The Great Imaam and Mujaddid, Sayyiduna AlaHadrat Imam Ahmad Rida al-Qadiri (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu) was only 4 years old when he completed the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. Due to the extraordinary intelligence bestowed upon him by Almighty ALLAH, AlaHadrat Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu completed his Islamic Education at the very young age of 13 years, 10 months and 5 days.

AlaHadrat (Radi Allahu Anhu) gained his basic knowledge at home. He later continued his studies under the guidance of certain noted teachers. He studied under his father, Hadrat Allama Mawlana Naqi Ali Khan (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu). He completed his primary education by Janab Mirza Ghulam Qadir Baig, by whom he studied the book, “Mizaan-e-Munsha’ab.” AlaHadrat (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu) also studied under the guidance of the following luminous personalities:

1. Hadrat Mawlana Abdul Ali Rampuri (Radi Allahu Anhu)
2. Shaykh al-Kabeer, Hadrat Allama Syed Shah Abul Hussain Ahmad Noori (Radi Allahu Anhu)
3. Shaykh al-Tariqah, Hadrat Allama Shah Ale Rasool Mahrahrwi (Radi Allahu Anhu)
4. Shaykh Ahmad bin Zain Dahlaan al-Makki (Radi Allahu Anhu)
5. Shaykh Abdur Rahman Makki (Radi Allahu Anhu), and
6. Shaykh Hussain bin Saleh Makki (Radi Allahu Anhu)

When AlaHadrat went to perform his first HAJJ and Zyarah on the 26th of Shawwal 1295 A.H. (1876). He was only 20 years old at that time. One day, after completing his Hajj, he went to perform his Maghrib Salaah before the Maqaam-e-Ibrahim (Alaihis Salam). Having completed his Salaah, the Imam of the Shafi’ee order of Makkatul Mukarramah, Allama Hussain bin Saleh Kamaal (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu), approached him. He clutched AlaHadrat (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu) by his hand and led him to his house. The great Imam then placed his hand on the blessed forehead of AlaHadrat (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu) and said:

“Verily, I am observing the Noor of Almighty Allah on this forehead.”

Without hesitation, he blessed AlaHadrat (Radi Allahu Anhu) with the Sanad (Certificate) of Sihah Sitta (Six Compilers of Hadith: Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood, Tirmizi and Nisa’i). He also began addressing AlaHadrat (Radi Allahu Anhu) by the title of “Dia al-Din” or “The Light or Splendour of Deen.” The speciality of this Sanad is that it has only Eleven (11) levels to Imam Bukhari.

AlaHadrat (Radi Allahu Anhu) was also blessed with the Asnaad (Certificates) of Hadees o Fiqah, Usool o Tafseer and etc. from the Mufti of the Hanafi order in Makkatul Mukarramah, Sayyiduna Allama Abdur Rahmaan Siraaj Hanafi and Mufti of the Shafi’ee order in Makkatul Mukarramah, Mufti Shaykh Sayyad Ahmad Dahlaan Shafi’ee (Radi Allahu Anhuma).

When he went for his Second Hajj in 1323/1905, he stayed for three months in the Holy Land and constantly searched for anyone who had higher-ranking Sanad of Hadith then His Sanad of Hadith. He wanted to take it from him and elevate His existing Sanad of Hadith. But Alhamdulillah! His Sanad was the highest and everyone took Sanads from him. Shaykh Abd al-Rahmaan Dah’laan, the youngest son of Shaykh Ahmed Dah’laan and his elder brother, Shaykh Asad Dah’laan (Qaadi of Makkah at that time) both took Sanad of Hadith from him too. And Shaikh Saaleh Kamal, the most Knowledgable Scholar of Makkah at that time, though he was a senior Aalim, but he insisted in taking Sanad-e-Hadith and other Ijazah from AlaHadrat. AlaHadrat tried to evade this for a few days in respect but it was in vain. Shaikh Saaleh Kamal constantly insisted and forced AlaHadrat to issue them to him.
 

Following is the list of some of the Giants and Celebrated ‘Ulama and Imams of the Arab World who highly praised Imam Ahmad Rida and acknowledged his books and teaching as strictly in accordance to the Shariah and the tenants of the Ahlus-Sunnah wa Jama‘ah:

1. Shaykh Muhammad Sa’eed bin Muhammad Salam Ba Busail
2. Shaykh Ahmad bin Abdullah Abu al Khair Mirdad
3. Shaykh Muhammad Saleh bin Sadiq Kamal
4. Shaykh ‘Ali bin Sadiq Kamal
5. Maulana Shah Muhammad Abdul Haq Alahabadi Muhajar Makki
6. Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad Marzooqi Abu-Hussain bin Abdur Rehman Hussaini
7. Shaykh Umer bin abuBakr ba Junaid
8. Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abid bin Husain Maliki
9. Shaykh Muhammad ‘Ali bin Hussain Maliki
10. Shaykh Muhammad Jamal bin Muhammad Amir bin Hussain Maliki
11. Shaykh As’ad bin Ahmad Dahlaan
12. Shaykh Abdur Rehman bin Ahmad Dahlaan
13. Maulana Ahmad bin Muhammad Ziaudin Bengali Qadri Chishti
14. Shaykh Muhammad bin Yusaf Khiat
15. Shaykh Muhammad Saleh bin Muhammad ba Fazl
16. Shaykh Abdulkarim bin Hamza Daghastani Hashmi Naji
17. Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id bin Muhammad Yamani
18. Shaykh Muhammad Hamid bin Ahmad bin ‘Auz Jadawi
19. Shaykh Uthman bin Abdus Salam Daghastani
20. Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad Sa’eed bin Muhammad Maghrabi
21. Shaykh Muhammad bin Ahmad Umeri Wasti
22. Shaykh Sayyid Abbas bin Muhammad Ridwan
23. Shaykh Umer bin Hamdan Mahrasi
24. Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad bin Isma‘il Barzanji
25. Shaykh Abdul Qadir Taufiq Shalabi
26. Shaykh Sayyid Isma‘il bin Khalil
27. Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf Afghani
28. Shaykh Muhammad Tajuddin bin Mustafa Ilyas
29. Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad al Jazairi
30. Shaykh Khalil bin Ibrahim Kharbuti
31. Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad bin Muhammad Habib Didawi
32. Shaykh Muhammad bin Muhammad Sosi Khiari
33. Shaykh Muhammad Uzayr Wazir [Alaihim ar-raHma wa ar-Ridwan]

Imam Ahmad Rida studied under various teachers but with personal study, he perfected himself in more than 54 different disciplines of knowledge. The following 21 branches of Knowledge he learnt from his father:-

1. Ilm-al-Quran (Knowledge of the Quran)
2. Ilm-al-Hadith (Knowledge of Traditions)
3. Usul-e-Hadith (Principle of Traditions)
4. Fiqh-e-Hanafi (Hanfi Jurisprudence)
5. Kutub-e-Fiqh Jumla (All Books of Jurisprudence)
6. Usul-e-Fiqh (Principle of Jurisprudence)
7. Jadl-e-Muhazab.
8. Ilm-e-Tafseer (Knowledge of Exegesis of the Holy Quran)
9. Ilm-al Kalam (Scholastic theology)
10. Ilm-e-Nahav (Syntax)
11. Ilm-e-Sarf (Grammar, Accidence and Etymology)
12. Ilm-e-Maani (Elocution)
13. Ilm-e-Badi (Style)
14. Ilm-e-Bayan (Rhetoric)
15. Ilm-e-Mantique (Logic)
16. Ilm-e-Munazara (Dialectic)
17. Ilm-e-Takseer (Carrying figures)
18. Ilm-e-Falsafa (Philosophy)
19. Ilm-e-Hay’at (Astronomy)
20. Ilm-e-Hisab (Arithmetic)
21. Ilm-e-Hindasa (Geometry)

Following are the 10 disciplines of knowledge, which AlaHadrat haven’t studied under any teacher but he had the Ijazat in these from discerning Ulama and He use to give Ijaza in these disciplines too.

22. Qirat (Recitation of the Quran)
23. Tajwid (Knowledge of Right pronunciation of the Quran.
24. Tasauwuf (Mysticism)
25. Suluk (Knowledge of manner in mystic)
26. Akhlaque (Ethics)
27. Asma-ul-Rajaal (Encyclopaedia of Narrators of Traditions)
28. Siyar (Biography)
29. Tawarikh (Chronology)
30. Loghat (Lexicon)
31. Adab-Ma-Jumla Funoon (Literature with all Arts)

Following are the 14 disciplines of Knowledge that Imam Ahmad Rida haven’t learnt by any teachers:-

32. Arsamatiqi (Arithmetic)
33. Jabr-o-Muqabilah (Algebra)
34. Ilm-e-Tauqeet (Timings)
35. Logharsimat (Logarithms)
36. Hisab-e-Satini
37. Manazir-o-Maraya (sense & sight)
38. Ilm-ul-Ukur (spheres)
39. Zijaat (Astronomical tables)
40. Muthallath Kurvi (Spherical Trigonometry)
41. Muthallath Musattah (Plane Trigonometry)
42. Haiyate Jadeedah (Modern Astronomy)
43. Jafr (Numerology & Literology)
44. Murabba’at (Quadrangular)
45. Za’icha (Horoscopes)

Following are the 10 branches of learning that he has received by the Heavenly Blessing inspired directly into his heart:

46. Nazm-e-Arabi (Arabic Poetry)
47. Nazm-e-Farsi (Persian Poetry)
48. Nazm-e-Hindi (Hindi Poetry)
49. Nathr-e-Urdu (Urdu Prose)
50. Nathre-Farsi (Persian Prose)
51. Nathre Arabi (Arabic Prose)
52. Khat-e-Naskh (Arabic Calligraphy)
53. Khat-e-Nastalique (Persian Calligraphy)
54. Tilawat ma’a Tajwid (Recitation of the Holy Quran with right pronunciation)
55. Ilm-e-Meeras (Knowledge of Inheritance)

Note:- Sayyidi AlaHadrat learnt Ilm-e-Takseer and Ilm-e-Jafr from Hadrat Abul Hussain Ahmed-e-Noori too but it was just to an extant not in depth as such.

The branches of knowledge of Imam Ahmad Rida, are more than 60. Here they are arranged according to the syllabus of Jamias & Universities written as under :-

1. Jurisprudence
2. Principle of Jurisprudence.
3. Lexicon of jurisprudence
4. Hadith
5. Principle of Hadith
7. Encyclopaedia of Hadith
7. Critical examination of Hadith.
8. Exegesis
9. Principle of Exegesis.
10. Scholastic theology
11. Islameology
12. Recitation of the Quran with right pronunciation.
13. Knowledge of the Quran & art of its translation
14. Dialectic.
15. Syntax & Etymology
16. Rhetoric and style & elocution
17. Linguistic and lexicon
18. Phonetic
19. Urdu prose
20. Arabic Prose
21. Persian Prose
22. Arabic poetry
23. Persian Poetry
24. Urdu poetry
25. Hindi poetry.
26. Explanation, criticism & appreciation
27. Prosody
28. Mysticism
29. Metaphysics
30. Incantation & Invocation
31. Jafr (Literology & Numerology)
32. Carrying the figures (Takseer)
33. Ethics
34. Logic
35. Philosophy
36. Psychology
37. Chronology & Biography
38. Sociology
39. Economics
40. Education
41. Political Science
42. Commerce
43. Banking
44. Arithmetic & Computation
45. Algebra (Factorization, equation of any degree, exponential series, Binomial theorem, set theory, Topology, Tensorial Algebra)
46. Plane Trigonometry Euclidean logarithms
47. Spherical Trigonometry.
48. Euclidean Geometry
49. Coordinate Geometry
50. Timings
51. Horoscopes
52. Astronomy & Astronomical Tables
53. Hisab e Satini
54. Statistics
55. Dynamics
56. Statics
57. Hydro Dynamics
58. Hydrostatics
59. Zoology
60. Botany
61. Geology
62. Geography
63. Horticultise
64. Unani (Greek) Medicine
65. Physiology
66. Inorganic Chemistry
67. Organic Chemistry
68. Physical Chemistry
69. Bio Chemistry etc.