Shibli Nomani (3 June 1857 – 18 November 1914) was a versatile Islamic scholar from Indian subcontinent during the British Raj. He is known for founding the Shibli National College in 1883 and Darul Mussannifin in Azamgarh. He was well versed in Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Turkish and Urdu. He was also familiar with Sanskrit.
After receiving traditional Islamic education from Maulana Muhammad Farooq Chirayakoti, a rationalist scholar, Allama proceeded to Saudi Arabia where he studied Islamic theology, history, philosophy and Sufism from different scholars of Arabia. After his return from Saudi Arabia, he met Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817–1898) when Aligarh College was just established. Allama was offered a teaching position at the college in 1882 for teaching Persian and Arabic. During his stint at Aligarh for 16 years he came in close contact with Thomas Arnold and other British scholars (teachers at the college) from whom he learned first-hand modern western ideas and thoughts. He travelled with Thomas Arnold in 1892 to Syria, Egypt, Turkey and other countries of the Middle East and got direct and practical experience of their societies. His scholarship influenced Thomas Arnold on one hand, and on the other he was influenced by Thomas Arnold to a great extent, and this explains the modern touch in his ideas. In Cairo, he met noted Islamic scholar Sheikh Muhammad Abduh.
After the death of Sir Syed Ahmed in 1898, he left Aligarh and became an advisor in the Education Department of Hyderabad State. His reforms in the Hyderabad education system resulted in adopting Urdu as the medium of instruction in Osmania University. This was the first case of adopting a vernacular language as the medium of instruction in higher studies in India. In 1908 he became the principal of Nadwat tul-‘Ulum (Nadwa) where he introduced many reforms in the Institute’s curriculum. After a section of scholars developed some differences with him, he left Lucknow and settled down at his birthplace, Azamgarh in 1913.
Both Shibli and Sir Syed Ahmed wished for the welfare of Muslims, and wanted to have Western thinking and style come along with it. However, Sir Syed wanted to save the Muslims from the wrath of the British rulers after their active participation in the War of Independence, whereas Shibli wanted to make them self-reliant and self-respecting by regaining their lost heritage and tradition. Shibli had also some difference of opinion with Sir Syed on Pan-Islamism.
Shibli was highly impressed by the progress of science and education in the West. He wanted to inspire the Muslims to make similar progress by having recourse to their lost heritage and culture, but warned them against getting lost in Western culture.
According to Afzal Usmani, after Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Allama Mohammad Shibli Nomani is considered the tallest figure among the Muslims of Indian subcontinent. Shibli died at an age of 57 but his academic and social work put him way above the people who were far senior and elder to him. He established Shibli College in 1883. His another venture Darul Musannefin which was also renamed as Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy did a wonderful job in realising the dreams of its founder. It was largely because of the multifaceted personality and scholarship of Allama Shibli that Azamgarh got the reputation as the Centre of Great Learning and Scholars.
Dr. Ian Henderson Douglas introduced Allama Shibli Nomani in his book Abul Kalam Azad: An Intellectual and Religious Biography in the following words:
Shibli Nomani (1857-1914) was not in line of Delhi ulema-sufis of the Naqshbandi order, although his thoughts were influenced by Shah Waliullah. He was, however, an Alim (Scholar) concerned with the reform of the Ulema (Religious Scholars) so that they could be the effective guides to the Muslim community. He used to say, repeatedly, that “Religious Guides without the modern knowledge cannot serve the cause of community.”
Usmani rightly says: Allama Shibli had an original mind that combined rationalism and clarity of expression with an aesthetic sensibility. These characteristics are apparent in his writing style and they doubtless attracted him to the young Azad, and vice versa.
Under Shibli’s direction, the Nadwa College earned a reputation for sound scholarship, and collected an impressive library. An imposing edifice by the bank of the Gomti was built, His works included biographies of the caliphs Mamun and Umar, the jurist Imam Abu Hanifa, al-Ghazali, the poet Rumi, and the Life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), and two works on theology. These works introduced into Urdu the methods of Western historiography and biography.
In the opinion of Allama Shibli science and religion have nothing to do with one another, being two entirely different realms. The one has to do with observable phenomena and the other with matters that are beyond the grasp of observation or experiment. As such, they do not conflict, but neither can the one be used to confirm the other.
[Dr. M. Iqtedar Husain Farooqi is Secretary, Sir Syed Scientific Society and Retd. Scientist (Deputy Director), National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow. Email: [email protected]]
Life Sketch of Allama Shibli Nomani
Born: 4 June 1857 at Bindawal, Azamgarh (UP)
Died: 18 November 1914 in Azamgarh (UP)
Father: Shaikh Habibullah
Mother: Moqeema Khatoon (d/o Qurban Ahmad, Phariha Azamgarh)
Wife: Majidunnisa
Brothers: Mahdi Hasan, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad
Children: Hamid Hassan Nomani, Rabia Khatoon, Jannatul Fatima
Teachers: Maulana Farooq Chirayyakuti, Chirayyakot Azamgarh, Maulana Irshad Husain, Rampur, Maulana Faiz ul Hasan Saharanpuri, Lahore, Maulana Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri
MAO College Association: 1882 – 1898, Professor of Persian and Arabic
Founder Editor: The Aligarh Magazine (Urdu)-1891
Famous Students:
Hamid ud din Farahi, Abul Kalam Azad, Saiyid Sulaiman Nadvi, Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Zafar Ali Khan, Sajjad Haider Yaldram, Aziz Mirza, Masud Ali Mahvi, Abdus Salam Nadvi, Abdul Bari Nadvi, Shibli Mutakallim Nadvi
Books :
Seerat-un-Nabi – 7 Volumes (co-edited by Syed Sulaiman Nadvi), Muqadmat-Seeratun Nabi, Al-Farooq : Biography of Hazrat Omar Farooq (R.A.), Al-Ghazali, Al-Mamoon , Seerat-un-Noman, Swaneh-Maulana Roomi, Al-Kalam, Ilmul-Kalam, Safar Nama Room-Misr-o-Shaam, Sherul-Ajam -5 Volumes, Kuliyat-e-Shibli (Urdu), Kuliyat-e-Shibli (Farsi), Mawazenah Anees-o-Dabeer, Al-Inteqar, Auragzeb Alamgeer per Ek Nazar