Kifayatullah Dehlawi | |
|---|---|
| Interim President ofJamiat Ulama-e-Hind | |
| In office November 1919 – November 1920 | |
| Preceded by | "position established" |
| Succeeded by | Mahmud Hasan Deobandi |
| 2nd President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind | |
| In office 6 September 1921 – 7 June 1940 | |
| Preceded by | Mahmud Hasan Deobandi |
| Succeeded by | Hussain Ahmad Madani |
| 2nd Rector ofMadrasa Aminia | |
| In office "unknown" – 31 December 1952 | |
| Preceded by | Amin al-Din Dehlawi |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad Saeed Dehlavi |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1875 |
| Died | 31 December 1952(1952-12-31) (aged 77) |
| Nationality |  British Indian (1875-1947) Indian (1947-1952) |
| Children | Hafizur Rahman Wasif Dehlavi (son) |
| Notable work(s) | Ta'limul-Islam,Kifāyat al-Mufti |
| Alma mater |
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| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Creed | Maturidi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
| Senior posting | |
Students | |
Influenced by | |
Kifayatullah Dehlawi (also known asMufti Kifayatullah; c. 1875 – c. 31 December 1952), was an IndianIslamic scholar and aHanafi jurist, who served as the second rector of theMadrasa Aminia. He was appointed as an interim president of theJamiat Ulama-e-Hind on its foundation, and as its second president following the death ofMahmud Hasan Deobandi. He was regarded as theGrand Mufti of India.[1][2]
He was a founding member ofJamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and was on its foundation committee, which was headed byMahmud Hasan Deobandi.[3][1][4]
Dehlawi’s family had shifted fromBhopal toShahjahanpur. Dehlawi‘s father, Inayatullah, had four sons and two daughters and was poor.[1]
Kifayatullah ibn Inayatullah ibn Faidhullah ibn Khairullah ibn 'Ibadullah Dehlvi was born inShahjahanpur, a district inUttar Pradesh, India in 1875.[5] At the age of five, he commenced his education at themaktab of Hafiz Barakatullah. There, he completed the Qur'an and obtained instruction inUrdu and elementaryPersian from Nasimullah. Thereafter, he enrolled at Madrasa 'Azeeziya. There, he completed hisPersian studies, studying the most advancedkitab of Persian,Sikandar Naama, and commenced his Arabic studies under Budhun Khan. Then, Dehlawi was sent with a letter of recommendation from his teacher, 'Ubaidul Haq, to the administrator of the Madrasa 'Arabiya at Shahi Masjid inMuradabad. He was admitted and remained at the residence of Muhammad Isma'il. Since his father was poor, Dehlawi covered his educational expenses by weaving and sellingtopis. He studied there for two years. Dehlawi then enrolled atDarul Uloom Deoband in 1895. Because of his memory and intelligence, he did not exert as much effort but quickly overtook his classmates and earned the highest marks on his examinations. He completed his studies at Darul Uloom Deoband in 1898[5] at the age of twenty-two.[1]
After graduating, Dehlawi spent time inDelhi with his close friend, Aminuddin. Then, he returned toShahjahanpur, where his former teacher, 'Ubaidul Haq, had founded Madrasa 'Ainul 'Ilm. Dehlawi became a teacher there and handled the secretarial and administrative duties. Dehlawi also taught Arabic andPersian. His salary was fifteen rupees per month. Along with his duties as a teacher and administrator, Dehlawi started to answer fatwas during this period. In his answer to each fatwa, Dehlawi was meticulous and cautious and would answer with well-written evidence. While at Madrasa 'Ainul 'Ilm, Dehlawi also started a monthly periodical,Al Burhan, in response to theQadianis. The first issue was published in Sha'baan of 1321 AH and made an attempt to refute Qadiyani beliefs.[1]
Around this time, Madrasa 'Ainul 'Ilm’s finances started to deteriorate. Thus, in 1321 AH, the teachers' salaries were reduced. Dehlawi’s salary was reduced from eighteen to sixteen rupees per month. However, he remained at Madrasa 'Ainul 'Ilm for five more years until the death of his teacher, 'Ubaidul Haq Khan. Thereafter, Dehlawi moved toDelhi and became a teacher atMadrasa Aminia. Besides teachinghadith and answering fatwas, Dehlawi managed the organizational affairs of themadrasa. His salary was twenty rupees per month.[citation needed]
The courts of law benefited from his presence as well. After his arrival at Madrasa Aminia, Dehlawi commenced a step-by-step implementation of beneficial reforms to the educational structure of themadrasa. Then, in 1328 AH, he initiated an assembly calledAnjuman Islahul Kalaam. The purpose of this gathering was to teach students how to deliver speeches and debate. Every eighth day, each student had to deliver a speech or engage in a dialogue and Dehlawi would help. This assembly was successful in its aim, but was eventually ended due to a lack of participation. After fifty years, Dehlawi had answered hundreds of thousands offataawa and his rulings are a treasure tofiqh. The fatwas of Dehlawi were extremely concise yet full of well-written evidence. His fatwas were always answered according to the intent of the questioner. It was for this reason that he was renowned among common folk as well as the officials of the courts of law, who would prefer his rulings in religious cases.[1]
He was appointed the first president of theJamiat Ulama-e-Hind, a position he served until 1940.[6] He also drafted a fatwa recommending a boycott of British goods which was signed by around 500 Muslim scholars.[7]
From an early age, Dehlawi enjoyed reading and writing. His first major endeavour was the magazine,Al Burhan, which he wrote in refutation of theQadiyani beliefs.[5] His second major work was an Arabic poem,Raudur Rayyaahin, published in 1909. It was first presented at the annual convention of Madrasa Aminia in 1908. The eloquence and grandeur of the poem were such that Dehlawi was requested to produce anUrdu translation with footnotes, providing more details than and explaining difficult words from the original. Dehlawi’s most renowned publication isTa'limul Islam, four volumes of questions and answers for children as well as adults in simple language. The 4 volumes can be considered as 4 modules of a course in which a student gets a basic certificate on the 1st, an intermediate degree on the 2nd, a diploma degree on the 3rd, and a professional degree in Taleem ul Islam on completion of all volumes/modules. Dehlawi wrote other religious books which are no longer available. He actually produced few works because his teaching, political activities, domestic activities, and answering fatwas busied him to such an extent that he had no time to write.[1]
During his final years, due to what he saw as the deterioration of morality in society, clashes betweenHindus andMuslims, and other reasons, Dehlawi withdrew from politics and became reclusive, not even giving public comment.[citation needed]
In his final months, he suffered severe liver illness, despite medical treatment. On 31 December 1952, he died at the age of 77. He was buried nearQutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, inMehrauli,Delhi. His funeral was attended by 100,000 people.[4]
Dehlawi‘s students includeMuhammad Taqi Amini,Izaz Ali Amrohi.[4][5] Hazrat Molana Allah Yar Khan, Chakrala Pakistan.
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