Ashraf Ali Thanwi (19 September 1863 – 20 July 1943) often referred as Hakim al-Ummat^[a][2] and Mujaddid e Millet^[b][3], a late-nineteenth and twentieth-century Sunni scholar, thinker, reformist and the revival of classical sufi thought from Indian subcontinent during the British Raj,^[4][5] one of the chief proponent of Pakistan Movement.^[2] He was a central figure of Islamic spiritual, intellectual and religious life in South Asia and continues to be highly influential today.^[2] As a prolific author, he completed over a thousand works including Bayan Ul Quran and Bahishti Zewar.^[2] He graduated from Darul Uloom Deoband in 1883 and moved to Kanpur, then Thana Bhawan to direct the Khanqah-i-Imdadiyah, where he resided until the end of his life.^[2] His training in Quran, Hadith, Fiqh studies qualified him to become a leading Sunni authority among the scholars of Deoband.^[6] His teaching mixes Sunni orthodoxy, Islamic elements of belief and the patriarchal structure of the society.^[6] He offers a sketch of a Muslim community that is collective, patriarchal, hierarchical and compassion-based.^[6]

Ashraf Ali Thanwi was born in 19 September 1863 in Thana Bhawan, Muzaffarnagar U.P. His lineage can be traced back to the second caliph ‘Umar bin al-Khattab.^[7] He attained his early education under his maternal uncle Wajid Ali and Fateh Muhammad in Thana Bhawan and also memorized the Quran at a very young age from Hafiz Hussain of Meeruth.^[8] In 1295 A.H he took admission in Darul Ulum Deoband and graduated in 1301 A.H. He practiced Tajvid and Qirat at Makkah under the guidance of Qari Muhammad Abdullah.^[8] After graduation he first became a head-teacher in Madrasa-i Faiz-i-Aam at Kanpur in 1301 A.H and then graced the Masnad of Principal- ship in Madrasa-e-Jamia al-Ulum. His teaching was so famous that student used to flock to him from far off places. In 1315 A.H he resigned from service and took abode in Khanqah-i-Imdadiyah at Thana Bhawan.^[8]

Thanwi was Haji Imdadullah’s spiritual successor. The circle of his allegiance and esoteric guidance is very wide and thousands of people received edification and training from him.^[8]

He died on 16th Rajab 1362 A.H. He was buried in Thana Bhawan, near the grave of Zamin Shahid, in his own garden which he had endowed in the name of Khanqah-e-Imdadiya.^[8]

Thanwi was an exponent of Islamic Moral Philosophy and Tasawwuf, conditions high among the Muslim intellectuals of his time and conquers a different position between them.^[9] He was basically left no field of Islamic knowledge and its diverse features in their various glooms of thought. Which he has not discovered and clarified.^[10] He is a comprehensive author who had a profound perception into Islamic views and as such has allocated with them in aspect touching virtually every feature, i.e., Social, Economical, political, mental, moral and spiritual and has allocated to its suitable place, value and weight from the view point of directions of The Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad and the sayings of great saints and sages who had a deep insight into Islamic teachings.^[10] Shariat and Tariqat are inter-related and inter-connected. Thanwi deals with the varied phases of Tasawwuf, their intricacies and subtleties separately and independently, analyses their essentials and assigns to each stage and state its particular position and then on synthesis gives a comprehensive view about Tasawwuf which in other words he calls meaningful jurisprudence constituting integral part of Shariah.^[10]

According to Thanwi, Shariat is a very wide term which extends and includes the intact field of human actions in all their transformed stages and systems.^[3] It defines, recognizes and conditions of decent, venerable and praiseworthy ethical conduct and physical, mental, moral and spiritual plains and combines in itself three main different but closely linked aspects.^[3] He explains the afore-said occurrence on the equivalence of a tourist who expects to assume a trip. First is the tourist himself, second is the equipage and decorations essential for the path and third is the purpose – the final goal, the objective which he wants to attain and reach. Shariat therefore, is the combination of these three basics to smooth the Salik or the seeker of the path to reach the purpose of his pursuit.^[3] Shariat, being the Divine Law, is un-alterable and un-changeable; no human activity can change it or make any flourishes or variation in it. There are five fundamentals of Islamic Shariat. The first of them is the belief in God Almighty and in His unity called Tauhid and in the Prophet not by vocal occupation only but by heart that whatever God and the last Prophet has said is certainly correct.The second ingredient is that of Ibadat i.e., offering of prayers, observance of fasts, giving the poor Zakat and performance and pilgrimage (Hajj). The third ingredient is that of Muamilat i.e., mutual dealings in different aspects of life, viz, that of marriage and divorce, purchase and sale, lease and contract, cultivation, etc.^[3] The fourth ingredient deals with social problems as to how to conduct oneself in society in its different fields. The fifth is Tasawwuf which denotes self-reformation (tazaki-a-Nafs).^[3] On the other hand, it should not come down to the level that one may begin to restrain one’s self from one’s lawful wedded wife and may abandon things made lawful for him for one’s up keep and necessary maintenance. In between these two states is the third state of reasonableness and balanced conduct.^[3] In other words, the balanced conduct is that conduct which is in accordance with the laws of Shariat and as such as normal and accepted in its import.^[11] Therefore, every power and potentiality in human personality involves of three characteristics that of concentration, of decrease and diminution and of moderation and normality.^[11] "You have become ascetic and a mystic and at the same time a venerable saintly guide. You have become all that but alas you have not become a man (Insan) in the real sense of its term".^[11] Thanvi states his views in above phrase, in plain terms that the real spirit of Islamic instructions, as laid down in the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet of Islam, is to convert a human-being into a (real) man in its true sense, This can only be done when a man approves a moderate and reasonable arrogance in daily activities of one’s practical life in conformity with the laws of Shariat – its tenets and teachings are the criteria for every man to act, up to it for establishing a sound social order and proper, normal, natural and rational lines. Shariat being self-contained embraces all the different aspects of life and directs one to the goal of peace, affluence and success in every sphere of life and affords its followers real pleasure physical, mental and spiritual.^[11]

He was introduced and engaged in wide program, of teaching and exercise for self-purification and self-reformation of his disciples.^[11] He conducted training and teaching program for every class of peoples. He qualified his followers in such way as than principles and manners are automatically improved.^[11] He approved easy management and knowledge for sickness, which were there because of ignorance of Islamic teaching among the peoples. His disposition consists of the instincts, the emotions and the intellect.^[11] With the dominance and guidance of the faculty of intellect in him over the first two his activities are normalized. Shariat requires man to follow moderate and natural course of conduct and that is the way to salvation.^[11] He paid great attention to correction of morality. He used to say that Zikr (remembrance of Allah) is useful and great and poorness of morality and deeds are such a curtain which prevents the spreading of their influences in the soul therefore, unless morality and deeds are set right, remembrance of Allah has little effect.^[11] He said if someone remembers Allah, and appreciates him, when his morality and deeds are right, remembrance of Allah brings pleasure but good deeds bring pain on you that such fulfill the right and duties of others.^[11] Prophet Muhammad. Abdullah has quoted him saying “I used to give more attention to morality and religiousness than teaching. I do not look much if somebody prayed with congregation, maybe he has an excuse but anything immoral or improper or source of trouble bothers me very much.”^[12] During training he would tell in detail and clearly what were the limits of the Murred and what was beyond limits of the Salik. When someone would present his weakness as he would ask whether it is within limits of the person or beyond limits.^[12] If the reply was within limits, then he would say leave it, use your foundations and power. If the answer was beyond limits, then he advised to forget it.^[12] He used to say these things within limits and beyond limits is half sulook or really full sulook. This understanding made it easy to follow the difficulties of Shariah and Tariqah.^[12] He advised his trainees to examine his daily life and to keep an eye oneself as to how his desire works with people and how in his relationship with Allah his good and bad deeds work. He said every Muslim daily life deal with three things.^[12] (1) Rights and duties, which are rules of Shariah, (2) Limits, which are following the Sunnah, (3) Safeguards of the limits, which are all as Tariqah.^[12]

The job of a Shaikh in Tariqah is to purify the self of the seeker. For this, he suggests the seeker should tell his condition and follow him. He examined the minor weakness of seekers and corrected them. He did not ignore them. He looked also at their good points. He used to meet every one very politely and simply.^[12]

He explained the objectives clearly. He wanted to create the companions spirit and did create to some extent.^[12] For the attainment of nobility and humanity he pointed towards hidden progress and for worldly life, he pointed also towards Sharia and Tariqah.^[12] In his training includes Sharia's rule for fulfilling the Sunnah of the Prophet. He said Allah told us the secret of servitudes in daily life.^[12]

Thanwi stressed adopting the complete way of Islam to attain salvation. He shunned Sufis who emphasised voluntary worshiping but neglected other important commandments of Islam, including fair dealings and fulfilling the rights of others.^[13]At times, he would caution and stress towards matter that are generally thought to be not related to Islam and spirituality but he would explain the forgotten and ignored link. For example, once he encouraged the son of his close disciple, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, to improve his handwriting so that others may read it with ease, and thereafter remarked that he was nurturing him to become a "Sufi".^[14]

Thanwi was a strong supporter of the Muslim League.^[15] He maintained a correspondence with the leadership of All India Muslim League (AIML), including Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He also sent groups of Muslim scholars to give religious advice and reminders to Jinnah.^[16][17]

During the 1940s, many Deobandi ulama supported the Congress but Ashraf Ali Thanvi and some other leading Deobandi scholars including Muhammad Shafi and Shabbir Ahmad Usmani were in favour of the Muslim League.^[18][19] Thanwi resigned from Deoband's management committee due to its pro-Congress stance.^[20]His support and the support of his disciples for Pakistan Movement were greatly appreciated by AIML.^[16][17]

He laid a very active life teaching, preaching, writing, lecturing and making occasional journey.^[3] He belonged to a period when Muslims were physically intellectually under attack by the western colonial powers and the Ary-e -samaj Hinduism.^[3] His literary life began at Darul Uloom Deoband and that he wrote a Mathnavi titled as "Zeero-bam", in Persian language at the age of eighteenth.^[3] For fourteenth years he was a teacher in Madrasa Faiz e Aam, in Kanpur, taught, wrote, and gave sermons and issued Fatwa. From the early days of his educational life, he was very much impressed by Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi.^[3]

Most of his books are in Urdu, Arabic and Persian.^[3] There is no branch of Islam in which his book may not be present. It is said that the number of his works is nearly one thousand.^[8] The rights of printing of all his books were public. He never earned a single paisa from his books. Millions of individual derived educational and practical benefit from his books and predicatory lectures.^[8]

His sermons were written, while they were delivered from city to city and shown to him and published, Muslims benefitted from them. These contained Islamic rules and regulations, stoppage of innovations, facts and figures interesting topics etc.^[3] Normally, lectures discussed were about Islamic worship, but he also talked about morals, dealings, practical daily life in his sermons. He kept this in mind in his training of Sulook and Tariqah as well.^[3] A list of his major works is given here:

1. Bayan al-Quran
2. Bihisti Zewar
3. Imdad al-Fatawa
4. Fatawa-i-Imdadiyah

1. Al-Shariat-wa-al- Tariqat
2. Adab-al-Insaniyat
3. Adab-al-Khat-o-Kitabat
4. Adab-al-Masajid
5. Adab-al-Muasharat Khurd
6. Adab-al-Tabligh
7. Adab-al- Taqrir-o- Tasnif
8. Adab-al-Zindagi
9. Aghlat-al-Awam
10. Ahkam-alDua
11. Ahkam-e-Atekaf
12. Ahkam-e-Islam Aql ki Nazar Mein
13. Ahkam-e-Pardah Aql-o-Naql Ki Roshni Mein
14. Ahkam-e-Ramdan
15. Ahkam-e-Shab-e-Barat
16. Ai-Tasaddi-lil-al-Ghayr
17. Akbar-al-Amal
18. Al Ismail Haqiqi
19. Al Raghbat al- Marghubah
20. Al Sabr-wa-al-Salat
21. Al Wail Yatama
22. Al-Badae Al-Batin
23. Al-Eid-wal-Waid
24. Al-Fani
25. AI-Hi I iyah al-Nazerah
26. Al-Ilm-al-Ulama
27. Alimon ko Amal ki Dharurat
28. Al-Itminan-bi-al-Duuya

He produced near about 1000 trainees, to whom he permitted for Bait and those spread their influences of Thanwi. Among them are: Sulaiman Nadvi, Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, Zafar Ahmad Usmani, Abdul Hai Arifi, Athar Ali Bengali, Abdul Majid Daryabadi, Aziz al-Hasan Ghouri, Abrarul Haq Haqqi, Muhammadullah Hafezzi, Khair Muhammad Jalandhari, Masihullah Khan, Muhammad Shafi Deobandi, Murtaza Hasan Chandpuri, Habibullah Qurayshi, Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi. His edicts and religious teachings have been deemed authoritative even by many of his opponents. Muhammad Iqbal once wrote to a friend of his that on the matter of Rumi's teachings, he held Thanwi as the greatest living authority.^[21] In the words of Suleiman Nadvi: "In his effort for reforming the Ummah he kept an eye upon every corner of educational and practical life; from the women folk to the men folk, from the ignorant to the learned, from dervishes to ascetics, from the poor to the rich, he kept all in view for reforming and training. His eyes fell on the particulars of births, marriages, sorrow and other gatherings, and testing them on the criterion of the Shari„ah and separated genuine from the spurious. Removing every block and stone of customs, innovations and crying evils, he showed the straight path. The correct image of religion was before him. According to it wherever there were drawbacks and flaws in the picture of the present day life of the Muslims, he remained engrossed throughout his life in correcting them.”^[8]

• Bibliography of Ashraf Ali Thanwi

• Zaman, Muhammad Qasim, Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi: Islam in Modern South Asia (Makers of the Muslim World), Oneworld, 2007.
• Various Urdu editions of al-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad by Shaykh Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpuri on Archive.org
• Various translations of al-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad by Shaykh Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpuri on Archive.org
• Ahmed, Muniruddin.

• Collection of Ashraf Ali Thanwi in PDF-format
• esref-ali books