Bhargava1920 at 05:47, 12 March 2026

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{{Short description|Indian Islamic scholar and Sufi (1924–2017)}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| honorific_prefix = Maulana
| name = Muhammad Azhar Nomani
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1924|7|7}}
| birth_place = Rathos, [[Madhubani district]] (then [[Darbhanga district]]), [[Bihar and Orissa Province]], British India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2017|5|13|1924|7|7}}
| death_place = [[Ranchi]], [[Jharkhand]], India
| resting_place = Kadru Graveyard, Ranchi
| nationality = Indian
| religion = [[Islam]]
| denomination = [[Sunni]]
| jurisprudence = [[Hanafi]]
| movement = [[Deobandi]]
| occupation = Islamic scholar, Sufi
| alma_mater = [[Darul Uloom Deoband]]
| teachers = [[Hussain Ahmad Madani]]
| students =
| office1 = Rector, Madrasa Husainia, Ranchi
| term1 = 1958–2017
| predecessor1 = Founding rector
| successor1 = Muhammad Qasmi
}}

'''Muhammad Azhar Nomani''' (7 July 1924 – 13 May 2017), also known as '''Maulana Azhar Ranchwi''', was an Indian Islamic scholar and Sufi. He was a student and authorised disciple (khalifa) of [[Hussain Ahmad Madani]]. In 1958, he co-founded Madrasa Husainia in Kadru, [[Ranchi]], where he served as rector until his death. He also held leadership positions in [[Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind]] and was a member of the [[Majlis-e-Shura]] of [[Darul Uloom Deoband]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chishti |first=Seema |date=2011-02-01 |title=The reticent clerics wholl decide Maulana Vastanvi8217;s fate |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/the-reticent-clerics-who-ll-decide-maulana-v/ |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Muhammad Azhar Nomani was born on 7 July 1924 in Rathos, [[Madhubani district]] (then part of [[Darbhanga district]]). His father, Sharafuddin, was also an Islamic scholar and had established Madrasa Mahmood al-Uloom in Damla, Madhubani district.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=May–June 2017|editor-last=Bijnori|editor-first=Muhammad Salman|editor-link=Salman Bijnori|last=Khalili Qasmi|first=Muhammadullah|author-link=Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi|title=Wafiyāt: Rukn-e Majlis-e Shūrā Ḥaẓrat Maulana Azhar Sahib Ranchi kā intiqāl|trans-title=Obituary: Maulana Azhar Sahib of Ranchi, Member of the Majlis-e Shura, Passes Away|url=https://darululoom-deoband.com/urduarticles/archives/2580 |journal=[[Monthly Darul Uloom]]|language=ur|volume=101|issue=5–6|page=108}}</ref>

He received his early Arabic education at Madrasa Mahmood al-Uloom, Damla, and at Miftahul Uloom, [[Mau]]. In 1950, he enrolled at [[Darul Uloom Deoband]] and graduated in 1953.{{Sfn|Khalili Qasmi|2017|p=108}}

In 1374 AH (1954), he studied [[Sahih al-Bukhari]] under [[Hussain Ahmad Madani]]. His classmates in the hadith program included [[Mujahidul Islam Qasmi]] and [[Abdul Haq Azmi]].<ref name="Diary">{{cite book |last=Hardoi|first=Tayyib Qasmi|title=Darul Uloom Diary (Lail o Nahar): Faizan e Shaykhul Islam Number|publisher=Idara Paigham e Mahmood|location=[[Deoband]] |date=2015|pages=74–75|language=ur}}</ref>

== Career ==
After completing his studies, he spent several years travelling with his teacher [[Hussain Ahmad Madani]] and received authorization for spiritual initiation and succession from him.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Khalili Qasmi |first=Muhammadullah |author-link=Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi |url=https://archive.org/details/darul-uloom-deob-ki-jamey-wa-mukhtasar-tareekh-edition-2/page/n74/mode/1up |title=Darul Uloom Deoband Ki Jame O Mukhtasar Tareekh |trans-title=Comprehensive and Concise History of Darul Uloom Deoband |publisher=Shaikh-Ul-Hind Academy |edition=2nd |date= October 2020 |location=India |language=ur |oclc=1345466013 |page=669}}</ref>

He moved to Ranchi in 1956 and taught children at the local Jama Masjid. On 29 April 1958,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-14 |title=दिल का दौरा पड़ने से कडरू मदरसा के मौलाना अजहर का निधन |trans-title=Maulana Azhar of Kadru Madrasa passed away due to a heart attack. |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/jharkhand/ranchi/story-maulana-azhar-passed-away-due-to-heart-attack-1102706.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=[[Hindustan (newspaper)|Hindustan]]|language=hi}}</ref> he co-founded [[Madrasa Hussainia, Kadru|Madrasa Hussainia]] in Kadru, [[Ranchi]], with Muhammad Fakhruddin Gayawi and remained its rector throughout his life. Alongside the establishment of the madrasa, he founded more than one hundred maktabs in the surrounding region, many of which later developed into formal madrasas.{{Sfn|Khalili Qasmi|2020|p=669}}

From 1413 AH (1992) until his death, he served as a member of the [[Darul Uloom Deoband]] Majlis-e-Shura. Through Darul Uloom Deoband and [[Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind]], he remained active in educational, religious, and social initiatives.<ref name="Millat">{{Cite web |date=2017-05-13 |title=معروف عالم دین مولانا ازہر رانچوی کا انتقال، علمی و ملی حلقوں میں شدید غم کی لہر|trans-title=Renowned religious scholar Maulana Azhar Ranchi passes away, sparking a wave of grief in academic and national circles|url=https://urdu.millattimes.com/archives/12331 |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=[[Millat Times]] |language=ur}}</ref>

He also served as a member of the working committee and vice-president of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, and as joint president of Jamiat Ulama Bihar and Jharkhand. After Jharkhand became a separate organisational unit in 2009, he served as president of Jamiat Ulama Jharkhand until his death.{{Sfn|Khalili Qasmi|2020|p=669}}

== Death and legacy ==
Muhammad Azhar Nomani died on 13 May 2017 (16 Sha'ban 1438 AH) in [[Ranchi]]. His funeral prayer was led the following day by [[Mahmood Madani|Mahmood Asad Madani]], and he was buried at Kadru graveyard.<ref name="Zikr">{{Cite book|last=Mansoorpuri|first=Muhammad Salman|author-link=Salman Mansoorpuri|title=Zikr-e-Raftagāñ|publisher=Al-Markaz al-ʿIlmī li al-Nashr wa al-Taḥqīq|location=Lalbagh, [[Moradabad]]|pages=501–502|date=April 2020 |chapter=Hazrat Maulana Azhar Sahab Ranchi|url=https://archive.org/details/1_20240124_20240124_1615/%D8%B0%DA%A9%D8%B1%20%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA%DA%AF%D8%A7%DA%BA%203/page/501/mode/1up |volume=3|language=ur}}</ref><ref name="Obaidullah">{{Cite web |last=Qasmi |first=Obaidullah |date=2025-01-31 |title=حضرت مولاںا ازھر صاحب علیہ الرحمہ کی شخصیت اور ان کی خدمات|trans-title=The Life and Contributions of Maulana Azhar Sahib|url=https://khabaronly.com/%d8%ad-flourism/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213065756/https://khabaronly.com/%D8%AD-flourism/ |archive-date=2025-02-13 |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=Khabar Only |language=ur}}</ref>

According to [[Mahmood Madani]], a large number of people attended the funeral, with visitors continuing to arrive at the cemetery from noon until evening.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-05-25 |title=مولانا ریاست علی بجنوری اور مولانا محمد ازہرکی وفات دارالعلوم دیوبند اور جمعیۃ علماء ہند سمیت ملت اسلامیہ کابڑا خسارہ : مولانا محمود مدنی |trans-title=The death of Maulana Riyasat Ali Bijnori and Maulana Muhammad Azhar is a great loss to the Islamic nation, including Darul Uloom Deoband and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind: Maulana Mahmood Madani |url=https://urdu.news18.com/news/nation/north-india-maulana-mahmood-madni-on-maulana-riasat-ali-bijnori-death-217348.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241201213028/https://urdu.news18.com/news/nation/north-india-maulana-mahmood-madni-on-maulana-riasat-ali-bijnori-death-217348.html |archive-date=2024-12-01 |access-date=2026-02-26 |work=[[News18 Urdu]] |language=ur-IN}}</ref>

He was survived by five daughters and three sons—Ahmad, Muhammad Qasmi, and Asjad—each of whom became Islamic scholars. Following his death, Muhammad Qasmi was appointed rector of Madrasa Husainia, having previously served as deputy rector since 1996.<ref name="Obaidullah" />

== See also ==
* [[Madrasa Hussainia, Kadru]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nomani, Muhammad Azhar}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Deobandis]]
[[Category:Darul Uloom Deoband alumni]]
[[Category:People from Madhubani district]]
[[Category:People from Ranchi]]
[[Category:Indian Sufis]]

Muhammad Azhar Nomani - Revision history

Bhargava1920 at 05:47, 12 March 2026