Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi

Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi
Born	1797
Died	20 August 1861 (aged 64) Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal, British Raj, now India

Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi (1797– 20 August 1861) was one of the main figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was a philosopher, an author, a poet, a religious scholar, but is most remembered for issuing a fatwa in favor of Jihad against the 'English' in 1857 and against Wahabi or Salafis.

Khairabadi had been a chief judge in Lucknow. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 failed, he covered by an amnesty Khairabadi arrested by the British authorities on 30 January 1859 at Khairabad. He was tried and found guilty of encouraging murder and taking a leadership role in the rebellion. He had chosen to be his own counsel and defended himself. His arguments and the way he defended his case was so convincing that the presiding magistrate was writing his judgement, exonerating him, when he confessed to giving the fatwa' declaring that he could not lie. He was sentenced for life to the prison at Kalapani (Cellular Jail) on Andaman island with confiscation of his property by the Judicial Commissioner, Awadh Court. He reached Andaman on 8 October 1859 aboard the Steam Frigate "Fire Queen".

Besides being a scholar of Islamic studies and theology, he was also a literary persona, especially of Urdu, Arabic and Persian literature. More than 4,00 couplets in Arabic are attributed to him. He edited the first diwan of Mirza Ghalib on his request.

He had a phenomal memory and memorized the Quran in a little over 4 months. Ha also completed the curriculum in Arabic, Persian and religious studies by the age of thirteen.

On account of his deep knowledge and erudition he was called Allama and later was venerated as a great Sufi. He was also bestowed with the title Imam hikmat and Kalaam (The imam of logic, philosophy and literature). He was considered the final authority on issuing fatwas or religious rulings.

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