Iconic Dairatul Maarif back on track after scam-induced setback

Hyderabad: After months of uncertainty and inactivity, Dairatul Maarif Osmania, the prestigious Oriental Research Institution located within the Osmania University campus, is showing signs of revival. The institution, which had nearly grounded to a halt following the exposure of financial irregularities, is once again buzzing with scholarly activity. Editing, translation, and publication of rare Arabic manuscripts have resumed in full swing, rekindling hope in the hearts of researchers and scholars alike.

It was in 1888, during the reign of the 6th Nizam, Mahboob Ali Pasha, that Dairatul Maarif was established by Maulana Anwarullah Khan Farooqui, Mulla Abdul Qayyum, and Nawab Imadul Mulk. It was envisioned as a centre for the preservation and dissemination of Islamic intellectual heritage. Recognizing the treasure trove of Arabic manuscripts lying neglected across India and the Islamic world, the Nizam initiated the project with the aim of editing and publishing classical Arabic texts, especially those dealing with Islamic theology, philosophy, Sufism, and science. Over the decades, Dairatul Maarif gained international recognition for its meticulous scholarship and became a magnet for orientalists and Islamic scholars across the globe.

So far, the Institution has published 240 titles running into approximately 800 volumes. Some of these include commentaries of the holy Quran, Traditions and Principles of Tradition, Biographical Dictionaries and Biographies, Canon, Law, Dialectics and Dogma, Sufism, History, Literature, Philology, Grammar, Philosophy and Metaphysics, Astronomy, Medieval Sciences, Agriculture, Medicine, Ecology, and Islamic Jurisprudence.

However, in recent years, the Institution faced a serious crisis. Allegations of financial mismanagement and irregularities brought its operations to a standstill. The Institution’s already meager workforce was left demoralized, salaries were withheld, and the once-proud halls lined with priceless manuscripts began to show signs of neglect.

Cobwebs gathered on dusty shelves, and the scent of old paper was replaced by the staleness of institutional decay. With a police inquiry underway and public trust eroded, Dairatul Maarif seemed headed for closure.

But now, under the stewardship of Prof. S.A. Shukoor, Director of Dairatul Maarif, the Institution has staged a quiet comeback. “We have resumed our core mission of editing and publishing rare Arabic texts. After a painful pause, we’re back on our feet,” said Prof. Shukoor, who is also an eminent scholar and a committed administrator. Salaries that had been held back for months have been cleared, and employees, though still working under temporary contracts, are back at their desks.

One of the major projects currently underway is the editing and publication of Ma’arif al-Awarif, a 650-year-old Sufi classic authored by Shaikh al-Islam Syed Mohammed Al Husaini, popularly known as Khawaja Bandanawaz Gesu Daraz. A towering figure in Islamic spirituality, Al Husaini’s work explores the principles of Sufism in the light of the Qur’an and Hadith. The manuscript, running into 1,200 pages, was in poor condition when it came to the Institution. Several pages had faded or were partially erased due to the ravages of time. Editors at Dairatul Maarif have painstakingly worked to reconstruct the missing portions and bring the text back to life. Two volumes have already been published, and more are in the pipeline.

Another monumental effort underway is the editing of Multaqat al-Tafsir, a detailed commentary on the Qur’an with strong Sufi underpinnings by Khawaja Bandanawaz Gesu Daraz. This 2,000-page manuscript was acquired by the Institution from the India Office in London. The work is expected to be published in ten volumes, five of which are already ready for the press.

This tafsir covers Quranic verses with deep spiritual and ethical reflections, focusing on divine love, inner purification, and Sufi meanings of the revelations. It reflects the Chishti tradition’s integration of tafsir, tasawwuf, and pedagogy in the Indian context.

Despite operating on a shoestring annual budget of just Rs. 3 crore, the Institution continues to push ahead with several important publications. However, the resource crunch remains a challenge. Although the sanctioned staff strength is 63, only 18 employees are currently on the rolls, and all of them are working on a contract basis. “I have written to the government requesting the regularisation of services for our staff. Such a vital institution cannot be run with ad-hoc arrangements,” said Prof. Shukoor.

Former Minister Asif Pasha, who visited Dairatul Maarif on Thursday, expressed his satisfaction over the revival of the Institution. Recalling his first visit to the Institution five decades ago in the company of the then Saudi Petroleum Minister, Zaki Yamani, he said, “Yamani had remarked, ‘I came to India to visit Hyderabad, and I came to Hyderabad to visit Dairatul Maarif.’ That statement speaks volumes about the stature of this institution.”

During his recent visit, Pasha took time to examine the lithographic copper plates used in the printing of Marmaduke Pickthall’s translation of the Qur’an preserved at the Institution. Pickthall, a British revert to Islam, produced one of the earliest English translations of the scriptures titled The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an. He had a strong connection with Hyderabad during the time of the Nizam.

As Dairatul Maarif finds its footing once again, it continues to live up to the vision of its founders, who sought to blend tradition with scholarship and preserve the Islamic intellectual legacy for generations to come. Though challenges remain, the Institution’s revival offers a glimmer of hope at a time when such academic institutions are in dire need of support and renewal.