By Mawlana Moosa Kajee

Muftī Muhammad Taqī Uthmānī (Allah protect him) has written regarding his journey to Baghdad, “Baghdad is that city which for centuries had been at the centre of the Islāmic world. The mere sight of this city reminds one of the glorious days of the Abbāsī khilāfah. Upon reaching Baghdad I enquired whether there were any madāris present in which Islāmic knowledge is imparted in accordance with the ways of the pious predecessors. I was informed that all such madāris had now been converted into schools and universities. Now, the knowledge of dīn can only be attained from university faculties, such places wherein Islām is taught as mere theory, similar to ancient philosophy (falsafah). Islām cannot be seen in the lives of the students, nor in the ustādhs. Forget being religious scholars, on seeing their appearance, one wonders if they are even Muslim. This is just like how orientalists study Islām today, in the universities of America, Canada and Europe. If you read their books and articles you will come across the names of such books which many of our ‘ulama have never even heard about. It seems as if deep research (tahqīq) is being made. But alas! In spite of swimming in the ocean of Islāmic knowledge from morning to evening they return dry as a bone. No effect of what they so rigorously study can be seen in their lives. The soul of this knowledge has been destroyed.”

Muftī Taqī thereafter asked if they could at least direct him to an ‘ālim of the old school of thought, so that he could present himself at his service. He was directed to a masjid close to the tomb of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir Jilānī (Allah have mercy on him), in which was a maktab. Here he met an old pious-looking man. Muftī Taqī described his meeting with him in the following words, “On seeing him I felt that I was in the presence of a pious Allāh-fearing ‘ālim. He was sitting on a straw mat, dressed in coarse clothing and eating dry bread. The light of the Sharī’ah could be discerned on his forehead.”

After making salām he enquired regarding my name and the place from which I had come. He also asked about the condition of the madāris of our country, its syllabus and the manner in which the kitābs (books) are taught. Tears flowed from his eyes as I mentioned the names of the kitābs found in the Dars Nizāmī (sylabbus). He asked, “Are these kitābs still being taught!?” I replied in the affirmative. He then explained, “Today, we have been deprived of even hearing the names of these kitābs. These kitābs create Allâh-conscious men, they create true Muslims. In our country these books are no longer taught. I beg you to convey this message of mine to the ‘ulama and the masses of your country, that for the sake of Allāh , they should bear everything but should never allow the destruction of such madāris wherein these kitābs are taught!!!” The enemies of Islām are fully conscious of the fact that as long as these simple Maulānā’s, sitting on straw mats are present in society, they cannot remove īmān from the hearts of the Muslims. Therefore the enemies of Islām are making all out efforts to remove these madāris.”

Kajee, Moosa. ‘Ulama of Deoband. Azaadville: Madrasah Arabia Islamia. 1432H, 2011C. p39-41