Forum Pakistan

A *Sunni *dar-ul-ulum or religious academy, one of the most prestigious theological centres in South A ia. It was based on the ideology of Shah Waliullah. It was founded on 30 May 1867 by Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Maulvi Zulfikar Ali, but was established on a firm footing by Mau1ana Muhammad Qasim Nanotavi and Mau1ana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. In their attitude towards religious and legal questions, Deoband theologians follow the principle of *Taqlid, i.e., reference to a precedent in the medieval legal practice, the legal norms of the *Hanafi *madhab. The curriculum stresses Muslim jurisprudence (fiqh), and the Quranic commentaries (tafsir and ahadith). The Deoband chool became more widely known during the early 20th century under the rectorship of Maulana Mahmud aI-Hasan (1851-1920), when many of its teachers took an active part in the *Khilafat Movement. Students from south-east Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, and South Africa were attracted to the school both for its theological traditions and its anti-colonial orientation. Deoband ulema played an important role in establishing * Jamiat ul-ulema-i-Hind in India and * Jamiat ululema-i-Islam in Pakistan. Deoband never accepted any grant from the British government and its ulema played a leading role in the struggle for independence. The Deoband persuasion is regarded as puritan or austere in its religious attitude.