30) Biography of Shaykh Senator Professor Sajid Mir, Ameer Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith Pakistan

Professor Sajid Mir was born on 2 October 1938 in Mianapur area of Sialkot. His father’s name was AbdulQayum Mir and he was from a religious household.

His studies

Shaykh Sajid Mir completed his primary education in Sialkot and obtained top positions from primary to FA. He obtained a scholarship for his Metric and a Wazeefah for BA.

He completed his BA in 1958 in politics and Arabic from Murray College.

He completed MA English from Government College Lahore in 1960.

In 1966, he did BA (additional) in Mu’asharat from Punjab University.

He passed his MA in Islamiyat in1969 in first division from Punjab University

Shaykh Sajid Mir had memorised the Quran at Jamiyah Ibraheemiyah Sialkot and also studied Islamic sciences at Madrasah Taqwiyatul Islam Lahore.

His teaching

After completing his studies, he started his teaching career as English lecturer in Jinnah Islamiyah College Sialkot where he taught from 1960 to 1963.

From 1963 to 1966, he was instructor of English in Government Polytechnic Institute Sialkot

From 1966 to 1975, he was senior instructor of English and management at Government Polytechnic Institute Sialkot and Lahore.

Departure abroad: Shaykh Sajid Mir migrated to Nigeria in 1975 and remained there up to 1984 where he taught as associate Professor in different universities.

Role in Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith Pakistan

Shaykh Sajid Mir was associated to Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith Pakistan since 1962 when he was made a member of Majliz Aamilah (Executive body) by Shaykh Dawood Ghaznawi. From 1962 to 1973, he was the secretary general of Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith Sialkot.

From 1973 to 1974 Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith was divided in 2 groups, one with Shaykh Mu’eenudin Lakhvi as Ameer and Mian Fadhl Al-Haqq as secretary general and the other with Shaykh Badiudin Shah Rashdi as Ameer and Shaykh Sajid Mir as secretary general. Afterwards, Shaykh Badiudin Shah Rashdi united with the other group and left the leadership of his group of Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith.

When Shaykh Sajid Mir returned to Pakistan in 1984, Jamiat Ahl e Hadith was divided again in 2 groups: One whose president was Shaykh Mueenudin Lakhvi and Secretary General Mian Fadhlul Haq, and the second group’s president was Shaykh Muhammad Abdullah and its secretary general was Allamah Ehsan Ilahi Zaheer and Shaykh Sajid Mir became associated to Allamah Ihsan Elahi Zaheer.

After the martyrdom (insha Allah) of Allamah Ehsan Ilahi Zaheer, Shaykh Sajid Mir was appointed as secretary general in replacement of Allamah Ihsan Elahi Zaheer. In 1990 when the two groups united, Shaykh Sajid Mir became the secretary general of this united Jamiat called Muttahidah Jamiat Ahl e Hadith and when it was renamed after its historical name Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith Pakistan in 1992, he was appointed as its president (Ameer), a position he has been occupying up to today.

Foreign tours:

Shaykh Sajid Mir participated in many international conferences in UK, Philippines, Iraq, Makkah and Riyadh in KSA, New Jersey US, Turkey, Delhi, Mumbai and Banaris in India, Kuwait, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Singapore, Moscow, Emirates, Colombo Sri Lanka, Libya, Indonesia.

Shaykh Sajid Mir also visited Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, France, Nigeria, Canada and other countries.

His writings:

a) He translated from Arabic to English the book of invocation “Al-Hizb Al-Maqbool”

b) He verified the translation of Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi’s book “Ma za Khasira Al-Aalam min Inhitat al-Mulslimeen”

c) He also verified and corrected some parts of translation of Sahih Muslim published by Shaykh Muhamamd Ashraf.

d) His Urdu book “Isayat ka Tajziyah wa Muatalah” in 481 has been published by Darussalam, which is Shaykh Sajid Mir’s long research on Christianity. Allamah Ihsan Elahi Zaheer had encouraged him to compile a book on Christianity.

e) His Khutbat have been published in 2 volumes.

He authored many articles in the weekly magazine “Tarjuman Al-Hadith”, “Ahl e Hadith” and “Al-Islam” regarding Tafsir, Hadith, Islamic history, Fiqh, moral and societal and political issues.

He would also write different articles in different national newspapers.

Political efforts

Shaykh Sajid Mir has been very active in politics and by making a coalition with Muslim League; he was elected since 1994 as member in the Senate of Pakistan, and occupied chairmanship of powerful Senate committees. Shaykh Sajid Mir has been continuously elected as senator since 1994.

From 2002 to 2008 during the Musharaf Era, Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith was part of MMA (Mutahida Majlis Amal), a collation of different Islamic parties, and Shaykh Sajid Mir was elected as Vice president of MMA. This coalition won the provincial election in the province of Khairbar Pakhtunkhwah. The parties who were part of this coalition were:

Jamiat Ulema e Pakistan (JUP)

Jamiat Ulema e Islam (JUI F): led by Molana FazlurRahman

Jamate Islami, whose leader then was Qadhi Husayn Ahmad

Tahreek Jafaria Pakistan (TJP)

Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith of Shaykh Sajid Mir

Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM)

This coalition collapsed before the 2008 elections after which People’s party made a ruling coalition. In 2013, after Muslim League N victory, Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith made a coalition with Nawaz Sharif. Since 2018 and the victory of Imran Khan in elections, Shaykh Sajid Mir is in opposition.

Sources: “Ahl e Hadith Manzil ba Manzil” of Dr AbdulGhafoor Rashid and “Tazkirah Akabirin Ahl e Hadith” of Shaykh AbdurRahman Thaqib and other sources.