged to the Bani Ghanam(1)(2) tribe from amongst the Khazraj of Yathrib (later Madina, Medina or Madina un-Nabi). This lineage is traced through another very famous scholar and poet, descendant of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Khajeh Abdollah Ansari of Herat, Afghanistan. (1)(2)

The lineage is described, and traced in the family history records (1), as follows;

• Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
• Abu Mansoor al-Ansari al-Taabi'i
• Jaafar al-Ansari
• Ali al-Ansari
• Ahmad al-Ansari
• Muhammad al-Ansari
• Abu Mu'aaz al-Ansari
• Jaafar al-Ansari
• Abu Mansoor Ansari Balkhi
• Abu Ismail Khajeh Abdollah Ansari of Herat
• Jabar Muqarrab-Baari Ansari
• Ayyub Ansari
• Khajeh Auz Ansari
• Khajeh Shahabuddin Mahmood Ansari
• Khajeh Nizamuddin Ansari
• Khajeh Sultan Muhammad Ansari
• Khajeh Zaheeruddin Ansari
• Khajeh Jalaluddin Ansari
• Khajeh Shamsuddin Ansari
• Khawaja Pir Habibullah Ansari
• Khawaja Pir Muizzuddin Ansari
• Khawaja Pir Ghayasuddin Ansari
• Khawaja Dost Muhammad Ansari
• Khawaja Jamaluddin Ansari
• Khawaja Azizuddin Ansari
• Khawaja Dawood Ansari
• Khawaja Ishaaq Ansari
• Shaikh Khawaja Ismail Ansari
• Qutub al-Aalam, Shaikh Khawaja Alauddin Ansari, of Herat
• Shaikh Nizamuddin Ansari
• Sharfuddin Ansari
• Shaikh Muhiuddin Ansari
• Shaikh Fazlullah Ansari
• Shaikh Habibullah Ansari
• Mulla Shaikh Muhammad Hafiz Ansari
• Mulla Shaikh Ahmad Ansari
• Mulla Shaikh Abdul Kareem Ansari
• Mulla Shaikh Abdul Haleem Ansari
• Maulana Qutubuddin Ansari - The Qutub Shaheed

Around mid-sixteenth century Shaikh Makhdoom Nizamuddin Ansari travelled from Panipat to, and settled in, Oudh province of the Mughal Empire. As stated above, the family settled in Sehali, near Barabanki, and soon attracted students and pupils from the surrounding areas who were interested in acquiring religious education. The town of Sehali is about fourteen miles from Bansa - the abode of the famous, Shah Abdur Razzaq Bansavi(of Bansa), with whom in due course, the Ulama of Firangi Mahal were to develop a deep scholarly connection.