A mujaddid () is an Islamic term for one who brings "renewal" () to the religion. According to the popular Muslim tradition, it refers to a person who appears at the turn of every century of the Islamic calendar to revitalize Islam, cleansing it of extraneous elements and restoring it to its pristine purity. In contemporary times, a mujaddid is looked upon as the greatest Muslim of a century.

The concept is based on a hadith (a saying of Islamic prophet Muhammad), recorded by Abu Dawood, narrated by Abu Hurairah who mentioned that Muhammad said:

Ikhtilaf (disagreements) exist among different hadith viewers. Some scholars have interpreted that the term mujaddid can also be occasionally understood as plural.

Mujaddids can include prominent scholars and pious rulers. have their own list of mujaddids.

Second century (August 10, 815)

  • Al-Shafi'i
  • Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855)

Third century (August 17, 912)

  • Imam Bukhari (810–870)
  • Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (874–936)

Fourth Century (August 24, 1009)

  • Hakim al-Nishaburi (933–1012)

Fifth century (September 1, 1106)

  • Ibn Hazm (994–1064)
  • Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111)
  • Abdul Qadir Jilani (1078–1166)

Sixth century (September 9, 1203)

  • Salauddin Ayyubi (1137–1193)
  • Ibn Qudamah (1147–1223)
  • Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149–1210)
  • Abu al-Qasim al-Rafi'i (1160-1226)

Seventh century (September 15, 1300)

  • Ibn Daqiq al-'Id (1228–1302)
  • Ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328)

Ninth century (October 1, 1494)

  • Mehmet II (1432–1481)
  • Zakariyya al-Ansari (1420-1520)
  • Jalaludin Al-Suyuti (1445–1505)

Tenth century (October 19, 1591)

  • Shams al-Din al-Ramli (1513-1596)
  • Ahmad Sirhindi (1564–1624)

Eleventh century (October 26, 1688)

  • Mahiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir (1618–1707)

Twelfth century (November 4, 1785)

  • Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (1703–1762)
  • Usman Dan Fodio (1754–1817)

Thirteenth century (November 14, 1882)

  • Muhammad Abduh (1849–1905)

Fourteenth century (November 21, 1979)

  • Abul A'la Maududi (1903–1979)
  • Muhammad 'Alawi al-Maliki (1944–2004)

Claimants in other traditions

  • Mulla Sadra Shirazi (1571–1640)
  • Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898)
  • Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908)

References

Further reading

  • Alvi, Sajida S. "The Mujaddid and Tajdīd Traditions in the Indian Subcontinent: An Historical Overview" ("Hindistan’da Mucaddid ve Tacdîd geleneği: Tarihî bir bakış"). Journal of Turkish Studies 18 (1994): 1–15.
  • Friedmann, Yohanan. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi: An Outline of His Thought and a Study of His Image in the Eyes of Posterity. Oxford India Paperbacks
  • Islami Mehfil, Concept Of Revivalist (Mujaddid) In Islam
  • Shah Waliyu Llah about the Mujaddids
  • Al Hafiz Adh Dhahabi about the Mujaddids
  • Brief Introduction to the Concept of Mujaddidiyyat in Islam