Khalilur Rahman Saharanpuri was an Indian Islamic scholar of the

Deobandi movement The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the name ...

who served as the

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama (translated as, House of Knowledge and Assembly of Scholars University) is an Islamic seminary in Lucknow, India. It was established by the Nadwatul Ulama, a council of Muslim scholars, on 26 September 1898. This ed ...

from 1905 until 1915. He was secretary general of the same institution, succeeding

Masihuzzaman Khan Masīhuzzamān Khān (1840 – 17 December 1910) was an Indian Muslim scholar who served as the second chancellor of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama. He was the teacher of Mir Laiq Ali Khan and Mahboob Ali Khan. Biography Masīhuzzamān Khān was ...

Early life

Saharanpuri was born in

Saharanpur Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal corporation (India), municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the public administration, administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district. Saharanpur city's name was given after the Sain ...

in the Indian state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. His father was

Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri (1810 – 17 April 1880) was an Indian scholar who played a key role in publishing hadith literature in India. He was among the early teachers of Mazahir Uloom, and is often credited as a founder for his contributions to th ...

, a teacher of

Mahmud Hasan Deobandi Mahmud Hasan Deobandi (also known as Shaykh al-Hind; 1851–1920) was an Indian Muslim scholar and an activist of the Indian independence movement, who co-founded the Jamia Millia Islamia University and launched the Silk Letter Movement for ...

. Saharanpuri received his early education from

Mazahir Uloom Mazahir Uloom (also known as Mazahir Uloom Waqf Qadeem) is an Islamic seminary located in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Started in November 1866 by Saadat Ali Faqih, and developed further by Mazhar Nanautawi and Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri; it is reg ...

, studying ''

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

'' with his father.

Career

After his father's death in 1879, he worked as a

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

merchant. Beginning in 1893, Saharanpuri was involved in the establishment of

Nadwatul Ulama Nadwatul Ulama is a council of Muslim theologians in India which was formed in 1893 in Kanpur. The first manager of the council was Muhammad Ali Mungeri and the incumbent is Bilal Abdul Hai Hasani Nadwi. The council established the Darul Uloom ...

, which aimed to reform the Islamic educational system and better address challenges of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. Saharanpuri took part in this movement with fellow Indian Muslim Deobandi scholars such as

Shibli Nomani Shibli Nomani (4 June 1857 – 18 November 1914) was an Indian Islamic scholar, poet, philosopher, historian, educational thinker, author, orator, reformer and critic of orientalists during the British Raj. He is regarded as the father of Urdu ...

, and Altaf Hussein Hali. The University Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in

Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...

was founded by the Nadwatul Ulama council in 1898; Saharanpuri served as its chancellor from 1905 to 1915 and Secretary General, succeeding

Views

Saharanpuri opposed teaching English to Indian Muslims as well as British-style education and culture. He was a supporter of the

Khilafat movement The Khilafat movement (1919–22) was a political campaign launched by Indian Muslims in British India over British policy against Turkey and the planned dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire after World War I by Allied forces. Leaders particip ...

in the Indian Subcontinent.

Death and legacy

Saharanpuri died on 4 February 1936. His sons Aqilur Rahman Khan Nadvi and Manzurun Nabi also became scholars.

References

{{Authority control Deobandis Indian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam 20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam People from British India