Deoband and Deobandis

DAY 15 – JUNE 20TH, 2016

Deoband and Deobandis

The town of Deoband in North India has a population of 100,000.  It is small in comparison to the many other cities and towns across the region and yet the Dar-Ul-Uloom madrassa (an Islamic centre of learning) in Deoband is significant for tens of millions of Muslims around the world.

Dar-Ul-Uloom opened in 1867 with the purpose of protecting and promoting conservative Sunni Islam across the Indian subcontinent. Since that time many thousands of men have studied there, and in turn Dar-Ul-Uloom graduates have started madrassas in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, South Africa, Great Britain and North America. 20{1ef34f8f1cacfdc6c19f5319e487deec2393c82eacea09a13da7feed1a24e305} of Muslims in India and Pakistan consider themselves to be Deobandi (over 75 million people) and in Britain over 40{1ef34f8f1cacfdc6c19f5319e487deec2393c82eacea09a13da7feed1a24e305} of the mosques are Deobandi.

For many Sunni Muslims, Deoband represents a scholarly, conservative, and pure Islam. However it has also been suspected of connections with militant extremism. The Taliban had some beginnings in Deobandi madrassas in Pakistan and suspicion about extremist ties grew so great that in 2013, Dar-Ul-Uloom issued a fatwa (a public statement) denouncing terrorism.

Muslims come from all over the world to visit Deoband. Some come as tourists just to see the Dar-Ul-Uloom campus, others stay for 7 or more years to be fully trained as mosque or madrassa leaders. One Iranian visitor said, “This is a place where God does great things!”

May it be so, Lord!

Imagine what it would look like if Deobandis were filled with an awareness of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. The influence of Deoband has spread across nations and the Deobani are passionate about what they believe and sharing that with others. May that commitment and passion be for the glory of Jesus.

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Hab 2:14.

How to Pray

• For the town of Deoband itself to be a place of peace and blessing. That the Hindu/Muslim tensions which often erupt in the region would have no place there.
• For truth, justice and peace to flow through Deobandi networks around the world.
• That Deobandi women, the majority of whom live lives hidden from sight, would know their value to the Father and find His love through Jesus.