Muhammad Miyan Deobandi (4 October 1903 – 24 October 1975) was an Indian

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

Islamic scholar, academic, historian, freedom struggle activist, who served as the fifth general secretary of the

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 Fir ...

. He wrote books such as ''Aseeraan-e-Malta'', ''Ulama-e-Hind Ka Shaandar Maazi'' and ''Ulama-e-Haqq Aur Unke Mujahidana Karname''.

Biography

Muhammad Miyan Deobandi was born Muzaffar Miyan on 4 October 1903 in

Deoband Deoband is a town and a municipality in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, about 150 km (93 miles) from Delhi. Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary and one of the largest Islamic Institutions of India is located ther ...

. He began his studies at home and read the

Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...

from his maternal grandmother. He studied some books of Persian and Urdu with Khalīl Aḥmad in

Muzaffarnagar Muzaffarnagar (, ) is a city under Muzaffarnagar district in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated midway on the Delhi - Haridwar/Dehradun National Highway ( NH 58) and is also well connected with the national railway network. It ...

. In 1916, Miyan Deobandi entered the Persian class of the

Darul Uloom Deoband Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic university and seminary ( darul uloom) in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, India, at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. Established in 1866 by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Fazlur Rahman Usmani, Sayy ...

and graduated in the traditional

dars-e-nizami Dars-i Nizami () is a study curriculum or system used in many Islamic institutions (madrassas) and Darul 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 ...

in 1925. His teachers include

Anwar Shah Kashmiri Anwar Shah Kashmiri (; 26 November 1875 – 28 May 1933) was an Islamic scholar from Kashmir in the early twentieth century, best known for his expertise in the study of hadith, a strong memory, and a unique approach to interpreting traditions, ...

, Asghar Hussain Deobandi,

Izaz Ali Amrohi Izaz Ali Amrohi (; November 1882 – 1955) was an Indian Islamic scholar who served as the second and ninth Head Mufti of the Darul Uloom Deoband. His book ''Nafahtul Arab'' is taught in madrassas including the Darul Uloom Deoband. Biography I ...

and

Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (11 October 188713 December 1949) was an Islamic scholar and an activist of the Pakistan Movement, who served as the of Pakistan in 1949. He was the first to demand that Pakistan become an Islamic state. He was a religio ...

. He was a disciple of

Hussain Ahmad Madani Hussain Ahmad Madani (; 6 October 1879 – 5 December 1957) was an Indian Islamic scholar, serving as the principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. He was among the first recipients of the civilian honour of Padma Bhushan in 1954. ...

. Muhammad Miyan started taught at the Madrasa Hanfiyah in

Arrah Arrah (also transliterated as Ara) is a city and a municipal corporation in Bhojpur district, India, Bhojpur district (formerly known as Shahabad district) in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the headquarters of Bhojpur district, India, Bhojpur ...

, Bihar for two years from 1926 to 1928. He later taught at the

Madrasa Shahi Madrassa Shahi (alternatively known as Jamia Qasmia) is an Islamic seminary in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. It was established in 1879 by the poor Muslims of Moradabad under the supervision of Islamic scholar, Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, who also est ...

Moradabad Moradabad () is an industrial city, commissionerate, and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the banks of the Ramganga river, at a distance of from the national capital, New Del ...

for a span of sixteen years, starting from March 1928. During these sixteen years, Muhammad Miyan served as a Mufti, rector and as a teacher. After 1947, he shifted to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

permanently, and was appointed as the member of the executive council of Madrasa Shahi. In 1380 AH, he was appointed as the honorary rector of the Shahi, and later in 1395 AH made the rector. In 1930, Muhammad Miyan was appointed as the secretary of the Moradabad unit of the

(JUH). Later, he served as the secretary of the Agra and Awadh units of the JUH. He also served as the secretary of preaching department of JUH Agra. On 7 May 1945, he was appointed as the secretary of the JUH, and as the general secretary after the death of Hifzur Rahman Seoharwi; a post he served for a year only, resigning a year later. He was then appointed as a member of the JUH's general body, secretary of Jamiat Trust, and the manager of Idāra Mabahith-e-Fiqhiyyah in Delhi. He was appointed as the senior Hadīth professor and senior Mufti of the

Madrasa Aminia Madrasa Aminia Islamia Arabia (best known as Madrasa Aminia) is an Islamic seminary in Delhi. History Amin al-Din Dehlawi, an Islamic scholar who was a student of Mahmud Hasan Deobandi, developed an idea of establishing a madrasa in Delhi. He ...

, where he served until his death in 1975. Muhammad Miyan died in

on 24 October 1975, aged 72. He is referred as Mu'arrikh-e-Millat for his historical works. His followers refer him as Sayyid-ul-Millat. His students include

Mufti Mahmud Mufti Mehmood-ur-Rehman (; 1919–1980) was a Pakistani statesman and Ulama, Islamic scholar who was one of the founding members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI); widely regarded as one of the greatest politicians in the history of Pakistan ...

, Athar Mubarakpuri and

Asir Adrawi Nizāmuddīn Asīr Adrawi (also known as Asīr Adrawi; 1926 – 20 May 2021) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar, biographer, historian and author in the Urdu language. He established the Madrassa Darus Salam in Adari and served as the Officer ...

Literary works

Muhammad Miyan Deobandi's works include: * ''Ahd-e-Zarrin awr Misali Hukumatein'' * ''Aseeran-e-Malta'' * ''Mishkat al-Athaar'' * ''Shah Abdul Aziz: Afkaar-o-Khidmaat'' * ''Panipat aur Buzurgan-e-Panipat'' * ''

Kya Hai?'' * ''Shawahid-e-Taqaddus'' * ''Tareekh-e-Islam'' * ''Tehreek Reshmi Rumaal'' (Translated to English as ''Silk Letter Movement'' by

Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi (born 14 October 1979) is an Indian Islamic scholar, mufti, writer, and trilingual translator of Urdu, Arabic, and English. He is an alumnus of Darul Uloom Deoband, Markazul Ma'arif Education and Research Centre, Ja ...

). * ''Ulama-e-Hind Ka Shandaar Maazi'' (2 volumes) * ''Ulama-e-Haqq Aur Unke Mujahidana Karname'' (2 volumes) * ''Waliullahi Tehreek''

References

Bibliography

* {{Portal bar, Biography, India, Literature, Islam, Books 20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam 1903 births 1975 deaths Deobandis Indian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Indian historians of Islam People from Deoband Indian independence activists from Uttar Pradesh Darul Uloom Deoband alumni 20th-century Indian historians Students of Anwar Shah Kashmiri Members of the Majlis-e-Shura of Darul Uloom Deoband

Biography

Literary works

See also

References

Bibliography