THE Aligarh Movement has often been called one of the most significant factors responsible for Islamic renaissance in India. It provided the Muslims with an important institution, which helped them achieve a common intellectual background, national objective and an erudite work force to work for Muslim integration. However, there were other forces which also contributed to national consolidation. Leaving aside certain factors for which the British were responsible wielding an indirect influence of country-wide conflict with the Hindus, certain institutions grew in stature in India which, though originally not allied with Aligarh leadership and occasionally even stood in opposition, contributed to national awakening and solidarity.
Most important of these was the seminary at Deoband, which, according to a foreign observer, is next to the Al Azhar of Cairo, the most important and respected theological academy of the Muslim world. Its beginning was humble and names of the original founders of the institutions are all but unknown. The idea of establishing a Madressah for teaching religious subjects was originally given by a Sufi saint Haji Muhammad Abid of Deoband. In 1866, soon after the completion of a chillah, one night he saw a dream that changed his life. It made him gather his admirers and said: “Religious knowledge is disappearing.” He suggested that funds should be collected to establish a Madressah. He made his own contribution and went round Deoband to collect funds. The response was heartening and the next day Haji Abid wrote to Maulana Muhammad Qasim, who was at that time in Meerut, informing him the developments related to the institution and requesting him to come and teach at Deoband. The Maulana was unable to come, but sent a suitable teacher and promised all help. Haji Abid became the honorary patron and manager of the institution and a managing committee, including the Maulana and five others, was formed. Soon ample funds became available and Maulana Muhammad Yaqoob was appointed headmaster of the institution, and other administrative arrangements were made. On 14 April 1866, the Madressah started functioning in a small mosque.
Historically, Maulana Muhammad Abid was the original founder of the Deoband seminary, but Maulana Muhammad Qasim, who joined it a couple of years after its establishment, and his cousin Maulana Muhammad Yaqoob, played a significant part in developing and making the madressah a big success. Haji Abid did not have a large institution in view. He wanted a simple Madressah running on old guidelines. The Deoband Madressah played a pivotal role in educating the Muslims of the subcontinent in religious affairs.
The Madressah at Deoband followed Madressah-i-Rahimiyah named after Shah Waliullah’s father. It incorporated many features of the new educational institutions established by the British, for example, division of students in regular classes, attendance registers, written examinations etc. These features systemized the working of the Madressah, but its expansion and success were greatly helped by Maulana Muhammad Qasim’s vision, saintliness and influence. Maulana Muhammad Qasim died on April 15, 1880 at the age of 49.
In 1931, 900 students were enrolled in the Madressah out of whom 368 were from UP, 185 from Bengal, 150 from the NWFP and Punjab, 26 from Assam and Burma, 17 from Chinese Turkistan and 26 from Bukhara. After partition of the subcontinent, the Madressah had to face some problems, but kept on doing its basic work. The number of the students from areas, which now constitute Pakistan, must be negligible, but those who had studied at Deoband have founded numerous institutions in Pakistan.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan had a deep regard for the founders of the Deoband seminary and wrote a moving article on the death of Maulana Muhammad Qasim. What widened the gulf between the authorities at Deoband and Aligarh was their completely different approach to politics. Maulana Muhammad was quite active during the revolt of 1857 as Sir Syed Ahmad, but they were on opposite sides. Sir Syed remained loyal to the British while the Maulana and his companions fought them and for some time established their own government in their area. When Sir Syed Ahmed Khan denounced the Indian National Congress and advised the Muslims to remain aloof from it, Maulana Muhammad Qasim was not alive. But Maulana Gangohi vehemently disagreed with him and expressed his point of view.
The anti-British attitude became a marked feature of Deoband, and Maulana Mehmoodul Hassan, who was head of the institution for 23 years, actually left India during the First World War. He settled down in Makkah, but under British pressure was exiled to Malta and was allowed to return to his native land only in 1920. Meanwhile the political atmosphere at Aligarh had greatly changed. The beginning of this change could be noticed in the attitude of Hasrat Mohani in 1906, but after the annulment of partition of Bengal and the wars in Tripoli and the Balkans, most of the prominent boys of the Aligarh like Muhammad Ali Johar, Shaukat Ali Johar, and Zafar Ali Khan got involved in the anti- British agitation. Even before he migrated to Hijaz, Maulana Mehmoodul Hassan had encouraged contacts between Aligarh and Deoband.
Till 1947, political traditions of Deoband disagreed with those of Aligarh. This led to many controversies. Perhaps it is fair to say that the establishment of a central institution catering to the need of religious education for the Muslim community all over the subcontinent had, within certain limitations, a unifying effect. During the Pakistan Movement the majority of teachers and students at Deoband kept aloof from the struggle and even opposed it, but a sizable number under the leadership of sagacious and saintly Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani took active part in the freedom struggle and helped the Quaid-i- Azam.
