Shah Ahmad Shafi (; 5 April 1930 – 18 September 2020) was a Bangladeshi Sunni Islamic scholar, the chief of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Rector of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari and also the chairman of

Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board Wifaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh (, ) is the largest Qawmi madrasa education board in Bangladesh. it was founded in April 1978 after a seminar of Islamic scholars. This organization of Qawmi madrasa, Qawmi Madrasas of Bangladesh is also known ...

. He was born in 1930 in

Rangunia Rangunia is a town in Chittagong District Chittagong District (), ( Chatgaiya: Sitang/Chatga), officially Chattogram District, is a district located in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Division. Due to its geographica ...

Chittagong Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...

and was educated at Hathazari Madrasah and

Darul Uloom Deoband Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic university and seminary ( darul uloom) in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, India, at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. Established in 1866 by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Fazlur Rahman Usmani, Sayy ...

Early life

He was born on 5 April 1930 in

. He received his primary education from his family. Then he joined Al-Jamiatul Arabiatul Islamiah Ziri. He was admitted to

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Al-Jāmiʿah al-Ahliyyah Dār al-ʿUlūm Muʿīn al-Islām (), popularly known as the Hāṭhazārī Madrasah () or the Great Madrasah (), is a Qawmi institution of Hathazari, located in Bangladesh's Chittagong District. Established in 1901, it ...

in 1941 (1344-45 AH) at the age of 10. In Hathazari Madrasah he studied for 10 years. Then Shafi went to

for higher studies in the field of

Hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

and

Tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

. He was a renowned Islamic scholar in Bangladesh.He studied there for four years before returning to his homeland Bangladesh. During his study time at Darul Uloom Deoband he became close to Hussain Ahmad Madani and later he became his youngest official successor from Indian subcontinent. Ahmad Shafi was the leader of Hifazat-E-Islam Bangladesh, (a non-political Islamic organization).

Career

Ahmad Shafi commenced his career as a teacher at Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari, Chittagong (''Hathazari Madrasah''). In 1986/1987 (1407 AH), he was elected rector (Head of the University Madrasah) of ''Hathazari Madrasah''. Shafi was also the chairman of

. Shah Ahmad Shafi was to continue to serve as the director general of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam, also known as Hathazari Madrasa, as decided by Majlis-e-Shura. "No one will be appointed as the acting rector of the madrasa as long as Shafi is alive," Press Secretary of the Hefazat chief, Munir Ahmed said.

Views

In 2009 (1430 AH), Ahmad Shafi, Azizul Haque, and other

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work./ref> are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ...

scholars A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a terminal ...

, in a joint statement to the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Sheikh Hasina Wazed, condemned terrorism and militancy committed in the name of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

Controversy

2013 comments

In 2013, a speech given by Ahmad Shafi at

Hathazari Hathazari () is an upazila of Chattogram District in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. Geography Hathazari is located at . It has a total area of 246.32 km2. The main river is Halda River, Halda. It is surrounded by Fatikchhari Upazila on t ...

was described as highly misogynistic. He reportedly said: "Why are you sending your daughters to work in garment factories?... She goes to work after Fajr at 7/8:00am and does not come back even at 8/10/12 at night... You do not know which man she is hanging out with. You do not know how much zina (

fornication Fornication generally refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people who are not married to each other. When a married person has consensual sexual relations with one or more partners whom they are not married to, it is called adu ...

) she is getting involved in." The comments caused outrage among women's rights activists who demanded his imprisonment.

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina (''née'' Wazed; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. Premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Her ...

, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh termed the statement "disgusting" and "distasteful".

Alleged relationship with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami

Although the Awami League described him as a frontman for

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh. The origin of the party can be traced back to the original faction founded by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi in 1941. The predecessor of Jamaat which is known as Ja ...

, analysts say this is highly unlikely as Ahmad Shafi belonged to a band of Islamists that unlike Jamaat, did not oppose the

independence of Bangladesh The independence of Bangladesh was Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence, declared from Pakistan on 26 March 1971, which is now celebrated as Independence Day (Bangladesh), Independence Day. The Bangladesh Liberation War started on 26 March ...

, and supported a united India and rejected the

creation of Pakistan The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation th ...

in 1947.

Death

He was suffering from various complex diseases of old age including Diabetes and heart disease for years. On 17 September 2020 midnight, Shafi was brought by ambulance from Hathazari Madrasah to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) as his physical condition deteriorated. He was later admitted to the 6th bed of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the 3rd floor of the hospital as his pressure and pulse rate decreased. A medical board was formed on the morning of 18 September 2020, who suggested he should be moved to Dhaka for better treatment. On the advice of doctors, the family members took him to Asgar Ali Hospital in Dhaka by air ambulance at 4.30 pm for better treatment. Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh leader Mufti Mohammad Faizullah confirmed that he died at 6pm on Friday.

Works

Urdu

* ''Faizu-l-Jaari'' (Explanation of Bukhari) * ''Al-Bayaanu-l-Fasil Baina-l-Haqqi wa-l-Baatil'' * ''Al-Hujaju-l-Qaatiah Li-daf-yin Nahjil Khatiah'' * ''Al-Khairu-l-Katheer Fee Usuli-t-Tafseer'' * ''Islam o Siyaasat'' * ''Izhar-e-Haqeeqat'' * ''Takfeer-e-Muslim'' * ''Chand Raoyejna'' * ''Fuyoozat-e-Ahmadiyah''

Bengali

* '' An Open Letter from Shah Ahmad Shafi to the Government and the Public'' * ''Haq O Batiler Chiranton Dondo'' * ''Islami Ortho Bebostha'' * ''Islam O Rajniti'' * ''Sotter Dikhe Korun Ahoban'' * ''Sunnat O Bid'ater Sothik Porichoy'' * ''Mukhosh Ummochon'' * ''Qur'aan o Sunnat er Alokay Apnar Namaaj''

References

External links

*
The rise, fall and legacy of Bangladesh's Islamic figurehead
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shafi, Ahmad Bangladeshi Islamic religious leaders 1930 births 2020 deaths Deobandis 20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Sunni Islamic movements People from Chittagong District Bangladeshi Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Darul Uloom Deoband alumni Darul Uloom Hathazari alumni 20th-century Bengalis 21st-century Bengalis Director general of Darul Uloom Hathazari Shaikhul Hadith of Darul Uloom Hathazari Disciples of Hussain Ahmad Madani Bengali Muslim scholars of Islam 21st-century Urdu-language writers 20th-century Urdu-language writers Bengali writers Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh Amirs Burials at Jamia Cemetery Chairman of Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh Standing Committee member of Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh Chairman of Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh