Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Yousuf Shah is one of the distinguished personalities Kashmir has ever produced who performed a prominent role both on religious and political grounds in the history of Kashmir. He was born on 13 March 1892 at Rajouri Kadal in a highly dignified ‘Mirwaiz family’. His father, Mirwaiz Ghulam Rasool Shah was a popular leader who served the cause of Muslims in Kashmir to liberate them from the pit of ignorance and backwardness.
As expected, Mirwaiz grew in an educational environment, received primary education from his parents but sadly his father died when he was only 10 years old. Later, he was brought up by his uncles, Moulvi Ahmedullah and Moulvi Attiqullah Shah. Mirwaiz had strong affinity and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Consequently he left Kashmir with this intention of getting education elsewhere and, along with his close aide Moulana Meerak Shah, took admission in Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband, a well-known religious educational institute of the subcontinent. During more than 7 years at Deoband, Mirwaiz had the golden opportunity to dwell in close proximity with the great Kashmiri scholar Moulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri, the most revered teacher in the seminary at that time. His patronage was of paramount importance and also a prestige for Mirwaiz as a result of which Mirwaiz emerged as a young, dynamic fellow of the seminary.
After completing Darse-Nizami course, Mirwaiz left for Lahore wherein he obtained Moulvi Fazil degree from the University of Punjab. During his stay in Deoband, Mirwaiz had voluntarily participated in the Khilafat movement and after returning back to Kashmir in 1924, the passion was still reverberating in his heart and mind. This led him to start a door to door campaign in his hometown Srinagar. The campaign was intended to wipe out ill-customs and other social evils from the society. This was the beginning of a career of a reformer, political and social worker. He was made General Secretary of an association Anjuman Nusrat ul Islam, established by the late Mirwaiz Ghulam Rasool Shah in 1899, which played a vital role in educating people across the valley. The association also ran a Madrassa in Srinagar.
During the course of time Mirwaiz Moulana Ahmadullah passed away on April 3, 1931 and his brother Moulvi Attiqullah was not physically fit to take the reins as the Mirwaiz and therefore, Moulvi Muhammad Yousuf Shah was formally declared as Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir.
From 1924 to 1931, simultaneously on the political horizon of Kashmir history, some important changes took place, which stirred up the anti-Maharaja sentiment. This was soon followed by a state-wide mass movement against autocracy (Dogra regime). Mirwaiz indeed played a key role in galvanizing the rights movement of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who had been facing oppression at the hands of Dogra forces for last several decades. Mirwaiz, at the outset of the rights movement, led the Kashmiri Muslims in a judicious manner. He was the leading person in the list of seven member delegates who were nominated as envoys by the Kashmiri Muslims during a huge public gathering at Khanqah-e-Molla to hold negotiations with Dogra ruler regarding the rights of Kashmiri people. Besides Mirwaiz, the other prominent members of the delegation were Mirwaiz Hamdani, Shahab-u-Din, Ghulam Ahmed Ashai and Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah.
During a historic procession on 21st June 1931 at Khanqah-e-Molla, poignant speeches were delivered by the speakers against Dogra ruler’s anti-people policies. And when the proceedings were about to end, an unknown person who could not control his emotions rushed towards the dais and made a fiery speech against the autocratic ruler. He was immediately arrested by the Dogra forces. The young man was Qadeer Khan, who for his valiant role is being remembered with highest regards in the annals of Kashmir history. A sedition case was registered against this young man, several hearings took place and finally on 13th July 1931 thousands of people gathered in front of the Srinagar Central Jail, demanding right to attend his trial being held inside the jail. As they were not permitted, Dogra forces opened fire on the unarmed crowd and 22 Kashmiris were put to death. This violent episode proved out to be an important milestone in the popular liberation struggle.
Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah along with three other leaders and common people were arrested. Despite the Maharaja’s reluctance, the dead bodies of these valiant Kashmiri martyrs were brought to Jamia Masjid, wherein, the Mirwaiz announced that they would be buried with great dignity and honour in the premises of Naqashaband Sahib, the famous Sufi saint of Kashmir. To strengthen the rights movement and to launch a systematic struggle against Dogra regime, the first largest political organization, Muslim Conference, was finally established in 1932. Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was named as President and Chaudhry Ghulam Abass as General Secretary of the party. Sheikh was thrust on to the political scene by Mirwaiz only to later denounce the latter.
Being one among the pioneers of the Muslim Conference, Mirwaiz vehemently opposed Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s decision of converting Muslim Conference into National Conference and in mid-30s, he decided to segregate from the party. Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, the General Secretary of the Party did not oppose Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s decision of renaming the organization at that very time. But after some time when Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas became conscious of the game plan, he approached the Mirwaiz and requested him for revitalizing the Muslim Conference. Thus, the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference came into existence on 13th June 1941 with Chaudhry Ghulam Abbass as its president.
On September 06, 1947, Mirwaiz left for Lahore to meet Muhammad Ali Jinnah to apprise him of the worsening political situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir. After having a detailed discussion with Jinnah, Mirwaiz was about to return home when tyrant Maharaja banned his re-entry in the state. This forced exile, led the Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir to live rest of his life in Pakistan, unlike millions of expatriate Kashmiris and earned him the title Muhajir-e-Millat. In Pakistan, he remained fully engaged in political, religious as well as social activities. In 1949, he was appointed as the Education Minister in Pakistan-administered-Kashmir and in 1952, he was unanimously designated as president of the Muslim Conference. In the year 1956 Mirwaiz was elected as the president of PaK. He was the president of PaK twice, in the year 1952 and 1956.
In 1964 a high level delegation led by Mirwaiz visited some 22 European and Islamic countries, wherein he briefed the EU member countries and the heads of Muslim states about the genesis of Kashmir conflict and the historical struggle of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. In 1965, when Revolutionary Council was established in Indian administered Kashmir against India’s illegal occupation, the council nominated him as the spokesperson in Pakistan.
Besides fighting for the Kashmiris’ political rights he was fully engaged in spreading the message of Islam. He was friends with the great Muslim scholar Muhammad Asad who visited him frequently while writing the translation of Sahih al-Bukhari in Srinagar. He was a great religious scholar who had the honour to interpret the Holy Quran in native language (Kashmiri) Bayan-ul-Furqaan . Bayan-ul-Furqaan is the Kashmiri translation-cum-interpretation of the Holy Book widely available in markets. Pertinently, in recognition of his scholarly work, the government of Saudi Arabia got his work published and it still graces the libraries of the blessed land. Mirwaiz had this privilege to be the first ever Kashmiri religious scholar who had translated the Holy Quran in native Kashmiri language.
Mirwaiz was one of the standouts among the leaders of Kashmir who used all his strength for the betterment of his countrymen. He passed away on 7th December 1968 in Rawalpindi. He was buried at Upper Adda graveyard, opposite to the University Campus in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of PaK.
