Shaykul Islam Mawlānā Husain Ahmad Madani

He was born on 19th Shawwal 1296 AH (1879) in Bangar, Moa, District Annow (UP). Mawlana Husain Ahmad Madani was a Husayni Sayed (desidant of the family of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam). His father was Sayed Habibullah – a head master in middle school – and mother was Noorun-Nisa. Both were spiritually associated to Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Ganj Muradabadi. He was the third of five brothers. Hadhrat Mawlana was put into both Islamic and secular education at the tender age of four. In the mornings he would learn Arabic and Quran from his mother before accompanying his father at school.

At the age of 12 in 1309 (1891) he enrolled in the Aalimiyyah class at the great Islamic seminary – Darul Uloom Deoband where he studied under great luminaries such as Shaykhul Hind Mawlana Mahmood ul Hasan Deobandi. He completed the darse nizaami in 1316 (1898). After studies the family miagrated to Madinah Munawwarah where he imparted a dars of Hadeeth for 4 years in Al Masjid un Nabawi. There he would also benefit from the company of Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki. He pledged bay’at to Mawlana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi, from whom he also received Khilafah.

After 4 years he returned back to India where he was appointed a teacher at Darul Uloom Deoband, before becoming the Shaykhul Hadith in 1346-1377 AH (1929-1950). Thousands of people benefited from him both academically and spiritually. The likes of Mawlana Masechullah Khan Sahib and Mawlana Saleemullah khan sahib are his students. He was a package of piety and spirituality as well as an ocean of knowledge. He was accepted by all, thus gaining the title “Shaykhul Arab wal Ajam’ (Shaykh of the Arabs and non Arabs). He passed away on 18th Jamadul – Ula 1377 1 5th December 1960 and was buried in Deoband next to his beloved teacher Hadhrat Shaykhul Hind.