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TheDeobandi movement orDeobandism is arevivalist movement withinSunni Islam that adheres to theHanafi school ofjurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around theDarul UloomMadrassa inDeoband, India, from which the name derives, byMuhammad Qasim Nanautavi,Rashid Ahmad Gangohi,Ashraf Ali Thanwi andKhalil Ahmad Saharanpuri after theIndian Rebellion of 1857–58. They opposed the influence of non-Muslim cultures on the Muslims living in South Asia. The movement pioneered education in religious sciences through theDars-i-Nizami associated with theLucknow-basedulama ofFirangi Mahal with the goal of preserving traditional Islamic teachings from the influx of modernist and secular ideas duringBritish colonial rule. The Deobandi movement's Indian clerical wing,Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, was founded in 1919 and played a major role in theIndian independence movement through its participation in thepan-IslamistKhilafat movement and propagation of the doctrine ofcomposite nationalism.
In terms ofjurisprudence, the Deobandis uphold the doctrine oftaqlid (conformity to aschool of thought) and adhere to the Hanafi school. Founders of the Deobandi school Nanautavi and Gangohi drew inspiration from the religious and political doctrines of the South AsianIslamic scholar,Salafi-orientedSufi andtheologianIsmail Dehlawi (26 April 1779 – 6 May 1831).[1][2] In its early years, Deobandi scholars engaged in theological debates withChristian andHindu scholars; with the objective of defending Islamic faith, and to form a popular struggle to overthrow British colonialism. Deobandi theologians ofJamiat Ulema-e-Hind, in particular, discussed multiculturalism andopposition to the partition of India, with a strategic vision to safeguard the religious freedom ofMuslims in India.
The movement has spread from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to theUnited Kingdom, and has a presence inSouth Africa. The Pakistani branch and the original Indian seminaries have far less contact since thePartition of India, for political reasons related to the India–Pakistan border. Followers of the Deobandi movement are extremely diverse; some advocate for non-violence and others aremilitant.
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British colonialism inIndia[3] was seen by a group of Indian scholars—consisting ofRashid Ahmad Gangohi,Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi, Shah Rafi al-Din,Sayyid Muhammad Abid, Zulfiqar Ali,Fazlur Rahman Usmani andMuhammad Qasim Nanotvi—to be corrupting Islam.[4] The group founded an Islamic seminary (madrassa) known asDarul Uloom Deoband,[3][5][6][7] where theIslamic revivalist andanti-imperialist ideology of the Deobandis began to develop. In time, the Darul Uloom Deoband became the second largest focal point of Islamic teaching and research after theAl-Azhar University,Cairo. Towards the time of theIndian independence movement and afterward in post-colonial India, the Deobandis advocated a notion ofcomposite nationalism by which Muslims and Hindus were seen as one nation who were asked to beunited in the struggle against the British rule.[8]
In 1919, a large group of Deobandi scholars formed the political partyJamiat Ulema-e-Hind andopposed the partition of India.[8] Deobandi scholarHussain Ahmad Madani helped to spread these ideas through his textMuttahida Qaumiyat Aur Islam.[8] A group later dissented from this position and joinedMuhammad Ali Jinnah'sMuslim League, includingAshraf Ali Thanwi,Shabbir Ahmad Usmani,Zafar Ahmad Usmani andMuhammad Shafi, who formed theJamiat Ulema-e-Islam in 1945.[9]
Through the organisations such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind andTablighi Jamaat,[8][10][11] the Deobandi movement began to spread.[12][13] Graduates of Darul Uloom Deoband in India from countries such as South Africa, China, andMalaysia opened thousands ofmadaaris throughout the world.[14]
The Deobandi movement in India is managed and spread by Darul Uloom Deoband[3][5][6][7] and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.[8][10][11]
Of Pakistan's estimated 230 million Muslims, some 15-30% consider themselves Deobandi.[15] According to Heritage Online, nearly 65% of the total seminaries (Madrasah) in Pakistan are run by Deobandis, whereas 25% are run byBarelvis, 6% byAhl-i Hadith and 3% by variousShia organisations. The Deobandi movement in Pakistan was a major recipient of funding from Saudi Arabia from the early 1980s up until the early 2000s, where after this funding was diverted to the rival Ahl-i Hadith movement.[16] Having seen Deoband as a counterbalance to Iranian influence in the region, Saudi funding is now strictly reserved for the Ahl-i Hadith.[16]
Deobandi-affiliated groups such as theTTP,SSP,Let, etc. have a militant character[17] and haveattacked and destroyed Sufi sites holy to Sunni Muslims of the Barelvi movement, such asData Darbar inLahore,Abdullah Shah Ghazi's tomb inKarachi, Khal Magasi in Balochistan, andRahman Baba's tomb inPeshawar.[17]
Deobandi is the most popular Islamic movement in the Pashtun belt on both sides of theDurand Line that separatesAfghanistan andPakistan.[16][3] Moreover, prominent Afghan andPakistani Taliban leaders have studied in Deobandi seminaries.[18]
The Deobandi Movement has an international presence today, with its full-fledged manifestation in South Africa, a country where the movement was initiated through the IndianGujarati merchant class.[19] The Islamic education system of the Deobandi movement, as well as the necessary components of social and political organisations such as the Tablighi Jamat andJamiatul Ulama South Africa are fully functioning effectively in South Africa, as they do in India. Madrasas in South Africa provide Islamic higher education and are now centers for Islamic education for foreigners who are interested in receiving a Deobandi-style education. Many of their graduates, especially from Western countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, are Western students. Some of South African madrasas are recognised globally, providingfatwa services. South Africa is now known for producing exceptional Islamic literature through translation and compilation. Similarly, the Tabligh Jamaat is a hub in South Africa that spreads throughout South and East Africa. Graduates of South African madrassas spend their time in service of the Tablighi Jamaat, among them areZakariyya Kandhlawi,Masihullah Khan,Mahmood Hasan Gangohi[5] andAsad Madni. South African Deobandi Muslims have many important and influential educational and socio-political organisations that educate the people and play an important role in religious and social activities. Among them areJamiatul Ulama South Africa and theMuslim Judicial Council.[20]
Students from various regions, includingSistan and Baluchestan in Iran, attended Deoband, which led to the spread of its founders ideas.[21] This movement had a significant impact on some of the new generation of Iranian intellectuals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[22] After entering Iran, the students of this school continued to expand this thinking and with the formation of missionary groups. These thoughts have been strengthened on one hand due to the cultural relationships between theBaloch tribes and on the other hand due to the connection of Sistan and Baluchestan's Iran and India's Hanafi religious leaders in Iran.[23] Today, Deobandi thinking is one of the intellectual currents in Sistan and Baluchestan and preaching groups are active in different cities and villages. Its playing a crucial role in Iran's political landscape. The Deobandis aimed to homogenise religious schools and were opposed to certain popular practices. TheNaqshbandi order played an important role for the Deobandi movement in the Persian-speaking world.[24]
In the 1970s, Deobandis opened the first British-based Muslim religious seminaries (Darul-Ulooms), educating imams and religious scholars.[25] Deobandis "have been quietly meeting the religious and spiritual needs of a significant proportion of British Muslims, and are perhaps the most influential British Muslim group."[25] In 2007, the Deobandis ran 17 seminaries (out of a total of 26 in the UK) and were producing 80 percent of home-trained Muslim clerics. They also ran 600 of Britain's nearly 1,500 mosques.[26] In 2014 it was reported that 45 per cent of Britain's mosques and nearly all the UK-based training of Islamic scholars were controlled by the Deobandis.[27]
JournalistAndrew Norfolk found that the leading Deobandi preacher loathed western values, called on Muslims to "shed blood" for Allah and preached contempt for Jews, Christians and Hindus.[26] In 2015Ofsted highlighted the Deobandi seminary inHolcombe as a good example of a school "promoting British values, preventing radicalisation and protecting children".[28] Norfolk disagreed with the assessment.[29]
The Deobandi movement sees itself as a scholastic tradition that grew out of the Islamic scholastic traditions of the pre-colonialIndian subcontinent andAfghanistan, and it considers its visionary forefather to beIsmail Dehlawi (26 April, 1779 – 6 May, 1831).[1][30][31][32] Dehlawi was a contemporary ofMuhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, and they studied inMedina under some of the same teachers.[33]Muhammad Iqbal said: "The Deobandi movement is neither a creed (Aqidah) nor a denomination (Tayifa) – terms by which its antagonists try to incite the masses against it – but it is a comprehensive picture and a complete edition of the tack of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah in which all the offshoots of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are seen joined with their root."[34]
Deobandis follow theMaturidi school ofSunniIslamic theology.[35][36][37] Their schools teach a short text on beliefs known asal-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyya by the Hanafi-Maturidi scholarNajm al-Din 'Umar al-Nasafi.[38]
The official Deobandi book,al-Muhannad 'ala al-Mufannad (The Sword on the Disproved), also known as:al-Tasdiqat li-Daf' al-Talbisat (Endorsements Repelling Deceits), is a work that summarises the beliefs generally held by the Deobandis. It was authored byKhalil Ahmad al-Saharanpuri (d. 1346/1927) in order to defend and remit the Deobandis from the charge ofkufr (unbelief or blasphemy) levied against them by their opponents.[39]
According to Brannon D. Ingram, Deobandis differ from Barelvis on three theological positions.[40] Gangohi stated that God has the ability to lie.[41] This doctrine is calledImkan-i Kizb.[40][41] According to this doctrine, because God is omnipotent, God is capable of lying.[40] Gangohi also supported the doctrine that God has the ability to make additional prophets after Muhammad (Imkan-i Nazir) and other prophets equal to Muhammad.[40][41] Gangohi clarifies that although God has the ability to make prophets on "par" with Muhammad, he "would never do so".[40]
Deobandis are strong proponents of the doctrine ofTaqlid.[42][43][44] In other words, they believe that a Deobandi must adhere to one of the four schools (madhhabs) of Sunni Islamic Law and discourage inter-school eclecticism.[45] They themselves claim to be the followers of the Hanafi school.[35][46] Students at madrasas affiliated with the Deobandi movement study the classic books of Hanafi Law such asNur al-Idah,Mukhtasar al-Quduri,Sharh al-Wiqayah, andKanz al-Daqa’iq, culminating their study of the madhhab with theHidayah ofal-Marghinani.[47]
With regard to views onTaqlid, one of their main opposing reformist groups are theAhl-i-Hadith, also known as theGhair Muqallid, the nonconformists, because they eschewedtaqlid in favor of the direct use of Quran and Hadith.[48] They often accuse those who adhere to the rulings of one scholar or legal school of blind imitation, and frequently demand scriptural evidence for every argument and legal ruling.[49] Almost since the very beginnings of the movement, Deobandi scholars have generated a copious amount of scholarly output in an attempt to defend their adherence to amadhhab in general. In particular, Deobandis have penned much literature in defense of their argument that the Hanafi madhhab is in complete accordance with theQuran andHadith.[50]
In response to this need to defend theirmadhhab in the light of scripture, Deobandis became particularly distinguished for their unprecedented salience to the study ofHadith in their madrasas. Theirmadrasa curriculum incorporates a feature unique among the global arena of Islamic scholarship, theDaura-e Hadis, the capstone year of a student's advanced madrasa training, in which all six canonical collections of the Sunni Hadith (theSihah Sittah) are reviewed.[51]
In a Deobandi madrasa, the position ofShaykh al-Hadith, or the resident professor ofSahih Bukhari, is held in much reverence. Their views were widely shared by a broad range ofIslamic reform movements of the colonial period.[3][52][53]
Khalil Ahmad al-Saharanpuri outlined the creedal beliefs of Deobandis in hisAl-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad where he stated that
Our way is following the greatest Imam,Abu Hanifa al-Nu'man – Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him – in the peripherals; and followers of the noble ImamAbu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari and the noble ImamAbu Mansur al-Maturidi (Allah be pleased with them) in creed and the fundamentals; and that we are adherents to the following Sufi ways: the most distinguished way of theNaqshbandi masters, the most pure way of theChishti masters, the most glorious way of theQadiri masters, and the most radiant way of theSuhrawardi masters (Allah be pleased with them all).— Al-Muhannad 'ala al-Mufannad (Questions One and Two)
However, Deobandis are strictly opposed tocelebrating the birthday of theIslamic prophetMuhammad, the celebration ofUrs, and theMourning of Ashura.[54][55][56][57][58]Deobandis also reject the building of structures over graves,visitation to the shrines ofSufi saints, as well as the practice of loudDhikr,Qawwali,Wajd andSama - seeing them as too "innovative" in nature.[54][55][56][57][58] Deobandis oppose various forms of Tawassul and Istighatha,[59][60] which they label asKufr andShirk.[60]
Deoband's curriculum combined the study ofIslamic holy scriptures (Quran,hadith andlaw) with rational subjects (logic,philosophy andscience). At the same time it was hugely Sufi in orientation and affiliated with theChishti order.[6]Taqi Usmani - the most famous Deobandi scholar was trained in the Chishti order as were the four founders of the Deoband madrassa.Mahmood Ashraf Usmani, the former head of Darul Ulum Karachi, defended the concept ofTariqa andBay'ah based on thePledge of the Tree incident.[61]Ashraf Ali Thanwi graduated from Darul Uloom Deoband and was widely considered a preeminent Sufi of modern India.[62]
Founders of the Deobandi school,Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi andRashid Ahmad Gangohi, were inspired by the doctrine ofShah Waliullah[5] amongst other sources of inspiration. Gangohi studied under the Sufi shaykhHaji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, although he differed with his views in many ways.[63] However Gangohi'sFatawa-yi Rashidiyya opposed traditional Sufi practices such as louddhikr, visiting the tombs of Sufi saints, celebratingUrs, visualising or contemplating on a Sufi master (tasawwur-e-shaykh), reciting theFatihah on special occasions, and engaging inSema.[57]
Gangohi opposed theSufi doctrine that Muhammad has knowledge of the unseen (ilm e ghaib).[64][65] This belief of the Deobandis conflicts with traditionalSufi views of Muhammad having unparalleled and unequal knowledge that encompasses the unseen realm.[64][65] Gangohi also issued multiple fatwas against theMawlid and stated it is an innovation (bidah),[66] and opposed the practice of standing up in honour of Muhammad during Mawlid.[66]
Zakariyya Kandhlawi, noted hadith scholar and Sufi Shaykh of Deobandis, says that,
The reality of "tasawwuf" is merely correction of intention. It begins with "actions are only according to intentions" and ends with "that you worship Him (Allah) as if you see Him."[67]
Deobandi fiqh, originating from the Hanafi school of Islamic law, is a distinctive school ofIslamic jurisprudence that highly values the strict adherence to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, also known asTaqlid.[68] Deobandi scholars view Taqlid as a crucial means of ensuring the proper interpretation and application of Islamic law, especially for individuals without the necessary knowledge and expertise to engage inIjtihad. However, Ijtihad is also recognised as necessary for the evolution ofIslamic law, but it should be approached with caution and respect for Islamic scholarship traditions.[69] Darul Uloom Deoband established the first Department of Fatwa, or Darul Ifta, in 1892, followed by otherDeobandi madrasas and organisations such as theIslamic Fiqh Academy (India), which constitute the bedrock for the development of the Deobandi fiqh.[70]Rashid Ahmad Gangohi is considered the founder of Deobandi fiqh, withAshraf Ali Thanwi andAziz-ul-Rahman Usmani regarded as key figures.[71] The earliest text of Deobandi fiqh isFatawa-e-Rashidiya, with other important texts includingImdad-ul-Fatawa andFatawa Darul Uloom Deoband.[72] Deobandi fiqh plays a vital role inAfghanistan's judiciary system,[73] withTaqi Usmani andKhalid Saifullah Rahmani recognised as prominent contemporaryfaqihs of the Deobandi school.[74] Digital initiatives such asDarulifta-Deoband.com andAskimam demonstrate the digitisation of Deobandi fiqh.[75][76] A significantfatwa in Deobandi fiqh is theFatwa of Peace for Humanity, issued byFarid Uddin Masood in 2016, endorsed by over 100,000 Islamic scholars from Bangladesh, declaring terrorism asharam or forbidden, based on Islamic scripture and tradition.[77]
Deobandi jihadism pertains to amilitant interpretation of Islam that draws upon the teachings of the Deobandi movement. The Deobandi movement underwent three waves of armed conflict. The first wave resulted in the establishment of an Islamic territory centered onThana Bhawan by the movement's elders during theIndian Rebellion of 1857,[3][7][78][79] prior to the founding of Darul Uloom Deoband.[80]Imdadullah Muhajir Makki served as theAmir al-Mu'minin of this Islamic territory,Rashid Ahmad Gangohi as theChief justice, andMuhammad Qasim Nanautavi as theCommander-in-chief.[81] However, following the British victory over the Deobandi forces in theBattle of Shamli, the territory fell. After the establishment of Darul Uloom Deoband,Mahmud Hasan Deobandi initiated the second wave. He attempted to mobilise an armed resistance against the British through various initiatives, including the formation of the Samratut Tarbiat. When the British uncovered hisSilk Letter Movement, they arrested him and held him captive in Malta. Following his release, he and his followers entered mainstream politics and actively participated in the democratic process. In the late 1970s, thePakistan–Afghan border became the epicenter of the Deobandi jihadist movement's third wave, which was fueled by theSoviet–Afghan War.[82][3] Under the auspices of PresidentMuhammad Zia-ul-Haq, its expansion occurred through various madrasas, such asDarul Uloom Haqqania andJamia Uloom-ul-Islamia, with political support provided byJamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S). Trained militants from the Pakistan–Afghan border participated in the Afghan jihad and later formed various organisations, including theTaliban. The most prominent example of Deobandi jihadism is the Taliban, who establishedIslamic rule in Afghanistan.Sami-ul-Haq, the head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S), is regarded as the "father of the Taliban."
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind is one of the leading Deobandi organisations in India. It was founded in British India in 1919 byAhmad Saeed Dehlavi,Sanaullah Amritsari and several other scholars includingKifayatullah Dehlawi who was elected its first interim president.[83] The Jamiat has propounded a theological basis for its nationalistic philosophy. Their thesis is that Muslims and non-Muslims have entered upon a mutual contract in India since independence, to establish a secular state.[84] The Constitution of India represents this contract.[85]
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) is a Deobandi organisation, part of the Deobandi movement.[86] TheJUI formed when members broke from theJamiat Ulema-e-Hind in 1945 after that organisation backed theIndian National Congress against theMuslim League's lobby for a separate Pakistan.[citation needed] The first president of the JUI wasShabbir Ahmad Usmani.
Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam (Urdu:مجلس احرارلأسلام), also known in short asAhrar, was a conservative Deobandi political party in theIndian subcontinent during theBritish Raj (prior to theindependence ofPakistan) founded 29 December 1929 atLahore.Chaudhry Afzal Haq,Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari,Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi,Mazhar Ali Azhar,Zafar Ali Khan andDawood Ghaznavi were the founders of the party.[87] The Ahrar was composed of Indian Muslims disillusioned by theKhilafat Movement,[88][89][8] which cleaved closer to theCongress Party.[90][page needed] The party was associated with opposition toMuhammad Ali Jinnah and against establishment of an independentPakistan as well as criticism of theAhmadiyya movement.[91] After theindependence ofPakistan in 1947, Majlis-e-Ahrar divided in two parts. Now, Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam is working for the sake of Muhammad[vague], nifaazHakomat-e-illahiyya and Khidmat-e-Khalq. In Pakistan, Ahrar secretariat is inLahore and in India it is based inLudhiana.
Tablighi Jamaat, a non-political Deobandi missionary organisation, began as an offshoot of the Deobandi movement.[92] Its inception is believed to be a response to Hindu reform movements, which were considered a threat to vulnerable and non-practising Deobandi Muslims. It gradually expanded from a local to a national organisation, and finally to a transnational movement with followers in over 200 countries. Although its beginnings were from the Deobandi movement, it has now established an independent identity though it still maintains close ties with Deobandi ulema in many countries with large South Asian Muslim populations such as the UK.[93]
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) (Army ofJhangvi) was a Deobandi militant organisation.[94] Formed in 1996, it operated inPakistan as an offshoot ofSipah-e-Sahaba (SSP).Riaz Basra broke away from the SSP over differences with his seniors.[95] The group, now practically defunct since the unsuccessfulOperation Zarb-e-Azab, is considered aterrorist group byPakistan and the United States,[96] It was involved in attacks on civilians and protectors of them.[97][98] Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is predominantlyPunjabi.[99] The group has been labelled by intelligence officials in Pakistan as a major security threat.[100]
TheTaliban ("students"), alternative spelling Taleban,[101] is anIslamic fundamentalist political andmilitant movement inAfghanistan. It spread into Afghanistan and formed a government, ruling as theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan from September 1996 until December 2001, withKandahar as the capital.While in power, it enforced its strict interpretation ofSharia law.[102] While many leading Muslims and Islamic scholars have been highly critical of the Taliban's interpretations of Islamic law,[103] the Darul Uloom Deoband has consistently supported the Taliban in Afghanistan, including their 2001 destruction of theBuddhas of Bamiyan,[14] and the majority of the Taliban's leaders were influenced by Deobandi fundamentalism.[104]Pashtunwali, the Pashtun tribal code, also played a significant role in the Taliban's legislation.[105] The Taliban were condemned internationally for their brutaltreatment of women.[106][107]
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (the TTP), alternatively referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is anumbrella organisation of variousIslamist militant groups based in the northwesternFederally Administered Tribal Areas along theAfghan border in Pakistan. In December 2007 about 13 groups united under the leadership ofBaitullah Mehsud to form the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.[108][109] Among the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan's stated objectives are resistance against the Pakistani state, enforcement of their interpretation ofsharia and a plan to unite againstNATO-led forces in Afghanistan.[108][109][110]
The TTP is not directly affiliated with the Afghan Taliban movement led byMullah Omar, with both groups differing greatly in their histories, strategic goals and interests although they both share a primarily Deobandi interpretation of Islam and are predominantlyPashtun.[110][111]
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) is a banned Pakistani militant organisation, and a formerly registered Pakistani political party. Established in the early 1980s inJhang by the militant leaderHaq Nawaz Jhangvi, its stated goal is primarily to deter majorShiite influence in Pakistan in the wake of theIranian Revolution.[112][113] The organisation was banned by PresidentPervez Musharraf in 2002 as being aterrorist group under theAnti-Terrorism Act of 1997.[112][113]In October 2000Masood Azhar, another militant leader, and founder ofJaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), was quoted as saying that "Sipah-e-Sahaba stands shoulder to shoulder with Jaish-e-Muhammad in Jehad."[114] A leaked U.S. diplomatic cable described JeM as "another SSP breakaway Deobandi organisation."[115]
Right afterDarul Uloom Deoband, the main center of Deobandism throughout the world,Mazahir Uloom, Saharanpur is the second known Deobandi madrassa in India, which produced the scholars likeZakariyya Kandhlawi.Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi's establishedMadrasa Shahi, Moradabad, the alma of scholars likeMufti Mahmud andSaeed Ahmad Akbarabadi has its position.Darul Uloom Karachi, founded byMuhammad Shafi,Jamia Binoria andJamia Uloom-ul-Islamia inPakistani are top Deobandi institutions there.Darul Uloom Bury,Holcombe, established byYusuf Motala during 1970s is the first Deobandi madrassa of the West[116] In South Africa,[117][118] Darul UlumNewcastle, was founded in 1971 byCassim Mohammed Sema[119] andDar al-Ulum Zakariyya inLenasia,[120][121][122]Madrasah In'aamiyyah,Camperdown is known for its Dar al-Iftaa (Department of Fatwa Research and Training) which runs the popular online fatwa service, Askimam.org.[123]Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam is the first established Deobandi madrassa inBangladesh, which produced the scholars likeShah Ahmad Shafi,Junaid Babunagari.Al-Rashid Islamic Institute, Ontario, Canada,Darul Uloom Al-Madania inBuffalo, New York,Jamiah Darul Uloom Zahedan in Iran andDarul Uloom Raheemiyyah are some top Deobandi institutions.
Some prominent founders of theDarul Uloom Deoband, such asMuhammad Qasim Nanautavi andRashid Ahmad Gangohi, drew further inspiration from the religiopoliticial concept ofShah Waliullah and they set up an Islamic seminary atDeoband inUP on 30 May 1866
The Ulama of Deoband opposed partition and stood by united nationalism. Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani, then chief of Jami'at-ul-Ulama-i-Hind, wrote a tractMuttahida Qaumiyyat aur Islam i.e., the Composite Nationalism and Islam justifying composite nationalism in the light of Qur'an and hadith and opposing Muslim League's separate nationalism. While the educated elite were aspiring for power and hence wanted their exclusive domain; the Ulama's priority was an independent India where they could practice Islam without fear or hindrance.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)That tendency [of reviving the community of believers] emerged in a town north of Delhi called Deoband and it is therefore known as the Deobandi movement. While they shared the Wahhabis' dedication to ritual correctness, their scrupulous adherence to the Hanafi legal school clearly set them apart from the Arabian Hanbalis.
The following books and subjects are studied ... Fiqh: Hidayah, Quduri, Nur al-Idah, Sharh-i Waqayah, Kanz al-Daqa'iq
Polemicists from among the Ahl-i Hadith were especially being targeted in Thanawi's explanation, since they accused those who adhered to the rulings of one scholar or legal school of "blind imitation". It was the practice of the Ahl-i Hadith to demand and provide proofs for every argument and legal ruling.
The Deobandi sensitivity to the Ahl-i Hadith challenge is indicated by the polemics they engaged in with the Ahl-i Hadith and by the large commentaries on classical works of hadith written specifically to refute them
...gave a new and, in the Indian context, unprecedented salience to the study of hadith in their madrasas. Hadith had, of course, been studied in precolonial Indian madrasas, but the Deobandis instituted the practice of studying (or, more exactly, "reviewing") all six of the Sunni canonical collections of hadith in the course of a single year; this practice has come to serve in Indian and Pakistani madrasas as the capstone of a student's advanced madrasa
DEOBANDIS... It was a pioneer effort to transmit the religious sciences, specifically the dars-i-nizami identified with the Lucknow-based 'ulama' of Farangi Mahal.. The goal of the school was to preserve the teachings of the faith in a period of non-Muslim rule and considerable social change...
{{citation}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Muslim politics in India opened a new chapter after the formation of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in 1919 A.D. under the initiative ofUlema ofDeoband. It was founded by the dedicated freedom fighter Sheikh-Ul-Hindi Maulana Mahmudul Hasan of Darul-Uloom, Deoband. Jamiat played a very active role in India's freedom struggle.
A predominantly Punjabi group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is linked with the 2002 murder of US reporter Daniel Pearl and other militant attacks, particularly in the southern city of Karachi.
As soon as it took power though, the Taliban imposed its strict interpretation of Islamic law on the country
The Taliban's mindset is, however, equally if not more deaned by Pashtunwali
In the UK the Dār al-'Ulūm al-'Arabiyyah al-Islāmiyyah (Bury madrasa) and Jāmi'at ta'līm al-Islām (Dewsbury madrasa) are considered the 'Oxbridge' of the traditional madrasa world....The need for leadership and imams increased alongside the increasing number of Mosques and in 1975 the first madrasa was established in a village called Holcombe situated near Bury – known as Dār al-'Ulūm Bury or Bury Madrasa.
opportunities for studies were created locally when in 1971 the first Darul-Ulum was established in Newcastle, Kwazulu Natal. This Darul-Ulum was based on the Darsi-Nizami course from Deoband, India.
It became clear through field research by the author that Deobandi schools in several countries increasingly rely on graduates from Azaadville and Lenasia. The two schools and their graduates are functioning as network multiplicators between Deobandi schools worldwide.
The Islamic schools in Lenasia and Azaadville in South Africa represent prominent examples of schools that provide religious education in a format which is firmly rooted in traditions and interpretations of Islam originating outside South Africa. Established by the Muslim minority community of the country, the schools follow the Deobandi interpretation of Islam from South Asia.
For the Tablighi Jama'at, the two schools are important switchboards for their preaching activities in South Africa, in Africa proper and around the world.
He began teaching the basic subjects and was regularly promoted until he became the head-teacher and the Shaykh al-Hadith. He served the Darul Uloom until 1914 (1333)...The Shaykh was very active politically as well. A movement known as Reshmi Roomal was formed in India to remove the British. He played a major role in advancing this movement.
وكان أكبر كبارها وشيخ شيوخها الشيخ محمود حسن الديوبندي الملقب بشيخ العالم، والمعروف بشيخ الهند، وكان في الحديث الشريف مسند الوقت ورحلة الأقطار الهندية. (Trans. And the greatest of its [Dar al-Ulum Deoband's] great ones, and the shaykh of its shaykhs was Shaykh Mahmud Hasan al-Deobandi, who is entitled (al-mulaqqab) Shaykh al-'Aalam, and popularly known (al-ma'ruf bi) as Shaykh al-Hind. In regards to the noble Hadith, he was the authority of his time (musnid al-waqt), whom students traveled from all parts of India [to study with].
The Bihishti Zewar was written by Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi (1864–1943), a leader of the Deobandi reform movement that crystallized in north India in the late nineteenth century...Maulana Thanawi was an extraordinary successful exponent of reform.
This great Hafiz of Hadith, excellent Hanafi jurist, legist, historian, linguist, poet, researcher and critic, Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri...He went to the biggest Islamic University inIndia, the Darul Uloom al-Islamiyah in Deoband...He contributed greatly to the Hanafi Madhab...He wrote many books, approximately 40...Many renowned and erudite scholars praised him and acknowledged his brilliance...Many accomplished scholars benefited from his vast knowledge.
After Shaykh al-Hind's demise, he was unanimously acknowledged as his successor. ..He was the President of the Jamiat Al-Ulama-Hind for about twenty years...He taught Sahih Al-Bukhari for about thirty years. During his deanship, the strength of the students academically impred...About 4483 students graduated and obtained a continuous chain of transmission (sanad) in Hadith during his period.
In recent years, the Islamic missionary movement of the Tablighi Jama'at has attracted increasing attention, not only in South Asia, but around the globe...The Tablighi movement came into being in 1926 when Muhammad Ilyas (1885–1944) started preaching correct religious practices and observance of rituals...Starting with Ilyas' personal association with the Dar al-Ulum of Deoband, the movement has been supported by religious scholars, 'ulama', propagating the purist teachings of this seminary located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
He completed his formal education [from Deoband] in 1907 (1325) with specialization in Hadith. Thereafter he taught for some time at the Dar al-Uloom Deoband...He supported the resolution for the independence of Pakistan and assisted Muhammad Ali Jinnah...He was given the task of hoisting the flag of Pakistan...Due to his tremendous effort, the first constitution of Pakistan was based on the Quraan and Sunnah...Fath Al-Mulhim bi Sharh Sahih Muslim. Even though he passed away before being able to complete the book it was accepted and praised by many renowned scholars. These include Shaykh Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari and Shaykh Anwar Shah Kashmiri.
The scholar of great learning, Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Shafi' (Allah Almighty have mercy on him), is counted amongst the leading 'ulama of India and Pakistan...He completed his studies in the year 1325 H, and because he was from the advanced students in the period of his studies, the teachers of the Dar al-'Ulum selected him to become a teacher there...the teachers appointed him as the head of the Fatwa Department at Dar al-'Ulum...Ma'arif al-Qur'an. This is a valuable exegesis of the Noble Qur'an which Shaykh [Muhammad Shafi'] compiled in the Urdu language in 8 large volumes.
Muhammad Zakariyya can be termed as the "Reviver of Deobandi tasawwuf." He is the last in the long line of prominent scholar Sufis who epitomized Deobandi characteristics.
Leader of the Pakistan chapter of the Tablighi Jamaat [...] Hajji Abd al-Wahhab is a prominent Pakistani scholar with a significant following in South Asia and the United Kingdom...Abd al-Wahhab's work[...] stems from the prominent Islamic institution Darul Uloom Deoband, in India, where the latter studied before establishing a following in Pakistan.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)Leading scholar for the Deobandis...Usmani is very important as a figurehead in the Deobandi movement
He has been very effective in influencing all types of the communities ranging from businessmen and landlords to ministers and sports celebrities.
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