About a year ago, I was traveling on a bus with a Turkish friend. Both of us were headed back to Halkalı Merkez from a public event in Istanbul. Our usual conversation topic during such trips revolved around India-Turkey relations. As I enthusiastically shared historical insights, my friend suddenly asked if I was familiar with Professor Hamidullah. Although I had heard his name and knew that he hailed from Hyderabad, India, the unfortunate reality was that I did not possess much knowledge about him. I admitted my ignorance with a simple “no.”
My friend reacted with shock, exclaiming, “How can that be? You must know him.” He went on to inform me that many of Prof. Hamidullah's disciples are still present in Türkiye. The conversation then shifted to discussions about the professor's books, leaving me both intrigued and sparked with a newfound desire to learn more about Prof. Hamidullah, a man who continues to be highly revered in Türkiye.
The following morning, on my quest to learn more about Prof. Hamidullah, I made my way to the library of İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi, conveniently situated near my residence. The shelves were stocked with numerous books authored by him, yet all of them were in Turkish. Upon delving into online research, I stumbled upon surprising revelations. Prof. Hamidullah emerged as an individual who staunchly declined French citizenship, proclaiming his love for his soil and country. Notably, he also turned down Pakistani citizenship. What caught my attention even more was his proficiency in 22 different languages worldwide, showcasing expertise in over half of them. His prolific literary output amounted to approximately 450 books, written in various languages.
He also refused the King Faisal Award in 1994, saying that whatever he had written was for the pleasure of Almighty Allah. The first book of hadith, which was written in 58 Hijri was discovered by him after 1300 years in the Berlin Library in Germany and it was published after his research.. He also wrote the translation and commentary of the Holy Quran in French; twenty editions of this masterpiece translation have been published. Additionally, he wrote a masterpiece book called Introduction to Islam, which has been translated into 22 languages around the world.
Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah was born on February 19, 1908, in Hyderabad, India. He completed his doctorate in 1933 in only nine months at Bonn University, Germany. He then acquired another doctorate from the University of Paris the next year. He got his master’s and law degrees from Osmania University, Hyderabad. Then he was not only the most important student at this university but was also a professor there until he was appointed Hyderabad’s ambassador to the United Nations. Hyderabad was an independent Muslim state, and it was forcefully merged with India in 1948. Dr. Hamidullah decided not to return to the “occupied land” and stay in France on an asylum visa endorsed by the United Nations. He was a stateless person, and he remained a “Hyderabadi citizen” till his death.
As I became acquainted with his story, my curiosity to delve deeper into the life and thoughts of Dr. Hamidullah intensified. With this desire, I seized the opportunity to meet face-to-face with many people residing in Istanbul who had been disciples of the esteemed scholar. I met a professor from Marmara University who himself had met Dr. Hamidullah during his student days.
While there are numerous books in Urdu shedding light on Dr. Hamidullah, my focus lies on unraveling the connection between Türkiye and Dr. Hamidullah. I've embarked on this quest and have engaged in conversations to gather insights. Thus far, I've gathered some information on this matter and will continue my efforts to unearth more details.
It is said that if Dr. Hamidullah's first homeland after leaving India was France, then his second homeland was Türkiye. He held a deep affection for Türkiye. In the Urdu book published in 2003, titled Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, compiled by Muhammad Rashid Shaikh, Dr. Nisar Ahmed Asrar notes, ‘From 1952 to 1978, that is, for 25 years continuously, Dr. Hamidullah was invited to give lectures in various universities in Türkiye as a guest teacher. Apart from this, his connection with Türkiye and its religious institutions and intellectual circles endured until his last breath.’
Looking at the list of his writings, it can be seen that even before coming to Türkiye, he was writing on various Turkish issues. For example, on May 19, 1929, an article titled ‘Turkey ke Youm-e-Laussane’ (Turkey’s Day of Laussane) was published in Hyderabad's Urdu newspaper Roznama Sahifa. On October 22, 1931, an article titled ‘Turkey ka Haaliya Siyasi Utaar Chadhav’ (Recent Political Ups and Downs of Türkiye) was published in the Urdu weekly Nizam Gazette of Hyderabad. In February 1932, he also wrote about the condition of Türkiye after the war in the same paper, the Nizam Gazette. In October 1938, he wrote an article titled 'Turkey mein Dik ke Idare' (Tuberculosis Institutions in Türkiye) in the Urdu magazine Hamdard-e-Sehat, published from Delhi. While in 1941, he continued to acquaint the people of Hyderabad with Türkiye, writing an article on Turks and the Turkish language.
Interestingly, Dr. Hamidullah first set foot in Türkiye in 1932 to find material for his thesis and did research in the libraries there. In this way, in 1932, he became aware of Istanbul and the Turkish language for the first time.
After a long break, he again visited Istanbul in 1951 and presented a paper at the International Congress of Orientalists there. At the offer of Congress President Prof. Dr. Zeki Velidi Togan, he agreed to teach at the Institute of Islamic Research as a contracted professor within İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi. Dr. Hamidullah, who engaged in academic pursuits at İstanbul University for a remarkable 25 years, also extended his expertise to Ankara University's Faculty of Theology and Erzurum Atatürk University's Faculty of Islamic Sciences. He gave very fruitful lectures and taught many students there. Every year, he used to stay in Türkiye for three months and give lectures on the history of Islam and Islamic law.
In Istanbul, Dr. Hamidullah, during his research, discovered the oldest manuscripts of the Holy Quran, the letter of the Holy Prophet to Caesar Heraclius, and many other rare Arabic manuscripts and brought them to the world of knowledge.
My Indian friend, currently studying Islamic Economics at Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi, said that Sabahattin Zaim, after whom this university has been named, was also one of the students of Dr. Hamidullah. Although I have not found any official proof of this, one thing is clear: Sabahattin Zaim was his contemporary.
Sabahattin Zaim himself writes in an article titled ‘Developments on Cooperation of Islamic Countries and Islamic Economics in the last 50 Years’, ‘The term Islamic economics was first mentioned by scholars in India. Because they were familiar with the knowledge of English, western and Eastern cultures, and knowledge of Arabic through madrasa education. Therefore, Indian scholars found ways to analyze the concepts taught in economics, implemented policies, and established institutions with Islamic values... In our country [Türkiye], this concept [Islamic Economics] first started from the lectures of Indian scholar Muhammad Hamidullah Hoca.’ His study was published as 'Modern Economics and Islam'. A look at other research papers shows that Sabahattin Zaim himself continued to work on the same topic.
Dr. Hamidullah's student, Prof. Dr. Yusuf Ziya Kavakçı, who has been associated with the Islamic Research Institute of Istanbul University for a long time, writes in one of his articles, ‘At that time, the word Islam in Türkiye was very offensive to those in power, and all kinds of activities were banned in the name of religion. So, the institute and the people associated with it were closely monitored. Until 1970, the Turkish intelligence agency pursued Dr. Hamidullah but could not find anything objectionable in his lectures and papers on political topics.’
According to Kavakçı, Dr. Hamidullah did not own a house or a vehicle. In Istanbul, he walked from the university to hotels and libraries. He always stayed here in the same room in Sipahi Palas Hotel. The window of his room always opened towards the mausoleum, or tomb, of Sultan Abdul Majid II. Perhaps through this view, he sought to envision the grand past of the last great Ottoman king. Despite receiving a salary three times less than other visiting professors in Türkiye, he generously allocated half of it as a stipend for financially challenged students.
Kavakçı further notes, 'Dr. Hamidullah lived like a lion and sacrificed his life in a dignified manner, akin to a lion,' emphasizing that he never compromised his faith or knowledge.
His importance in Türkiye can be gauged from the fact that when Dr. Hamidullah breathed his last in Jacksonville, United States, on December 17, 2002, most of the Turkish newspapers published the news of his demise. Dr. Nisar Ahmed Asrar writes, ‘The news of Dr. Hamidullah's death was published especially in Yeni Şafak, Milli Gazette, Zaman, Vakit, and many educational and literary magazines. Among these, the names of Dergâh and Yedi İklim are special. Articles were also published in newspapers. Yedi İklim published a special issue on Dr. Hamidullah in 2003. After his death, many programs were held in Istanbul to commemorate Dr. Hamidullah. In these gatherings, the teachers and students of Dr. Hamidullah, who are now included among the worthy-of-mention masters of Türkiye, expressed their thoughts and beliefs related to Dr. Hamidullah. Private TV channels Kanal 7 and STV presented programs related to these.
Asrar also writes that ‘Yeni Şafak published the maximum number of news stories and interviews on Dr. Hamidullah. The circulation of this newspaper was one hundred thousand, and at the end of February 2003, it gave advertisements through its newspaper and billboards all over Türkiye, in which they announced two volumes of his book İSLAM PEYGAMBERİ (2 Cilt Takım) would be given to readers through 59 coupons. After this, the circulation of this newspaper increased by fifty thousand… The same newspaper started a new campaign, under which Dr. Hamidullah's second famous “Ghazwat-e-Rasool” was to be distributed in exchange for coupons…’
In Mr. Biju Abdul Qadir’s words, “Hamidullah’s teaching stints here paved the way for a new movement and vibrancy within Turkish religious circles, which, in time, would lead to overall mass support for the Islamic movement governing the life of the nation by the mid-1990s and thereafter.”
Dücane Cündioğlu has written in one place, ‘Dr. Hamidullah was a teacher of teachers.’ He taught Islamic studies in Türkiye for many years and produced a batch of professors and intellectuals. These intellectuals hold the authority of Islamic Studies in Türkiye today. All these are the fruits of Dr. Hamidullah's selfless service, sacrifice, and selflessness.
A significant number of Dr. Hamidullah's books have been translated into Turkish language.
The truth is that the maximum number of his books have been published in Türkiye after IndiaPakistan, and France. In essence, Turkish academics have gained substantial insights from his teachings, and the impact of his life and writings continues to be a valuable resource for ongoing learning and development in the field.
Thanks to my Turkish friend who introduced me to this extraordinary personality. One of the biggest advantages of living in Türkiye is that I got to know Dr. Hamidullah now, and I will continue benefiting from his valuable works as my interest in him has grown exponentially.
Afroz Alam Sahil is a journalist and author. He can be contacted at @afrozsahil on X.