Rashid Ahmad Gangohi

Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi {R}

Full name	Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi {R}
Born	10 May 1829(1829-05-10)
Died	August 11, 1905(1905-08-11) (aged 76)
Era	Modern era
Region	Islamic scholar
Main interests	Aqidah, Tafsir, Tasawwuf, Hadith, Fiqh etc.
Notable ideas	Darul Uloom Deoband
Influenced Husain Ahmed Madani

Deobandi movement

Key figures

Qasim Nanotvi · Rashid Gangohi Husain Madani · Mehmud Hasan Shabbir Usmani · Ashraf Ali Thanwi Anwar Kashmiri · Ilyas Kandhlawi Ubaidullah Sindhi · Taqi Usmani

Notable Institutions

Darul Uloom Deoband, India Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur, India Hathazari Madrassah, Bangladesh Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama, India Darul Uloom Karachi, Pakistan Jamia Uloom ul Islamia, Pakistan Jamiah Darul Uloom Zahedan, Iran Darul Uloom London, England Darul Uloom New York, United States Darul Uloom Canada Madrasah In'aamiyyah, South Africa

Movements

Tablighi Jamaat Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat Sipah-e-Sahaba Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Taliban

Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (10 May 1829  – 11 August 1905) was an Indian Islamic scholar who co-founded the Deobandi Islamic movement at the Darul Uloom Deoband Madrasah, or Islamic School, of which he became principle following the death of Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi. Gangohi authored nearly fourteen literary works on fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Sufism, including Fatawa Rasheediyya and Hidaayatush Shia. Aside from being a powerful Alim^{[disambiguation needed ]} ("one who knows"), Gangohi was also a Hakim ("judge"), and an authority on Shari'a law and the Tariqah of Sufism.

Biography

Maulana Gangohi was born at the time of Chasht^[A] on Sunday, May 10, 1829 in Gangoh, a city in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. His father, Hidaaya Ahmad, died in 1252 AH at the age of thirty-five when Gangohi was seven years old and thereafter he was cared for and trained by his grandfather. It has not been established where Gangohi learnt to recite the Qur’an, but he probably learnt it from his mother at home. Having completed the recitation of the Qur'an, Gangohi moved to Karnal in order to live with his maternal uncle, Muhammad Taqi, under whom he studied Persian kitabs (books). He also studied under Muhammad Ghauth and was later an Arabic grammar student under Moulvi Baksh Rampuri. With Rampuri's encouragement, Gangohi moved to Delhi in 1261 AH at the age of seventeen in pursuit of further knowledge. In Delhi, he attended the classes of various different Ulama (Islamic legal scholars). Coincidentally, Mamluk 'Ali passed by Delhi while he was there and Gangohi had the opportunity to study 'Uloomul Zaahiriyya by studying the Sadraa Shams-e-Baazigah under him. Gangohi's Ulama in the philosophical sciences were Mufti Sadruddin Azurda and Qadi Ahmaduddin while his Ulama in hadith (narrations of the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad), was Abdul Ghani Naqshbandi. On completing his studies, Gangohi returned home at around the age of twenty-one. He then came across a small book by Thanvi (who lived in Thana Bhawan, and one of the three sheikh's resident there at the time, although not Ashraf Ali Thanvi.) and found some objectionable writings in the book. As a result he decided to go to Thana Bhavan and debate them with the author. When he reached the toen, he met Haji Imdadullah who asked why he was there. When he told his purpose, Haji Imdadullah clarified his doubts and Gangohi had bay'at (oath) with Haji sahab. He stayed for forty days in Khankah with Haji Imdadullah and on his departure, Haji Imdadullah told him "I have given you all that I had in these forty days". Gangohi then returned to Gangoh and spent a few months in Istegraf. Haji Imdadullah wrote Gangohi a letter enquiring after his spiritual condition, to which he replied:

Shariyat ab Tabiyat ban gayi hai...( Shariyat is now my Nature).
Tarif karne wale aur burai karne wale Yaksa ho gaye...(Praisers and critics are the same to me).
Kisi sharayi masle me koi ishkal nahi raha....(There is no doubt in any religious matter).

On receipt of this letter, Haji Imdadullah put it on his head and said , "I have have still not achieved this condition".

Thereafter, Gangohi started to teach a variety of subjects in Gangoh where he remained until 1300 AH. From 1301 AH, his preoccupation was with the hadith. He alone would teach the entire Siha Sittah and the duroos of hadith would commence in Shawwaal and be completed by Sha'baan. In 1297 AH, after Nanautvi's death, Gangohi became the patron of Darul Uloom Deoband but his career as a teacher ended in 1314 AH due to his development of cataracts. By this time, more than three hundred students had completed his hadith course and thereafter, only spiritual instruction, inculcation and the issue of fatwās continued regularly. From then on, Gangohi also became the patron of Madrasa Madhahirul 'Ulum in Saharanpur.

Gangohi remained in the company of Haji Imdadullah, who accepted his bay'at. Within forty days, Gangohi was awarded Khilafa (Caliphate) and on returning to Gangoh, remained in Abdul Quddoos Gangohi's cloister. During this period, he earned his income through his medical practice. In 1857, Gangohi participated in the jihad at Shamli with his Pir-o-Murshid (spiritual leader) and other companions. When Zamin Shaheed was martyred, Gangohi picked up his corpse, carried it to a nearby masjid (mosque), and sitting nearby, started to recite the Qur'an. Thereafter, a warrant was issued for his arrest. After his detention by the authorities, Gangohi was sent to prison in Saharanpur, then moved to Muzaffarnagar. Six months passed in prison where a number of prisoners became his adherents, after which they all began to offer salaah (sacred prayers) as members of a prison congregation. Although reports vary, Gangohi is said to have died on Friday, August 11, 1905 after the Adhaan (call to prayers) for Jumu'ah (Friday prayers), aged seventy-six.

References

tazkira-tur-Rasheed

Notes

1. ^ Between Midnight and the meridian

Persondata
Name	Gangohi, Rashid Ahmad
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	May 10, 1829
Place of birth
Date of death	August 11, 1905
Place of death