Important Personalities amongst theDeobandis and the Jamaat Tableegh
1. Moulana Qasim Nanotwi (d. 1879): “The Darul-Uloom Deoband (the School of Deoband founded in 1868) was founded by Moulana Qasim Nanotwi.”[1]He was ba’yt (taken the oath of allegiance) at the hands of Imdadullah Muhajir Makki.[2]
2. Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (d. 1899): The highly revered Pir (spiritual guide) of the Deobandis. He is the spiritual guide of Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, Moulana Qasim Nanotwi and Moulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi.
3. Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (d. 1943): He was ba’yt at the hands of Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki and the author of many books like, “Bahishti Zewar” and ‘Tafseer Bayanul Qur’aan’. He named many of his books after his Pir, Imdadullah Muhajir Makki.
Like Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, Ashraf Ali Thanvi too was an advocate of Wahdat al-Wajood. Ashraf Ali Thanvi’s teachings greatly influenced the founder of the Jamaat Tableegh, Moulana Ilyas.
4. Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi (d. 1908): Another prominent elder of the Deobandis, who was ba’yt at the hands of Imdadullah Muhajir Makki.[3] One of his famous books is ‘Imdadus Sulook.’
5. Other Prominent Deobandi Scholars include: Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Aashiq Ilahi Meerathi, Moulana Mahmoodul-Hasan Deobandi, Moulana Shabbir Ahmad Uthmani and Moulana Abdul-Rahim Lajpuri.
6. Moulana Ilyas, popularly known as Hazratjee: (d. 1944): He was the founder and first Amir of the Jamaat Tableegh. He was the Khalifah (successor) of Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, who was amongst the Khulafa of Rasheed Ahmad Gungohi.[4] He founded the Jamaat Tableegh on Sufi principles and incorporated many Sufi practices like Muraqabah (meditation), Chillah (40 day seclusion period) and the silent Dhikr (remembrance) into the routines of his Jamaat.
7. Moulana Muhammad Yusuf (d. 1965): Moulana Ilyas was succeeded by his son, Moulana Muhammad Yusuf (d. 1965), who became the second Amir of the Jamaat Tableegh. Inamul-Hasan succeeded Moulana Muhammad Yusuf. Presently, there is no Amir of the Jamaat Tableegh and its affairs are run by a Shoorah (committee).
8. Moulana Zakariyah: The son-in-law of Moulana Ilyas[5] and the author of Fazaail-e-Aamaal. He was well acquainted with Sufism and was given the Khilafah of all the four Sufi Tareeqahs by Moulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.[6]
[1] Mashaikh-e-Chist (Eng. Trans.) p.222.
[2] Irshaadul-Mulook (Eng. Trans.) p.32.
[3] Irshaadul-Mulook, (Eng. Trans.) p.32.
[4] Irshaadul-Mulook, (Eng. Trans.) p.12.
[5] Mashaikh-e-Chist (Eng. Trans.) p.307.
[6] Mashaikh-e-Chist (Eng. Trans.) p.304-305.
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