Maulana Qari Muhammad Suleman Qasmi, the longtime Imam and Khatib of the Jama Masjid on the Jamia Millia Islamia campus, has died after a prolonged illness. He passed away on Thursday at Max Hospital in Saket.
His funeral prayer was offered after Friday prayers at the Jamia mosque, following which he was buried at the Jamia Millia Islamia graveyard.
Decades-Long Association With Jamia
Maulana Qasmi had a decades-long association with Jamia Millia Islamia. Before serving as the Imam of the campus mosque, he taught Islamic Studies at the university.
He retired from teaching in 1977 and later continued to live near the mosque. Originally from Nuh in Haryana’s Mewat region, he was also known as Hazrat Aqdas among those familiar with him.
He was reportedly well known among students at Jamia and at other Delhi universities, including Malayalam-speaking students.
Role During CAA Protests
Maulana Qasmi was a prominent presence at Jamia during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019.
When Delhi Police entered the university campus during the protests, he reportedly used the mosque’s loudspeaker to appeal for peace. He also attempted to prevent police personnel from entering the mosque while students sought refuge there.
A report by the Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) on police action at Jamia between December 13 and 15, 2019, documented an alleged assault on Maulana Qasmi near the mosque gate.
According to the report, around 35 police personnel allegedly attempted to enter the mosque while pursuing students who had taken shelter there. Qasmi, his son and others reportedly tried to prevent the police from entering.
The report alleged that police personnel used communal slurs and beat Qasmi and others with batons during the confrontation.
Despite the incident, Qasmi continued to be associated with the campus mosque and remained a familiar figure to generations of Jamia students.
His death has been mourned by members of the Jamia community and former students who knew him during his long association with the university.
