Anwar Shah Kashmiri
Encyclopedia
Maulana Anwar Shah Al Lolabi Kashmiri (November 26, 1875 - May 28, 1933) was an Indian scholar of Islam
. During his career, he taught at a number of prominent institutions, including the Darul Uloom Deoband
which contains a gate named at his honor. He authored a numbers books on Islam, which were published in Arabic and Persian.
, Shah was born on 26 November 1875. Raised in the Muslim faith, he left his family in 1887 and moved into the Madrasah in Hazara, Pakistan. In 1889, he relocated to Deoband
, where he studied at the Darul uloom
. Since the Darul Uloom Deoband had no boarding facilities for students at the time, he resided in the Masjid Qaa mosque
nearby, caretaking for his board. In 1894, he began studying Hadith, work he continued after graduation from the Darul uloom in Ghanghohi.
In 1908, Shah married a woman of Ghanghoh. The couple had three sons and two daughters.
In 1933, Shah became ill and traveled to Deoband for medical care. He continued addressing students there until the day he died, 28 May 1933. On his request, his wife purchased an orchard
which he had previously enjoyed visiting, and he was buried in a graveyard erected there. Subsequently, a room was constructed to house the cemetery's caretaker; untrue rumors have spread that the room was a studying place for Shah in his youth.
in 1897 before returning to Kashmir upon the death of his mother in 1901. There, he taught at the Madrasah Fay'm for three years before embarking on his Hajj
to Mecca
and Medina
. The pilgrimage so inspired him that he determined to remain in Medina, but first determined to visit his Deoband instructor Mawlana Mahmood Hasan, who persuaded him to take a position teaching in Deoband. When Mawlana Mahmood Hasan himself subsequently relocated to Medin in 1908, Shah was given his position teaching Hadith and became so known throughout India that he was respectfully dubbed Shaykh al-Hadith. For a time, he was head teacher of the school. He retained the position until 1927, when he departed along with many other teachers due to disagreement with management. Like some of the other expelled scholars, Shah felt that the school should focus primarily on religious education, remaining separate from the anti-colonial
movement. After departing Deoband, Shah moved on to teach Hadith at the Madrash of Dabhel
, drawing students internationally to that institution.
, metaphysics
, the fundamental beliefs of Islam, Fiqh
, zoology
, politics
. Shah also wrote poetry
and often put his scholarly writings in that form. In addition to those works published in his lifetime and after, there were as of 2007 a number of articles and bookm manuscripts which had not yet seen print.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. During his career, he taught at a number of prominent institutions, including the Darul Uloom Deoband
Darul Uloom Deoband
The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic school in India where the Deobandi Islamic movement was started. It is located at Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It was founded in 1866 by several prominent Islamic scholars , headed by Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi...
which contains a gate named at his honor. He authored a numbers books on Islam, which were published in Arabic and Persian.
Personal life and education
A native of KashmirKashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, Shah was born on 26 November 1875. Raised in the Muslim faith, he left his family in 1887 and moved into the Madrasah in Hazara, Pakistan. In 1889, he relocated to Deoband
Deoband
Deoband is a city and a municipal board in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the upper Doab region of Uttar Pradesh. Deoband used to be surrounded by dense forests, and was believed to be the abode of the Goddess Durga, according to one tradition this is...
, where he studied at the Darul uloom
Darul uloom
Darul uloom , also spelled darul ulum etc., is an Arabic term which literally means "house of knowledge". The term generally means an Islamic seminary or educational institution—similar to or often the same as a madrassa or Islamic school—although a Darul Uloom often indicates a more advanced level...
. Since the Darul Uloom Deoband had no boarding facilities for students at the time, he resided in the Masjid Qaa mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
nearby, caretaking for his board. In 1894, he began studying Hadith, work he continued after graduation from the Darul uloom in Ghanghohi.
In 1908, Shah married a woman of Ghanghoh. The couple had three sons and two daughters.
In 1933, Shah became ill and traveled to Deoband for medical care. He continued addressing students there until the day he died, 28 May 1933. On his request, his wife purchased an orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
which he had previously enjoyed visiting, and he was buried in a graveyard erected there. Subsequently, a room was constructed to house the cemetery's caretaker; untrue rumors have spread that the room was a studying place for Shah in his youth.
Career
He began his career teaching at Madrasah Aminiyah in DelhiDelhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
in 1897 before returning to Kashmir upon the death of his mother in 1901. There, he taught at the Madrasah Fay'm for three years before embarking on his Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
. The pilgrimage so inspired him that he determined to remain in Medina, but first determined to visit his Deoband instructor Mawlana Mahmood Hasan, who persuaded him to take a position teaching in Deoband. When Mawlana Mahmood Hasan himself subsequently relocated to Medin in 1908, Shah was given his position teaching Hadith and became so known throughout India that he was respectfully dubbed Shaykh al-Hadith. For a time, he was head teacher of the school. He retained the position until 1927, when he departed along with many other teachers due to disagreement with management. Like some of the other expelled scholars, Shah felt that the school should focus primarily on religious education, remaining separate from the anti-colonial
Colonial India
Colonial India refers to areas of the Indian Subcontinent under the control of European colonial powers, through trade and conquest. The first European power to arrive in India was the army of Alexander the Great in 327–326 BC. The satraps he established in the north west of the subcontinent...
movement. After departing Deoband, Shah moved on to teach Hadith at the Madrash of Dabhel
Dabhel
Dabhel is a town in Gujarat state of India. It is famous for its Arabic education, most notably given in Jamiah Islamiah Talimud-din.Dabhel lies some 25-30km south of Surat and 10-15km north of Navsari, to the east is Vesma crossroad on NH 8 and to the west is Maroli...
, drawing students internationally to that institution.
Writing
In 1929, the Majlis-i-Ὶlm educational academy was opened in Delhi primarily to publish Shah's writings on Islam. It remained operational until 1946. Among other topics, his books discussed Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, the fundamental beliefs of Islam, Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. Shah also wrote poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and often put his scholarly writings in that form. In addition to those works published in his lifetime and after, there were as of 2007 a number of articles and bookm manuscripts which had not yet seen print.