A LIFE OF KNOWLEDGE & SERVICE
A scholar whose work helped shape a movement.
Mufakkir-e-Islam Moulana Mohammad Anwar Shopaini was born in 1849. Remembered as an Islamic preacher, scholar and poet, he devoted his life to teaching the Qur’an and Sunnah and helped establish the Ahle Hadees movement in Jammu & Kashmir.
In 1897, he established Ghuraba Ahle Hadees at Zaldagar, Srinagar. The masjid became a historic centre for worship, learning and da‘wah, and Moulana Anwar Shopaini served as its first Imam and Khateeb.
His literary work was expressed through poetry as well as religious instruction. Academic research describes his writing across Kashmiri, Persian and Urdu and recognises his role in helping the Ahl-i Hadith movement take root in Kashmir.
Further reading: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society ↗