Yaqub Nanautawi facts for kids

Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi (born 1833, died 1884) was an important Islamic scholar from India. He was one of the first teachers at a famous Islamic school in India called Darul Uloom Deoband. He even became the first principal of this school!

Early Life and Learning

Muhammad Yaqub was born in 1833 in a town called Nanauta in what was then British India. His father, Mamluk Ali Nanautawi, was a well-known Muslim scholar.

Muhammad Yaqub learned many Islamic subjects from his father and other important teachers like Shah Abd al-Ghani Mujaddidi. He also studied with Ahmad Ali Saharanpuri.

He was also trained in tasawwuf, which is a spiritual path in Islam. He received special permission to teach others in several spiritual groups, including the Chishti and Naqshbandi orders.

His Career and Teaching

In 1852, Muhammad Yaqub started working as a teacher at Government College Ajmer. He was even offered a higher job as a Deputy Collector, but he chose not to take it. He later moved to Banaras and then became a Deputy Inspector in Saharanpur.

Becoming a Principal

In 1866, Muhammad Yaqub was asked to become the principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. This school was growing very fast, and they needed a great leader. People believed he was the perfect person for the job.

Famous Students

Many students learned from Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi. Some of them became very important Islamic scholars themselves. These students included Mahmud Hasan Deobandi, Ashraf Ali Thanwi, and Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.

Later Life and Family

Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi passed away in 1884 at the age of 51. He was buried in his hometown of Nanauta.

He was the uncle of the famous Hadith scholar Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.