Maulana Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi

Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi, also known as Sadr ul-Afazil, was a twentieth-century jurist, scholar, mufti, Quranic exegetic, and educator. He was a renowned scholar of philosophy, geometry, logic and hadith and leader of All India Sunni Conference. He was also a recognised poet of na`at.

He was born on 1 January 1887 (21st of Safar 1300 Hijiri) in Moradabad, India. His father's name was Mawlana Mu'in al-Din. His family originally came from Mash'had, Iran. Sometime during the rule of King Aurangzeb, they travelled from Iran to India, where they were given a land grant by the ruling monarchy. They eventually reached Lahore and settled near Abul-Hasanat'.

Muradabadi became a Hafiz (memoriser of the Qur'an) at age 8. He studied Urdu and Persian literature with his father and studied Dars-i Nizami with Shah Fadl Ahmad. He subsequently earned a degree in religious law (ifta') from Shah Muhammad Gul and swore Bay'ah (an oath of allegiance) to him.

Allama Naeemudin wrote in defense of Prophet Muhammad’s knowledge of the unseen, in addition to works attacking “Wahhabism,” and thereby quickly gained acceptance among Sunni Barelvi scholars. He also developed a reputation as a skilled debater, taking on Deobandis and others as his opponents. One of his first moves was to found the Jamia Naeemia Moradabad (around 1920/1338), long-lasting legacy which became a regional center of Sunni Barelvi activities.

He organised conferences, debates and door to door programmes under the Jama’at-e-Raza-e-Mustafa (JRM), to control and reverse, the wave of re-conversions which was threatening the Muslim community in the wake of the Shuddhi movement. Hethrough JRM successfullyprevented around four hundred thousand re-conversions to hinduism specially in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh and in Rajasthan.

He was elected as Nazim-e-AIa (General Secretary) of All India Sunni Conference AISC in 1925 at Jamia Naeemia Moradabad. AISC under him arose as a response to the Deobandi-dominated Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind (JUH). An important resolution passed against the Nehru Committee Report which was described as dangerous for the interests of the Muslims and also targetedJamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind leadership as “working like puppets in the hands of the Hindus.

Allama Naeem Uddin took part in Islamic movements and was also a part of the Khilafat Committee, an organization aimed at strengthening the Sultanate in Turkey, which had existed since the beginning of the Ottoman era. He taught students and gave lectures.

He visited Agra, Jaipur, Kishan Garh, Gobind Garh, Hawali of Ajmer, Mithar and Bharatpur to protest the 'Shuddhi Movement' which was viewed as a threat to Islam in the region. In 1924 (1343 Hijri), he issued the Monthly 'As-Sawad-al-Azam' and supported the Two nation theory at All India Sunni Conference.

After the separation of Pakistan from British India on 18 September 1918, Muradabadi delivered a speech at the opening of the All India Sunni Conference. He contributed to the passing of the resolution for a separate Muslim state at Minto-Park (Lahore Resolution). He was the Chief Organizer at the Banaras Conference held in 1942.

Muradabadi's fell ill while preparing a book and died on (18-Hijjah 1367Hijri) AH At the age of 67 years old, His sanctuary stand to the left of Jamia Naeemia refers shrine in Muradabad.

By the time of his death, he had left 14 works and numerous treatises, including Khaza'in-al-Irfan, which is the Tafsir (Exegesis) of Kanz al-Iman based on a translation of the Qur'an by Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi in Urdu. He also left a collection of poems called Riyaz-e-Naeem (Garden of Comfort).

Muradabadi's works include:

• Tafsir Khaza'in-al-Irfan
• Kitab-ul-Aqa'id
• Deewan-e-Urdu
• Sirat-e-Sihabah
• Sawaneh Karbala
• Adab-ul-Akhy
• Al-kalimatul Aulya
• Atyab al-Bayan Radd-e-Tafwiyatul Iman A lengthy rebuttal on Ismael Delvi's Taqwiya-tul Iman
• At-tahqiqat li daf' al-Talbisat

He was a khalifa of Imam Ahle Sunnat Ahmad Raza Khan Barelwi and of Allama Sayyad Muhammad Ali Hussain Shah al-Kicchochawi.