————eE ee Deoband Ulema’s Movement for the Freedom of India FARHATTABASSUMist Eton 2006 Publ! by JAMIAT ULAMA-LHIND 1) Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg ‘New Delhis110002 nssasaton ih MANAK 'B7, Sarasa Complex, Subhash Chowk, Tani Nagar New Den-10082 ‘Phone! 2215359, 2200529 Email: manak publicaionsahotmail con Website woe aanakpublications.com All rights eseroed © Author, 2006 ‘vo patof hs poicaton may be eproduced oe tansmited ‘any four y any meat elcome or mechani sedan poe ng ory ration storage and rctival system, without permision {in writing from the publisher ISENSLTEO71073 Lay by Sudhir Kena Vatsa . Laser Typeset by FOREWORD Recent advancement in the field of science and technology Jhas brought about radical changes in the fleld of history and historiography. Of late subultern studies and microscopic ‘istorical analysis of the issues and events that were left out at the periphery are brought out to the centre. The object is to underscore discourses and contribution of marginality. The present book is an excellent example of such case that aims an understanding the complex role played by ulemas in the freedom struggle. Muslims as we all know, constitute the largest minority of the country and ulemas are known for their noticeable contsibution in the socio-cultural, politica, historical and religio-philosophical spheres ofthe country. The contribution made by the ulemas, however, have either been relegated to the negligible margins in the pages of history or are ruthlessly ignored. Deoband ulemas and their work have been victims of crass political negligence. The present study gives and evidence of being attuned to the recent trends in the feld of history, historiography and other allied branches oflearning. It takes a curious and fair critical stance to estimate the making of the ulemas selected forthe dissertation, evaluate‘vi Deoband-Ulena’s Mocement forthe Fredo of dia she values of national integgity and communal harmony: Mets ve wavering commitment, purity and sincerity of their ree anand wide range oftheir scholarship had an enthralling ine nfrences on masses, Ther seiiess and disinterested eee Ship infused aspintof nationalism and promoted aes emeetherness amongst the masses. Their writing 296 coches acquainted the indigenous people of the forege ‘Pftwation, usurpation and exploitation. People learn to resist and retaliate “Tae study highlight the role of whemas in Indian pottics etween 1997 and 1947 with strong support of Maulans eeieond-ul Hasan, Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi, Maula En Nanawtavi The study microscopically takes ‘780 Ose the multidimensional personality of the wlemas, their aStigulsing political contribution in terms oftheir Soe et ent ike "Khaksar movernent” of Maulana Inayatlly Seep and their proximity to the Gandhian philosophy 204 arses of his support to the Indian National Congress 2is0 Roshan Rumal Movement” etc. The author pln t=8ing ease raye no corner oftheir achievement unicidated ang fring in to assesment the chief contribution of the Wem bring inf chomaticaly ignored by the dominant stream of Tea ietlectuals and historians motivated by thelr ulterior Ae foes, She has very systematically fllowed interdisciplinary st eejology 20 that a credible dimension is attributed oe! dy, As a awaken scholas, pretty sensitive to the resen Sek cae in the diferent discipline, she as made fe bet cr rareforts to highlight the nationalist discourses of #6 Sinead Ulemas in general and the selected ulemas i= Pact Ther marginal #8 cantalize inthis stud: Te Pay also makes certain revealing remarks regarding he se hoddony of religious ceteredness ofthe endeavors of Wose arena Jad authenticated her statements by supporting o id authentic thinker, politician and historians temas the book convincingly and authentically prese ulemas.s a word of appreciation and cause for # serious ittention. Thus Lind of fair and unbiased approach, Lar sure, would pana fesh avences to approach te sincere fnvolvesent of open & ginal comavunities and theiz contribution tothe nation te me deliberately side-tracked or denigrate by the that Wat intellectual statuture of te Indian society. Afterall domi gure indebtedness to Our precursors irrespective oftheir Biigion caste or ceed, for their devotion, dedication and felfless sacrifices padsuddin Tyabji Marg DN. Ishaq Jamkhanawala 92, DN. Rosd, President ‘Mumibai-s00001 Anjuman-Hslam Former Minister for Wakf & Labout, ‘Maharashtra StateAUTHORS NOTE In India, or for that matter in any part of the world, ulema have always been criticized for ane or the other teason. Sometimes they aze accused of hurling the gullible followers | into the dark alleys of outdated customs and traditions Sometimes they are blamed for preaching bigotry and extremism. They are even accused of preaching hatred and | violence at the drop of a hat. But if one peeps into their lives | and their mission, one can easily find that they are actualy | torch bearers of peace and communal harmony and all the | charges against them are uncalled for. Ulema always strived | for unity and peaceful co-existence. It i only the mistrust | among various communities that creates all the troubles and! ‘needs tobe corrected. Through this book, [have tried to bring the lives and works of some of the renowned ulemas alive before the readers, so thatthe misunderstanding about them could be removed and thei less knawn role in the country’s freedom struggle is brought to Limelight T would like to take this opportunity to express deep sratitade to Dr. Mitza Mohd Khizar, my teacher, Maulana Asad Madani, President, Jamiat Ulems-i- Hind; Maulana Mehmood Asad Madani, General Secretary, Jamiat Ulemai-sc Desa Utema's Movement for the Freed of Iris Hussain Education Society & President, Jamiat Olen, Hussain Bay father Mr. MLN. Siddiqui, Me, Tilawet 81: wane t Raber bducation Society, M/s. Manak Publications ae eal for their valuable assistance in this task. 1 20 Petal protefal to Dr M, Ishaq Jambanswvala, Pesiier Seman tilam andl Former Minister Maharashar sm for AnjumarCeenond to tus book, T would alo like fo Har wr eF ansiddigul ny husband without is help cove ®o8 ae eecpapleted the ob. Finally Tam elo indebted fo yemesoot eae ord colleagues who have assisted me in this work aes special thanks to Barbara Daly Metalf,Dovging 2 Hendeeon aroogui Zia Uk Hasan and Gulran Ahmed for dence protograpts [have reproduced from their sources (Dr Farhat Tabassum Head, Department of History ‘sir Sayyed College, ‘Aucangabad [Maharashtra] CONTENTS Foreword Authors Note Introduction ‘Ulema’s RevolutionaryMovements of the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband: {A Revolutionary Organisation Nadwatul-Ulema Movement Shaikh-ul-Hiind Maulana Mehmood-ul-Hasan and His Disciples ‘Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi Maulana Hussain Alamed Madani ‘Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and ‘the Indian National Movement ‘onclusion 2 9 14 138 18 1811 INTRODUCTION One of the important aspects of the history of Indian Nationalist Movement is the role played by the Ulema (Gcholats) in the liberation of the country. However, itis tunfortunate that their role has rarely been appreciated. Consequently, a number of Ulema who made significant contribution towards freedom movement have remained in Obscurity, Moreover, there has been a trend to brand Muslims as separatists and natural supporters of the Muslim. “League in toto, The general distrust of the entire Muslim community before and even after the Partition has largely fesulted in the segregation of the Muslims from the mainstream. It may be mentioned here that Muslims have been living im India for the past 1000 years. It would be wrong to say that they do not have any love or attachment for the country of theiz birth or that they choose to stay aloof from the mainstream politics because they do not believe in the possibility of co-existence with people not follovring their faith. It is tue that the political activities of the Muslim League gave the impression that Muslims lid not retain any trust in the governance of the majority re ae ne12 Dechand Ulema’s Movement for the Peaows of Iria distortion of religion. Islam does not encourage separatist aasvom eather, it preaches religious harmony and restrain Sts Aalorners frown degrading other religions. Besides, it enjoins toni faithfulstorendes selfless service for heir rather’ pon ter which land they belong to. But the Leagues ‘hidosopy was ot derived from original Islami sources, On Pacer), the League wes a conglomerate of power-hungry ‘Slane with innah acting sorelike an advocate fora sr aeesnof elite Muslims, rather than a responsible leader of the entize community? Trin intevesting fo note that even dung the period when the League was making forays into the Muslim society, several Tesponsibie Mudim leaders, inchuding the Ulema alerted Me Deppe to the dangerous designs of the League, Referens 9 Peer to the role of Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani, who pe tae whole hog to castigate the League for is divisive Propremmes, Madani made it clear umpteen times Ws eeaeretre, how and wiry it was important for the Mastims to ght aginst Baitahers along with their Hindu broth for Ger ndependence of the country. He discouraged Muslims “uot fling prey 10 the communal agenda of the Loner: ah he believed, would bring untold harm to the entire community ‘Mention may also bé made to the role of Maulane Mehmeod-ul-Hasan and his student, Moulana Obaidullah SEER both of whom devoted thei lives for the cause of Procdom of the nation. Starting his career as a teacher af see soma, Mehmood-ul-Hasan evolved into an inspiring eeotationary. He sent his student, Maulana Obaidulah Shadi to Kabul to coordinate the revolutionary activities thote against the British He himself went to Saudi Aria aoe We same purpose but his mission did not fructify there Yue to the reasons, discussed in detail separately. Sindhi's due to the rarvolationary activities was systematic and Introduction 3 cidnt approve of Gand’ pprondl tat seemed oi ated bn myths and superstitions, Sindhi upheld the {owt of giving poll recognition to all commie, Pe he thought Ht wa5 necesary to bring about unity of action SMe Ulema not only participated inthe freedom movement, but aco led it from the front and made numerous sacrifices tar he motherland. Before going into details, it would be for eto understand the meaning and postion of ulema ‘within Islam. sane ie The word Ulema isa plural of Ali (cholas) and refers to snot wate el ee ne knowin Guan peste of allah and Hadeeth-—the record of sayings and deeds ‘of the Prophet Muhammad. ee “The Liema thus have a great importance in the Muslim community They are called he heirs of the Prophet. Their Gio ua importance is established by éhe historic statement one other than the Prophet himselé, While addressing the Bi pust congregation on the occasion Hajjat-ul-Vida (he Pauper list Ha), the Prophet asked whether he hadn't Conveyed the Quran'in flo ain vealed by Allah ESeryene replied in affirmative, The, wile urging all hose pov fst tn tha he eer a Ss 20 Frophet would be born to guide the mankind thenceforth The Qui‘an and Hadeeths be conveyed to those who were Absent and unaware of them WT alae poscton the cx stared eon of spreading islam sight from the moment the Prophet wierd ttn te do sb. Acturly, these people and those $chevers who had seen the Prophet even once in thei ifetime form the respected group of Sehabas (Companions of the Prophet) An those who had seen Sahabasis the second group laoven ao Tabeyeen, followed by Tabe-Tabeyeen and finaly Comes the tum of Ulema. Each of the above groups has ee4 Devband Ulema’s Movement for the Freedont of India con the work and ultimately the responsibility fell on the Shoulders of the Ulema, In other words, the Ulema became the last heirs of the Prophet AS ihe Qui‘an is expounded in Arabic language and conteins the commandments of the Creator in the mst concise form, common man cannot comprehend them easily. One needs Crhuve a thorough knowledge of Arabic language, Hadeeth, Telamie jurisprudence and Islamic history to interpret and ‘Explain ts verses accurately Sometimes, even the mos! lezmed SPM fhe Ulema commit mistakes in this respect. Different thtexpretations ofa single word ‘Qaum’ by Allama Iqbal and Madhana Flussain Ahmed Madi can be cited as an instance i. this context Tabal infersed the meaning of the word “Qaum’ as 2 natichality based on one religion. According to him nationality founded upon race, language oF territory is Thncceptable anc causes great misfortune and trouble: He casleved that territorial nationality is against the concept of Islam* ‘On the contrary, Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani proved. that the word ‘Qautn’ denotes, among other things, any BFOUP cree tana women bound together in the pursuit of common. Surpose, which may not necessarily be religion. He gave Pee pes ofthe common nationalities ofthe prophets nd thelr Snbelieving people eg,, Prophet and the Quraish to prove his Boint, He also gave another example in support of his po vteagon that She Prophet once united the Jewish tibes of Madina with his Muslim followers by a solemn covenant to fight against the pagan Arabs, who were preparing fo attack Afsaine The terms of the agreement were that each party auld be free to follow its own religion, but in all other wroters the Muslims and the Jews would be regarded as one community. AMUNItY. cain Ahmed Madani also rejected Maulana Introduction 5 definite views on the formation of the free and undivided India. They can be enumerated as follows 1. ‘The Indian State shall be a republic and its President shall be chosen by election, He will exercise the supreme executive authority® 2, In the Central Government, the Mustims will be in a minority, but their religious, political and economic Tights will be protected. The Centre will deal with @ limited number of subjects, namely defence, foreign affairs, communications, transport and finance. The ‘remaining subjects will be provincial. The provincial governments will deal with the religious affais* 3, Education will be a provincial subject. 4. Muslim canonical law (Sharia!) or Muslim criminal aw ‘will not be enforced." 5, The organisation of government will be on the basis of partnership of various communities ‘The above example of Iqhsl and Maududi proves beyond doubt that there is a poasblty of wrong interpretation of Quranic verses It also proves how important the role of ‘Thema’ isin the interpretation of Qur'an. As mentioned tau the ‘lesa’ ar the last hts ofthe Prophet entrusted foth the responsiblity of guiding the people right from the rae to the grave, A slightest eror ean ell caaser As Stch no one can deny the necessity of good Ulema as well as religious schools (madras). "However it wll be travesty of truth if we don't recall ‘Allama Iqbal’ views onthe Parton He unequivocally said that his views on nationality didn't mean that they were in Support ofthe country’s division "Alter the creation of Pakistan Iqbal was halled as its rentor becase in his presidential address tothe League in 19308 he had advocated the formation of consolidated eles marhonat ene, Bett this according 10 iabal wes 066 Deohand Ulema’s Movement for the Freedom of India sists will get majority rights in five out of eleven Indian, ‘Mitinces with fll resduary powers and one-third share of Poi he total in the howe ofthe Federal Asser.” again in is ter oT Times London, dated Ob 12 soot iba efuted the charge made bythe Bots ourralist roar Strompoon, tat he was endangering the defence ofthe Eaves by aang forthe avision of Tada. Ighl explained: count BY edistdbution of India into provinces with effective aden of ene community ox another om ines #8 advoeated doth by the Nehew and Simon Reports." According to Islam, 2 trae Mustim can and should never be JMuoval t his country. eis quite another issue that 2 few SHESTR teaders and the Ulema, basing their standpoint on the wnterpretation of the Qui‘an, came up with a eo-nation Jory and managed to mislead the gullible masses, According easton, believers cannot co-exist with non-believers to form, » antted society or state, Apart from such proponents OF aeperatism, the British policy of divide and rule played ¢ separa role in the partition ofthe country. Besides, the political we Slerchip was also responsible for the Himalayan Blinder of dividing the county. Meine don remains an agonising episode in the political and socis! life of India. But after independence, itis the sacred Shaty of every Indian to forget the past and look forward Guy lasek will be a travesty of the truth, if the credit of fede is attrbuted toa particular class or a community: A TeSinao respective of case, creed or religion participated in the country’s freedom stniggle. The Netional Movement was a collective effort "Reverting to the subject, the ulema’s contribution in the seeedom struggle is commendable as sen from several angles see tt of the Ulema who participated in the nationalist Fale isindeed very long. However names of he six Ulems SeBE anding and Geserve special mention here because of aheis exemplary contribution to the freedom movement. They eer ge: Maulana Qasim Nanawtawi, Shaiklvul-Hind Maulana Nehenood-ul-Hasan, Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi, Maulang vere Anmed Madani, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar. Introduction 7 In adtion to this a study of the brief history of D . jf history of Darul oti Deoband, Which was established to impart teachings Uti. i ndlgperosble fr a proper understanding of howe ceagasis moulded the outioak ofthe Ulema on national “The Desband School basically aimed at preserving the inane velues from the corrupting influence of the West, Je Sy Baten" lgen Blah srl wes obvious itary Pues its support to the Indian National Congress 1s one seeproeampe. ih fac, Maulana Qasim Nana founded RoR Scott counter the Bash design on olin Slats after the Sepoy Mutiny f 1857. The Muslin soit, Maid was in ttters lowing the Beish crackdown sfet the Mutiny, newded leadership to tide over is social and (eine eres Mana asin fought tat an nttton tke Fhe Deoband School could full the social and political muting hacen an Reba a2 wo fo revrttolsamand csigat the Bish maybe poited ut that dhe Deobend School remained anblnetical fo he iceas Cf'srfayyed Ahmed Khan and conseguery tothe Abgarh Steal cA a the reasons for this wes Sir Sayyed’s proximity the Britsh and hs predilection to western slen site Br to western seniic While i is tru thatthe ant-British bend of Desbandi sigicanly contrbuted fo creating Muslin rvelaionaies Te Mulan Mekaoed Hassan aulana Sina and other the Deoband School itself was far from revolutionary as such, Is nationale was more of a negativist response than gest programme of acon. rapa te Indian tional Congress ate tie when the Congress ite was hardly antieiishe"t could not reconcile itself the modems of Si Sayyed because chose to brand Sr Sayyed soe oft Beh witout cite ssn elev Gide Soja thug Mosrimprtany aid aos csoalled evs of the western citsaton beyond etiiing pola ae of Bah nn tm caro lan so infeed pita nd inlet conten the religious ideal of the Deaband School. “e