Hazrat Maulana Zulfiqar Ali Deobandi

Another important name in the Waliullahi Movement is Hazrat Maulana Zulfiqar Ali Deobandi. He was born in Deoband in 1813/1228 AH. His father's name was Sheikh Fateh Ali and was a well-known personality in his area. His lineage is traced back to Hazrat Usman Ghani. After his primary education, he studied in Delhi under the famous student of Hazrat Shah Mohammad Ishaq Dehlvi, Sadr al-Sadour Mufti Sadruddin Azurda. Madrasa Ghaziuddin Haider, which was given the status of Delhi College in 1825, was very famous in terms of education during this period. Maulana (R.A.) entered Delhi College for education and studied under Maulana Mamluk Ali Dehlavi. After graduation, he served as a lecturer at Bareilly College. He was appointed as Deputy Inspector of Schools and Education on the basis of his educational qualifications and high administrative ability.

After retirement from the Education Department, he became an Honorary Magistrate in Deoband. He had great command over Urdu, Persian, and especially Arabic language and literature. He used this ability to simplify a significant part of Arabic literature. In Darul Uloom Deoband, there was also the problem of how to present the related books in an easy way for the students to understand and explain the teachings of Islam. Maulana played an important role in solving this problem.

Introducing his position in the Arabic language and literature, it is written in "Tarikh-e-Darul Uloom Deoband": He had great command over Arabic language and literature (by translating most of the Arabic books) and wrote in Urdu. Archaic and difficult words and idioms of Arabic have been translated in a clear and idiomatic manner and offered such a heart-felt interpretation that the wealth of which these difficult books of Arabic literature have become very easy and convenient for students. Tazkirat-al-Balaghat in meaning and explanation and Tashil-al-Hisab in mathematics are his masterpieces. (Volume 1, p421)

Mian Syed Asghar Hussain (RA), while expressing his opinion on Maulana's academic ability and intelligence, writes in "Hayat-e Sheikh-ul-Hind": "And the art of meaning and expression in Urdu language has been done wonderfully well; rather, Maulana is the pioneer of this art in Urdu language. Such brilliant, capable, and competent people are very rare in this age and time.

After the War of Independence in 1857, when it was decided to establish an educational and training institution, Maulana Zulfiqar Ali Deobandi and his elder brother Maulana Mehtab Ali Deobandi were among the founders of this institution. These two brothers are regarded as the advisers of Maulana Syed Abid Hussain in the management and development of Darul Uloom Deoband. Darul Uloom Deoband faced very difficult conditions in its early days. Financial problems, in particular, were overwhelming. In these circumstances, he not only offered academic and training services but also financially supported this Waliullahi epicenter, center, base, and headquarters.

Among the descendants of Maulana were Maulana Mahmood Hasan (Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind), Maulana Hamid Hasan, Hakeem Muhammad Hasan, and Hafiz Muhammad Mohsin. Although all the sons have their special place in knowledge and wisdom, his eldest son, Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan, achieved an unparalleled position in thought and action. It was Maulana's passion for knowledge and literature that also became a part of the training of Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind. Maulana was the central reason for Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind's role in education, training, and access to knowledge and literature. Not only this, but the prominence of the ideas of freedom in the practical field by Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind is also an attribute of Maulana's training. Reading the poems written by Maulana for Sultan Abdul Hameed Khan of Turkey shows his academic ability as well as his keen eye on the political situation. Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind's outline of the silk handkerchief movement is also found in these poems. It looks like this roadmap and plan were transferred from these intellectuals, leaders, elders, and men of distinction to Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind, which he tried his best to implement. In this poem, while addressing the British, he takes a grand style in asking for assistance, cooperation, and foreign invasion from Turkey’s Sultan. (Mahanama Darul Uloom)

After coming to Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana spent his whole life guiding the students. All the endeavors of Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan are also the result of his training and education. He passed away in Deoband in 1904 (1322 AH). He was buried in the Qasmi graveyard in Deoband, on the east side of Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotwi's mausoleum.

Translated by Fahad Ijaz, Norway