Deobandi Movement

History, Philosophy, and Present situation Deobandi The movement is named after the town of Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, India. History In 1886, several prominent scholars founded an Islamic Seminary in the modest town of Deoband, north of Delhi. The founder of the institution is Qasim Nanautawi. Rashid Ahmed Gangohi, a close friend and a scholar, was instrumental in establishing the institution. Founding Majority of the rebellion and resistance to colonization had been crushed by the East India Company. Therefore, the Ulamaa gathered at Deoband and created a safe haven for those still committed to preserving Islam and resisting the occupation by the British. Once gathered and organized there, they began to develop a plan to not only build up a resistance, but also preserve and spread Islam in the subcontinent. Principles 1. Tawheed 2. Sunnah (Khatmun Nubuwwah) 3. Ittibaaus Sahaabah wa Hubbuhum 4. Taqleedul Madhaahib fil Fiqh 5. Jihad fi Sabeelillah Accomplishments Awareness and Establishment of the Muslim Identity Since before the end of Mughal rule, the Muslim identity had been eroding away. Muslims had become influenced over time by the Hindu customs and culture around them, the British presence only worsened this situation. To counter this, a grassroots effort was initiated to revitalize and preserve the Islamic identity and necessary religious practices among the common populace. Organization of Islamic Education Up until the British colonization of the Indian subcontinent, Islamic education at both the basic and advanced levels was conducted in the classical model of seeking knowledge. After having dealt with an organized effort against not only Islamic education but also against the Islamic identity itself, coupled with the already deteriorating condition of the Muslims, the Ulamaa decided to organize and structure the institutions and standard of Islamic education. Thus the initiation of the Dar-ul-Uloom and the adoption of the Dars-Nizaami curriculum. Politics of the Subcontinent Two phases: o During British colonialism The Ulamaa spearheaded the movement to oust the British from the subcontinent. They devised ways to secretly organize and recruit people in different areas of the subcontinent, and

eventually fought the British resulting in the martyrdom and execution of many Ulamaa. o After Partition The Deobandi Ulamaa have remained politically active in the subcontinent after partition in their respective countries. They strive to give the religiously conservative Muslims a voice in their politics and represent Islamic interests in the lawmaking and governing of their country. Deviant Sects The Deobandi scholars have also been vigilant in refuting deviant sects and erroneous thought. o Shia The Deobandi Scholars have been active in countering the efforts of Shiaism in the subcontinent and therefore adopted love of the Companions as one of their principles. o Qadyaanism A special division (al-Majlis al-Aalami li Tahaffudh Khatmin Nubuwwah) was created to refute and eventually erase Qadyaanism and other false religions of its type from the subcontinent. o Shirk and Biddah As mentioned earlier, Hinduism had an effect on the Muslims. This manifested itself in the shape of shrines, tombs, grave worshipping, and other practices of Shirk. Sufism had also introduced many corrupt thoughts and innovations into the Muslims. The Scholars of Deoband have worked hard to combat these evils in Muslim communities. o Modern thought and Hadith rejection This was a Fitnah that slowly transformed over time. It began with the erroneous interpretation of Ahaadeeth and criticism of Sahaabah. This later developed into reason over obedience and eventually took the form of all-out Hadith rejection.

Final Thoughts The Deobandi movement and particularly the Dar-ul-Uloom system were established to provide structure in the areas of education and politics for the Muslims of the subcontinent. Emphasis was placed on Hanafi Fiqh because it was the Fiqh of the majority. Strict adherence to Fiqh was encouraged to create religious discipline in a people that had been corrupted for centuries, as mentioned above, and who were now pray to new unorthodox ideologies. However, there was not a uniformed Aqidah for the scholars of Deoband. There has always remained a difference of opinion among the Deobandi Ulamaa in regards to certain issues such as, Aqidah, flexibility in Fiqh, Tasawwuf and other spiritual routines. These differences have remained until now and have influenced some of the Dar-ul-Ulooms in certain aspects and in some institutions have enriched the academic experience by providing an array of ideas and thoughts due to the variety of the teachers and scholars. This has no doubt caused some issues in certain parts of the world, especially in current times; nevertheless this approach has served the Deobandi movement well. The structure and simplicity of the educational system that the Dar-ul-Uloom is based upon is a remarkable and potent combination. It has proven for over a

century that it can produce results very efficiently. Likewise it can be recreated anywhere, at any time with wondrous results. Memorization of the Quran has remained an integral part of the educational curriculum in Deobandi institutions.

Famous Deobandi Scholars Qasim Nanotwi (d. 1879) Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi (d. 1908) Mahmoodul-Hasan (d. 1920) Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (d. 1928) Anwar Shah Kashmiri (d. 1933) Ashraf Ali Thanwi (d. 1943) Ilyas Khandhalwi (d. 1944) Ubaidullah Sindhi (d. 1944) Shabbir Ahmed Uthmani (d. 1949) Mufti Kifayatullah (d. 1952) Hussain Ahmed Madani (d. 1957) Yusuf Khandhalwi (d. 1965) Idris Khandhalwi (d. 1974) Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani (d. 1976) Yusuf Binori (d. 1977) Mufti Mahmood (d. 1980) Tayyeb Qasmi (d. 1980) Zakariyya Khandhalwi (d. 1982) Habeebur Rahman Azami (d. 1992) Manzoor Numani (d. 1997) Umar Palanpuri (d. 1997) Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (d. 1999) Abdur Rasheed Numani (d. 1999) Yusuf Ludhyanwi (d. 2000) Mufti Rasheed Ahmed (d. 2002) Mufti Rafi Uthmani Mufti Taqi Uthmani Fadhlur Rahman Azami Sulaiman Moola Tariq Jamil