By Mohammad Najeeb Qasmi (Riyadh)
Translated by Nehal Anwar Qasmi (Najran)
Edited by Faraz Abdul Moid
Mawlana Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Azami was born in Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India around 1930 AD (1350 AH). He graduated from a well-known Islamic seminary of the Indian subcontinent Darul Uloom Deoband in 1952 AD (1372 AH). Afterwards, he moved to Egypt and got the “Certificate of Ālimiyat with permission to teach” from Al- Azhar University in 1955 AD. The same year, he went to Qatar where he taught Arabic to non-Arab students and later became a librarian in the National Public Library there. As he had deep interest in the science of Hadīth, serving in the library helped him to work on various manuscripts of Hadīth.
In 1964 AD, Shaykh Azami joined Cambridge University, UK for PhD under the guidance of A.J. Arberry and Prof. R.B. Serjeant. His topic was “Studies in Early Hadīth Literature”. After completing his doctorate, he returned to Qatar and served as the director of the National Public Library for two years there.
In 1968, Shaykh Azami was appointed as Associate Professor at Umm al-Qura University, Makkah. In 1973 he joined King Saud University as Professor of Hadīth Sciences. He remained there until his retirement in 1991. From 1968 until his retirement, Shaykh Azami oversaw many research works on different subjects of Hadīth which were carried out by the students of both Umm al-Qura and King Saud Universities. He also served as member of various educational and research institutions across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Other Honorary Posts
Beside being Associate Professor at Umm al-Qura University and Professor of Hadīth Sciences at King Saud University, Shaykh has also held other honorary posts in Saudi Arabia and abroad as follows:
1. Chairman of the Dep. of Islamic Studies, College of Education, King Saud University.
2. Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA (1981-82).
3. Visiting Fellow of St. Cross College, Oxford, England (1987).
4. Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA (1989-91).
5. King Faisal Visiting Professor of Islamic Studies at Princeton University, New Jersey (1992).
6. Member of Committee for Promotion, University of Malaysia.
7. Honorary Professor, Dept. of Islamic Studies, University of Wales, England.
In 1980, Shaykh Azami received the prestigious King Faisal Award for his following works on Hadīth:
1. دراسات في الحديث النبوي وتاريخ تدوينه
Dirāsāt fil-Hadīth al-Nabawī wa Tārīkhu Tadwīnihi: Arabic translation of his doctoral thesis. In this book, Shaykh Azami has answered all the questions generally raised by the Orientalists to challenge the traditions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
2. صحيح ابن خزيمة
Sahīh Ibn Khuzaymah: This book has been compiled by Ibn Khuzaymah (ra). It consists of the authentic Ahādīth which were included by the authors of both Sahīh al-Bukhari and Sahīh Muslim. Shaykh Azami edited this book and got it published in four volumes.
3. Computerization of the text of Ahādīth: One of the Shaykh Azami’s important achievements is that he is the first who computerized the Arabic texts of the books of Ahādīth.
Scholars of the Indian subcontinent have the privilege to contribute to the science of Hadīth in all possible ways. That includes teaching Ahādīth, writing commentaries and books to defend their authenticity and transforming them into computerized books.
By editing books of Ahādīth and answering the objections of the Orientalists regarding the compilation of the Holy Qur’an and Hadīth, Mawlana Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Azami has served Islam at such a high level that even non-Muslim scholars of the world acknowledge his deep knowledge and insight into the science of Hadīth.
Although Shaykh Azami has lived in Saudi Arabia with his family for decades, yet he has not forgotten his motherland. He still keeps visiting India as his health permits and contributes in all the possible ways for the betterment of the people of his area. Shaykh Azami has a daughter named Fatima Mustafa Azami. She has completed M.Com and PhD from America and now she is an Associate Professor at Shaykh Zaid University. He also has two sons: Aqeel Mustafa Azami and Anas Mustafa Azami. The elder one, Dr. Aqeel, has completed his Master’s degree in Engineering and PhD from America and now he is an Associate Professor at King Saud University while the youngest son, Dr. Anas, holds a PhD from the UK and works in the King Faisal Specialist Hospital.
Brief introduction of Shaykh’s Academic Services
1. Studies in Early Hadīth Literature
It is the doctoral thesis of Shaykh Azami in the English language and is included in the syllabus of various universities in eastern and western countries. The first edition of this book was published in Beirut in 1968, and the second and third in America in 1978 and 1988, and still continues to be published. It was translated into Turkish and Indonesian languages in 1993 and 1994, respectively.
2. دراسات في الحديث النبوي وتاريخ تدوينه
It is the Arabic translation of his thesis and consists of 712 pages. Both books deal with the history of compilation of Hadīth and assert that the process of compilation of Hadīth began in the lifetime of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, not in the second or third century of the Hijri calendar as many people allege.
3. منهج النقد عند المحدثين نشأته وتاريخه
As the name suggests in this book Sheikh deals with the methodology of Scholars to measure Hadīth’s authenticity and non-authenticity. It proves that the criteria which scholars of Hadīth set to authenticate the collection of Ahādīth is of such a high level that has no example even in the present world exists to validate anything. This book is in the Arabic language and is included in the syllabus of Islamic University, Al-Madina Al-Munawwarah. Its first, second, and third editions were published respectively in 1975, 1982, and 1983 in Riyadh and is still being published by different publishing houses.
4. Studies in Hadīth Methodology and Literature
This book deals with the method and literature of Hadīth that helps comprehend the Ahādīth properly. It also replies to all the questions of Orientalists regarding authenticity of Ahādīth. Shaykh Azami has divided the book into two volumes. The first volume discusses the methodology, whereas the second one concentrates on Ahādīth from a literary perspective. This book is also a part of the syllabus in many universities and has gone into several editions.
5. The History of the Qur’anic Text from Revelation to Compilation (view here)
This book is one of the significant works of Shaykh Azami in which he describes the history of compilation of the Qur’an and highlights its authenticity over other divine books after making a detailed comparison between their methods of compilation. He also gives an elaborate account of the way Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit رضي الله عنه adopted to give a final shape to the Holy Qur’an. Unfortunately, this book has not yet been translated into Arabic or Urdu due to the declining health of Shaykh Azami. But during my meeting on 8th February, 2013 he expressed his desire that somebody should come ahead to translate it.
6. On Schacht’s Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence
This book presents detailed analysis and critique of the book of the noted Orientalist Joseph Schacht and gives convincing answers to all the questions raised by the author regarding Islamic Jurisprudence. This book also is a part of syllabus in various universities and has been translated into Turkish, Arabic, and Urdu languages.
7. كتاب النبي
Historians in general count 40 to 45 companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who were assigned to write on behalf of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, but Shaykh Azami has recorded with historical evidences in this book over 60 companions who used to write for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. The first edition of this book was published in Damascus in 1974, [then] in Beirut and Riyadh in 1978 and 1981. Now it has been translated into English and published.
8. المحدثون من اليمامة إلى 250 هجري تقريبا
There are many books available about the scholars of Hadīth from different cities of the world. But it is the only book dedicated to highlight the scholarly services of the scholars from the city of Yamamah.
9. موطا إمام مالك
It is one of the most reliable books of Hadīth which was written by Imām Mālik (ra). Shaykh Azami edited it and published it in 8 volumes. He has also worked on the ruwāt (narrators of Hadīth).
10. صحيح ابن خزيمة
As mentioned above, it is one of the important books of Hadīth by Ibn Khuzayma which comprises the most authentic Ahādīth after Sahīh al-Bukhāri and Sahīh Muslim. This book had vanished for a long period, some people even believing that it was no longer existent. It was Shaykh Mustafa Azami who first discovered the book and worked on it. Now it is available in 4 volumes. The first edition was published in Beirut in 1970, then the second and third editions in Riyadh and Beirut in 1982 and 1993. The work still continues to be published.
11. العلل لعلي بن عبد الله المديني
A book on the rijāl of Hadīth has been edited by Shaykh Mustafa Azami.
12. سنن ابن ماجة
A book of Hadīth which was edited and first computerized Shaykh Mustafa Azami. The idea of computerizing the books of Hadīth came to Shaykh’s mind when he was doing his PhD in Cambridge University. He even worked on some of them there.
13. مغازي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لعروة بن زبير برواية أبي الأسود
Hadrat Urwah bin Zubair, the renowned Tābi’ī, was the first to write a book on the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم biography named Maghāzi Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. This book was published in Riyadh in 1981 after Shaykh Azami’s critical review and analysis of the book. Maghāzi Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is also an obvious proof that the scholars of Islam started writing the biography of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم just after his death. Idārah Thaqāfat Islāmiah (Pakistan) published the Urdu translation of the book in 1987.
14. Manuscript of Sahīh al-Bukhāri
Mawlana Muhammad Mustafa Azami has the honor of editing the manuscript of Sahīh al-Bukhāri with additional footnote by various scholars which was […] discovered in Istanbul in 1977 AD.
In short, Mawlana Muhammad Mustafa Azami’s services toward Hadīth are very profound. They surround almost every aspect of the science of Hadīth. The most important of them is his work on Hadīth Literature and Methodology, critical analysis of Schacht’s Origin of Muhammadan Jurisprudence, History of the Qur’anic Text from Revelation to Compilation, scholarly reviews and editing of various collections of Ahādīth that would have otherwise remained unknown to the world, and the computerization of Hadīth texts. Most of his books are available online for free download.
May Allah grant us success in benefitting from his works and enhance our knowledge of Hadīth Science. Āmīn.
Courtesy of Deoband Online
Note: This article was edited for spelling, grammar, and style.
Comments are closed.