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THE
SIX GREAT ONES
The names of those gentlemen who participated from the very inception in
establishing Darul-Uloom and in running its administration are as follows:
Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, Hadhrat Haji Syed Muhamad Abid Deobandi,
Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi, Hadhrat Maulana Rafiuddin Deobandi,
Hadhrat Maulana Zulfiqar Ali Deobandi and Hadhrat Maulana Fazlur Rahman Usmani
Deobandi. Another one name is Hadhrat Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi.
Although
no clue of Hadhrat Gangohi's formed relation with Darul Uloom is found before
A.H. 1285, in the light of the deep relations he has had ab
initio
with the elders of Darul Uloom, it seems impossible that he might have
remained unconcerned with the movement of Darul Uloom. After their stay in Darul
Uloom and completing their education there, some students used to go to Gangoh
and used to benefit by attending Hadhrat Gangohi's lectures on Hadith.
Hence, it becomes necessary and inevitable to mention Hadhrat Gangohi along with
the elders of Darul Uloom.
HADHRAT
MAULANA MUHAMMAD QASIM NANAUTAWI
He
is amongst the last gleaners of the Waliullahian harvest of knowledge. He was
born in 1248/1832. In the environs of Saharanpur there is an old village,
Nanauta, reputed for producing men of high caliber. It was from this productive
mine that this unique jewel of the first water came out whose scintillating
knowledge illumined and made resplendent the academic and religious assemblies
in the later half of the 13th century Hijri. Primary education he
received at his native-place after which he was sent to Deoband where he read
for some time in Maulawi Mahtab Ali's primary school. Then he went away to his
maternal grandfather at Saharanpur where the latter was practicing as a
pleader. In Saharanpur he studied the elementary books of Arabic grammar and
syntax under the instruction of Maulawi Nawaz. At the end of 1259/1843, Maulana
Mamlook Ali took him to Delhi. There he began the Kafia and read other books.
Thereafter he was admitted to the Delhi College but he did not take the annual
examination. MauIana Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi writes:
“My
late father got Maulawi Sahib admitted to the Government Arabic Madrasah
and said: 'See Euclid yourself and do exercises of arithmetic. After some
days, it was talked about that Maulawi Sahib had seen all the ordinary
discourses and had completed the exercises of arithmetic. Munshi Zakaullah
brought some questions, which were very difficult. On solving them Maulana
became very well known. When the annual examination drew near, Maulawi Sahib did
not take it and left the Madrasah. All in the Madrasah,
particularly the head-master who was the principal English teacher, regretted
this very much".
Before entering Delhi College, he had read books of logic, philosophy and
scholastic theology like Mir Zahid, Qazi Mubarak, Sadra, Shams-e-
Bazigha under the instruction of Maulana Mamlook Ali at the latter's house.
In the end, he joined that study-circle which then possessed a central
position in the whole of India with regard to the teaching of the sciences of
the Quran and Hadith. Hadhrat Shah Abdul-Ghani Mujaddidi was then gracing the Masnad
of knowledge of Shah Waliullah. From him he acquired the science of Hadith;
during his student-days, it self the fame of his acuteness, knowledge and
learning, comprehension and discernment had become widespread.
Hadhrat
Maulana Nanautawi's illustrious contemporary, Sir Syed, has expressed his
impressions of the farmer’s acuteness, knowledge and learning, asceticism and
piety, understanding and discernment during student days in the following words:
"The
people thought that after Maulawi Muhammad Ishaq no man like him in all those
qualities was to be born, but Maulawi Muhammad Qasim has proved by his
consummate righteousness, religiosity, piety, abstinence and humili1y that,
through the education and training of this city of Delhi, Allah has created
another man a like of Maulawi Muhammad Ishaq, rather superior to him in certain
things.
"There are many people alive who have seen Maulawi Muhammad Qasim receiving
education at Delhi at a very young age. He had studied all the books under the
late Maulawi Mamlook Ali. From the very beginning the signs of piety,
abstinence, virtuousness and devotion to God were apparent from his ways and
manners and the following couplet was perfectly applicable to him:
'Over his head
through his intelligence was shining the star of loftiness'.
"During
the period of prosecuting studies, even as he was well-known and reputed for his
intelligence, keenness of mind, understanding and discernment, he was equally
well spoken of by men of learning and accomplishments for his virtuousness and
devoutness. Maulawi Muzaffar Hussain Sahib's company had inclined him very much
towards conformance to the prophetic Sunnah and top grace of the company of Haji
Imdadullah had made his heart into a top-ranking heart. He himself conformed to
the Shariah and the Sunnah and tried his level best to make people also conform
to the Shariah and the Sunnah. Nevertheless he was always anxious about the weal
of the Muslims. It was through his efforts that a very useful Madrasah
for imparting the education of religious sciences was established at Deoband and
a very fine mosque was built. Besides this, through his effort and endeavor,
Islamic Madrasahs were established at other places too. He did not at all wish
to be a mystagogue, a spiritual preceptor, and yet, thousands of people in
India, particularly in the northern and western districts, believed in him and
considered him their spiritual leader.
"As regards controversial questions some people were displeased with him
and he too was displeased with some, but as for as we understand we cannot
impute any action of Maulawi Muhammad Qasim, whether it be of displeasure with
anyone or of pleasure, to egoism, obduracy and antagonism. All the works and
deeds that he performed were purely for God's sake and with an eye on the
recompense of the hereafter; and he used to follow whatever he considered true
and right.
Both, to be displeased or to be pleased with anyone, were for the sake of God.
Maulawi Muhammad Qasim did not consider any man good or bad due to his personal
relations but because a man does bad works or speaks bad things, he considered
him bad for the sake of God. The question of love for the sake of Allah' and
'aversion for the sake of Allah' was peculiar to his treatment. All his habits
were angelic. We all used to cherish sincere love for him, and such a man who
may have passed his life with such virtuousness is indubitably worthy of
utmost love.
"In
these days all people admit and perhaps those people too who dissented from him
in certain open questions might be admitting that Maulawi Muhammad Qasim was a
matchless man in this world. His rank in knowledge in those days may perhaps be
less than that of Shah Abdul Aziz to some extent; otherwise in all other things
it was superior. In humility, virtue and simplicity, if his rank was not higher
than that of Maulawi Muhammad Ishaq, it was, not inferior either. He was realty
a man of angelic habits and celestial disposition, and the world's being
bereaved of the existence of such a man is the cause of extreme sorrow and
regret for those who survive after him".
After the completion of his education, Maulana Nanautawi took up as a means of
livelihood the work of correcting the press at Matba-e Ahmedi, Delhi, which was
then owned by Maulana Ahmed Ali Muhaddith Saharanpuri. In those days, at Maulana
Ahmed Ali's instance, he also wrote a scholium on the last few portions of the
Sahih Bukhari.
THE
METHOD OF TEACHING HADITH
Hadhrat
Nanautawi has played a great part in developing that method of affirmation and
preference for the Hanafite Mazhab (method, creed) and that style of sifting and
explanations, which are today the distinctive feature of the Darul Uloom
Deoband, and are also current and in use more or less in the lessons of Hadith
in the Arabic Madrasahs. Till the middle of the thirteenth century Hijri
only the translation of Hadith and the stating of the four methods (mazahib-e
arba'a) was considered enough; but when the Hanafites were accused by the Ahl-e
Hadith very emphatically that their method was not in accordance with Hadith,
Hadhrat Shah Muhammad Ishaq and some of his learned disciples paid attention to
the affirmation and superiority (tarjih) of the Hanafite method. In Darul Uloom
Deoband Hadhrat Nanautawi, Hadhrat Sheikhul-Hind and other Ulama developed it to
such on extent that today no teaching institution of Hadith of repute is to be
found devoid of it.
From Hadhrat Nanautawi’s lectures only those students could benefit adequately
who were themselves talented, intelligent and sharp-witted and, moreover, might
have already read the book with close attention. Hadhrat Nanautawi's geist,
maturity of vision and power of argumentation can be estimated on the whole from
his books. His statement was that "all the commandments of the Book and the
Sunnah are wholly rational; however, the intellect of every person cannot have
access there". Hakim Mansoor Ali Khan Muradabadi, who is amongst the
well-guided pupils of Hadhrat Nanautawi, writes in his Mazhab-e Mansoor about
the peculiarities of his teacher's giving lessons and lectures as under:
"The fact is
that whenever Hadhrat Nanautawi proved any important and difficult proposition
to be contrary to the mosses concepts, great men of light and learning used to
be amazed and astonished. The commandment, which looked absolutely without any
argument and demonstration used to look perfectly rational after his lecture.
Great men of knowledge and learning would not dare to say anything against me
arguments put forth by him".
The following statement of Hadhrat Shaikhul-Hind has been mentioned in the Arwah-e
Salasa; he says:
"I
used to attend Hadhrat Nanautawi's lecture after having read Hadhrat Shah
Waliullah's books and would ask him those things which used to be very difficult
in the Shah Sahib's books. And what used to be the lost answer in Shah Sahib's
books, Hadhrat (Nanautawi) would mention it first. I have experienced this thing
several times".
During
the incipient period of Darul Uloom Deoband he taught Euclid for some days in
the Chhatta Mosque. During teaching whenever he felt it necessary to explain a
figure to the students, he would draw the figure with his finger, without the
help of instruments and explain it to the students, although he had studied
mathematics and Euclid in Delhi College by himself, without the guidance of any
teacher. Hadhrat Nanautawi's lecture generally used to be within the four walls
of the Printing presses and was attended by particular person only. The grace of
his teaching produced such a party of accomplished, Ulama like Hadhrat Shaikul
Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan Deobandi, Maulana Ahmad Hasan Amrohi, Maulana Fakhrul
Hasan Gangohi, etc. the example where of is not to be seen after Hadhrat shah
Abul Ghani's time. And then he established the system of religious sciences
through the central educational institution like the Darul Uloom Deoband, which
now, due to its variegated quality, is the greatest seminary in Asia.
Some peculiarities of Hadhrat Maulana Nanautawi's teaching-work are very
important. A great one among them is that he never made it a means of earning
his living. Due to not being rich, he, of necessity, adopted a service for
earning his livelihood, but, instead of the educational line, he sought a job
of collation and emendation of books in a press; and then, contrary to the
general wont, instead of increment in pay, he used to insist on decrement, and
used to be content with such little pay, a mere pittance, on which he could
subsist with great difficulty, He never agreed to take more than ten, fifteen
rupees as pay. The highest post during the time that could be given to an Indian
could be his --- as Maulana Muhammad Yaqub has said --- 'at the slightest wink
of his eyes'; as such, many of those who were his contemporaries during the
educational career and were far inferior to him in academic ability had been
appointed on high government posts in the education department, but he never
approved of accepting an educational service. His father possessed a small plot
of cultivable land and was cherishing the hope that when the son would become a
religious doctor after completing education, he would get a job of reasonable
salary. When Maulana's contemporaries were appointed to good posts and he did
not show any inclination towards service, his father felt very sorry and told,
by way of a complaint, Hadhrat Haji Imdadullah: "This was my only son on
whom I had pinned many hopes. If he earned something and did service, our
poverty would be removed. God knows what you have done to him that he is not
willing to take up a job", Haji Sahib listened and held his peace then, but
later on sent him a word: "You complain of narrow circumstances. Allah Most
High will give him so much even without service that he will be better off than
in service, and holders of high posts, will take pride in serving him".
The method of the Ulama of the former times was different from the system of
teaching and learning the Arabic sciences, Madrasahs and cliquism that
prevails and is current nowadays. Generally the Ulama, sitting in their homes
and mosques, used to teach purely for the sake of Allah; and for earning their
livelihood they either took to commercial dealings or used to pass life trusting
in Allah. Very often it also happened that the Ulama who did no business for
livelihood and engaged themselves in teaching, trusting in the Providence, were
given reasonable stipends from the government of the day. The courage and
perseverance and contentment of the heart with which Hadhrat Nanautawi, inspite
of severely unfavorable circumstances, maintained this precious practice (lit.,
thing, effects) of the predecessors behaved him only. Hadhrat Haji Sahib used to
say about him: Formerly sometimes there used to be such people; now they do not
happen to be since long".
After
having completed his educational career, Hadhrat Nanautawi, as a means at
Livelihood, adopted the job at collating and emending of books in Matba-e
Ahmadi, Delhi, and this remained the means of earning till the end. Along
with emendation, the practice of teaching also continued. Besides the Sihah
Sitta, he also used to teach Masnavi-e Maulana Room and other books,
but the teaching work was done, instead of in a Madrasah, inside the four
walls of printing presses or a mosque or a house, where particular students only
used to sit respectfully.
HUMILITY
& INDEPENDENCE-FROM-WANT OR CONTENTMENT (lSTAGHNA)
Independence from want, humility and meekness were
to such a degree in his disposition that he never used the peculiar style or
dress of the Ulama - the gown and the turban. He used to feel much embarrassed
by veneration. He used to say: "This nominal knowledge spoilt me otherwise
I would have marred, my condition so much that none would have known that a man
named Qasim was at all born". He used to keep off generally from those
matters in which there could be a chance of being conspicuous.
In 1277/1860 he went for Hajj and on return from there he took up the job of
collating books in Matba-e Mujtabai, Meerut, and remained attached to the same
press till 1285/1868. Meanwhile, he again happened to go for Hajj, and
thereafter he joined Matba-e Hashimi, Meerut. During this period, the occupation
of teaching continued but he never liked service in any Madrasah. The
author of Sawanh-e Makhtutah has stated:
"It is a fact known
to all that the Madrasah Islami of Deoband was founded and developed by
him only, and what a small government it is, this establishment; but he never
took advantage of anything. In the incipience, the members of the council
requested him to accept teacher ship in this Madrasah and in return for
it a meager salary, but he did not accept and at no time, by any manner or
method, tolerated to have even a grain from the Madrasah. Although day
and night, he used to be busy in the good management of the Madrasah and
engaged in teaching. If perchance he wrote any of his letters with the pen and
inkpot of the Madrasah, he would immediately pay one Anna to the
treasury of the Madrasah.
SERVICES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF ISLAM & THE STARTING OF MADRASAHS
Hadhrat Nanautawi's greatest and most glorious
achievement is the revivifying of an educational movement for the renaissance of
religious sciences in India and the formulation of those guiding principles for
the religious schools on which their survival depends. Through his attention
and persuasion, religious Madrasahs were started at different places, like Thana
Bhawan (Dist. Muzaffarnagar), Gulaothi (Dist. Buland Shahar), Kerana (Dist.
Muzaffarnagar), Danapur (Dist. Buland Shahar), Meerut, Moradabad, etc. Most of
them still exist, rendering educational and religious services in their
vicinity.
Shoulder to shoulder with the English power, Christianity too had risen high in
India and prodigious efforts had been made to convert the people of India,
particularly, the Muslims, to Christianity in every possible way. With the
support and co-operation of the Company bases of Christian preaching and
organization were established throughout the length and breadth of the country,
and after the revolution of 1857/ 1274, this system received further; impetus
and expansion. Padres began to impeach and impugn Islam and the Prophet of Islam
(Allah's peace and blessings be on him) in markets, fairs and common gatherings.
When Hadhrat Nanautawi, during the period of his stay in Delhi witnessed this
situation, he also ordered his pupils to stand like that in the bazaars to give
sermons and repugnant and repudiate the padres. One day he himself, without
introduction and giving out his name, reached a gathering and, breaking lance
with Padre Tara Chand, repulsed him publicly in the bazaar. Thereafter he came
to be introduced with the famous polemic of Islam, Maulana Abul Mansoor
Nasirddin Ali Dehlawi (d. 1320/1902). This event took place between Rabiul Awwal,
1292, and Jamadiul-thania 1292. This was the period when Hadhrat Nanautawi was
staying in Munshi Mumtaz Ali's Matba-e Mujtabai, Delhi.
