2. Imdadullah Muhajir
Makki (d. 1899):
The highly revered Pir (spiritual guide) of
the Deobandis. He is the spiritual guide of
Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, Moulana Qasim
Nanotwi and Moulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi.
3. Moulana Ashraf Ali
Thanvi (d. 1943):
He was ba’yt at the hands of Haji Imdadullah
Muhajir Makki and the author of many books
like, “Bahishti Zewar” and ‘Tafseer Bayanul
Qur’aan’. He named many of his books after
his Pir, Imdadullah Muhajir Makki.
Like
Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, Ashraf Ali Thanvi
too was an advocate of Wahdat al-Wajood.
Ashraf Ali Thanvi’s teachings greatly
influenced the founder of the Jamaat
Tableegh, Moulana Ilyas.
4. Rasheed Ahmad
Gangohi (d. 1908):
Another prominent elder of the Deobandis,
who was ba’yt at the hands of Imdadullah
Muhajir Makki.[3]
One of his famous books is ‘Imdadus Sulook.’
5. Other Prominent
Deobandi Scholars include:
Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Aashiq Ilahi
Meerathi, Moulana Mahmoodul-Hasan Deobandi,
Moulana Shabbir Ahmad Uthmani and Moulana
Abdul-Rahim Lajpuri.
6. Moulana Ilyas,
popularly known as Hazratjee: (d. 1944):
He was the founder and first Amir of the
Jamaat Tableegh. He was the Khalifah
(successor) of Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, who
was amongst the Khulafa of Rasheed Ahmad
Gungohi.[4]
He founded the Jamaat Tableegh on Sufi
principles and incorporated many Sufi
practices like Muraqabah (meditation),
Chillah (40 day seclusion period) and the
silent Dhikr (remembrance) into the routines
of his Jamaat.
7. Moulana Muhammad
Yusuf (d. 1965):
Moulana Ilyas was succeeded by his son,
Moulana Muhammad Yusuf (d. 1965), who became
the second Amir of the Jamaat Tableegh.
Inamul-Hasan succeeded Moulana Muhammad
Yusuf. Presently, there is no Amir of the
Jamaat Tableegh and its affairs are run by a
Shoorah (committee).
8. Moulana Zakariyah:
The
son-in-law of Moulana Ilyas[5]
and the author of Fazaail-e-Aamaal. He was
well acquainted with Sufism and was given
the Khilafah of all the four Sufi Tareeqahs
by Moulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.[6]
