Page 1 Ulam ofUlam ofUlam ofUlam of Deoband Deoband Deoband Deoband Published By: Madrasah Arabia Islamia, Publication Department, Azaadville, South AfricaPage 2 Title: Ulam of Deoband Published By: Madrasah Arabia Islamia,Publication Department, Mauln Moosa Kajee Publication No:A A301 Date: Shabn 1432, July 2011 Publisher: Madrasah Arabia Islamia Publication Department P O Box 9786 Azaadville, 1750 Tel: (011) 413 2786 Fax: (011) 413 2787 Email:darululum@webmail.co.za iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Page 3 Ulam Deoband and ahle Sunnahwal Jamat Hadrat Mauln AbdulHamd Ishq Shib(dmat baraktuhum) _- -r,,| -|,=_ _- _= =- Allh Jalla Jalluhu has blessed the Ummah of Nab-e-KarmwiththeabsolutecorrectAqid(beliefs), Aml,Akhlq,MumaltandMushartandAllh JallaJalluhucompletedHisDnandperfecteditfor this honourable Ummah. Today I have perfected for you, your religion, and completed upon you My favour, and I have chosen for you Islam as your religion. So the Dn that Allh Jalla Jalluhu gave from damthroughalltheAmbiycametocompletionand perfectionwithourbelovedandhonourableNab. ThenAllhJallaJalluhufavouredthisUmmahwith anothergreatblessingwhenAllhJallaJalluhu promised. < j .| .

It is We who revealed this admonition, and We are its protectors. That Allh Jalla Jalluhu will propagate and protect this Dn forever This perfect, complete Dn has been transmitted to us andprotectedbythegreatFuqahMujhidn, Muhaddithn, Mufassirn, Mutakallimn, Sufia, etc. in its perfectandcompleteformunderthebannerofthe Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamat. Inourcircles,Ulam-e-Deobandissynonymouswith AhlusSunnahWalJamat.ThisistheSawde-e-Page 4 Azam(themainstreamoftheUmmah)whichis flowingfromNab-e-Karmtilltodayandforevertill Qiymah Insh-Allh. NomatterhowmuchshukarwemaketoAllhJalla Jalluhu, Raslullh , all the Sahbah , Tabin, Tabe Tbin, all the Ulam, Mujhidn and Sufia for blessing us with this perfect and complete Dn (lifestyle) i.e. the AhlusSunnahWalJamatandinteraliaUlam-e-Deobandwhichguaranteestrueenjoymentsofdunia in this world and eternal pleasures of Jannah, it is less. Manyfitnas(trialsandtribulations)inthehistoryof Islam have come and gone, but the main stream flow oftheAhlusSunnahWalJamathasperseveredand pulledthroughallstormsandoppositionfromwithin and without. TodaywehaveourgreatUlam-e-Deoband representingtheAhlusSunnahwalJamat-thetrue Dn of Islam. Drul Ulm Deoband has not only produced Ulam but togetherwithgreat,verygreatUlam,DrulUlm DeobandhasproducedDrulUlmsinthelengthand breadth of the world, from North America to Australia, fromIndonesia,MalaysiatoSouthernAfrica,from EnglandandEuropetoSouthAmerica.DrulUlm DeobandhasproducedDrulUlmsthroughoutthe entire world. Shaikh Abdullh binSubayyiel (dmatbaraktuhum) of the HaramofMakkahSharfsaysthattheUlamof Deobandareservingatleast50%oftheUmmahin Dn. Page 5 DrulUlmDeobandhasproducedluminariesofthe calibre of Hadrat Mauln Ashraf Al Shib Thnw who has revived Tasawwuf according to the Sunnah of Raslullh,whoisaMujaddidandwroteover1000 KitbsoneveryaspectofIslamicsciences,whohas beenacclaimedasthegreatestreformistintheworld in our times. DrulUlmDeobandhasproducedluminarieslike HadratMaulnMuhammadIlysShibwho startedtheworkofTablghandDawatinitspresent form,bywhichagreatandtremendouschangehas come in the whole Ummah. ThestalwartsofDrulUlmDeobandareluminaries likeHadratMaulnAnwarShhKashmrShib, the walking library whose memory cannot be matched andwhodismantledthecloakofQadianismand preserved the Dn. ThestalwartsofDrulUlmDeobandareluminaries likeHadratMaulnHusainAhmedMadanShib whowasamongstthefirsttorecognisethefitnaof Maududiasmandunmaskeditwhenotherswere supporting it. AspecialqualitywhichtheUlam-e-Deobandhave been blessed with is to recognise a fitnah, to smell the ratofafitnahinitsinitialstages,unmaskitand oppose it tooth and nail while others support it. ThestalwartsofDrulUlmDeobandareluminaries like Hujjatul Islam Mauln Qsim Nnautw Shib whofoughttheEnglishanddrovethemoutfromthe subcontinent after which their empire crumbledin the whole world. Page 6 Drul Ulm is an inspiration from Allh Jalla Jalluhu to protecttheMuslimsfromevilforcesoftheBritish Empirewhocamewiththeintentionofconvertingall thepeopleofthesubcontinenttoChristianity.Drul UlmisthemanifestationoftheDuofHadratHj Imddullh Shib Muhjir Makk . ThearchitectofDrulUlmDeobandisRaslullh whom the first principal of Drul Ulm saw in a dream drawingthelineswhereDrulUlmshouldbebuilt and actually found those lines on the ground where the classesofDrulUlmareandisfamouslyknownas Nodra. The same Principal saw Raslullhin a dream giving milk to students to drink from the well of Molsri, whichwasinterpretedasthegivingofknowledge, which each one took according to his own capacity. DrulUlmisthenameofTauhd,followingthe Sunnats and simplicity.JustthemerenamesoftheUlamofDeobandfilla persons heart with the nr of mn, what then to say oftheirAml,Akhlq,MumaltandMushart. NameslikeHadratMaulnMashullhShib, HadratMuftMahmdHasanShibGangoh,Qr MuhammadTayyibShib,HadratMauln FakhruddnShib,HadratMaulnUmarShib Planpr,HadratShaikhulHadth,Mauln MuhammadZakariyyShibandmany,many others. What is important today is to stick firmly to the Ulam ofDeobandandguardourselvesandwardoffallthe presentdayfitnaslikeSalafiaism,Shiaism,Bidt, Qadianiaism etc. MayAllhguideustotheSirtulMustaqm(the straight path) and be pleased with us. mn. g Page 7 INTRODUCTION Amongstthebelievers,therearethosewhoaretruetothe pledge which they have taken with Allh . Of them is he who hasfulfilledhispledgeandhewhoiswaiting.Theyhavenot changed their resolve in the least. [Ahzb verse 23] Raslullhsaid,"Agroupfrommyummahwillremain steadfastonAllhscommands.Thosewhodonotassist themandthosewhoopposethemwillnotharmthem.They will continue in this manner until Allh s decision (Qiymah or their death) occurs. [Bukhr] Raslullhsaid,"Verilydnbeganassomethingstrange. Soon it will return to the condition as it began. Glad tidings to thestrangers!Theyaretheoneswhowillcorrectthatwhich thepeoplehavecorruptedfrommySunnahafterme." [Tirmidh] Raslullhsaid,"Trustworthypeoplewillbearthis knowledgefromeverysucceedinggeneration.Theywill eradicatefromitthealterationofthosewhoexceedthe bounds,theliesofthefalsifiers,andthefalseinterpretations of the ignorant." [Bayhaq] TheulemofDeobandaptlyfitthesedescriptions.The followingbookletseekstooutlinethehistoryofDarulUlm, theservicesithasrenderedindifferentspheres,its acceptance, the qualities of the savants of this madrasah, and abriefsummaryofitsaimsandobjectives.Muchofthe subjectmatterhasbeendrawnandeditedfromtheAl Muballigh(Rajab1429),anewsletterpublishedbythe studentsofthemadrasah.Besidesthis,areferencehasbeen Page 8 providedforwhateverelsehasbeenmentioned.Wemake du that Allhaccepts this meek effort, and grants us the abilitytoappreciatethesacrificesofourelders,tospuruson tostudytheirlives,tomaketheirobjectintoours,andto imbibe their qualities and characteristics! mn. HISTORY In1601,anEastIndiacompanytradedelegationunderthe leadershipofVascodaGamaanchoredatBombayHarbour. Theyrequestedthegovernmentofthattimeforassistance. TheypromisedtoimprovetradelinkswithIndiabyexporting IndiangoodsbacktotheBritishmarketandtothenreinvest the profits back to India. The Mogul king of that time, Ahmad ShhAbdaliwasveryshort-sightedandfailedtounderstand thepoliciesoftheEnglish.Heprovidedthistradedelegation with a number of concessions. By 1701, a hundred years later, a number of territories were already under British rule. The British came to India in 1601 and Shh Walyullh was bornin1702.By1740,ShhWalyullhrealizedthatthe Britishhadalreadyseizedcontroloffourmainterritories. WhenShhWalyullhwitnessedtheBritishseizingauthority fromallfoursides,he,fortheveryfirsttime,translatedthe Qur'n into Persian. He realized that if Islamic knowledge was notpropagated,theBritishgovernmentwillcontinue consolidatingitsruleoverIndia.In1762,afterthedemiseof ShhWalyullh,ShhAbdulAzzsucceededhisfatherand forthefirsttimeinhistoryplantedtheseedsofantagonism against the British. He was the first person to pass afatw on the validity of jihd against the British and their supporters in India.Duetothefatw,FatahAlSultnTippuaccompanied byhisarmyeventuallyfoughtfourbattlesinMysore.Sultn Page 9 Tippu himself engaged in physical combat against the enemy. Hewasmartyredin1792whilefightingalonerightuptothe veryend.ThismujhidwasmartyredatthefortofMysore whilsthischiefgeneral,MirSdiqbetrayedhimfor22000 acres of land by the British. During the rule of Raja Ranjit Singh over Punjab, he initiated a spelloftyrannyandoppressionagainsttheMuslims.He transformedthecourtyardoftheShahiMasjidintoastable. Hisaggressiondidnotevensparethehonourofwomen. Eventually,newsofthistyrannyreachedRayBareli.InRay BarelitherelivedapiousservantbythenameofSayyid AhmadShahd.WhenSayyidShahdheardofthis,hemade anappealtotheMuslimstosubmittheirnamesforjihd.He informed all his disciples thatjihd against Rajah Ranjit Singh hasbecomeobligatoryuponthem.Finallyin1826,together with750mujhidnand10000disciples,hesetoutfromRay Bareli.Thisforcetreadeditswaythroughthemountain passes of Khaybar and Julan and finally landed in Peshawar in theirveryfirstattack.Theycontinuedadvancingandonthe 1st of May 1831, they landed on the mountains of Balakot and setupcampthatnightonthemountain.Oneofthelocal villagesbetrayedthemujhidntotheRajah'sforceswho launched an attack at night from the rear of the mountain. On the5thofMay,whilstSayyidAhmadShahdwasinsajdahin tahajjudsalh,hewasbeheadedbytheenemy.Onthesame day, his vicegerent, Shh Ismail Shahd (the grandson of Shh Walyullh)tookcommandandwentonfightingforthenext fourdays.WhenaSikhverballyabusedNab,ShhIsmail retorted,"ByAllh,IwillnotdietillIhavebeheadedyou". WhenShhIsmailwasattackedbytheenemy,hisheadgot severedandfelltotheground.Inspiteofhimbeing Page 10 decapitated, he miraculously still heldonto hissword and ran afterthatenemywhospokeillofRaslullh.Froma distanceofaboutafurlong(approx.200m)hehurledhis swordontheenemy.Theswordfounditswaythroughthe enemy'sbodyandhefelltotheground.Thereafter,Shh IsmailShahdalsofelltotheground.450mujhidnwerealso martyred.Onlyabouta100mujhidnreturned.After1831, whentheulemrealizedthattheBritishgovernmentwas getting more and more fortified in the country, they called up anumberofmeetingsfirst.Manywarriorsgatheredfromall partsofthecountryandmanydecisivebattleswerefought against the British. This continued for some time. In 1856, a meeting of all the senior ulem of India was called upinDelhi.Thismeetingwasattended,amongstothers,by Ml.JafarThneser,Ml.WilyatAl,HjImddullh,Ml. QsimNnotw,Ml.RashdAhmadGangohandHfidh DhminShahd.Inthismeeting,Ml.QsimNnotwisre-portedtohavesaid,"Aren'tyouawarethattheBritishare sitting right on our heads? They have laid a snare of their rule throughout the country. Be prepared for some rather decisive battlesagainstthem.Wewilleitherbecutupintopiecesor fightagainstthemrightuptotheend.Wewillnotallowthe British to live in this country". As a result of this meeting, the battle of Independence in 1857 was fought on two fronts, one in Ambala under the leadership ofMl.JafarThneserandtheotherinShmliunderHj Imddullh Makk. However due to their limited resources and betrayalofafewpeople,theulemfailedtowinthisbattle. The spirit of freedom however still remained alive. Page 11 At the termination of this battle of 1857, the British viceroy to IndiarequestedhisownministersandcounsellorsofIndiato submitareportonhowtheycanfirmlysecuretheBritish governmentsholdoverIndiainthepost-warperiod.Oneof theleadingpoliticiansofIndia,DoctorWilliamYursubmitted a report to the viceroy. He wrote: Of the entire population of India,theMuslimsarethemostspiritedandvigilant.The battle of independence was fought mainly by the Muslims. As longastheMuslimscherishthespiritofjihd,wewillnotbe able to impose our rule upon them. Hence, first and foremost, thesnuffingoutofthisspiritisimperative.Theonlywaythis canbeachievedisbyweedingouttheulemandby eradicating the Qurn. Actingonthisadvice,in1861thegovernmentlauncheda campaignagainsttheQurn.300000copiesoftheNoble Qurnweresetalightbythegovernment.Thereafter,they madearesolutiontoeradicatetheulem.AnEnglish historian, Mr. Thompson writes in his memoirs: From 1864 to 1867,theBritishgovernmentfirmlyresolvedtoeradicateall theulemofIndia.Thesethreeyearsareoneofthemost heart-wrenching periods of Indian history. The British hanged 14000ulemtodeath.FromChandiChowkofDelhiupto Khaibar,notasingletreewassparedtheneckoftheulem. Theulemwerewrappedinpig-skinandhurledaliveinto blazingfurnaces.Theirbodieswerebrandedwithhotcopper rods.Theyusedtobemadetostandonthebacksof elephants and tied to high trees. The elephants would then be drivenawayandtheywouldbelefthanging by theirnecks.A makeshiftgallowwassetupinthecourtyardoftheShh MosqueofLahoreandeachdayuptoeightyulemwere hanged.Theulemwereattimeswrappedupinsacksand Page 12 dumpedintotheRawiriverofLahoreafterwhichahailof bulletswouldbepumpedintoeachsack.Thompsonwrites further:AsIgotintomycampatDelhi,Iperceivedastench of putrefied flesh. As I stepped out and went behind my camp, Isawablazingfireoflivecoals.Isawagroupoffortynaked ulembeingledintothefire.AsIwaswitnessingthisscene, anothergroupoffortyulemwerebroughtontothefield. Rightbeforemyeyes,theirclothesweretakenofftheir bodies.TheEnglishcommanderaddressedthemthus:O Molvies!Justastheseulemarebeingroastedoverthisfire, youwillalsoberoasted.Tosaveyourselves,justoneofyou mustproclaimthatyouwerenotpartofthe1857uprisingof freedom. I will release all of you the moment I hear just one of you affirming this. Thompson writes: By the Lord who has created me! Not one oftheulemsaidanysuchthing.Allofthemwereroasted over the fire and another group was also brought and roasted overtheblazingfire.Notasinglelimsurrenderedtothe demands of the British. By 1867 not a single Islamic institute remained. One would be quiteastonishedtorealizethatin1601whentheBritish arrivedinIndiafortrade,therewereathousandIslamic institutesinDelhialone.ItwasaroundthistimewhenMl. QsimNnotwsawNabinadreaminwhichhewas instructedtobuildamadrasahinthevillageofDeoband.In compliance to the command, Ml. Nnotw laid the foundation ofthemadrasahunderapomegranatetreeonthe30thMay 1866.WhenMl.QsimNnotwinformedHjiImddullh whohadbythattimealreadymigratedtoMakkah Mukarramahthatwehavejuststartedamadrasah,Hj Page 13 Imddullhremarkedinsurprise,"What!Have'you' foundedthemadrasah?No,thisisactuallytheresultof countless nights which we had passed crying before Allh . ThefirstustdhappointedwasMl.MahmudulHasanandthe firststudentalsopossessedthe nameMahmudulHasan,who served the Muslims of India and later Muslims of the world. He wasgiventhetitle,'ShaykhulHind',whichhethoroughly deservedafterhisinnumerablesacrificesandservicesto Islam. ItisthepromiseofAllahtoprotectHisdnnomatterhow hardtheenemiestrytoextinguishit.Amanifestationofthis came in the form of Drul Ulm Deoband whose rays extended throughouttheworldinthedefenceandspreadofourgreat Din.1 Maslak (Ideology) *TheirdnisIslamwhichincorporatesaqid(beliefs),ibdt (worship),mumalt(socialdealings),akhlq(character)as well mushart (social conduct). *TheirgroupisthatofAhlusSunnahwalJamahwhichis based totally on the Qurn, Sunnah and the understanding of dn in the light of the sahbahwhich has reached us through a direct sanad (chain). * Their fiqhi madh hab is Hanaf since the akbir (elders) of the DrulUlmwereHanaf,butatthesametimerefrainfrom slurring or insulting any of the other imms or their madhhib 1 Abridged from 'The Ulem of Deoband - their majestic past' by Mauln Diyur Rahmn Page 14 since all the imms were on Haqq (truth). They have preferred staunch taqld over giving their nafs a free reign and following their whims and fancy. *TheirspiritualityisbasedonTasawwufwhichconforms totallytothesharah,comprisingofpurificationofthesoul, beautificationofonescharacterandestablishingaconnec-tion with Allh . *Theirbeliefs(inthefieldofkalm(beliefs))areMturd,a partoftheAhlusSunnahwalJamahwhoareonhaqq(the truth),neitherbelievingonlyinthatwhichtheirintelligence accepts without considering the Qur'an, Sunnah and Ijm, nor denyingthatonesintelligenceisausefultoolwhichclarifies the beliefs of Islm. *TheirchainofTasawwufismainlyChisht,butinfacta combinationofallchainswhichareonhaqq.Theyare generallygivenkhilfah(permissiontoacceptpledgeof allegiance)inallfourfamouschainsi.e.Chisht,Qdir, Naqshband and Suhrward. *Theirfikr(intellectualinclination)isaccordingtothefikrof ShhWalyullhwhichisacombinationofnaql(divine promptings) and aql (rational and intellectual promptings). * Their principles and ideology regarding dn are according to that of Ml. Qsim Nnotw who had expounded on the beliefs oftheAhlusSunnahwalJamahusinglogicalandrational proofsandreconciledthedifferencesbetweentheAshira and the Mturdiyya. Page 15 * Their ideology regarding the fur (subsidiary laws) of dn i.e. fiqhisaccordingtothatofMl.RashdAhmadGangohwho hadfiguredouttheintricaciesofthefieldandexpoundedon it. *Theirnisbah(connection)isDeobandsincetheirstarting point was the Drul Ulm in Deoband. Toachievethespreadofthisschoolofthought,theDrul Ulm was founded on these objectives: #TospreadtheteachingsoftheQur'nandSunnahandto bringaliveallbranchesofdnthroughthesystemoftalm (teaching)andtaallum(learning),sinceeveryfacetofdnis dependentuponknowledge.ThustheulemofDeoband gavegreatersignificancetoknowledgeoverallother branches of dn. #Islhandtazkiya-e-nafs(spiritualreformationand purification of the soul) through the medium of tasawwuf and spiritual training # To protect and establish the personal and social interests of theMuslimsbygivingimportancetofiqh(jurisprudence)and Islmic justice #Tokeepalivethespiritofjihdandself-defenceby continuous training #Toreformthesocietythroughthemeansoflecturesand sermonswhichwillaimtocorrecttheincorrectbeliefsofthe masses,removingmisconceptionsregardingIslmandroot out bidt (innovations) #TobringalivetheSunnahbycombiningfikr(concern)for thereformationofthepeopleandamal(practice)by promoting the Sunnah lifestyle #TospreadIslmanditsbeautifulteachingstoallforeign non-Muslimsbyexplainingtothemthattruewisdomliesin Page 16 thewayoftheambiy(messengers),notintheirsuperficial wisdom and so-called progress #Tofillthevacuumvoidofwritingandauthoringby presenting Islm according to the necessity of the hour #TokeepIslmicbrotherhoodaliveandtoestablishan Islmic Khilfat #Tomaintainfreedom andindependenceintheirexpression ofknowledgesothattheirteachingsremainfreefromthe influenceofstrangersbyavoidinganyassistancefromthe state and sufficing upon the sincere assistance, albeitlimited, of the Muslim public. Thus it is not the system of the ulem of Deobandtolimitdntoafewaspectslabouringunderthe misconceptionthatthisistheentiredn.Rathereveryaspect andbranchofdnisfirmlyadheredtoinajust,enveloping maslak (ideology).2 CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE TheulemofDeobandhaveplayedamindbogglingrolein spreadingtheknowledgeofdninthisdayandage.Their effortstopreservethepristinepurityofIslmweremostly directed to spreading the knowledge of dn in every facet. TAFSR: One such field, in which the magnificent works of our ulemstandoutlikearoseinaconcretefloor,isthefieldof tafsr(commentaryofQurn).Allthevarioustafsrwritten byourulem,despiteeachhavingitsownuniquestyle,are unified in their objective, to simplify the understanding of the NobleQur'nfortheummah.Afewofthemorefamous tafsr are: Tafsre Uthmn:Afterrealisingthattherutintheummah 2 The Maslak of the ulem of Deoband by Qr Tayyib Page 17 has set in due to abandoning the Qur'n, Shaykhul Hind Muft MahmdulHasanDeobanddecidedtowriteasimple translationoftheQur'n.ShaykhulHindcommencedthe tafsrwhilehewasimprisonedinMaltabytheBritish.After completingthetranslation,ShaykhulHindbeganthefoot-notesbutonlymanagedtofinishuntiltheendofSrahle Imrnbeforedeathovertookhim.MaulnShabbirAhmad Uthmnthereaftertookupthegreattaskoffinishing the footnotes, bringing the book to completion in 1350 A.H. BaynulQurn:MaulnAshrafAlThnwcompleted BaynulQur'nin1353.Thisthreevolumemasterpieceis unique in the following aspects: (1) Lengthy narratives and rul-ings were excluded, the object being a basic understanding of theQur'n.(2)Inthoseversesinwhichmanyopinionsoccur regardingthemeaning,onlythepreferredoneismentioned. (3)Thistafsrbenefitsboth,thegeneralmassesandthe ulem. For the ulem, a special foot-note has been added in Arabicconsistingofbalghat(eloquence),nahw(grammar), fiqhmasil,thedifferentqirtaswellasmasilof tasawwuf extracted from the Qur'n. Ma rifulQur'n:MaulnIdrsKandehlawwrotethis tafsr consisting of eight volumes in 1382 (1962). He had based histranslationonthatofShhAbdulQdir.Hewas known to have a special talent of pointing out the connection betweentheverses,whichisanimportantaspectoftafsr. Masilofaqid(beliefs)andfiqhhavebeenexplainedin ampledetail.Beforehepassedaway,hewasonlyableto finish till Srah Sfft. Later his son completed the tafsr. Ma rifulQurn:In1373(1954),MuftMuhammadShaf Page 18 commencedlessonsoftafsronRadioPakistan.Thelesson was delivered every Friday on a selected portion of the Qur'n andwasmeanttocaterfortheneedsofeveryaverage Muslim.However,uponreceivingnumerousrequestsfrom enthusiasticlistenerstopublishthetafsrinabookform,he beganitscompilationandcompleteditin1963.Hementions thespecialitiesofthetafsrasthefollowing:(1)Mosttafsrs havesuchinformationwhichisonlybeneficialforulem, commentingonnahw,balghat,anddifferentqiratsetc. whichareofnousetothemasses.Asaresultofthese intricate details, the public began to think that understanding theQur'nisverydifficult.Duringthewritingofthistafsr, MuftShibkeptinmindthatitshouldbekeptsimplesince the average Muslim is not able to understand technical terms andfinerpoints.(2)Specialimportancewasgivento discussing those topics which generate the love and greatness ofAllhandNabinonesheart.Likewise,thosepoints have been adequately discussed which encourage a person to correcthisactions,andtopracticeontheQur'n.(3)Before thedetailedtafsr,anoverviewoftheversesarementioned which suffices for a busy person to understand the Qur'n. TheabovebrieflyprovesthattheulemofDeoband did everything in their power to fulfil the need of the time i.e. tocreateinthemassesanunderstandingoftheQur'n.May Allhaccept their concerted efforts and ignite in our hearts that same flame of desire to serve dn. HADTH AllmahZhidKawtharwritesabouttheulemof Deobandwithregardstotheirachievementsinthefieldof hadthsaying,"Theirachievementinthefieldofhadthinthe Page 19 last century has been above all expectations. Their illustrative commentariesontheSihhSittaharevasttreasuresof ahdthpertainingtothelawsofsharah".Hegoesonto mentionbywayofexample,FathulMulhim,FaydhulBrand BadhlulMajhd.FathulMulhim,acommentaryonSahh MuslimwascompiledbyMl.ShabbirAhmadUthmn. Allmah Zhid Kawthar himself writes in Maqlat e Kawthar, "It can rightfully be said that there hasn't been a commentary which fully expounds Sahh Muslim in all aspects. If one finds a commentarywhichforexampledelvesintofiqhoraqidof onespecificmadhhab,itwilloverlooktheviewsofallthe other madhhib. This method does not satiate a true student. Insome,onewillseethatdisregardwasshowntoa muqaddamah(preface);althoughtheknowledgeofhadth and classification of authors are amongst those aspects which ulemofhadthhaveattachedgreatimportanceto.The muqaddamahalsoservesasanintroductiontotechnical terminologywhichtheauthoremploysthroughoutthekitb. One will also find many commentaries which do not comment on the narrators albeit the dire need. I was immensely pleased bythisbulkysplendidcommentarysinceIfoundittobe adequate in every aspect and it has successfully filled the void which I have mentioned". BadhlulMajhd,acommentaryofAbDwdwaswrittenby Ml.KhallAhmadSahranpr.MI.AshrafAlThnw says,"Ifoundthiskitbtobesufficientinexplainingthe subject of sanad (chain of narrators), satisfactory with regards tofiqhanddetailedinthediscussionoflogicalandshar proofs." AllmahKawtharcontinues,"MIAshrafAlThnwadvised Page 20 hisnephew,MI.ZafarAhmadThnwthatheshouldbring togethertheproofsforhanaffiqhbygatheringtheahdth used as proof and commenting on their authenticity according to the laws of the field of hadth. This zealous lim engaged in thisdifficulttaskandwasperpetuallyengrossedinitfor approximatelytwentyyearsuntilitwasmarvellously completed bythegrace ofAllhintwentyvolumes.Itwas compiled in the very format of thrus Sunan and was named Ilus Sunan. He also added an extra volume as an introduction to the laws of hadth which is extremely beneficial in this sub-ject.Actually,Iwasshockedatthiscompilation,theauthor's thorough research and complete discussion on every hadth in compliance with all the laws, relating to both the text and the chainofnarrationwithouttheslightestmanifestationof establishingabiasedview.Fairnesswashisguidewhilst speakingabouttheviewofothermadhhib.Iwasextremely pleasedwiththiskitb.Thisisthecourageofthemightyand perseveranceofthebrave.Thisisjustasmallexampleofthe achievementsofourIndianbrothers(i.e.theDeoband Ulem ). For the like of this competitors should compete for". AllmahZhidKawtharcommentingonMl.AnwarShh states,"NoscholarthelikeofMI.Kashmrhasgracedthe worldsincethedemiseofShaykhIbnulHummminthefield ofextractingextraordinaryand raredelicate discussionsfrom theahdth".ThediscoursesofMI.Kashmrhavebeen compiledintoFaydhulBr(commentaryonBukhr)andAl Urf ush Shadh (commentary on Tirmidh). ArenownedSyrianScholar,ShaykhAbdulFattahAb GhuddahremarksaboutFaydhulBrinthefollowingwords, "Thisbookisfilledwithabundantknowledgewhichonewill Page 21 not be able to find in the previous commentaries of Bukhr." AllmahAlMisrHanbalwhohadmemorisedBukhrand Muslim,duringavisittoIndia,attendedthelessonsofShh Shib.ShhShibrenderedthelectureinArabic.After witnessingtheoceanofknowledge,hecommented,"I've travelledtheArabcountriesandmetthegreatulemofthis time.ImyselfhavetaughthadthformanyyearsinEgypt.I haven'tseenamuhaddithoranlimthelikeofShhShib anywhere,fromShmrightuptoIndia".OnceAllmahAl exclaimed,"IfIhavetotakeanoaththatShhShibismore knowledgeablethanAbHanfah,Iwouldnotbelying". However Shh Shib expressed great dislike to this statement andsaid,''Wearecompletelyunabletoevenunderstandthe ijtihd of Imm Ab Hanfah. " HadratMaulanaHusaynAhmadMadanwenttoDeobandat thetenderageofthirteenandwasfortunateenoughto receivethegreataffectionofShaykulHindwhoinsistedthat hewouldteachMI.Madanithebasickitbs.Maulanastudied sixty-seven kitbs over a period of six and a half years. He then movedtoMadnahMunawwarah.Hebeganteachingin MasjidunNabawandwassoengrossedinteachingthathe wouldonlyrestforthreehours.Hedeliveredfourteento fifteenlessonsaday.OnceenroutetoMadnah,Hadrat MaulanawasblessedwithadreamofNab.HeaskedNab to make du for him for he wished to remember the kitbs hehadstudiedandunderstandthekitbshehadn'tstudied. Nabreplied,"Thathasbeengrantedforyou".Hetaught hadthinMasjidunNabawforovertenyears.From1335A.H to1338A.HhewasimprisonedinMaltatogetherwithhis Ustdh,ShaykulHind.Uponhisrelease,hereturnedtoIndia Page 22 and took over the post of Shaykhul Hadth at Deoband in 1346 A.Handcontinuedbenefitingtheummahuntil1377A.Hthe yearofhisdemise.Duringthisperiod,3865studentshadthe honour of studying under him. Hadrat Shaykh Mauln Zakariyy Shib dedicated his entire life for hadth, from the time he studied Mishkt, until close to hisdeath,approximatelysixty-fiveyears.Hewasconstantly involvedinteachingorwriting.Hestudiedunderhisfather MI. Yahya and MI. Khall Ahmad Saharanpr. He assisted his UstdhinthecompilationofBadhlulMajhd,acommentary onSunanAbDwd.Oncompletingthis,hebegana commentaryontheMuattaofImmMliktitledAwjazul Maslikinsixvolumes,anastounding,unmatched commentary, surprisingly written by a non-Mlik lim. Fad il Aml, the most widely read kitb after the Qur'n is one of hismostacceptedworks.HeremainedtheShaykhulHadith of Mazhirul Ulm for approximately forty years. Thesearejustafewexamplesofoureldersandtheirasso-ciation with the knowledge of hadth. FIQH TheulemofDeobandcontributedgreatlytothespreadof fiqh, particularly the Hanaf Madh hab, as this is the dominant Madh hab in the Subcontinent. MaulnRashdAhmadGangohwasafaqhofgreat standing.Maulnengrossedhimselfintheacquisitionof knowledgeinhisstudentdaystosuchanextentthathede-votedonlysevenhoursdailytohisotherneeds.His specialitiesinteachingwerefiqhandhadth.Hetaughtthe Page 23 kitbAlHidyahfourteentimes.Besidesotherworks,heis theauthorofthefamousFatwRashdiyyah.Mauln KashmrsaidconcerningMauln,"Nonefromamongstthe ulemofDeobandhadreachedsuchdepthsinfiqhlike HadratGangoh".MI.Nnotwgavehimthetitleof,'Ab Hanfahofourtime'.HadratShhKashmrinspiteof acknowledgingthegreatknowledgeofAllmahShm wouldnotcallhimbythetitle'faqhun-nafs',regardingnone otherthanMI.Gangohfitforthistitle.OncewhenMI. GangohdictatedananswergivingreferencetoShm,an lim objected that the ruling is certainly not in Shm. Hadrat asked for the kitb to be brought to him whereas he was blind atthistime.Passinghishandsoverthebreadthofthekitb, he roughly estimated, turned to a page and said, "Look to the bottom of the left page". It was exactly as Hadrat stated. MaulnAshrafAlThnwwasresponsibleforagreat scholarly and religious awakening in India. He is probably one of the scholars in this century with the most written books. His fatw show his great depth of understanding and insight. His book,BehishtiZewar,explainingthebasicrulingsneededby all, has become one of the most famous books in the world. MaulnAnwarShhKashmracquiredthenecessary skillsofArabic,fiqh,usl,tafsrandhadth,allofwhichhe understoodverywellbythetimehehadreachedthirteen years. He used to issue fatw while he was only twelve years oldwhichwereinagreementtothoseissuedbythesenior scholarsofKashmir.HecontributedgreatlytotheHanaf Madhhabandwasabletoprovidesubstantialevidencefrom theSunnahforalmostanyissue.Hisdistinguishedacademic qualitiesinthesphereoffiqhmaybesummarizedasfollows: Page 24 HewasnotonlyproficientintheHanafMadh-hab,butwas well-acquaintedwiththeothermadhhib.Hespentlotsof time and effort explaining the texts of the Qur'n and Sunnah relatedtofiqh.Hewaswellacquaintedwiththereasonsfor disputeanddisagreementbetweenthescholars,particularly inthosemattersthatarepracticeddaily.Heoncesaid, "Alhamdulillah, after thirty years of effort, I am now confident that our fiqh is totally in accordance to the Qur'an and hadth". Mauln Zafar Ahmad Uthmn belonged to a noble and educatedfamily,andisprobablyoneofthemostfamous productsoftheHanafiMadhhab.Hisbook,IlusSunan containsimmensebenefitinthescienceofhadthandin providingproofforthe Hanafposition.Healsowroteseveral excellentbooksinconnectiontofiqh.MaulnThnwwas very impressed with his talents and used to say, "My nephew, Mauln Zafar Ahmad is the Imm Muhammad of this era and the fountainhead of dn knowledge". Other great Deobandi fuqah include: Mf. Muhammad Shaf, ShaykhulHind,Mf.MahmdulHasanGangoh,Mf. Kifyatullh (when his fatw were presented to the ulem of Egypt,submitted,"Wehavenotcomeacrossanlimofhis calibre anywhere in the world"), Mf. Abdur Rahm Lajpr, Mf. TaqiUthmnandMf.AzzurRahmnwhopassedaway whilst writing a fatw. TASAWWUF TasawwufisanimportantbranchofIslm,dealingwith purificationoftheinternalillnesses(likepride,jealousy,love fornameandfame,loveforwealth,excessiveanger,etc.), imbibing of beautiful character (like the love and fear of Allh Page 25 ,sincerity,generosity,humility,etc.),andattainingnisbat (connection)withAllh.Justasthesahbahacquired outward knowledge from Nab , which was transmitted to us viatheulemandfuqah,thesahbahacquiredthis branchofknowledgeandtransmittedittousviathesfiy.HoweverastimepassedaftertheeraofNab,many innovationscreptintotasawwuf.Throughoutthecenturies, manyreformerscameandcorrectedthepeople'sbelief regardingtherealityoftasawwuf.Regardingtasawwuf,we encounter three groups of people. Foronegroup,tasawwufissomethingalientoIslm, somethingfabricatedbysomedeviantmystics(sfs),which has' absolutely no basisinsharah. This is largely due to their lackofknowledgeregardingthesharstandpointregarding tasawwuf,andtheirmisgivingsaregenerallyfoundedonthe excessesandinnovationsofmanydeviantandmisguided individuals who claim to be adherents of tasawwuf, but are in realitytheslavesoftheirwhimsanddesires,whoplytheir tradeundertheguiseoftheirownconcoctedversionof tasawwuf. Then there are the second group of people who we willfindontheotherextreme.Theyareunderthefalse impression,thatonceacertainlevelofloveandrecognition hasbeenacquired,thenthesharahbecomesirrelevant.This groupismoredangerousthantheformer,becausesuch beliefs often take a person out of the fold of Islm. For them, dn consists mainly of dhikr and waz'if, coupled together with variousotherformsofinnovationsandcustoms,veryoften imbibedfromotherreligionsduetofrequentintermingling. Betweenthesetwoextremes,wefindagroupofpeoplewho havedrawnthemiddlepath,combiningbothsharah(the externalactsofworship)andtariqat(tasawwuf-theinternal Page 26 actsofworship),andatthesametimeshunningallformsof ritualsandcustomswhichareforeigntotheteachingsof Islm.Itisthisverymoderatepaththattheulemof Deoband have adopted with regards to the various aspects of tasawwuf.StartingwithMaulnRashdAhmadGangoh, manyinnovationswhichhadcreptintotasawwufwere weededout.Thiseffortwasthenfurtherenhancedbythe writingsandteachingsofMaulnThnwwhere tasawwufwasfullyexplainedandproven,directlyfromthe QurnandahdthofNab,provingthattasawwufisan inseparablepartofdn.Letusnowanalyseafewpertinent issuesoftasawwuf,andappreciatethemoderatestancethat the ulem of Deoband have adopted. HadratShaykhulHadthMaulnMuhammadZakariyya Kandehlaw in his autobiography Aap Bet, has mentioned thefollowingregardingtasawwufandourakbir(pious predecessors),"Tasawwufwasanextremelyimportant activityofourpiouspredecessors.Thesegreatpersonalities ontheonehandweretruefollowersandvicegerentsofthe fuqah-e-mujtahidnandmuhaddithninthesciencesoffiqh andahdth,andontheotherhandinthefieldoftasawwuf theyhadfollowedinthefootstepsofJunaydBaghdd andImmShibl.Thesegreatluminariesengagedin tasawwufwithinthelimitsdefinedbyfiqhandhadth,and bothverballyandpracticallydemonstratedthatthisblessed scienceisinrealityascienceestablishedfromQur'nand hadth,whilstsimultaneouslyputtinganailinthecoffinof those customs and innovations which found their way into this blessedscienceduetothepassageoftime.Todaythereare certainignorantpeoplewho,iftheyhavenotregarded tasawwufassomethingwhichiscompletelyagainstsharah, Page 27 then they have regarded it as something totally separate from it.Thisisaseveretransgressionofthelimitsandiscomplete ignorance." HadratQrMuhammadTayyibShibinhisbookentitled 'TheMaslakoftheUlemofDeoband'mentionsregarding sharah and tarqat: "The Deobandis accept and acknowledge theinstitutionofperfectionofcharacterandpurificationof thesoulthroughthemediumofbayah(thepledgeof allegiance). However, tarqat, whichhas been passed on from bosomtobosom,isnoseparateentityfromdn.Theinternal andcharacteristicaspectofsharahistermedastarqat.This isthepathwhichistreadedfortherectificationoftheheart. TheprinciplesthereofhavebeenprovenfromtheNoble QurnandSunnah.However,thosecustoms,unprincipled waysandfabricatedmethodswhicharealientodn,arenot regardedastarqat.Toacceptthesewaysiscontrarytothe Sunnah and is completely rejected. The pious personalities are regarded as beacons of blessings and benefit, but they are not made objects of prostration." Regardinglovefortheauliy,HakmulIslm,HadratQr Shib,mentionsthefollowing:"Itisthemaslak(ideology)of theulemofDeobandthattheauliyandsfiyarelikethe souloftheummah,wherebytheummahgainsspiritual enlightenmentandguidance.Itisforthisreasonthatthe ulemofDeobandregardmahabbat(love)andhonourfor them to be incumbent for the preservation of mn. However, excessivenessinmahabbat(love)shouldnotleadoneto deitisethem(i.e.toraisethemtotherankofadeity).Whilst respectandhonourforthemisnecessary,itshouldnotbe translatedintoactsofworship,wherepeopleprostrateat Page 28 theirgraves,circumambulationaroundtheirgraves,take oathsontheirnames,makesacrificesontheirnames,etc. Theyshouldneverbelookeduponasbeingabletoremove one'sgriefandsorrows.Theirgravesshouldnotbemade venuesoffestivities.Onoccasionswhenthesesaintsare remembered,undernocircumstancesshouldsingingand dancingformapartofsuchgatherings.Torefrainfromall suchacts,therebyactinginobediencetotheSunnahand desires of nubuwwat, is not a matter over which one should be rebuked,butratheritissomethingpraiseworthy.The mashyikhareguidinglightswherebyonegainsspiritual upliftment, and are not pawns for satisfying one's nafs (carnal desires), whims and fancies." Fromtheabove,wecanseethemoderatestandpointofthe ulem of Deoband, and the great sacrifices they made to keep alive unadulterated tasawwuf. DA WAT AND TABLGH Everyone of our pious predecessors were concerned regarding theunfortunateconditionprevailingontheummahandeach onehadinhisownwaymadeeffortstorectifytherotwhich had set in, but Ml. Ilys was the one chosen by Allhto carryoutthisrectificationonauniversalandgeneralbasis. Duetohisconcernandworry,thisefforthasnowreached nearlyeverycountryintheworld.Millionsofpeopleslives havechanged,practicalIslmhascomeintothelivesof people,andthirsthasbeencreatedintheheartsofpeople. Thisworkcontinuestogrowveryrapidly.MuftFruqMrth Shibwrites,"Togetherwithteaching,issuingfatw, engaginginspiritualpurification,reformationanddelivering lectures, Muft Mahmdul Hasan Shib regarded the effort of Page 29 tablghtobeextremelyimportantfortheentireummahand alwaysencouragedandemphasisedit.Headvisedmanyof thenewgraduatestospendayearwiththetablghjamat. Hisheart-feltdesirewasthateveryindividualadoptsthe effort of dawah and tablgh as the very purpose of their lives." [Muft Mahmd Hasan Sahib and the Tablgh Jamat p.19] OPPOSITION TO FALSEHOOD TheulemofDeobandhavesurpassedtherestasfaras preservation of dn, opposition of rivals and the reformation of the Muslim ummah is concerned. They always held fast to the sharahandwereneverinfluencedbyexternalfactors.The realityofthematteristhat,haditnotbeenforDrulUlm Deoband, it would be very unlikely that we could have had this opportunitytowitnessIslminthispureandpristineform. WesternismandChristianity:The"EastIndiaCompany" disguisedbehindthegarbofbeingabusinessenterprise,in realityaimedtopropagateChristianityandgainChristian politicalpoweroverIndia.Theyconstantlyinterferedinthe political,educational,andadministrativeaffairsofthe country. The19thcenturybroughtwithitagreattoughchallengefor thetenetsofMuslimsandChristiansalikei.e.thecycloneof westernarts,sciencesandEuropeanculturewhichswept acrosstheworld,takingallintoitsfold.Ournobleulem cametotherescuebyestablishingnumerousIslmic institutes(madris),whichtoagreatextentwardedoffthe possible intellectual subjugation of the Muslims. Fromanotherangle,MaulnRahmatullhKirnw,Mauln Page 30 MuhammadQsimNnotw,MaulnAbdulMansr,Dr. WazrKhnandothersputupstrongoppositiontoChristian missionaries,notallowingtheirdreamsofconvertingthe IndianMuslimpopulationtoChristianitytomaterialise. Mauln Rahmatullh refuted the Christians by compiling the bookIzlatulAwhminwhichhechallengedChristian priests.Theysufferedoverwhelmingdefeatswhiledebating withMauln.MaulnalsocompiledthebookIzhrulHaq at the request of Sultan Abdul Aziz (Sultan of Constantinople 1860-1876)whereinMaulnansweredmanyobjections whichwereraisedagainstMuslimsinthedebates.The London Times, in a review of the English translation of Izhrul Haqstatedthatifthisbookistobereadaroundtheworld, Christianitywouldceasetoprogress.ThefailureofEnglish influence over this region brought an end to all debates. Qdiynism:Afewnotablepersonageswhorenderedan excellentserviceincombatingtheQdiynmovementin-clude:MaulnAnwarShhKashmr,MaulnMurtada HasanChandpr,MaulnAhmadAlLahor,Mauln HabburRahmnLudhiynw,MuftMuhammadShaf Deoband,MaulnIdrsKandehlaw,MaulnBadreAlam Mrth,MaulnMuhammadAlJalandahr,QdhIhsnullh Shujabdandothers.MaulnAnwarShahShibKashmr appointed a group of his students to write and lecture against thisfitnahthroughoutthecountry.Aconferencewasheld annuallyatQdiyninthisregard.Duetotheirefforts,the Qadiynswerefinallylegallydeclareddisbelieversin Pakistan. Shism:Shism,beingoneofthemostsuccessfulenemiesof Islm,presentsitselfworld-wideunderthebannerof"true Page 31 Islm",capturingmanyinnocentheartsfromtrue,pure Islmicbeliefsintotheindecentandimmodestworldof Shism. AllhispresentlyusingtheSipeSahbahandits membersfortheprotectionofdn,thehonourofNabthe sahba,andtheQur'nagainstShism.TheSipeSahba was founded and established in September 1985 by the great scholarofIslm,themouthpieceandoratoroftheAhlus SunnahwalJamah,AllmahHaqNawzJhang.Ever sinceitsinception,ithasbeenundersevereattackbythe enemy.Manygreatleadingulemhavebeenmartyredby the Shia such as the founder himself in 1990, Mauln Ithrul HaqQsim,AllmahDiyurRahmnFrq,aswellas thelastpresident,MaulnMuhammadAzamTriq.Many other members were also imprisoned and tortured. . The ulem of Deoband have also opposed many other astray sects,includingtherejectersofhadth,naturists,ghayr muqallidn, barelwis, modernists, and maududis etc. THE ACTUAL MARK OF DISTINCTION OF THE ULAM OF DEOBAND HadratMaulnAshrafAlThnwonceremarked,My allegiancetooureldersisnotbecauseIregardthemasthe greatestandmostlearnedulemintheworld. Iknowthatit isverypossiblethattherearesomeulempresentinthe world,whomwedonotknow,thataremorelearnedthan them. But according to me, allegiance to them is because they wereAllhWl(menofAllh),andnotdunyadr(slavesof the world). They lived in this world but they were not affected bythewindsoftheworld.Theirworkandeffortswere Page 32 motivated by the desire to serve dn even if it led to their own personal loss and destruction. MuftTaqUthmnwritesinhisbook'AkbirUleme Deobandkiyath?,(WhoweretheulemofDeoband?)The answer in brief can be given that they were the memory of the bestoferas,anexampleofthepiouspredecessors,anda livingpictureofanIslmictemperamentandthought.Ifone decidestoexplainindetailthesefewlines,thenvolumeswill not be sufficient. The truth is that it is difficult, nay impossible toencompasstheirspecialitiesandperfectionsinwords.The reasonforthisisthatthesequalitiesareactuallydrawnfrom thetemperamentandthoughtfoundinthelivesofthe sahbah.Temperamentandthoughtissomethingwhich canbeperceivedbutcannotbeexplainedclearlyinwords. Thefragranceofaflowercanbesmelled,buttoexplainits realityinwordsisimpossible.Similarlytounderstandthe temperament and thoughts of these personalities can only be understoodbystayingintheircompanyandbytheirlife-incidents. To merely convey it verbally is not possible." Amongst their outstanding qualities, some were: a) Sincerity Hadrat Thnw writes, "When the people of Deoband wanted to be part of the Shr (consulting) board of themadrasahandHadratGangohrefused,therewasan uproar and fear of problems arising. I wrote to Hadrat Gangoh stating,"Hadrat,whatharmwilltherebe,justtostopthe commotion? If one or two of them are placed in the board, we arestillinthemajority,andjudgementpassedaccordingto themajorityview."HadratGangohwrotebackstating,"To appointanunworthypersonisasin,whichwillcausethe displeasure of Allhand His Rasl . Thus we cannot make Page 33 unworthy people members, whether the madrasah remains or not.Ouraimisdivinehappiness,andnotthemadrasah." Similarly,oncewhenMaulnKhallAhmadShiband ShaykhulHindwereperturbedbyopposition,hewrotea letterto themstating,"Mybeloveds,whyareyouperturbed? Themadrasahisnottheaim;thepleasureofAllhisthe aim. There are many, many ways to attain this, one being the madrasah.Ifthemadrasahremains,thencontinuedoing work,andifnot,thensitsomewhereelseanddowork." [Tuhfatul Ulem] OnceHadratThnwcalledhisUstdh,HadratShaykhul Hind to lecture in a jalsah in Kanpur. Some scholars there were expertsinrationalsciences.HadratThnwwantedtoshow themthattheulemofDeobandhadexpertiseinthisfield also.Whilstlecturing,Hadratstartedadiscussiononsome rational topic. Just then, these scholars entered. Immediately, HadratShaykhulHindcompletedhislectureandsatdown. HadratMaulnFakhrulHasanSahibGangohutteredin surprise,"Hadrat,thiswastheactualtimeforlecturing.Why did you sit down?"He replied, "Yes, this thought also came to me." What he meant was that till now he had been giving the lecture solely for Allh 's pleasure. Now the object would be to portray his knowledge, thus he stopped. [Ulem e Deoband kiy th?] b)Humility-MI.MahmdulHasanDeobandwasonce askedtogivealecture.Heattemptedtoexcusehimselfby insistingthatheisunworthyofdoingso.Ontheirinsistence, hefinallyconceded.Whilelecturing,hementionedahadth andprovideditstranslation.Anelderlyscholarwhowasalso presentabruptlycorrectedhim,claimingthetranslationofa Page 34 certain word to be incorrect and scolded him saying, "It is not permissibleforsuchapersontolecture".Immediately Maulnstoppedlecturingandsaidtotheelderlylim,"I knew from before that it is not permissible for me to lecture, I triedtoexcusemyselfbutthesepeoplewouldn'tlisten.Your observationhasjustprovenwhatIhadsaidearlier".Itlater turned out that Mauln's translation was absolutely accurate. (Ibid) MlQsimNnotwwasalsoanembodimentofhumility. Hisclothingwassotatteredandappearancesoshabbythat people mistook him for a farmer. He would not respond when calledbythetitleMauln,insteadhewouldbepleasedif peoplewouldcallhimbyhisfirstname.Hewasalsovery informal with everyone. He treated his students and murds as his equals. He would even straighten the shoes of students. MaulnRashdAhmadGangohwasalsoanabsolute exampleofhumility.HeoncementionedtoMl.RoshanAl that when he hears about his disciple's spiritual achievements, hefeelsashamedofhimselfthatpeoplehavesuchahigh opinion of him whereas he knows himself to be worthless. Our elderswerethosewhohadrealised,'HowcanI holdmyhead up in arrogance whilst I do not know what my condition will be in front of Allh ! c) Taqw It was the mutual predisposition of all the elders of Deobandthattheywouldnotgiveimportancetobook knowledgeunlessitwascombinedwithestablishinga relationshipwithAllh,taqwandpiety.WhenMauln ThnwestablishedMadrasahImddiyyainThanabowanand heinformedMaulnGangoh,hereplied,"Verygood. Page 35 However actual happiness will be when people who say Allh, Allh gather there. [Arwh e Thalthah p.224] ThebasisofDrulUlmwasinbatillallh(turningtoAllh ).MaulnYsinShibstates,"Wesawthattimeofthe madrasahwhenthehighesttothelowestustdh,andeven thedoor-keeperandorderlieswere shibenisbatandawliy. Atthattime,themadrasahwasaplaceofknowledgeduring the day and a khnqah in the night. During the last portion of the night, the sounds of tilwat and dhikr could be heard from mostrooms.ThisinrealityisthespecialdistinctionofDrul Ulm." [Ulem e Deoband kiy th?] OnceMaulnMunrShib,thesecondprincipalofDrul UlmDeobandtook250rupeesoftheMadrasahtoDelhito getthemadrasah'sreportprinted.Bychancethemoneygot stolen.Maulndidnotinformanyoneaboutthetheft.He returnedhome,soldoneofhisproperties,took250rupees fromitsprofitandreturnedtoDelhiwherehegotthereport ofthemadrasahprintedandbroughtitbacktoDeoband. Aftersomedaysthemadrasah,cametoknowaboutthe incident.TheywrotetoMaulnGangohaskingforafatw (legalruling).Theanswerwasthatthemoneyhadbeenlost withoutanylaxityonMauln'spart.ThereforeMaulnis notliable.ThemadrasahpleadedtoMaulntotakethe money back and also showed him thefatw (legal ruling). On seeingthefatw,MaulnMunrShibremarked,"Has MaulnRashdAhmadstudiedjurisprudence(fiqh)onlyto findaloop-holeforme?Imagineifthisincidenthadtooccur toMaulnGangoh.Wouldhehaveagreedtotakethe money?Takethisfatwaway.Iwillnoteventake2cents". [Akbir ka Taqw p.42] It was the habit of Mauln Mazhar Shib Nnotw that during Page 36 madrasah time, if anyone would come to meet him, he would look at the time before starting the conversation and again at theendoftheconversation.ApaperwaskeptinHadrat's kitbinwhichthedateandtheamountoftimehehadspent inspeakingwerenoted.Attheendofthemonthhewould addupallthetimeusedinspeaking.Ifitwouldcometoless than half a day, he would write in the madrasah's register that hehadtakenhalfaday offandifitworkedout tomorethan half a day then he would write that he had taken a full day off. [Akbir k Taqw p.36] Once,HakmulUmmahMaulnAshrafAlThnwwas travelling from Saharanpur to Kanpur. Mauln had sugarcane withhimwhichhewantedtobeweighedatthestation. (Normally in India when travelling by train, luggage is weighed whichmustbepaidforaccordingly).Butnooneweighed Mauln'ssugarcane.Somenon-Muslimworkers,duetothe respectthattheyheldforMauln,said,"Youmayproceed freely without weighing it. We will speak to the guard (on the railwaytrain)topermityoutopassthrough".Mauln enquired,"Tillwherewilltheguardaccompanyme?"They replied,"TillGhaziAabd".Maulnthenasked,"Whatwill happenafterGhaziAabd?"Theworkersreplied,"Thisguard willinformthenextguard".Maulnenquired,''Whatwill happen thereafter"? The workers answered, "He will take you toKanpurwhereyourjourneyends".Hadratremarked,"My journeywillnotend,thejourneytowardsthehereafterstill remains. What arrangements will be made there?" On hearing this,theworkerswereastonishedandweregreatlyaffected by Mauln's taqw. [Akbir Ulem e Deoband p.131] d)FollowingofSunnah-HadratShaykhZakariyyawrites, Page 37 "From amongst the pious predecessors, there were two great personalitieswhoIhadpersonallywitnessedhumbling themselves and crying abundantly in tahajjud salh during the lastportionofthenight.Onewasmyfather,Ml.Yahya Khandehlaw,andtheotherwasMl.HusaynAhmadMadan. Ml.Madan'sfirsttworaktsoftahajjudusedtobeshort, thereafter he used to perform two long rakts of nafl in which he use to recite one and a half to two juz of the Noble Qur'n. Therecitationoftahajjudusedtobealittleloudsothatifa personsittingclosebywantedtolistentotherecitation,he wouldbeabletodoso.Whilstreciting,therewouldbe absolute humility and so much of crying that it seemed as if he was breathing out hot fumes. In a hadth, the condition of the salhofNabisdescribedinthefollowingwords,"Nab used to perform salh in the condition that a sound similar to that of a boiling kettle would emit from within his chest due to excessivecrying."[Ab Dwd]Thisisanexamplewherethe salh of our Akbir resembled the salh of Nab . DuringtheeraofpoliticalstruggleagainsttheBritish,a warrantofarrestwasissuedforMaulnQsimNnotw.On theinsistenceofthepeople,Maulnwentintohiding.After concealinghimselfforthreedays,Maulnemergedsaying, ''WhenthedisbelieverswereinpursuitofNabonthe occasion of hijrah, Naband Ab Bakr , went into hiding in thecaveofThur.AfterthreedaysNableftthecave. Therefore it is not possible for me to remain in hiding for more than three days". The danger posed to one's life and freedom did not prevent them from strictly adhering to the Sunnah. It has been reported that Mauln Nnotw on returning from anyjourneywouldproceedtothemasjidandengagehimself Page 38 innaflsalh.Thereasonforhimdoingthisactionisbecause Nabalwayswentfirsttothemasjidonreturningfroma journey, then he would visit Hadrat Ftimah radiyallhu anha, and then proceed to his home. HadratMaulnKhallAhmadShibSaharanprwasso particular with regards to the use of miswk, that whenever he would undertake a journey he would always make sure that a miswk was in his pocket or in his pillowcase. He would never perform wud without using a miswk. e)Differenceofopinionwithrespect-MuftMuhammad Shaf has written that difference of opinion is neither contrary totheunityofIslm,norisitharmfultoanyone.Wefind severeikhtilfbetweensahba,thetbinandourpious predecessors, yet despite all their differences, they would still meet each other, have meals together and live with such love thatattimes,anoutsiderwouldneverevenperceivetheir differences. The ulem of Deoband followed diligently in the sahba'sfootstepswithregardtotheetiquettewhichthey displayedwiththeircontemporariesinspiteofgreat differenceofopinionbetweenthemselves.Hereunderare someofthemostwonderfulexamplesoftheirbeautiful character. HadratHakmulUmmah,MaulnAshrafAlThnwand HadratShaykhulIslm,MaulnHusaynAhmadMadanhad greatpoliticaldifferences.MaulnAshrafAlThnwwasa strongsupporteroftheMuslimLeaguePartyandregarded the Congress (opposition party) to be harmful for the Muslims whileShaykhulIslmconsideredsupportoftheCongressas beneficial for the Muslims and supported it fervently. This was Page 39 quite a big issue in India, yet Shaykhul Islm would advise the peoplewhowishedtotakebayah(pledgeofallegiance)to himtogotoMaulnThnwsaying,"Heistheelderofour group." MaulnKhallAhmadSaharanprandMaulnYahya Kandehlawhaddifferentviewsincertainrulings.When peoplewouldaskMaulnKhallAhmadthe ruling,hewould say,"Accordingtomethisistherulingbutaccordingto MaulnYahyaitisso.Goandfindoutfromhimandifhe permits, practice on his ruling." Besidesthis,theywereimbibedwithmanyotherqualities. Duetobrevity,wehavementionedonlyafewbyexample. May Allhimbibe these qualities within us! TESTIMONY OF AN ARAB SCHOLAR Hadrat Muft Muhammad Taq Uthmn has written regarding hisjourneytoBaghdad,Baghdadisthatcitywhichfor centurieshadbeenatthecentreoftheIslmicworld.The mere sight of this city reminds one of the glorious days of the Abbskhilfat.UponreachingBaghdadIenquiredwhether there were any madris present in which Islmic knowledge is impartedinaccordancewiththewaysofthepious predecessors.Iwasinformedthatallsuchmadrishadnow beenconvertedintoschoolsanduniversities.Now,the knowledgeofdncanonlybeattainedfromuniversity faculties,suchplaceswhereinIslmistaughtasmeretheory, similartoancientphilosophy(falsafah).Islmcannotbeseen inthelivesofthestudents,norintheustdhs.Forgetbeing religious scholars, on seeing their appearance, one wonders if theyareevenMuslim.Thisisjustlikehoworientalistsstudy Page 40 Islmtoday,intheuniversitiesofAmerica,Canadaand Europe.Ifyoureadtheirbooksandarticlesyouwillcome acrossthenamesofsuchbookswhichmanyofourulem haveneverevenheardabout.Itseemsasifdeepresearch (tahqq)isbeingmade.Butalas!Inspiteofswimminginthe oceanofIslmicknowledgefrommorningtoeveningthey returndryasabone.Noeffectofwhattheysorigorously study can be seen in their lives. The soul of this knowledge has been destroyed. MuftShibthereafteraskediftheycouldatleastdirecthim toanlimoftheoldschoolofthought,sothathecould presenthimselfathisservice.Hewasdirectedtoamasjid closetothetombofShaykhAbdulQdirJiln ,inwhich wasamaktab.Herehemetanoldpious-lookingman.Muft Shibdescribedhismeetingwithhiminthefollowingwords, OnseeinghimIfeltthatIwasinthepresenceofapious Allh-fearinglim.Hewassittingonastrawmat,dressedin coarse clothing and eating dry bread. The light of the sharah could be discerned on his forehead. Aftermakingsalmheenquiredregardingmynameandthe placefromwhichIhadcome.Healsoaskedaboutthe conditionofthemadrisofourcountry,itssyllabusandthe mannerinwhichthekitbs(books)aretaught.Tearsflowed from his eyes as I mentioned the names of the kitbs found in theDarseNizm(sylabbus).Heasked,Arethesekitbsstill being taught!? I replied in the affirmative. He then explained, Today, we have been deprived of even hearing the names of thesekitbs.ThesekitbscreateAllhwl(Allh-conscious men),theycreatetrueMuslims.Inourcountrythesebooks arenolongertaught.Ibegyoutoconveythismessageof Page 41 minetotheulemandthemassesofyourcountry,thatfor thesakeofAllh,theyshouldbeareverythingbutshould neverallowthedestructionofsuchmadriswhereinthese kitbsaretaught!!!TheenemiesofIslmarefullyconscious ofthefactthataslongasthesesimpleMaulns,sittingon strawmatsarepresentinsociety,theycannotremovemn fromtheheartsoftheMuslims.Thereforetheenemiesof Islm are making all out efforts to remove these madris. EFFECTS UNDERSTOOD BY THE ENEMIES AfterthedivisionofPakistan,manyoftheinfluentialpeople ofthecountryweregatheredtodiscussthewayforward.At thisjunctureSayedHusayn,whowasatthattimethechief engineerofPakistan,narratedhispersonalexperience.He explained,BeforethedivisionofPakistanIundertooka journeytoAmerica.Whiletakingrestatahotellounge,two high- ranking Americans entered and sat nearby. During their light-hearted discussion that followed, I was surprised to hear them discuss the following topic: American A: Why does religion influence the lives of the locals of Hindustan so greatly, so much so that such influence is not even found in the Islmic countries of the Middle East? AmericanB:Thereasonmostprobably,isthattheMiddle EastliesclosetoEuropeandhasthus,duetocontinuous interminglingwithEuropeans,takentotheirwaysand accepted their culture. AmericanA:No,thatcannotbe!Hindustanremainedunder Britishdominanceandruleforalmostacentury,yetthe conquering nation was still unable to separate the locals from the clutches of their religion. Page 42 AmericanB:PerhapsitisduetothefactthatHindustanisa poorcountryanditspovertyhaspreventedwestern civilization taking root. AmericanA:Rather,experienceshowsthatattractingpoor peopleismucheasier.Ihaveponderedoverthismatterfora very long time. As far as I understand, one of the main causes for religion controlling the masses of that country is due to an instituteknownasDeoband.Throughtheirwritingsand lecturestheyhaveandcontinuespreadingtheteachingsof theirreligion,thusensuringthatreligionremainsalivein those far away regions. ACCEPTANCE HadratMaulnZulFiqrNaqshbandsays,"Allhhas granted this weak servant the ability to travel to more than 40 countriesinconnectionwithdn.Thisservanthasbeentoa placewherethereissixmonthsdayandsixmonthsnight,he has been to Siberia where one can only see snow and howling winds-weevenperformedsalhonthesnow-,hehasseen the place referred to as the end of the world. The government has written this there since during the month of June, there is one day in which approximately 100000 tourists gather to see aspectacularsight.Thesuncomesclosetotheoceanwater readytoset,wheninsteadofsetting,itrisesagain.Forthis reason,scientistsrefertoitastheendoftheworld.This servanthasseenthejunglesofAfricaandthecitiesof America. Wherever this weak one went, in urban areas or rural areas,onthetopsofmountainsordeepdowninvalleys,I haveseensomespiritualsonofDrulUlmDeobanddoing some effort of dn. Drul Ulm Deoband has attained so much of acceptance."[Khutbt e Faqr] Page 43 CONCLUSION Qr Tayyib Shib said that the ulem of Deoband have been blessedwithfourrivers.(1)Correctmnandestablished beliefs(2)LifestyleaccordingtotheSunnah(3)Ihsn,the spiritofIslm(4)Spreadingtheabovementionedpoints (which are all extracted from Hadth e Jibrl) to the four corners of the world. Inshort,theulemofDeobandhavebeenchosenasthe protectors of every aspect of Allhsdn in the recent past. May Allhbless us with the ability to follow their footsteps andaccomplishtheirmissionofbringingIslmaliveinthe entire world! mn.

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