Mujaddid
Term meaning one who brings renewal to Islam
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A mujaddid (Arabic: مجدد) is an Islamic term for one who brings "renewal" (تجديد, tajdid) to the religion.[1][2] According to the popular Muslim tradition, it refers to a person who appears at the turn of every century of the Islamic calendar to revitalize Islam, cleansing it of extraneous elements and restoring it to its pristine purity. In contemporary times, a mujaddid is looked upon as the greatest Muslim of a century.[3]
The concept is based on a hadith (a saying of Islamic prophet Muhammad),[4] recorded by Abu Dawood, narrated by Abu Hurairah who mentioned that Muhammad said:
Allah will raise for this community at the end of every 100 years the one who will renovate its religion for it.
— Sunan Abu Dawood, Book 37: Kitab al-Malahim [Battles], Hadith Number 4278[5]
Ikhtilaf (disagreements) exist among different hadith viewers. Some schars have interpreted that the term mujaddid can also be occassionally understood as plural.[6][7]
Mujaddids can include prominent scholars and pious rulers.[2]
List of claimants or potentials
While there is no formal mechanism for designating a mujaddid in Sunni Islam, there is often a popular consensus. The Shia and Ahmadiyya[8][page needed][9] have their own list of mujaddids.[2]
First century (after the prophetic period) (August 3, 718)
- Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (682–720)[10][11]
Second century (August 10, 815)
Third century (August 17, 912)
- Imam Bukhari (810–870)[15]
- Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (874–936)[16][17]
Fourth Century (August 24, 1009)
- Hakim al-Nishaburi (933–1012)[15]
- Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani (950–1013)[11][18]
Fifth century (September 1, 1106)
Sixth century (September 9, 1203)
- Salauddin Ayyubi (1137–1193)[27]
- Ibn Qudamah (1147–1223)[28]
- Al-Nawawi[29]
- Abu al-Qasim al-Rafi'i (1160-1226)[30]
Seventh century (September 15, 1300)
- Ibn Daqiq al-'Id (1228–1302)[31]
- Ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328)[19]
- Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292–1350)[19]
- Ibn Rajab[32]
Eighth century (September 23, 1397)
- Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini (1324–1403)[31]
- Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (1372–1448)[33]
Ninth century (October 1, 1494)
- Mehmet II (1432–1481)[27]
- Zakariyya al-Ansari (1420-1520)[34]
- Jalaludin Al-Suyuti (1445–1505)[10][35][36]
Tenth century (October 19, 1591)
- Ahmad Sirhindi (1564–1624)[17][37]
Eleventh century (October 26, 1688)
- Mahiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir (1618–1707)[38]
Twelfth century (November 4, 1785)
- Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (1703–1762)[38]
- Shah Abdul Aziz Delhwi (1745–1823)[39]
- Usman Dan Fodio (1754–1817)[40]
Thirteenth century (November 14, 1882)
- Muhammad Abduh (1849–1905)[20]
- Mahmud Hasan Deobandi (1851–1920)[41][42]
Fourteenth century (November 21, 1979)
- Nasiruddin Al-Albani[43]
- Abul A'la Maududi (1903–1979)[44][page needed]
Claimants in other traditions
- Mulla Sadra Shirazi (1571–1640)[45][46]
- Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898)[47]
- Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908)[48][49][50][51]