Textual Insights and Islamic Reform: Barbara Metcalf’s Contributions to Urdu Studies and Twentieth Century South Asian Muslim Scholarship
Imdad Husain
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16535191
Abstract. Barbara Daly Metcalf (b. 1941), a distinguished American historian, has p shaped Urdu Studies and Islamic scholarship through her pioneering work on South Asian Muslims from the late 20th century to date. Renowned for her interdisciplinary analyses of Islamic reform movements, particularly Deoband, and her translation of Maulānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānawī’s Bihishtī Zewar (Heavenly Ornaments), Metcalf illuminates the intricate interplay of language, religion, and colonial history. This article evaluates her contributions, arguing that her meticulous engagement with Urdu sources, enriched with quotations, has deepened understandings of Islamic practice and Urdu’s theological and cultural significance. By integrating texts like Deobandi fatwas (ruling) and Barelvi treatises (agreement), it assesses her methodology—blending social history, Gender Studies, and postcolonial theory—and her legacy as a bridge between Western and South Asian academia. While celebrating her achievements, it critiques her textual focus, which occasionally overlooks oral traditions, offering a balanced perspective on her transformative impact on Urdu studies and Islamic scholarship.
Keywords. Barbara Metcalf, Urdu Studies, Islamic Reform, Bihishtī Zewar, South Asian Muslims.
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Dr. Imdad Husain is Assistant Professor of the Department of Islamic Theology at Aliah University, Kolkata, since September 5, 2017. He earned his Ph.D. (2015) and M.A. in Theology (2009) from Aligarh Muslim University. His credentials include Alim (2002) from WBBME and Fazil from Darul Uloom Deoband (2006). Specializing in comparative studies of prophets and nations in the Quran and Bible, he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses, guiding four Ph.D. scholars. With over four years of teaching experience, including part-time lecturing at AMU (2011–2014), Dr. Husain has completed professional development programs (2021, 2022) under UGC-HRDC, MANUU and presented papers at numerous conferences.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1744-7404
Email: imdad2265@gmail.com
Textual Insights and Islamic Reform: Barbara Metcalf’s Contributions to Urdu Studies and Twentieth Century South Asian Muslim Scholarship © 2025 by Imdad Husain is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
