Research Article

The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī

Volume: 12 Number: Özel Sayı November 30, 2025
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The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī

Abstract

In the modern era, intellectual disagreements among Islamic movements have led to significant debates, particularly in the Indian Subcontinent, where they took shape within the tradition of radd (refutation) and produced notable scholarly works. This article examines the criticisms of Muḥammad Yûsuf al-Banūrī (d. 1977), a scholar of the Deobandi tradition, directed at the contemporary thinker Mawdūdī (d. 1979). The study is based on Banūrī’s work al-Ustāḏ al-Mawdūdī wa Shayʾun min Hayātihi wa Afkārihi and is limited to the contents of that text. Banūrī’s criticisms are classified under various headings, with a focus on passages he directly references. Occasionally, references are also made to Turkish translations of Mawdūdī’s works. Banūrī’s identity as both muḥaddith and an educator significantly informs the background of his critiques. A committed adherent to the Ahl al-Sunna and the Hanafi school in practice, he grounds his criticisms in accordance with these principles. As a reflection of his pedagogical orientation, he frequently criticizes Mawdūdī for engaging in religious discourse without having undergone a traditional education, and he highlights the perils of expressing opinions in disciplines in which one lacks proper qualifications. The study aims to introduce the Turkish readership to an example of the refutational tradition that has flourished—so much so as to merit the appellation “a paradise of refutations”—in the subcontinent. It also highlights the need to examine influential Muslim thinkers not through blind allegiance, but through scholarly analysis and critical inquiry. While Banūrī occasionally adopts a sharp tone, he seeks to ground his arguments in evidence and calls for fairness and guidance. Emotional assumptions about intent are also present, yet the work as a whole stands as a noteworthy contribution to the literature of refutation. Such studies are valuable for grasping key themes and regional perspectives in intellectual debates of the Indian subcontinent.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Religious Studies (Other), Hadith

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

November 30, 2025

Submission Date

August 1, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 21, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 12 Number: Özel Sayı

APA
Yüksel, F. M., & Çıkılı, D. (2025). The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi, 12(Özel Sayı), 145-168. https://doi.org/10.33718/tid.1755653
AMA
1.Yüksel FM, Çıkılı D. The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi. 2025;12(Özel Sayı):145-168. doi:10.33718/tid.1755653
Chicago
Yüksel, Fatih Muhammet, and Deniz Çıkılı. 2025. “The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī”. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi 12 (Özel Sayı): 145-68. https://doi.org/10.33718/tid.1755653.
EndNote
Yüksel FM, Çıkılı D (November 1, 2025) The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi 12 Özel Sayı 145–168.
IEEE
[1]F. M. Yüksel and D. Çıkılı, “The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī”, Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi, vol. 12, no. Özel Sayı, pp. 145–168, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.33718/tid.1755653.
ISNAD
Yüksel, Fatih Muhammet - Çıkılı, Deniz. “The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī”. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi 12/Özel Sayı (November 1, 2025): 145-168. https://doi.org/10.33718/tid.1755653.
JAMA
1.Yüksel FM, Çıkılı D. The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi. 2025;12:145–168.
MLA
Yüksel, Fatih Muhammet, and Deniz Çıkılı. “The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī”. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi, vol. 12, no. Özel Sayı, Nov. 2025, pp. 145-68, doi:10.33718/tid.1755653.
Vancouver
1.Fatih Muhammet Yüksel, Deniz Çıkılı. The Tradition of Refutation in the Indian Subcontinent: The Critique of Mawdūdī by Muhaddith and Educator Banūrī. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi. 2025 Nov. 1;12(Özel Sayı):145-68. doi:10.33718/tid.1755653