Rashid Ahmad Gangohi | |
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 Grave of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi in 1928 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Rashid Ahmad 12 June 1826[1][2] |
| Died | 11 August 1905 (aged 79)[1][2] |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Main interest(s) | Aqidah,Tafsir,Hadith,Fiqh |
| Notable idea(s) | Darul Uloom Deoband |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Creed | Maturidi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
| Muslim leader | |
| Disciple of | Haji Imdadullah |
Disciples
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Influenced by
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| Military service | |
| Years of service | 1857 |
| Battles/wars | Indian War of Independence |
| Part ofa series on the |
| Deobandi movement |
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| Ideology and influences |
| Founders and key figures |
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| Notable institutions |
| Centres (markaz) of Tablighi Jamaat |
| Associated organizations |
| Deobandi jihadism |
| Deobandi jihadism: |
Rashīd Aḥmad ibn Hidāyat Aḥmad Ayyūbī Anṣārī Gangohī[a] (12 June 1826 – 11 August 1905) was anIndianDeobandiIslamic scholar, a leading figure of theDeobandijurist and scholar ofhadith, author ofFatawa-e-Rashidiya.[2] His lineage reaches back toAbu Ayyub al-Ansari.[4][5]
Along withMuhammad Qasim Nanautawi he was a pupil ofMamluk Ali Nanautawi. Both studied the books of hadith underShah Abdul Ghani Mujaddidi and later becameSufi disciples ofHaji Imdadullah.[6] His lectures onSahih al-Bukhari andJami` at-Tirmidhi were recorded by his student Muhammad Yahya Kandhlawi, later edited, arranged, and commented on byZakariyya Kandhlawi, and published asLami al-Darari ala Jami al-Bukhari andAl-Kawakib al-Durri sharh Jami al-Tirmidhi.[7]
InTazkiratur Rashid his name and nasab is given as follows: Rashīd Aḥmad ibn Hidāyat Aḥmad[note 1] ibn Qāẓī Pīr Bak͟hsh ibn Qāẓī G͟hulām Ḥasan ibn Qāẓī G͟hulām ‘Alī ibn Qāẓī ‘Alī Akbar ibn Qāẓī Muḥammad Aslam al-Anṣārī al-Ayyūbī.[8] In the biographical workNuzhat al-Khawatir he is mentioned with the nisbats "al-Anṣārī, al-Ḥanafī, ar-Rāmpūrī then al-Gangohī".[9][2] In the introduction toal-Kawkab ad-Durri he is mentioned as "Mawlānā Abī Mas‘ūd Rashīd Aḥmad al-Anṣārī al-Ayyūbī al-Kankawhī al-Ḥanafī al-Jishtī an-Naqshbandī al-Qādirī as-Suhrawardī".[10]
His given name was Rashid Ahmad; Abu Masud was hiskunya.[citation needed] His heritage can be traced back to ProphetMuhammad's Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Salam companionAyub Ansari RadiAllahu ‘Anhu.[1]
Rashid Ahmad was born on Monday, 6 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1244 AH (12 June 1826) inGangoh, Saharanpur District,British India (in present-dayUttar Pradesh, India).[2][8][9][11][12] He was born in themahallah of Sarai, close to the tomb ofAbdul Quddus Gangohi.[8] Both his fatherMaulana Hidayat Ahmad and his mother Karimun Nisa belonged toAnsari Ayyubi families, claiming descent fromAbu Ayyub al-Ansari RadiAllahu 'anhu.[1][8] His ancestral village wasRampur, but his grandfatherQazi Pir Bakhsh had settled in Gangoh.[8]
Hidayat Ahmad was anIslamic scholar connected to the Waliullahi tradition,[8] and intasawwuf (Sufism) an authorizedkhalifah (successor) ofShah Ghulam Ali Mujaddidi Dihlawi.[8][12] He died in 1252 AH (1836) at the age of 35, when Rashid was seven.[8] A few years later Rashid's younger brother Sa'id Ahmad also died, at the age of nine.
After the death of Hidayat Ahmad, the responsibility for Rashid's upbringing fell to his grandfather Qazi Pir Bakhsh.[8][11] He also had four maternal uncles: Muhammad Naqi, Muhammad Taqi, Abdul Ghani, and Muhammad Shafi.[8] He was especially close to Abdul Ghani, who took on a fatherly role for him.[citation needed] He also had a close friendship with his younger cousin, Abun Nasr, son of Abdul Ghani's.[citation needed]
Rashid Ahmad received his elementary education from a local teacher, Miyanji Qutb Bakhsh Gangohi.[11] He read the Qur'an in Gangoh, probably at home with his mother.[11] Then he studied the primary Persian books with his older brother Inayat Ahmad.[8] He completed Persian studies inKarnal with his maternal uncle Muhammad Taqi,[8][9] and also partly with Muhammad Ghaus.[8] Afterwards he studied the primary books of Arabic grammar (sarf andnahw) with Muhammad Bakhsh Rampuri,[8][9] on whose encouragement he then traveled to Delhi in pursuit of knowledge in 1261 AH (1845), at the age of 17.[8]
After arriving in Delhi he studied Arabic with Qazi Ahmaduddin Punjabi Jehlami.[8][9][2] Afterwards he attended the classes of different teachers before becoming a pupil ofMamluk Ali Nanautawi, a scholar of the Shah Waliullah line, and a professor atDelhi College. It was in this period that Rashid Ahmad met and developed a close companionship with Mamluk Ali's nephew,Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi. Both were private pupils of Mamluk Ali. After he completed his studies with Mamluk Ali, he stayed a few more years in Delhi to study under other teachers. He became a pupil of Mufti Sadruddin Azurdah, with whom he studied some books of theulum-i aqliyah (rational sciences).[12] He studied the books ofhadith andtafsir underShah Abdul Ghani Mujaddidi. Shah Ahmad Sa'id, the older brother of Shah Abdul Ghani Mujaddidi, was also among his teachers.[8][9][2]
After four years in Delhi, Rashid returned home to Gangoh.[citation needed] He married Khadijah, daughter of his uncle Muhammad Naqi, at the age of 21. It was not until after his marriage that he memorized the Qur'an. He then travelled to Thana Bhawan, where he gave bay'ah (allegiance) at the hand of Haji Imdadullah in the Sufi path. He remained in Imdadullah's company and service for 42 days. When he prepared to leave for Gangoh, Imdadullah held his hand and gave him permission to take disciples.[citation needed]
While Nanautawi and Gangohi are often mentioned as co-founders of Darul Uloom Deoband, Rizvi writes that there is no historical evidence that Gangohi played a role in its establishment in 1283 AH.[citation needed] However, due to his close relationship with Nanautawi and others involved, it is unlikely that he was unaware of its founding.[citation needed] Rizvi cites a record of Gangohi's written inspection of the madrasah on 3 Rajab 1285 AH as the earliest evidence for his formal relationship with the madrasah. It was also common for graduates of the madrasah to attend Rashid Ahmad's hadith lectures in Gangoh.[citation needed]
Alongside Muhammad Qasim Nanautvi, Gangohi's efforts were instrumental in fostering a transnational,pan-Islamic consciousness in thesubcontinent amongst the educated middle classes; during an era of increasing connectivity and arrival of new technologies of communication.[citation needed] He forbade Muslims from engaging in various customs which he regarded as stemming fromHindu culture and criticised thoseMuslims "who retained trappings of ‘Hindu’ culture and lifestyles"; whether in clothing or lifestyle. As a strong opponent of theBritish rule; Gangohi also fiercely denounced the singing of patriotic British songs in English schools; denouncing it as an act ofKufr (disbelief).[13]
In 1297 AH, after the death of Qasim, Rashid was madesarparast (patron) of Darul Uloom Deoband. From 1314 AH he was alsosarparast of the Darul Uloom's sister madrasah,Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur.[14]
In 1314 AH he also lost his eye-sight and became blind. In 1323 AH during the Tahujjad prayers (predawn prayers), he was bitten by a highly venomous snake.[15] This led to him later dying on (the same day) Friday, 8 Jumada II 1323 AH (1905 AD) after the Adhan (call for prayer) for the Friday prayer.[1]
Rashid Ahmad Gangohi pronounced Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani a deceiver (Dajjal) and his followers kuffar (disbelievers).[16]
Qadianis maintain Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, as having died in consequence of a Mubahila (prayer duel) with their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani after Gangohi's fatwa of kufr regarding Mirza Ghulam Ahamd Qadiani.[17] Whereas, the opposing view is that this was a natural occurrence without any connection to any prayer duel, rather it was a martyrdom.
His biographical works include:Yaad Yaraan byAshraf Ali Thanwi and Habibur Rahman Usmani,[18]Wasl al-Habeeb ma'a Wasī'at Nāmah wa Qaṣīdat Mudḥiḥa byAashiq-e-Ilahi Mirathi,[19]Tazkiratur Rashid byAashiq-e-Ilahi Mirathi.[20][21]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) Excerpted from ‘Abd al-Hayy ibn Fakhr ad-Din al-Hasani; Abu ’l-Hasan ‘Ali al-Hasani an-Nadwi.Nuzhat al-Khawatir, Published 26 April 2009, Retrieved 16 August 2018{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: location (link){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| People |
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