English biography taken from the website of the Ma’had of Arabic language in Islamabad, the footnotes are from myself and taken from “Majhudat Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti (rah) fi Nashr Al-Lughah Al-Arabiyah”, Master thesis by Zaytun bint Ibrahim, Allamah Iqbal Open University, 300 Arabic pages:

MAULANA MUHAMMAD BASHIR SIALKOTI

One of the most Unique Pakistani Arabic Linguists of the Twenty-First Century, Maulana Muhammad Basheer Sialkoti spent fifty years out of his biblical seventy studying and teaching the Arabic Language. As well as being a Linguist, he was a diplomatic translator and a renowned Muslim Academic. He was called the “Baba e Arabi” by his fellow Pakistanis because of his passion for the Arabic language, a nickname that was mirrored by his Saudi counterparts through the title “Shaykh Al-‘Arabiyah fi Bakistan”.

He became a role model for his students and companions, who respected the life of struggle he had lived and the devotion that had carried him through it.

His career would have been much more than merely academic had he not refused many attractive job proposals for the sake of spending a little more time in doing what he loved; writing student-books for Arabic and helping teachers nationwide implement a more practical – and modern – Arabic teaching technique to understand the language of Quran.

His efforts bore fruit as public opinion about the language changed slowly but surely, and the curriculum of religious institutions across Pakistan changed to include more Arabic, which, we hope, will In Sha’Allah, become a source of Ajar for him.

He established the Institute of Arabic Language in 1980, alongside a publication house, Maktabah Dar Al-‘Ilm, created especially to publish Arabic Books in Pakistan. His books are now commonly found in the Foreign Muslim Communities of many countries and have been translated into the two main languages of the world; English and Arabic.

Education:

He completed his early education from the Dar-Ul-Qur’an-Wal-Hadeeth in Faisalabad in 1963, receiving a diploma in Arabic literature from the Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Lahore in the same year. He completed his graduation in English Literature from Punjab University in 1967 and did his master’s degree in Arabic Language from the same University.

Teachers:

He is considered one of the most outstanding students of the former Jama’at-E-Islami leader Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Hassan Rahmani (rah). Other well-known teachers of Maulana Muhammad Basheer include:

• Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Abul-Barkaat Ahmed-al-Madraasi

• Sheikh ul Hadith Molana Abdul Ghaffar Hasan Rahmani

• Hafiz Mohammad Gondalwi

• Sheikh Sayah-ud-din Kakakhailwi

• Molana Maaz ur Rahman

• Sheikh Allama Hamad bin Muhammad al Ansari (RA)

• Sheikh Abdullah Weerowalvi Amratsari (May Allah be pleased with them all)

Educational Career:

He served in Jami’a Uloom-e- Islamiyyah¹ as a teacher and editor from 1965 to 1972. In 1975, he took a Two-Year-Long Teacher Training Course in Medina University, Saudi Arabia, that helped him understand better how to teach Arabic To Non-Native Speakers. In 1975, he was appointed a senior translator in the Pakistani Embassy at Jeddah where he served till 1980.

It was around this time that he was offered a job in the United Nations by the Pakistani Government, which he turned down and chose to return to Pakistan to promote Arabic Language.

Here, he established “Dar-Ul-Ilm” and “Institute of Knowledge of the Qur’an²“, the name of which was later changed to “Institute of Arabic Language”. In 1988, he established the Pakistani Arabic Society and started publishing an Arabic Magazine, Nida Al-Islam.

Spreading Arabic and creating an easy, accessible curriculum for the language was always the priority of Maulana Basheer. He travelled to Sau’dia, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar to visit world-famous institutions teaching Arabic and Islam, such as Ministry of Awqaf (Egypt), Ministry of Endowments & Religious affairs (Qatar), Ministry of Education, Al-Azhar University, Dar-ul-Uloom Cairo, Society of Arabic language Majma Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyah. He also participated in the special conference of Arabic Language Thinkers regarding the promotion of Arabic Language in Sau’dia, on the invitation of “the King Abdullah Centre for the Promotion of the Arabic Language”, which was held in Riyadh in June 2013.

He was notorious for his legal battles for the sake of Arabic; the long, draining one regarding the linguistic mistakes in the Arabic Passport of Pakistan, which he won in the Highest Court of Law, which resulted in a correction of the mistakes and an official Apology. He also took to the courts over the matter of the mistakes in the official Secondary School Curriculum of the country during General Zia’s time; these mistakes, too, were reviewed and removed. When, in the country’s most liberal Dictatorship to date, it was threatened that Arabic would be removed from the curriculum of secondary schools nationwide, it was Maulana Bashir’s protests that created public awareness regarding the issue, helping people understand that this seemingly simple step would deprive the youth of the country of the opportunity to understand the Qur’an and most other branches of the Islamic Sciences. Similarly, he fought a grainy legal battle with the Foreign Ministry over faulty Translations of the Arabic Language.

Fellow Scholars & disciples:

Molana Muhammad Bashir had a close relationship with Maulana Abdul Raheem Ashraf RA (The Founder of Ashraf laboratories), Faisalabad. Dr. Israr Ahmad RA (Founder of Islamic Society) had also taken a few lessons of Arabic language from him. He also had a special relationship with the famous personalities of Islamic world including Allama ibn Baaz, Maulana Abul Hassan Ali al-Nadvi, Dr. Mehmood Ahmad Ghazi, Dr. Hassan Mehmood Al-Shaafi, Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Assaal, Molana Muhammad Abdullah Shaheed, Molana Zia ur Rahman Farooqi, Professor Dr. Fazal Ilahi, Professor Dr. Suhaib Hassan and Professor Dr. Sohail Hassan.

His devotion for this language was such that his children were raised to carry on what he had started, and Alhamdulillah, his noble mission lives through his generation. His immediate family holds various distinctions from National Institutions including the FBISE, Wafaq-Al-Madaris and Several Universities.

His students and disciples currently serve in the departments of Islamic Sciences and Arabic Language of many universities & institutions across Pakistan.

Writings and works:

Major Academic Accomplishments of Maulana Bashir include:

• Iqra: A series on Arabic Language Skills; 4 Volumes.

• Aasan Arbi: Arabic Grammar Series; 2 Volumes.

• Miftaah-Ul-Insha’: A Secondary Level Educational Study of Arabic Literature

• Asaas-Al-Sarf: 3 Volumes

• Al-Sarf-Al-Jameel: 3 volumes

• “Qadianis are not Muslims”³; an English to Arabic Translation of the verdict of the Federal Shar’iah Court of Pakistan regarding the Ahmadi/Qadiani Sect. The verdict was also translated into Urdu by Maulana Bashir.

• An Arabic Biography of Shah Wali’Ullah Dehlawi; the first book of its kind on that scholar in Arabic⁴.

• Translation of Shah Wali’Ullah’s book “Izalat ul-Khafaa An-Khilafa-til-Khulafa” into Arabic from Persian⁵.

• Supervision of Urdu translation “Fatawa” by Imam Ibn Taimiyah (RA)⁶

• Review of the book “Injaz-ul-Haja by molana Mohammad Ali Janbaz⁷

Death:

Maulana Mohammad Bashir (rah), passed away on a quiet October Evening in Islamabad in 2016. His funeral prayers were offered next day on October 17, 2016 by Professor Dr. Fazal Elahi. Condolences and Eulogies were given by several famous Scholars, including IIUI President, Dr. Yusuf Al-Darwaish, Maulana Irshad-Ul-Haq Asri and renowned Contemporary Mufassir, Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhatwi. The funeral was attended by a large number of scholars, relatives and students of the Pakistani Sheikh of Arabic Language. May Allah Grant him all the comforts in Jannah that he gave up on in this world for the sake of Allah. Ameen.

Additions from other sources:

Most of additions are taken from “Majhudat Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti (rah) fi Nashr Al-Lughah Al-Arabiyah”, Master thesis by Zaytun bint Ibrahim, Allamah Iqbal Open University, 300 Arabic pages

His birth and family

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti was born in 1947 in the village “Tashk Bahadah” near Sambrial in the suburb of Sialkot. Sialkot is the city from which many pre-eminent Ahl e Hadith scholars come from such as Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim Mir Sialkoti, Shaykh Muhammad Sadiq Sialkoti, Shaykh AbdulHakeem Sialkoti, Allamah Ihsan Elahi Zaheer, Shaykh Sajid Mir and many others.

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti came from a family who were illiterate, none could read and write. His father Nawabudin was working in carrying material between cities on camels and he wanted his 3 sons to work with him in this work and was not interested in educating them. His 3 sons were: Muhammad Husayn, Manzoor Husayn and Muhammad Bashir who was the youngest of the sons. He had a younger sister Bashirah. When Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti’s mother passed away when he was in a young age, his father and elder brothers and sisters looked after him especially his elder sister Sakeenah Bibi. Later on Sakeenah Bibi’s younger son Qamar Abbas was entrusted to Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti who educated him in his institute and he graduated afterwards from the International Islamic University of Islamabad and moved to Kuwait. Qamar Abbas passed away recently due to brain cancer.

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti married Shahnaz Akhtar bint Mian Muhammad Ibrahim in 1972. He took her to Saudi Arabia and she also became proficient in the Arabic language.

His children

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti had 3 sons and 5 daughters, they are eldest to youngest:

1) Doctorah Amatu Ar-Rafee’, she is teaching as assistant professor in Kulliyah Usul Ad-Din in the International University of Islamabad. She is specialised in comparative religion as she completed her Phd on the topic of “Al-Ma’ad fil Hindusiyah” (the Hereafter in Hinduism) and her Master on the topic “Juhud Shaykh Sanaullah Al-Amritsari fi Dirasah Al-Adiyan” (the efforts of Shaykh Sanaullah Amritsari in the study of religions). She obtained the gold medal from the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for her Phd and Master.

2) Advocate AbdurRahman Bashir, he was a translator and Mudeer Masool during the life of his father, also he would assist him in the Idari matters of his Maktabah “Dar Al-‘Ilm”, his “Ma’had Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyah” and his magazine “Nida Islam”. He obtained a bachelor of Library and Information Science and a Master in computer Science, and a Baccalaureate in Law (LLB) in the life of his father. He became after the death of his father advocate in the religious tribunal in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He obtained a master in law (LLM) in Islamic Jurisprudence from the International University of Islamabad. Advocate AbdurRahman exerted efforts in applying Islamic judgements and closing loopholes to avoid them. Shaykh Bashir Sialkoti would never had though that his eldest son would play a role in improving judgements in religious tribunals

Advocate AbdurRahman Bashir who is now advocate in High court, in recent years successfully opposed some dangerous Satanic laws introduced by People’s Party which were legislated afterwards by Imran Khan and his government. Shaykh AbdurRahman Bashir with other lawyers and scholars challenged this dangerous law in the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan and obtained victory. The verdict of the Federal Shariat Court was published in English by Dar Al-‘Ilm.

3) Doctorah Amatu As-Samee’, she is specialised in Hadith. She completed her master and Phd in Hadith. Her master was on the topic: “Juhud Al-Ullama Al-Muslimina fi Ghareeb Al-Hadith fil Qarnayn Al-Khamis was Sadis Al-Hijratayn” in 2002, and her Phd on the topic: “Alfaz wa Ibarat Al-Jarh wat Ta’dil ‘inda Aimah An-Naqd Al-Mutaqadimin minal Muhadithin Shar’an wa Martabatan wa Hukman” in 2014. She is an assistant professor in the female section of Kuliyah Usul Ad-Din in the International University of Islamabad since 2008. She is also member of the teaching body in the Markaz of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in governmental female University in Swabi in Khaybar Pakhtunkhwah.

4) Dr Ubaid Ur Rahman Bashir, he was born on 10-12-1978. He was administrating “Ma’had Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyah” in the life of his father, and he would write and verify books for teaching Arabic in a simple manner. He was assistant Professor in Kulliyah Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyah in the International University of Islamabad. The topic of his master was “Shi’r Al-Andalus inda Shawqi wa Iqbal, Dirasah Muqaranah” and the topic of his Phd “Muqawamah Al-Istibdad fi Nisf Ath-Thani min Al-Qarn Al-‘Ishrin bayna Shi’rayn Al-‘Arabi wal Urdi, Dirasah Muqaranah”.

He has authored many books to teach Arabic to children and the most famous are his series “Mu’alim Al-Quran”. He runs “Ma’had Al-Lughah Al-Arabiyah” since the death of his father. He also established the mosque “Jami Rahmatun lil Alamin” in Islamabad, which provides with religious services and education many social services, being a role model Masjid.

Shaykh Ubaid Ur Rahman Bashir is also the teacher of the famous US Da’ee Shaykh Uthman ibn Farooq, through whose efforts many converted to Islam in the US.

5) Aishah Muhammad Bashir. She completed her Islamic and Arabic studies in the “Ma’had Al-Lughah Al-‘Arabiyah”, she obtained afterwards Baccalaureate from Punjab University in 2008, she obtained afterwards her Master in Hadith Sciences in the category Hadith in Kulliyah Usul Ad-Din in the International University of Islamabad. She is conducting her Phd in Hadith sciences in the International Islamic University of Islamabad, where she was also a visiting lecturer from 2006 to 2013. She is nowadays busy in writing her PhD thesis at the Open International University of Dr Bilal Philips. She also assists her brother in the Idari and teaching matters of “Ma’had Al-Lughah Al-Arabiyah”. She is also a teacher of Arabic and Islamic Sciences in the Open International University.

6) Khadeejah Muhammad Bashir (rah), she was born in Islamabad on the 8^th August 1981 and passed away on the 7^th July 2007 on the day she was to obtain a gold medal for her master in Usul Ad-Din in the Islamic University of Islamabad

7) Ata Ar-Rahman Bashir, who did information and technology and works in this field for some companies.

8) Joharah Muhammad Bashir, she is a student in the International Islamic University of Islamabad. She completed her Master in 2016 in Hadith on the topic: “Ar-Ruwat Alazina sakata ‘anhum Al-Bukhari fit Tarikh Al-Kabeer wa Mawqif Ulama Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel minhum” in 488 pages. She is now completing her PhD.

His looking after his family

When his brother Manzoor Husayn passed away leaving 3 sons and 3 daughters, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti allowed them and their mother to live in the house that he had inherited from his father, and he took care of their education.

Before Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti was also looking after the son and 3 daughters of his elder brother Muhammad Husayn who had moved to Saudia and divorced, and his children were with Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti.

Many of his nephews and nieces he looked after graduated and obtained excellent professions, one of his niece moved to Spain with her husband.

His degrees from Punjab University

After studying in Jamiyah Islamiyah Gujranwalah, Jamiyah Salafiyah Faisalabad and Madrasah Dar Al-Quran wal Hadith Faisalabad, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti obtained degrees from Punjab University.

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti had learned the English language and obtained Baccalaureate in English literature and afterwards Licence in English literature from Punjab University in 1967. He was able to read and speak fluent English, but he preferred to do his master in Arabic Language which he obtained from Punjab University in 1969.

His visit to Shaykh Albani

When Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti went to Damascus in Syria, he visited Shaykh Albani during this trip. Shaykh Albani gifted him his recent verified book of Shaykh Nu’man Alusi on the Madhab of Ahnaf about the dead not hearing “Al-Ayat Al-Bayinat”.

His famous students

1) Dr Israr Ahmad who studied from him shortly before Shaykh Bashir went to Madinah. Note: Some statements of Dr Israr Ahmad seem to agree to the dangerous Sufi belief of unity of existence, so laymen need to be aware and follow Ahl e Hadith scholars instead.

2) Dr Zahid Ashraf, the son of Shaykh Hakeem AbdurRaheem Ashraf

3) Shaykh AbduShakur Kazim

4) Shaykh Habib Ar-Rahman Khaleeq, son of Shaykh Muhammad, son of Shaykh Naik Muhammad

5) Shaykh Abu Saifullah ‘Ateeq Ar-Rahman

6) Shaykh AbdurRahman Salafi

7) Shaykh AbdulMajeed Yazdani

8) Shaykh Habeebullah Faisal, son in law of Shaykh Mahmood Ahmad Ghazanfar

9) Dr Akhlaq Ahmad

10) Hafiz Umar ibn AbdilHameed Aamir, son of Hafiz AbdulHameed Aamir, son of Shaykh AbdulGhafoor Jehlumi

11) Muhammad Hamzah Salafi, son of Shaykh AbdulHameed Al-Marri

12) Abul Basheer Ahmad Tabeeb

13) Sayid Zakaullah Khan, son of Shaykh Dhiyaullah Khan Deobandi

14) Muhammad Irshad

15) Shaykh Iftikhar Qadeer

16) Muhammad Arshad Khan

17) Shaykh Muhammad Sanaullah Ghalib

18) Shaykh Haroon Haseeb Bahti

His translation efforts

With all the books mentioned above, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti translated some books of medicine from Arabic to Urdu. He also translated some important decisions of the Federal Sharia Court from English to Urdu. He also translated the book “Kashmir mein Khun ka Driya” of Shaykh Husayn Ahmad Islahi to Arabic in order to raise awareness at the situation of Kashmir to the Arab world.

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti was excelling in Urdu, Arabic, English and Persian so translating from one language to another was an easy task for him.

His journalistic efforts

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti was representing the magazine “Al-Minbar” abroad. This magazine was established by Shaykh Hakeem AbdurRaheem Ashraf in 1950 and his son Dr Zahid Ashraf continued it after him. Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti participated in a gathering of the Muslim World League in April 1974 representing “Al-Minbar”.

After his return to Pakistan, from 1982 to 1986, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti was the information secretary of the Jamiat Ahl e Hadith of Allamah Ihsan Elahi Zaheer but Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti left this position due to political differences.

Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti established afterwards the Arabic magazine “Nida Al-Islam” so that it can be a link between Pakistan and the Arab world and bring light of the issues of Pakistan to the Arab world. This monthly magazine started in August 1997 and carried on up to May 2001.

His teacher Shaykh AbdulGhaffar Hasan wrote: “I was extremely happy when Shaykh Muhammad Bashir informed me that he will launch an Islamic monthly magazine in Arabic dealing with Islamic issues from the spread of the language of the Quran and Islamic sciences and support to Islamic Madaris and Jamiyat and their development, and action to implement Shariah in the country, and writing about issues such as occupied Kashmir and efforts to unify the ranks of Muslims and removing partisanship and extremism insha Allah”

Shaykh Irshad Al-Haqq Athari wrote: “I was very delighted when I heard that you will publish the monthly magazine “Nida Al-Islam” in the Arabic language, which was chosen by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) for His book the noble Quran and for the Shari’ah of Islam, and there is no doubt that this great project contains difficulties, but people similar to you, by the grace of Allah and His Tawfeeq, can face such difficulties and produce great achievements”

Condolences at His death from world renowned scholars

Dr Bilal Philips sent condolence message to his daughter Aishah Bashir: “May Allah forgive his sins and turn them into righteous deeds, and bless his family and make his passing less painful for them. And may Allah bless him with the highest place in Jannah near the Messenger of Allah (saw), the Prophets, the martyrs and the righteous, Ameen Ya Rabbal alameen”

Shaykh Asim Al-Qaryouti wrote on Social Media: “Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Rajiun…the death of Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Sialkoti (rah) from the erudite Ahl e Hadith from Pakistan, and he was prayed upon on Monday after Zuhr in Islamabad. He (rah) had a great care and desire to teach and spread the Arabic Language and writing about it, he exerted great efforts for this, may Allah put it among his good deeds. The Shaykh (rah) was excelling in the precise translation of the Arabic language. He told me that he was the translator between King Faisal and the president Muhammad Zia Al-Haqq (may Allah have mercy on both of them). The Shaykh was behind the publication of the book “Injaz Al-Hajah Sharh Sunnan ibn Majah” of Shaykh Al-Muhadith Muhammad Ali Janbaz, may Allah have mercy on them all. Our condolence is with his family and the Ahl e Hadith and with the lovers of the Arabic language”