‘The Farāhī thought revolves around the Holy Qur’ān and
emphasises upon the complete code of Islam.’ This was the gist of the views
expressed by the participants in the three-day seminar on ‘Allama Farāhī: Life
and Works’ held on 8-10 October, 1991 at the famous Islamic seminary,
Madarasatul Islah, Sarai Meer (U.P. India) under the auspices of the Old Boys
Association headed by the well known Islamic ideologue Maulana Sadruddin Islahi.
About two hundred delegates attended the seminar. More
than two dozen scholars read their papers. About forty papers on different
topics dealing with Allama Farāhī’s contribution had had been received.
“These papers are valuable and some selected pieces should
be published in a souvenir”, said Dr. Kauser Yazdani Nadvi, Editor, Islamic
Hindi weekly ‘Kanti’.
Prominent among those paticipating in the seminar were
Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, Rector, Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow, Maulana Sultan
Ahmed Islahi and Maulana Minhajuddin Islahi from Pakistan, Maulana Amanatullah
Islahi from Nigeria, Maulana Jalaluddin Anser Umri, Naib Ameer, Jamaat-i-Islami
Hind and Maulana Mohammed Farooque Khan, a renowned Islamic scholar. The
three-day seminar, held at the hall of the under-construction building,
discussed various aspects of Allama Farāhī’s life and works. After the welcome
address by Maulana Ashfaque Ahmed Islahi, it was inaugurated formally by Maulana
Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, popularly known as ‘Ali Mian’. He dealt in detail
with the kinds of knowledge and appreciated Allama Farāhī’s masterpiece
“Jamhiratul Balagha”. The presidential address was to be read by Maulana
Sadruddin Islahi but he could not turn up due to his ill-health. However, he
participated in the concluding session of the seminar on the third day.
The following papers were read at the seminar, which was
conducted by Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed Zilli: 1) “The Teachers of Maulana Farāhī” by Dr.
Sharfuddin Islahi; 2) “Allama Taqiuddin Halali and Maulana Farāhī” by Maulana
Abu Subhan Nadvi of Nadwatul Ulema; 3) “Maulana Farāhī in the Light of the
Writings of Allama Shiblī” by Dr. Abu Sufyan Islahi of AMU, Aligarh; 4) “The
Farāhī Thought in Shiblī’s Seeratunnabi” by Dr. Mohammed Yasin Mazher Siddiqui,
AMU, Aligarh; 5) “Meezan Shiblī in the Qur’ānic Thoughts of Allama Farāhī” by
Prof. Masudur Rahman Khan Nadvi, AMU, Aligarh; 6) “The Hakumat-i-llahiyyia and
Maulana Farāhī” by Maulana Nizamuddin Islahi, Pricipal, Jamiatul Falah,
Bilairyaganj; 7) “A Study of the Trends of Shah Waliullah and Maulana Farāhī
With Respect to Muajza” by Saud Alam Quasmi, AMU, 8) “The Angle of the Farāhī
Thought in the Light of ‘Jamhiratul Balagha’ and’Asalibul Qur’ān’ “ by Maulana
Naeemuddin Islahi of Jamiatul Falah; 9) “Maulana Farāhī’s Notes on the Rasael of
Ibn-i-Taimiyya” by Maulana Ziauddin Islahi, Nazim, Darul Musannifeen, Azamgrah;
10)”Shaan-i-Nuzool of Qur’ān: Maulana Farāhī’s Point of View” by Mr Wasi Iqbal
of Rampur; 11) “Maulana Farāhī’s Principles of the Qur’ānic Commentary” by
Ashhad Rafique Nadvi, AMU; 12) “Imam Farāhī and Ilm-i-Tafseer” by Maulana
Inayatuallah Subhani, Jameatul Falah; 13) “Maulana Farāhī and Ilm-i-Tafseer” by
Jalaluddin Anser Umri, Naib Ameer, Jamaat-i-Islami Hind; 14) “Maslak-i-Hadees of
Tarjumanul Qur’ān: Farāhī”‘ by Maulana Sultan Ahmed Islahi, AMU; 15) “Maulana
Farāhī and Tafsiri Traditions” by Dr. Mohammed Rasiul Islam Nadvi, AMU; 16)
“Maualana Farāhī’s Views about Tafseer Bir Rai and Tafseer Masoor” by Maulana
Naseem Zaheer Islahi; 17) “Maulana Farāhī and the Knowledge of Hadees” by Dr
Altaf Ahmed Azmi, Jamia Hamdard, N. Delhi; 18) “Maulana Farāhī’s Tafseer of
Sūrah Ikhlaas In Comparison With Other Commentaries and Translations” by Dr
Ghiyasuddin Nadvi, Tibbiya College, Lucknow; 19) “‘The Critical View of Maulana
Farāhī” by Prof. Mohammed Rashid Nadvi; AMU; 20) “The Literary and Poetical
Thoughts of Maulana Farāhī” by Dr Syed Abdul Bari ‘Shabnam Subhani’, Awadh
University, Faizabad; 21) “Al-Ustad Imam Farāhī Min KhilaleKutubihi fil Qawaid”
by Dr. Shameemul Hasan, JNU; 22) “Hisas Nigahi (oversensitivity) and Maulana
Farāhī” by Maulana Mohammed Farooque Khan, a noted Islamic scholar; 23)
“Nazariya Nazm-i-Qur’ān and Maulana Farāhī” by Maulana Mohammed Arif Islahi,
Darul Musannefin, Azamgarh; 24) “Al-Muqarenat Baina Sheril Farāhī wal Sheril
Jadeed” (A comparison between the poetry of Imam Farāhī and modern poetry) by
Dr. Mohammed Aslam Islahi, Kashmir University; 25) “Maulana Farāhī;s Educational
Thoughts” by Mr. Muzaffar Hussain Ghazali, Institute of objective studies, N.
Delhi.
Each paper read at the seminar was followed by the
questions asked by the participants. The scholar concerned tried to answer them.
The atmosphere was a very lively and scholarly. Some of the papers were
appreciated very much. While a few papers dealt with the principles of the
Qur’ān, others discussed the late Allama’s thoughts regarding Hadees.
As is well known, Allama Farāhī believed in Tafseer bil
Qur’ān. ‘He particularly emphasised on the ‘Nazm-i-Qur’ān’ (Coherence in the
Qur’ān). The session discussing the late Allama’s thoughts regarding Hadees was
very interesting. Several questions were asked. This session was presided over
by Maulana Jalaluddin Anser Umri. Maulana Umri concluded that it is not
essential to prove wrong the standpoint of the entire Ummah just to justify
certain assertions or views of Allama Farāhī. ‘We should judge the views and
points of the Ummah and if they are found correct, they should be accepted’, he
asserted. Dr Syed Abdul Bari, president, Idaara Adab Islami Hind, in his paper
rejected the concept of ‘literature for the sake of literature’ and pleaded for
literature with a mission.
The paper on ‘Muajza’ by Maulana Saud Alam Quasmi, nazim,
Theology Faculty, AMU, also drew attention. Similarly, the papers relating to
the Hukumat-e-llahiyya and the concept of Khilafat by Maulana Nizamuddin Islahi
and Maulana Abdullah Fahad Falahi were also hailed. According to them, the late
Allama’s thoughts are not different from the Ummah’s views. Allama Farāhī wanted
to see an Islamic order. For this he wanted to begin with the reforms of the
Ulema. According to him, they could not be reformed without the correct
understanding of the Qur’ān. Therefore, he devoted his full time to this work.
It was the first time the seminary held a grand seminar.
The public address in the evening of the first day attracted a large gathering.
One also noticed the existence of the students’ library ‘Darul Mutalia’. It had
a very good collection of books and periodicals. The old issues of most of the
famous Islamic journals have been preserved by the students. The management
deserved appreciation and encouragement.
“The credit of my Islamic thinking actually goes to the
late Allama Farāhī whose thoughts so much impressed me that I decided to write a
thought provoking article ‘Musalmaan aur Imaamat-i-Kubra’. It was sent to the
late Maulana Maudoodi who published it in three instalments in his ‘Tarjumanul
Qur’ān’ in 1937. This all, of course, helped me the following year to
participate in the efforts for establishing the ‘Idaara Darul Islam’ (Pathankot)
which proved to be a threshold (Naqsha-e-Awwal) to the Islamic movement in the
sub-continent”, revealed Maulana Sadruddin Islahi, the 75-year old patriarch of
the Islamic movement, while talking to this scribe.
(Courtesy “The Weekly Radiance”, Delhi, India) |