Syed Bande Ali Husaini

Qazi Maulana Syed Bande Ali Husaini قاضى مو لينا سيد بنده على الحسينى (1816–1871) was the last Qazi-ul-Quzaat (Urdu: قاضى القضاة‎) "Islamic Chief Justice" of the Islamic Judiciary System in Banaras, India.

The Islamic judiciary system in Banaras was established by the Muslim rulers of India and the ancestors of Qazi Bande Ali Husaini were holding the post of Qazi-ul-Quzat (Islamic Chief Justice) since the reign of Mughal emperor King Aurangzeb اورنكزيب (around 1659/1661). It lasted for more than two centuries till the British Empire rule (around 1867/1870) during the reign of British Queen Alexandrina Victoria the Empress of India. Maulana Husaini was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur by the Queen and all his works were appreciated by her.

The First Qazi-ul-Quzaat of this system was his forefather Qazi Maulana Syed Inayatullah Husaini قاضى مولينا سيد عناية الله الحسينى (1613–1685), who was the class mate of King Aurangzeb and their tutor was a prominent religious scholar of that time known as Mulla Jeewan ملا جيون who was the Royal Ataleeq of Mughal Empire. Qazi Syed Bande Ali had notable efforts towards the establishment of the First Shia Religious Seminary of Indian sub-continent named Jamia-e-Imania Banaras which was founded on his proposal by a visionary landlord of that time Moulvi Khursheed Ali Khan مولوى خورشيد على خان in 1866/1283 (A.H.) and he was the one who provided an escape of land in the city area for this purpose and the construction work of its premises was completed under his supervision in 1870/1287 (A.H.).

His family and grand sons still living in Banaras and continuing all religious, educational and social activities as well as done by their ancestors in past. Some famous personalities and most prominent figures of this family are below:

• Qazi Maulana Syed Abdul-Husain Husaini قاضى مولينا سيد عبدالحسين الحسينى (son of Qazi Syed Bande Ali Husaini, the head of religious affairs after the end of the post of Qazi-u-lQuzat)
• Jawadul-Ulama جوادالعلماء Ayatollah Syed Ali Jawad Husaini (The great Islamic Scholar, spiritual leader and famous religious reformer 1857-1920)
• Emad-ul-Aalam Ayatollah Syed Mohammad Sajjad Husaini ﺁية الله سيد محمد سجاد الحسينى (elder son of Jawadul-Ulama, Founder of Jawadia Arabic College and Imam-e-Juma of Banaras till 1929)
• Maulana Syed Mohammad Murtadha Husaini مولينا سيد محمد مرتضي الحسينى (younger son of Jawadul-Ulama, expired in young age in 1920)
• Alam-ul-Aalam Ayatollah Qazi Syed Muzaffar Husain Husaini ﺁية الله قاضى سيد مظفر حسين الحسينى (Grand son of Qazi Syed Bande Ali Husaini, and the first president of Jawadia Arabic College and Imam-e-Juma of Banaras, since 1929-1944)
• Aale Jawadul-Ulama Maulana Mulla Syed Mohammad Tahir Husaini ملا سيد محمد طاهر الحسينى (Grand son of Jawadul-Ulama, and the second President of Jawadia Arabic College and Imam-e-Juma of Banaras since 1944-1971)
• Syed-ul-Aalam Maulana Syed Mohammad Husaini مولينا سيد محمد الحسينى (The spiritual head of Banaras and President of Jamia-e-Imania till 2013) He was the elder son of Ayatollah Syed Muzaffar Husain the grand son of Qazi Syed Bande Ali Husaini,
• Ale Jawadul-Ulama Maulana Syed Ahmad Hasan (Husaini) مولينا سيد احمد حسن (Third President of Jawadia Arabic College and Imam-e-Juma of Banaras expired in 2012)
• Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslemin Maulana Syed Mohammad Zafar Al-Husaini مولينا سيد محمد ظفر الحسينى (son of Maulana Syed Mohammad Husaini) who is presently the President of Jamia-e-Imania and present Imam-e-Juma of Banaras since 2013)