{{Short description|Indian Urdu magazine}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox magazine | title = Ma'arif | image_file = First issue of Ma'arif.jpg | image_caption = First issue | editor = {{Unbulleted list|Zafarul Islam Khan|Umair al-Siddiq Nadvi|Kaleem Sifaat Islahi}} | category = Theology, Culture, Dawah, Literature, Education | frequency = Monthly | publisher = Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy | founded = {{start date|1916}} | firstdate = July 1916 | country = India | based = Azamgarh | language = Urdu | website = [https://shibliacademy.org/read-maarif- shibliacademy.org] | issn = 0974-7346 }} '''''Ma'arif''''' ({{langx|ur|معارف}}) is an Urdu literary magazine published by the Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy in Azamgarh. Its first issue appeared in July 1916, and the publication has continued since. The magazine was initially proposed by Shibli Nomani, but following his death, it was established and launched by his student Sulaiman Nadvi.
== Background == ''Ma'arif'' was founded in July 1916 under the auspices of the Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy, which had been formally established in early 1915 based on plans prepared by Shibli Nomani. While Nomani conceived the magazine, it was implemented posthumously by Sulaiman Nadwi, who became its first editor. The magazine was intended to serve as the Academy’s primary platform for scholarly engagement, addressing both classical and contemporary intellectual issues.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Nomani |first=Khursheed |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/dar-ul-musannifeen-ki-tareekh-aur-ilmi-khidmat-part-002-khursheed-nomani-ebooks |title=Dar-ul-musannifin Ki Tareekh Aur Ilmi Khidmat |publisher=Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy |year=2004 |volume=2 |location=India |pages=263 |language=ur}}</ref>
The founding editorial board included Sulaiman Nadwi as chief editor, alongside Abdul Majid Daryabadi, Hafiz, and Abdul Salam Nadwi. The magazine’s scope encompassed a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, history, science, literature, poetry, and education. It also aimed to provide critical analyses of classical texts and curated scholarly extracts from journals published in Europe, Egypt, and Beirut.<ref name=":0" />
In its inaugural issue, Nadwi stated that the magazine sought to reinterpret and organize classical Islamic sciences through modern scholarly methods, document the historical development of Islamic knowledge, examine contemporary philosophical ideas, and offer reasoned articulations of Islamic beliefs. It also aimed to present biographies of notable scholars, emphasizing their independent reasoning (ijtihād) and intellectual works, and to review rare or little-known Arabic texts.{{Sfn|Nomani|2004|p=264}}
Alongside its scholarly content, ''Ma'arif'' included literary essays, contemporary debates, and critical commentary to ensure accessibility for a broader readership. Its editorial philosophy was inspired by the integrative and reformative approaches of Abbasid-era scholars, aiming to preserve traditional knowledge while engaging with modern intellectual developments. Since its establishment, the magazine has functioned as a platform for academic inquiry, historical documentation, and intellectual discourse, contributing to the study of Islamic and Eastern scholarship.{{Sfn|Nomani|2004|p=265}}
== History == Since its launch in 1916, ''Ma’arif'' has been edited primarily by Sulaiman Nadwi, who managed all editorial responsibilities independently for many years. In 1920, Abdul Majid Daryabadi temporarily assumed editorial duties during Nadwi’s trip to Europe, and in 1936, Moinuddin Ahmad Nadwi oversaw day-to-day editing while Nadwi served as Chief Officer of Religious Affairs in Bhopal. In 1937, Riyasat Ali Nadwi also contributed as editor, writing articles and reviews that had previously been prepared by Nadwi. By 1949, Moinuddin Ahmad Nadwi was formally listed as co-editor, although he had previously managed editorial tasks in practice. ''Ma’arif'' has been published continuously for over a century, making it one of the longest-running Urdu magazines.{{Sfn|Nomani|2004|p=266–267}}
=== Editors === The following is a list of editors and editors-in-chief of ''Ma'arif'' since its inception in 1916.
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Period ! Name(s) ! Position ! Reference |- | 1916 – 1949 || Sulaiman Nadvi|| Editor-in-chief || <ref name="Shafique">{{Cite book |last=Shafique |first=Suhail |title=Ishāriyah “Maʿārif”, Azamgarh |date=April 2006 |publisher=Qirtās, University of Karachi |isbn=969-8448-69-1|edition=First |location=Karachi |pages=14–16 |language=ur |trans-title=Index of “Ma’arif”, Azamgarh |chapter=Foreword by Nigar Sajjad Zaheer |chapter-url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/ishariya-maarif-azamgadh-ebooks#13}}</ref> |- | 1920 (for eight months, during Sulaiman Nadvi’s visit to Europe) || Abdul Majid Daryabadi|| Editor || {{Sfn|Nomani|2004|p=267}} |- | 1947 (for one year) || Riyasat Ali Nadvi || Editor || {{Sfn|Nomani|2004|p=267}} |- | 1949 – December 1974 || Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi|| Editor-in-chief || <ref name="Shafique" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shafique |first=Mohammad Suhail |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/wafiyat-e-marif-ebooks#322 |title=Wafiyāt-e-Maʿārif |date=June 2013 |publisher=Qirtās |isbn=978-969-9640-02-5 |location=Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi |page=323 |language=ur |trans-title=Obituaries of Ma’arif}}</ref> |- | January 1975 – September 1979 || Abdul Salam Qidwai Nadvi and Sabahuddin Abdur Rahman Nadvi|| Co-editors || <ref name="Shafique" /> |- | October 1979 – November 1987 || Sabahuddin Abdur Rahman Nadvi || Editor-in-chief || <ref name="Shafique" /> |- | December 1987 – February 2008 || Ziauddin Islahi || Editor-in-chief || <ref name="Shafique" /><ref name="Tariq">{{Cite book |last=Tariq |first=Mohammad |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/moulana-ziyuddin-islahi-hayat-o-khidmat-mohammad-tariq-ebooks#320 |title=Maulana Ziauddin Islahi: Hayāt o Khidmāt |date=October 2013 |publisher=Shibli Children School |location=Nizamabad, Uttar Pradesh |pages=319–320 |language=ur |trans-title=Maulana Zia-ud-din Islahi: Life and Services}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=February 2008 |editor-last=Islahi |editor-first=Ziauddin |title=Title page|url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/maarif-shumaara-number-002-ziauddin-islahi-magazines-3#1 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=181 |issue=2 |page=Front}}</ref> |- | March 2008 – October 2021 || Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli and Umair al-Siddiq Nadvi || Co-editors || <ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 2008 |editor-last=Zilli |editor-first=Ishtiyaq Ahmad |editor-link=Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli |editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq |title=Title page|url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/maarif-shumaara-number-003-ishtiyaq-ahmad-zilli-magazines#1 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=181 |issue=3 |page=Front}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 2021 |editor-last=Zilli |editor-first=Ishtiyaq Ahmad |editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq |title=Table of Contents |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/maarif-shumara-number-004-ishtiyaq-ahmad-zilli-mohammad-umair-al-siddiq-magazines-10#3 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=208 |issue=4 |page=Front}}</ref> |- | November 2021 – March 2022 || Zafarul Islam Khan and Umair al-Siddiq Nadvi || Co-editors || <ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 2021 |editor-last=Khan |editor-first=Zafarul Islam|editor1-link=Zafarul Islam Khan|editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq |title=Table of Contents |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/maarif-shumara-number-005-mohammad-umair-al-siddiq-zafrul-islam-khan-magazines-1#3 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=208 |issue=5 |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 2022 |editor-last=Khan |editor-first=Zafarul Islam|editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq |title=Table of Contents |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/maarif-shumara-number-003-mohammad-umair-al-siddiq-zafrul-islam-khan-magazines#3 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=209 |issue=3 |page=3}}</ref> |- | April 2022 || Zafarul Islam Khan, Umair al-Siddiq Nadvi, and Kaleem Sifaat Islahi || Co-editors || <ref>{{Cite journal |date=April 2022 |editor-last=Khan |editor-first=Zafarul Islam|editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq|editor3-last=Islahi |editor3-first=Kaleem Sifaat|title=Table of Contents |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/maarif-shumara-number-004-mohammad-umair-al-siddiq-zafrul-islam-khan-magazines#3 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=210 |issue=4 |page=3}}</ref> |- | May 2022 – February 2023 || Zafarul Islam Khan and Umair al-Siddiq Nadvi || Co-editors || <ref>{{Cite journal |date=May 2022 |editor-last=Khan |editor-first=Zafarul Islam|editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq |title=Table of Contents |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/maarif-shumara-number-005-mohammad-umair-al-siddiq-zafrul-islam-khan-magazines#3 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=209 |issue=5 |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=February 2023 |editor-last=Khan |editor-first=Zafarul Islam|editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq |title=Table of Contents |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/maarif-azamgarh-002-mohammad-umair-al-siddiq-zafrul-islam-khan-magazines#3 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=210 |issue=2 |page=3}}</ref> |- | March 2023 – present || Zafarul Islam Khan, Umair al-Siddiq Nadvi, and Kaleem Sifaat Islahi || Co-editors || <ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 2023 |editor-last=Khan |editor-first=Zafarul Islam|editor2-last=Nadwi |editor2-first=Umair al-Siddiq|editor3-last=Islahi |editor3-first=Kaleem Sifaat|title=Table of Contents |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/detail/maarif-azamgarh-003-mohammad-umair-al-siddiq-zafrul-islam-khan-magazines#3 |journal=Ma'ārif |volume=210 |issue=3 |page=3}}</ref> |}
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== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.rekhta.org/emagazines/maarif-azamgarh All issues of ''Ma'arif''] at Rekhta
Category:Deobandi Urdu magazines Category:Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy Category:Monthly magazines Category:Urdu-language magazines Category:Magazines established in 1916 Category:Literary magazines published in India Category:Religious magazines published in India