Manazir Ahsan Gilani


Manazir Ahsan Gilani was an Indian Sunni Islamic scholar and former Dean of The Faculty of Theology in Osmania University. He wrote Tadwin-e-Hadith, Muqaddama Tadwin-e-Fiqh and Sawanih Qasmi. Muhammad Hamidullah was among his students.

Birth and education

Manazir Ahsan Gilani was born on 1 October 1892 in Gilan, a small village in Nalanda district of Bihar.
His elementary education was at home and then he stayed in Tonk, Rajasthan for six years studying with Hakeem Barakaat Ahmad. Thereafter, at Darul Uloom Deoband he studied Sahih al-Bukhari and Jami` at-Tirmidhi with Mahmud al-Hasan and also accepted Mahmud Hasan Deobandi as his spiritual mentor. He studied Sahih Muslim with Anwar Shah Kashmiri. His other teachers at Darul Uloom Deoband included Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, Azizur Rahman Usmani, Habibur Rahman Usmani and Mian Asghar Hussain Deobandi.

Career

Gilani was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Theology in Osmania University, remaining there for 25 years. His students included Muhammad Hamidullah and Ghulam Ahmad Rabbani.

Literary works

Gilani’s books include:
Gilani suffered from heart problems from 9 November 1953. After a second heart attack in March 1954, he was shifted to Patna Hospital and was being treated by Ahmad Abdul Hayy. Gilani was prohibited from writing and reading. He died on 5 June 1956 at his native place Gilan, Bihar. His funeral prayer was led by Faseeh Ahmad Asthanwi.
On 1 and 2 December 2018, the Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi organised a two-day national conference at the A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, on “The Life and Contributions of Maulana Manazir Ahsan Gilani”.