Ashraf Ali Thanwi

Ashraf Ali Thanwi (often referred as Hakimul Ummat and Mujaddidul Millat; 19 August 1863 – 20 July 1943) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar, jurist, thinker, reformist and a revivor of classical Sufism in the Indian subcontinent during the British Raj. He was a central figure of Islamic spiritual, intellectual and religious life in South Asia and continues to be highly influential today. His teaching mixes Sunni orthodoxy, Islamic elements of belief and the patriarchal structure of the society. He maintained correspondence with the leadership of All India Muslim League (AIML), including Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He also sent groups of Muslim scholars to give religious advice and reminders to Jinnah. His disciples Zafar Ahmad Usmani and Shabbir Ahmad Usmani were key players in religious support for the creation of Pakistan. During the 1940s, many Deobandi Ulama supported the Congress but Thanwi and some other leading Deobandi scholars including Muhammad Shafi and Shabbir Ahmad Usmani were in favour of the Muslim League. Thanwi resigned from Darul Uloom Deoband's management committee due to its pro-Congress stance. His support and the support of his disciples for Pakistan Movement were greatly appreciated by AIML.

Books Some of his works are

Bayān al-Qurʾān (بیان القرآن) – An Urdu commentary (tafsir) of the Qur'an.

Bahishtī Zewar (بہشتی زیور) – A comprehensive manual on Islamic beliefs, worship, and daily life.

Ḥifẓ al-Īmān (حفظ الإيمان) – A theological treatise on Islamic creed and the status of prophethood.

Ādāb al-Muʿāsharat (آداب المعاشرت) – A book on Islamic etiquette, manners, and social conduct.

Ḥayāt al-Muslimīn (حیات المسلمین) – A manual on living according to Islamic teachings.

Iṣlāḥ al-Rusūm (اصلاح الرسوم) – A work advocating the reform of un-Islamic customs and social practices.

Nashr al-Ṭayyib fī Dhikr al-Nabī al-Ḥabīb (نشر الطيب في ذكر النبي الحبيب) – A devotional work on the virtues and remembrance of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Al-Qawl al-Jalīl (القول الجلیل) – A treatise on spiritual guidance and Sufi practices.

Al-Maṣāliḥ al-ʿAqliyyah li al-Aḥkām al-Naqliyyah (المصالح العقلية للأحكام النقلية) – A work discussing the relationship between reason and revealed Islamic law.

Kalīd-e-Mathnawī (کلیدِ مثنوی) – A commentary and explanatory guide to Maulana Rumi's Masnavi-ye Maʿnavi, highlighting its spiritual and ethical teachings from a Sunni perspective.