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D.Litt. Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Mawlānā
Personal details
Born	(1892-03-16)16 March 1892 Dariyabad, Barabanki British India
Died	6 January 1977(1977-01-06) (aged 84) Barabanki, India
Political party	Khilafat Movement
Parent	Abdul Qadir (father)
Alma mater	University of Lucknow University of Allahabad Aligarh Muslim University St. Stephen's College, Delhi
Personal
Denomination	Sunni
Jurisprudence	Hanafi
Creed	Maturidi
Main interest(s)	Comparative religion, Tafsir, Biography, Orientalism, Modernism, Islamic philosophy, Psychology, travelogue, Sufism, Journalism
Notable work(s)	Tafseer-e-Majidi (1941) Hakeemul Ummat (1956) Aalamul Quran (1959)
Senior posting
Disciple of	Ashraf Ali Thanwi
Influenced by Shibli Nomani, Muhammad Iqbal, Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Hussain Ahmed Madani, Akbar Allahabadi
Awards	Arabic Scholar Award by Government of India (1966) D.Litt. by Aligarh Muslim University (1976)

Abdul Majid Daryabadi (16 March 1892 – 6 January 1977) was an Islamic scholar, philosopher, writer, critic, researcher, journalist and exegete of the Quran in Indian subcontinent in the 20th century.^[1][2] He was as one of the most influential Indian Muslim scholar and was much concerned with modernism and comparative religions and orientalism in India.^[3] In his early life, he became sceptical of religion and called himself a "rationalist". For almost nine years, he remained away from religion but repented and became a devout Muslim.^[4] He was actively associated with the Khilafat Movement, Royal Asiatic Society, Aligarh Muslim University, Nadwatul Ulama, Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy and several other leading Islamic and literary organisations.^[5] He was disciple of Ashraf Ali Thanwi and Hussain Ahmed Madani.

Throughout his academic career he edited the Urdu weekly Sidq-e-Jaded, which was acclaimed in the Indo-Pak subcontinent for its inspiring message and stylistic features.^[2] He continued to edit the journal until his death. He had a unique style of writing which was expressive and tinged with humor and sarcasm.^[2] He was influenced by Ashraf Ali Thanwi to write a Tafsir and then he wrote a famous Tafsir in English first then in Urdu named Tafseer-e-Majidi.^[2] He wanted to purify the Muslims thinking to understand and implement true Islamic teachings and free from "foreign" and "un-Islamic" elements and to review the decision of previous scholars before blindly accepting them.^[3] In 1967, he got the Arabic Scholar Award from the Government of India. In 1975, the Aligarh Muslim University awarded him a Doctorate in Literature. He died in January 1977.^[2]

Life and family

Abdul Majid Daryabadi was born in Daryabad.^[6] His father was Abdul Qadir (1848-1912) ibn Mufti Mazhar Karim Qudwai (d.1873) Ibn Shaykh Mukhdum Bakhsh.^[7] He came from a Qidwai family.^[7] His father was a follower of Qadiriyya Sufi Order. His mother's name is Bibi NaSirun Nisa.^[8] She was also from Qudwai ancestry. Her father that means Daryabadis maternal grandfather was elder brother of Daryabadis grandfather Mufti Mazhar Karim Qudwai.^[8] So, his father married to his cousin. His maternal grandfather was the resident at Lucknow. Therefore, Lucknow became his second home. His father was also born in Lucknow.^[8] He was the youngest son of his family among five siblings. His father was the youngest son of his family too. While he wrote his autobiography named Aap Biti, he noticed that only one elder brother named Abdul Majid (d.1951) and one elder sister named Zarifunnisa (d.1945) were alive. Later his sister's name is changed into Bibi Sakina.^[9]

Education

He was brought up in a religious environment.^[10] He learnt Arabic and Persian, which his father had a good command of, at home.^[10] He was admitted to Sitapur High School^[10] where he studied until class ten from 1902 to 1908.^[10] The school was nearest to his house.

In July 1908 he was admitted to Canning College, Lucknow (later the University of Lucknow.^[10] At that time, all colleges of Lucknow were under Allahabad University (estd. 1887).^[10] Then he was admitted in B.A. (honours) in Philosophy at that college in 1910. The subjects in his BA (honours) were English (text), General English, Philosophy and Arabic. First two were compulsory.^[10] Than Metaphysics, Ethics and Psychology were included in three branches of Philosophy.^[10] He was very much interested in Psychology. Selective writings of Ibn Khaldun, Maqamat-i-Hariri, Maqamat-i-Badiuzzaman Hamadani, Mutanabbi and Abu Tamam were included in Arabic language and Arabic Literature. In April 1912, he appeared in BA (honours) examination.^[10] Therefore, he went to Allahabad for appearing to BA final exam, under Allahabad University (estd. 1887).^[10] The result was published in June 1912 and he obtained second class in B.A. (honours). Therefore, he graduated in 1912.^[10] In that time, he exposed himself to the rationalist and an agnostic. He had a natural taste for Philosophy. However, during his time, there is no M.A. course in Philosophy except two Universities.^[10] One was Banaras Hindu University (estd. 1915) and other was Aligarh Muslim University (estd. 1920). Then he decided to go to Aligarh and got admitted in M.A. course in Philosophy.^[10] In March 1913, the first-year examination of MA was held, but he failed. Then he was admitted in St. Stephen's College, Delhi in 1913 to continue his MA in philosophy.^[10] However, he could not pursue his studies for long time and ought to stop his higher education midway due to his father's death in the time of performing his Haj in 1912.^[10] At that time, Daryabadi was 20 years old. He had none of his relatives to defray the expenses of his education.^[10] However, his father handed him over his father's intimate friend Raja Sahib Mahmud Abad before going for his pilgrimage. He had not come back home after completing his pilgrimage, because he died during his pilgrimage.^[11] In addition, meanwhile the Peoples Bank was become bankrupted. In this reason, the whole of his father's deposited money was lost. Therefore, he could not pursue his object.^[11] From this event and this situation, it was realized that perhaps none of his relatives or nearest persons were rich and wealthy to bear the expenditure of his studies.^[11] Then he entered the field of job. In 1918, he took to a study of Buddhism and Theosophy.^[11] Later, in his own words, he progressively became a Muslim under the influence of Ashraf Ali Thanwi, the famous Urdu poet Akbar Allahabadi. He was associated with Khilafat Conference at Lucknow in 1927 and was president of the Oudh Khilafat Committee.^[11]

Received the title 'Maulana'

Abdul Majid Daryabadi has not educated from Madrasah education, but the Arabic language and literature were always text course in Daryabadis studies at Canning College, Lucknow.^[11] He passed from Canning College in 1912 with Arabic. In this why, he knew Arabic very well and he had good command in English and deep knowledge in Psychology, Philosophy and Logic.^[11] When he was a college student at the age of 15/16, he wrote two articles, first is named; Mahmud Ghaznavi and second is Ghadha-i Insani. Both the articles have been published at weekly magazine Wakil of Amritsar. Later the Wakil Book Agency had published his first two articles in the shape of booklet in 1910. The two articles are very much authentic and have literary values.^[11] After the evaluation of these two articles, Wakil Book Agency had given him a title "Mawlana" and sent a letter to him. After that they had written first his name Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadiin spite of his name Abdul Majid Daryabadi and printed the name of writer Mawlana Abdul Majid Daryabadi on the cover page of the booklet, while he was a college student.^[11] However, the title "Maulana", he did not accept because at that time he became agnostic and rationalist that means the duration of his rationalism from 1909 to 1918. In that time he wrote and introduced himself Mr. Abdul Majid rather than Mawlana.^[11] However, the time of his childhood and youth was in Islam. After that time, he came back to Islam by the influence of Haji Warith Ali Shah, Akbar Ilah Abadi, Maulana Muhammad Ali Jawhar and Rishi Bahgwan Das. They were the influential persons who had done appreciable work to come back him to Islam.^[11] In a result, he has contributed the Muslim community by the Tafsir Literature.^[11]

Marriage

He married Aftun Nisa, the daughter of former magistrate Shaykh Yusufuz-Zaman on 2 June 1916.^[11] In October 1930 he had a second marriage which ended in divorce.^[11] He had remained with his first wife Aftun Nisa. All of his daughters and sons (who died in early childhood) were with his first wife.^[11]

Career

Writer

After stopping his higher study, he entered the field of Journalism.^[11] First he worked at Udh Panch (pub.1877, Lucknow), then at Al-Hilal (pub.1912, Kolkata), Jamindar (pub.1912, Lahore), Hamdard (pub. 1913, Delhi). Then he started a weekly magazine Sach from Lucknow in 1925 and he was an editor of it. It had been continued up to 1933.^[11] Then in 1933, he stopped this weekly in due to involve deeply in writing an English translation and commentary of the Quran. Then in 1935, he changed this weekly into Sidq, then he finally changed it into Sidq-e-Jadid in 1950 and he was an editor of it until his death in 1977.^[11] Now, it has been edited and published from Lucknow by his son in law and his nephew Hakim Abdul Qawi Daryabadi. In that time Abdul Majid Daryabadi became a prolific and a famous writer and an eminent journalist by his writings of unique style and editing the weekly magazine Sidq-e-Jadid.^[12] Gradually he became an eminent Islamic scholar, commentator of the Quran, renowned Journalist and writer of Urdu literature with a distinctive writing style.^[12] He published sixty big and small works besides some poems and ghazals between 1914 and 1919 and a drama also.^[12] A good number of his articles also appeared in the Urdu and English journals of his day. He also literary articles to the prestigious Urdu journals like Ma'arifof Azamgarh, Al-Nazir and Hamdam of Lucknow and Hamdard of Delhi. Besides he was the member of Darul MuSannifin Shibli Academy, Azamgarh, later he headed its Managing Committee.^[12] He had also associated with the Royal Asiatic Society, London, Hindustani Academy, Court of the Muslim University, Aligarh, Khilafat Committee and the Nadwatul Ulama of Lucknow. However, his commentaries on the Quran in Urdu and English marked him out a place among the notable scholars of the modern age.^[12] He wrote more than fifty books in different subjects of Islam except the exegesis of the Quran.^[12]

Translator of Osmania University

Abdul Majid Daryabadi was a prolific writer, journalist, a Mawlana and a successful interpreter of the Quran. He obtained high position among the Mufassirun.^[12] He had a nearest relationship with the previous government of Hydrabad. So, he had been appointed as a translator of the Department of Translation, Osmania University, Hydrabad. He had served as a Translator of Philosophy and Logic, Osmania University from 1 September 1917 to 31 July 1918, in total eleven months.^[12] The Government of Hydrabad published his name in the list of scholars after he left the job. It was established after the end of the Government of Hydrabad. Besides, of his job, the Government of Hydrabad has also given him wealth to publish his written books.^[12] He was given 125 Rupi per month as pension. He was associated for some time with the editorial board of The Modern Review and The Al-Maarif.^[12] His earliest essays published in 1909 as pamphlets were Ghaza-i Insani (Humans food) and Mahmud Ghaznavi. They were followed by Falsafa-i Jazbat and Falsafa-i Ijtima, published by Anjuman-i Taraqqi-i Urdu. These books introduce us to his early rationalist and agnostic environment.^[12]

Islamic philosopher and a Mufassir

After reverted to Islam, he made friends with the devout Muslims like Akbar Allahabadi, Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hussain Ahmed Madani and Ashraf Ali Thanwi.^[12] Therefore, his life had turned a full circle and he emerged as a devout Muslim under their influence and went on to become a philosopher of Islam and a Mufassir (interpreter) of the Quran. Daryabadi was influenced by Ashraf Ali Thanawi to write a tafsir on comparative religion.^[12] Then he started to write a tafsir in English first, later in Urdu, named Tafsir-ul-Quran: Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran in English and Al-Quran al-Hakim in Urdu. In the both of his tafsir, he quoted from Bible, New Testament, Old Testament and Jewish Encyclopedia and compared to other religious books and religions to establish that the Islam is the best of all.^[12] He also quoted in his tafsir from other famous and recognized Arabic tafasir and discussed in the light of modern concept. It had been written during the Second World War as great as others in that time and until nowadays. He devoted his whole life writing and to the cause of Islam and published scores of books and articles in both English and Urdu, which brought him out the excellence of Islam.^[12] His tafsir helps Muslims to derive away all the doubts and make them intellectual to war against the western critics and criticisms of opponent and satisfied to find a satisfactory solution of the many questions.^[12] He wrote many basic books in Islamic subjects, like Islamic Philosophy, Sufism, Biography of Islamic personalities, Different Dimension of interpretation of the Quran that is called tafsir literature.^[12] At that time, he became a prolific and a famous writer by his own writings of unique style. He became an eminent scholar, commentator of the Holy Quran, journalist and a writer of Urdu literature with his distinctive writing style. He wrote many books on Philosophy and Psychology. In that time, he became a Philosopher in modern concept.^[13]

Oath of Allegiance

In his family, the education and the meta-physical practice had been going on.^[13] His family was an educated and devoted to Islam. When Daryabadi came back to Islam from atheism and concentrated to the knowledge of Islam, then, in that time, he attracted to Sufism. He was come from a saint family. In a result, they went to the different graves of Sufis and Khanqas.^[13] In that time, he felt himself to need an effective guide for his activities. First, he decided to take an oath of allegiance on Mohammad Ali Jauhar. Then he decided to take oath of allegiance from Ashraf Ali Thanwi in 1928.^[13] Finally, he took oath of allegiance on the hand of Hussain Ahmed Madani with the permission of Ashraf Ali Thanawi.^[13] Professor Tahir Mahmud, Department of Law, University of Delhi said, "Hakim al-Ummat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi was a spiritual teacher of my father Sayyid Mahmud Hasan Wakil and Abdul Majid Daryabadi. He has written a book in the subject stated, named, "Murshid ki talash" (it means, to look for a spiritual Islamic guide to take true path of almighty Allah."^[13]

Awards

In 1966 AC, he received the Arabic Scholar Award from the Government of India.^[13] In 1976, Aligarh Muslim University has awarded him a Doctorate in Literature. He received the award from the hand of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905-1977), Chancellor of the country, India.^[13] He was granted a lifetime-pension from Hyderabad State in recognition to his services to the Urdu Literature.^[13]

Death

Abdul Majid Daryabadi was sick long time at Khatun Manzil of Lucknow. Here, the people were coming and crowd was continuing to meet him from the different type of the people.^[13] Specially, Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi, Professors of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama met him frequently.^[13] Last time Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi, Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband and had met him, then after a day of his meeting he died on 6 January 1977 at 4:30 am at Khatun Manzil, Lucknow. Due to his last will, his first Namaz-e-Janazah was guided by Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi in a huge gathering at Nadwatul Ulama of Lucknow.^[13] Then he brought out to his father's home Daryabad. There was organized his second Namaz-e-Janazah, guided by Hafiz Gulam Nabi after the prayer of Maghrib in a huge crowd also, and then he buried adjacent to the graveyard of his forefather Makhdum Abkash.^[13] It was the graveyard of his father's family. He was 85 at the time of his death.^[13]

Personal life

Khan Bahadur Sheikh Masood-uz-Zaman his brother-in law, was a member of the Legislative Council, the upper house of legislature for the United Provinces under British Raj.^[14] He would be the last elected deputy president of the council before it was dissolved. His sister was married to Nawab Nazir Yar Jung of Hyderabad state, a judge of the Hyderabad High Court. His niece (Nazir Yar Jung's daughter), was Hamida Habibullah, wife of General Enaith Habibullah and mother of Wajahat Habibullah of Saidanpur taluqa in Awadh. His son-in law, Hakeem Abdul Qavi Daryabadi (1917–1992), was a reputed Urdu Journalist,^[15] His son-in law and nephew, Muhammad Hashim Kidwai (1921–2017), was an accomplished author, academician and MP and AMU faculty.^[16] His grandsons are also well known academicians. Saleem Kidwai, is a professor of political science in Jawaharlal Nehru University. Abdur Raheem Kidwai, is a professor of English at the Aligarh Muslim University and a well-known author of many works on the Qur'an and Islam.^[17] Shafey Kidwai, is a recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu and Iqbal Samman awardee, well-known bilingual critic and Professor of Mass Communication at the Aligarh Muslim University. Rasheed Kidwai, is a well-known political analyst, journalist and author. Nafay Kidwai (1958–2014), was a well known columnist and journalist who got UP Urdu Academy's highest award.^[18]

Views and thoughts

Inclination into dubiousness and disbelief

Abdul Majid Daryabadi was from a noble family. His primary education was in a religious environment. His father was a pious Muslim.^[13] However, from his College life, he met the rationalist school of the west and became a rationalist and an agnostic. Gradually suspicion and disbelief started in his thought and faith. He read out the books of Atheists and Orientalists, like famous Greek philosophers; Plato, Aristotle, Socrates and Dicard etc. He was specially zeal of Bacon, Hume, Locke, Mill, Baikal, Spenser, Huxley, Darwin, William James etc.^[19] The Book of Psychology by William James was included in his course. He already read out the Principles of Psychology of William James.^[19] In this reason, his Islamic belief became convulsed. Then, he converted into Atheism and focused himself as an Atheist among the Muslims.^[19] 20th century was the time of freethinking and rationalism. In this condition, in 1910AC, while he filled up his form of intermediate final examination, he wrote Rationalist in spite of the word Muslim in the option of religion.^[19] In that time, he felt shame to introduce himself as a Muslim. In addition, at the period of college life, he wrote many books in Philosophy. He focused rationalistic thoughts and western philosophical thoughts in those books.^[19] However, after returning to Islam he felt shame himself about his rationalistic writings. About his suspicion, the famous Urdu poet Akbar Alahabadi said, "Changing of teaching will change the mind."^[19]

Period of rationalism

Daryabadi brought up in a religious environment.^[19] However, the environment of his school influenced him to become a rationalist. He realized and felt shame about the deprived period from the light of the revealed knowledge of his life.^[19] The period is approximately ten years, from 1909 AC to 1918 AC of his important young life. He was a rationalist and an agnostic, but a Muslim by name, not in practicing Muslim.^[19] In the contrary, he supported having beef, writing and discussion about Islam. In Daryabadis memoirs he wrote, "Perhaps on October in 1911, a big conference was organized at Lucknow.^[19] Great speakers and Missionaries gathered there. Famous debater Dr. Zuemer was present there, who was good in Arabic like English. I went there to meet Dr. Zuemer with his friend Abdul Bari Nadvi.^[19] Discussion started, father of Church asked on Islam insulting. Nadwi answered in Arabic, but I answered in English in favour of Islam.^[19]

Return to Islam

In 1918, he took to a study of Buddhism and Theosophy.^[19] Later, he became a Muslim under the influence of Ashraf Ali Thanawi (1863-1943). In addition, he has been influenced by renowned Indian writers and scholars; Sibli Numani (1857-1914), a famous Urdu poet Akbar Alahabadi (1846-1921), Muhammad Ali Jawhar (1878-1931), Abdul Bari Nadawi (1886-1976), Sulayman Nadawi (1884-1953), Bagwan Das (Banaras), and Gandhi (1869-1948).^[19] He wrote about his disbelieving life and turning point to Islam in his Muasirin (contemporaries) that "It was 1909AC through reading English books written by agnostics, I had turned from a good believer to a heretic … My apostasy has been continued till 1918AC… At that time, I read the English Quran Commentary by Muhammad Ali of Lahore. It convinced me that the Quran is no collection of hearsay stories, but a collection of deep and sublime truths, and if it was not heavenly, it was almost heavenly."^[19]

He was inspired and influences spiritually by Abdul Ahad Kasmundawi, Abid Husayn Fatehpuri and Husayn Ahmad Madani (to take the oath of allegiance on him), Iqbal, Haji Muhammad Safi Bajnuri (d.1951 at Makka).^[19] From his memoirs he wrote about famous poet Akbar Alahabadi, "One day he told me that why I had Arabic in my college course? Have I any relation to! I replied him that now I have no time to read and write on it. He replied me that the literary status of the Quran is being recognized to the people of Europe, he heard that the last fifteen Para of the Quran are included in the course of literature in Garman University. He advised me that to leave it and try to understand it and I might have relation to the Quran and whatever I like the part of the Quran to read daily. This was his part of Tabligh."^[20]

Once upon a time Daryabadi praised writer and psychologist Willium Zamj and a philosopher Mill in front of Akbar Alahabadi. Daryabadi said, "He is not at present physically alive, but he is present in the whole world. In all languages, Mill was the greatest person.^[20] Akbar Alahabadi replied with smiling, "write down about Mill on a paper and put date on today. Ten years later, I will ask you about your praise of Mill." No ten but after three years Daryabadi became free from his past thought. Then he returned to Islam as a complete Muslim. After returning into Islam, he felt shame during his life of rationalism and writings in that time.^[20]

Daryabadi wrote in Muasirin, "One day when I became a Muslim de novo and a guest of Akbar Alahabadi, then the first time I joined with him at Juhr prayer. He became happy, prayed to Allah for me,and told that your late father will be happy by the Angles to hear the news of your prayer."^[20] Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Abdul_Majid_Daryabadi
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