A Fatwa Concerning the Ulama of Deoband

Question

A person says that Mawlawi Hashmat ‘Ali is a very great scholar and mufti of the Hanafi madhhab, and that if anyone holds such a belief (pointing to a man of Deobandi creed), he is a kafir, and all who hold such a creed are kafirs. What needs to be ascertained is whether all those of Deobandi creed are really kafirs (we seek refuge in Allah!), and who this Hashmat ‘Ali is. There is fear of fitna and strife on account of this.

Answer

In Deoband there is a madrasa, Dar al-‘Ulum, which was founded by the elders among the people of Allah — gnostics (‘arifs) and people of knowledge. In it the Holy Qur’an, the noble hadith, tafsir, fiqh and other religious sciences are taught; more than a hundred years have passed since then.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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