Wikipedia

Arshad Madani

Arshad Madani (born 1941) is an Indian Muslim scholar and the current Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. He succeeded Asad Madni as the eighth president of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.[3][4][5] The organization split around 2008, and Madani continues to serve as the president of its Arshad faction.

Amirul Hind,[1] Maulana
Arshad Madani
1st President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (A)
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 April 2008
Preceded byoffice established
11th Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 October 2020
Preceded bySaeed Ahmad Palanpuri
8th President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind
In office
8 February 2006 – 6 March 2008[2]
Preceded byAsad Madani
Succeeded by"office bifurcated"
  • Arshad Madani, as the president of Arshad faction
  • Usman Mansoorpuri, as the president of Mahmood faction
Personal
Born1941 (age 82–83)
Deoband, United Provinces, British India
ReligionIslam
Parent
DenominationSunni Islam
Alma materDarul Uloom Deoband
OccupationIslamic scholar
RelativesAsad Madani (elder brother)
Usman Mansoorpuri (brother-in-law)
Mahmood Madani (nephew)

Early life and education

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Arshad Madani was born in 1941 (1360 AH) to the fourth wife of Hussain Ahmad Madani, whom he married after the demise of his third wife and the mother of Asad Madani.[6]

Madani began his education under Hussain Ahmad Madani's authorised disciple, Asghar Ali Sahaspuri, with whom he completed the memorization of the Qur'an at the age of 8, after which he completed a 5-year course in Persian at Darul Uloom Deoband. Then he started his Arabic education in Darul Uloom Deoband in 1955[7] and completed the Darse Nizami in Darul Uloom Deoband in 1963 (1383 AH).[8][9][10]

His Hadith teachers include Sayed Fakhruddin Ahmad, Ibrahim Balyawi, Fakhrul Hasan Muradabadi, Naseer Ahmad Khan, Zahoor Ahmad Deobandi, Mahdi Hasan Shahjahanpuri, Muhammad Tayyab Qasmi, and Abdul Ahad Deobandi.[7] His other teachers in Deoband include Izaz Ali Amrohi, Jalil Ahmad Kairanawi, Akhtar Hussain Deobandi, and Wahiduzzaman Kairanawi.[7] He is the authorized disciple of his elder brother Asad Madani.[11]

Career

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After graduating from Darul Uloom Deoband, Madani started his teaching career in Jamia Qasmia, Gaya, in 1965[12] and did teaching services there for about one and a half years. At the beginning of 1967, he went on a pilgrimage to Madinah and stayed there for about fourteen months.[9]

On his return from Madina, on the advice of his teacher, Syed Fakhruddin Ahmad, in Shawwal 1389 AH (1969 AD), he became a teacher at Madrasa Shahi, Moradabad, and stayed there for 14 years until 1403 AH (1983 AD). Apart from the secondary books, the teaching of hadith books like Mishkat al-Masabih, Sahih Muslim, and Muwatta Imam Malik were also assigned to him to teach.[13] On 21 Dhu al-Qadah 1391 AH, he was also made the convener of the Academic Council along with teaching. On 11 Jumada al-Ula, 1393 AH, he was appointed the Deputy Chief of the Academic Council, and due to his efforts, the advisory committee in Madrasa Shahi approved the classification of Dars e Nizami in 1396 AH, and the educational standard of the madrassa increased. Similarly, on 14 Sha'ban 1396 AH, he was elected as a member of Madrasa Shahi's Appointment Committee.[13]

Madani was appointed as teacher at Darul Uloom Deoband in Dhu al-Qadah 1403 AH (1983 AD). He served as the Deputy Chief of Darul Uloom's Academic Council between 1987 and 1990 AD, and then as the Head of the Academic Council from 1996 to 2008.[12][14]

In Safar 1442 AH (October 2020 AD), he succeeded Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri as the Principal (Head of the Teaching Faculty) at Darul Uloom Deoband by Darul Uloom's Advisory Committee.[12][15][16]

Since 2012, he is a member of the World Muslim League.[17][18][19][20][21][22]

Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind

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Further information: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind § Split into JUH-A and JUH-M, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind § Administration

On February 8, 2006, Arshad Madani succeeded his brother Asad Madani following his death.[23] In March 2008, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind split into two factions. Arshad was dismissed as president in 2006, after which he formed his own faction, claiming it as the legitimate Jamiat. The other faction was presided by Usman Mansoorpuri.[24][25][26][27]

In mid-2022, reports indicated that the two factions of Jamiat were moving towards reconciliation and a potential merger. Mahmood Madani's faction showed willingness to work under Arshad Madani as Jamiat president. In a significant step towards unity, Arshad Madani attended Mahmood Madani's faction's general body meeting in Deoband on 28 May 2022, where he emphasized the need for the Jamiat to unite in order to amplify their collective voice.[28][29][30]

Political views

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Madani has criticized the partition of India and espoused Hindu–Muslim unity, stating: "Our elders from Hindu and Muslim communities went ahead on the path of unity and liberated the country from the slavery of the British, but unfortunately partition also took place. This partition has become a cause of destruction and ruin, not just for a particular community, but for both Hindus and Muslims."[31] He suggests that secularism is the only path to a cohesive and united India.[32]

In a February 2013 interview with India Today, Madani said that Narendra Modi was not credible or trustworthy to the common Muslims of India. Muslim hostility to Modi is not softening recently at all as some circles in the Indian news media have suggested. He questions whether Indian Muslims can forgive Modi for his assertion that he initiated and condoned the 2002 Gujarat riots and the ensuing violence against Muslims in India, which Madani calls a mass murder of Muslims. Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time.[33]

On February 12, 2023, at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi, during a speech, Arshad Madani stated, "What Hindus worship as Om, Muslims worship as Allah." He drew parallels between religious concepts, saying that Adam in Islamic tradition is known as Manu in Hinduism, and that both Om and Allah refer to the same divine entity. He explained that different languages and cultures have different names for the same God. The statement sparked controversy, with some religious leaders expressing opposition to his comparison.[34][35][36][37][38]

In December 2023, Madani stated that he had declared decades ago that the Babri Masjid was not constructed on the remains of any temple, and his words were eventually proven correct.[39]

In February 2024, Madani claimed that the idols currently being worshipped at the Gyanvapi mosque complex were brought from outside and were not discovered during the Archaeological Survey of India's survey. He questioned the legitimacy of the ASI's findings, arguing that if a temple had existed there before, idols would have already been present. Madani maintained that neither the Gyanvapi mosque nor the Mathura site had ever been temples, asserting that such claims conflict with Islamic beliefs.[40][41][42][43]

In August 2024, Madani alleged that unprecedented challenges were emerging in India, marked by repeated attacks on Islam. He criticized the BJP for trying and failing to divide Hindus and Muslims during the general elections. Madani also recalled that during Partition, the Congress party had assured Muslim organizations that the Constitution would uphold secularism and protect minorities. He expressed concern that this promise was now under direct threat, highlighting that the issue went beyond waqf matters to the broader constitutional guarantee of secularism and minority rights.[44]

See more

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References

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  1. ^ "আমিরুল হিন্দ নির্বাচিত হলেন সাইয়্যেদ আরশাদ মাদানী". www.jugantor.com. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Jamiat-Ulama-E-Hind splits". Hindustan Times. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  3. ^ Maulana Arshad Madani addresses an Eid gathering on jamiatulamaihind.com website Archived 14 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Published 12 March 2016, Retrieved 17 July 2017
  4. ^ "Its cowardly act, Jamiat condemns it Pulwama attack in strongest possible terms: Maulana Arshad Madani". Newsd www.newsd.in. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  5. ^ Chitlangia, Risha (5 November 2023). "'Freedom fighters, not terrorists' — Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief lauds Hamas for 'courage & bravery'". ThePrint. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  6. ^ Sharifi, Tanweer Ahmad (September 2012). "حضرت آپاجان رحمۃ اللہ علیہا زوجۂ محترمہ شیخ الاسلام حضرت مولانا سید حسین احمد مدنی" [Aapajan, wife of Ms. Shaykh al-Islam, Maulana Syed Hussain Ahmad Madani] (in Urdu). Allama Muhammad Yusuf Banuri Town, Karachi: Jamia Al Uloom Al Islamia. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Muzaffarnagari, Muhammad Taslim Aarifi; Saharanpuri, Abdullah Sher Khan (2023). أساتذة دار العلوم و أسانيدهم في الحديث [Asanīd of Hadith teachers of Darul Uloom] (in Urdu) (1st ed.). Deoband: Maktaba al-Haramain. pp. 40–43.
  8. ^ Hardoi, Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi (2017). Darul Uloom Diary: Disciples of Fakhr al-Muhadditheen (in Urdu). Deoband: Idara Paigham-e-Mahmud. p. 35.
  9. ^ a b Benglori, Muhammad Farqan (6 July 2021). "5th Amir-ul-Hind Maulana Sayed Arshad Madani: Life and Services". mazameen.com (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  10. ^ Barni, Khalilur Rahman Qasmi (2016). Qafla-e-Ilm o Kamāl (in Urdu). Bangalore: Idara-e-Ilmi Markaz. p. 375.
  11. ^ Jami'i, Muhammad Salim, ed. (April 2007). "List of Asad Madani's authorized disciples". Al-Jamiat Weekly (in Urdu). 4 (11–12). Madani Hall, 1–Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi: Office of Jamiat Ulama e Hind: 578.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  12. ^ a b c Qasmi, Muhammadullah Khalili (October 2020). Darul Uloom Deoband Ki Jami'-o-Mukhtasar Tareekh (in Urdu) (3rd ed.). Deoband: Shaikhul Hind Academy. pp. 749, 752, 758, 764, 767.
  13. ^ a b Qasmi, Muhammad Salim; Rashidi, Sayed Akhlad; Mansoorpuri, Muhammad Salman, eds. (December 1992). "Son of Hussain Ahmad Madani". Nida-e-Shahi Monthly (in Urdu). 4 (11–12). Moradabad: Madrasa Shahi: 508–509.
  14. ^ Mubarakpuri, Muhammad Arif Jameel (2021). "47-Madani". Mausoo'ah Ulama e Deoband (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Deoband: Shaikhul Hind Academy. pp. 31–32.
  15. ^ "مہتمم دارالعلوم دیوبند مفتی ابو القاسم نعمانی شیخ الحدیث اور مولانا ارشد مدنی صدر المدرسین منتخب" [Abul Qasim Nomani, VC of Deoband appointed as Shaykh al-Hadīth, and Arshad Madani as the Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband]. AsreHazir. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Meeting of Darul Uloom Deoband's Advisory Committee: Safar 1442 AH (October 2021)". darululoom-deoband.com (in Urdu). Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  17. ^ Amini, Noor Alam, ed. (July–September 2012). "فضيلة الشيخ السيد أرشد المدني أستاذ الحديث الشريف بالجامعة يُنْتَخب عضوًا في المجلس التأسيسي لرابطة العالم الإسلامي ويحضر دورته الحادية والأربعين المنعقدة في الفترة 27-28/رجب 1433هـ" [Sheikh Sayyid Arshad Madani, Professor of Hadith at the Darul Uloom, was elected as a member of the Founding Council of the Muslim World League and attended its forty-first session held in the period 27–28 Rajab 1433 AH.]. Al-Da'i (in Arabic). 36 (9–10). Deoband: Darul Uloom Deoband.
  18. ^ "التقى معالي الأمين العام، رئيس هيئة علماء المسلمين، فضيلة الشيخ د. ⁧محمد العيسى⁩ في العاصمة الهندية نيودلهي، فضيلةَ رئيس جمعية علماء الهند الشيخ أرشد مدني، والوفدَ المرافق له – رابطة العالم الإسلامي". themwl.org (in Arabic). 18 July 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Shaikh Syed Arshad Madani". Connect2Dialogue. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  20. ^ India, Clarion (15 October 2023). "Effective Steps Needed to Stop Israel's Aggression, Says Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind". Clarion India. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  21. ^ India, Press Trust of (15 October 2023). "Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind slams Israeli attacks on Gaza". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  22. ^ "In New Delhi, His Excellency Sheikh Dr.Mohammad Al-Issa, the Secretary General of the MWL, Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, met with His Eminence Sheikh Arshad Madani, president of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, and the accompanying delegation. – Muslim World League". themwl.org. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind & Anr. vs Maulana Mahmood Asad Madni & Anr. on 25 August, 2008". IndianKanoon. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  24. ^ "'جمیعت علماء ہند' کے 100 برس مکمل" [Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind completes a century of existence]. ETV Urdu (in Urdu). 6 December 2019. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Jamiat-Ulama-E-Hind splits". Hindustan Times. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Arshad Madani elected President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind". The Rahnuma. 9 March 2021. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  27. ^ "Maulana Mahmood Madani elected interim chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind". Outlook India. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  28. ^ Pandit, Ambika (22 June 2022). "Jamiat factions may 'merge soon'". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  29. ^ Us Salam, Zeya (16 July 2022). "Proposal green-lighted by Arshad Madani camp; nephew Mahmood's faction to take it up next Friday". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  30. ^ Salam, Ziya Us (16 July 2022). "Fourteen years after split, Jamiat factions likely to merge". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Partition was a loss for both Hindus and Muslims: Madani". Awaz. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  32. ^ 'Arshad Madani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind says Owaisis are traitors', dnaindia.com newspaper website, Published 17 January 2015, Retrieved 17 July 2017
  33. ^ Indian TV interview of Maulana Arshad Madani on Headlines Today program, indiatoday website, Published 19 February 2013, Retrieved 17 July 2017
  34. ^ Salam, Ziya Us (12 February 2023). "What Hindus worship as Om, Muslims worship as Allah: Jamiat chief". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  35. ^ Dhar, Aniruddha (12 February 2023). "Muslim body chief's 'Om and Allah' remark sparks row; angry religious leaders leave stage". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  36. ^ "Jamiat chief Arshad Madani's remarks on Om, Allah prompt walkout by other religious leaders". The Indian Express. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Row over Arshad Madani's 'Om and Allah' comment: What is Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, and its role in the freedom struggle". The Indian Express. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  38. ^ Dhar, Aniruddha (13 February 2023). "'…In front of my eyes': Top Jain monk over Muslim body chief's 'Om-Allah' remark". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  39. ^ Srivastava, Piyush (8 December 2023). "We fought a long court battle for Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and in fact we won it: Maulana Arshad Madani". The Telegraph (India). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  40. ^ Abhishek, Kumar (2 February 2024). "Idols brought from outside being worshipped at Gyanvapi: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief". India Today. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  41. ^ "Gyanvapi case: Muslim side to approach Supreme Court, says Arshad Madani". The Tribune (India). 21 December 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  42. ^ Chitlangia, Risha (20 December 2023). "Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind head says will take Gyanvapi matter to SC — 'politics being done to please majority'". ThePrint. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  43. ^ "उम्मीद थी किसी और मस्जिद का मसला नहीं उठेगा...काशी और मथुरा के मुद्दे पर क्या बोले मौलाना मदनी" [It was hoped that the issue of any other mosque would not be raised... What did Maulana Madani say on the issue of Kashi and Mathura]. Navbharat Times (in Hindi). 20 December 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  44. ^ Fatima, Heena (23 August 2024). "Naidu, Nitish assured they will oppose Waqf Bill, says AIMPLB chief. 'Nationwide stir if it's passed'". ThePrint. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
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