Author: Sayyed Musleh Uddin
Deoband: The Mother of Religious Schools in the Indian Subcontinent (Part 5)
The Mother of Religious Schools in the Indian Subcontinent
The situation in India deteriorated after the famous nationwide revolution of the people of the Indian subcontinent against British colonialism in 1274 AH/1857 AD failed due to internal conspiracies and military repression by the colonialists. The Mughal Muslim government, which had ruled in Delhi until that day, breathed its last and fell, and from then on, Britain gained control over all of India.
The British forces unleashed a bloodbath in Delhi and other Indian cities, filling the streets with the bodies of martyrs and the wounded. In particular, they persecuted scholars, intellectuals, and leaders of the revolution, making them targets of their anger and wrath. Some were killed, some were displaced and forced to migrate, some were arrested and executed, and some were exiled to the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, which were very unfavorable in terms of climate and living conditions.
When all efforts to directly confront British colonialism failed, which was considered the main factor in the decline and destruction of Muslim rule in India, the last bold move was to enter the field of jihad and struggle. This was led by the founder of Darul Uloom Deoband, Imam Muhammad Qasim Nanotawi (MABH), along with his friends and noble comrades in the northern region of Muzaffarnagar city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was in this same battle that Hafiz Zaman Ali (MABH), one of the prominent and pious scholars, became a martyr alongside a group of others.
Eventually, darkness enveloped all of India. The British government confiscated all endowments, real estate, and sources of income of Islamic schools and took action to destroy centers of reform, thought, preaching, and education, aiming to ensure that over time, Muslims would grow up ignorant and uninformed, making it easier to guide them toward distorted Christianity.
As missionary activities against Islam surged with the support of the old colonialists and the widespread propaganda of Hindus, who often aligned with Christian missionaries, the scholars and leaders of Islam in India discussed and examined all the solutions that would help preserve the essence of Islam, authentic Islamic culture, and belief in this country. They concluded that the only solution was to establish centers and schools dedicated to the education of Islamic sciences, supported by the masses of the Muslim people. By doing so, the teachings of the Book and Sunnah and religious knowledge would be disseminated, ensuring that Muslims remained steadfast in their faith.
At the forefront of these scholars and great figures was Imam Muhammad Qasim Nanotawi (died 1297 AH/1879 CE), who, with the cooperation and consultation of his friends Maulana Rashid Ahmad Ganguhi (died 1323 AH/1905 CE), Maulana Zulfiqar Ali Deobandi (died 1322 AH/1904 CE), Haj Sayyed Muhammad Abed Deobandi (died 1331 AH/1912 CE), Maulana Yaqub Nanotawi (died 1302 AH/1884 CE), Maulana Rafi’uddin (died 1308 AH/1890 CE), and Maulana Fazlur Rahman Usmani Deobandi (died 1325 AH/1907 CE), established a school and center on Wednesday, the 15th of Muharram 1283 AH/30 May 1866 CE. The initial nucleus of the school began in an old mosque called “Masjid Chat’ta,” located southeast of the current site of Darul Uloom Deoband, and started with a teacher named “Mullah Mahmud” and a student named “Mahmudul Hasan.”
Later, this student rose to lead the Muslims and people of India in the Indian freedom movement against British colonialism and became known as “Sheikh-al-Hind.” Eventually, this movement contributed to India’s independence.
Deoband
This school began in a village called Deoband, an area that did not have any special characteristics at that time. Thanks to this school, initially called “Madrasah Arabiya Islamia,” it developed and became renowned. The name and fame of Deoband spread to the corners of the Indian subcontinent and even beyond, to other lands. Today, Deoband is more famous than many metropolitan cities in India.
Deoband is located in the Saharanpur district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, 150 km north of Delhi, the capital of India. The Ganges River flows through Saharanpur to the east, while the Yamuna River is to the west.
Deoband has a long history, and 55% of its population is Muslim. It has nurtured many scholars, jurists, writers, and poets, and as mentioned earlier, it has gained worldwide fame thanks to Darul Uloom Deoband.
Now, Deoband has grown into a city and possesses ancient monuments, including a fort built by the Mughal emperor Akbar Shah (d. 1014 AH/1605 CE). The famous historian Abul Fazl writes about this fort in his book Ayin Akbari: “Deoband has a fort made of baked bricks.” During the Muslim rule in India, many mosques were constructed in this city, including the “Qalha” Mosque during the reign of Sultan Sikander Lodhi (d. 923 AH/1517 AD), the Khanqah Tekiye-Kalan Mosque during the reign of Emperor Akbar, and the Abu al-Ma’ali Mosque during the reign of the benevolent Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir (d. 1118 AH/1706 AD).
These ancient mosques have their dates of establishment engraved on their doors and walls. There are other mosques in Deoband that are said to be older, but there is no documented evidence for their age.
Continues…
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