Mamluk Ali Nanautawi was born in 1789 into the Siddiqi family of Nanauta.[1][2] Not much has been found on the primary education of Nanautawi. However it is said that he may have completed his primary education from the elders of his family. Nūr al-Hasan Rāshid Kāndhlawi assumes that Nanautawi's studies might have taken place under the supervision of Nanautawi students[a] of Mufti Ilāhi Bakhsh namely Abdur Rahmān and Abdur Raheem.[2] He completed his middle studies under Mufti Ilāhi Bakhsh Kāndhlawi and Muhammad Qalandar Jalālābadi. He is reported to have studied one discourse with Shah Abdul Aziz. There is another narration stating that he studied from Abdullah Khan Alvi. He completed his higher studies under Rasheed-ud-Dīn Khan.[3]
Career
After completing his studies, Mamluk Ali started teaching in Delhi.[4] In June 1825, he was appointed as a lecturer of Arabic in Zakir Husain Delhi College and was promoted to the post of head teacher on 8 November 1841.[5] He continued as the head teacher of this college throughout his life. Besides teaching the books on rational sciences, Arabic language, fiqh, he also taught the books of Sihah Sittah.[4]
According to Asir Adrawi, Nanautawi spent his entire career teaching in Delhi. The known scholars of that era are reported to have studied alongside him.[6]
Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of Aligarh Muslim University commended him saying that, "the memory that Mamlūk Ali possessed was so profound that if per chance the entire library of knowledge was lost, Mawlāna would have once again written it all down from the treasure chest of his memory."[15]
Notes
^Nanautavi students here refers to the students of Mufti Ilāhi Bakhsh who hailed from Nanuata, namely Abdur Rahmān and Abdur Raheem.
^This claim has however been rejected by Nūr al-Hasan Rāshid Kāndhlawi. He says that, "some scholars have stated that Syed Ahmad Khan also studied under Mamlūk Ali, but it is baseless and we could not trace any proof to prove it.[9]
^Muhammad Zakariya Kandhalawi. "Hadhrat Aqdas Mawlāna al-Haaj Khalīl Ahmad". Tarikh-i Mashā'ikh-i Chisht [The Mashāyikh of Chisht: The Spiritual Tree (Shajarah) and Life Episodes of the Noble Auliya and Mashāyikh of Chisht]. Translated by Majlisul Ulama of South Africa.
Adrawi, Asir (April 2016). Karwān-e-Rafta: Tazkirah Mashāhīr-e-Hind [The Caravan of the Past: Discussing Indian scholars] (in Urdu) (2nd ed.). Deoband: Darul Muallifeen.
Adrawi, Asir (2015). Mawlāna Muhammad Qāsim Nanautawi: Hayāt awr Kārnāme [Mawlāna Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi: Life and Works]] (in Urdu). Deoband: Shaykhul Hind Academy.
Kāndhlawi, Mawlāna Nūr al-Hasan Rāshid (January 2000). "Hadhrat Mawlāna Mamlūk al-Ali Nanautawi". In Deobandi, Nawaz (ed.). Sawaneh Ulama-e-Deoband (in Urdu). Vol. 1. Deoband: Nawaz Publications. pp. 122–150.
"Hadhrat Moulana Mamlook Ali Saahib". Hadhrat Moulana Muhammad Qaasim Nanotwi: A Glimpse Into His Life (1st ed.). Isipingo: Jamiatul Ulama (KZN). January 2020. pp. 35–41. ISBN978-0-6398423-0-1.
Rizwi, Syed Mehboob (1981). History of Dar al-Ulum Deoband. Vol. 2. Translated by Murtaz Hussain F Qureshi (1st ed.). Darul Uloom Deoband: Idara-e-Ehtemam.
