Islamic Reform Movements in India

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Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Aligarh Movement (1875)

The man who gave life and soul to modernisation of Muslims in India was Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan (1817-1898).
This was the first and the most important movement for the spread of modern education and social reforms among Muslims.
He exhorted the Muslims to accept Western science and take up government services.
He started a school at Ghazipur in 1864 and it was called as the Scientific Society and translated many English books, especially science books into Urdu.
He believed that the interest of the Muslims would be best served if they bonded with the British Government rather than pitch in with the rising nationalist movement.
His greatest achievement was the establishment of the Mohammaden Anglo Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875 and later it developed into Aligarh Muslim University.
He was in favour of the abolition of Purdha system and education of women.

Tahzil-ud-Akhlaq or Reform of Morals.
He says “the Hindus and the Muslims are two eyes of the beautiful bird that was India.”

Founder: Mirza Ghulam Ahmed (1835-1908).
He was emphasizing the return to the original principles enunciated in the Quran.
Ghulam Ahmed became controversial when he claimed to be a Messiah, which was considered heretical by mainstream Islam.
In social morals the Ahmadiya movement was conservative, adhering to polygamy, veiling of women, and the classical rules of divorce.

Propagating the pure teachings of the Quran and the Hadith.
Encouraging the spirit of Jihad against the foreign and un-Islamic elements.

The Ulema under the leadership of Muhammad Qasim Wanotavi (1832-80) and Rashid Ahmad Gangotri (1828-1905) founded the school at Deoband in the Saharanpur district of the U.P in 1866.
The Deoband School did not prepare its students for government jobs but for the preaching of Islamic faith.
The Deoband School welcomed the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
In 1888 the Deoband Ulema issued a religious decree (fatwa) against Syed Ahmed Khan’s Organisation called “The United Patriotic Association” and “The Muhammaden Anglo- Oriental Association.”
The Deoband Ulema were mainly influenced by their determination to oppose Sir Syed Ahmed’s activities.

Founder: Shibli Nu’mani
A school less conservative than Deoband and more responsive to the demands of the modern age.
The school aimed to offer an enlightened interpretation of religion in order to fight the trends of agnosticism and atheism which had followed the advent of modern Western education.

The third famous traditional school is the much older one is Farangi Mahal in Lucknow.
Farangi Mahal accepted Sufism as a valid experience and a valid field of study.

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