Template:Infobox religious biography
Abdul Ghani Azhari (1922 – 19 January 2023), also known as Abdul Ghani Shah al-Shashi,Template:Sfn was an Indian Muslim scholar and historian who served as the head-professor of the University of Kashmir's Arabic department. He was an alumnus of Darul Uloom Deoband, Mazahir Uloom and the Al-Azhar University. He authored Qadim Tarikh-e-Gujjar, a book detailing the history of Gujjars.
Early life and education
Abdul Ghani Azhari was born in 1922 to a Kashmiri Sunni family of Muslim GujjarsTemplate:Sfn[1][2] in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir.Template:Sfn He received his education at Darul Uloom Deoband, Mazahir Uloom and the Al-Azhar University. He wrote his doctoral thesis on Al-Muslim entitled, Al Imam Al Muslim Wa Manhajuhu Fi Al Hadith Riwayatn wa Dirayatan.Template:Sfn He studied with Hussain Ahmad Madani, Ibrahim Balyawi, Izaz Ali Amrohi, Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi, and Syed Fakhruddin Ahmad, and his teachers at Mazahir Uloom included Zakariyya Kandhlawi.Template:Sfn At the Azhar, he studied with scholars including Abdel-Halim Mahmoud.Template:Sfn
Career
Azhari established Dar al-‘Ulum Nizamiyya Madinatul Islam in Badshahibagh (nearby Saharanpur), to cater to the needs of the Gurjar children.Template:Sfn He also established religious seminaries in Kashmir, including Maktabah Anwar al Uloom, in Kokernag, and Darul Uloom Kawthariya near Dachigam National Park.Template:Sfn In 2003, he established Darul Uloom Shah Wali Allah in Donipawa, Brakpora, in Anantnag.Template:Sfn At the invitation of Shaikh Abdullah, Azhari served as a professor of Arabic at Madinatul Uloom in Hazratbal, Srinagar prior to joining the University of Kashmir.[3]
Azhari was seen as a senior religious scholar in Kashmir. He served as the head-professor in the Arabic department of the University of Kashmir.[4] He showed particular interest in the Qadiri order of Sufism and published works on the Naqshbandiyyah.Template:Sfn He died on 19 January 2023 in Saharanpur.[5] Salahuddin Tak, the current head-professor of the Arabic department at the University, described Azhari as "an eminent teacher, a great academician and an epitome of knowledge with high proficiency in religious science".[6]
Literary works
Azhari's works include:Template:Sfn[7]
- Gujjar Tareekh te Saqafat, compiled by Javaid Rahi[8]
- Noor-i-Irfan
- Ma La Budda Minh, a book that he translated from Persian into Urdu
- Maktubat-i-Naqshbandiyyah
- Qadim Tarikh-i-Gujjar, a detailed book on the ancient history of Gujjars in IndiaTemplate:Sfn[9]
See also
References
Citations
- ↑ Professor Mufti Abdul Ghani Azhari: Scholar, Sufi, Historian, and Social Reformer of Kashmir - News OF Kashmir(2025-09-01). Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- ↑ Mufti Abdul Ghani Al-Azhari (RA) – Man With A Noble Mission. Kashmir Reader(2023-01-25). Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- ↑ ماہرین تعلیم و سیاسی رہنماؤں نے مفتی عبدالغنی الازہری کے انتقال پر تعزیت کا اظہار کیا. ETV Bharat(19 January 2023). Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ↑ AAC expresses condolences with journalist Abid Bashir, Moulana Azhari. Kashmir Reader(5 July 2022). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ↑ Renowned scholar from Jammu Abdul Ghani Azhari passes away. The Chenab Times(19 January 2022). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ↑ Academics, politicians condole demise of prominent scholar Abdul Ghani Al-Azhari. Greater Kashmir(19 January 2022). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ↑ معروف عالم دین مفتی عبدالغنی الازہری سہارنپور میں انتقال کرگئے. Kashmir Uzma(20 January 2023). Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ↑ Mian Altaf releases latest Gojri publications. Scoop News. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ↑ قديم تاريخ گجر / Qadīm tārīk̲h̲-i Gujar. WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
General bibliography
- The Untold legacy of Professor Mufti Abdul Ghani Al Azhari. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research({Template:Date).
- Islamization in Modern South Asia: Deobandi Reform and the Gujjar Response{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. De Gruyter(2012)
Further reading
- سولہویں صدی کے زوال نے ملت کا شیرازہ بکھیر دیا. Kashmir Uzma(23 March 2019).