Maaulana Syed Abul A'la Maududi (1903-1979) was a prominent Islamic scholar, philosopher, and political activist from India who founded the Jamaat-e-Islami party in Pakistan. He was born on September 25, 1903, in Aurangabad, India, to a family of religious scholars.
Maududi received his early education in Islamic sciences from his father and other prominent scholars in his hometown. He later studied at Darul Uloom Hyderabad and Darul Uloom Deoband, two of the most prestigious Islamic seminaries in India.
Maulana Syed Abul A'la Maududi was deeply influenced by the political and social upheavals of his time, including the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the rise of European colonialism, and the struggle for Indian independence. He became increasingly convinced that Islam provided a comprehensive system of life that could address the problems facing Muslims in the modern world.
In 1941, Maududi founded the Jamaat-e-Islami party in Lahore, Pakistan, with the goal of establishing an Islamic state based on the principles of the Quran and the Sunnah. He believed that the Islamic system of governance was superior to all other systems and that it was the duty of Muslims to work towards its implementation.
Maulana Syed Abul A'la Maududi was a prolific writer and authored over 120 books and pamphlets on a wide range of topics, including Islamic theology, jurisprudence, politics, and social issues. His most famous works include "Tafheem ul Quran," a modern commentary on the Quran, and "The Islamic Law and Constitution," a comprehensive exposition of his political and legal theories.
Maududi's ideas and activism were controversial, and he was often criticized by both secular and religious groups. He faced several periods of imprisonment and exile in his lifetime, including during the early years of Pakistan's independence.
Maulana Syed Abul A'la Maududi despite his political and theological differences with many mainstream Islamic movements, Maududi's ideas continue to influence Islamic political thought and activism in South Asia and beyond. He died on September 22, 1979, in Buffalo, New York, while undergoing medical treatment