Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari
Encyclopedia
Justice Diya al-'Ummah Hadhrat Shaykh Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari , Sitara-e-Imtiaz, (1918–1998) was an eminent Sheykh (Spiritual Master) of tariqa Chistiyya and an Islamic (Sunni) scholar from Pakistan
; a towering figure, he also served as a Judge
at the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan
and Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
.
Pir
Karam Shah is among the descendents of Hazrat Baha Ud Din Zakkariyya Multani
, who in turn was related to the Arab Habbari dynasty
of Sindh
, Habbari Sadat a sub tribe of Hashemite
(Hashemi Sadat). Pirs
of Bhera
are related to besides Pirs of Multan
to those of Pail-Piran in khushab,pirs of khara,chak misri,karooli,titral,sarkal,pir bachar,malmoola,plassi,arvari[ Abbotabad]Majority of pirs are setteled in PAIL [khushab]Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah began his education with the Qur'an and its memorisation in his home village of Bhera. From 1925 to 1929 he was a pupil at Muhammadiyya Ghawthiyya Primary School. He completed matriculation in 1936 at the Government High School Bhera. Between 1936 and 1941 he formally studied various Islamic sciences and disciplines with a number of different teachers and scholars.
In 1941, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah enrolled in the Oriental College Lahore for the Fadil ‘Arabi, which is equivalent to the modern day bachelor degree. He passed this in first division with a score of 512/600 and took the first position in the entire province of Punjab.
Shah took the course ‘Dawra-i Hadith’under Shaykh Na‘im ad-Din al-Muradabadi completing in 1943. In 1945, he completed his BA degree from the faculty of English Language at University of the Punjab
.
During the years 1946-47, Shah actively participated in the Pakistan movement along with his father through the Muslim League. Following Pakistan’s independence in 1947, Shah began teaching at his father’s institute at Bhera.
In 1951, Shah travelled to Egypt and in September enrolled at the University of Al-Azhar
. The following year he also enrolled in the Cairo University. At the University of Al-Azhar, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah studied for his MPhil degree in the faculty of Law and Jurisprudence (department of Judiciary) and the title of his thesis was ‘al-Hudud fi’l-Islam’, which was supervised by Dr. Ayyub ‘Ali. At Cairo University
, he studied Usul al-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence) and Arabic Literature. In 1954, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah returned to Pakistan after specialising in Judiciary at the University of Al-Azhar
and in Arabic Literature at Cairo University
.
Upon the death of his father in 1957, Shah became the head of ‘Dar al-‘Ulum al-Muhammadiyya al-Ghawthiyya (DMG) Bhera’ . Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah modernised the system of this institution, its syllabus and structure.
Shah was involved in the Pakistan independence movement of 1947 led by Muhammad ‘Ali Jinnah; the ‘finality of prophethood’ movement of 1974 (whose objective was to constitutionally recognise the Ahmadi/Qadiyani population as a non-Muslim minority in Pakistan and not to be included as Muslims); and the ‘Nizam Mustafa’ movement of 1977 opposing the ideas of Socialism presented by the government of Zulfqar Ali Bhutto of the Pakistan’s People Party. In 1970, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah began publishing the Ziya’i Haram Monthly, which is primarily a journal of Islamic Studies that presents articles and essays related to academia.
Due to his strong opposition to Zulfqar Ali Bhutto’s government, he was imprisoned for three months and his monthly journal was placed under the regulations of press censorship.
In June 1981 Shah began his judicial career at the Federal Shari‘a Court. Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah worked at this court for one year and three months. On 7 October 1982, he began serving in the Shari‘a Appellant Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah remained at this post till his death. In 1980 Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah was awarded the ‘Star of Distinction’ by General Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan.
In August 1988, upon the request of General Zia-ul-Haq, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah travelled to Geneva and defended the position of the government of Pakistan upon the issue raised by the Pakistani Qadiyanis at the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations. The Qadiyanis filed a complaint to the Commission that their human rights were being violated in Pakistan. After three days of continuous deliberations, thirteen out of fifteen judges at the Commission declared that the rights of the Qadiyanis were in fact not being violated by the Pakistanis or the government of Pakistan.
In 1990, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah founded the ‘al-Ghawthiyya Girls College’ in Bhera to cater for the educational and Islamic needs of the Muslim sisters in that part of the world.
On 6 March 1993, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah was awarded the ‘Decoration of Honour’ by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
- Ziya’ al-Ummat, Justice Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; a towering figure, he also served as a Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
at the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan
Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan
The Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan is a court which has the power to examine and determine whether the laws of the country comply with Shari'a law...
and Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...
.
Pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
Karam Shah is among the descendents of Hazrat Baha Ud Din Zakkariyya Multani
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, who in turn was related to the Arab Habbari dynasty
Habbari dynasty
The Habbari dynasty ruled Sindh from 841 to 1024 C.E. Sindh was a province of Abbasid Caliphate. During the struggle for dominance of the Islamic world between the Abassid and Fatimid Caliphate, Sindh became semi-independent under the Arab ruler Aziz al-Habbari in 841 CE, though nominally remaining...
of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Habbari Sadat a sub tribe of Hashemite
Hashemite
Hashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...
(Hashemi Sadat). Pirs
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
of Bhera
Bhera
Bhera is a city on the Jhelum river in Sargodha District, Punjab province of Pakistan. It lies at latitude 32.48 N, longitude 72.92.-Location:...
are related to besides Pirs of Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
to those of Pail-Piran in khushab,pirs of khara,chak misri,karooli,titral,sarkal,pir bachar,malmoola,plassi,arvari[ Abbotabad]Majority of pirs are setteled in PAIL [khushab]Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah began his education with the Qur'an and its memorisation in his home village of Bhera. From 1925 to 1929 he was a pupil at Muhammadiyya Ghawthiyya Primary School. He completed matriculation in 1936 at the Government High School Bhera. Between 1936 and 1941 he formally studied various Islamic sciences and disciplines with a number of different teachers and scholars.
In 1941, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah enrolled in the Oriental College Lahore for the Fadil ‘Arabi, which is equivalent to the modern day bachelor degree. He passed this in first division with a score of 512/600 and took the first position in the entire province of Punjab.
Shah took the course ‘Dawra-i Hadith’under Shaykh Na‘im ad-Din al-Muradabadi completing in 1943. In 1945, he completed his BA degree from the faculty of English Language at University of the Punjab
University of the Punjab
University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
.
During the years 1946-47, Shah actively participated in the Pakistan movement along with his father through the Muslim League. Following Pakistan’s independence in 1947, Shah began teaching at his father’s institute at Bhera.
In 1951, Shah travelled to Egypt and in September enrolled at the University of Al-Azhar
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
. The following year he also enrolled in the Cairo University. At the University of Al-Azhar, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah studied for his MPhil degree in the faculty of Law and Jurisprudence (department of Judiciary) and the title of his thesis was ‘al-Hudud fi’l-Islam’, which was supervised by Dr. Ayyub ‘Ali. At Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
, he studied Usul al-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence) and Arabic Literature. In 1954, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah returned to Pakistan after specialising in Judiciary at the University of Al-Azhar
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
and in Arabic Literature at Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
.
Upon the death of his father in 1957, Shah became the head of ‘Dar al-‘Ulum al-Muhammadiyya al-Ghawthiyya (DMG) Bhera’ . Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah modernised the system of this institution, its syllabus and structure.
Shah was involved in the Pakistan independence movement of 1947 led by Muhammad ‘Ali Jinnah; the ‘finality of prophethood’ movement of 1974 (whose objective was to constitutionally recognise the Ahmadi/Qadiyani population as a non-Muslim minority in Pakistan and not to be included as Muslims); and the ‘Nizam Mustafa’ movement of 1977 opposing the ideas of Socialism presented by the government of Zulfqar Ali Bhutto of the Pakistan’s People Party. In 1970, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah began publishing the Ziya’i Haram Monthly, which is primarily a journal of Islamic Studies that presents articles and essays related to academia.
Due to his strong opposition to Zulfqar Ali Bhutto’s government, he was imprisoned for three months and his monthly journal was placed under the regulations of press censorship.
In June 1981 Shah began his judicial career at the Federal Shari‘a Court. Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah worked at this court for one year and three months. On 7 October 1982, he began serving in the Shari‘a Appellant Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah remained at this post till his death. In 1980 Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah was awarded the ‘Star of Distinction’ by General Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan.
In August 1988, upon the request of General Zia-ul-Haq, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah travelled to Geneva and defended the position of the government of Pakistan upon the issue raised by the Pakistani Qadiyanis at the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations. The Qadiyanis filed a complaint to the Commission that their human rights were being violated in Pakistan. After three days of continuous deliberations, thirteen out of fifteen judges at the Commission declared that the rights of the Qadiyanis were in fact not being violated by the Pakistanis or the government of Pakistan.
In 1990, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah founded the ‘al-Ghawthiyya Girls College’ in Bhera to cater for the educational and Islamic needs of the Muslim sisters in that part of the world.
On 6 March 1993, Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah was awarded the ‘Decoration of Honour’ by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
Quotes
“If the flame of knowledge burns out then human contemplation is incarcerated by superstitions and nonsense.”- Ziya’ al-Ummat, Justice Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari.
External links
- http://www.zia-ul-ummat.com
- http://www.pirkaramshah.com
- http://www.karimia.com - in the article section of this site, there is an excellent autobiography on Pir Karam shah (RH)