Izaz Ali Amrohi

Izaz Ali Amrohi was born in November 1882 in Amroha.[1] He studied Quran with Qutbuddin, and memorized it under the supervision of Hafiz Sharfuddin. He learnt Persian from his father and studied primary books of dars-e-nizami at Madrasa Arbi Gulshan Faiz in Tilhar with Maqsood Ali Khan. He then moved to Madrasa Ayn-ul-Ilm, where he studied Mulla Jami and Kanzud Daqaiq with Qari Basheer Ahmad and Persian and Fiqh books such as Sharah Wiqayah with Kifayatullah Dihlawi.[2] At the request of Qari Basheer Ahmad and Kifayatullah Dihlawi, Ali moved to the Darul Uloom Deoband where he studied with Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad, the then vice chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband and Muhammad Sahool Bhagalpuri.[2]

Ali was about to complete one year in Deoband, that he travelled to Meerut, where he met Aashiq Elahi Meerthi. At Meerthi's request, he stayed at Meerut and studied the books of "aruuz" and "usool" with him, while books of logic, philosophy, and the books of Kutub al-Sittah, except Sahih Bukhari with Abdul Momin Deobandi.[2] He moved to Deoband again and studied Sahih Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawud and Baydawi with Mahmud Hasan Deobandi. Ali specialized in Islamic jurisprudence under Azizur Rahman Usmani and studied Arabic literature with Muizuddin Ahmad.[2] He graduated from the Darul Uloom Deoband in 1903.[3]

After his graduation from the Darul Uloom Deoband, Mahmud Hasan Deobandi sent him to Madrassa Nomaniyah, in Pureni, Bhagalpur where he taught for over seven years. Then he moved to Shahjahanpur and established Afzal al-Madaris in a mosque where he taught for nearly three years without taking any fees. Ali was appointed a teacher in the Darul Uloom Deoband in 1911, where he taught elementary books of Arabic such as Ilm al-Sigha, Nur al-Izah during the first year. His academic career in the Darul Uloom lasted for over 44 years.[3] He served as the Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband twice: first time from 1928 to 1929 and second time from 1944 to 1946 and about 24,855 fatwas were written under his authority. He taught Sahih al-Bukhari in the absence of Hussain Ahmad Madani and in the last phase of his life, he also taught the second volume of Tirmidhi for several years.[3] His students include Muhammad Shafi Deobandi,[4][5] Anzar Shah Kashmiri,[6] Muhammad Salim Qasmi[7] and Rasheed Ahmad Ludhianvi.[8]

Ali died in 1955 and was buried in Qasmi graveyard of the Darul Uloom Deoband.[3] His student Anzar Shah Kashmiri has written his biography, entitled Tadhkiratul Izaz.[9]

Izaz Ali Amrohi wrote Nafhat al-Arab, a book taught in the contemporary dars-e-nizami curriculum including Darul Uloom Deoband.[3][10] His other books include al-Ahadith al-mawdu’ah [11]

• Contribution of Maulana Aizaz Ali _d 1374AH_ to Arabic studies: a critical study