Shahbaaz Bashir Shah
Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi stands as a well known figure in regional traditional scholarship, known for his insight into Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), unwavering commitment to the Quran and Sunnah, and his balanced approach to modern-day issues. He has played a vital role in connecting regional youth.
Mufti Nazir Ahmad, son of Haji Wali Muhammad, was born on 20 June 1964 (Dhul Hijjah 1384) in the village of Bonjwah, native to district Kishtwar. His father became an orphan at an early age. Despite the hardships he faced, he had a passion for achieving education; he enrolled himself in school and studied up to the 5th class.
His family was poor and lived under difficult financial conditions. Haji Wali Muhammad was a hardworking person from his childhood.Though he did not continue formal schooling, he developed an interest in reading books. He purchased books with his own money and sometimes borrowed them from others to study. One day, Haji Wali Muhammad heard about the book “Hujjatullahil Baligha” written by Hazrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi, mentioning that this book is good for studying. Then he decided to buy this book. When someone was talking about the book “Ihya Ul Uloom” written by Imam Ghazali and the Urdu translation “Mazaqul Arifeen” published from Lucknow, he intended to buy it and finally, he purchased it.
Haji Wali Muhammad, was a religious and practised muslim. From a young age, he pray Salah (prayer) with takbeer five times a day and wake up early in the middle of the night for Tahajjud Salah. Zikr (remembrance) of Allah was his daily routine, and he was associated with Tablighi Jamaat. Because of these good habits found in Wali Muhammad, he showed intention towards his son for achieving his goals — that was to pursue education and become a religious scholar.
Early Education
Every great journey begins with the first step: a step taken with hope, guided by wisdom, and nourished by faith. The early education of this devoted seeker of knowledge is a testament to the light that shines when hearts are sincere and intentions are pure.
Mufti Nazir Ahmad started his early education at home with his father, who began with Yassarnal Quran following the customery tradition of Bismillah. After that, he went to the famous tutor of that time, Maulana Ahmadulla Shaikh, for the learning rules and regulations of the Holy Quran at his maktab, and finally completed it. At that time, he began studying the translation of the Quran with patience and dedication, and eventually completed memorising the small booklet translated version of the Holy Quran (Tah Tul Lafz) at the age of 6 which is written by Shah Rafi Ud Din Dahilvi.
Alongside this, he got admission to a nearby school — the first ever school to open in his village at that time — where the first student enrolled was Mufti Nazir Ahmad. At that school, he completed his studies up to the 5th class and secured the first position.Then he moved to the high school for admission in class 6, where he passed the 6th class examination. His father then decided to provide him with traditional Islamic education. Despite the challenges and hardships faced by Haji Wali Muhammad, decided to take him to Darul Uloom Deoband.
When his son was 8 years old, he carried him on his shoulder and walked nearly 15 miles on foot before boarding a train to Deoband. In 1972, his father enrolled him in Madrasa Asgariyah Deoband, where he completed the memorization of the Holy Quran in only two and a half years. After that he joined Madrasa Islamia Khadim-ul-Quran at Baguwali, Muzaffarnagar, for Arabic classes. After spending four years and completing the course of Arabic classes, he then moved to Darul Uloom Deoband to continue his studies and eventually became a religious scholar.
From an early age, he was serious towards his studies. In 1984, he completed the final year examination of class Daur-e-Hadith and received a certificate in Fazilat. In the Daur-e-Hadith class, he studied the authentic book Bukhari Sharif — Volume 1 under Maulana Naseer Ahmad Khan and Volume 2 under Maulana Abdul Haque Azmi. After earning Fazilat degree, he joined the department of Takmeel Uloom, where he studied Hujjatullahil Baligha under the guidance of Maulana Sayeed Akbar Abadi; a distinguished and well-qualified student of Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri, and benefitted greatly from him.
Later on, he enrolled in the Darul Iftah course to become certified and specialise in fatwa writing under the guidance of the following prominent scholars:
Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Hassan Gangohi (RA)–Al-Ashbah Wa Al-azzahir, Hazrat Maulana Nizamuddin Azmi (RA), Hazrat Maulana Zaffir Ud Din Miftahi (RA), Hazrat Maulana Haseeb Ur Rahman Khair Abadi (RA), Mufti Kafil Ur Rahman Nishat Usmani (RA)
After completing the Ifta course, he went to Emarat-e-Shariah, Phulwari Sharif, Patna, for Qadha (Islamic Judiciary) training. There, he received special guidance from Maulana Qazi Mujahidul Islam Qasmi (RA) and was awarded the Qadha certification. In October 1980, he also appeared in the Fazil Diniyat Urdu exam conducted by Jamia Deeniyat Urdu, Deoband, under the leadership of Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi (RA) and secured ist position. The subjects included:
Quranic Sciences, Hadith Studies, Fiqh (Jurisprudence), Dawah and Preaching, Islamic History, Urdu Literature, Arabic Literature (Optional Subject)
His certificate was signed and verified by many renowned scholars such as:
Maulana Salim Qasmi, Maulana Syed Anzar Shah Kashmiri, Maulana Naseer Ahmad Khan Barni, Maulana Aslam (son of Qari Tayyib Qasmi), Maulana Naeem (former Shaykh al-Hadith & Tafsir, Darul Uloom Waqf, Deoband), Maulana Qari Abdullah Saleem
After receiving the Fazil Deeniyat, he appeared for the Adeeb Kamil exam at Jamia Urdu Aligarh in November 1984. His subjects included:
Urdu Prose, Urdu Poetry, History of Urdu Language and Literature, Literary Criticism, Composition, Grammar, Rhetoric, and Prosody, Arabic, Islamic Culture, Iqbal’s Poetry
He was enthusiastic towards Allama Iqbal’s poetry. While his stay at Deoband, he studied Kulliyat-e-Iqbal in depth and memorized much of it. To understand Iqbal’s philosophy and thought, he also read the works of the following scholars:
Maulana Abdul Salam Nadwi, Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim, Faqir Wahiduddin, Abdul Majeed Salik, Shorish Kashmiri, Professor Yusuf Salim Chishti
After completing “Adeeb E Kamil,” he went on to receive a Master’s degree (M.A.) in Urdu from GRPG College, Rampur, in 1987, where he secured first position. His M.A subjects included:
Qasida, Marsiya, Masnavi, Fictional Literature, Poetry, Ghazal, Novel, Iqbal’s Poetry
Thus, from the humble beginnings of village life to the revered corridors of Darul Uloom Deoband, his journey stands as a radiant example of sacrifice, dedication, and last commitment guidance; a beacon for future generations seeking knowledge in the path of Allah.
To be Concluded…
Author is Student at Darul Uloom Nadwa Tul Ulama Lucknow and can be reached at shahbaazshah469@gmail.com
Clarification: In the print edition of this article published on 10th August 2025, the date of birth of Mufti Nazir was wrongly mentioned. However same has been updated in the online version. We deeply regret the mistake.
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