[Shaikh Ziaur Rahman Azmi, one of the greatest scholars of Islam in recent times, breathed his last in Madinah on July 30, 2020. His Obituary was published in our Issue No. 19 dated 9-15 August 2020. To read the Obituary, please click http://radianceweekly.in/portal/issue/muslims-observe-eid-al-adha-amid-unwarranted-covid-related-restrictions/article/shaikh-zia-ur-rahman-azami-1943-2020/]
Tell us in brief about Ziaur Rahman Azmi’s reversion to Islam.
His village was about 15 kms from Azamgarh and a few kms from Bilariaganj in Uttar Pradesh. He was born in a dhobi (washerman) family which has a very low position in the caste system of India. His brother had a laundry opposite to the dispensary of Hakeem Ayyub Sb in Bilariaganj. Thus, Ziaur Rahman came in contact with Hakeem Sb, who provided him with books on Islam, including Satya Dharm (Hindi version of Syed Abul Ala Maudoodi’s Deen-e-Haq). This book and the personality of Hakeem Sb ignited a thought process for search of the truth. At that time, he was a student of Shibli College Azamgarh where he came in contact with Master Abdul Hakeem, a teacher who was regularly arranging Darse Qur’an, where this young man was one of the regular attendees. All these things culminated into a firm decision for him to accept Islam. And he reverted.
What was the reaction of his family members and what events unfolded thereafter?
They were furious. His parents and other family members tried their level best to discourage him and bring him back to the faith of the family he was born in. But to no avail. He was firm in his decision, come what may. The dhobi community took a hard stance against him; either come back to their faith or be executed. Once when they were about to implement their plan to kill him, he was able to slip from their clutches. To avoid their hot pursuit, he went to Rampur and then to Kakrala in Uttar Pradesh. There he became a tutor of Hindi for his living and a student of Urdu. His yearning for further studies was noted by his well-wishers, particularly Hakeem Sb, who had become his guardian for all practical purposes. He was admitted to Jamiatul Islamia Oomerabad in Tamil Nadu. Hakeem Sb continued to remit pocket money to him and take care of him in all respect.
When did you come in contact with him?
I vividly remember that I, after my reversion to Islam, arrived in Bilariaganj to seek admission in Jamiatul Falah. It was 26th January, 1966, and I was introduced to Ziaur Rahman by Hakeem Sb in his dispensary. That year he had come from Oomerabad and had led Eid prayers and given sermon in Jamiatul Falah. A great number of non-Muslims, including his family members, had gathered then to witness this rare phenomenon, in their views, of a son of a low caste, as low as a dhobi, leading thousands of Muslims in prayers and giving them sermon. He was then a guest of Hakeem Sb.
We know he went from Oomerabad to Madinah. How did this happen?
This should have happened in normal course because the first five toppers from the seminary were admitted to Madinah University. He was entitled on this count. But something else happened and some less-eligible person got this opportunity in his place. Such things do happen, even in seminaries. Ziaur Rahman was dejected. However, his well-wishers, including Hakeem Sb and Maulana Hamid Ali approached Muhammad Yusuf, then Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. His case was referred to Madinah University and he was admitted there on the basis of a direct application. At that time the renowned Islamic scholar, Abdullah ibn Baaz, was a teacher in Madinah University. Ziaur Rahman became one of his disciples.
He completed his studies from Madinah, went to Makkah and to Al-Azhar for completion of his studies. He was able to get citizenship of Saudi Arabia, a rare event. The recommendation of Muhammad Yusuf Sb and his association with Shaikh Bin Baaz, played positive roles in this.
Tell us something more in depth your relationships with him?
We had many things in common; we were both of same age-group who had reverted to Islam and were students of Islam at that time. Further, Hakeem Ayyub Sb was the guardian of both of us. Our relationship grew in due course of time. In fact, a week before his death he called me and said that he saw me in a dream in a very happy mood, engaged in my academic activities. He wished that both of us would meet in the Day of Resurrection and that we both, in Sha Allah, would be bestowed with the shafa’ah (intercession) and company of Muhammad ﷺ. So, it was a life-long relationship, and we hope this will restart hereafter and remain live for ever thereafter, Amen.
At several stages in my life, when I was financially constrained, he offered, rather arranged, to help, which I politely declined. Whenever he came to India, he was my guest. When I visited Makkah for Hajj, I was his guest. Whatever he wrote in Hindi, the matter was edited by me and my staff here. Further, we provided material for his book introducing Hinduism in the Arabic language. So, it was personal, mental and academic relationship, a friend, rather a brother, in the real sense.
His parents did not revert to Islam. However, how was his relationship with them?
Undeterred by the refusal of his parents to revert to Islam, he served them at his best. As we know, rights of parents have no bearing on their faith. They have to be served, irrespective of their faith. And, there is no compulsion in religion. He took care of their financial needs, offered them first to settle in Jeddah which they declined. Thereafter, he requested them to settle in Delhi, but they were not willing to leave their village. Both in Jeddah and Delhi his plan was to purchase a flat for their accommodation and arrange for fulfilment of all their needs. He visited India almost every year to meet them. He only once came to India after their demise. Ziaur Rahman was true to the requirement of his faith towards parents.
He wrote some books on Islam in Hindi including an Encyclopaedia. How would you rate his work in Hindi?
He was not good in Hindi. He wrote some articles in Hindi while he was studying in Oomerabad. We edited them and a collection of those articles has been published. Further, we were very much involved in editing his work on Encyclopaedia of Islam in Hindi. That is a detailed and useful work. However, its usefulness is restricted by one factor. He has only described the Islamic practices and approaches from salafi school of thought, ignoring any other school of Islamic jurisprudence. His commitment to salafi thought deterred him to do so. So, that can be described both as a qualification and a limitation of this monumental work in Hindi. He will be remembered for his works in the Arabic language, while those in Hindi will simply be described as additional information.
How should the world remember him as a person?
He was a fine and thorough gentleman; always willing to help others and serve everyone who came in contact with him. A hard-working and serious research scholar who was totally committed to his academia. A good scholar, a good teacher, a good friend, and, above all, a good Muslim. May Allah accept all these virtues that we know and forgive any weakness that He knows and bestow His kindness on the departed soul, Amen.