Arshad Madani (born 1941) is an Indian Islamic scholar and the current Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. He succeeded Asad Madni as the eighth president of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.[3][4] The organization split around 2008, and Madani continues to serve as the president of its Arshad faction.
Early life and education
Arshad Madani was born in 1941 (1360 AH) to the fourth wife of Hussain Ahmad Madani, whom he married after the demise of his third wife and the mother of Asad Madani.[5]
Madani began his education under Hussain Ahmad Madani's authorised disciple, Asghar Ali Sahaspuri, with whom he completed the memorization of the Qur'an at the age of 8, after which he completed a 5-year course in Persian at Darul Uloom Deoband. Then he started his Arabic education in Darul Uloom Deoband in 1955[6] and completed the Darse Nizami in Darul Uloom Deoband in 1963 (1383 AH).[7][8][9]
After graduating from Darul Uloom Deoband, Madani started his teaching career in Jamia Qasmia, Gaya, in 1965[11] and did teaching services there for about one and a half years. At the beginning of 1967, he went on a pilgrimage to Madinah and stayed there for about fourteen months.[8]
On his return from Madina, on the advice of his teacher, Syed Fakhruddin Ahmad, in Shawwal 1389 AH (1969 AD), he became a teacher at Madrasa Shahi, Moradabad, and stayed there for 14 years until 1403 AH (1983 AD). Apart from the secondary books, the teaching of hadith books like Mishkat al-Masabih, Sahih Muslim, and Muwatta Imam Malik were also assigned to him to teach.[12] On 21 Dhu al-Qadah 1391 AH, he was also made the convener of the Academic Council along with teaching. On 11 Jumada al-Ula, 1393 AH, he was appointed the Deputy Chief of the Academic Council, and due to his efforts, the advisory committee in Madrasa Shahi approved the classification of Dars e Nizami in 1396 AH, and the educational standard of the madrassa increased. Similarly, on 14 Sha'ban 1396 AH, he was elected as a member of Madrasa Shahi's Appointment Committee.[12]
Madani was appointed as teacher at Darul Uloom Deoband in Dhu al-Qadah 1403 AH (1983 AD). He served as the Deputy Chief of Darul Uloom's Academic Council between 1987 and 1990 AD, and then as the Head of the Academic Council from 1996 to 2008.[11][13]
In Safar 1442 AH (October 2020 AD), he succeeded Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri as the Principal (Head of the Teaching Faculty) at Darul Uloom Deoband by Darul Uloom's Advisory Committee.[11][14][15]
On February 8, 2006, Arshad Madani succeeded his brother Asad Madani following his death.[22] In March 2008, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind split into two factions. Arshad was dismissed as president in 2006, after which he formed his own faction, claiming it as the legitimate Jamiat. The other faction was presided by Usman Mansoorpuri.[23][24][25][26]
In mid-2022, reports indicated that the two factions of Jamiat were moving towards reconciliation and a potential merger. Mahmood Madani's faction showed willingness to work under Arshad Madani as Jamiat president. In a significant step towards unity, Arshad Madani attended Mahmood Madani's faction's general body meeting in Deoband on 28 May 2022, where he emphasized the need for the Jamiat to unite in order to amplify their collective voice.[27][28][29]
Political views
Madani has criticized the partition of India and espoused Hindu–Muslim unity, stating: "Our elders from Hindu and Muslim communities went ahead on the path of unity and liberated the country from the slavery of the British, but unfortunately partition also took place. This partition has become a cause of destruction and ruin, not just for a particular community, but for both Hindus and Muslims."[30] He suggests that secularism is the only path to a cohesive and united India.[31]
In a February 2013 interview with India Today, Madani said that Narendra Modi was not credible or trustworthy to the common Muslims of India. Muslim hostility to Modi is not softening recently at all as some circles in the Indian news media have suggested. He questions whether Indian Muslims can forgive Modi for his assertion that he initiated and condoned the 2002 Gujarat riots and the ensuing violence against Muslims in India, which Madani calls a mass murder of Muslims. Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time.[32]
On February 12, 2023, at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi, during a speech, Arshad Madani stated, "What Hindus worship as Om, Muslims worship as Allah." He drew parallels between religious concepts, saying that Adam in Islamic tradition is known as Manu in Hinduism, and that both Om and Allah refer to the same divine entity. He explained that different languages and cultures have different names for the same God. The statement sparked controversy, with some religious leaders expressing opposition to his comparison.[33][34][35][36][37]
On November 5, 2023, Madani praised Hamas for their courage, calling them freedom fighters rather than terrorists. He argued that the Palestinian struggle, including Hamas's actions, is a legitimate fight against Israeli aggression and criticized the international community for applying double standards to Palestinian resistance.[38]
In December 2023, Madani stated that he had declared decades ago that the Babri Masjid was not constructed on the remains of any temple, and his words were eventually proven correct.[39]
In February 2024, Madani claimed that the idols currently being worshipped at the Gyanvapi mosque complex were brought from outside and were not discovered during the Archaeological Survey of India's survey. He questioned the legitimacy of the ASI's findings, arguing that if a temple had existed there before, idols would have already been present. Madani maintained that neither the Gyanvapi mosque nor the Mathura site had ever been temples, asserting that such claims conflict with Islamic beliefs.[40][41][42][43]
In August 2024, Madani alleged that unprecedented challenges were emerging in India, marked by repeated attacks on Islam. He criticized the BJP for trying and failing to divide Hindus and Muslims during the general elections. Madani also recalled that during Partition, the Congress party had assured Muslim organizations that the Constitution would uphold secularism and protect minorities. He expressed concern that this promise was now under direct threat, highlighting that the issue went beyond waqf matters to the broader constitutional guarantee of secularism and minority rights.[44]
Madani appealed to political parties like the TDP and JD(U) to consider the sentiments and welfare of Muslims regarding the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill. He expressed concern that this bill might make it easier to encroach on Waqf properties, including mosques and educational institutions, which are essential for the social and educational needs of the Muslim community. Madani stated that disregarding the sentiments of Muslims could potentially lead to a negative reaction.[45][46][47]
Madani, while commenting on the Supreme Court's decision against bulldozer justice, stated that the court has confirmed everything the Jamiat had been saying. He said demolishing someone’s house with a bulldozer is not a punishment but a crime, and only the judiciary has the authority to determine legality, not the government. He also reiterated that punishment should not be meted out to the family members of someone who commits a crime.[48][49]
^ abcMuzaffarnagari, Muhammad Taslim Aarifi; Saharanpuri, Abdullah Sher Khan (2023). أساتذة دار العلوم و أسانيدهم في الحديث [Asanīd of Hadith teachers of Darul Uloom] (in Urdu) (1st ed.). Deoband: Maktaba al-Haramain. pp. 40–43.
^Hardoi, Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi (2017). Darul Uloom Diary: Disciples of Fakhr al-Muhadditheen (in Urdu). Deoband: Idara Paigham-e-Mahmud. p. 35.
^Barni, Khalilur Rahman Qasmi (2016). Qafla-e-Ilm o Kamāl (in Urdu). Bangalore: Idara-e-Ilmi Markaz. p. 375.
^Jami'i, Muhammad Salim, ed. (April 2007). "List of Asad Madani's authorized disciples". Al-Jamiat Weekly (in Urdu). 4 (11–12). Madani Hall, 1–Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi: Office of Jamiat Ulama e Hind: 578.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^ abcQasmi, Muhammadullah Khalili (October 2020). Darul Uloom Deoband Ki Jami'-o-Mukhtasar Tareekh (in Urdu) (3rd ed.). Deoband: Shaikhul Hind Academy. pp. 749, 752, 758, 764, 767.
^ abQasmi, Muhammad Salim; Rashidi, Sayed Akhlad; Mansoorpuri, Muhammad Salman, eds. (December 1992). "Son of Hussain Ahmad Madani". Nida-e-Shahi Monthly (in Urdu). 4 (11–12). Moradabad: Madrasa Shahi: 508–509.
^Mubarakpuri, Muhammad Arif Jameel (2021). "47-Madani". Mausoo'ah Ulama e Deoband [Encyclopedia of Deobandi scholars] (in Arabic) (1st ed.). Deoband: Shaikhul Hind Academy. pp. 31–32.
^"'جمیعت علماء ہند' کے 100 برس مکمل" [Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind completes a century of existence]. ETV Urdu (in Urdu). 6 December 2019. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
