The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary ( darul uloom) in India at which the

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...

Deobandi Islamic movement began. It is located in Deoband, a town in

Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the D ...

. The seminary was established by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Fazlur Rahman Usmani, Sayyid Muhammad Abid and others in 1866.

Mahmud Deobandi Mahmud Deobandi (also known as Mulla Mahmud) (died 1886) was a Muslim scholar who became the first teacher at Darul Uloom Deoband. His most notable student is Mahmud Hasan Deobandi. Biography Mahmud was a fellow of Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, th ...

was the first teacher and Mahmud Hasan Deobandi was the first student. On 14 October 2020, the executive council of the seminary appointed Arshad Madani as the principal (''sadr-mudarris'') and Abul Qasim Nomani as the senior hadith professor (''shaykh al-hadith'').

History

Darul Uloom Deoband was established on 30 May 1866 by Fazlur Rahman Usmani, Sayyid Muhammad Abid, Muhammad Qasim Nanotawi,

Mehtab Ali Mehtab may refer to: * Mehtab (actress), Indian actress * Mehtab Kadınefendi, wife Sultan Abdülmecid I * Mehtab Bagh Mehtab Bagh () is a charbagh complex in Agra, North India. It lies north of the Taj Mahal complex and the Agra Fort on the ...

, Nehal Ahmad and Zulfiqar Ali Deobandi.

was appointed as the first teacher, and Mahmud Hasan Deobandi was the first student who enrolled in the seminary. In 1982, during the Vice Chancellorship of Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi, administrative disputes occurred in the seminary which led to the formation of Darul Uloom Waqf. The spread of the Deobandi movement in the United Kingdom has produced some criticism concerning their views on interfaith dialogue and values including democracy, secularism, and the rule of law. In September 2007

Andrew Norfolk Andrew Mark Norfolk (born c. 1965) is a British journalist and chief investigative reporter for ''The Times''. Norfolk became known in 2011 for his reporting on the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal and other cases of on-street chil ...

of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' published an article titled "Hardline takeover of British mosques" about the influence of the Deobandis whom the author called a "hardline islamic sect". Masjid Rasheed

In February 2008, an anti-terrorism conference organized by the seminary denounced all forms of terrorism.

Program

The school teaches ''manqulat'' (revealed Islamic sciences) according to the

Hanafi The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named a ...

school of

Islamic jurisprudence ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ex ...

. In this seminar, Nanawtawi instituted modern methods of learning such as teaching in classrooms, a fixed and carefully selected curriculum, lectures by academics who were leaders in their fields, exam periods, merit prizes, and a publishing press. Students were taught in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

for theological reasons or Persian, for cultural and literary reasons. The curriculum is based on a highly modified version of the 18th century Indo-Islamic syllabus known as

Dars-e-Nizami Dars-i Nizami is a study curriculum or system used in many Islamic institutions (madrassas) and Dar Ul Ulooms, which originated in the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century and can now also be found in parts of South Africa, Canada, the United ...

. The students learn the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , ...

and its exegesis;

Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...

and its commentary; and juristic rulings with textual and rational proofs. They also study the biography of

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...

Arabic grammar Arabic grammar or Arabic language sciences ( ar, النحو العربي ' or ar, عُلُوم اللغَة العَرَبِيَّة ') is the grammar of the Arabic language. Arabic is a Semitic language and its grammar has many similarities wi ...

Arabic language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

, and

Persian language Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken an ...

. The syllabus consists of many stages. The five-year ''Nazirah'' (primary course) teaches Urdu, Persian, Hindi and English. The next level is the ''Hifze Quran''. This involves the memorization of the Quran over two to four years. A few students will then choose ''Tajwid e Hafs'' (melodious recitation). The student is taught the detailed recitation rules of the Quran as laid down by Arabic Hafs. Still fewer will take up the next course, the ''Sab'ah and 'Asharah Qira'at'' (study of all the ten Quran recitations). A post graduate studies equivalent is the ''Fazilat'' course taken over eight years. It commences with ''Arabi Awwal'', in which the basics of the Arabic language is the main aim, and finishes with ''Daura e Hadith'', in which the main books of the sayings of Muhammad are taught. A prerequisite for this course is completion of primary education. Memorization of the Quran is also recommended. Students who complete the Fazilat may use the title ''Alim'' or ''Maulvi''. The ''Daurae Hadith'' (final year) class is taught in the basement of "an under construction seven storied building". In the 2017 - 2018 academic year (1438-1439 AH), 1664 students attended the Daurae Hadith class. Almost a quarter of the students who complete the Daurae Hadith continue their studies. These advanced courses include ''Takmil Ifta'' (

Jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning ...

); ''Takmil Adab'' (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

literature); and ''Takhassus fil Hadith'' (

). Students who complete the ''Takmil Ifta'' take the title '' Mufti''.

Role in the Indian independence movement

The political ideals of Darul Uloom Deoband were founded up to ten years prior to its opening. In 1857 (1274 AH), Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (a spiritual leader) and his followers,

Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi (1832 – 15 April 1880) () was an Indian Sunni Hanafi Maturidi Islamic Scholar, theologian and a Sufi who was one of the main founders of the Deobandi Movement, starting from the Darul Uloom Deoband. Name and li ...

, Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi,

Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi (1833–1884) was an Indian Islamic scholar, and one of the earliest teachers of Islamic Madrassa in Deoband, famously called Darul Uloom Deoband in India. He was the first principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. Name and li ...

and others gathered at Thana Bhawan to protest against British rule and continue their call for the independence of India. The fought what is called the Battle of Shamli. In 1913 (1333 AH), Nanautawi's pupil, Mahmud Hasan Deobandi was a leader in the independence movement. He incited revolution through a scheme which the Rowlatt committee called the ''Silken Letters''. However, the scheme failed and Hasan and his followers were arrested and exiled. Hasan was returned from exile in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, and he reached Bombay in June 1920. His group,

Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind or Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind () is one of the leading organizations of Islamic scholars belonging to the Deobandi school of thought in India. It was founded in November 1919 by a group of Muslim scholars including Abdul Bari ...

, which included Husain Ahmad Madani, Kifayatullah Dehlawi,

Syed Fakhruddin Ahmad Syed Fakhruddin Ahmad (1889-1972) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar and jurist who served as the Principal of Madrasa Shahi, and the sixth President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind. He was a professor of hadith at the Darul Uloom Deoband. Biography Sy ...

, and later on, Hifzur Rahman Seoharwi, Atiqur Rahman Usmani, Minnatullah Rahmani,

Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi (3 July 1892 – 2 September 1956) was one of the founders of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam. He belonged to an Arain (tribe) and was a direct lineal descendant of Shah Abdul Qadir Ludhianvi, the freedom fighter against Br ...

, and Muhammad Miyan Deobandi joined with the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

. In 1926 and 1927 (1345 abs 1346 AH), graduates of the school called for Indian independence at Jamiat Ulama meetings in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

and

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

. Madani opposed the suggestion of the All-India Muslim League for the

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...

along sectarian lines. He also advocated democratic government with religious freedoms and tolerance. On 29 December 1929, '' Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam'' (''Majlis-e-Ah'rar-e-Islam'', ur, مجلس احرارلأسلام, or ''Ahrar''), a conservative

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...

Deobandi Deobandi is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam, adhering to the Hanafi school of law, formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the name derives, by Muhammad Qasim Nanautav ...

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

was founded in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

. The founding members of the party were

Chaudhry Afzal Haq Chaudhry Afzal Haq (1891–8 January 1942) was born in a Muslim family, a writer, humanitarian, leader and co-founder of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam, and a senior political figure in the history of Indian subcontinent. He worked to help the poor and ...

Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari (Urdu سید عطاء اللہ شاہ بخاری) (23 September 1892 – 21 August 1961), was a Muslim Hanafi scholar, religious and political leader from the Indian subcontinent. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e- ...

Mazhar Ali Azhar Mazhar Ali Azhar (13 March 1895 – 4 November 1974) was a politician in British India and later Pakistan, and one of the founders of Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. He was elected three times to the Punjab Assembly, took part in the Madhe Sahaba Ag ...

Zafar Ali Khan Zafar Ali Khan (1874– 27 November 1956) ( pnb, – ), also known as Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and a journalist who played an important role in the Pakistan Movement against the British Raj. He is genera ...

and Dawood Ghaznavi. The founding members were disillusioned by the

Khilafat Movement The Khilafat Movement (1919–24), also known as the Caliphate movement or the Indian Muslim movement, was a pan-Islamist political protest campaign launched by Muslims of British India led by Shaukat Ali, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim ...

, which had aligned with the

.Jaffrelot C
''A history of Pakistan and its origins.''
Anthem Press, 2004. , . The party gathered support from the urban lower-middle class. It opposed

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

, leader of the All-India Muslim League and in the early years of Pakistan wanted Ahmadiyas to be declared non-Muslims.

Fatwas

A fatwa is “an issue arising about law and religion, explained in answer to questions received about it” by muftis (Islamic jurists). Muftis at Darul Ifta (fatwa department), Darul Uloom Deoband are responsible for giving fatwas. On 31 May 2008, the seminary issued a significant public “Fatwa against terrorism” after a public rally in Delhi with around 100,000 representatives from nearly 6,000 madrasas across India, including those from different sects. The fatwa was a first of its kind in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...

and stated that "in Islam, creating social discord or disorder, breach of peace, rioting, bloodshed, pillage or plunder and killing of innocent persons anywhere in the world are all considered most inhuman crimes.” The edict was signed by Habibur Rahman Khairabadi.

Controversial Fatwas

In January 2012, scholars from a Deobandi school issued a religious decision calling for the author

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and ...

to be barred from entering India to attend a literature festival because, in their opinion, he had offended Muslim sentiments. In May 2010, clerics from a Deobandi school issued a fatwa stating that men and women cannot work together in public offices unless the women are properly clothed. In September 2013, scholars from a Deobandi school issued a fatwa banning photography as un-Islamic.

Administration

The seminary's co-founder Sayyid Muhammad Abid was the first vice-chancellor. Abul Qasim Nomani succeeded

Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi is an Indian Muslim scholar and former Vice-Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband. He was instrumental in reforming ''madrasa'' education by introducing subjects like medicine and engineering to Darul Uloom institutions. ...

as the thirteenth VC of the seminary on 24 July 2011.

Alumni

Alumni include: * Mahmud Hasan Deobandi, leader of

Silk Letter Movement The Silk Letter Movement ('Tehreek-e-Reshmi Rumal') refers to a movement organised by Deobandi leaders between 1913 and 1920, aimed at gaining Indian independence from British rule by forming an alliance with the Ottoman Empire, the Emirate of Af ...

* Anwar Shah Kashmiri, hadith scholar *

Ashraf Ali Thanwi Ashraf Ali Thanwi (often referred as Hakim al-Ummat and Mujaddid e Millet; 19 September 1863 – 20 July 1943) was a late-nineteenth and twentieth-century Sunni scholar, jurist, thinker, reformist and the revival of classical sufi thought from ...

, Sufi Shaykh and author of ''

Bahishti Zewar ''Bahishti Zewar'' ( ur, "paradisaical jewels" eng, italic=yes, Heavenly Ornaments) is a volume of Deobandi beliefs and practices written by Mawlānā Ashraf Ali Thanvi. The book is comprehensive handbook of fiqh, Islamic rituals and morals, ...

'' and ''

Bayan Ul Quran ''Bayan Ul Quran'' (Urdu: بیان القرآن) is a three volume ''tafsir'' (exegesis) of the Quran written by Indian Islamic scholar, Ashraf Ali Thanwi (d.1943). Originally written in Urdu, it is the most prominent work of its author. The tafs ...

''. * Minnatullah Rahmani, First General Secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. *

Muhammad Shafi Deobandi Muḥammad Shafī‘ ibn Muḥammad Yāsīn ‘Us̱mānī Deobandī ( ur, ; ar, محمد شفيع بن محمد ياسين العثماني الديوبندي, ''Muḥammad Shafī‘ ibn Muḥammad Yāsīn al-‘Uthmānī ad-Diyūbandī''; ...

, first Grand Mufti of Pakistan * Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi, founder of Tablighi Jamat * Hussain Ahmed Madani, author of ''

Composite Nationalism and Islam ''Composite Nationalism and Islam'', titled ''Muttahida Qaumiyat Aur Islam'' ( ur, ) is a book written in 1938 by Husain Ahmad Madani, the Dean of Darul Uloom Deoband, espousing composite nationalism—a united India for both Muslims and non-M ...

'' *

Taha Karaan Taha Karaan (2 June 1969 – 11 June 2021) was a South African Muslim scholar and jurist. He was the head- mufti of the Muslim Judicial Council, South Africa. He was the founder of Mahajjah Research Institute and the Dar al-Uloom al-Arabiyyah al- ...

, former head- mufti of

Muslim Judicial Council The Muslim Judicial Council SA (MJC), a non-profit umbrella body of Sunni Islamic clerics in South Africa, is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serv ...

Publications

Darul ‘Uloom Deoband and its alumni publish: * ''

Al-Da'i ''Al-Da'i'' ( ar, ) is an Arabic monthly Islamic journal issued from Darul Uloom Deoband, under the editorship of Wahiduzzaman Kairanawi in 1976. The main focus of the journal are dignitaries of Darul Uloom Deoband and its graduates only. Due ...

'', Arabic monthly periodical. * ''Maah Namah Darul ‘Uloom'', Urdu monthly periodical. * ''Aaeenah Darul ‘Uloom'', Urdu fortnightly periodical.'Alwi K. (ed.) ''Aaeenah'' * Darulifta-Deoband.com

References

External links

{{Use dmy dates, date=February 2019 Darul Uloom Deoband Deobandi Islamic universities and colleges Islamic education in India Madrasas in India Educational institutions established in 1866 Islamic universities and colleges in India 1866 establishments in India Islamic schools