Azhar Shah Qaiser (1920–1985) was an Indian Islamic scholar, journalist and writer. He wrote articles and books in Urdu. He was the elder son of the Indian hadith scholar, Anwar Shah Kashmiri. During his career, he served as the editor of ''Darul Uloom'', the monthly journal of
Darul Uloom Deoband
The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary (darul uloom) in India at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. It is located in Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The seminary was established by Muhammad Qasim ...
.
Birth and education
Azhar Shah Qaiser was born in December 1920 at
Deoband
Deoband is a town and a municipality in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, about 150 km from Delhi. Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary and one of the largest Islamic Institution of India is located there.
Etymo ...
. His father Anwar Shah Kashmiri was a hadith scholar.
Qaiser enrolled in the
Darul Uloom Deoband
The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary (darul uloom) in India at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. It is located in Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The seminary was established by Muhammad Qasim ...
. When his father resigned from the Darul Uloom Deoband in 1927, and moved to
Jamia Islamia Talimuddin, Dabhel
Jamiah Islamiah Talimuddin Dabhel (or Dabhel Jamiah Islamiah or Jamiah Islamiah Dabhel) is a Deobandi Islamic seminary in Dabhel, Gujarat, India.
Education pattern
The Jamiah has the following departments:
* Nazirah-e-Qur'an (reading the Qur' ...
, Qaiser went with him to
Dabhel
Dabhel is a town in Gujarat state of India. It is famous for its Islamic education, most notably given in Jamia Islamia Talimuddin.
Dabhel lies south of Surat and north of Navsari, to the east is Vesma crossroad on National Highway 8 and to ...
and continued his studies there. Qaiser was about 12 years old when his father Anwar Shah Kashmiri died in 1933. Facing consequences, Qaiser was not able to complete his studies.
Career
When his father died, people throughout the country offered condolences, including
Zafar Ali Khan
Zafar Ali Khan (1874– 27 November 1956) ( pnb, – ), also known as Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and a journalist who played an important role in the Pakistan Movement against the British Raj. He is genera ...
Deoband
Deoband is a town and a municipality in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, about 150 km from Delhi. Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary and one of the largest Islamic Institution of India is located there.
Etymo ...
and the welcome address was prepared by 12-year-old Qaiser. Qaiser presented a copy of this address to
Zafar Ali Khan
Zafar Ali Khan (1874– 27 November 1956) ( pnb, – ), also known as Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and a journalist who played an important role in the Pakistan Movement against the British Raj. He is genera ...
and it was also read aloud in the congregation.
Zafar Ali Khan
Zafar Ali Khan (1874– 27 November 1956) ( pnb, – ), also known as Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and a journalist who played an important role in the Pakistan Movement against the British Raj. He is genera ...
liked this laudatory address so much that he published it on the front page of his ''
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
''. Thus began Qaiser's literary life.
Qaiser's articles featured firstly in ''Monthly Guncha'' which was published from
Bijnor
Bijnor is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, IndiaJamia Millia Islamia
Jamia Millia Islamia () is a central university located in New Delhi, India. Originally established at Aligarh, United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) during the British Raj in 1920, it moved to its current location in Okhla in ...
. ''Weekly Sadaqat,
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district.
Saharanpur city's name was given after the Saint Shah Haroon Chishti.
Saharanpur is declared as on ...
'' was released in 1936 and Qaiser became its permanent writer and a member of its editorial board. He started a weekly journal ''Isteqlal'' along with Sultan-ul-Haq Qasmi Bijnori. It is difficult to state when it was firstly released although its ''Eid Number'' edition appeared in December 1937. In 1939, when Qaiser was 19, a collection of 16 of his articles were published in ''Sadaqat''.
In November 1940, Qaiser released ''Bi-monthly al-Anwar'' from Deoband. The journal focused on the life and works of Anwar Shah Kashmiri. Before 1940, in 1939 he worked for ''
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
'' honorary. Besides ''Sadaqat
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district.
Saharanpur city's name was given after the Saint Shah Haroon Chishti.
Saharanpur is declared as on ...
'' and ''al-Anwar, Deoband'', Qaiser took the editorial responsibilities of ''Haadi,
Deoband
Deoband is a town and a municipality in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, about 150 km from Delhi. Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary and one of the largest Islamic Institution of India is located there.
Etymo ...
'', first edition of which appeared in May 1949. He wrote short stories and tales like ''Tuta Huwa A'ina'' (Broken Mirror), ''Inqelab'', ''Sharabi Shayar'' and ''Azaadi''.
Qaiser edited ''Darul Uloom'', the monthly journal of
Darul Uloom Deoband
The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary (darul uloom) in India at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. It is located in Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The seminary was established by Muhammad Qasim ...
, from 1951 1982. He also edited ''Bi-monthly Ijtemah,
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district.
Saharanpur city's name was given after the Saint Shah Haroon Chishti.
Saharanpur is declared as on ...
'', ''Monthly Khalid, Deoband'' (under supervision of Izaz Ali Amrohi), ''Monthly Tayyib, Deoband'' (1983–1985), ''Bi-monthly Isha'at-e-Haq, Deoband'' (1975–1985).
Literary works
Qaiser's books include:
*''Yadgaar-e-Zamana Hain Ye Log''
*''Seerat Abu Bakr Siddiq''
*''Zara Umr-e-rafta Ko Awaaz Dena''
*''Safeena-e-Watan ke Na Khuda''
* ''Aazaan-e-Bilal''
Death and legacy
Qaiser died on 27 November 1985 (13 Rabi' al-awwal 1406 AH) in Deoband. He was buried next to the grave of his father Anwar Shah Kashmiri in Mazar-e-Anwari,
Deoband
Deoband is a town and a municipality in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, about 150 km from Delhi. Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary and one of the largest Islamic Institution of India is located there.
Etymo ...
.
His son Naseem Akhtar Shah Qaiser is an author of
Anzar Shah Kashmiri
Anzar Shah Kashmiri (1927-2008) was an Indian Islamic scholar who established the Jamia Imam Anwar Shah and co-founded the Darul Uloom Waqf in Deoband.
Shah was an alumnus of the Darul Uloom Deoband. He was youngest son of Hanafi scholar An ...
in his book ''Do Gohar Aabdaar''. He has also written ''Syed Muhammad Azhar Shah Qaiser Ek Adeeb, Ek Sahafi'' ("Syed Muhammad Azhar Shah Qaiser: A writer and Journalist") about his father.
See also
*
List of Deobandis
Deobandis are the followers of the Deobandi movement, which originated in Deoband, India in the mid-19th century. The movement emphasizes a strict adherence to Islamic law and traditional Islamic scholarship, particularly in the areas of hadith and ...