Mufti Mohammad Naeem Ludhiyanvi

MUFTI MOHAMMAD NAEEM LUDHIYANVI

Date of Birth: 1888 and Date of Death: 1971

            Mufti Mohammad Naeem Ludhiyanvi, who very much proudly declared the “we are freedom fighters by birth because fighting against the British since generations”, was born in 1888 in Ludhiyana in Punjab state of India.  Moulana Muhammad Abdullah Ludhiyanvi was his father and Moulana Abdul Khadir Ludhiyanvi was his grandfather.  Abdul Khadir was a freedom fighter in 1857.  Naeem father was the person who passed a fatwah called ‘Nusrath-ul-Abrar’ along with number of other Ulema.  It meant that fighting against the British was the fundamental right of every Muslim.  Mufti Mohammad Naeem went to Darul Uloom in Deoband for his religious education.  There he became a follower and favourite student of freedom fighter Moulana Mohammad Hasan.  He was greatly inspired by Hasan.  After his education Naeem worked as a principal for six years and then he decided to fight against the British.  He was arrested while he was going to Peshawar in obedience to the instructions of his teacher.  He was in the jail for three years.  He played a major role in the national movement as a vice president of Jamiath-Ulema-e-Hind and president of its Punjab branch.  He declared himself as an Indian by birth.  He worked as a president of Ludhiyana district congress committee continuously for a period 29 years.  In 1930, British police opened fire on activists of Khudha-e-Khidmathghar and killed many of them.  He prepared a report on this brutal incident and submitted to the people along with Moulana Abul Kalam Azad.  He introduced complete independence proposal in Jamiath-Ulema-e-Hind conference at Amroha in 1930.  He spent seven years in jail for participating in national movement as a leader of Indian National Congress and Jamiath-Ulema-e-Hind.  He opposed the division of India.  He said that Pakistan will never be an Islamic state and “I am an Indian, I am a Muslim.  In these two, one is for my belief, and another is for my existence.  These are the symbols of mine”.  He went to Pakistan after Independence in 1947.  Mufti Mohammad Naeem Ludhiyanvi spent his remaining life giving spiritual speeches to the people and died in 1971.

MOHAMMAD ISMAIL

Date of Birth: 5^th June, 1896 and Date of Death: 4^th April, 1972

            Mohammad Ismail, who believed that the charity of education is the best among all charities, was born on 5^th June, 1896 in Pettai, Tirunalveli district in Tamilnadu.  His father Moulvi K.T. Miakhan Rowther was a multi lingual scholar.  Ismail lost his father during his childhood.  He had his primary education in Tirunalveli and higher education in Madras.  He boycotted the college under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi to participate in Khilafat and Non Cooperation Movement.  He took membership in the Indian National Congress and took active part in its several programmes along with his brother Ibrahim Ahmed, during the freedom struggle.  Mohammad Ismail mobilised the youth towards the National Movement and groomed them as committed activists for which he had established several organisations.  Mohammad Ismail, who was known for his honesty, became a successful entrepreneur in the export and import business with the help of the renowned businessman Jamal Mohammad.  Engaged in business, he actively participated in politics and he worked for the establishment of several educational institutions.  As a philanthropist, he not only donated huge amounts of money, but also collected donations from the rich community for the establishment of several educational institutions.  Mohammad Ismail was displeased at the results of the elections in 1936, which were entirely decided on religious grounds.  So he joined All India Muslim League.  He strengthened the Muslim League in Tamilnadu and got several candidates of the League elected during the 1946 elections and led the opposition in the Assembly.  After the division of the country, he toured Pakistan and advised the then Pakistan Premier Mr. Liyakath Ali Khan not to cause any trouble to the minorities in Pakistan, even if Indian Muslims face any troubles.  When the States were reorganised in India, he settled down in Kerala after its formation.  He got elected from the Manjeri Loksabha Constituency in Kerala in year 1962, 1967 and 1971 as a candidate of the Indian Union Muslim League.  He was respectful called by his people as “Quaid-e-Millat’ (leader of Nation).  Mohammad Ismail, who dedicated his life and worked for the welfare of the people till to the end of his life, breathed his last on 4^th April, 1972.