‘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)