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Shibli Nomani

Shibli Nomani(4 June 1857 – 18 November 1914) was anIslamic scholar,poet,philosopher,historian,educational thinker, author, orator, reformer andcriticoforientalistsfromIndian subcontinentduring theBritish Raj.[1][2]He is regarded as the father of Urduhistoriography.[3]He was also proficient in Arabic and Persian languages.[4]Shibli was associated with two influential movements in the region, theAligarhand theNadwamovements.[5]As a supporter of theDeobandi school,he believed that English language and European sciences should be incorporated into the education system.[6]Shibli wrote several biographies of Muslim heroes, convinced that Muslims of his time could learn valuable lessons from the past.[3]His synthesis of past and modern ideas contributed significantly to Islamic literature produced in Urdu between 1910 and 1935.[7]Shibli established theDarul Musannefin Shibli Academyin 1914 to promote Islamic scholarship and also founded theShibli National Collegein 1883. He collected much material on the life of Muhammad, and completed the first two volumes of the planned work,Sirat al-Nabi.His disciple,Sulaiman Nadvi,added to this material and wrote the remaining five volumes after Shibli's death.

Shamsul Ulama
OM
Shibli Nomani
شبلی نعمانی
Professor atMuhammadan Anglo-Oriental College
In office
1882–1898
Secretary of Education Department atDarul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama
In office
1905–1913
Personal details
Born(1857-06-04)4 June 1857
Azamgarh,North-Western Provinces,British India
Died18 November 1914(1914-11-18)(aged 57)
Spouse
Majidunnessa
​
(m.1876)​
Children3
Parents
  • Shaikh Habibullah (father)
  • Moqeema Khatoon (mother)
Personal
NationalityBritish Indian
DenominationSunni
LineageRajput
JurisprudenceHanafi
CreedMaturidi
Movement
Main interest(s)Literature,History,Modernism,Islamic philosophy,Politics,Education
Notable work(s)
Senior posting
TeacherAhmad Ali Saharanpuri
Faizul Hasan Saharanpuri
Influenced by
Influenced
Awards
Literary worksAl-Farooq(1899),Sirat al-Nabi(1918)
Websiteshibliacademy.org

Biography

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Early life

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Nomani was born on 4 June 1857 in Bindwal near Azamgarh into aMuslim Rajputfamily, his ancestor Sheoraj Singh being aBaiswho accepted Islam many generations ago,[8]to Habibullah and Moqeema Khatoon.[9]He was named afterAbu Bakr al-Shibliwho was aSufisaint and a disciple ofJunayd Baghdadi.Later in life, he added "Nomani" to his name.[10]Although his younger brothers went toLondon,Englandfor education (and later returned, one as a barrister employed atAllahabad High Court), Nomani received a traditional Islamic education.[11]His teacher was Muhammad Farooq Chirayakoti, a rationalist scholar.[12]

Nomani therefore had reasons to be both attracted and repelled by Aligarh. Even after he had secured a post as a teacher of Persian and Arabic at Aligarh, he always found the intellectual atmosphere at the college disappointing, and eventually left Aligarh because he found it uncongenial, although he did not officially resign from the college until after Sir Syed’s death in 1898.[13]

In the Middle East

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He taught Persian and Arabic languages at Aligarh for sixteen years, where he metThomas Arnoldand other British scholars from whom he learned first-hand modern Western ideas and thoughts. He travelled withThomas Arnoldin 1892 to theOttoman EmpireincludingSyria,Turkey andEgyptand other locations in the Middle East and got direct and practical experience of their societies. In Istanbul, he received a medal fromSultan Abdul Hamid II.[14][15]His scholarship influencedThomas Arnoldon one hand, and on the other he was influenced by Thomas Arnold to a great extent, and this explains the modern touch in his ideas. InCairo,he met noted Islamic scholarMuhammad Abduh(1849-1905).[16]

In Hyderabad and Lucknow

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After the death of Sir Syed Ahmed in 1898, he leftAligarh Universityand became an advisor in the Education Department ofHyderabad State.He initiated many reforms in the Hyderabad education system. From his policy, theOsmania Universityof Hyderabad adoptedUrduas the medium of instruction. Before that, no other university of India had adopted any vernacular language as the medium of instruction in higher studies. In 1905, he leftHyderabadand went toLucknowas principal and driving force of theDarul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama,a madrasa founded by theNadwat tul-'Ulum.He introduced reforms in the school's teaching and curriculum. He stayed at the school for five years, but the orthodox class of scholars became hostile towards him, and he had to leave Lucknow to settle in the area around his hometown,Azamgarhin 1913.[16]

Founding of Darul Mussanifin

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Earlier at Nadwa, he had wanted to establishDarul Musannifinor theHouse of Writersbut he could not do this at that time. He bequeathed his bungalow and mango orchard and motivated the members of his clan and relatives to do the same and had succeeded. He wrote letters to his disciples and other eminent persons and sought their co-operation. Eventually one of his disciples,Syed Sulaiman Nadvifulfilled his dream and establishedDarul Musannifinat Azamgarh. The first formal meeting of the institution was held on 21 November 1914, within three days of his death.[9][17]

Death

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In August 1914 he went toAllahabadon the news of his elder brother's illness. Two weeks later his brother died. He then moved toAzamgarh.There he developed the basic concept of Darul Musannifin. He died on 18 November 1914.[18]

Ideology

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Nomani and Syed Ahmed wished for the welfare of Muslims and wanted to have Western thinking and style come along with it. However, Sir Syed wanted to save the Muslims from the wrath of the British rulers after their active participation in theWar of Independence of 1857,called the "Sepoy Mutiny"of 1857 by the British colonialist rulers, whereas Shibli wanted to make them self-reliant and self-respecting by regaining their lost heritage and tradition.[9]

Aligarh movement

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According to some scholars, Shibli was against theAligarh movement.He opposed the ideology ofSir Syedand that is why he was debarred from the services ofMuhammadan Anglo-Oriental College.Kamleshwarwrote a novel 'Kitne Pakistan' (How Many Pakistan?)[19]and in that novel he portrays Nomani as a narrow-minded Muslim theologian. In another book, 'Ataturk Fi Karbala by Arif ul Islam', the author alleged that Shibli was not happy with Sir Syed's policies and ideologies and was involved vehemently againstAligarh movement.[20]

Legacy

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Nomani had two daughters, Rabia Khatoon and Jannutul Fatima, and one son, Hamid Hassan Nomani.[9]This son was born in 1882 and died in 1942. He had another son who died soon after birth, and five daughters. They are:

  • Naseem Jehan, retired director of health, Bangladesh, died in Karachi in 1994. She was married in 1940 to Dr Zafrul Huda ofDhaka University.He died in 1978 at Dhaka. They have one daughter.
  • Shamim Jehan (died inKarachiin 2005), married in 1940 to Ehtesham Ahmed, who died in 1982. They have eight sons and seven daughters.
  • Tehseen Jehan, married in 1940 to Shaukat Sultan, principal ofShibli National College, Azamgarh.She is living in Karachi, Pakistan these days. They have three sons and four daughters.
  • Mohsina Sultana, married in 1950 to Amanullah Khan, director of industries, Uttar Pradesh, India. They have four sons and one daughter.
  • Momina Sultan, married in 1952 to Captain Khan Sohail Sultan. They have four sons.

Pakistan Postal Servicesissued a commemorative postage stamp in his honor in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series in 1992.[21]

The Shibli Project

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The Shibli Project, undertaken by the Department of Arabic at Jamia Millia Islamia, aims to preserve the legacy of Shibli Nomani and make his works accessible to a wider audience. As part of the Shibli Project, students are encouraged to study the life of Shibli and his books. They are asked to write articles on the various shades of his life and to write reviews of his works. Students are also encouraged to make projects that showcase his life and contributions and to prepare charts related to his life. The Shibli Project also seeks to promote compatibility among the disciplines of Urdu, Islamiyat, and History. As part of this effort, students are encouraged to study Shibli's poetic works and to organize educational tours to Darul Musannifin, Azamgarh, and Lucknow to meet with Shibli's disciples and gain more insight into his life and works. One of the highlights of the Shibli Project is an exhibition on his life and contributions. The exhibition showcases the various facets of Shibli's life and works, including his scholarship, poetry, and activism. It also provides visitors with a glimpse into the cultural and intellectual milieu of early 20th-century India.[22]

Works

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Shamsur Rahman Faruqi,the poet, author, critic and literary theorist argued that Shibli's work has been unjustly dealt with:[23][verification needed]

WhileMaulana Aslam Jairajpuripointed out errors inSher-ul-Ajam,it was not mentioned that Shibli was the first to write a biography ofMaulana Rumi.Though differences betweenSir Syedand Shibli are highlighted, it has not been pointed out that in spite of Sir Syed's opposition to the writing ofAl-Farooq,Shibli never complained about it. Sir Syed lamented that Shibli's Persian poetry was never tested on its merit and was wrongly associated with his acquaintance with an enlightened intellectual lady of the time, MadamAtiya Fyzee.

— Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, Shibli Nomani Annual Extension Lecture (2011)

Faruqi refutedS. M. Ikram's claim in this regard and subtly highlighted the delicacy of Shibli's thought moulded into his Persian poetry.[23]

Shibli was inspired by the progress of science and education in the West. He wanted to inspire the Muslims to make similar progress by having recourse to their lost heritage and culture, and warned them against getting lost in Western culture. "Ultimately, the Nadwa gave up its notions of uniting occidental and oriental knowledge and concentrated on Islamic scholarship, and on the dissemination of biographical and historical writing in Urdu. Shibli's own writings set the pattern for the latter."[9]In keeping with this goal, he wrote the following books:

See also

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References

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  1. ^Yeaqub, Md (2018)."Analytical Study Of Allamah Shibli's Persian Poetry"(PDF).Global Journal for Research Analysis.7(10): 88.ISSN2277-8160.
  2. ^"How Urdu and India Influenced Afghan and Iranian Reformers".thewire.in.Retrieved27 March2023.
  3. ^abEsposito, John L. (2003),"Shibli Numani, Muhammad",The Oxford Dictionary of Islam,Oxford University Press,doi:10.1093/acref/9780195125580.001.0001,ISBN978-0-19-512558-0
  4. ^Yeaqub 2018,p. 88.
  5. ^Zaman, Maheen (2018),"Shibli Numani",in Kassam, Zayn R.; Greenberg, Yudit Kornberg; Bagli, Jehan (eds.),Encyclopedia of Indian Religions: Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism,Encyclopedia of Indian Religions, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 635–636,doi:10.1007/978-94-024-1267-3_877,ISBN978-94-024-1267-3
  6. ^Bhardwaj, Dr Kamal (1 January 2002).History of Modern India.Prabhat Prakashan. pp. 322–323.ISBN978-93-5266-745-1.
  7. ^Abdullah, Mohammad (1982),Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam(in Bengali) (5th ed.), Sherbangla Nagar, Dhaka:Islamic Foundation Bangladesh,pp. 383–384,ISBN984-06-0252-7
  8. ^Khan, Javed Ali (2005).Early Urdu Historiography.Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library. p. 226.
  9. ^abcdefProfile of Shibli Nomani on shibliacademy.org websitePublished 11 March 2009, Retrieved 16 July 2020
  10. ^Suhail, Iqbāl (1936).Sīrat-i Shiblī(in Urdu). Azamgarh: Al-Islah. p. 52.OCLC905801607.
  11. ^Nadvī, Sayyid Sulaimān (1943).Ḥayāt-i Shiblī(in Urdu). Azamgarh: Ma'arif press. p. 75.OCLC37282205.
  12. ^Mahmud 2016,p. 11.
  13. ^"A Biographical sketch of Shibli Nomani by Dr. Ian Henderson Douglas | Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy".
  14. ^Hasan, Mushirul. "Pan-Islamism versus Indian Nationalism? A Reappraisal."Economic and Political Weekly(1986): 1075.
  15. ^Ahmad, Anis & Özervarli, M.Sait (2010)."ŞİBLÎ NU'MÂNÎ".TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. 39 (Şeri̇f Paşa – Tanzanya)(in Turkish). Istanbul:Turkiye Diyanet Foundation,Centre for Islamic Studies. pp. 126–129.ISBN978-975-389-632-0.
  16. ^abProfile of Shibli Nomani by Ian Henderson Douglas on shibliacademy.org websitePublished 16 March 2009, Retrieved 16 July 2020
  17. ^abcdefProfile and publications of Allama Muhammad Shibli Nomani on Open Library.org website (Internet Archive)Retrieved 16 July 2020
  18. ^Mahmud, Minhaj Uddin (2016).Contribution of Allama Shibli Nu'mani to Urdu Literature(PDF)(PhD) (in Bengali). Bangladesh:University of Dhaka.p. 17.
  19. ^Kitne Pakistan, Rajpal & Sons, 2004.ISBN81-7028-320-5
  20. ^Ataturk Fi Karbala, by Dr. Arif Ul Islam, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 2007
  21. ^Detailed image of commemorative postage stamp to honor Shibli NomaniRetrieved 16 July 2020
  22. ^Jamia Millia Islamia's Contributions To Islamic Studies Since 1920(PDF).pp. 41–42.
  23. ^abShamsur Rahman Faruqi, Shibli Nomani Annual Extension Lecture 2011,Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy, Azamgarh
  24. ^Sirat-un-Nabi book on GoogleBooks websiteRetrieved 16 July 2020
  25. ^abcdefVersatile Scholar Shibli Nomani remembered todayAssociated Press Of Pakistan website, Published 18 November 2019, Retrieved 16 July 2020
  26. ^abcProfile of Shibli Nomani on rekhta.org websiteRetrieved 16 July 2020
  27. ^Kumar, Akriti. "SHIBLI NOMANI AND THE MAKING OF NADWATUL’L ULUM." Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. Vol. 78. Indian History Congress, 2017.
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