Evaluating the Life ofMaulana Muhammad Ismaeel Al-Udvi, Al-Sindhi

Many South Asian religious scholars including Shah Waliullah (d.1762), Shibli Nomani (d. 1914), and Muhammad Hayat al-Sindhi (d.1750) have extensively been studied. However, one most importantscholarly figure of twentieth century South Asia remains shadowyfigure. One such scholar is Maulana Muhammad Ismaeel al-Udvi, al-Sindhi, who not only played very important role, if not leading, in theKhilafat Movement before the partition of India, but also played a vitalrole in strengthening the religio-political party of Pakistan, the JamaatIslami after the partition. On the other hand, beside his teachingcareer in various religious institutions, which lasted about fifty years,al-Udvi wrote some very important works in Arabic includingexegetical dictionary of the Qur’an and a treatise on the doctrine ofIjazul Qur’an (inimitability of the Qur’an), adopting new methodologyand introducing new arguments in the field. Therefore, this paperattempts to present brief study of his life, works and scholarlyinfluence in the region.