Biography of Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami

His full name is Abul Jud Muhammad ibn Abdil Aliy ibn Abdillah ibn Aleemullah ibn Jamaludin Al-Ansari Al-A’zami. He was born on the 24^th October 1933 in the city of Mau (Maunath Bahnjan)

His father Shaykh Abdul Aliy ibn Abdillah was a famous scholar who had studied in Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliya Al-Arabiya in Mau, Madrasah Dar Al-Hadith in Sialkot, and Madrasah Mazahir Al-Uloom in Saharanpur (a Hanafi Madrasah). Among Shaykh Abdul Aliy’s teachers we count: Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim Mir Sialkoti, Shaykh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (Hanafi), Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad ibn Mulla Hussamudin Maowi, Shaykh Muhammad Abdullah Shaaiq Maowi, Shaykh Abu Nu’man AbdurRahman Azaad Maowi and others.

Shaykh Muhammad A’zami’s elder brother Shaykh AbdulHakeem ibn Abdil Aliy was also a reputed scholar. Shaykh AbdulHakeem had studied in Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah in Mau and in Madrasah Faidh e Aam in Mau, and he was among the students of Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad ibn Mulla Hussamudin Maowi, Shaykh Muhammad Abdullah Shaaiq and Shaykh AbdurRahman Nahwi Maowi.

His studies

After studying the Quran from his father, Shaykh Muhammad A’zami joined Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah in which his father and elder brother taught like himself later on. He moved to these following Madaris in chronological order until he completed his degree of Fazeelah in Islamic studies in 1949:

1) Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah in Mau

2) Madrasah Muslim School in Mau

3) Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah in Mau

4) Madrasah Faydh e Aam in Mau

5) Jamiyah DarusSalam in Oomerabad

6) Madrasah Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah in Delhi

7) Madrasah Faydh e Aam in Mau

8) Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah

9) Al-Madrasah As-Sa’eediyah of Shaykh Abul Qasim Sayf Banarsi in Banaris

10) Madrasah Faydh e Aam Mau

After obtaining the degree of Fazeelah from Madrasah Faydh e Aam in Mau, Shaykh Muhammad A’zami completed the degree recognised by the Indian state of Molvi Fazil in 1950

His teachers

1) His father from whom he studied the Quran and in Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah he studied from him: “Al-Kafiyah” in Arabic grammar and “Al-Qira’ah Ar-Rasheedah” in Arabic literature.

2) Shaykh Abdullah Shaaiq Maowi, who was also the teacher of his father and his elder brother. He studied from him 3 years and studied from him the first part among 30 of Sahih Al-Bukhari and then from Kitab Az-Zakah to the end. He also studied from his some parts of “Diwan Al-Hamasah”, “Al-Anwar Al-Muntakhabah” in Arabic literature, “Al-Insha Al-Arabi”, “Al-Ifadah Al-Qudsiyah”, “Tawdih wa Talwih” in Usul Al-Fiqh, Tafsir Surah Al-Fatihah and first part of Al-Baqarah from “Tafsir Al-Baydawi”, the third part of “Al-Hidayah” in Fiqh, “Himatul Ayn” in philosophy.

3) Shaykh Muhammad Sulayman ibn Dawood Maowi: He studied from him in Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah the book “Sharh Mulla Jami ala Kafiyah ibn Hajib” in Arabic grammar, translation of the meanings of the Quran, the first part of “Mukhtasar Al-Quduri” in Fiqh, and “Al-Sughra”, “Al-Kubra”, “At-Tahzib” and “Sharh At-Tahzib” in Mantiq (logic)

4) Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad ibn Mulla Hussamudin Maowi: he studied from him in Madrasah Faydh e Aam Mau the last parts of “Bulugh Al-Maram”

5) Shaykh AbdusSamad Mubarakpuri: He studied from him in Al-Madrasah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah the preliminary books of Persian and Arabic language and the first part of “Bulugh Al-Maram”. Afterwards he studied from him in Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah the first part of “Mishkat Al-Masabih” up to the book of Zakah, and Mustalah Al-Hadith.

6) Shaykh AbdurRahman Nahwi: He studied from him in Madrasah Faydh e Aam Mau the last part of “Tafsir An-Nasafi” and “Sahih Muslim”

7) Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad ibn Hafiz AbdilGhani: He studied from him in Madrasah Faydh e Aam the first quarter of “Sunnan Abi Dawood”

8) Shaykh Abul Aziz A’zami Umri: He studied from him in Al-Madrasah Al-‘Aaliyah “Sunnan Tirmidhi” and “Nuzhatu Nazar”

9) Shaykh Muhammad Ishaq Khaydopuri Maowi: He studied from him in Al-Madrasah Al-‘Aaliyah “Sharh Mulla Jami” and a part a “Bulugh Al-Magham”

10) Shaykh AbdulBaqi Khaydopuri Maowi: He studied from him in Al-Madrasah Al-‘Aaliyah

Among his teachers in Jamiyah DarusSalam Oomerabad:

11) Shaykh Muhammad Nu’man A’zami: He studied from him “Mishkat Al-Masabih” from the book of Zakah to the book of Nikah. He also studied from him in his house in Mau during holidays the first third of “Nur Al-Anwar” in Hanafi Usul Al-Fiqh. Shaykh Muhammad A’zami married his maternal grand daughter while he was studying in Jamiyah DarusSalam.

12) Shaykh AbduSubhan ibn Muhammad Nu’man: he studied from him the translation of the Quran, “Sirajiyah” in inheritance and “Al-Qatbi” in Mantiq (logic).

13) Shaykh AbdurRahman ibn AbdiLatif Umri known as Abul Bayan Hammad: He studied from him some parts of the first volume of “Al-Mishkat”

14) Shaykh Abdul Wajid Rehmani: He studied from him the first part of “Sharh Wiqayah” in Hanafi Fiqh.

His teachers in Banaris:

15) Shaykh Abul Qasim Muhammad Sayf ibn Muhammad Sa’eed Banarsi: He studied from him in Madrasah Sa’eediyah from the beginning of Sahih Al-Bukhari to the end of the book of Zakah, and some parts from the first volume of Sahih Muslim, and the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah from the” Tafsir Al-Quran bi Kalam Ar-Rahman” of Shaykhul Islam Thanaullah Amritsari.

His teachers in Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah Delhi, where he studied only in the fourth year, as Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah was ended afterwards due to the partition and its owners moved to Karachi Pakistan:

16) Shaykh Nazeer Ahmad Rehmani Amlawi: He studied from him the second part of “Sharh Wiqayah”

17) Shaykh Muhammad Abduh Falah Punjabi: He studied from him the second part of “Mishkat Al-Masabih”

18) Shaykh Abul Mu’iz Rehmani: He studied from him “Al-Qatbi” in Mantiq and “Talkhis Al-Miftah” in Balaghah.

His 4 teachers Shaykh Abul Qasim Sayf Banarsi, Shaykh Abul Irfan Muhammad Nu’man A’zami, Shaykh Hakeem Muhammad Sulaiman Maowi and Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad ibn Husamudin Maowi were direct students of Mian Nazeer Husayn Dehlwi, thus Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami had only one link to Mian Nazeer Husayn Dehlwi.

Shaykh Muhammad Ziad Tuklah said in his biography of Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami: “I asked our Shaykh (Shaykh A’zami) about his teacher Abul Qasim Banarsi and his eyes started to be filled with tears and he said: “He was a verifying scholar in checking the Hadith regarding its authenticity, weakness, defects, and in the religious texts and in debating with Hindus, the blind followers and Christians, which kept him a little bit busy from Da’wah and teaching. He had the desire to write an explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari but did not find anyone who could assist him in this. He was the most knowledgeable scholar in Hadith I ever met. I studied and stayed with him for 4 months and he was then affected with a stroke and passed away. I assisted to his funeral prayer and a huge crowd from residents of Mau and around came.”

His teaching

Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami taught for approximately 35 years in Al-Jamiyah Al-Aaliyah Al-‘Arabiyah, in which he studied like his father and elder brother, in 3 different periods. He was appointed as Vice Secretary General, Shaykh Al-Jamiyah, Shaykh Al-Hadith and Mufti of this Jamiyah for a quarter of a century.

He also taught in Al-Madrasah Al-Muhammadiyah in Deporia, Madrasah Al-Islah in Saraimir, Jamiyah Faydh e Aam in Mau, Kulliyah Fatimah Az-Zahra li Banat in Mau, and all of these were located in UP (Uttar Pradesh) and he also taught for some time in Madrasah Faydh Al-Uloom in Seyoni in Madhya Pradesh.

Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami was asked many times to teach in Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris but he excused and preferred to teach in Al-Madrasah Al-‘Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah in Mau and he was very involved in lecturing, delivering Khutbah and preaching in Mau.

Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami taught Sahih Al-Bukhari more than 25 times, Sahih Muslim 4 times, Jami Tirmidhi 5 times, Mishkat 3 times, and books of Aqidah, Fiqh, Tafsir, inheriterance, Arabic grammar and morphology and Mantiq.

His famous students

1) Dr Muqtada Hasan Azhari (Former president of Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris) who was also his brother in law

2) Dr Abdul Aliy Azhari (Former principal of Muslim College London)

3) Shaykh Mazhar Ahsan Azhari (General Secretary Jamiyah Aaliya Mau, vice president of Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris)

4) Shaykh Mahfooz Ar-Rahman Faizi (Shaykhul Hadith Jamiyah Muhammadiyah Khedopura Mau)

5) Dr Shafee Ar-Rahman Bihari (former president of the Arabic Department of Delhi University)

6) Shaykh Muhammad Haneef Madni (former teacher Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris)

7) Shaykh Abul Qasim Abdul Azeem Madni (teacher Jamiyah Islamiyah Faydh e Aam Mau)

8) His son Shaykh As’ad A’zami (teacher Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris, member of Rabitah Alam Islami)

9) Shaykh AbdulKabeer Madni Mubarakpuri (teacher Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris)

10) Shaykh Muhammad Mazhar A’zami (teacher of Jamiyah Aaliyah Mau)

11) Shaykh Abu Anas Rahatullah Farooqi (teacher of Jamiyah Muhammadiyah Maligaon)

12) Shaykh Ansar Zubair Muhammadi

Scholars around the world listened to his Hadith recitals and took Ijazah from Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami such as:

1) Shaykh AbdulWakeel Hashmi

2) Shaykh Abdullah Al-Ubaid

2) Shaykh Salih Al-Usaymi

3) Shaykh Muhammad Ziad Tuklah

4) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Nasir ‘Ajmi

5) Shaykh Arif Javed Muhammadi

5) Shaykh Ahsan Hanif

Thousands took Ijazat from him during his Hadith recital in Kuwait and other places.

His close links with scholars:

1) Shaykh Ubaydullah Mubarakpuri: When Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami joined Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah Delhi, he was in the fourth class and did not have opportunity to study a book with Shaykh Ubaydullah Mubarakpuri and the Madrasah ended the next year due to partition, but Shaykh Muhammad A’zami had lots of sittings with him and was seeking Fatawa and advises through letters which he compiled under the name “Nuqush Rehmani”

2) Shaykh AbdurRauf Rehmani Jendagarhi: Shaykh AbdurRauf would visit him in his house in Mau and they had lots of exchanged letters. Shaykh AbdurRauf Jendagarhi asked Shaykh Muhammad A’zami to teach in Nepal in the Madrasah Siraj Al-Uloom but Shaykh Muhammad excused himself.

3) Shaykh Muhkhtar Ahmad Nadwi, the former president of Markazi Jamiat Ahl e Hadith Hind. Shaykh Mukhtar had studied with Shaykh Muhammad in the Madrasah Sa’eediyah of Shaykh Abdul Qasim Sayd Banarsi and they kept good contacts. When Shaykh Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi established Kulliyah Fatimah Az-Zahra lil Banat in Mau, he appointed Shaykh Muhammad A’zami as its director.

4) His teacher Shaykh Nazeer Ahmad Amlawi: Shaykh Nazeer Ahmad Amlawi appointed Shaykh Muhammad A’zami as his Naib when he was president of Jamiyah Ahl e Hadith of his region.

5) His student and brother in law Shaykh Muqata Hasan Azhari

6) Shaykh AbdulWaheed ibn AbdilHaqq Salafi, the Secretary General of Jamiyah Salafiyah in Banaris and former president of Markazi Jamiah Ahl e Hadith Hind

7) Shaykh Abdul Aziz A’zami Umri

8) Dr Javed A’zam ibn Abdil Azeem

9) Dr Abdul ‘Aliy ibn AbdilHameed (Muslim College London)

10) Shaykh Mazhar Ahsan Azhari

11) Shaykh Arif Javed Muhammadi (Jamiyah Ihya Turath Kuwait): Shaykh Arif Javed Muhammadi encouraged Shaykh Muhammad A’zami to translate “Jalb Al-Manfa’ah fi Zabb Anil Aimah Al-Mujtahidin Al-Araba’ah” from Persian to Urdu and provided him with a Persian copy of the book. Shaykh Muhammad A’zami wrote in the introduction of this book: “In Jamiyah Ihya Turath Al-Islami Kuwait, the noble Shaykh Arif Javed Muhammadi is coming from the Indian Subcontinent and he is very active in it, his Salafiyah is remarkable, living in an Arabic country and working in an Arabic Jamiyah, his heart his palpitating to publish the manuscripts and scholarly works of the scholars of the Indian subcontinent”

12) Shaykh Muhammad Ziad Tuklah: Shaykh Muhammad Ziad Tuklah participated to many of the recital of the Shaykh and wrote his biography on the forum Alukah.net in the same manner as he wrote the biography of other scholars of Indopak and shed light on their works. Shaykh Asad A’zami mentioned him among the scholars who were in close contact with his father Shaykh Muhammad ‘Azami. The biography of Shaykh Muhammad Ziad Tuklah is the main source of the current English biography.

13) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Nasir ‘Ajmi (Kuwait)

14) Dr Abdul Aziz Furayh

15) Dr AbdurRahman Feraway

16) Shaykh Muhammad Ozair Shams

17) Dr Abdul Aleem Bastawi

Shaykh As’ad A’zami, son of Shaykh Muhammad A’zami, wrote in the biography of his father “Tarjamah Mujizah li Shaykh Al-Musnid Muhammad Al-Ansari Al-A’zami” in 2011:

“Among the alive scholars who have contact with the Shaykh: the noble Dr Javed A’zam ibn AbdilAzeem current president of Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris, the noble Dr Abdul ‘Aliy ibn AbdilHameed (director of the London Islamic College), the noble Shaykh Mazhar Ahsan Azhari vice president of Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris and Secretary General of Al-Jamiyah Al-Aaliyah Al-Arabiyah Mau, Shaykh Javed Arif Muhammadi from Jamiyah Ihya Turath Islami in Kuwait, the noble Shaykh Muhammad Ziad Tuklah from Riyadh, the noble Shaykh Muhammad ibn Nasir ‘Ajmi from Kuwait, the noble Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Furayh from the Islamic University of Madinah Munawwarah, the noble Dr AbdurRahman ibn AbdilJabbar Feraway from Jamiyah Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Su’ud Al-Islamiyah Riyadh, the noble Dr Abdul Aleem Abdul Azeem Bastawi from Makkah Mukarramah”

His writings

His Urdu books:

1) “Aadab Az-Zawaj”: Around 200 pages, published by Maktabah Faheem Mau on the etiquettes of marriage.

2) “Tazkirah Al-Bukhari”: Around 180 pages on Imam Bukhari and his Sahih, published by Maktabah Faheem Mau.

3) “Kainat ka Aghaz wa Anjam”: 165 pages on the beginning of the creation and its end, published by Jamiyah Salafiyah Banaris

4) “Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan or un ki Wahabiyat”: 48 pages on the views of Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan being close to the views of Shaykh Muhammad ibn AbdilWahab, published by Maktabah Faheem

5)  “Namaz Nabwi”: 64 pages on the description of the prayer

6) “Mustanad Dua’een”: 32 pages on authentic invocations

7) “ Shar’i Mantron se ‘Ilaj”: 48 pages on Ruqiyah Shar’iyah

8) « Fazail A’mal ke Difa’ ka Ilmi wa Tahqiqi Jaizah »: 34 pages on critical review of the defence of « Fazail A’mal » of Shaykh Zakariyah Kandhlevi, published by Maktabah Faheem.

9) “Nuqush Rehmani”: His letters with Shaykh Ubaydullah Mubartakpuri Rehmani

10) “Teen Talaqen Ullama Ahnaf ki Nazar mein”: 48 pages on triple Talaq according to Hanafi scholars

11) “Molana Abul Kalam Azad, Mazhabi Fikr wa ‘Amal ke Aine mein”: 244 pages book on Shaykh Abul Kalam Azad, published by Maktabah Faheem.

12) “Lamhat Mawt”: 96 pages on death

13) Summary of the book “Fiqh As-Sunnah” of Sayid Sabiq, and it was not published.

14) “Jam’ Bayna Salatayn par ek Nazar”: A reply to the epistle of Shaykh Mahfooz Ar-Rahman Faizi on combining prayers while in his city and without being in travel. 

15) Shariat or Aadat

16) Zindagi se retirement: 80 pages on life after retirement, published by Maktabah Faheem Mau.

In Arabic:

17) “At-Tahali bi Zahab li Nisa”: 32 pages on gold Jewellery for women

His translations to Urdu:

18) “Deen Kiya he”: Translation of  “Ad-Deen wa Shurut As-Salah” of Shaykh Muhammad ibn AbdilWahab, 48 pages.

19) “Quran Parhne Parhane ke Adaab”: Translation of “At-Tibiyan fi Adaab Hamalah Al-Quran” of Imam Nawawi, 144 pages.

20) “Tablighi Jama’at or Ikhwan Al-Muslimun”: Translation of “Al-Qutbiyah hya Al-Fitnah Fa’rifuha” of Abu Ibrahim ibn Sultan, 244 pages

21) “Aimah Arba’ah ka Difa’ or Sunnat ki Ittiba”: “Jalb Al-Manfa’ah fi Zabb ‘Anil Aimah Al-Mujtahidin Al-Arba’ah” 160 pages, translated from Persian.

The books he edited:

22) “Di’ayatul Iman ila Tawhid Ar-Rahman” of Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan: Shaykh Muhammad A’zami simplified the Urdu, translated its Arabic texts, and did Takhrij of the Ahadith.  

Articles in magazines

With these books, the Shaykh wrote many articles in the following magazines: “Majallah Jamiyah Salafiyah”, “Majallah Muhadith Banaris”, “Majallah Balagh Mumbai”, “Jareedah Tarjuman” Delhi, “Ahl e Hadith Delhi”, “Majallah Muhadith Darul Hadith Rehmaniyah Delhi”, “Majallah Athar Jadeed Mau”, “Majallah Ihtisab Daryabad”, “Majallah Afkaar Aaliyah Mau”, “Majallah Sirat e Msutaqeem UK”, “Majallah Siraj Nepal”, “Majallah Tibiyan Delhi”, “Majallah Al-Huda Darbanjha”, “Majallah Ahl e Hadith Gazette Delhi”, “Majallah Tahzib Mau”, “As-Saheefah Al-Yawmiyah Qawi Murcha Banaris”, “As-Saheefah Al-Yawmiyah Rashtar Sahara Lukhnow and “Majallah Mir’ah Mau”.

His family

In 1945, when Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami was student of Jamiyah DarusSalam Omeerabad, he married to the maternal grand daughter of his teacher Shaykh Muhammad Nu’man A’zami, who was also the sister of Shaykh Muqtada Hasan Azhari. He had 4 sons and 4 daughters. 

His positions

In approximately 1960, he was elected as the secretary of the local Jamiat in Mau, then Shaykh Nazeer Ahmad Amlawi made him vice president of Dhili Jamiat. When Shaykh Muhammad A’zami returned from Seyoni around 1970, he was elected as the local president of Jamiat and he occupied this position for 5 years and resigned afterwards. After few years, he was elected again as president of his local Jamiat.

His death

Shaykh Muhammad Ansari A’zami passed away on the 11 July 2023 after Isha Salah on the city of Mau and his funeral prayer was conducted the next day in the Eed place in the western side of Mau. May Allah Ta’ala grant him Firdaws ‘Ala.

Sources:

1) “Fi Wafat Shaykhina Muhammad ibn Abdil Aliy Al-A’zami rah” of Shaykh Muhammad Ziad Tuklah

2) “Tarjamah Mujizah li Shaykh Al-Musnid Muhammad Al-Ansari Al-A’zami” by his son As’ad A’zami ibn Muhammad Ansari, written in 2011

3) “Molana Muhammad A’zami, Hayat wa Khidmat” of his grandson Yasir ibn As’ad A’zami