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5.
HADHRAT MAULANA SYED
HUSSAIN AHMED MADANI
Hadhrat Madani's homeland is village Allahdadpur
Tanda in Faizabad district. He was born on 19th Shawwal 1296/1879, in
village Bangarmau, district Unnao, where "his august father, Syed
Habibullah, was a head master. His family had come to India nineteen generations
ago; by reason of its learning, and piety this family of Syeds has always
possessed a particular glory and had been a large fief-holder during the
monarchical period.
After
having acquired early education in the primary school, he at the age of twelve
years, on 2nd Jamadius sani, 1309/1891, came to Deoband and took
admission in the first standard to read Mizanus Sarf. Here Hadhrat Shaikhul Hind
taught and trained him with special affection and favor. After completing the
syllabus of Darul Uloom and having passed seven years in its academic milieu;
when he went to his native place, his august father, yearning to migrate to the
Prophet's City (Madina), had already packed up his kit. So he also started with
his parents. Before his departure to Hejaz he had already vowed allegiance to
Hadhrat Gangohi. In the holy Mecca, as per his spiritual director's instruction,
he derived spiritual graces for some time from Hadhrat Haji Imdadullah Mahajir-e
Makki, and thereafter settled down in the illuminated Madina with, his father.
Although he had not intended migration (hijrat) from India, he did not approve
of coming back, leaving parental affection, as long as his august father was
alive.
During
his stay in Madina, for nearly ten years, trusting in Allah, despite penury and
straitened circumstances, he rendered the service of teaching Hadith in the
Prophet's Mosque. Generally he used to be occupied in teaching daily for 12
hours on an end. Different batches would come one after another and benefit from
his academic benefaction. His lecturing on Hadith was much more popular and
appreciated than that of other professors of Hadith in Madina, and its fame had
attracted around him a very large number of students from different Islamic
countries. The reason for such powerful attraction toward and general popularity
of an Indian religious divine in the holy land of Hejaz especially in the
Prophet's Mosque should be attributed to that peculiarity of the method of
teaching that he had imbibed and inherited from the teachers of Darul Uloom.
During the
period of his stay in the illuminated Madina he came to India several times and
obtained the robe of khilafat from Hadhrat Gangohi. In 1329/1915, for nearly one
year, he stayed in Deoband and rendered teaching service. In 1333/1915, when
Shaikhul Hind went to Hejaz, he preferred to stay with him only, and through him
met Anwar Pasha, the Turkish Minister of War, and Jamal Pasha, and presented
before them his revolutionary scheme. When the Arabs revolted against the Turks
and Sharif Hussain arrested Shaikhul Hind and made him over to the English,
Maulana Madani was also among the Shaikhul Hind's companions. As such, he too
had to live as a war prisoner at Malta for three and a quarter years. When, in
1338/1920, they were released from detention at Malta, Maulana Madani also came
to India along with the Shaikhul Hind. This time of returning from Malta
synchronized with the period of the beginning of the Khilafat Movement. Reaching
India, he under the Shaikhul Hind's leadership, joined politics. His crusader
like temerarious sacrifices in this period had filled the Muslims hearts with
his glory and love. On the Shaikhul Hind's demise he was unanimously
acknowledged to be his successor. Due to participation and engrossment in
political affairs he had to live several times and for long periods in jail,
where he had to bear reason ravishing tribulations and agonies for the freedom
of the country.
In
1346/1927, when Maulana Syed Anwar Shah Kashmiri resigned from Darul Uloom,
there was no such personality among the group of Darul Uloom, save Maulana
Madani, who could fill that momentous vacancy be seemingly. Hence the elders
choice fell on him, and during his principal ship the strength of the students
increased more than twofold, exceeding even threefold in the Hadith Course. From
A. H. 1346 to A. H. 1377, in the course of 32 years of his principal ship, 4,483
students graduated in the Hadith Course, whereas, prior to Hadhrat Maulana
Madani's principal ship the number of these noble graduates was only 2,751.
In
respect of comprehensiveness, his teaching of Hadith was considered typically
singular in the world of Islam; as such its glory, fame and lure continued to be
conducive in increasing the number of students from year to year. The circle of
his students in the subject of the Prophetic Hadith is very vast, and there is
no corner in the subcontinent where his disciples may not be present. Even as
today, in the world of Islam, Darul Uloom bears the mark of distinction in the
teaching of the prophetic sciences, his academic benefaction too bears a special
distinctness.
Maulana
Madani's daily practices and preoccupations were as under:
Tahajjud
prayer, Zikr (remembrance) and daily offices etc. in the last, phase of the
night till the Fajr prayer. After the Fajr prayer, reading of the Holy Quran and
of other books for nearly an hour; thereafter, tea and breakfast in the male
parlor; then the teaching of the Sahih-e Bukhari and Tirmizi Sharif till nearly
12-00 noon. After lunch and Zuhar prayer, he would go through the mails, write
replies to letters and talk with the guests. After Asar prayer till Maghrib
there would be again lessons on the Sahih-e Bukhri. It was a daily stint to
recite at least one para (1/30 part of the Quran) of the Holy Quran in the
supererogatory prayers of Maghrib, after which there would be dinner and then,
after the Isha prayer also, there would be often resumed the teaching of the
Bukhari Sharif which would continue till midnight.
His
dinner cloth was very broad at which at least ten to fifteen guests would always
be commonly present.
During
his journey to Madras in Muharram, 1377/1957 he had a heart attack. On his
coming back to Deoband the doctors diagnosed it to be dilation of heart.
Treatment by local and outside doctors continued for some time but there was no
improvement. Then the Unani treatment was started whereby some relief was felt.
On 10th and 11th Jamadil Ula (3rd and 4th December) his
disposition was quite calm, and on 12th Jamadil Ula (5th December) he
became quite cheerful; he took his lunch after several days and lay down for a
siesta. At 3-00 when it was wished to waken him up for the Zuhar prayer it was
found that Maulana Madani had gone to glory in sleep. The bier was brought to
the Darul Hadith at 9-00 p.m. Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariya, Shaikhul Hadith
of Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur, led the funeral service and between the night of
12th Jamadil Ula, A. H. 1377 (5th 6th December
1957), this treasure of knowledge and gnosis that great savant who had kept the
candle of prophetic Hadith lighted in Darul Uloom for 32 years and gleaning from
whose harvest of learning and accomplishments the students of prophetic
knowledge had always felt pride - was laid to rest in dust.
For
detailed particulars about Hadhrat Maulana Madani one may refer to his own
autobiography entitled Naqsh-e Hayat as well as to the Shaikhul lslam Number of
AI-Jami'at, and Anfas-e Qudsiya by Mufti Azizur Rahman Bijnori.
DIVISION
OF THE POST OF PRINCIPALSHIP
"The
Majlis-e Shura, in view of the fact that after the demise of the Shaikhul Islam
Hadhrat Maulana Syed Hussain Ahmed (may Allah illuminate his grave!), a like of
whose consummate and great personality is not available for Darul Uloom,
decides unanimously in order to make the educational system of Darul Uloom
better and better, that Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Baliyawi be appointed on the
post of principal and Director of Education, and in view of the distinctive
aspect of the greatness and glory of the Science of Hadith, Maulana Syed
Fakhruddin Ahmed be appointed on the post of Professor of Hadith".
It
has been said further in the resolution of the Majlis-e Shura that "this
special and distinguished post of Professor of Hadith shall not be considered
permanent in the constitution of Darul Uloom". Accordingly, after Allamah
Baliyawi's death the post of principal ship was also entrusted to Maulana
Fakhruddin Ahmed.
(Resolution No. 3 of Majlis-e Shura held on 16th Rajab, 1377/1958).
This was
the first occasion that the post of Professor of Hadith was established for the
teacher teaching Sahih Bukhari, and the administrative affairs were assigned
to the principal. It is obvious that the lecturing on Bukhari Sharif has had
superiority and distinction over administrative affairs. The teaching of Hadith
at Darul Uloom, Deoband, has been distinct and conspicuous from the very
inception.
For this reason it would be more suitable to present an account of Maulana Syed
Fakhruddin Ahmed prior to the particulars about Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim
Baliyawi, so that the sequence of the teachers of the Bukhari Sharif which is
the very soul of the authority of Hadith may not be broken.
6.
HADHRAT MAULANA SYED FAKHRUDDIN AHMED
Syed
Fakhruddin Ahmed was born at Ajmer in 1307/1889. His grandfather, Syed Abdul
Karim, was a station house officer (thanedar) in the Police Department there.
His education began at the age of four years. He read the Holy Quran under the
instruction of his august mother and acquired knowledge of Persian from the
elders of the family. In his twelfth year he began studying Arabic grammar and
syntax under Maulana Khalid, a divine of his own family. During this period his
father thought of reviving his ancestral Madrasah, which had been destroyed in
the upheaval of 1857. After receiving education in this Madrasah for some years,
he was sent to Madrasah Manbaul Uloom at Gulaothi, where he read some books
under the instruction of Maulana Majid Ali and thereafter went to Delhi with the
same teacher. He studied books of the rational sciences in the Madrasah of
Delhi. In 1326/1908 when he came to Darul Uloom, Hadhrat Shaikhul Hind tested
him for admission and he came off with flying colors in this test. According to
the Shaikhul Hind's instruction he completed Hadith Course (Daura-e Hadith) in
two years instead of one. During his student career at Darul Uloom itself he had
begun to teach books of the rational sciences to the students.
After
graduation in 1328/1910 he became a teacher in the Darul Uloom. Then after
some time the elders of Darul Uloom, in Shawwal, 1329/1911, sent him to Madrasah
Shahi Moradabad, where he lived for nearly 48 years. During this long period of
nearly half a century many students of Hadith derived benefit from him.
Since
the lauded Maulana was one of the favorite disciples of Hadhrat Shaikhul Hind
and Maulana Syed Anwar Shah Kashmiri, in his teaching of Hadith was found a
happy blending of the colors (styles) of both the glorious teachers. As such,
his lectures on Bukhari used to be very wide-ranging and detailed, discussing
all the aspects of a Hadith at length. After presenting the different practical
methods (Mazahib) of the jurisprudents (Fuqaha), he used to adduce such forceful
arguments in elucidation of support to and preference for the jurisprudential
tack of the Hanafiates that thereafter not the slightest anxiety was left in the
mind of the audience. During his lecture, along with the different commentaries
of the Sahih Bukhari, he also used to quote here and there appropriately the
sciences and acquirements of his own teachers. In the teaching of Hadith his
lecture used to be not only expansive and detailed but also easy and cogent, so
that less gifted students too got a chance to derive the fullest advantage. The
style of expression used to be very clear and chaste, fully reflecting all the
features of his physical handsomeness, and wherefore his lectures on Bukhari had
gained great fame and general popularity. In his time he was an unrivalled
divine and a matchless professor of Hadith and the students used to take pride
in being his pupils.
In
1377/1957, after Maulana Madani's death, the members of the Majlis-e Shura of
Darul Uloom chose him for the post of the Shaikhul Hadith in Darul Uloom,
Deoband. Maulana Madani himself, during his terminal sickness, having
insistently called him from Moradabad, had appointed him in his own place for
teaching Sahih Bukhari. Earlier too he had taught the Sahih Bukhari twice
at Darul Uloom during the period of Maulana Madani's imprisonment and leave. In
1390/1970, as many as 275 students were attending his lectures on Hadith the
number of students of the Daura-e Hadith used to be the same, more or less,
every year.
Besides
the educational preoccupations, he was also connected with national politics
since the time of the Khilafat Movement, as a result of which he too had to bear
the hardships and rigors of imprisonment and shackles. During Maulana Madani's
president ship of the Jamiat Ulema Hind he acted twice as vice-president;
thereafter he was appointed president and went on discharging the functions of
president of this organization till his last breath. At the fag end of his life
when health deteriorated, he was taken to Moradabad for change of climate, but
the promised hour had come. After a brief illness at Moradabad, he passed away
after midnight on 20th Safar, A. H. 1392 (April 5, 1972). On receiving
information of his demise many men from Darul Uloom and Delhi had reached
Moradabad.
Hadhrat
Maulana Muhammad Tayyib, vice-chancellor, Darul Uloom Deoband, led the funeral
prayer and in the afternoon this world-illuminating sun of knowledge and
learning set forever in the land of Moradabad. "Everyone that is thereon
will pass away" (LV: 26).
This great
educational post in Darul Uloom Deoband for teaching the Sahih Bukhari was
being held continually for nearly 60 years by the disciples of Hadhrat Shaikhul
Hind (Allah's mercy be on him!); with Maulana Fakhruddin Ahmed's death this
continuity came to an end!
He was born in A. H.
1304 in a learned family of Baliya town in eastern in eastern U.P. His family
had come from the Jhang district of the Punjab to Jonpur and after some time had
settled down in Baliya. The primary education of Persian and Arabic he acquired
in Jonpur from the famous physician, Maulana Hakim Jamiluddin Naginwi and
studied books of the rational sciences under Maulana Farooq Ahmed Chiryakoti and
Maulana Hedayatullah Khan (disciple of Maulana Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi). For
learning theology he became a pupil of Maulana Abdul Ghaffar who was one of the
most well guided pupils of Hadhrat Maulana Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi. In the late A
H. 1325 he entered Darul Uloom Deoband and first studied books like Hedaya, Jalalayn,
etc. and then graduated from it in A H. 1327.
After
graduation, he was appointed as second teacher the very same year in Madrasah
Aliya, Fatehpuri. Then he remained engaged in teaching for some time in the
Madrasah of Umri, Dist. Moradabad. In A H. 1333 he was called to serve in Darul
Uloom. From AH.1340 to AH. 1344 he served as principal in Madrasah Darul Uloom,
Mau, Dist. Azamgarh, and Madrasa Imdadiya, Darbhanga (Bihar). In A H. 1344 he
was again called to Darul Uloom. In the report for A H. 1333 he has been
mentioned in the following words:
"
Maulawi Muhammad Ibrahim is fully qualified in all the sciences. He teaches all
the books of rational sciences and philosophy excellently; besides the terminal
lessons of philosophy, logic and scholastic theology from Sadra, Shams-e
Bazigha, Qazi Mubarak, Hamdullah, Umoor-e Aammah, he teaches lessons
from Sharh-e Matal'e, Sharh-e Isharat, etc. also. The students
remain very much inclined towards him. He is a very pleasant lecturer. In short,
he is a teacher worthy to be appreciated and valued, one who is destined to earn
name and fame".
In
A H. 1362 he again sought separation from Darul Uloom. Firstly he graced the
Masnad of the principal at Jamia Islamia, Dabhel; thereafter served Madrasa
Aliya, Fatehpuri, for some time in the same capacity and then became dean in the
Madrasah at Haat Hazari, Dist. Chittagong, Bengal. At last, in A H. 1366, at
Maulana Muhammad Tayyib's recommendation and by approval of the Majlis-e Shura,
he came back to Darul Uloom on which post he remained till his last breath. The
number of his disciples exceeds thousands who, besides the subcontinent, have
fanned out to many countries of Asia and Africa.
Allamah
Baliyawi was a matchless don of the time in every art and science, particularly
in scholastic theology and the science of beliefs. The outstanding services he
rendered to Quranic Exegesis Tafsir) and Hadith, Beliefs and Scholastic
Theology, and other sciences, are sui generis. The period of his teaching
work extends from A H. 1327 to A H. 1387 that is, over six decades. Students
used to attend his lectures with great eagerness and absorption, longing to be
benefited from his lofty instructions. Along with brevity, there was a quality
of conciseness in his lecturing. The style of lecturing used to be very
dignified, but at the same time he had had a special knack and mastery in
enlivening his lecture with wit and humor and in tackling delicate points and
solving important questions with mature skill. He used to adapt stories and
anecdotes so skillfully with the propositions (masa'il) that all the aspects of
a proposition would become clear and determined. A peculiarity of his lecture
was also this that the pupils used to develop a deep affinity with the subject
and the paths of knowledge and wisdom used to open up for them. In his time he
had no rival in his knowledge of Beliefs, Scholastic Theology, Logic and
Philosophy. In Hadith he used to make greater use of reasoning (Darayat) than of
tradition. He had a deep insight into Hadhrat Nanautawi's sciences. Besides
being a pupil of Hadhrat Shaikhul Hind he had also had the honor of vowing
allegiance to him.
Among
Allamah Baliyawi's works Risala-e Musafaha and Risala-e Taraweeh are in Urdu;
and one treatise entitled Anwarul Hikmat in Persian comprises articles on logic
and philosophy. His scholium in Arabic on Sullamul Uloom is entitled Zia-un-
Nujoom. He had written scholia on Mebzi and Khiyali also but unfortunately they
were lost. In the end he was writing marginal notes on Jame Tirmizi but could
not complete them. His health had been deteriorating for a long time and on 24th
Ramadhan, A H. 1387, he responded to the call of death in the afternoon, at the
ripe old age of 84 years and lies buried in the Qasmi graveyard.
8.
HADHRAT MAULANA SHARIF HASAN DEOBANDI
He was a
resident of Deoband, where he had come into the world on August 9th
1920. In Deoband itself he committed the Holy Quran to memory under the
instruction of the late Hafiz Abdul Khaliq, then for three years he studied the
primary books of Persian and Arabic in the Madrasah at Bhitt (Dist. Saharanpur).
Thereafter he entered Darul Uloom and completed the Nizami curriculum. He
graduated in the Hadith Course in A H. 1358.
After
graduation, he was appointed head teacher, in Shawwal, 1360/1941, in Madrasa
Imdadul Uloom of Khanqah Imdadia, Thana Bhawan. He had perfect proficiency in
all the arts and sciences. Due to the grace of the company of Hakimul Ummat
Hadhrat Thanwi he cultivated an affinity with Hadith and Ifta. About AH. 1364 he
was made principal of Madrasah Isha'atul Uloom, Bareilly, where, besides
lecturing on Hadith, he also discharged the duty of fatwa writing. After nine
years he was made professor of Hadith in Jamia Islamia, Dabhel (Dist. Surat),
where he used to teach Sahih Bukhari and Jam'e Tirmizi.
In A. H.
1383 he was called to Darul Uloom. He had a special interest in the science of
Hadith. His taking charge of lecturing on Bukhari Sharif after Maulana
Fakhruddin Ahmed was his great academic achievement. Practically till his last
breath he continued to work as professor of Hadith. All his life passed in
study, teaching and serving the seekers of the religious sciences. His lectures
used to be replete with academic matter and the students of Hadith used to come
out satisfied from his lecture. He died in harness, his educational benefaction
continued till a few hours before his demise.
In
knowledge and practice, piety and purification, and moral virtues and good
qualities, Maulana Sharif Hasan reminded one of the great Ulema of yore. On
account of his academic erudition and his specialization and interest in the
science of Hadith, as also due to his spotless character, he was considered
pre-eminent among the contemporary Ulema. He used to meet all the great and the
small with a cheerful countenance. His exterior and interior both were pure, and
he had a very accommodating disposition, following the policy of “live and let
live”.
He died on
the night between 14th and 15th Jamadius thani, A. H. 1397; of some cardiac
disease; after a few hours illness at the age of nearly 59 years. His eternal
resting place is situated in the Qasmi cemetery.
9.
HADHRAT MAULANA SYED FAKHRUL HASAN MORADABADI
He was born on 10th Rajab, A. H. 1323, at village Umri, and his ancestral native place in Moradabad district. His chronogrammatic name is Mazhar Hussain. He received the education of the Holy Quran, Theology, Urdu and primary Persian from Hafiz Nasimuddin and Hafiz Abdul Qadir Amrohi. His august father was a librarian in the Madrasa Shahi, Moradabad. So, around A. H. 1335, he took admission in the said Madrasah. There he completed he course of Persian and studied the elementary books of the Nizami Syllabus under his own father. Then he went to Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur, and completed the intermediate courses. In A. H. 1343 he came to Darul Uloom, completed the course of Hadith in A H.1347 and be came a graduate.
After
graduation he was appointed as a teacher in Madrasa Aliya, Fatehpuri (Delhi).
From there he went to Bihar and was appointed in Madrasa Shamsul Huda, Patna,
for teaching certain books of the Sahih. But after one and a half years he
returned to Madrasa Aliya Fatehpuri, where later on he was made its head
teacher. In A. H. 1362 he was called to Darul Uloom and was appointed a teacher
of the higher classes and was given books like Sahih Muslim, Umoor-e Aammah,
etc. (for teaching). His teaching of the Sahih Muslim and Tatsir-e Baizavi has
attained special fame in Darul Uloom. Accordingly, the first volume of his
lecture on Baizawi entitled AI-Tatsirul Hawi has been published and has met with
general approbation. He is also very proficient in giving sermons and speeches.
In
A. H. 1387, after Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Baliyawi's death, he was appointed as
principal in Darul Uloom on which post he was working. He has got permission and
Khilafat from Hadhrat Shah Abdul Qadir Raipuri.
10.
HADHRAT MAULANA NASEER AHMED KHAN
He was born on
21st Rabiul Awwal, A. H. 1337, in village Bassai of Buland Shahar
district. After memorizing the Holy Quran, he read all the Persian and Arabic
books of the syllabus, from first to last, at Madrasa Manbaul Uloom Gulaothi
(Dist. Buland Shahr). He took admission in Daura-e Hadith of Darul Uloom Deoband
in A. H. 1362 and acquired success in it. In A. H. 1363 he completed the study
of other arts and also acquired proficiency in Qira't-e Hafs and Sab'a Ashra in
cant-illation.
After
graduation, in the late A. H. 1365, he was appointed as a teacher in Darul Uloom.
In A. H. 1391, in view of his high administrative abilities, along with his
teaching work he was appointed on the post of pro-vice-chancellor. Thereafter,
in A. H. 1397, he was appointed as professor of Hadith. A fine blending of
academic and administrative abilities is found in his personality.
The
teaching of Hadith by the lauded Maulana is generally liked (by all). His
teaching discourses are lucid, coherent and logical. He has got great knowledge
of the science of astronomy also, he has written a scholium on Risala Fatahiyya
of astronomy, which is included in the syllabus of Darul Uloom Deoband.
There
is simplicity, humility and condescension in his disposition, and his exterior
and interior are identical, he is also cheerful and affable.
