Scholars of the Sub Continent

Shaykh Muhammad Anwar al-Badakhshani (1943–2024) Shaykh Anwar al-Badakhshani was born in the village of Badakhshan, Afghanistan. At the age of 12, he began memorizing the Qur'an alongside studying the Persian language. His initial studies in nahw and sarf were under his uncle, Maulana Muhammad Shareef, a student of Mufti Kifayatullah Dehlawi. After completing his early education with his uncle, Shaykh Anwar traveled to Takhar, Afghanistan, where he spent six years studying various subjects. During this time, he studied texts such as Sharh Mulla Jami, Badi' al-Mizan, Sharh al-Shamsiyyah, Kanz al-Daqa'iq, the first half of Sullam al-Uloom, Tashrih al-Aflaak, Sharh al-Wiqayah, and Tamrin al-I'rab. His studies were under multiple scholars and not in one particular madrassa, as was customary in Afghanistan at the time. Afterward, he returned to Badakhshan, where he spent a few years furthering his education with his uncle. Under his uncle's guidance, he studied portions of Al-Hidayah, Al-Mishkah, and Al-Shafiyah (in sarf). In 1965, he traveled to Pakistan, where he studied for six years in various institutions. Educational Journey in Pakistan Darul Uloom Kohat (KPK): In his first year in Pakistan, Shaykh Anwar studied Qadhi Mubarak, Al-Hidayah, and Tafsir al-Baydawi under Maulana Abdul Ghaffar and Maulana Ahmed Gul. Darul Uloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak: The following year, he joined Darul Uloom Haqqania, where he studied Al-Mutawwal, Sharh al-Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah, Diwan al-Hamasah, Al-Maybudhi, and Tafsir al-Baydawi under several teachers, most notably Mufti Muhammad Fareed al-Haqqani. Swat – Martung Baba's Darsgah: Shaykh Anwar then traveled to Swat and enrolled in the famous "darsgah" of rational sciences established by Martung Baba (Maulana Khan Bahadur). Over two years, he studied advanced works like Mir Zahid Risalah, Mir Zahid Mulla Jalal, Ghulam Yahya, Qadhi Mubarak, Mulla Sadra, Musallam al-Thubut, Mir Zahid Umur Ammah, Al-Khayali, and Hamdallah. Jamia Islamiyyah Banuri Town, Karachi: Driven by the desire to study under Maulana Yusuf al-Banuri, he traveled to Karachi and enrolled in Jamia Islamiyyah Banuri Town. Over two years, he completed his Mishkat and Dawrah studies, learning under Maulana Yusuf al-Banuri, Mufti Wali Hasan al-Tonki, and Maulana Idris al-Meerati. During the breaks in Sha'ban and Ramadan, he also attended Dawrah Tafsir lectures by Maulana Ghulamullah Khan. Shaykh Anwar completed his studies in 1971. Teaching Career After completing his education, Shaykh Anwar was invited to teach at Jamia Farooqiah, Karachi. He taught there for two years, teaching many texts in the curriculum. In 1974, he was invited by Maulana Yusuf al-Banuri to teach at Banuri Town, where he remained until his passing in 2024. Over his long teaching tenure, Shaykh Anwar taught all the books in the dars-e-nizami syllabus, including Sahih al-Bukhari. Among his many students, some of the prominent ones include: Maulana Rashid Ahmed al-Swati (Shaykh al-Hadith, Qasim al-Uloom, Swat) Mufti Mujeeb al-Rahman al-Swati Mufti Abdul Khaliq al-Raipuri (Shaykh al-Hadith, Idarah Rahimiyyah, Lahore) Shaykh Anwar was a prolific author, primarily focused on making the dars-e-nizami syllabus more accessible to students. He wrote numerous tashilat (simplified commentaries) on difficult texts, which continue to benefit students worldwide. His notable works include: Tashil al-Husami Sharh Mujaz al-Balaghah (Commentary on Ibn Ashur’s matn in balaghah) Tariq al-Wusul ila Uloom al-Balaghah (Commentary on Abdul Aziz Dehlawi’s matn in balaghah) Al-Balaghah Al-Safiyyah (Simplified commentary on Mukhtasar al-Ma’ani) Izalah al-Rahabut ‘an Mushkilat Musallam al-Thubut Al-Nahw Al-Safi (Simplified commentary on Sharh al-Jami) Tashil Usul al-Shashi Tashil al-Mantiq (Introductory work to the science of logic) Tashil al-Qutbi (He was asked to edit this work and make revisions) Taysir al-Haqa’iq fi Sharh Kanz al-Daqa’iq Tashil Muqaddimah Sahih Muslim

Makhdum Muhammad Hashim al-Tatawi al-Sindhi (1692–1760) A contemporary of Shah Waliullah al-Dehlawi, Muhammad Hashim al-Tatawi was among the most prolific scholars of the Indian subcontinent in his time. He began his studies under his father, Abdul Ghafour al-Sindhi, who was a scholar in his own right. Under his father's guidance, he studied foundational texts in Arabic grammar, Persian language, and fiqh. He also memorized the Quran under his father’s supervision. After completing his initial studies, he continued his education with various scholars in Thatta, Sindh. Some of his prominent teachers in Thatta included Muhammad Saeed al-Tatawi and Dhia al-Din al-Tatawi. Subsequently, he traveled to the Haramayn, where he furthered his education under notable scholars. His teachers there included Abdul Qadir al-Makki, Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Kurdi, and Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Fasi. Upon completing his studies, Muhammad Hashim returned to Thatta, where he established Darul Uloom Hashimiyyah. He spent the remainder of his life teaching, mentoring students, and authoring books, contributing significantly to Islamic scholarship in the region. Notable Students Throughout his teaching career, Muhammad Hashim had numerous students who later became distinguished scholars. Among them were: Qadhi Abdul Lateef al-Tatawi al-Sindhi (Author of the refutation of Dirasaat al-Labib by Muhammad Mu'in al-Tatawi) Abul Hasan al-Sagheer al-Sindhi (Authored a hashiyah on Al-Durr al-Mukhtar) Faqirullah al-Alawi al-Sindhi Muhammad Murad ibn Ya'qub al-Sindhi Muhammad Saleh al-Sindhi Shahmeer Shah al-Muta'alwi al-Sindhi In addition to being an erudite teacher, Muhammad Hashim was a prolific author. Some of his notable works include: Fakihatul Bustaan (Rulings on the slaughtering of animals) Madhar al-Anwar (Rulings pertaining to fasting) Al-Sayf al-Jalee (Rulings regarding those who insult the Prophet ﷺ) Tanqih al-Kalaam (A treatise on the issue of reciting Al-Fatihah behind the imam) Fara’idh al-Islam (A work on Aqeedah) Badhl al-Quwah (A prophetic seerah work) Bayadh Hashimi (A comprehensive work discussing issues in hadith, tafsir, fiqh, and usul al-fiqh, aqeedah. The tahqiq of this work has been undertaken by Jamia Umar Karachi under the supervision of Mufti Muhammad Idrees Sumro al-Sindhi, and is set to be published soon.) While the hadith transmission chains in the subcontinent are predominantly associated with Shah Waliullah al-Dehlawi, certain regions’ asaneed pass through Muhammad Hashim al-Tatawi. His contributions as a scholar, teacher, and author have left a lasting impact on the intellectual and spiritual landscape of the subcontinent.

Imam Fadhl Imam al-Khairabadi (d. 1828) Fadhl Imam al-Khairabadi was one of the foremost scholars of the rational sciences in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the Indian Subcontinent. Born into a family of knowledge, he began his early education in Arabic and Persian under the tutelage of his father, Muhammad Arshad. He later advanced his studies across various disciplines under Abdul Wajid al-Khairabadi, who was a student of the renowned scholar A'lam al-Sandialvi. Upon completing his education, Fadhl Imam established himself as a teacher in Delhi, where his institution came to be famously known as "Madrasa Khairabadi." At the time, the educational curriculum in the Subcontinent was largely standardized, albeit informally, and was known as Dars-e-Nizami, attributed to the celebrated Mulla Nidham al-Din al-Sialvi. What distinguished Fadhl Imam, however, was the texts he would teach. While adhering to the standard texts in vogue, he also incorporated earlier works in the rational sciences. These included notable texts such as Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat and Al-Shifa by Ibn Sina, as well as Al-Ufuq al-Mubin by Mir Damad, among others. This made his teaching approach innovative and influential. In addition to teaching, Fadhl Imam was deeply involved in issuing fatawa and addressing matters of jurisprudence. His expertise in fiqh is noted in Maulana Nur al-Hasan Rashid's work "Tasaneef wa Ta'aleef Ulama-e-Khairabad". Fadhl Imam produced numerous students, the most prominent of whom was his son, Fadhl Haqq al-Khairabadi. Fadhl Haqq carried forward his father’s intellectual legacy by teaching and authoring significant works in the rational sciences. In addition to his son, he was also the teacher of the famous scholar, Mufti Sadruddin Khan al-Dehlawi, who was the Grand Mufti of Dehli in the mid 1800's. Works Authored by Fadhl Imam al-Khairabadi: Fadhl Imam was a prolific author, producing several important works, some of which include: Al-Mirqah: A concise treatise on the science of logic, Al-Mirqah is widely studied in the Indian Subcontinent. Despite its brevity, it addresses most of the major discussions in logic, serving as a talkhis of sorts of the renowned Sullam al-Uloom of Al-Bihari. The work has inspired numerous commentaries and super-commentaries, the most notable of which was authored by his grandson, Abdul Haqq al-Khairabadi. Talkhis al-Shifa: A talkhis of the Tabi’iyyat section (Physics as it was classically studied) of Ibn Sina’s Al-Shifa. His son, Fadhl Haqq al-Khairabadi, later wrote a hashiyah on this work, further enriching its value. Tashhidh al-Adhhan: A commentary on the famous logic text Mizan al-Mantiq, which serves as the base text of the renowned Badi’ al-Mizan. The Khairabadi family’s contributions to the rational sciences have left an enduring legacy. Many chains of transmission in the rational sciences in the Indian Subcontinent trace back to this illustrious family, underscoring their pivotal role in shaping the intellectual landscape of the region.

Shaykh Ubaidullah al-Qandahari (d. 2015) Shaykh Ubaidullah was born into a family of knowledge in Qandahar during the early part of the 20th century. His initial education in Persian and Arabic was under the tutelage of his father. In his early teens, his father sent him to the Balochistan region to study under the renowned scholar Mawlawi Taimour Shah. He remained with Mawlawi Taimour Shah for about two years, progressing through the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus. Under his teacher's guidance, Shaykh Ubaidullah studied foundational works such as Hidayah al-Nahw, Al-Kafiyah, Al-Quduri, and Al-Mirqah. Upon completing this phase, and on his teacher's recommendation, he traveled to Ajmer Sharif to enroll in the famed Madrasa Hanafiyyah Sufiyyah, established by Maulana Mu’in al-Din al-Ajmeri. By this time, Maulana Mu’in al-Din had stepped back from active teaching, and the primary instructor at Madrasa Hanafiyyah was one of his most distinguished students, Maulana Abdullah al-Qandahari. Sharing their origins in Qandahar, Shaykh Ubaidullah developed a close bond with Maulana Abdullah. Over the next five years, Shaykh Ubaidullah immersed himself in advanced studies. Notable texts he studied included Sharh al-Matali' in logic, Al-Talkhis of al-Shifa' by Imam Fadl al-Khairabadi, Al-Khayali, and Sharh al-Mawaqif. Shaykh Ubaidullah had the privilege of studying some of these works privately with Maulana Abdullah. In the 1940s, amidst the socio-political unrest in India, Maulana Abdullah al-Qandahari migrated to Quetta, Balochistan, and Shaykh Ubaidullah accompanied him. In Quetta, Maulana Abdullah began teaching at Madrasa Mazhar al-Uloom, where Shaykh Ubaidullah remained for a few months to complete unfinished texts under his teacher’s supervision. Following his teacher’s advice, Shaykh Ubaidullah then traveled to Lahore and enrolled in Madrasa Fathiyyah in the Ichhra district (whose current Shaykh al-Hadith is Mufti Muhammad Hasan of Jamia Ashrafiyyah Lahore). He spent the next two years here, completing the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus. At Madrasa Fathiyyah, the head teacher was Maulana Mehr Muhammad al-Lahori, a grand student of Maulana Mehr Ali Shah. Shaykh Ubaidullah completed studies in texts such as Al-Mishkah, Tafsir al-Baydawi, the latter portions of Al-Hidayah, and Al-Kutub al-Sittah (the six canonical books of Hadith) under Maulana Mehr Muhammad's instruction. After completing his formal education, Shaykh Ubaidullah returned to Quetta, where he devoted his life to teaching. He remained an educator of the Islamic sciences for over 55 years, attracting students from far and wide. Some of his notable students include: Maulana Nuruddin al-Qandahari Mufti Fadhl al-Rahman al-Bandialvi (Dera Ismail Khan, Punjab) In addition to his extensive teaching, Shaykh Ubaidullah authored numerous marginalia (hawashi) on core texts of the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus. His contributions include: Hashiyah on Al-Kafiyah Hashiyah on Hidayah al-Hikmah Hashiyah on Sharh al-Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah Hashiyah on Sharh al-Shamsiyyah Hashiyah on Marah al-Awrah in Sarf

Mufti Mehdi Hasan al-Shahjahanpuri (1882–1976) Mufti Mehdi Hasan al-Shahjahanpuri was one of the illustrious scholars of India of his time. Born in Shahjahanpur in 1882, he displayed exceptional aptitude for learning from an early age. By the age of 12, he had memorized the Qur'an in his local village. Under the guidance of his father and uncle, he began his studies in the Persian language. At 15, he enrolled in a local madrassa known as ‘Ain al-‘Ilm, where he began studying the foundational books of Arabic grammar and morphology. One of the most notable teachers at the institution was Mufti Kifayatullah al-Dehlawi. When Mufti Kifayatullah moved to Madrassa Aminia in Delhi, Mufti Mehdi Hasan's father sent him to the same institution to continue benefiting from his teacher. He completed his studies there, graduating in 1908. Seeking to study under Maulana Mahmud al-Hasan, he traveled to Deoband, where he covered Sahih al-Bukhari and Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi with him. Upon completing his studies, Mufti Mehdi Hasan was sent to Madrassa Ashrafiyyah in Rander, Gujarat, by Mufti Kifayatullah. There, he taught hadith, fiqh, logic, and other Islamic sciences for approximately six years. He was later appointed head teacher at Madrassa Muhammadiyyah in Rander, where he served for another four years. In 1919, Mufti Mehdi Hasan performed Hajj for the first time. During his pilgrimage, he met many prominent scholars in the Haramayn and received ijazah from them. Some of the scholars he received ijazah from were Shaykh Ahmed ibn ‘Ali al-Makki, Shaykh Habibullah al-Shanqiti, Shaykh Umar ibn Hamdan al-Mahrasi al-Maliki, and Shaykh Ahmed Zaki ibn Sayyid Ahmed al-Barzanji. He also received a written ijazah from Shaykh Zahid al-Kawthari. Throughout his teaching career, Mufti Mehdi Hasan gained a reputation as an exceptional scholar and teacher, noted for his profound understanding of fiqh. In 1920, he was invited to the Bombay Province to serve as a Mufti. There, he issued legal verdicts and trained students in ifta. He held this position for approximately 30 years, further cementing his stature as a leading scholar during the time. In 1948, Mufti Mehdi Hasan was appointed Chief Mufti of Deoband, a position he held until 1967. During his tenure, he regularly taught Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar and continued to train students in ifta while issuing numerous legal verdicts. Due to health concerns, he retired in 1967 and returned to his hometown of Shahjahanpur, where he spent his remaining years. Mufti Mehdi Hasan mentored numerous students who later became prominent scholars. Among them were: Mufti Abdul Razzaq Mufti Sa’eed Ahmed Palanpuri Mufti Mujahid al-Islam Qasimi Mufti Abdul Haqq al-A’dhami Maulana Qamaruddin Ahmed Gorakhpuri (Ustadh al-hadith, Deoband) Mufti Sanjalvi Mufti Mehdi Hasan authored and published several important works during his lifetime, including: Qala’id al-Azhaar 'ala Kitab al-Athaar: A commentary on Kitab al-Athaar. The edition shared below is incomplete, the book is still being worked on in South Africa. Tahqiq of Imam Muhammad’s Kitab al-Hujjah 'ala ahl al-Madinah Al-Sayf al-Mujallah ala Al-Muhalla -A critical commentary on Ibn Hazm’s Al-Muhalla (he did not finish the work) Al-La’ali al-Masnu‘ah fi al-Riwayat al-Marju‘ah- A compilation of issues in which Imam Abu Hanifa revised his earlier positions

Shaykh Abdul Hameed al-Swati (1917-2008) Shaykh Abdul Hameed al-Swati was one of the leading Islamic scholars of the 20th century, widely respected for his deep knowledge, dedication to teaching, and commitment to the intellectual legacy of Shah Waliullah. Born in 1917 in Shinkiari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he was the younger brother of the renowned scholar Shaykh Sarfraz Khan Safdar. Shaykh Abdul Hameed began his formal education in Sialkot under the guidance of Maulana Ishaq Rahmani, a student of Mufti Kifayatullah al-Dehlawi. He studied with Maulana Rahmani for two years, completing foundational texts of the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus. After this initial phase, Shaykh Abdul Hameed traveled to various madaris across Punjab, eventually reaching Multan, where he studied under Maulana Abdul Aleem for several years. In 1937, he and his brother moved to Jehanian and studied with Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Ludhianvi, a student of Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri. Here, he studied advanced texts such as Mulla Hassan, Hashiyah Abd al-Ghafour, Mukhtasar al-Ma'ani, and Musallam al-Thubut. The brothers then moved to Gujranwala and joined Madrasa Anwar al-Uloom, where they studied with Maulana Abd al-Qadeer Kamilpuri. During their two years at Anwar al-Uloom, they completed major texts, including Al-Mishkah and Al-Hidayah. Throughout their studies, both brothers aspired to study at the renowned Darul Uloom Deoband and complete their Dawrah Hadith there. In 1940, they fulfilled this dream, enrolling in Darul Uloom Deoband’s final year of study. Their entrance exam was conducted by Maulana Ibrahim Balyawi, he tested them in Mantiq, Al-Hidayah, and Al-Mishkah, which they cleared with ease. At Deoband, Shaykh Abdul Hameed had the privilege of studying under several luminaries, including Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani, Maulana Ibrahim Balyawi, Maulana Idrees Kandhelwi, and Mufti Shafi Uthmani. He completed his Dawrah Hadith in 1941. Following his graduation, he visited Maulana Ubaidullah al-Sindhi in 1941. For further studies Shaykh Abdul Hameed travelled to Lucknaw to study under Maulana Abd al-Shakour Lucknawi, who was renowned for his prowess in Sunni-Shi'i debate/polemics. He studied various subjects with him, including Tafsir, Kalam, Munadharah. After completing his studies, he taught at various madaris before establishing his own, Nusrat al-Uloom, in Gujranwala, Pakistan. He taught here until his passing in 2008, teaching various texts in the Dars Nidhami syllabus. Shaykh Abdul Hameed had a particular attachment to the works of Shah Waliullah, due to which he taught the famous Hujjat Allah al-Balighah continuously for over 30 years. Alongside teaching the texts in the syllabus, he was famous for conducting Dawrah Tafsir sessions, an intensive cover-to-cover study of the Quran, during the months of Sha'ban & Ramadan. Shaykh Abdul Hameed had written, edited, translated many works during his life. Most of his own writings are in urdu. Some of his works include: - A Commentary on Isaghoji in urdu, titled "Tashrihaat e Sawati". As a preamble to the commentary, he wrote a benefical intro to the science of logic and related issues. He also adds in a few discussions in his commentary which are not apart of the base text, including the bahth of Muwajjahat (modal propositions). - A work on the thought of Maulana Ubaidullah al-Sindhi (urdu). - An arabic translation of Maulana Qasim Nanotawi's short risalah titled Hujjat al-Islam in Aqeedah - Edited & published rasa'il of Shah Rafiuddin (son of Shah Waliullah) - Awn Al-Khabir Sharh Al-Fawz Al-Kabir (urdu) - Durus al-hadith. His duroos on Musnad Ahmed (urdu) - Ma'alim al-Irfan, his lessons in Tafisr which were published