Badrul Hasan Qasmi (; born 8 March 1955) is an Indian Islamic scholar, jurist, and writer noted for his contributions to Arabic and Urdu scholarship. He began his career at Darul Uloom Deoband, where he taught Islamic sciences and edited the Arabic fortnightly Al-Daie (1976âÂÂ1982). He later joined the Kuwait Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs as a researcher and chaired the review committee for the Urdu edition of the Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence. A founding member and later vice-president of the Islamic Fiqh Academy (India), he has represented it at various international conferences. His works in Arabic and Urdu address Islamic jurisprudence, maqÃÂá¹£id al-sharëÿah (objectives of Islamic law), QurþÃÂnic exegesis, and modern intellectual issues.
Badrul Hasan Qasmi was born on 8 March 1955 in the village of Reorha in Darbhanga district, Bihar. He received his primary religious instruction at the local maktab and later continued elementary Arabic and Islamic studies at Jamia Rahmania, Munger.
He subsequently enrolled at Darul Uloom Deoband, completing the fazëlah (traditional advanced course) in 1972 and a specialization in fiqh and iftÃÂþ (jurisprudence and issuing legal opinions) in 1973. He later earned a doctorate in Islamic studies from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi; his doctoral research examined maqÃÂá¹£id al-sharëÿah (objectives of Islamic law).
Qasmi began his academic career at Darul Uloom Deoband in 1397 AH / 1976 CE, where he taught fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), tafsër (QurþÃÂnic exegesis), and Arabic language and literature.
In the same year, Darul Uloom launched its Arabic fortnightly magazine Al-Daie. Initially edited by Wahiduzzaman Kairanawi, its editorial responsibilities were soon handed to Qasmi owing to KairanawiâÂÂs increasing institutional duties. He served as editor from 1976 to 1982 (1397âÂÂ1402 AH), during which Al-Daie became a major Arabic-language platform representing DeobandâÂÂs academic and reformist thought.
After leaving Darul Uloom in 1982, Qasmi moved to Kuwait and joined the Kuwait Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, where he worked as a researcher in Islamic jurisprudence and served as Chairman of the Review Committee for the Urdu edition of the Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence. Between 1984 and 1990, he produced programmes for Kuwaiti Radio and served as imam and khatib at the Anas bin Malik Mosque. He also contributed to translation and editorial projects linked to the Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World.
In October 2009, he attended the release ceremony of the Urdu translation of Al-MawsuâÂÂah al-Fiqhiyyah (Encyclopaedia of Islamic Jurisprudence) in New Delhi, jointly organised by the Islamic Fiqh Academy (India) and the Kuwait Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. While working with the MinistryâÂÂs research and fatwa committees, he occasionally translated Urdu legal documents for Arabic fatwas. One such example appears in al-Durar al-Bahiyyah min al-Fatawa al-Kuwaytiyyah (vol. 8, pp. 220âÂÂ222).
He remained connected with Indian Islamic institutions and was appointed vice-president of the Islamic Fiqh Academy (India) in 2002. In 2006, Qasmi was appointed a member of the Constituent Council of the Muslim World League.
In 2008, he represented the Academy at the Doha Conference on Muslim Minorities, organised by the International Union of Muslim Scholars and reported by Al Jazeera Arabic. In 2009, he attended the Riyadh meeting of heads and secretaries of international fiqh councils, highlighting King Abdullah bin AbdulazizâÂÂs reform initiatives and their contribution to Muslim unity. He currently serves as president of Al-Mahad al-Aali fil Qaza wal Ifta in Patna, India.
Qasmi has presented research papers, delivered lectures, and participated in academic and radio programmes in both India and Kuwait. In May 2025, he participated in the 26th session of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (OIC) held in Doha, presenting an Arabic research paper on "Artificial Intelligence â Its Nature, Scope, Shariah Rulings, and Ethical Regulations".
According to the Islamic Bibliography Info Repository at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar), Qasmi continues to serve with the Kuwait Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs as a senior researcher in Islamic jurisprudence. The database lists him as Chairman of the Translation Committee for the Fiqh Encyclopedia and credits him with several works on contemporary fiqh, maqÃÂá¹£id al-sharëÿah, and QurþÃÂnic studies.
He has been cited by international media as a recognised Islamic scholar and commentator on contemporary issues, including by Voice of America (Urdu) in 2021.
In a 2014 visit to India, Qasmi addressed gatherings at Darul Uloom Waqf Deoband and Jamia Imam Muhammad Anwar Shah in Saharanpur. In his speech, he referred to Islamic seminaries as "the strong fortresses of Islam" and emphasized that madrasa graduates should uphold peace and present the true image of Islam through their learning and conduct.
At a seminar of the Islamic Fiqh Academy (India), he emphasized the need to link Islamic legal rulings (fatwas) with the higher objectives of Shariah (maqÃÂá¹£id al-sharëÿah) to ensure coherence and relevance. In his keynote paper, International Issues and the Objectives of Shariah, he highlighted that the five universal objectivesâÂÂprotection of faith, life, intellect, property, and honourâÂÂform the foundation of justice, rights, and peaceful coexistence in Islam.
In a 2022 interview with ETV Bharat, Qasmi emphasized that not every scholar is authorized to issue legal opinions (fatwas) in Islam. He clarified that the media often misrepresents scholarsâ personal opinions or institutional statements as fatwas, which, he said, is incorrect. He stressed that only those who have undergone formal training in Islamic jurisprudence are qualified to issue fatwas, and that misuse of this term by unqualified individuals leads to public confusion and harm.
Qasmi has authored and edited a number of works in Arabic and Urdu, including critical editions, collections of essays, and studies on contemporary jurisprudence and Islamic thought. His notable works include:
Qasmi translated into Arabic one of the Urdu treatises of Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, which was published under the title Al-Kawn Yashhad bi-Wujà «d al-IlÃÂh () in 1399 AH / 1979 CE.
In addition to these books, Qasmi has published numerous research papers and articles on theology, law and literature in both Arabic and Urdu. Many of his writings were first published in periodicals and later compiled into volumes. His contributions to Arabic journalismâÂÂparticularly through Al-DaieâÂÂplayed an important role in disseminating the academic and literary output of Darul Uloom Deoband to the Arab world. His research primarily focuses on Islamic jurisprudence and applied fiqh, as reflected in his work with the Islamic Fiqh Academy (India) and the Ministry of Awqaf in Kuwait.