Mawlana Faizani
Encyclopedia
Mawlana Faizani was born 17 April 1923 (the twenty-first day of Ramadan
of that year) in Herat
, Afghanistan
to a family of miagan (religious scholars descended from a great Islamic saint). The honorific "Faizani", a derivation of an Arabic word which denotes something that overflows with God's light (blessings), was bestowed upon him by the imam of the Kaaba
during his Hajj
.
and finally at Kabul University
, where he graduated in 1941. For eight years following his graduation he served as a High School principal in his hometown until a passion for God overcame him. At this time Mawlana Faizani left home and traveled widely throughout the Islamic world of the mid-20th century seeking knowledge of Islam and its various practices.
, Zhikr and fikr (also called taffakkur or deep contemplation). Taffakkur is a technique by which the practitioner "contemplates the Magnificence and Perfection of Glorious God in the creation."
He was arrested and put in prison.
), exercising public responsibility, and suffering short prison sentences for upsetting the secular authorities. Between these incarcerations, Mawlana Faizani was able to create a library in Pul-i-Khumri (in Baghlan Province). It was here that Mawlana Faizani attracted a large following of professionals (teachers and government officials), military personnel, and students. In time, his followers encompassed both Sunni and Shiite Muslims, an accomplishment not repeated by other groups in Afghanistan. To this day, the school of Islam that he initiated, the Madrassa-e Tawheed, consists of both Sunnis and Shi'ites.
The philosophy of the Madrassa-e Tawheed was unique in Afghanistan and promulgated the fusion of modern science and religion, hence its attraction among the young university students of that time who required more from Islam than just interpretations and fatwa
s given by the established, traditional mullah
s out of touch with modern developments in science, technology, and politics. Additionally, the madrassa developed an intensive program of Zhikr (remembrance of Allah
) and Fikr (tafakkur), which was also well-suited to military personnel stationed in far-flung and out of the way locales (a common occurrence in Afghanistan).
. Although the authorities thought that this protest would dissipate after a short while, the protest grew in numbers and persisted for weeks. To halt the demonstrations, the government cracked down on the restive demonstrators and imprisoned many of the protest's leaders, including Mawlana Faizani. This was to be Mawlana Faizani's fifth stint in prison and lasted a year and a half.
Upon his release, Mawlana Faizani purchased a building next to the Pul-i Khisti mosque and started a library and book business selling only those books that he had actually read himself. At this time, Mawlana Faizani also organized and managed zikr circles and invited members of the government, military, and scholastic institutions. The intention being to transform society by first transforming the self. It was through these meetings that Mawlana Faizani eventually formed the political party Hizb-i Tawheed.
of Afghanistan
and his Communist advisors accused the Hizb-i Tawheed of organizing a coup d'etat
. This accusation led to the final imprisonment of Mawlana Faizani and hundreds of his disciples. It was during this last imprisonment that he suffered the cruelest tortures, including having his beard plucked out one hair at a time, being continually whipped, electrocuted, and having his teeth crushed.
All through this time, Mawlana Faizani continually wrote books to his followers and would have each page secretly spirited out by his visitors. These pages would later be collected and the books published. In total, he is credited with having written 52 books on topics as diverse as taffakkur (fikr), Zikr, Fiqh
, conditional and unconditional worship, etc.
Mawlana Faizani disappeared from prison in 1979 shortly after the communist Khalq
is came to power. It is believed by some that he was executed by this regime.
The continuation of his work and teachings since then has been strongly supported in established schools in Afghanistan and in other countries by his students, led by his son, Ustad Mazhabi Sahib. The Madrassa-e Tawheed continues to this day and has established schools in various Western nations including large numbers in Germany, France, Canada, and the United States.
Mawlana Faizani speaks Pashto, Persian
, and Arabic. His son, Ustad Mazhabi Sahib (the present leader of Madrassa-e Tawheed), speaks Pashto, Persian
, Arabic, and English.
The titles of seven volumes which make up a special series of "Goblets for the fortification faith", are:
The common point in all the writer's works is that all topics are extracted from the Qur'an
, and are strongly affirmed by Qur'anic understanding. The works include references to relevant Qur'anic verses and hadith
.
"During the religious uprising of 1970 (sic), most religious scholars demonstrated in downtown Kabul, then they all gathered in Kabul's central, Pul-i Khisti mosque. Mawlana Faizani played a significant role in these demonstrations. During the time when nobody in Afghanistan knew much about Communism's philosophy, Mawlana was writing books on it far more advanced than books written even in this decade. At that time, when nobody had experienced Communism's darkness, it seemed to people to have a bright future, Mawlana had fully perceived its way and philosophy, and the dark future associated with it which the nation is facing today. He had written and prepared this in the form of epistles, and submitted them to the heedless Afghanistan government and to the people.
Mawlana Faizani was not only a religious scholar, but he possessed such a vast and versatile knowledge in most dimensions that, if you, for example, posed a historical question to him, about a certain nation, such as 'Who are the Arabs?' he would explain it to you from Adam to this instant in detail, even about their past kings, governments and regimes. If you posed a geographical question to him, such as "Where's Japan?" or any other country on the face of the earth, he would explain it to you in such detail as if he had built it himself. But, if you asked him about Islam's history, then you would have to listen to him for forty-eight days, and he would go on and on explaining."
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
of that year) in Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to a family of miagan (religious scholars descended from a great Islamic saint). The honorific "Faizani", a derivation of an Arabic word which denotes something that overflows with God's light (blessings), was bestowed upon him by the imam of the Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...
during his Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
.
Early education and profession
As a child Mawlana Faizani was home-schooled in the traditional Afghan manner. Entering his teens, Mawalana Faizani studied at a High School in HeratHerat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
and finally at Kabul University
Kabul University
Kabul University is located in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. It was founded in 1931 but officially opened for classes in 1932. Kabul University is currently attended by approximately 7,000 students, of which 1,700 are women. As of 2008, Hamidullah Amin is the chancellor of the university...
, where he graduated in 1941. For eight years following his graduation he served as a High School principal in his hometown until a passion for God overcame him. At this time Mawlana Faizani left home and traveled widely throughout the Islamic world of the mid-20th century seeking knowledge of Islam and its various practices.
Spiritual retreat
As this period of traveling drew to a close, there came an intensification of his spiritual rigor and practices. He returned to Herat and secluded himself within a cave at a local mosque. There he remained for five years performing ascetic practices including long periods of fastingFasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
, Zhikr and fikr (also called taffakkur or deep contemplation). Taffakkur is a technique by which the practitioner "contemplates the Magnificence and Perfection of Glorious God in the creation."
The Mazari Sharif sermons and his first imprisonment
After a spiritual incident at the end of his ascetic practices, he began wandering again and wound up in Mazari Sharif. Upon arriving in the city, Mawlana Faizani was overcome by the overt materialism of the elite and their unIslamic practices, based more upon tribalism and traditional power structures than upon brotherhood and religious sentiment. In response, Mawlana Faizani began preaching, filling his sermons with the fire of moral and spiritual discontent. His critical sermons addressed the corrupt political practices that surrounded the people of Mazar-i-Sharif and he spared neither cleric, nor government official, nor the landlords who participated in the crude feudalism of their country of that time. However, as is the norm when spiritual luminaries criticize established authorities in "developing" nations, Mawlana Faizani quickly became a target for men of great power who did not want to upset the status quo.He was arrested and put in prison.
Becoming a sheikh
After his first imprisonment, his public life consisted of good works (charity, teaching, and spreading IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
), exercising public responsibility, and suffering short prison sentences for upsetting the secular authorities. Between these incarcerations, Mawlana Faizani was able to create a library in Pul-i-Khumri (in Baghlan Province). It was here that Mawlana Faizani attracted a large following of professionals (teachers and government officials), military personnel, and students. In time, his followers encompassed both Sunni and Shiite Muslims, an accomplishment not repeated by other groups in Afghanistan. To this day, the school of Islam that he initiated, the Madrassa-e Tawheed, consists of both Sunnis and Shi'ites.
The philosophy of the Madrassa-e Tawheed was unique in Afghanistan and promulgated the fusion of modern science and religion, hence its attraction among the young university students of that time who required more from Islam than just interpretations and fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
s given by the established, traditional mullah
Mullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
s out of touch with modern developments in science, technology, and politics. Additionally, the madrassa developed an intensive program of Zhikr (remembrance of Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
) and Fikr (tafakkur), which was also well-suited to military personnel stationed in far-flung and out of the way locales (a common occurrence in Afghanistan).
The move to Kabul
In 1969, Mawlana Faizani organized the Religious Scholars' Uprising at the Pul-i Khisti mosque in KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. Although the authorities thought that this protest would dissipate after a short while, the protest grew in numbers and persisted for weeks. To halt the demonstrations, the government cracked down on the restive demonstrators and imprisoned many of the protest's leaders, including Mawlana Faizani. This was to be Mawlana Faizani's fifth stint in prison and lasted a year and a half.
Upon his release, Mawlana Faizani purchased a building next to the Pul-i Khisti mosque and started a library and book business selling only those books that he had actually read himself. At this time, Mawlana Faizani also organized and managed zikr circles and invited members of the government, military, and scholastic institutions. The intention being to transform society by first transforming the self. It was through these meetings that Mawlana Faizani eventually formed the political party Hizb-i Tawheed.
Final imprisonment
To eliminate Mawlana Faizani's strong influence among the upper echelons of Afghan society (especially among the military elites), in 1973 President DaoudMohammed Daoud Khan
Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan or Daud Khan was Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and later becoming the President of Afghanistan...
of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and his Communist advisors accused the Hizb-i Tawheed of organizing a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. This accusation led to the final imprisonment of Mawlana Faizani and hundreds of his disciples. It was during this last imprisonment that he suffered the cruelest tortures, including having his beard plucked out one hair at a time, being continually whipped, electrocuted, and having his teeth crushed.
All through this time, Mawlana Faizani continually wrote books to his followers and would have each page secretly spirited out by his visitors. These pages would later be collected and the books published. In total, he is credited with having written 52 books on topics as diverse as taffakkur (fikr), Zikr, Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, conditional and unconditional worship, etc.
Mawlana Faizani disappeared from prison in 1979 shortly after the communist Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
is came to power. It is believed by some that he was executed by this regime.
The continuation of his work and teachings since then has been strongly supported in established schools in Afghanistan and in other countries by his students, led by his son, Ustad Mazhabi Sahib. The Madrassa-e Tawheed continues to this day and has established schools in various Western nations including large numbers in Germany, France, Canada, and the United States.
Education
His religious learning includes:- TafsirTafsirTafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
: Interpretations, Jalalayn, Khazin, Roohul Ma'anee, Jamal and Roohul Bayan, etc. - Books of HadithHadithThe term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
: Sahih (BukhareeSahih BukhariṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
and MuslimSahih MuslimSahih Muslim is one of the Six major collections of the hadith in Sunni Islam, oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is the second most authentic hadith collection after Sahih Al-Bukhari, and is highly acclaimed by Sunni Muslims...
), Mishkat, Tirmidhi, Sunayn Abu-Daoud and Ibn-MajaIbn MajaAbū ʻAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Yazīd Ibn Mājah al-Rabʻī al-Qazwīnī , commonly known as Ibn Mājah, was a medieval scholar of hadith... - Spiritual sciences of Faith and Belief, Politics, JurisprudenceFiqhFiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, Islamic LawShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, RemembranceDhikrDhikr , plural ; ), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity...
and Contemplation and so forth.
Mawlana Faizani speaks Pashto, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, and Arabic. His son, Ustad Mazhabi Sahib (the present leader of Madrassa-e Tawheed), speaks Pashto, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Arabic, and English.
Body of work
Mawlana has written fifty two volumes covering the various spiritual sciences. He is unique in that his teachings discuss 20th century faith and how the practitioner must use science and the creation as experienced through the five senses to establish the proof and certainty of belief in God.The titles of seven volumes which make up a special series of "Goblets for the fortification faith", are:
- 1. General Questions on Faith, Mankind and the World
- 2. Knowing Oneself - Knowing God
- 3. Magnificence and Perfection of Glorious Artificer in Arts
- 4. Man and the Secrets of Nearness
- 5. Man and the Philosophy of Test
- 6. The Secrets of Creation up to the Court of Greatness
- 7. Alphabet of the Secrets of the Qur'an
The common point in all the writer's works is that all topics are extracted from the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, and are strongly affirmed by Qur'anic understanding. The works include references to relevant Qur'anic verses and hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
.
Hagiographical quotes
Mawlana Watheeq, a famous Afghan scholar, has stated the following about him:"During the religious uprising of 1970 (sic), most religious scholars demonstrated in downtown Kabul, then they all gathered in Kabul's central, Pul-i Khisti mosque. Mawlana Faizani played a significant role in these demonstrations. During the time when nobody in Afghanistan knew much about Communism's philosophy, Mawlana was writing books on it far more advanced than books written even in this decade. At that time, when nobody had experienced Communism's darkness, it seemed to people to have a bright future, Mawlana had fully perceived its way and philosophy, and the dark future associated with it which the nation is facing today. He had written and prepared this in the form of epistles, and submitted them to the heedless Afghanistan government and to the people.
Mawlana Faizani was not only a religious scholar, but he possessed such a vast and versatile knowledge in most dimensions that, if you, for example, posed a historical question to him, about a certain nation, such as 'Who are the Arabs?' he would explain it to you from Adam to this instant in detail, even about their past kings, governments and regimes. If you posed a geographical question to him, such as "Where's Japan?" or any other country on the face of the earth, he would explain it to you in such detail as if he had built it himself. But, if you asked him about Islam's history, then you would have to listen to him for forty-eight days, and he would go on and on explaining."
External links
- Website of the Madrassa-e-Tawheed: Islam Way Online - Your Religion and Spirituality Portal