Muḥammad Ashraf 'Alī Thānvī was an Indian Sunni scholar and a Sufi mentor of the Hanafi school.
Early life and career
Childhood
He lost his mother at the age of five and was raised by his father with special care and attention. His father taught him and his younger brother, Akbar 'Ali, discipline and good character.
Career
After his graduation, Thanawi taught books of religious sciences in Faiz-e-Aam Madrasa, Kanpur. Over a short period of time, he acquired a reputable position as a religious scholar of Sufism among other subjects. His teaching attracted numerous students and his research and publications became well known in Islamic institutions. During these years, he traveled to various cities and villages, delivering lectures in the hope of reforming people. Printed versions of his lectures and discourses usually became available shortly after these tours. Until then, few Islamic scholars had had their lectures printed and widely circulated in their own lifetimes. The desire to reform the masses intensified in him during his stay at Kanpur. Eventually, Thanwi retired from teaching and devoted himself to reestablishing the spiritual centre of his mentor, Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, in Thāna Bhāwan, UP, India.
Opposition by Barelvis
In 1906, Ahmad Raza Khan and other scholars issued a fatwa against Thanwi and other Deobandi leaders entitled Husam ul-Haramain, calling them unbelievers and Satanists. Deobandi elders, including those accused in the Fatwa, prepared a reply to questions sent to them by the scholars of Hijaz to clarify the matter. Thus, Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri's 'Al-Muhannad alal Mufannad, was written in Arabic and signed by all Deobandi scholars including Ashraf Ali Thanvi. Upon seeing the clarification, the scholars of Hijaz retracted their approval of Ahmed Raza Khan's Fatwa which was published at the end of the aforementioned Al Muhannad. Thanwi's disciple Murtaza Hasan Chandpuri also wrote articles and leaflets in defence of Thanwi.
Teachings
Ashraf Ali Thanvi stressed on adopting the complete way of Islam to attain salvation. He shunned those Sufis who stressed on voluntary worshiping but neglected other important commandments of Islam including fair dealings and fulfilling the rights of others. Thus his stress would be more on the basic personal reformation and the prescription of Wazaif would come later. At times, he would caution and stress towards matter that are generally thought to be not related to Islam and spirituality but he would explain the forgotten and ignored link. For example, once he stressed the son of his close disciple, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, to improve his handwriting so that others may read it with ease. Thereafter, he remarked that he was nurturing him to become a 'Sufi' by stressing upon this matter.
Political ideology
Ashraf Ali Thanvi was a strong supporter of the Muslim League. He maintained a correspondence with the leadership of All India Muslim League, including Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He also sent groups of Ulama to give religious advice and reminders to Mr. Jinnah. He and his pupils gave their entire support to the demand for the creation of Pakistan. During the 1940s, many Deobandi ulama supported the Congress but Ashraf Ali Thanvi and some other leading Deobandi scholars including Muhammad Shafi and Shabbir Ahmad Usmani were in favour of the Muslim League. Thanvi resigned from 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 the leadership of AIML. This can be gauged from the fact that Pakistan became independent, its first flag hoisting in West Pakistan was done by Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani in the presence of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan; while in East Pakistan, it was done by Allama Zafar Ahmad Usmani in the presence of Khwaja Nazimuddin.
Literary works
Mawlana Thanwi authored 345 books and booklets, while the collections of his speeches exceed 300. The total numbers of publications attributed to him are said to cross over 1000. Some of his publications in English include:
His Fatwas and religious teachings were thought to be very authoritative even by many of his opponents. Thus many of his contemporaries also sought his advice and held him in high esteem. For example, when the Indian scholar, historian and linguist, Sayyid Sulaiman Nadwi, wished to seek Islamic spirituality, he went to Thana Bhawan. Another Indian scholar, Abdul Majid Dariyabadi, did the same. Even Muhammad Iqbal once wrote to a friend of his that on the matter of Rumi's teachings, he held Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi as the greatest living authority. Pakistani scholar Muhammad Ishaq Multani has written a 10 volume encyclopaedia about the history of Thanwi's reform works. It also includes biographies and works done by the disciples of Thanwi up to four generations. Contemporary scholars like Mufti Taqi Usmani have written words of praise for this encyclopaedia.
