Madrasa Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur 1866-2011

by Muahammadullah Khalili Qasmi

Madrasa Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur was established in November 1866 just months after Darul Uloom Deoband was founded in May 1866. One of the aims and objectives of Darul Uloom Deoband’s establishment was to introduce such madrasas and Islamic seminaries across the country. Following this policy, a number of such madrasas were started in several cities many of them not even exist rather flourish like Madrasa Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur and Madrasa Qasmia Shahi in Moradabad. Many such madrasas were started in Delhi, Meerut, Khurja, Buland Shahar, Amroha, Saharanpur etc. But, Madrasa Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur got more popularity among all these madrasas and was prominently known by the great UIama and scholars of Hadith it produced.

Madrasa Mazahir Uloom was established by luminaries like Hadhrat Maulana Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri (Muhaddith and Commentator of Sahih Bukhari), Hadhrat Maulana Mazhar Ali Nanotawi, Hadhrat Maulana Sa’adat Ali Faqih. The Madrasa was patronized by Hadhrat Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (1829-1905). The Madrasa touched the peak of fame and name during the time when Hadhrat Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (185-1927) and later Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi (1898-1982) taught there as Shaikh al-Hadith.

The Madrasa produced a number prominent and distinguished Ulama, especially the scholars of hadith literature. The founder of Nadwatul Ulama Lucknow, Maulana Muhammad Ali (Kanpuri and later) Mongiri, Maulana Zafar Usmani of I’la al-Sunan, Maulana Badr Alam Meeruti, Maulana Idris Kandhlawi, Maulana Hayat Sambhali and Maulana Abdur Rahman Kamilpuri were products of this great seat of learning. In recent past, Maulana Yusuf Kandhlawi, Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi, Hadhrat Qari Muhammad Siddiue Bandwi, Maulana Abdul Haleem Faizabad (Jaunpuri), Maulana Abrarul Haq Hardoi etc were alumni of this Madrasa. The famous Hadith commentaries like Bazl al-Majhood and Awjaz al-Masalik were written in Mazahir Uloom. Fazail Aamal was also written by Shaikh Zakariya in Mazahir Uloom.

Madrasa Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur is well known throughout Islamic world for its religious and cultural contributions. But, unfortunately this great Madrasa was also divided in 1983 and two madrasas came into being: (1) Jamia Mazahir Uloom Jadeed (2) Mazahir Uloom Waqf Qadeem. However, now both the Madrasas are actively busy in imparting high Islamic education to Muslims.

Here is the websites:
·         Jamia Mazahir Uloom Jadeed: http://jamiamazahiruloom.com
·         Mazahir Uloom Waqf Qadeem: http://mazahiruloom.org

Here are some articles regarding the great personalities of Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur:
·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalil_Ahmad_Saharanpuri
·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Zakariya_al-Kandahlawi
·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ilyas_al-Kandhlawi
·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Yusuf_Kandhalawi
·         http://www.daralmahmood.org/muftimahmood.html

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