Manazir Ahsan Gilani

Manazir Ahsan Gilani (born September 1892) was an Islamic scholar from the Deobandi school of thought, which is one of the major Islamic schools in Indian subcontinent. Maulana Manazir Ahsan Gilani is often referred as Muhaqiqe Islam (the researcher of Islam), Sultanul Qalam (King of the Pen) and Mutakallime Millat (The Philosopher of the Nation). He was born on the 9th of Rabiul Awal 1310 H (September 1892) in a village called Gilaan in Bihar (present-day India). His father’s name was Abul Khair. Their Arab descendants reached the Indian subcontinent about three centuries ago via Iran and finally settled in a village which came to be known as Gilaan. His elementary education was at home and then he stayed in Tonk for six years studying under the revered Maulana Syed Hakeem Barakaat Ahmad. Thereafter, he was admitted in Darul Uloom Deoband (1331-1332 AH) and studied Bukhari and Tirmizhi from Shaikhul Hind Maulana Mehmood-ul-Hasan (Rahmatullahi Ta’ala) and also accepted Shaikhul Hind as his spiritual mentor. He also studied Muslim from Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri. His other teachers at Darul Uloom Deoband include: Maulana Shabir Ahmad Usmani, Mufti Azizur Rahman Usmani, Maulana Habibur Rahman Usmani and Maulana Syed Ashghar Hussain Deobandi. While at Darul Uloom Deoband, he was noticed by his teachers to have special qualities which outshined him from the rest of the students.