Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad


Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad was an Indian Muslim scholar, who served as the List of Vice Chancellors of [Darul Uloom Deoband|vice chancellor] of the Darul Uloom Deoband for thirty five years. He was the Grand Mufti of the Hyderabad State from 1922 to 1925.

Early life and education

Ahmad was born in 1862 in Nanauta into the Siddiqi family; his father was Islamic scholar Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi. He attended Madrasa Manba-ul-Ulum in Gulauthi and then Madrasa Shahi in Moradabad. He later returned to Darul Uloom Deoband where he studied with Mahmud Hasan Deobandi. He studied parts of the Jami` at-Tirmidhi with Muhammad Yaqub Nanautawi and specialized in hadith with Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. He was a disciple of Imdadullah Muhajir Makki.

Career

At Darul Uloom Deoband, he taught Mishkat al-Masabih, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Sahih Muslim, Sunan ibn Majah for ten years, and served as vice chancellor for 35 years. His students included Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, Ubaidullah Sindhi, Hussain Ahmad Madani, Kifayatullah Dehlawi, Sayyid Asghar Hussain Deobandi, Qari Muhammad Tayyib, Muhammad Shafi, Manazir Ahsan Gilani and Syed Fakhruddin Ahmad.
Ahmad was honored with the title of Shamsul Ulama by the British Government of India, which he returned in 1920. He also served as the Grand Mufti of Hyderabad State from 1922 to 1925.

Death and legacy

Ahmad died on 18 October 1928 while travelling in a train near Nizamabad Junction railway station and was buried in a special graveyard Khitta-e-Salihin with the consent of Mir [Osman Ali Khan]. His son Qari Muhammad Tayyib was vice chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband for fifty years. His other son was Tahir Qasmi, the father of Pakistani qaris Shakir Qasmi, Waheed Zafar Qasmi and Zahir Qasmi.