# Mehdi Hasan Aini Qasmi

Mehdi Hasan Aini Qasmi is an Indian Islamic scholar and social activist. He is the founder and director of India Islamic Academy, Deoband, and the president of Tanzeem Abna E Madaris, Deoband. He has been active in religious education, humanitarian efforts, and social reform. His work includes advocacy for madrasa education, campaigns for simple and affordable weddings, and COVID-19 relief initiatives. He has also been involved in media-related activism and discussions on the political challenges faced by marginalized communities in India.

## Biography

Mehdi Hasan Aini Qasmi, originally from Nasirabad, Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, completed the Aalim and Faazil programs and earned a postgraduate degree in Islamic Science from Darul Uloom Deoband.
He is the Founder & Director of India Islamic Academy, Deoband (IIAD) and serves as the President of the Deoband Alumni Federation and Tanzeem Abna E Madaris.
He is also associated with the Abna-e-Madaris Welfare Educational Trust and the Social Reform Committee (UP) under the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

## Career and activities
### Academic discourse

Qasmi has discussed madrasa education in India, stating that its prevalence increased after the exclusion of Islamic education during British rule, leading to the establishment of independent religious institutions. He believes that madrasas played a role in resisting colonialism, citing Darul Uloom Deoband as an example. Additionally, he highlights that many madrasas provide free education, making them accessible to students from lower-income backgrounds.

### Relief work

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Qasmi played a role in providing aid to affected communities. He and his team established a helpdesk that arranged hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, and free medical counseling. They also worked to counter misinformation about the disease, assisting over 5,000 people and arranging more than 2,000 oxygen cylinders and medicines.
Additionally, he led large-scale relief efforts, distributing over 200,000 ration kits and meals. He collaborated with medical institutions and welfare organizations to set up a COVID-19 help desk, which provided medical supplies and facilitated hospital admissions for over 150 patients.

### Social reforms

Qasmi has actively campaigned for simple and affordable weddings, opposing extravagant expenses. As a member of the Social Reform Committee of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), he promotes the Aasaan wa Masnoon Nikah campaign, which encourages simple weddings and discourages dowry practices.
In February 2019, he led a delegation to areas affected by toxic liquor, meeting with affected families and discussing measures to prevent alcohol consumption in local communities.

### Activism

In 2017, following the lynching of Junaid Khan, protests were held across India. Some individuals wore black armbands during Eid al-Fitr prayers as a symbolic gesture against mob violence. Qasmi commented that mob lynching was becoming a serious issue and described the armbands as a peaceful form of protest. He also sought religious guidance from Darul Uloom Deoband regarding the permissibility of wearing black armbands. While no written ruling was issued, some scholars reportedly conveyed over the phone that there was no prohibition on this practice.
In March 2018, Qasmi criticized statements made by Waseem Rizvi that linked madrasas to terrorism and called for their closure. He filed a formal complaint against Rizvi, alleging that his remarks could incite communal tensions and disrupt public order. Letters were also sent to the Director General of Police (DGP) Uttar Pradesh, the Supreme Court, the Allahabad High Court, and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), urging legal action.
Following the 2019 Pulwama attack, Qasmi and a group of madrasa students organized a candlelight march in Deoband to honor the fallen soldiers. The participants strongly condemned terrorism and called for a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy rather than politicization of such incidents. He also demanded financial compensation for the families of the deceased soldiers.