Maulana Akbar Shah Khan Najibabadi، And his Book Ved Aur us ki Qadamat

By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam 2 September 2025 Maulana Akbar Shah Khan Najibabadi’s book Ved aur us ki Qadāmat critically examined Arya Samaj’s claim about the Vedas’ eternity. Syed Hamid Ali expanded it with notes and an essay. The book rejects Aryan originality, questions the universality of Vedas, highlights Zoroastrian influence, and provides scholarly yet simple arguments. Main Points: 1. Najibabadi analysed Arya Samaj claims about the Vedas’ eternity. 2. Syed Hamid Ali expanded the book with annotations and essays. 3. Aryans were migrants, not India’s original inhabitants, historians agreed. 4. Vedas lack universal guidance, unlike complete religious constitutions required. 5. Zoroastrian rituals and teachings heavily influenced the Vedas’ composition. 6. Importance lies in scholarly, balanced, and simple style arguments. ---- Maulana Akbar Shah Khan Najibabadi (1875–1938) was a well-known and reliable author, biographer, and historian. He compiled and arranged many valuable works which still testify to his scholarly status. Some of his famous books are: Tarikh-e-Islam (History of Islam), Tarikh-e-Najibabad (History of Najibabad), Jang-e-Angora, Nawab Amir Khan, Gaye aur us ki Tareekhi Azmat (گائے اور اس کی تاریخی عظمت ), Ved aur us ki Qadāmat (The Vedas and their Antiquity), Hindu aur Musalmanon ka Ittefaq (Unity of Hindus and Muslims), and Aina-e-Haqiqatnuma, etc. In this article, the focus is on his important book Ved Aur Us Ki Qadāmat (The Vedas and their Antiquity). Later, Syed Hamid Ali explained and added more details to this work, who also added a separate research essay titled “How the Vedas Came into Existence.” ( وید کیسے وجود میں آئے ) Both the annotations and the essay are full of scholarly points. After these additions, the length of the book became 95 pages. The original edition was published by Maulana Najibabadi in 1925, and based on that, Syed Hamid Ali prepared his revised version. In the Preface, Hamid Ali writes: “The edition in front of me is the 1925 printing of Ved aur us ki Qadāmat. I corrected printing errors, changed a few words here and there, added many explanatory and corrective footnotes, and finally appended a 25–26 page essay titled ‘How the Vedas Came into Existence.’ In this way, the book almost quadrupled in size, and its usefulness increased greatly. May Allah accept this humble effort and bless both the author and the compiler.” The copy I have is the 1969 edition, later reprinted in 2003 by Idara Shahadat-e-Haqq, Delhi. Reason for Writing the Book: Maulana Najibabadi himself explained the reason for writing this book: “In our country, a young religious sect of the Arya Samaj presented themselves as the true followers of the Vedas. They loudly claimed that the Vedas were eternal and ancient. Since the last century, they organized debates and religious discussions which often disturbed the peace of Indian society. In support of this claim, many books have been written by Aryas, Muslims, and Christians. Many debates have been held, and the matter is still unresolved. I felt that a calm, research-based, and non-sectarian response was still needed. Therefore, in 1916 I collected some material on this subject, and now I have arranged it in the form of this booklet.” From this statement, it is clear that this book was a scholarly reply to the Arya Samaj’s claims. Najibabadi emphasized that objections against Islam should be answered with seriousness, balance, and academic reasoning. Emotional replies often lead to the opposite effect. Therefore, only a scholarly and calm defence can effectively respond to critics. Contents of the Book: The book covers the subject under the following main points: Preface (by Syed Hamid Ali) Introduction Examination of the claim of Vedic antiquity Aryans were not the original inhabitants of India The relationship between Sanskrit and Persian languages No proof of the Vedas’ eternity What do the Vedas themselves say about their origin? Are the Vedas suitable as a universal guide? Influence of Zoroastrian teachings on the Vedas Essay: How the Vedas Came into Existence (by Syed Hamid Ali) The Original Inhabitants of India: A very important question discussed is: Who were the earliest inhabitants of India? Some researchers claim that Aryans were the original settlers, but many others disagree, suggesting instead that the Dravidian people were the true natives. Not only Muslim scholars, but also Hindu thinkers and historians like Dr. Radhakrishnan and Dr. W. Hunter rejected the idea that Aryans were India’s original people. Najibabadi writes that historians generally agree Aryans migrated from Central Asia, crossed the Hindu Kush mountains, conquered the native people of India, and settled here. He also cites linguistic and traditional evidence regarding the word Arya, which originally meant “farmer” or “ploughman” in ancient Sanskrit. Thus, historical evidence clearly shows that Aryans were not the earliest people of India. Are the Vedas Universal Teachings? Another major issue raised is whether the Vedas can be considered a universal guide for all ages. Arya Samaj claimed so, but Najibabadi rejected this idea. He argued: “A true scripture that provides guidance for human life must include principles of God-consciousness, worship, ethics, society, and civilization. But when we examine the Vedas, we do not find such comprehensive laws that could serve as a constitution for human life in every era.” Syed Hamid Ali, in his notes, cited Dr. Radhakrishnan’s book Religion and Society, where it is admitted that the Vedas do not contain a complete system of religious law. Detailed rules are found instead in the Smritis and Dharmashastras, which are considered secondary sources. Therefore, even Hindu scholars acknowledge that the Vedas are not universal in nature. Sources of the Vedas: Najibabadi also argued that the Vedas were influenced by Zoroastrian teachings found in Zend Avesta. Both traditions give high importance to the Sun and Fire. He pointed out that many sacrificial rituals, prayers, and invocations in the Vedas are strikingly similar to those in Zoroastrian scriptures. For example, the Vedas and Avesta both invoke divine beings such as Mitra for blessings, health, and victory over enemies. In light of such evidence, Najibabadi concluded that the Vedas borrowed from Zoroastrian sources and thus the Arya Samaj’s claim of the Vedas being eternal and divine is invalid. How the Vedas Came into Existence: This is a separate essay added by Syed Hamid Ali. He explained that even Hindu scholars themselves do not agree on how the Vedas came into existence. Some claim they are the eternal word of God revealed at the beginning of creation, while others describe them as the product of human imagination. For example: Vedant Darshan presents the Vedas as eternal, revealed by God at the dawn of creation. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in The Discovery of India, described the Vedas as the creation of human thought. Maulana Sanaullah Amritsari also wrote حدوث وید (The Createdness of the Vedas), proving from internal evidence that the Vedas are neither eternal nor divine revelation. Importance of the Book: The importance of Maulana Najibabadi’s book lies in: 1. It covers all the basic questions about the Vedas in a comprehensive manner. 2. It presents arguments in simple and clear language, accessible to a wide audience. 3. The annotations and essays by Syed Hamid Ali further increased its scholarly value. This book is therefore an important source for anyone wishing to understand the religious position of the Vedas. Finally, although Hindus consider the Vedas their most sacred texts, even Hindu scholars have not given any clear explanation of their divine origin. Modern comparative religion scholars, however, do acknowledge them as among the world’s most ancient sacred writings. The renowned Muslim scholar Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah even suggested that the Qur’anic verse زبر الاولین (Books of the ancients) may possibly refer to the Vedas. 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