Of all the majestic and sweeping monuments that evoke and characterize the noetic and spiritual life of South Asia, there can be hardly a name that evokes something of quite the same degree of reverence and awe as that of Hazrat Malik Zafaruddin Bihari. He is a scholar, spiritual leader, and a towering figure in the propagation of Sunni Islamic thought. Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari’s contributions to religious education and Islamic scholarship continue to influence scholars and students across generations. This disciple and spiritual successor of the world-famous Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi left behind a huge legacy in life, testifying to the ardent commitment that marked the revival and preservation of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah tradition.
Early Life and Education
Born on 10 Muharram 1303 AH (19 October 1886 AD) in the village of Rasoolpur situated near Bihar Sharif in the Nalanda district of Bihar, Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari belonged to a distinguished lineage of scholars and spiritual heads. His great-grandfather, Hazrat Malik Ibrahim Baya (died 1353), had come to India in the time of Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and his descendants became an integral part of the rich Sufi tradition which was flourishing in the region. During Hazrat Malik Ibrahim Baya’s period, the greats who used to visit included Hazrat Syed Ahmed Jajneri, Hazrat Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri, and Hazrat Syed Ahmed Charamposh Suhrawardi.
Zafaruddin was possessed of extraordinary acuteness in his mind since childhood. His father, Malik Abdul Razzaq Ashrafi Bihari, was his first instructor of Arabic and Persian. Zafaruddin entered the prestigious Madrasa Ghausiyya Hanafiyya when he was 12 years of age and came under the tutelage of Wasiuddin Ahmed Muhaddis-e-Surti. He received his formative religious education here, and that would go on to mould him into one of the most influential Islamic scholars of the time.
Spiritual Connection with Imam Ahmed Raza
This was in 1903 when Zafaruddin became a mureed (disciple) after a visit to Bareilly Sharif of the great Islamic scholar and Mujaddid Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi. Imam Ahmed Raza, who is recognized as the founder of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah movement and who remains the champion of the Hanafi school of thought and was not only a beacon of intellect but also a spiritual guide for thousands of his students and disciples like Zafaruddin Bihari.
Indeed, the influence of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi on Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari was profound. Theirs was a bond of intellect as well as spirituality, like Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Hazrat Ameer Khusraw or Hazrat Shaykh Sharfuddin Ahmed Yahya Maneri and Hazrat Muzaffar Shams Balkhi- a bond that could never be broken. Imam Ahmed Raza Khan even wrote a Sher in Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari’s praise, which said:
“Mere Zafar Ko Apni Zafar De, Isse Shikastein Khatein Yeh Hain”
This poetic utterance reveals how he would regard his disciple highly how the mastery of Zafaruddin Bihari on the religious scholarship of his age was the rich legacy to be remembered.
Academic Activities
His vast knowledge regarding various Islamic sciences gave a plus to his already renowned scholarship. He was particularly renowned for his expertise in Ilm al-Tawqith, a science of determining the precise moments for Salat (Namaz), a highly exact science, involving stringent computation and much astronomical knowledge. He had already obtained considerable reputation among the ulama. To be frank, Imam Ibn Hajar Makki Shafi’i has, in his monumental work, Zawazir, referred to this science and given an important place in Fiqh.
Regarding his formal academic passage, Zafaruddin Bihari did his schooling at some of the most renowned institutions of the land. Upon completing his education at Madrasa Ghausiyya Hanafiyya, he moved to Madrasa Manzar-e-Islam in Bareilly Sharif, which was the foundation of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan himself. He sat under the wings of many of the sharp minds of the hour, such as Hazrat Hamid Raza Khan and Hazrat Mustafa Raza Khan.
Teaching and Mentorship
Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari did more than turn into a scholarly writer for him. He was an ardent educator who groomed the minds of thousands of students. He taught in many prestigious institutions in India. In the year 1912, Hazrat entered the faculty of Madrasa Islamia Shamsul Hoda located on Ashok Rajpath in Patna. His tenure there lasted till 1916; it is reported that the place was considered to be of vital importance for the establishment of the Madrasa Board in Bihar.
In 1916, he joined, on the request of Hazrat Syed Shah Malih-ud-din, to teach at Madrasa Khanquah-e-Kabeeriya, in which he stayed until 1920. Respect and following amongst his students gradually increased his stature in the Islamic scholarship world. Upon returning to Madrasa Islamia Shamsul Hoda, he was reinstated into teaching duties and continued as Shaykh al-Fiqh and Shaykh al-Hadith, educating students in the science of Hanafi jurisprudence and Hadith.
Another outstanding thing about Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari was his involvement in forming the curriculum for institutes of Islam; and it is generally believed that this provided a basis for the Madrasa Board of Bihar. In 1947, Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari was appointed Shaikh al-Kul to Madrasa Islamia Shamsul Hoda and taught there until 1951.
Jamia Latifiya Bahar-ul-Uloom’s Management
In 1953, Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari responded to the call of Hazrat Syed Shah Shahid Hussain of Katihar and established Jamia Latifiya Bahar-ul-Uloom, which became the beacon of Islamic learning in Bihar. He remained the first president of the Jamia till 1960.
Literary contributions
Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari was a prolific writer who, in his lifetime produced over 100 books. His writings generally dealt with jurisprudence about Islam, Hadith and biography writings in support of the Hanafi Fiqh. The main work, Sahih-ul-Bihari, is a monumental compilation of over 9,000 hadiths arranged into six parts. It explained and promoted the principles of the Hanafi school of thought and has, therefore, become a landmark work in Hanafi jurisprudence.
Other notable contributions of Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari include,
- Hayat-e-Aala Hazrat: The first biography of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, which continues to be an important source for understanding the life and legacy of the Mujaddid of time.
- Fatawa Malik-ul-Ulama: An anthology of the verdicts of Zafaruddin Bihari, generally known as Nafi’ul Bashar Fi Fatawa Zafar, which is quite helpful till today for the scholars and students of the shari’ah.
- Mazhar-ul-Manaqib and Islah-ul-Dawah: These were great classics employed in rejection of falsehood and elimination of wrong concepts in society, especially against the book ‘Idwah’ of Deobandi scholar from Bihar Sharif.
Legacy and Passing
Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari’s contribution to Islamic thought and education was unparalleled and resonates in the academia and spirituality of South Asia up to date. He passed away at his residence Zafar Manzil in Patna on 18 November 1962 AD. On his death, his funeral prayer was presented by Hazrat Shah Ayyub Abdali Shahidi Rashidi Islampuri. He was laid to rest within the precincts of a Dargah at Shahganj, Patna.
The influence of Hazrat Zafaruddin Bihari on Islamic education, his uninterrupted adherence to the Hanafi school of thought, and his guidance on spirituality for countless people insured that his legacy was implanted firmly in religious scholarship for generations in South Asia.
Conclusion
Hazrat Malik Zafaruddin Bihari was not just a scholar; he was an inspirational guide for his fellow men and the future scholars of Islam. His was a life that epitomized the coherent conciliation of scholarship and piety, marked by inputs in Islamic jurisprudence, Hadith studies, and the training of countless students. Being a disciple as well as the spiritual heir of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, he inspires devotees who walk on the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah tradition.
