qari (reciter of the Qur'an), mainly known for his qira'at (technique of recitation).
Background
Zahir Qasmi was born to Muhammad Tahir Qasmi, son of Islamic scholar
Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad
Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad (also known as Muhammad Ahmad Nanautawi) (1862-1930) was an Indian Muslim scholar, who served as the Vice Chancellor of the Darul Uloom Deoband for thirty five years. He was the Grand Mufti of the Hyderabad State from 1922 t ...
, son of Maulana Qasim Nanotvi mohtamim & founder of famous Dar-Ul-Ulum Deobund, Saharanpur, UP, India. Qari Zahir Qasmi's three younger brothers, (i) Maulana Asif Qasmi was the founder of Jama Masjid Farooq-e-Azam, North Nazimabad, Karachi. (ii) Qari Shakir Qasmi has got the honor as a first Qari ever recited Tilawat-e-Kalam-e-Pak at the ceremony of starting of the new Islamic century in UNO. (iii) Qari Vaheed Zafar Qasmi the famous naat khuan of Pakistan. Qari Zahir Qasmi's daughter Zohra Qasmi was a girls student leader of Sir Syed Collage and Karachi University. His son Saood Qasmi is a famous film actor.
Zahir Qasmi had a very unique honour for Qur’an recitation. On August 14/15 1947, day of
independence of Pakistan
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the per ...
, Qari Zahir Qasmi recited on
Radio Pakistan
Radio Pakistan serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate Radio Pakistan's founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Pakistan. The network was established on 14 August ...
for the country. He also established a Qira’at Institution in early 50’s in Pakistan called “Darul-Quran, Jamia Qasima” in lazvella, Karachi. In 1966/1967, Qari Zahir Qasmi was the secretary general of the International Qur'an Recitation Association and he attended both international Qira'at conferences. He had gained a lot of popularity in the late 1970s, and the early 1980s. Qari Zahir Qasmi died on September 4, 1988 in the state of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
(United States).
There is a 'Qari Zahir Qasmi Road' in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, Pakistan named after him.Qari Zahir Qasmi Road on placesmap.net website Retrieved 23 April 2019
From the Dawn newspaper's archives 50 years ago, "On June 11, 1970 it was reported that the Mohajir representatives of Karachi had decided to form a political party the Pakistan Mohajir Front... The meeting also decided to make Maulana Zahir Qasmi its convener, and to appoint a committee consisting of Maulana Qasmi, Hamid Husain Farooqui (advocate), Ziaul Hasan Chishti (advocate), Dr Safdar Farooqui, M. Ghulam Murtaza and SM Sohail to prepare the constitution of the party".
Above quote from the Dawn newspaper archives makes it obvious that Zahir Qasmi was highly active politically and socially in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
more than 50 years ago.
Awards and recognition
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Sitara-i-Imtiaz
The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...
(Star of Excellence) Award by the
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...
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Pride of Performance
The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...