Azizul Haque (), also known as by his

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

Shaykh al-Hadith was a Bangladeshi

Islamic scholar In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

, politician, writer, and translator. He is the founder of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and first Bangali translator of

Sahih al-Bukhari () is the first hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam. Compiled by Islamic scholar al-Bukhari () in the format, the work is valued by Sunni Muslims, alongside , as the most authentic after the Qur'an. Al-Bukhari organized the bo ...

. He was vice chancellor of Jamia Rahmania Arabia Dhaka.

Early life and education

Azizul Haque was born in 1919, into a

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work./ref> are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ...

family of Qadis in the village of Bhirich Khan, Louhajang, Bikrampur,

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal until 1937, later the Bengal Province, was the largest of all three presidencies of British India during Company rule in India, Company rule and later a Provinces o ...

(now in

Munshiganj District Munshiganj District () is a district of Dhaka Division. It is located in central Bangladesh. This region is also historically known as Bikrampur. Geography It is a part of Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District and Narayanganj District in the ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

). His father was Haji Ershad Ali, and Haque lost his mother when he was only 4–5 years old. He was then raised by his maternal grandmother in the nearby village of Kalma, where he began his initial primary education at the local mosque. At the age of 7, Haque moved to Brahmanbaria with his father, who had a business there. Haque enrolled at the Jamia Islamia Yunusia, where he spent four years studying under Shamsul Haque Faridpuri, Hafezzi Huzur and Abdul Wahhab Pirji, who his father had close connections with. His father placed Haque under the care of Faridpuri. In 1931, he followed Faridpuri to the newly established Ashraful Uloom Madrasa in Bara Katara,

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

where he studied for twelve years. From 1940 to 1941, Haque studied books such as '' Tafsir al-Baydawi'', '' Jami' al-Tirmidhi'' and ''

'' under Zafar Ahmad Usmani. Haque had completed his Master of Arts in

Hadith studies Hadith studies is the academic study of hadith, a literature typically thought in Islamic religion to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the Muhammad as transmitted through chains of narrators. A major area of inter ...

in Ashraful Uloom. He travelled to

North India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...

in 1943 for further

Islamic studies Islamic studies is the academic study of Islam, which is analogous to related fields such as Jewish studies and Quranic studies. Islamic studies seeks to understand the past and the potential future of the Islamic world. In this multidiscipli ...

. He started off at the Jamiah Islamiah Talimuddin in Dabhel near

Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...

, Gujarat where he studied under

Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (11 October 188713 December 1949) was an Islamic scholar and an activist of the Pakistan Movement, who served as the of Pakistan in 1949. He was the first to demand that Pakistan become an Islamic state. He was a religio ...

. Finally he went to

Darul Uloom Deoband Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic university and seminary ( darul uloom) in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, India, at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. Established in 1866 by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Fazlur Rahman Usmani, Sayy ...

in Saharanpur where he studied

Tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

, pursuing a degree from Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi. Haque was fluent in the Bengali,

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

and

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

languages.

Career

Haque began his career as a teacher in the Ashraful Uloom Madrasa in Bara Katara,

in 1946 and continued to 1952. He then taught

and other Islamic texts at the Jamia Qurania Arabia in Lalbagh Thana until 1985. In 1978, he played a key role in establishing the Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board, becoming its general secretary. In 1979, he taught ''Sahih al-Bukhari'' in the Department of

Islamic Studies Islamic studies is the academic study of Islam, which is analogous to related fields such as Jewish studies and Quranic studies. Islamic studies seeks to understand the past and the potential future of the Islamic world. In this multidiscipli ...

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...

as a visiting professor and served there for three years. In 1986, Haque established a

Madrasah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning ...

called Jamiah Muhammadia Arabia near Mohammadpur, Dhaka. In 1988, he purchased a piece of land near ''

Saat Masjid The Sat Gambuj Mosque () is a Sunni Islam, Sunni mosque and tomb complex, located near the northwestern outskirts of Dhaka in the Mohammadpur Thana, Mohammadpur area, in the Dhaka District of Bangladesh. The mosque is a fine example of the provi ...

'' in Mohammadpur and transferred the ''Jamiah Muhammadia Arabia'' there renaming it to Jamia Rahmania Arabia Dhaka. For a long tenure, he was the chief Sheikhul Hadith of this institution. He served as the principal of

Jamia Shariyyah Malibagh, Dhaka Jamia Shariyah Malibagh ( Arabic: الجامعة الشرعية ماليباغ), also known as ''Jamia Shariyah Madrasa'', is one of the established Qawmi jamiahs in Dhaka, Bangladesh. History A musalli Golam Gouse donated his land to set up th ...

Political career

He served as the Amir of the

Islami Oikya Jote The Islami Oikya Jote (, ''Islami Oikko Joţ'', "Islamic Unity Front") is a political party in Bangladesh and allied with the former Four Party Alliance. History During the legislative elections of 1 October 2001, the party won 2 out of 30 ...

and

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis is an Islamist political party in Bangladesh, established on December 8, 1989, through the merger of part of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon and the Islami Jubo Shibir. The organization's primary aim is to establish a gove ...

. He was present at the launch of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh in the

National Press Club A press club is an organization for journalists and others who are professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press Club ...

of Bangladesh in 1992. As a result of the 1992

Demolition of the Babri Masjid The Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque in the Indian city of Ayodhya, was destroyed on 6 December 1992 by a large group of activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and allied organisations. The mosque had been the subject of a lengthy socio ...

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

, India, Azizul Haque led the Khelafat Majlis in a march from Dhaka to Ayodhya on 2 January 1993, demanding its restoration. They reached the border near

Khulna Khulna (, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of the Khulna District and the Khulna Division. It is the divisional centre of 10 districts of the division. Khulna is also the seco ...

, where the

Government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

blocked off the boundaries and suppressed the march. In the same year, Azizul Haque declared on behalf of the Majlis that India's prime minister

Narasimha Rao Narasimha Rao or Narasimharao is an Indian name. It may refer to: * P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004), ninth prime minister of India * Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao (1865–1940), Telugu writer * Vinjamuri Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Rao (1887–?), ...

should not visit India and gave orders to besiege the national airport. He was coincidentally arrested for this reason on 9 April 1993, though he was later released on 8 May 1993. He also served as the chairman of the Shari'ah Board of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited.

Views

In 2009, Azizul Haque and other

scholars A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a terminal ...

wrote a statement to the Prime Minister,

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina (''née'' Wazed; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. Premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Her ...

, condemning terrorism and militancy committed in the name of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

Works

* Bengali translation and explanations of ''

''. * In student life, he wrote an

explanation of ''Sahih al-Bukhari''. This big book of 1800 pages was published from

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

by the name of ''Fazl al-Bari Sharh-e-Bukhari''. * Bengali translation of '' Masnavi-e-Rumi''. * ''Capitalism, Socialism and Islam'' * ''Refutation of Kadianism'' * ''Munajat-e-Maqbul'' including ''Masnun Dua'' (Translation). * ''Struggle in the way of Truth'' (Lecture Collection).

Death and legacy

Azizul Haque died on 8 August 2012 at his home in Azimpur, Dhaka at the age of 94. He was survived by his wife, eight daughters and five sons. His son,

Mamunul Haque Mamunul Haque (born November 1973) is a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and the Joint Secretary-General of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, emerged as an Islamism, Islamist leader in the late 2010s, particularly following the deadliest events of the Siege ...

, is a leader of

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh () is a Deobandi Islamist advocacy group consisting mostly of religious teachers (''Ulama'') and students in Bangladesh. The group is mainly based on qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh. In 2013, they submitted a 13-point ch ...

expressed shock and highlighted Haque's contributions to the

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the Bay of Bengal, eponymous bay. Bangladeshi nationality law, Bangladeshi citizenship was fo ...

society. President

Zillur Rahman Mohammed Zillur Rahman (9 March 1929 – 20 March 2013) was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the President from 2009 until his death in 2013. He was also a senior presidium member of the Awami League. He is the third president of Banglade ...

and opposition leader

Begum Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia (born August–September 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second fema ...

expressed condolences.

See more

List of Deobandis Deobandis represent a group of scholars affiliated with the reformist Deobandi movement, which originated in the town of Darul Uloom Deoband in northern India. Founded in 1866, this movement sought to safeguard Islamic teachings amidst non-Musli ...

References

External links

Bengali Books Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haque, Azizul 1919 births 2012 deaths Deobandis Jamia Islamia Talimuddin alumni Bangladeshi Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Sunni Islamists Sunni imams Sunni Islamic movements 20th-century Bengalis 21st-century Bengalis Hadith scholars Bengali-language writers Bangladeshi political party founders President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis politicians Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan politicians Bengali Muslim scholars of Islam People from Munshiganj District Muslim scholars Disciples of Muhammadullah Hafezzi Secretary-General of Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh