Deobandi

The Deobandi (Urdu: ) is a Sunni Muslim [1] Islamic revivalist movement which has spread to many countries, such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom.[2][3][4] Deobandi is not a separate sect of Islam but the name derives from the town of Deoband, (Uttar Pradesh) India, where the school of thought Darul Uloom Deoband is situated. Deobandis follow the fiqh of Abu Hanifa and the Aqidah of Abu Mansur Maturidi.[1]

Contents

1 Tenets 2 History 3 Notable Deobandi movements 4 Present o 4.1 Prominent Scholars o 4.2 Prominent Adherents 5 In the United Kingdom 6 Condemnation of terrorism 7 Controversy and Criticism 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External links

Tenets
Deobandi thought has five main principles, which are:[citation needed] 1. 2. 3. 4. Tawhid: Abrahamic Monotheism (of God); no one shares His attributes. Sunna: Following the methodology of Muhammad. ubbus-Sahaba: Following the methodology of companions of Muhammad. Taqlid wal-Ittib: Giving preference to the jurisprudence of one of the earliest jurists of Islam over that of later jurists. 5. Jihd f Sablil-Lh: Doing Jihd (Striving for the good, in the name of God).

History
The Deobandi movement developed as a reaction to the British colonialism in India, which was believed by Muslim theologians to be corrupting Islam. Fearing its consequences, a group of Indian Hanafi Islamic scholars (Ulama) led by Maulana Qasim Nanotwi founded an Islamic seminary known as Darul Uloom Deoband. It is here that the Islamic revivalist and anti-British ideology of the Deobandis began to develop.

Gradually, through organisations such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and Tablighi Jamaat, their influence began to spread, and hundreds of schools and Darul Ulooms affiliated with Deoband sprouted. Notable Hanafi seminaries of Deobandi school include: Nadwatul-Ulama in Lucknow, India, Darul Uloom Karachi, Karachi, Jamia Binoria [1]Karachi, Jami'ah Ashrafiyah, Lahore, Pakistan. Early Deobandi scholars include Sheikh Qasim Nanotwi, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi, Sheikh Sayyid Husain Ahmed Madani, Sheikh Ashraf Ali Thanvi, Sheikh Mohammad Ilyas Kandhalawi Dehlawi, Sheikh Ubaidullah Sindhi, and Sheikh Muhammad Zakariya al-Kandhalawi. Other prominent adherent of the past include Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, who led the funeral prayer for the founding father of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Notable Deobandi movements

Dawah (Tableeg)

Tablighi Jamaat Tanzeem-e-Islami

Education

Jamia Binoria [2] Jamia Ashrafia [3] Darul 'Uloom Karachi [4]

Political

Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam Jamaat-e-Islami Tahreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) Taliban (Afghanistan) Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

Present
Prominent Scholars
Prominent contemporary Deobandi scholars include:

Hazrat Sheikh Sarfraz Khan Safdar (Gujranwala, Pakistan) Qazi Mazhar Hussain (Late) (Chakwal, Pakistan) Hazrat Sheikh Saleemullah Khan, Chairperson, Wifaq al-Madaris Pakistan (Karachi, Pakistan) Hazrat Sheikh Mohammad Hasan Bodhanvi (United Kingdom)

Allama Khalid Mehmood, Currently Justice, Sharia Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Director of Islamic Academy Manchester Hazrat Sheikh Arshad Madani (Lecturer of Hadith Darul Uloom Deoband,India) Mufti Taqi Usmani, Retired Justice, Sharia Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Vice President of Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi (Karachi, Pakistan) Mufti Rafi Usmani, President, Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi (Karachi, Pakistan) Hazrat Mufti Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri, Senior Hadith Lecturer (Shaykh alHadith) (Deoband, India) Sheikh Zar Wali Khan, Founder (Shaykh ul-Hadith wal-Tafsir) Jamia Arabia Ahsan ul-Uloom (Karachi, Pakistan) Mufti Nawal ar-Rahman (Chicago, U.S.A.) Mufti Abdurrauf Sukkharwi (Karachi, Pakistan) Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Camperdown, South Africa) Sheikh Tariq Jamil (Faisalabad, Pakistan) Hazrat Sheikh Yusuf Motala (Bury, United Kingdom) Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Hafeez al-Makki (Makkah, Saudi Arabia) Hazrat Sheikh Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (Karachi, Pakistan) Hazrat Sheikh Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi (Jhang, Pakistan) Hazrat Mufti Abdul Hayee (Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan) Hazrat Abdul Sattar Rahmani (Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan) Sheikh Riyadh al-Haq (United Kingdom) Hazrat Sheikh Mufti Mahmood Sheikh Fazal-ur-Rehman Sheikh Sami ul Haq

Prominent Adherents
Maulana Tariq Jamil from Pakistan, is a well-known and prominent member of Tablighi Jamaat, a movement founded by Darul Uloom Deoband's Maulana Muhammad Ilyas It is an apolitical, pacifist, spiritual and entirely dedicated to reformation of the beliefs of people. Some famous people who have joined Tablighi Jamaat, are celebrated cricketers including Shahid Afridi, Inzamam ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Saqlain Mushtaq, Hashim Amla (South African Batsman); former Pakistani cricketers including Saeed Anwar, Salim Malik; eminent directors and producers including Naeem Butt; renowned pop stars including Junaid Jamshaid; famed actors and models including Mueen Akhtar, Hammad Khan Jadoon; well-recognized politicians including Arbab Ghulam Rahim.Ubiad Ullah Bhutto,Mohammad Anwar Bhutto[Cousin of Zulfiqar ali Bhutto]Saeed Baloch ; several business men, industrialists, millionaires and many others.

In the United Kingdom

According to The Times, about 600 of Britain's nearly 1,400 mosques are run by Deobandi affiliated scholars, and 17 of the country's 26 Islamic seminaries follow

Deobandi teachings, producing about 80 percent of all domestically trained Muslim clerics.[2][3][5]

Condemnation of terrorism
In February 2008, an "Anti-terrorism Conference" organized by the seminary Darul Uloom in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, denounced all forms of terrorism, saying "Islam prohibits killing of innocent people," and "Islam sternly condemns all kinds of oppression, violence and terrorism." The conference also denounced widespread attempts to blame religious Muslims for terrorist incidents and many Muslim clerics declare terrorism as a concept that is antithetical to Islam.

Controversy and Criticism

Conflict with Barelvis Some Barelvi leaders have pronounced takfir on Deobandis for writings deemed to be against the Quran and Sunnah.[6] In May 2001, riots broke out in Pakistan after the assassination of a leader of the Barelvi movement by Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, a group.
[7]

Salafi Criticism Salafi scholars criticise Deobandis for:

Frequent ta'weel of the attributes of Allah.[8] Doing Taqleed (following one Imam) Tawassul, which the salafis deem to be shirk (idolatry). Believing in Tasawwuf (Sufism)

See also

Islam in India Islam in Pakistan Islam in the United Kingdom

References
1. ^ a b http://darululoom-deoband.com/english/aboutdarululoom/the_tack.htm Official
Site of Darul Uloom Deoband

2. ^ a b Hardline takeover of British mosques -Times Online

3. ^ a b A toxic mix of fact and nonsense | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk 4. ^ Forked Tongues -Times Online 5. ^ "Few people realise the extent to which the Deobandis have infiltrated mosques, schools and Muslim neighbourhoods across the country. The ultra-conservative movement, with modern roots in Pakistans madrassas, now controls more than 600 mosques. It runs 17 of Britains 26 Islamic seminaries, and they produce 80 per cent of home-trained Muslim clerics." Times Online September 7, 2007

6. ^ http://www.sunnirazvi.org/library/booklets/deoband.htm#Beliefs%20of %20deobandi,%20tablighi%20&%20wahabi%20groups 7. ^ The Hindu : Opinion / Leader Page Articles : Serious threat to Pakistan's civil society 8. ^ "And the suitable ta'weel of the verses has been performed by our imaams based on the correct language and religion, so that those with less understanding may comprehend them, for example Istawaa which implies victory and Hand which implies power." Maulana Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpuri, Al-Mahnad 'ala al-Mufnad