Faqih-e-Millat Maulana Zubair Ahmad Qasmi 1936-2019: Life & Services

By: Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi*

13th January 2019, was a shocking day for me and many others. Early in the morning, we received the heartbreaking news of the demise of well-versed scholar of Fiqh and Hadeeth after his prolonged illness which he had been fighting for about three years. As he was famous for his deep knowledge and understanding of Fiqh, he was also well-known for his academic quality of the science of Hadeeth. Due to his knowledge and sound opinion in the field of Fiqh specially, he was held in high esteem by several towering contemporary personalities. His opinions were valued and respected by the authentic scholar of Fiqh like Qazi Mujahidul Islam Qasmi (1936-2002). These words refer to the grieving death of my revered teacher Faqihe Millat Maulana Zubair Ahmad Qasmi, in a hospital in Madhubani district of his hometown, Chandarsainpur in Bihar.

Faqihe Millat’s Birth:

Faqihe Millat was born in a middle class family of a famous village known as Chndarsainpur of district Madhubani in Bihar province of India on 1st January 1936 to late Abdush Shakur. The father passed away when he was a child. This village is well-known in the area because of being the birthplace several pious and expert Islamic scholars.


Educational Journey:

Faqihe Millat began his basic education in a Maktab (nursery school) in his village. He completed reciting the Glorious Qura’an and reading basic Urdu books in the village from Maulana Ameerul Haq Miftahi (Rh.A). After the completion of the nursery level education, he left for Madrasa Basharatul Uloom which is situated in his neighbouring town Khirayan Pathra of Darbhanga district.

In Madrasa Basharatul Uloom, Khirayan Pathra, Faqihe Millat started from the primary level education of Persian language. Following the completion of the Persian language, he stared the basic of Aalim Course until he finished the first two parts of Hidayah, a celebrated book of jurisprudence of Hanafi school of thought and Jalalain, a famous book of Tafseer in that Madrasa. It must be noticed here that he learned from Persian language up to Jalalain from only one teacher, his uncle Maulana Saeed Ahmad Qasmi, an expert teacher of Darse Nizaami and student of Sheikhul Islam Maulana Sayyid Husain Ahmad Madani (1879-1957).

Following the primary and secondary level education at Madrasa Basharatul Uloom, he moved to Deoband to get admission in the great revolutionary seminary Darul Uloom Deoband to quench his thirst of knowledge of the sciences of Tafseer and Hadeeth. He got admission in 1377 AH and remained two years in Darul Uloom Deoband until he completed his Fazilat-Graduation in Islamic Studies in 1379 AH. In Darul Uloom, he learnt from the expert scholars of Tafseer and Hadeeth like Sheikh Allamah Fakhruddin (1307-1393 AH), Allamah Muhammad Ibrahim Baliawi (1886-1967), Sheikh Basheer Ahmad Khan (D. 1966), Qari Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi (1897-1983), Sheikh Zahoor Ahmad Doebandi (1900-1963), Sheikh Jalil Ahmad Kairanvi (D. 1968), Sheikh Fakhrul Hasan, Sheikh Sayyid Hasan, etc.

Teaching Journey:

After completing his graduation, in the same year 1379, Faqihe Millat was appointed as a teacher at Madrasa Basharatul Uloom, Khirayan Pathra. Following almost one and half year, he resigned from this Madrasa on 15th Rabiul Awwal 1380 and joined Madrasa Islamia, Mughla Khar in Nawadah District in Bihar. As the pupils in this Madrasa were of primary level, it was unsatisfactory and he had to resign just after few months and again he joined Madrasa Basharatul Uloom and taught till Jumadal Ukhra 1387 almost 6 years then he resigned.

In Ashraful Uloom as Head-Teacher:

In Shawwal 1387, Faqihe Millat was appointed in Jamia Ashraful Uloom, Kanahwan, Sitamarhi (Bihar) as head-teacher by its long serving pious and sincere rector, Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayyib. With his struggles and efforts, he took the educational standard to high level. In his headship, Jamia progressed by leaps and bounds from each angles. The progress was observed everywhere. One and all valued him and praised the standard of Jamia where he took it. After serving for 10 years tirelessly as head-teacher, he resigned in Dhul Hijjah 1397 AH.

In Jamia Rahmani:

In Muharram 1398 AH, Faqihe Millat was called by Sheikh Minnatullah Rahmani (1912-1991) to teach in Jamia Rahmani, Munger. He taught the books of Fiqh and Hadeeth in Jamia. Sheikh Rahmani had every confidence in his teaching ability and appreciated his teaching methodology. He enjoyed teaching in Jamia and served here about 9 years. Then due to some internal circumstances and situations, he resigned on 10th Shawwal 1406 AH unwillingly.

In Miftahul Uloom:

After Jamia Rahmania, he reached Jamia Miftahul Uloom, Maunath Bhanjan on 16th Shawwal 1406 AH where he was called to teach Bukhari Shareef. He requested the authority to let the Bukhari Shareef being taught by another teacher and he would teach it in the coming year. He taught here completely one year. Next year, he resigned from Miftahul Uloom on 5th Shawwal 1407 as the environment was not suiting him.

From Sabilus Salam to Jamia Rahmani:

Maulana Rizwanul Qasmi (1944-2004), the rector and Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, the head-teacher of Darul Uloom Sabilus Salam, Hyderabad requested him several times to arrive in Sabilus Salam as Sheikhul Hadeeth. He left for Hyderabad on 15th Shawwal 1407 AH. But Daurah Hadeeth had not then started, so he couldn’t manage to be there, but for few months and he came back and again he joined Jamia Rahmani, Munger on 17th Muharram 1408, following the directive of Sheikh Rahmani.

In Sabilus Salam as Sheikhul Hadeeth:

In the next academic year, in Shawwal 1408, as Daurah Hadeeth had started in Sabilus Salam, Hyderabad, the rector and head-teacher were insisting him to arrive again. So, he joined Sabilus Salam the second time on 21st Shawwal 1408 AH as Sheikhul Hadeeth. He taught in Sabilus Salam as Sheikhul Hadeeth 4 years. In this period, he was requested several times to join Jamia Ashraful Uloom, Kanahwan as head-teacher as the situation of Ashraful Uloom was deteriorating. He decided to join Jamia Ashraful Uloom, so he resigned from Sabilus Salam on 14th Sha’aban 1412 AH. In the next academic year, Shawwal 1412, he joined Jamia Ashraful Uloom with his own terms and conditions which were accepted by the governing body of Ashraful Uloom.

Rector of Ashraful Uloom:

After few years, Hazrat Maulana Anwarul Haq, the rector of Ashraful Uloom, passed away. Now, Faqihe Millat was made Rector. He served Jamia Ashraful Uloom for a long period of time. Almost three year back, he suffered from a heart illness. He underwent a heart operation on 7th October, 2016 in a hospital in Patna, the capital city of Bihar. After operation, he continued suffering from different illness. Actually, he didn’t recover after heart operation fully. Then he decided to remain at his home in Chandarsainpur, Madhubani, Bihar, but frequently he used to visit Ashraful Uloom for a week or so to know and observe the activities taking place and to guide the teachers and pupils wherever the guidance was required.

When he was sick, he got proper treatment in Madhubani, Patna and New Delhi, but due to the old age, he grew weaker as well as the health continued deteriorating. Last time again his family members took him to a Hospital in Madhubani where he breathed his last in the hospital at 07:30 am, on 13th January 2019. As his death news went viral on social media, the people started gathering in his home village, where his funeral prayer was to be offered. A delegation from Ashraful Uloom reached his village under the leadership of recently selected rector of Ashraful Uloom, Maulana Izharul Haq Mazahiri to attend his funeral. One another delegation came from Imarat Shariah to attend his funeral prayer. Similarly, from different Madaaris the Ulama and other people visited his village to participate in his funeral prayer. His funeral prayer was led by his elder son, Maulana Owais Qasmi on the same day following Asr Salaah. Before the funeral prayer, Maualan Izharul Haq Mazahiri delivered a brief speech. Thousands of people participated in his funeral prayer and they laid him in his ancestral graveyard to rest. May Allah forgive his all human shortcomings and grant him eternal peace in Jannah!

His Survivours:

Following the completion of his education, Faqihe Millat got married with the daughter of late Haji Muhammad Idris of Parsauni, Dist.: Madhubani. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and five sons. Maulana Hafiz Owais Anzar Qasmi is working in KSA. He was present at the time of his beloved father’s death. He led the funeral prayer. Hafiz Usaid Anzar is teaching in a certain Madrasa in his area. Muhammad Sajjad resides at home. Maulana Hafiz Zafar Siddiqi Qasmi is teaching in Delhi in Madrasa Talimul Qura’an. He had been a classmate of this writer. During the period of learning, he was a intelligent pupil. He is a remarkable calligrapher, though he didn’t choose it as his profession. His last born is Mr. Afzal Husain, who completed school following his basic Islamic education in a Madrasa. Currently he is in Saudi Arab. •••

* Head: Islamic Department, Moon Rays Trust School, Zambia, Africa
Email: qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in

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