Badruddin Alhafiz: Dr. Badruddin Alhafiz, New Delhi

Dr. Badruddin Alhafiz (1935-2024) was a scholar of Arabic and Islamic Studies based in Delhi, India. He taught Islamic Studies and Arabic literature at Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi) and Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi).

Although his ancestral home is in Moradabad, U.P., Prof. Badruddin was born at Kasauli near Shimla, then in Ambala district of Punjab, as his father worked there. Orphaned at an early age, Badruddin moved to live with his uncles in Moradabad, where he studied at Shahi Madrasa, becoming a hafiz (memorizer) of Quran, and later, obtained the degree of Fazil at the Madrasa Darul Uloom at Deoband. In 1955, he came to Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, to study in the higher school and graduate college. Soon after, he was appointed the teacher of Islamic theology at Jamia’s primary school where he taught for almost 30 years.

Prof. Badruddin Receiving the President's Award
from Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1996.

During this period, he took time off to complete an M.A. in Arabic from Aligarh Muslim University in 1973 followed by a Ph.D. from the Delhi University. His Ph.D. thesis was about the development of modern Arabic novel in Egypt, which was supervised by Prof. Shiv Rai Chaudhri. With higher qualifications now, he was appointed the lecturer of Arabic in Jamia Millia’s Department of Arabic, where he spent the rest of his active career before briefly joining the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, as professor and head of the Arabic department, where he finally retired from. But the retirement did not keep him away from work. He continued teaching and writing in Urdu on a number of subjects. Prof. Badruddin has also been associated with the Tanzeem Abna-e qadeem Darul Uloom, Deoband (Old Boys Association), where he has been teaching modern Arabic literature to the students who have passed out from the Deoband madrasa.

In 1996, Prof. Badruddin was awarded the Indian President's Certificate of Honour for Arabic language. He participated in many conferences and seminars all over India.

See his short comment about author Al-Bairuni in a conference:

As an author, he started writing and publishing a set of textbooks on theology in Urdu title Islami Ma’loomat which was used in many primary schools including Jamia Millia. Later these textbooks were also translated into Hindi and English (as Primary Knowledge of Islam). He wrote several books on Arabic literature including those on authors like Najeeb Mahfooz, Taufiq al-Hakim and others novelists. Some of the listed publications below signify the diversity of topics he has written on. Many of these books are available for sale while some may be out of print. You may order these books by writing to us at ysaeed7@yahoo.com.

Islami Ma'loomat (4 parts)

Misr ke Mashhoor Afsane, Novel aur Drame (Nai Kitab Publishers, New Delhi, revised edition 2008, pp. 240).

Najeeb Mahfooz: Apni nigareshat ke ayeene mein (Maktaba Jamia, New Delhi, 1989, pp. 240).

Maqalat al-Hafiz (Qur'aniyat), (Maktaba Jamia, 1993)

Taufeeq al-Hakim: Navil nigari ka ek jayeza (Maktaba Jamia, New Delhi, 1997 - second print, pp. 112). Price Rs.45.
Also see this link: Taufiqul Hakim : Novel nigari ka ek jaiza

Tazkera Shaykh at-Tariqat Alhaj Azad Rasul saheb (Nai Kitab Publishers, New Delhi, 2007, pp.111). Price: Rs.30.

Siddique Akbar Raziallah Ta'ala. Ek abqari shakhsiyat (1998, pp.128)

Farooq-e Azam Raziallah Ta'ala. Ek abqari shakhsiyat (2003, pp.168)

Usman Ghani Raziallah Ta'ala. Ek abqari shakhsiyat (Maktaba-e Wahidiyah, Delhi, 2004) Price: Rs.100.

Hazrat Ali Raziallah Ta'ala. Ek abqari shakhsiyat (Maktaba-e Wahidiyah, Delhi, 2005) Price: Rs.140.
Also see this link: Hazrat Ali (R.A.) ek Abqari Shakhsiyat

Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa Raziallah Ta'ala Anha (Makkiah Books, New Delhi, 2010) Price: Rs.120.

Madarsa Ibtedayi ki Nazmein (Nai Kitab Publishers, New Delhi, 2008)

Ansari Saheb ka Chai-khana aur deegar Islahi mazameen (Islamic Book Foundation, Delhi, 2012) Price: Rs.120.

Shaykh ka Tarehdar Kurta aur Deegar Islahi mazameen
(Maktaba Jamia, New Delhi, 2014) Price: Rs.175.

Yadon ki Nagri (Sawaneh khud nosht) An autobiography, 2003, pp.304.