Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi
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Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi was an Indian Muslim religious and political leader, who was a student of Shaikhul Hind Maulana Mehmud Hasan. Under the movement "Tehrek-a-Reshmi Rumal" which was raised by Hasan from the Darul Uloom Deoband.
[edit] Early Life
Ram Singh Zargar was a Sikh of Chilanwali in the district of Sialkot. On 12 Muharrarm 1289 AH (10 March 1872) he had a son. However, he died 4 months prior to the birth of his son. The grandfather took the responsibility of the child’s upbringing. After 2 years the grandfather also died. The mother took the child and came away to the maternal grandfather's house. After the maternal grandfather’s demise, the child went to Jampur where his uncle lived. It was at this town that he received his initial secular education. In 1884, he borrowed a book of Maulana Ubaidullah Paaily, namely Tuhfatul Hind and read it with much interest. Thereafter he had the opportunity of reading Maulana Shah Ismail Shaheed's book, Taqwiatul Iman. In this way, the desire for Islam was created in his heart. On his own, he named himself Ubaidullah after the author of Tuhfatul Hind and he learnt to perform Salah as well. On 15 August 1887, he decided to leave his home and family out of the love for Islam. He was 15 years old at the time. With a Muslim friend, Abdul Qader, he reached Kotla in Muzaffargarh where he embraced Islam on 29 August 1887. When his relatives began searching for him, he left for Sindh and lived with Hafez Muhammad Siddique, a great saint of his time. He developed a deep attachment for him and regarded him as his spiritual father. It was also due to him that he made Sindh his motherland, hence the tide Sindhi. Hafez Muhammad made special dua for him to obtain an excellent tutor. In September 1888, he proceeded to Deoband where he took admission at Darul Uloom Deoband. He was afforded the grand opportunity of benefiting from Sheikhul Hind. Thus, the dua of Hafez Muhammad was accepted. Very soon, he mastered Arabic and all the Islamic subjects. He was so intelligent that he studied Sunan Nasai and Ibn Majah (detailed works of hadith) in only 4 days each while he completed As Sirajiyyah (a text book on the laws of succession) in a mere 2 hours. After qualifying, he left for Sukkhur where he was married to the daughter of Maulana Azeemullah Khan, a teacher at Islamiyah High School. In 1901, he established the Darul Irshaad. He remained engrossed in propagation for 7 years. He was requested in l909 by Sheikhul Hind to proceed to Deoband. Here he accomplished much for the student body, Jamiatul Ansaar. Sheikhul Hind then requested him to transfer his work to Delhi where he worked with Hakeem Ajmal Khan and Dr. Ansari. In 1912, he established a madrassah, Nazzaaratul Ma'arif which achieved much in the field of propagating Islam. At the suggestion of Sheikhul Hind in 1915, he migrated to Afghanistan. He stayed for 7 years in Kabul. He encouraged King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan to fight the British. For this reason he had to leave Afghanistan as well. He proceeded to Russia where he spent 7 months. He was afforded official treatment as a guest of the state. During this period, he studied the ideology of socialism. He was unable to meet Lenin because he (Lenin) was severely ill at the time. Thereafter in 1923, he left for Turkey and initiated the third phase of the Waliullah Movement in 1924. He issued the Charter for the Independence of India from Istanbul. He left for Makkah in 1927 and remained there until 1929. During this period, he brought the message of the rights of Muslims and other important Deeni issues to the masses. In 1936, the Indian National Congress requested his return to India and subsequently he was given permission to return.
Maulana Ubaidullah entire life was one of endeavor and difficulty. He was once asked if he ever had a day of comfort during his 30 years of exile. He replied: "Undoubtedly I did not sleep for even one night with ease for this entire period".
Maulana Saeed Ahmed Akbarabadi describes the return of Maulana Ubaidullah to Delhi after his exile thus:
"All the people proceeded to the Delhi station to await his arrival. I had conjured up an image of Maulana by looking at the present leaders. I expected him to have a turban on his head and to be wearing a juba (robe). He would be a passenger of the first class, he would at least have one servant with him, at least 2-3 heavy suitcases, a heavy bedding, 2-3 flasks, 3 -4 heavy receptacles of food and majesty and grandeur apparent on his countenance. However, when the train reached, all these thoughts were left stagnant. The people frantically began searching the first and second -class coaches. Meanwhile, a man with nothing on his head, wearing a kurta of coarse cotton cloth with a coarse sheet around his neck emerged from the third class. Those who recognised him immediately ran towards him. This was Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi. The hair of his beard and head was completely white. He was about 65 years old. People began searching for his goods, but where did he have any luggage? Whatever was on his body was all that he owned. I have not seen a person and probably will not see in future one who has renounced material pleasures so totally". Once Maulana came from Okla to Delhi (a distance of approximately 8 miles) on foot during a hot day. He returned on foot as well because he did not have sufficient money to board the bus. Maulana Saeed Akbarabadi comments that he (Maulana Ubaidullah) did not mention this to anyone nor could they realize this from his countenance. Someone who came by bus saw him walking and when Maulana was asked if he had indeed come walking, he admitted doing so. In addition, because of having to travel on foot he had to leave very early that day. As the food was not yet ready when he departed, he had to forgo the meal, which he only had after Asar in Delhi. This is the mettle, which he was made of. He made a programme of teaching Shah Waliullah’s Hujjatullahil Baalighah to Maulana Akbarabadi who would then write an exegesis in his own words. Thereafter he had to leave for Lahore to visit his daughter. Here he fell seriously ill and died on 22 August 1944.
[edit] References
- Mawlānā ʻUbayd Allāh Sindhī : ʻālāt-i zandagī, taʻlīmāt awr siyāsī afkār
by Muḥammad Sarwar. Publisher: Lahore, [1976]
- Khutbāt o maqālāt-i Maulānā ʻUbaidullāh Sindhī. murattib Muḥammad Sarvar.
by ʻUbaidullāh Sindhī; Muhammad Sarwar Publisher: Lāhaur, Sindh Sāgar Ikādamī [1970]
