Bahishti Zewar: Heavenly Ornaments

Hakim-ul-Ummat Hazrat Ashraf Ali Thanvi, the renowned philosopher and Scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence, was grieved to see the degeneration of Muslim women in matters of Islam and its instruction. He found them surrounded and engaged in anti-Islamic activities, customs, rites and ceremonies which are detrimental not only from the worldly point of view but from religious view also.  These were spreading like a contagious disease. The learned Maulana (May his soul rest in peace) pondered over it very seriously and as its remedy he compiled a voluminous book in Urdu language entitled Bahishti Zewar meaning Heavenly Ornaments, covering all the aspects of life from birth to death. He accomplished this onerous task with a view to bring about an improvement in their daily lives in the light of Religion, Sunna and the Traditions. This book is an encyclopaedia of Islam dealing in a very simple way the Tenets and Principles of Islam as they are practiced in day to day life. It is ready reference to our religious problems which we come across in our normal life. The esteemed book is so popular in India and Pakistan that it is given to daughters by their parents at the time of their marriage as a necessary part of their dowry.