The Shining Star of Bahraich in the Fields of Law and Literature: Professor Tahir Mahmood

The Shining Star of Bahraich in the Fields of Law and Literature: Professor Tahir Mahmood

Juned Ahmad Noor

Bahraich

The land of Syed Salar Masood Ghazi – the city of Bahraich – has, since ancient times, been a centre of knowledge and art. It has been blessed by the blood of martyrs and graced by the footsteps of saints. From Bahraich hailed Qazi Shamsuddin, who was the Qazi of the Delhi Sultanate during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmood, and Syed Ajmal Shah, the Sadr-e-Jahan of the Sharqi Sultanate of Jaunpur. This shows that Bahraich has been linked to interpreters of law since early times, and even after centuries this tradition continues. A prominent link in this chain is the distinguished legal scholar Professor Tahir Mahmood, who hails from our city Bahraich. He has served as Chairman of the National Minority Commission, member of the Law Commission of India, and Dean of the Faculty of Law, Delhi University. He is the author of dozens of legal books, many of which have been cited in the Supreme Court of India and other high courts.

Professor Tahir Mahmood’s father, the late Syed Mahmood Hasan of Bahraich, was a renowned lawyer and community leader. Tahir Mahmood was born on 6 September 1941 in Lucknow. He received his early education in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, English and religious studies at home. Later he studied at Azad College and Government Inter College. Three well-known poets of Bahraich — Saghar Mahdi, Shair Jamali, and Izhar Warisi — were his childhood friends.

He recalls:

“During my student days my movements were very limited: from home to school and back. I used to pass through the historic Clock Tower every day on foot. My father would go to Jhinga Ghat for morning walks, and I often accompanied him. On one side of our house was the Jama Masjid and on the other the Fatima Masjid. I used to go to the small mosque for Fajr and Maghrib prayers, and to the Jama Masjid for Friday prayers. Occasionally I visited the Dargah Sharif with my father, although neither he nor I were devotees. In front of the Government College there was a vast ground where fairs and poetry symposiums were held, which I also attended. My interest in poetry began early, and on my mother’s passing I wrote my first poem. The noted humourist poet Shauq Bahraichi had been my father’s clerk, and Shafeeq Barelvi was the Principal of Azad College while my father managed it. These two gentlemen greatly influenced my literary taste and poetic inclinations. After high school I studied in Lucknow and Gorakhpur. In 1960 I passed my law exams and returned to Bahraich, where I trained in law under Basant Rai Bhandari. But my interest in poetry and literature was far greater than in law. Around that time I hosted a Na‘tiya mushaira. When the news of Jigar Moradabadi’s death arrived, I organised a ‘Shaam-e-Jigar’ in the Imam Bara at Syed Wara and hosted it myself.”

For higher legal studies, he went to Aligarh and London. On returning to India he settled in Delhi and engaged in teaching and research at various institutions. He also served at high positions in five government institutions: the National Minorities Commission, National Human Rights Commission, Justice Ranganath Misra Commission, Law Commission of India, and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language. Since 2003 he has been Chairman of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Amity University, which he himself established, continuing his teaching and research activities.

Professor Tahir Mahmood has written many books in Urdu and English on different aspects of law, and has been a regular columnist in leading newspapers. The Supreme Court of India and other high courts have cited his books in several judgments.

Books in Urdu

1. Muslim Personal Law ke Tahaffuz ka Masla (1972)

2. Hayat-e-Mahmood (1977)

3. Dil ki Hikayatein (1998)

4. Jurrat-e-Rindana (2001)

5. Taaza Hain Mere Waredat (2005)

6. Qissa-e-Dard Sunate Hain (2009)

7. Hum Dasht Mein Detay Hain Azaan (2011)

8. Kis Se Munsifi Chaahein (2019)

9. Mera Junoon Urdu (2024)

E-Books published by Al Ihsan Academy Bahraich

1. Qissa-e-Chahar Darwesh

2. Safarnama-e-Bahraich

3. Chamanistan Bahraich (a prose and poetic tribute to the fatherland)

He has been honoured with numerous awards, including the Shah Waliullah International Award for outstanding services to Islamic law; an international award from the USA for promoting religious freedom; the Best Law Teacher of India Award; and the Asiatic Society’s Gold Medal Award for scholarly work on the interface between law and society.

On 29 October 2023 he launched Dr. Sufiyan Ahmad Ansari’s book on the late poet Ibrat Bahraichi in Bahraich, where Al-Ehsan Academy also presented him with deed of houner.

Professor Tahir Mahmood has also composed several poems about his beloved city Bahraich. Some of his selected verses:

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Poem 1

Meri Hayat ka har pal ‘ataaye Bahraich

Mere dukhon ka madaawa dawaaye Bahraich

Awadh ki shaam Banaras ki subah ho sadqe

Ke ek jahan se juda hai adaaye Bahraich

Qudoom-e-Sayyed Salar ka khazeena hai

Hai noor-e-Haq se munawwar fazaaye Bahraich

Hai ilm o fun ki riwayaat ka ameen yeh shehar

Adab-nawaaz hai yaaro hawaaye Bahraich

Main Rajdhani mein reh kar yahin to sota hoon

Hai roz lori sunati nawaaye Bahraich

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Poem 2 

Nepal ki sarhad pe woh ek bazm muzayyan

Woh shehar Awadh Sayyed Salar ka madfan

Dargahon ka takiyon ka masajid ka woh gulshan

Arwaah-e-Saeeda ke mazaraat ka maskan

Is shehar ke ek goshe mein woh apna nasheman

Uske dar-o-deewaar woh daalaan woh aangan

Khushboo se mehkay hue kamron ki sajawat

Darwazon pe aavezaan woh tehzeeb ki chilman

Woh noor mein malboos buzurgon ki namazen

Shafqat bhare lehjon ka barasta hua saawan

Yaadon ke jharokon mein saja aaj talak hai

Aaghosh mein us ghar mein guzaara hua bachpan

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Other couplets (Roman Urdu)

Rehmat-e-Haq ke karishme hain meri taqdeer mein

Nusrat-e-Khair-ul-Bashar shaamil meri tadbeer mein

Jurrat-e-Rindana bakhshi hai mujhe Allah ne

Maslehat koshi nahin milti meri tehreer mein

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Purani qadron par hum gaamzan hain

Ghanimat hai ke sargarm-e-sukhan hain

Hamaare baad dhoondhein ge humein sab

Hum apni zaat se ek anjuman hain