Qamaruzzaman Azmi
Personal
Born (1946-03-23) 23 March 1946 (age 77)
Khalispur, Sagri, Azamgarh
ReligionIslam
NationalityIndian
EraModern
RegionEurope
DenominationSunni
JurisprudenceHanafi
CreedMaturidi
MovementAhle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Barelvi
Main interest(s)Islamic theology, Hadith, Tafsir, Hanafi jurisprudence, Urdu poetry, Tasawwuf, Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Astronomy
Notable idea(s)Opposition to terrorism
Alma mater
TeachersHafiz-e-Millat Allama Shah Abdul Azeez Muradabadi
TariqaQadri
OccupationIslamic Scholar
Muslim leader
Disciple ofMustafa Raza Khan Qadri
Influenced by
AwardsMufti-e-Azam Gold medal
Websiteallamaazmi.com

Qamaruzzaman Azmi (born 23 March 1946),[1] also known as Allama Azmi, is an Indian Islamic scholar, philosopher and speaker. He is president of the World Islamic Mission. From 2011 to 2021, he was listed in The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought due to his efforts to build organisations and institutions, mosques, colleges, and universities for over five decades.[2][3][4][5] He is the patron in chief of Sunni Dawat-e-Islami, an Islamic movement having branches around the world.

Life

Azmi was graduated from Al Jamiatul Ashrafia in 1966. He studied all Islamic sciences in depth with his honourable teachers. His grasp on Fiqh, Hadith and Tareekh is well known. He was commissioned in 1966 by Abdul Aziz Muradabadi to go Faizabad (near Lucknow) to start his missionary work. There at the age of eighteen years he established the Islamic university, Al-Jame-atul-Islamia.[6] He is also considered by some to be the spiritual heir of Mustafa Raza Khan, son of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi.[3]

On 7 August 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron, along with Faiths Minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, met Azmi.[7][8]

Islamic missionary activities

Azmi has helped to build organisations and institutions including mosques, colleges and universities in the United Kingdom, America, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Belgium and India.[9] These centers were established with his direct support and supervision.[10][11]

Bradford

Manchester

His continuous speeches helped become Jamat-e-Islami influenced, Southerland Mosque part of part the Sunni Barelvi. He also participated in the establishment of Masjid Noor-ul-Islam Bolton and in the establishment of Ghamkol Shariff Masjid at Birmingham.[13]

He participated in the construction of Masjid-e-Al Noor, Houston, America and in Islamic Center Chicago.

The World Islamic Mission's mosque in Oslo, Norway was established in 1980.[14]

Hejaz Conference

The 1985 Hejaz Conference at the Wembley Centre, London marked a watershed for Sunni Muslims which was attended by key religious leaders from around the world with the aim to discuss the barbaric treatment of Sunni pilgrims by Wahabi Saudi police and the ban in Saudi Arabia on Kanzul Iman the translation of the Quran by Imam Ahmed Raza. The Conference was widely covered by British Media and made a huge impact [16] which forced Saudi King Fahad and with in two years Saudi government allowed the Muslims of all movements/sects to perform the religious rituals in Makkah and Medina, according to their respective beliefs.[17][18] [19]

View about him

Times of India wrote about him, There are two kinds of Sunni Muslims in the world: those who have met or heard Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi and those who haven't. His lucid speeches peppered with repeated references to Quranic commandments and the life of the Prophet and his companions have a charismatic effect; they go straight to the heart. Unlike many rabble-rousing parochial preachers and Islam-supremacist televangelists Azmi uses words to calm nerves, close breaches and salve wounds.[20]

Jim Karygiannis M.P., House of Commons, Canada on 13 July 2002 awarded a certificate of commendation to Allama Azmi for his services and wrote: In my capacity as Member of Parliament it gives me great pleasure to commend the renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Qamaruzzaman Azmi.[21]

His views

Phillip Lewis quotes Azmi in his 1994 book Islamic Britain: Religion, Politics and Identity among British Muslims, that Islam and secular society can co-exist and "the widely shared perception that secular necessarily implies irreligion is simply wrong. In India, he contends, a secular state can offer security to Muslims since it is compatible with acknowledging that religion is important and, that in a religiously plural environment the state does not allow believers in one religious tradition to enjoy a privileged status. All are citizens with equal rights. Indeed, in India, Muslims are allowed to conform to their own Muslim family law".[22]

Azmi has opposed the practice of female genital mutilation.[23] Azmi also holds that Aisha, the wife of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, was an example of a strong and intelligent female role model.[24]

He has also opposed extremism and terrorism and argues that those who use the name of Islam for such acts are, in fact, Islam's enemies.[25] He endorsed a fatwa against Britons joining Islamic extremists.[26]

On the murder of British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, he said "we condemn this act of evil by people who are pure evil. There is no legitimacy for such evilness in Islam".[27]

He condemns the persecution of Christians and other non-Muslims, arguing that the perpetrators "are not Muslims because Islam teaches the importance of ensuring a good place in society for all people".[28]

His teachers

His teachers include following scholars.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ "His Eminence Allama Qamaruzzaman Khan Azmi is a prominent Islamic scholar", Hijaz Muslim College, archived from the original on 11 June 2021, retrieved 3 April 2020
  2. ^ The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, 2016 'The Muslim 500', The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan, http://themuslim500.com/profile/h-e-hazrat-allama-maulana-qamaruzzaman-azmi Archived 18 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World, pg. 116. Amman: Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.
  4. ^ "The Muslim 500 2011" (PDF).
  5. ^ "The Muslim 500 2021" (PDF).
  6. ^ Khalid Razvi (2011) Tajalliyat-e-Qamar, page 32, Mumbai: Raza Academy
  7. ^ Murtaza Ali Shah, Friday, 9 August 2013, 'PM Cameron helps prepare big iftar, listens to Muslim concerns', The News International, London
  8. ^ Muslim Mirror, 26 August 2013,'UK PM meets Hazrat Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi in Manchester', Muslim Mirror News, New Delhi, http://muslimmirror.com/eng/uk-pm-meets-hazrat-allama-qamaruzzaman-azmi-in-manchester/
  9. ^ Shahid Raza (2011) Tajalliyat-e-Qamar, page 19, Mumbai: Raza Academy
  10. ^ Allama Azmi: The Great Enabler of Islamic Institutions By Mohammed Khalid Razvi Nagauri,https://web.archive.org/web/20170409143727/http://allamaazmi.com/articles-3.asp
  11. ^ "His Eminence Allama Qamaruzzaman Khan Azmi – Hijaz Muslim College". Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Ibad Ur Rahman Trust". hsm.manchester.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Allama Azmi | Great Religious Leader of the 21st Century". allamaazmi.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Woman attempted to set fire to Oslo mosque". The Local Norway. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Wimnet – World Islamic Mission Canada". Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  16. ^ Guardian, London, page 4 Tuesday 7th May 1985
  17. ^ Dawn Karachi, Sunday March 20, 1987;
  18. ^ The Nation, Lahore, 29th March 1987
  19. ^ Daily Jang, Lahore, 29th March 1987
  20. ^ The Times of India 2nd November, Mumbai Edition 2010:
  21. ^ "Allama Azmi | Great Religious Leader of the 21st Century". allamaazmi.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  22. ^ Phillip Lewis (1994) Islamic Britain: Religion, Politics and Identity among British Muslims (p.127. London: I.B. Tauris.
  23. ^ Haseena Lockhat, Female genital mutilation: treating the tears, pg. 29. Middlesex University Press, 2004. ISBN 9781898253907
  24. ^ Women must lead the way: Clerics. Epaper.timesofindia.com (30 October 2010). Retrieved on 12 September 2013.
  25. ^ Mohammed Wajihuddin in The Times of India, THE PEACEMAKER – ‘Muslims have failed to PROJECT TRUE ISLAM’ – UK-based preacher Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi, who was in Mumbai this week, talks about terrorism, Islamophobia and his own peace mission
  26. ^ Winer, Stuart. "British imams put fatwa on Islamic State". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  27. ^ Richard Wheatstone, 16 September 2014, 'Hammond: We can't send in the SAS to rescue Alan Henning because we don't know where he is', Manchester Evening News, Manchester, http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/hammond-cant-send-sas-rescue-7780139
  28. ^ Le Mauricien, 16 August 2014 'La violence et la guerre n’ont rien à faire avec la pratique religieuse', Le Mauricien, http://www.lemauricien.com/article/allama-maulana-qamarruzaman-azmi-et-dr-waqar-azmi-la-violence-et-la-guerre-n-ont-rien-faire-
  29. ^ "Allama Azmi | Great Religious Leader of the 21st Century". allamaazmi.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

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