Introduction

The tack of Darul Uloom waqf Deoband, is in accordance with the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, Hanafiate practical method (Mazhab) and the disposition (Mashrab) of its holy founders, Hujjat al Islam Imam Mohammad Qasim Nanawtawi (Allah's mercy be on him!) and Imam Rabbani Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi (may his secret be sanctified).
» Religious Attitude : As far as the religious attitude of Darul Uloom Deoband waqf and its elders is concerned, it has been clearly stated in a very eloquent and concise manner by Hakim al Islam Shaykh Mohammad Tayyib, vice chancellor (Rector) of Darul Uloom Deoband in his treatise entitled Maslak-e-Ulama-e-Deoband. Its summary, more or less in his own words, is as follows:
"Academically this Waliyullahian party is, by track, Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, which is based on the Book, the Sunnah, consensus (Ijm'a) and analogy (Qiyas). According to it, the foremost position in all propositions (Masa'il) is held by tradition (Naql), narration (Riwayat) and the predecessors’ historical traditions (A'sar), on which the entire building of religion rests. With it, the purports of the Book and the Sunnah can be determined not merely by the power of study but by being confined within the limits of the predecessors' saying and their bequeathed taste, and, to boot, through the company of and attendance on the Shaikhs and their teachings and training. At the same time, intellect and knowledge (Derayat) and discernment of religion (Tafaqqoh Fiddin), too are according to it, a very important factor in the under standing of the Book and the Sunnah. Keeping the intent and purpose of the Legislator (peace be on him!) from amongst the collection of traditions (Riwayat) before itself it connects all the traditions to it and concatenates all of them grade wise at their respective places in such a way that they all look like links of the same chain. Hence the "collocation of tradition" (Jama Bainar Riwaytain) and the "condition of Hadiths' (Tatbiq-e-Ahadith) at the time of mutual contradiction is its main principle the purport of which is that it does not want to leave or omit even the weakest of the weak traditions, so long as it is not fit to be protested against. On this basis, in the sight of this party, contradiction and variance is not felt anywhere in the explicit legal texts; on the contrary, the entire religion, being free from contradiction and variance, looks like a bouquet in which academic and practical flowers of every hue look blooming at their respective places. Along with this, self-purification (Tazkiya-e-Nafs) and self-improvement (Islah-e-Batin), in accordance with the manner of the wayfarers (Ahl-e-Sulook), which is innocent of and free from formalities, usage's and exhibitive rapture and discourse, are also necessary in this track. It favored its dedicated followers with the heights of knowledge as well as adorned them with human morals like slave hood (Abadiyat) and humility. If the members of this party, on the one hand, reached the heights of academic dignity, self-satisfaction (Istaghna) - academically - and self-content (Ghina-e-Nafs) - morally - on the other, they were also abundantly invested with the humbling sentiments of complaisance, humility, self-denial and abstinence; neither did they become a prey to arrogance, pride and self-conceit nor were involved in self-humiliation and wretchedness. While they, reaching the heights of knowledge and morality, began to look higher than the common run of men, at the same time, adorned with the virtues of humility and sub-mission humbleness and complaisance and non-discrimination, they mixed freely with the masses and yet remained "unique among the people". While they sought seclusion for striving with the unregenerate soul (Mujahada) and spiritual communion or contemplation (Muraqaba), at the same time they also displayed warrior - and crusader-like zeal as also feelings for communal service. In short, through the mixed feelings and desires of knowledge and morality, seclusion and congregation (Jalwat), striving and jihad, moderation and the golden mean became they distinctive feature in every religion circle; which is a natural Corollary of the comprehensiveness of sciences and moderateness of morals. It is for this reason that among them the meaning of becoming a traditionalist is not to be dispute with the jurisconsult or of being a jurist consult is not to be disgusted with the traditionalist; or the meaning of Nisbat-e-Ihsani (predilection for Sufism) is not to be hostile to the dialectician (Mutakallim) or the meaning of acumen in dialectics is not to be weary of Sufism. On the contrary, under this comprehensive track the graduate of this institution proved, by gradation, simultaneously a traditionalist, a jurisprudence, a professional commentator of the Quran, a Mufti, a dialectician, a Sufi (Muhsin), a physician and a protector (Murabbi), in whom the mixed sentiments of abstinence and contentment sans beggarliness, modesty and self-effacement sans cajolement, com-passion and mercy with "enjoining the right conduct" (Amr bil-ma'roof) and "the forbidding of indecency" (Nahi anil-munkar), composure of heart with communal service and "solitude in a crowd" (khalwat Dar Anjuman), became firm. Or, the other hand, the feelings of moderation, recognition of dues and the fulfillment of rights in regard to arts and sciences and the men of arts and sciences permeated in them as virtues of the self. Hence all the masters of learning and excellence and the well-versed scholars in all the branches of religion, whether they be traditionists or jurisprudenis, Sufis or Gnostics, scholastic theologians or fundamentalists, the nobles of Islam or caliphs, all of them are worthy of respect and faith in their sight. To extol or run down any class of Ulama or to be careless as regards legal limits in praise or censure is not the track of this party. With this comprehensive method the Darul-Uloom, by its academic services, diffused the light of the prophetic sciences from Siberia in the north to Java and Sumatra in the south and from Burma in the east to Arabia and Africa in the west, wherefore the thorough fares of sacred morals became clearly visible.
» Knowledge of Shari’ah This includes all the branches of beliefs, devotions and worldly dealings etc. The outcome of which is faith (Iman) and Islam; provided this knowledge may have been acquired, being restricted to the sphere of the sayings and practices of the predecessors, through the teaching; training and grace of the company of authoritative divine doctors and discipliners of the hearts whose chain of exterior and interior, knowledge and practice, understanding and taste may have continuously reached through continual authority to the Author of the Shari'ah (on whom be most excellent blessings and greetings !); and may not be the result of self-opinion or mere book-reading and power of study or mere rational search and intellectual investigation, though it may not be devoid of rational style of description and argumentative proof and demonstration, for without this knowledge, distinguishing between right and wrong, legitimate and illegitimate, permissible and impermissible, the Sunni and the innovation, the abominable (Makrooh) and the commendable (Mandoob) is not possible nor is release possible from wild fancies, philosophical theories and blind superstitions in religion.
» Conformity to the Sunnah of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) : That is, conformance to the prophetic Sunnah (traditions) in every walk of life and dominance of the permanent Sunnah thorough maintaining respect of the Shar'ah in every 'state' (Haal) and 'utterance' (Qaal), every condition of the exterior and the interior; for without it, It is impossible to be released from the conventions of ignorance, customary innovations and prohibited indecencies. and from the calamity of customarily imitating the ecstatic utterances and sayings of 'men of states' inspite of the lack of spiritual states of giving those utterances the status of a permanent general law parallel to the shari'ah.
» The Following of the Path That is, consummation of good breeding, self-purification and spiritual traversing (Sulook-e-Batin) within the auspices of researching Sufis and their well-tried principles (inferred from the Book and the Sunnah), because, without this, moderateness in morals, stability of zest and ecstasy, internal insight, mental purity and observation of reality are not possible. It is obvious that this branch is connected with Ahsan along with faith and Islam.