What does Deobandi, Deobandism, Diobandi mean? Is it regarded as Ahl as-Sunnah?

- Deobandism is a school that took shape in the late 19th century around the Darul-Ulum Madrasah in Deoband, India.
- This school of Islamic thought was founded by a group of Indian scholars led by Muhammad Qasim Nanotawi after the British stopped the Islamic revolution in India in 1866.
- Can you give detailed information?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Deobandis define themselves as an institution that provides education and training on the principles of Ahl al-Sunnah. Indeed, a serious Hanafi fiqh was taught in the school within this framework.

After the Sipahi Uprising, which occurred in India in 1857, the Muslims were subjected to the oppression and intimidation policy of the British-Indian administration. Believing that Muslims, who were struggling to survive, should systematically focus on inward-oriented activities and education, a group of ulama (scholars) started to work in a small mosque (Chatta Mosque). Later, Darul-Ulumi Deoband was founded by Muhammad Qasim Nanawtawi and Rashid Aḥmad Gangohi (May 30, 1866).

It is said that the opening of this madrasah in Deoband was based on a dream the ulama had. Deoband was a small town at the time; and with the opening of this madrasah, its importance suddenly increased. Darul-Ulumi Deoband, which essentially adopted the traditional education system, tried to unify and balance the three different traditions of religious education (Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad) that had prevailed in India up to that time.

Of those three centers, Delhi focused on tafsir-hadith, Lucknow on fiqh, and Hyderabad on kalam-philosophy while Darul-Ulumi Deoband tried to teach those sciences together within a system.

However, Deobandis were influenced more by the Delhi tradition, especially Shah Waliyyullah ad-Dihlawi and Sayyid Ahmad Shahid.

Deobandis define themselves as an institution that provides education and training on the principles of Ahl al-Sunnah. Indeed, a serious Hanafi fiqh was taught in the school within this framework.

Under the circumstances of India, where different religions and beliefs coexisted, what Deobandis particularly emphasized was the purification of Islam from all foreign elements.

Therefore, the scholars strongly opposed deviations from the creed and certain un-Islamic details and deeds in the practice of transactions, as well as superstitions, traditions and superstitious beliefs originating from Hinduism; they defended Islam ideally in its purest form.

In Deobandi understanding, time-dependent changes were not attached much importance and Islam was intended to be presented as a lifestyle based on the principles and practices given in its original sources.

In Darul-Ulum, teaching was conducted in Urdu and the curriculum was organized in accordance with Dars Nizami method, which was organized by Mullah Nizamuddin in the eighteenth century. In this method, the emphasis was on hadith, tafsir and fiqh, which are among shari’ah sciences.

In the early days, sciences such as philosophy and logic were also taught at Darul-Ulum, but they were removed from the curriculum after 1880. Education and training were initially planned for ten years, but later reduced to six years.

Another noteworthy aspect of Darul-Ulum is that many of the professors who taught there were also sufis and members of sufi orders.

There is often a sheikh-disciple relationship between teachers and students in the institution where Naqshbandism is active in particular. However, Deobandis treated dervish orders as a discipline of education and life, not as a traditionalist imitation, and hence sufi education was also included in the general curriculum.

As a matter of principle, the institution did not want to establish any relationship with the British-Indian government; therefore, the needs of the institution were met entirely with the help of the people. Professional staff was employed in various administrative units within a certain system.

The main administrative units of Darul-Ulum were the rectorate, secretariat and directorate-deanery. As of 1892, an additional muftiate (mufti’s office) was established. The muftiate is the office that controls the fatwas issued by Darul-Ulum scholars and helps solve religious problems faced by the public. The fatwas were compiled and published under the title “Fatawa Darul-Ulumi Deoband” (published by Mawlana Muhammad Zafiruddin, Deoband 1962; Karachi 1986).

Darul-Ulum has a library containing about 67,000 volumes of books including many manuscripts in Arabic and Persian.

When its role in the events that took place in India after 1857 is taken into consideration, it is seen that Darul-Ulumi Deoband stood out as a center of thought and movement rather than an educational institution.

Indeed, it had an impact on Muslims all over the Indian subcontinent and even outside India in Asia and the Far East.

Many institutions modeled after this Darul-Ulum were opened in other cities of India, and their number increased over time. The institution’s records show that many Muslim students from outside India were educated there. Darul-Ulumi Deoband, which still continues its activities as an important educational institution, has gained a prominent place in the Islamic world in the last 125 years since its establishment.

Darul-Ulumi Deoband also played an important role in India’s struggle for independence, and in the political arena, it did not accept any contact with the British in any way, displaying a passive resistance.

On the other hand, the ulama of Darul-Ulum, who were extremely loyal to the Ottomans, defended the legitimacy of the Ottoman caliphate at every opportunity and always took the side of this state in international issues concerning the Ottoman State.

Documents in the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives show that relations were very good, especially during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II. For example, Arabic and Persian books were sent to Darul-Ulum from Istanbul by the order of Sultan Abdulhamid himself.

Later, during World War I, it is seen that the ulama of Darul-Ulum tried to start a movement against the British together with the Ottomans. Mahmud Hasan, who was the dean at the time, and the professor Ubaydullah Sindi were the organizers of these activities, which were referred to as the “silken letter conspiracy” in British documents.

Accordingly, an Islamic liberation army would be formed jointly by Muslim countries; the center of activity of this army would be Afghanistan; and with the support and assistance to be received from the Ottoman State and Afghanistan, the struggle against the British would begin from there.

However, the British prevented it and Mahmud Hasan was arrested by the Sharif of Makkah and deported to Malta.

REFERENCES

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W. C. Smith, Modern Islam in India, London 1946, pp. 294-297.
Seyyid Muhammed Miyân, ʿUlemâ-yı Hind kâ Şândâr Mâżî, Delhi 1381/1960, IV, 11-20, 66-71.
Ziyaul-Hasan Faruqi, The Deoband School and the Demand for Pakistan, Bombay 1963.
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Azmi Özcan, Pan-İslamizm: Osmanlı Devleti, Hindistan Müslümanları ve İngiltere (1877-1914), İstanbul 1992, p. 103.
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- see TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, Dârülulûm item.

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