Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri

Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri (also written as Saʻīd Aḥmad Pālanpūrī) (1940 – 19 May 2020), was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar and author who served as Shaykh al-Hadith and Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. Some of his books are required readings in Darul Uloom Deoband seminary.^[2][3][4]

Shaykh al-Hadīth, Mufti Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri
11th Principal, Darul Uloom Deoband[1]
In office 2008 – 19 May 2020
Preceded by	Naseer Ahmad Khan
Succeeded by	Arshad Madani
9th Sheikh al-Hadith of Darul Uloom Deoband[1]
In office 2008 – 19 May 2020
Preceded by	Naseer Ahmad Khan
Succeeded by	Abul Qasim Nomani
Personal life
Born	1940 Kaleda, Palanpur State, British India
Died	19 May 2020(2020-05-19) (aged 79–80) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Notable work(s)	Hidayatul Quran
Alma mater	Mazahir Uloom, Saharanpur Darul Uloom Deoband
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Muslim leader
Students Muhammad Salman Mansoorpuri Salman Bijnori Ishtiaque Ahmad Qasmi Yasir Nadeem al Wajidi

Biography

Palanpuri was born in 1940 in Kaleda village, Vadgam then in the Palanpur State.^[5] He studied at the Mazahir Uloom and then attended the Darul Uloom Deoband, where he graduated in traditional dars-e-nizami studies.^[6][7] His teachers included Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi, Syed Fakhruddin Ahmad, Ibrahim Balyawi, Mahdi Hasan Shahjahanpuri, and Naseer Ahmad Khan.^[8]

Palanpuri joined Jamia Ashrafiya in Rander as a teacher in 1965 and taught there for about ten years. He was appointed as a teacher of Darul Uloom Deoband in 1973 at the recommendation of Manzur Nu'mani.^[6][9] In 2008, he succeeded Naseer Ahmad Khan as Shaykh al-Hadith and also served as Principal.^[7][10][11] His teaching career in Darul Uloom Deoband lasted for over 50 years.^[12][13]

Pratibha Patil awarded Palanpuri the President's Certificate of Honour on the 64th Independence Day of India.^[14]

Reaction towards Madrasa Board scheme

Palanpuri maintained the view that the Indian Government's Scheme to Provide Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQEM) will end in fiasco.^[15][16]

Literary works

Palanpuri's works include:^[4]

• Tuhfatul Qari^[17]
• Tafseer Hidayat al-Quran^[18]
• Mabadiyat-e-Fiqh
• Aap Fatwa Kaise Dein?
• Hurmat-e-Musahirat
• Dadhi awr Anbiya ki Sunnat
• Tehshiya Imdad al-Fatawa (Marginalia to Ashraf Ali Thanwi's 6 volume Imdad al-Fatawa).
• Tasheel Adilla-e-Kamilah (Commentary to Mahmud Hasan Deobandi's Adilla-e-Kamilah).
• Mashaheer Muhaddiseen, Fuqaha Kiram awr Tadhkirah Rawiyan-e-Kutb-e-Hadith
• Rahmatullahil Wasiah (5 volume commentary to Shah Waliullah Dehlawi's Hujjatullahil Balighah)
• Mahfuzat ^[19]

Death

Palanpuri had diabetes and was admitted to a Mumbai hospital, where he died on 19 May 2020 (25 Ramadan 1441 AH).^[20][7][21] He was buried in a graveyard located in Oshiwara, Mumbai and very few people were allowed to attend his last rites due to the Covid-19 lockdown.^[12][22] Islamic scholars Abul Qasim Nomani, Arshad Madani, Mehmood Madani and Muhammad Sufyan Qasmi expressed grief at his death.^[23][12]