Sheikh Khalid Hafiz
Encyclopedia
Sheikh Khalid Hafiz was an India
n-born Imam
who served as the senior religious advisor to the New Zealand
Muslim
minority over 1982 to 1999.
, was born in Mubarakpur
, India
, and grew up in the twilight years of the British Raj
. As a youth he witnessed the partition of India
and Pakistan
in 1947. He attended the Ehyal ul Oloom in Mubarakpur
and received further education at Darul Uloom Deoband
, before furthering his studies in Fiqh
(Islamic jurisprudence) at the Islamic University of Medina
, Saudi Arabia
, between 1962 and 1967. After graduation he was posted to Ghana
to work as a teacher at the Muslim Mission there for 14 years.
In 1981 the Saudi charity Darul Ifta appointed Sheikh Hafiz to be Imam
for the Wellington
Muslim community in New Zealand
, in response to a request by the “International Muslim Association of New Zealand”. He was soon after appointed senior spiritual advisor to the newly created national Muslim organisation in New Zealand
, the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ).
for the capital Sheikh Khalid Hafiz played an important role in the development of both the local urban Muslim
community and the broader New Zealand
Islamic minority the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike the fluctuating elected members of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Islamic Associations (FIANZ), Hafiz attended almost all their meetings over nearly two decades. He also attended and helped facilitate the first national Quran recitation competitions; encouraged and participated in interfaith dialogue with local Christians and Jews
; and persistently preached tolerance and kindliness.
Sheikh Hafiz went on Hajj
nine times and spoke English
, Arabic and Urdu
. He also provided important spiritual and religious guidance and leadership to the growing Muslim
community - especially in areas without full time ulema
- that often required lateral thinking and patience. In June 1996 he gave an important sermon prohibiting the use of the intoxicant Kava
amongst New Zealand
Muslims, which was later disseminated across the country and posted on mosque notice boards.
During the 1990 Iraq war the Newtown
Islamic Centre was dubbed with graffiti and the Mayor
of Wellington
, Jim Belich, publicly apologised to local Muslims and appealed for calm. When Sheikh Hafiz showed journalists the property damage on 21 August an agitated neighbour, Craig Macfarlane, accosted the humble Imam
, abused Saddam Hussein
of Iraq
and threatened both the Imam
and local Muslims with violence. The incident was captured by a New Zealand Herald photographer and a television cameraman, and became an iconic image of the Iraq war in New Zealand
, used by other media subsequently. “Peacelink”, the magazine of the New Zealand
peace movement, used it for the front cover of their October 1990 issue.
suburb of Rongotai
at the age of 61. Over 200 people attended his funeral and he was remembered in the local newspaper obituary as “an imam as imams should be, but rarely are.”
“Sheikh Khalid’s impact spread wider than New Zealand and on his death messages of sympathy were received by Wellington Muslims from the Muslim World League and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth as well as Muslims in Fiji and Australia. There were also condolences from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well as the embassies of Iran and Turkey in Wellington.”.
After his demise the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) was obliged to replace the one man with an entire board of ulema
. His son-in-law, Sheikh Mohammed Amir, has served as Imam
of Wellington
ever since..
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-born Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
who served as the senior religious advisor to the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
minority over 1982 to 1999.
Career
Sheikh Khalid Hafiz, son of Qazi Athar MubarakpuriQazi Athar Mubarakpuri
- Biography :Maulana Qazi Athar Mubarakpuri at Mubarakpur, Azamgarh U.P. India, he has written many articles and books on the history of the early Muslims in India and the Arab world he was presented the highest literary award for the Arabic language in India and has been awarded many awards from...
, was born in Mubarakpur
Mubarakpur
Mubarakpur is a city and a municipal board in Azamgarh district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located at a distance of 13 km north-east of the district headquarters in Azamgarh.The place is famous for the manufacture of Benarasi saris, which are also very popular and exported to...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and grew up in the twilight years of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. As a youth he witnessed the partition of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
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...
in 1947. He attended the Ehyal ul Oloom in Mubarakpur
Mubarakpur
Mubarakpur is a city and a municipal board in Azamgarh district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located at a distance of 13 km north-east of the district headquarters in Azamgarh.The place is famous for the manufacture of Benarasi saris, which are also very popular and exported to...
and received further education at Darul Uloom Deoband
Darul Uloom Deoband
The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic school in India where the Deobandi Islamic movement was started. It is located at Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It was founded in 1866 by several prominent Islamic scholars , headed by Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi...
, before furthering his studies in Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
(Islamic jurisprudence) at the Islamic University of Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, between 1962 and 1967. After graduation he was posted to Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
to work as a teacher at the Muslim Mission there for 14 years.
In 1981 the Saudi charity Darul Ifta appointed Sheikh Hafiz to be Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
for the Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
Muslim community in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, in response to a request by the “International Muslim Association of New Zealand”. He was soon after appointed senior spiritual advisor to the newly created national Muslim organisation in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ).
The Imam
As the ImamImam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
for the capital Sheikh Khalid Hafiz played an important role in the development of both the local urban Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community and the broader New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Islamic minority the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike the fluctuating elected members of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Islamic Associations (FIANZ), Hafiz attended almost all their meetings over nearly two decades. He also attended and helped facilitate the first national Quran recitation competitions; encouraged and participated in interfaith dialogue with local Christians and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
; and persistently preached tolerance and kindliness.
Sheikh Hafiz went on Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
nine times and spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Arabic and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. He also provided important spiritual and religious guidance and leadership to the growing Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community - especially in areas without full time ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
- that often required lateral thinking and patience. In June 1996 he gave an important sermon prohibiting the use of the intoxicant Kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
amongst New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Muslims, which was later disseminated across the country and posted on mosque notice boards.
During the 1990 Iraq war the Newtown
Newtown, New Zealand
The suburb of Newtown lies in the southern part of Wellington in New Zealand. The population at the last census was recorded as 8,409.The suburb lies east of Vogeltown, between Mount Cook and Berhampore...
Islamic Centre was dubbed with graffiti and the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Jim Belich, publicly apologised to local Muslims and appealed for calm. When Sheikh Hafiz showed journalists the property damage on 21 August an agitated neighbour, Craig Macfarlane, accosted the humble Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, abused Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and threatened both the Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
and local Muslims with violence. The incident was captured by a New Zealand Herald photographer and a television cameraman, and became an iconic image of the Iraq war in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, used by other media subsequently. “Peacelink”, the magazine of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
peace movement, used it for the front cover of their October 1990 issue.
Death
Sheikh Khalid Hafiz died in the WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
suburb of Rongotai
Rongotai
This article discusses the Wellington city suburb of Rongotai. For the article about the New Zealand parliamentary electorate of the same name see Rongotai ...
at the age of 61. Over 200 people attended his funeral and he was remembered in the local newspaper obituary as “an imam as imams should be, but rarely are.”
“Sheikh Khalid’s impact spread wider than New Zealand and on his death messages of sympathy were received by Wellington Muslims from the Muslim World League and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth as well as Muslims in Fiji and Australia. There were also condolences from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well as the embassies of Iran and Turkey in Wellington.”.
After his demise the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) was obliged to replace the one man with an entire board of ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
. His son-in-law, Sheikh Mohammed Amir, has served as Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
ever since..
Literature
- Bob Shaw, “An imam ‘as imams should be, but rarely are’ ” in The Evening Post (16 December 1999), page. 5.
- “NZ Muslims threatened over Gulf crisis” in The New Zealand Herald (22 August, 1990), page.1.
- “Peacelink” (October 1990), page. 1.
- Charles Mabbett, “Fasting and Feasting” in City Voice (2 March, 1995), page.4.
- Drury, Abdullah, Islam in New Zealand: The First Mosque (Christchurch, 2007) ISBN 978-0-473-12249-2