Shaykh Muhammad Ozair Shams was born in 1957 in the province of Bihar in India. His father Shamsul Haq and grand father Razaullah were distinguished scholars of their area. His father named him Ozair but later on he added Muhammad before and Shams after.

His studies

Shaykh Ozair Shams started his studies in the Madrasah Faidh Aam in Maow where he completed level of Persian. He started his Arabic studies in 1966 in Dar Al-Ulum Ahmadiyah Salafiyah (Darbanghah, Bihar). He completed the second class of Arabic in Dar Al-Hadith (Bail Dhangah, Murshidabad, Bengal). He did his 3d and fourth classes in Arabic studies in Madrasah Rehmaniyah (Banaris).

In 1970, he entered Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris, where he completed level of Alimiyat in 4 years and level of Fazeelat in 2 years and he graduated from there in 1976. He also studied English language among new topics.

His teachers in India include:

1) His father sh Shamsul Haq Salafi

2) His uncle Sh Aynul Haq Salafi

3) Sh Noor Azeem Nadwi

4) Sh Muhammad Raees Nadwi

5) Sh Muhammad Idrees Azad Rehmani

6) Sh Abid Hasan Rehmani

7) Sh Abdul Mueed Banarsi

8) Sh AbdulWaheed Banarsi

9) Sh AbdusSalam Rehmani

10) Sh Abdul Aziz Ahmad Nadwi

11) Sh Quratul Ayn A’zami

12) Sh AbdusSalam Teebi

13) Sh AbdusSalam Madni

14) Sh AbdurRahman Tonki

15) Sh SafiurRahman Mubarakpuri

16) Sh Raees rahman A’zami

17) Sh Abdul Hannan Bastawi

18) Sh Hadi Talibi

19) Master Manzoor Ahmad

20) Master Aftab

21) Master Shamsudin

After graduating from Jamiyah Salafiyah, he travelled for a year and a half visiting different libraries and universities in Delhi, Patnah, Lukhnow, Ali Garh, Calcutta and other cities. In this period, he met many scholars and observed closely many groups and organisations. During this period, he worked many days to establish the list of Arabic manuscripts of the famous library in Patnah called “Khuda Bakhsh Library”.

During this time in which he was travelling to different libraries, he came to know he was accepted in Madenah university and he reached Madeenah in February 1978. There he completed his BA in 4 years in Arabic Adaab. For his MA, he was accepted both in Madenah and Makkah UmmulQura university, but he opted for Makkah where he studied for 4 years and completed his MA. His Maqalah was on criticism of poet Hali and influence of Arabic in his poetry.

What is to be mentioned is that he was first of his promotion each year in Madeenah and each year in UmmulQura Makkah.

After he registered for his PHD on the topic “Arabic poetry in India, critical review” and he completed his Maqalah but could not submit it due to some differences with his superior. He returned home from Umm ul Qura but returned to Makkah soon.

Most of his teachers in Madeenah University are Azhari scholars:

1) Dr Abdul Azeem Ali Shanawi

2) Izudin Ali As-Sayid

3) Ahmad Sayid Ghali

4) Muhammad Qanadah Abdullah

5) Mahfooz Ibrahim Faraj

6) AbdulAziz Muhammad Fakhir

7) Ibrahim Muhammad AbdulHameed Abu Sakeen

8) Muhammad Ahmad Al-Gharb

9) Ahmad Jamal Al-Umri

10) Salih Ahmad Bilo

11) Taha Abu Raythiyah

12) Muhammad Bilo Ahmad Abu Bakr

13) Abbas Mahjub

14) Abdul Basit Badr

15) Ali Nasir Faqeehi

16) Shaykh Jibran

His teachers in UmmulQura University include:

1) Dr Hasan Muhammad Bajwah

2) Mahmud Hasan Zayni

3) Abdul Hakeem Hasaan

4) Dr Ahmad Makki Ansari

5) Ali Muhammad Al-Imari

6) Abdul Aziz Al-Kifradi

7) Lutfi AbdulBadi’

8) AbdusSalam Fahmi

9) Numan Ameen Taha

10) Abdul Aziz Kishk

 His written, translated, edited books

Shaykh Ozair Shams did not do anything in his life else than reading and writing. Since young he got used to read a lot as he came from a family of scholars. He read many books in different sciences in Arabic, Persian and English and gained a lot from them. During his studies in Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris, by reading the books of Shaykh Masood Alam Nadwi he became interested in compiling biographies in Arabic and Urdu. Thus he wrote an article on the life of Allamah Shamsul Haq Azeembadi which was published in 1975 in two parts in the magazine “Maarif” (A’zam Garh)

He was also very impressed with the books of Shaykh Albani and his method of Tahqiq and he published his first book upon the same methodology of Tahqiq as Shaykh Albani. His first published book was his tahqiq of “Raf Al-Iltibas min Badin Naas” of Allamah Shamsul Haq Azeemabadi.

In Madeenah University, Shaykh Ozair Shams was particularly interested in 3 things:

1) Arabic Manuscripts. he spent 3 years compiling the Fihrist of these manuscripts and he found occasion to learn about and read rare books.

2) Arabic poetry and literature: This was his BA topic and he read many poems of time of Jahiliyah especially the poet Tabata Shara and he read many books of poetry to compile his Diwan.

3) Science of Hadith: He read many manuscripts regarding this topic. He edited the book “Al-Alali Al-Manshurah fil Ahadith Al-Mashurah” of Az-Zarkashi by comparing different manuscripts. He perfected his knowledge of books of narrators through this.

In UmmulQura university, he studied all the books and edited works of Allamah Abdul Aziz Maymoni and he became very influenced by Allamah Maymoni’s great knowledge of Arabic language. Hence he decided to compile all the different epistles and books of Allamah Maymoni which he published in 2 volumes under the name “Buhuth wa Tahqiqat lil Allamah Abdul Aziz Al-Maymoni”.

In the science of Hadith, he was very impressed by Allamah Shamsul Haq Azeemabadi and he gathered all his Arabic epistles and wrote his biography in Urdu and Arabic. He also gathered His Persian and Urdu Fatwa which should be published soon. (They have now been published under name “Majmuah Maqalat wa Fatawa Allamah Shamsul Haq Azeemabadi by Dar Abi Tayib with Tahqiq of Hafiz Shahid Mahmood)

With Allamah Abdul Aziz Al-Maymoni and Allamah Shamsul Haq Azeemabadi, Shaykh Ozair Shams also worked on another great scholar of India, Shaykh Ismaeel Shah Dehlawi Shaheed (Insha Allah). He intended to write a complete biography of him, which he did not complete yet. He also intended to publish all of Shah Ismaeel books with his Tahqiq but could only publish “Rad Al-Ashrak” for the moment. He is determined to publish his other books as well and has started to translate into Arabic Shah Ismaeel’s Persian books, but for some reasons, the speed could not accelerate.

Shaykh Ozair Shams did a lot of work on books of Shaykhul Islam Ahmad ibn Taymiyah:

1) He compiled all mentions of scholars on Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah and his biography under name “Al-Jami li Seerah Shaykh Al-Islam ibn Taymiyah” and put some notes on some who criticised him on some points.

2) He compiled a Fihrist of all published works in 14 and 15 centuries written on Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah, whether a book or articles or university Maqalah. This work is still be carried on

3) He compiled a Fihrist of all manuscripts, different published editions and books translated in different languages of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah. This Fihrist is still being carried on.

4) He gathered and published many books of Shaykhul Islam for the first time, and for the moment “Qaidah fil Ihtisan”, “Fatwa fil Ghawth, Qutb, Abdal wal Awtad” and “Qaidah fi Shumul An-Nusus lil Ahkam” have been published. He compiled a collection of 20 epistles which should be published soon under the name “Jami Al-Masail” (“Jami Al-Masail” has now been published in 8 volumes and they are books and epistles published for the first time)

(The Shaykh since also edited “Tanbih Ar-Rajul Al-Aqil ala Tamwiyah Jidal bil Batil” in company of Shaykh Ali Al-Imran, and “Jawab Al-Itirazat al-Misriyah alal Fatwa Al-Hamawiyah” of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah. All these books have been published for the first time under the collection “Athar ibn Taymiyah wama lahiqaha minal A’mal” under the supervision of Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd and published by Dar Alam Al-Fawaid. Some books of this collection have been edited by other scholars. The Shaykh also edited one of the volumes of Sharh Al-Umadah fil Fiqh of ibn Taymiyah and other scholars did other volumes)

Shaykh Ozair Shams also edited many other books:

1) Radai’ At-Turath

2) “Tarikh Wafat Shyukh alazina Adrakahum Al-Baghawi” of Abul Qasim Al-Baghawi

3) “Juzz fihi Istidrakat Aisha ala Sahabah” of Abu Mansur Al-Baghdadi

4) “Taqyid Al-Muhmal wa Tamyiz Al-Mushkil” of Abu Ali Hayani

5) Ghayat Al-Maqsood Sharh Sunnan Abi Dawood of sh Shamsul Haq Azeembadi

Shaykh Ozair Shams also translated many books to Arabic:

1) Musadas Hali

2) “Itihaf An-Nabeeh” of Shah Waliyullah Muhadith Dehlawi

3) “Hidayah An-Najdayn” of Sh Shamsul Haq Azeemabadi

4) Some Maqalat of sh Abdul Aziz Maymoni

5) “Miyar Al-Haqq” of sh Mian Nazeer Husayn Dehlawi, not completed yet

6) “Idah Al-Haq As-Sareeh” of Shah Ismaeel Dehlawi, not completed yet.

Shaykh Ozair Shams also translated into Urdu some books:

1) “Parde ke Ahkam” of sh Abdul Qadir Sindhi

2) “Aqiqah ke Ahkam wa Masail” of sh Shamsul Haq Azeembadi

3) Qawaid Tarteel published by Dar Al-Waseelah Jeddah

4) Resolutions and recommendations of Islami Fiqh Academy Jeddah

During his studies in Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris, Shaykh Ozair Shams compiled the Tarjamah of more than 600 Ahl e Hadith scholars but he did not publish it yet.

Shaykh Ozair Shams lives in Makkah and works for many universities and institutes such as Ummul Qura university, Majma Malak Fahd in Madeenah and Islami Fiqh academy in Jeddah.

Source of biography: Adapted from “Qafilah Hadith” of shaykh Ishaq Bhatti which was written in 2000. Since Shaykh Ozair Shams edited many more books.

Shaykh Ozair Shams also edited many books of Hafiz ibn Al-Qayim published by Dar Alim Al-Fawaid under the collection “Athar ibnul Qayim wama Lahiqahah minal A’mal”:

1) “Ar-Risalah At-Tabukiyah”

2) “Al-Fawaid”

3) “Rawdatul Muhibeen”

4) “Ighathah Al-Lahfan”

5) “Al-Kalam ala Masalah As-Sima”

6) “Ilam Al-Muqaiin (6 vol) in company of sh Ajmal Islahi.

Shaykh Ozair Shams also edited some books of Allamah Al-Mu’alimi in his collection “Athar Al-Allamah AbdurRahman ibn Yahya Al-Mualimi” published by Dar Alim Al-Fawaid:

1) “Tahqiq Al-Kalam fil masail Ath-Thalath” in company of Ali Al-Imran

2) “At-Tankeel” in company of Ali Al-Imran and Ajmal Islahi

3) “Majmu Rasail Al-Fiqh” (40 epistles)

4) “Majmu Rasail Usul Al-Fiqh” (5 epistles),

5) “Mujam Shawahid Ash-Sha’riyah”

With this Shaykh Ozair Shams introduced many books of Umm-ul-Qura Publications for which we are very grateful to him:

1) “Difa Sahih Al-Bukhari” of sh Abul Qasim Sayf Banarsi

2) “Ziarat e Qabr Nabawi” of sh Basheer Sahsawani

3) “Lamhat” of Sh Raees Nadwi

4) “Ila Sunnan fil Mizan” (Arabic) of sh Irshadul Athari

We also had the honour to translate into English “Fatwa fil Ghawth Qutb Abdal wal Awtad” of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah with Shaykh Ozair’s lengthy introduction and Tahqiq