Hazarath Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi

Mufti Mahmud Hasan Gangohi (1325 - 1417)

He was born in Jamadius Sani 1325 (1907) at Gangoh. He prosecuted his studies at Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur, and Darul Uloom Deoband. In 1351 he completed his study of Hadith in Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur, and there itself for nearly twenty years, he continued to render the services of fatwa-writing and teaching. Then, for nearly fourteen years, from 1371 to 1384, he graced the post of principal and fatwa-writing in Madrasah Jamiul Uloom, Kanpur, where there was a great impact of his knowledge and learning, abstinence and piety and saintliness upon the people.

In 1385 he was selected for the post of Mufti in the Darul Ifta of Darul Uloom Deoband. Besides fatwa-writing, he also taught the second volume of the Sahih Bukhari to the students. He has not produced any independent book but his important fatwas have were published in different journals. Now, his fatwas were collected and published in 20 volumes. The style of writing in the fatwas is concise.

Mufti Sahib received khilafah and 'permission' from Hadhrat Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariya. He was very unassuming and hospitable; a man of vast reading, a regular Zaakir¸ generous and august man. An important peculiarity of his is also this that whatever salary he received from Darul Uloom, he not only returned it to Darul Uloom every month but also used to add something to it from his own pocket.

During his presiding over the Darul Ifta, a big number of fatwas were issued from Darul Uloom. His Fatwas has been published in 20 volumes. In 1996, he went on a trip to South Africa, where he died in Johannesburg on 18th Rabius Sani, 1417 (2 Sep 1996) and was buried there.