He is amongst the last gleaners of the Waliullahian harvest of knowledge. He was born in 1248/1832. In the environs of Saharanpur there is an old village, Nanauta, reputed for producing men of high caliber. It was from this productive mine that this unique jewel of the first water came out whose scintillating knowledge illumined and made resplendent the academic and religious assemblies in the later half of the 13th century Hijri. Primary education he received at his native-place after which he was sent to Deoband where he read for some time in Maulawi Mahtab Ali's primary school. Then he went away to his maternal grandfather at Saharanpur where the latter was practicing as a pleader. In Saharanpur he studied the elementary books of Arabic grammar and syntax under the instruction of Maulawi Nawaz. At the end of 1259/1843, Maulana Mamlook Ali took him to Delhi. There he began the Kafia and read other books. Thereafter he was admitted to the Delhi College but he did not take the annual examination. MauIana Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi writes:
“My late father got Maulawi Sahib admitted to the Government Arabic Madrasah and said: 'See Euclid yourself and do exercises of arithmetic. After some days, it was talked about that Maulawi Sahib had seen all the ordinary discourses and had completed the exercises of arithmetic. Munshi Zakaullah brought some questions, which were very difficult. On solving them Maulana became very well known. When the annual examination drew near, Maulawi Sahib did not take it and left the Madrasah. All in the Madrasah, particularly the head-master who was the principal English teacher, regretted this very much".
Before entering Delhi College, he had read books of logic, philosophy and scholastic theology like Mir Zahid, Qazi Mubarak, Sadra, Shams-e- Bazigha under the instruction of Maulana Mamlook Ali at the latter's house. In the end, he joined that study-circle which then possessed a central position in the whole of India with regard to the teaching of the sciences of the Quran and Hadith. Hadhrat Shah Abdul-Ghani Mujaddidi was then gracing the Masnad of knowledge of Shah Waliullah. From him he acquired the science of Hadith; during his student-days, it self the fame of his acuteness, knowledge and learning, comprehension and discernment had become widespread.
Hadhrat Maulana Nanautawi's illustrious contemporary, Sir Syed, has expressed his impressions of the farmer’s acuteness, knowledge and learning, asceticism and piety, understanding and discernment during student days in the following words:
"The people thought that after Maulawi Muhammad Ishaq no man like him in all those qualities was to be born, but Maulawi Muhammad Qasim has proved by his consummate righteousness, religiosity, piety, abstinence and humili1y that, through the education and training of this city of Delhi, Allah has created another man a like of Maulawi Muhammad Ishaq, rather superior to him in certain things.
"There are many people alive who have seen Maulawi Muhammad Qasim receiving education at Delhi at a very young age. He had studied all the books under the late Maulawi Mamlook Ali. From the very beginning the signs of piety, abstinence, virtuousness and devotion to God were apparent from his ways and manners and the following couplet was perfectly applicable to him:
'Over his head through his intelligence was shining the star of loftiness'.
"During the period of prosecuting studies, even as he was well-known and reputed for his intelligence, keenness of mind, understanding and discernment, he was equally well spoken of by men of learning and accomplishments for his virtuousness and devoutness. Maulawi Muzaffar Hussain Sahib's company had inclined him very much towards conformance to the prophetic Sunnah and top grace of the company of Haji Imdadullah had made his heart into a top-ranking heart. He himself conformed to the Shariah and the Sunnah and tried his level best to make people also conform to the Shariah and the Sunnah. Nevertheless he was always anxious about the weal of the Muslims. It was through his efforts that a very useful Madrasah for imparting the education of religious sciences was established at Deoband and a very fine mosque was built. Besides this, through his effort and endeavor, Islamic Madrasahs were established at other places too. He did not at all wish to be a mystagogue, a spiritual preceptor, and yet, thousands of people in India, particularly in the northern and western districts, believed in him and considered him their spiritual leader.
"As regards controversial questions some people were displeased with him and he too was displeased with some, but as for as we understand we cannot impute any action of Maulawi Muhammad Qasim, whether it be of displeasure with anyone or of pleasure, to egoism, obduracy and antagonism. All the works and deeds that he performed were purely for God's sake and with an eye on the recompense of the hereafter; and he used to follow whatever he considered true and right.
Both, to be displeased or to be pleased with anyone, were for the sake of God. Maulawi Muhammad Qasim did not consider any man good or bad due to his personal relations but because a man does bad works or speaks bad things, he considered him bad for the sake of God. The question of love for the sake of Allah' and 'aversion for the sake of Allah' was peculiar to his treatment. All his habits were angelic. We all used to cherish sincere love for him, and such a man who may have passed his life with such virtuousness is indubitably worthy of utmost love.
"In these days all people admit and perhaps those people too who dissented from him in certain open questions might be admitting that Maulawi Muhammad Qasim was a matchless man in this world. His rank in knowledge in those days may perhaps be less than that of Shah Abdul Aziz to some extent; otherwise in all other things it was superior. In humility, virtue and simplicity, if his rank was not higher than that of Maulawi Muhammad Ishaq, it was, not inferior either. He was realty a man of angelic habits and celestial disposition, and the world's being bereaved of the existence of such a man is the cause of extreme sorrow and regret for those who survive after him".
After the completion of his education, Maulana Nanautawi took up as a means of livelihood the work of correcting the press at Matba-e Ahmedi, Delhi, which was then owned by Maulana Ahmed Ali Muhaddith Saharanpuri. In those days, at Maulana Ahmed Ali's instance, he also wrote a scholium on the last few portions of the Sahih Bukhari.
THE METHOD OF TEACHING HADITH
Hadhrat Nanautawi has played a great part in developing that method of affirmation and preference for the Hanafite Mazhab (method, creed) and that style of sifting and explanations, which are today the distinctive feature of the Darul Uloom Deoband, and are also current and in use more or less in the lessons of Hadith in the Arabic Madrasahs. Till the middle of the thirteenth century Hijri only the translation of Hadith and the stating of the four methods (mazahib-e arba'a) was considered enough; but when the Hanafites were accused by the Ahl-e Hadith very emphatically that their method was not in accordance with Hadith, Hadhrat Shah Muhammad Ishaq and some of his learned disciples paid attention to the affirmation and superiority (tarjih) of the Hanafite method. In Darul Uloom Deoband Hadhrat Nanautawi, Hadhrat Sheikhul-Hind and other Ulama developed it to such on extent that today no teaching institution of Hadith of repute is to be found devoid of it.
From Hadhrat Nanautawi’s lectures only those students could benefit adequately who were themselves talented, intelligent and sharp-witted and, moreover, might have already read the book with close attention. Hadhrat Nanautawi's geist, maturity of vision and power of argumentation can be estimated on the whole from his books. His statement was that "all the commandments of the Book and the Sunnah are wholly rational; however, the intellect of every person cannot have access there". Hakim Mansoor Ali Khan Muradabadi, who is amongst the well-guided pupils of Hadhrat Nanautawi, writes in his Mazhab-e Mansoor about the peculiarities of his teacher's giving lessons and lectures as under:
"The fact is that whenever Hadhrat Nanautawi proved any important and difficult proposition to be contrary to the mosses concepts, great men of light and learning used to be amazed and astonished. The commandment, which looked absolutely without any argument and demonstration used to look perfectly rational after his lecture. Great men of knowledge and learning would not dare to say anything against me arguments put forth by him".
The following statement of Hadhrat Shaikhul-Hind has been mentioned in the Arwah-e Salasa; he says:
"I used to attend Hadhrat Nanautawi's lecture after having read Hadhrat Shah Waliullah's books and would ask him those things which used to be very difficult in the Shah Sahib's books. And what used to be the lost answer in Shah Sahib's books, Hadhrat (Nanautawi) would mention it first. I have experienced this thing several times".
During the incipient period of Darul Uloom Deoband he taught Euclid for some days in the Chhatta Mosque. During teaching whenever he felt it necessary to explain a figure to the students, he would draw the figure with his finger, without the help of instruments and explain it to the students, although he had studied mathematics and Euclid in Delhi College by himself, without the guidance of any teacher. Hadhrat Nanautawi's lecture generally used to be within the four walls of the Printing presses and was attended by particular person only. The grace of his teaching produced such a party of accomplished, Ulama like Hadhrat Shaikul Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan Deobandi, Maulana Ahmad Hasan Amrohi, Maulana Fakhrul Hasan Gangohi, etc. the example where of is not to be seen after Hadhrat shah Abul Ghani's time. And then he established the system of religious sciences through the central educational institution like the Darul Uloom Deoband, which now, due to its variegated quality, is the greatest seminary in Asia.
Some peculiarities of Hadhrat Maulana Nanautawi's teaching-work are very important. A great one among them is that he never made it a means of earning his living. Due to not being rich, he, of necessity, adopted a service for earning his livelihood, but, instead of the educational line, he sought a job of collation and emendation of books in a press; and then, contrary to the general wont, instead of increment in pay, he used to insist on decrement, and used to be content with such little pay, a mere pittance, on which he could subsist with great difficulty, He never agreed to take more than ten, fifteen rupees as pay. The highest post during the time that could be given to an Indian could be his --- as Maulana Muhammad Yaqub has said --- 'at the slightest wink of his eyes'; as such, many of those who were his contemporaries during the educational career and were far inferior to him in academic ability had been appointed on high government posts in the education department, but he never approved of accepting an educational service. His father possessed a small plot of cultivable land and was cherishing the hope that when the son would become a religious doctor after completing education, he would get a job of reasonable salary. When Maulana's contemporaries were appointed to good posts and he did not show any inclination towards service, his father felt very sorry and told, by way of a complaint, Hadhrat Haji Imdadullah: "This was my only son on whom I had pinned many hopes. If he earned something and did service, our poverty would be removed. God knows what you have done to him that he is not willing to take up a job", Haji Sahib listened and held his peace then, but later on sent him a word: "You complain of narrow circumstances. Allah Most High will give him so much even without service that he will be better off than in service, and holders of high posts, will take pride in serving him".
The method of the Ulama of the former times was different from the system of teaching and learning the Arabic sciences, Madrasahs and cliquism that prevails and is current nowadays. Generally the Ulama, sitting in their homes and mosques, used to teach purely for the sake of Allah; and for earning their livelihood they either took to commercial dealings or used to pass life trusting in Allah. Very often it also happened that the Ulama who did no business for livelihood and engaged themselves in teaching, trusting in the Providence, were given reasonable stipends from the government of the day. The courage and perseverance and contentment of the heart with which Hadhrat Nanautawi, inspite of severely unfavorable circumstances, maintained this precious practice (lit., thing, effects) of the predecessors behaved him only. Hadhrat Haji Sahib used to say about him: Formerly sometimes there used to be such people; now they do not happen to be since long".
After having completed his educational career, Hadhrat Nanautawi, as a means at Livelihood, adopted the job at collating and emending of books in Matba-e Ahmadi, Delhi, and this remained the means of earning till the end. Along with emendation, the practice of teaching also continued. Besides the Sihah Sitta, he also used to teach Masnavi-e Maulana Room and other books, but the teaching work was done, instead of in a Madrasah, inside the four walls of printing presses or a mosque or a house, where particular students only used to sit respectfully.
HUMILITY & INDEPENDENCE-FROM-WANT OR CONTENTMENT (lSTAGHNA)
Independence from want, humility and meekness were to such a degree in his disposition that he never used the peculiar style or dress of the Ulama - the gown and the turban. He used to feel much embarrassed by veneration. He used to say: "This nominal knowledge spoilt me otherwise I would have marred, my condition so much that none would have known that a man named Qasim was at all born". He used to keep off generally from those matters in which there could be a chance of being conspicuous.
In 1277/1860 he went for Hajj and on return from there he took up the job of collating books in Matba-e Mujtabai, Meerut, and remained attached to the same press till 1285/1868. Meanwhile, he again happened to go for Hajj, and thereafter he joined Matba-e Hashimi, Meerut. During this period, the occupation of teaching continued but he never liked service in any Madrasah. The author of Sawanh-e Makhtutah has stated:
"It is a fact known to all that the Madrasah Islami of Deoband was founded and developed by him only, and what a small government it is, this establishment; but he never took advantage of anything. In the incipience, the members of the council requested him to accept teacher ship in this Madrasah and in return for it a meager salary, but he did not accept and at no time, by any manner or method, tolerated to have even a grain from theMadrasah. Although day and night, he used to be busy in the good management of the Madrasah and engaged in teaching. If perchance he wrote any of his letters with the pen and inkpot of the Madrasah, he would immediately pay one Anna to the treasury of the Madrasah.
SERVICES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF ISLAM & THE STARTING OF MADRASAHS
Hadhrat Nanautawi's greatest and most glorious achievement is the revivifying of an educational movement for the renaissance of religious sciences in India and the formulation of those guiding principles for the religious schools on which their survival depends. Through his attention and persuasion, religious Madrasahs were started at different places, like Thana Bhawan (Dist. Muzaffarnagar), Gulaothi (Dist. Buland Shahar), Kerana (Dist. Muzaffarnagar), Danapur (Dist. Buland Shahar), Meerut, Moradabad, etc. Most of them still exist, rendering educational and religious services in their vicinity.
Shoulder to shoulder with the English power, Christianity too had risen high in India and prodigious efforts had been made to convert the people of India, particularly, the Muslims, to Christianity in every possible way. With the support and co-operation of the Company bases of Christian preaching and organization were established throughout the length and breadth of the country, and after the revolution of 1857/ 1274, this system received further; impetus and expansion. Padres began to impeach and impugn Islam and the Prophet of Islam (Allah's peace and blessings be on him) in markets, fairs and common gatherings. When Hadhrat Nanautawi, during the period of his stay in Delhi witnessed this situation, he also ordered his pupils to stand like that in the bazaars to give sermons and repugnant and repudiate the padres. One day he himself, without introduction and giving out his name, reached a gathering and, breaking lance with Padre Tara Chand, repulsed him publicly in the bazaar. Thereafter he came to be introduced with the famous polemic of Islam, Maulana Abul Mansoor Nasirddin Ali Dehlawi (d. 1320/1902). This event took place between Rabiul Awwal, 1292, and Jamadiul-thania 1292. This was the period when Hadhrat Nanautawi was staying in Munshi Mumtaz Ali's Matba-e Mujtabai, Delhi.
FAIR FOR GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS AT SHAHJAHANPUR
A dangerous conspiracy hatched by the English government was that it set the Hindus against the Muslims. The Muslims had once had Political importance and supremacy in India. The English now, under their policy, pushed up the Hindus and brought down the Muslims. When the Hindus advanced in the economic and political fields, the English prompted them towards the path of religious superiority and prepared them to break lance with the Muslims, and provided the opportunities for this that the Hindus pole Mize with the Muslims openly.
Then, on May 8, 1876, a "Fair for God-Consciousness" was held at Chandapur village, near Shahjahanpur (U.P.), under the auspices of the local Zamindar, Piyare Lal Kabir-panthi, under the management of Padre Knowles, and with the support and permission of the collector of Shahjahanpur, Mr. Robert George. Representatives of all the three religions, Christian, Hindu and Muslim, were invited through posters to attend and prove the truthfulness of their respective religions. At the suggestion of Maulana Muhammad Munir Nanautawi and Maulawi Ilahi Bakhsh Rangin Bareillwi, Hadhrat Nanautawi, accompanied by Maulana Mahmud Hasan, Maulana Raheemullah Bijnori and Maulana Fakhrul-Hasan, reached the fair. Besides Hadhrat Nanautawi, Maulana Abul Mansoor Dehlawi, Mirza Mujid Jullunduri, Maulawi Ahmed Ali Dehlawi, Mir Haider Dehlawi, Maulawi Nau'man bin Luqman and Maulana Rangin Bareillwi also participated. All these Ulama delivered speeches at this fair, causing the desired effect. In repudiation of the Doctrine of Trinity and Polytheism, and on affirmation of Divine Unity (Monotheism), Hadhrat Nanautawi spoke so well that the audience, both those who were against and those who were for him, were convinced.
One newspaper writes:
"In the gathering of 8th May of the current year (1876), Maulana Muhammad Qasim gave a lecture and stated the merits of Islam. The Padre Sahib explained the Trinity in a strange manner, saying that in a line are found three attributes: length, breadth and depth, and thus Trinity is proven in every way. The said Maulawi Sahib confuted it promptly. Then, while the Padre Sahib and the Maulawi Sahib were debating regarding the speech, the meeting broke up, and in the vicinity and on all sides arose the outcry that the Muslims had won. Wherever a religious divine of Islam stood, thousands of men would gather around him. In the meeting of the first day the Christians did not reply to the objections raised by the followers of Islam, while the Muslims replied the Christians word by word and won”
Next year this "fair" was held again in March, 1877. This time Munshi Indraman Moradabodi and Pandit Dayanand (d. 1882/1301), the founder of the Arya Samaj, also participated. Dayanandji spoke in Sanstritized Hindi. Padre Knowles had called one Padre Scot also. Hadhrat Nanautawi's speeches were delivered on Theism, Monotheism, and interpolation in Religion, and proved very successful.
The duties of providing board and lodging to the Ulama of Islam were discharged this time by Muhammad Tahir Moti Mian.
Hadhrat Nanautawi, participating both the years in the said fair, frustrated the Christians conspiracy. On this occasion, Prof. Muhammad Ayyub Qadiri, writing in Maulana Ahmed Hasan Nanautawi's biography, says that:
"One thing specially deserves deliberation here that the fair for God consciousness at Shahjahanpur was held consecutively for two years with announcement and publicity, throwing in a way. A challenge to the religion of Islam and yet one does not find a clue to any interest the Ulama of Bareilly and Badaun, the two districts so near, almost contiguous to Shahjahanpur, may have evinced in this fair."
THE POLEMIC AT ROORKEE
In Shawwal, 1294/1877, Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, with a party of eminent Ulama went for hajj and returned from there in Rabiul Awwal, 1295/1877. On his way back, he fell ill at Jeddah. After reaching his native-place, he recovered somewhat but the disease was not fully cured. The same year, in Sha'ban AH. 1295, he received information from Roorke that Pandit Dayanandji had reached there and was leveling objections against Islam. Maulana Nanautawi, despite his weakness and illness, went to Roorkee and however much he wished to have a debate with Panditji in a public gathering, the latter did not agree and left Roorkee, Then, at Hadhrat Nanautawi's instance, Maulana Fakharul Hasan Gangohi and Maulana Mahmud Hasan Deobandi delivered lectures in public meetings and threw a challenge to Panditji. Hadhrat Maulana Nanautawi gave replies to his objections in public meetings and, thereafter, wrote a treatise on "Istaqbal-e Qibla" (the direction of the holy Ka'ba towards which the Muslims turn their faces in prayer but do not actually worship it).
Thereafter Panditji reached Meerut and there too he adopted the same manner. At the request of the Muslims of Meerut, Hadhrat Nanautawi went to Meerut. There also Panditji did not agree to have a debate, So, Hadhrat Nanautawi, gave replies to his objections in a forceful speech he delivered in a public meeting at Meerut.
REFORMATIVE MOVEMENT FOR WIDOW RE-MARRIAGE
Bringing into currency the re-marriage of widows is also a glorious social and reformative achievement of his. Until the end of the thirteenth century Hijri the re-marriage of widows was considered very reproachful. People used to feel its disgracefulness but no one had the courage to put an end to it. By the laudable efforts of Syed Ahmed Shaheed, MauIana Muhammad IsmaiI Shahead Dehlawi, Maulana Mamlook Ali Nanautawi, Maulana Muzaffar Husain Kandhlawi, Maulana Muhammad Ahsan Nanautawi and Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, the remarriage of widows came very much into vogue. Hadhrat Nanautawi, making his widowed sister, who was much older than himself and had become quite old, prepared for re-marriage, broke up this disgraceful custom in such a way that now no one knows that such a custom once prevailed here.
PARTICIPATION IN THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
Taking manly part in the battle for independence in 1857, he captured the tehsil of Shamli in Muzaffarnagar district but the corrupted political atmosphere prevailing he did not let him advance further from Shamli. This incident of re-counter at Shamli is so well-known that it need not be repeated here.
Hadhrat Nanautawi has left behind more than two-dozen books to perpetuate his memory. In his time he set his pen to paper on those questions which were mostly on the tapes then. All his books have been written in response to one query or the other. Munshi Mumtaz Ali, proprietor of Matba-e Mujtabai, Delhi, in 1292/1875, had chalked out a programme to publish all of Hadhrat Nanautawi's works. In the advertisement of this programme printed by him, he had stated:
"Many gentlemen must know Maulawi Muhammad Qasim Sahib. He avoids contention and disputation and passes an independent life in a condition of detachment. If some one sent him a query regarding some difficult proposition from distant land, he would write its answer, otherwise he has not anything to do with anyone. Moreover, why should he have, for he has no trace of carnality in him? This slave is enamored of his independent way of life and fond of his disquisitional writings. For a long time I was contemplating to secure his writings some how and having printed them, show theTamasha of divine omnipotence to the high-minded people of the time. He had a prodigious talent in proving the religio-legal propositions with rational arguments and in refuting the philosopher’s propositions also with the same rational arguments".
DEATH
Hadhrat Nanautawi passed away on Thursday, 4th Jamadil Ula, 1297/1880, at the age of 49 years. His sacred grave is to the north of the Darul-Uloom, clay-built according to the Sunnah practice. This place is known as Qabrastan-e-Qasimi, where countless Ulama, students, pious men and other people are lying buried.
Many people wrote chronogrammatic quatrains on Hadhrat Nanautawi's death. The one composed in Urdu by Maulana Fazlur-Rahman Usmani is still hanging in the Vice-chancellor's office. Just to give an idea of the thoughts expressed in it, the English translation of the verses is given below:
"Such is the sorrow caused by the passing away of the Qasim of the assembly of guidance that every heart (lit., interior) is sipping the draught of grief. Such is the sorrow that thereby the cup of the assembly of spiritual knowledge is inverted like the cask of the sky. Not only is the earth pallid due to this sorrow; the attire of the sky too is bluish in this mourning. Though the supporters of the Shari'ah have had boundless sorrow, the wayfarers of the Path are suffering it doubly. Where's the true supporter of the Madrasah of religion that without him the realm of knowledge and action is desolate? Don't ask about the condition of the sad hearts of the thirsty seekers of knowledge, as to how their life is in your separation. If the flame of separation has grilled the liver, the fire of the grief of separation has roasted the heart. However, from your sacred grave, O good-natured one, your devotees do have a patience of sorts. Out of anguish wrote Fazl this year of death: “Wafat-e Sarwar-e Alam ka yeh namoona hai” (i.e., this is a specimen of the death of the Chief of the World). (The numerical value of the Urdu letters of the last half-verse totals up to AH. 1297).
