Zainul Abideen Azmi
Zainul Abideen Azmi was an Indian Islamic scholar, muhaddith, jurist, and writer associated with the Deobandi tradition. He was educated at Darul Uloom Deoband and remained engaged with the teaching, transmission, and study of hadith and related Islamic sciences for nearly six decades.
Azmi taught at a number of Islamic seminaries in different capacities, including advanced hadith instruction. In the later part of his career, he served at Mazahir Uloom Jadeed, Saharanpur, where from 1995 until his death he headed the Department of Specialisation in Hadith. He also authored and edited several works in Arabic and Urdu, particularly in the fields of hadith studies and biographical criticism.
Early life and education
Zainul Abideen Azmi was born on 30 October 1932 in Pura Maroof, Azamgarh district.He received his early education up to Sharh Jami between 1938 and 1948 at Madrasa Maroofia in his native village. He then pursued further studies up to Hidayah at Madrasa Ihyaul Uloom, Mubarakpur.
In 1949, Azmi enrolled at Darul Uloom Deoband, where he completed the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum and graduated in 1953. During his time at Deoband, he studied hadith and other Islamic sciences, and also received instruction in tajwīd, qirāʾāt, and iftāʾ.
His teachers at the Deoband seminary included Hussain Ahmad Madani, Izaz Ali Amrohi, Ibrahim Balyawi, Fakhrul Hasan Moradabadi, Naseer Ahmad Khan, and Mahdi Hasan Shahjahanpuri.
Under Shahjahanpuri's supervision, Azmi received practical training in iftāʾ between 1370 AH and 1379 AH, during which he drafted a number of legal opinions that were reviewed and issued with authorization; copies of these fatwas are preserved in the official iftāʾ registers associated with Shahjahanpuri.
Career
After completing his studies, Azmi began his teaching career in June 1953. He initially taught at a junior madrasa in Aminpur, Shasan (24 Parganas), and briefly at a maktab in Khalespur, Azamgarh. On the recommendation of his teacher Izaz Ali Amrohi, he then served for about a year at Madrasa Madinatul Uloom in Ikla Khanpur, Meerut district.Between 1955 and 1958, he taught at a senior madrasa in Gomaphulbari, Kamrup district, Assam, where he instructed advanced texts such as Tafsir al-Jalalayn and Mishkat al-Masabih. He later returned to his alma mater, Madrasa Ihyaul Uloom, Mubarakpur, where he taught Arabic studies until 1970.
During this period, in addition to his teaching responsibilities, Azmi also continued his juristic work at Madrasa Ihyaul Uloom, Mubarakpur, between 1379 AH and 1385 AH.
After spending a year with the Tablighi Jamaat, Azmi joined Madrasatul Islah, Sarai Mir, where he served for nearly eight years as Shaykh al-Hadith. He also undertook juristic work there during 1392–1393 AH.
In 1981, he moved to Darul Uloom Chhapi in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, and taught there for five years.
He subsequently served as Shaykh al-Hadith at Jamia Mazaharul Uloom, Varanasi, for over nine years, retiring from that institution in 1993. Following his retirement, he taught for two years at Darul Uloom Sabeelus Salam, Hyderabad.
In 1995, Azmi was appointed head of the newly established Department of Specialisation in Hadith at Mazahir Uloom Jadeed, Saharanpur, a position he held until his death in 2013.
Under his supervision at Mazahir Uloom Jadeed, Saharanpur, several major research projects were undertaken within the Department of Specialisation in Hadith. These included critical editions of works such as Abdul Ghani al-Azdi's al-Mu'talif wa al-Mukhtalif fī Asmā' Naqalat al-Ḥadīth and Mushtabah al-Nisbah, completed by postgraduate students of the department. In addition, the department carried out the critical edition of al-Rudani's Jam' al-Fawā'id min Jāmi' al-Uṣūl wa Majma' al-Zawā'id under his supervision, of which eight volumes have since been published.
Among those who benefited from his teaching and scholarly guidance at the Saharanpur seminary were Abdullah Maroofi, Muhammad Husayn, Abidur Rahman, Amanullah, Sagheer Ahmad Pratapgarhi, Khalid Saeed Mubarakpuri, Muawiya Gorakhpuri, Abdul Azeem Balyawi, Tariq Saharanpuri, Shamsur Rahman Mauwi, and Yusuf Gujarati.
Spiritual affiliation
In 1953, Azmi entered into a spiritual relationship with Hussain Ahmad Madani. After Madani's death, he later turned to Zakariyya Kandhlawi for spiritual guidance. In 1406 AH, he formally pledged allegiance to Abdul Jabbar Azmi Maroofi, from whom he was granted authorization within a short period.Personal life
Azmi was married three times. His first marriage took place in Shawwal 1369 AH, and his first wife died in 1385 AH. He remarried in the same year; his second wife died in 1405 AH. In Shaʿban 1406 AH, he entered into his third marriage.Literary works
Azmi's works include the following:Takmilah Imdād al-Bārī Wafayātu Man Yu'tamad Qawluhu fī al-Jarḥ wa al-Ta'dīl Al-Mughnī fī Ḍabṭ al-Asmā' li-Ruwāt al-Anbā'Death
Azmi died on 28 April 2013 in Poora Maroof, Mau district, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was survived by his wife, seven daughters, and two sons, Abu Ubaidah Azmi and Abdul Basit Qasmi.His death was noted and condolences were expressed by the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat at its meeting in New Delhi in September 2013.