Maulana Zafar Ahmed Usmani (Allah have mercy on him) writes,

In the year 1349 Hijri Egyptian scholar Maulana Mohammed Zahid al Kawthari wrote a letter to Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on them) requesting permission of transmission (sanad)of the six canonical books of Prophetic sayings (Sihah Sitta). Hakim al Umma granted him the sanad.

Maulana Mohammed Zahid al Kawthari had been adjunct of (last) Shaikh al-Islam in Turkey for a period of time. He had spiritual allegiance (baiyet) with Shaykh Mehmed Es’ad Dede (Allah have mercy on him) d. 1911. [Title ‘Dede’ in Turkey is reserved for a sufi who has accomplished ten years of a particular spiritual endeavor (mujahida).] Shaykh Mehmed Es’ad Dede had also been granted permission to initiate mureed (ijazet e baiyet) by our (master) Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (Allah have mercy on them all).

Anwar un nazar fi asaar uz Zafar, volume 1, page 47-8