Shaykh Ahmad Fahmy Zamzam Nadwi al-Maliki (1959-2021)
Translated by Syed Huzaifah Ali Nadwi, Cambridge
This morning (Saturday 23rd Rabi’ al-Awwal 1443 AH, or 10/30/2021), I received news of the passing of Sheikh Fahmi Zamzam al-Banjari al-Maliki Nadwi. Certainly we belong to God and to Him we shall return. As unexpected and shocking as an earthquake, the news shook me. This sudden loss caused my heart to weep, filling me with grief and sorrow. He was like a stationed prince, content, falling in martyrdom in the midst of battle.
He was born June 1959 in Amuntai, south of Kalimantan, Indonesia, and received his early education at the local Dar al-Salaam school. He then joined Dar al-Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in 1980, where he obtained a certificate of ‘aalimiyyah in 1983 and a certificate of specialisation in Arabic literature in 1987. In 1988, he travelled to Makkah where he was granted Ijazah from Sheikh Al-Musnad Muhammad Yassin Al-Fadani, and Sheikh Muhammad bin Alawi Al-Maliki, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Then he returned to his country an honest preacher and glorious scholar, upholding the heavenly covenant honestly and performing great deeds with nothing short of great nobility. He worked as a teacher at the Institute of Islamic Education in Drang Bekdah, and in 2001, he founded the Noor al-Hidaya residential school in some cities of Kalimantan. He then founded two other schools by the same name, frequenting Indonesia and Malaysia to teach and educate students, filling positions of the highest scholarship. He had the trust of scholars writing and translating books on the noble ahadith into the Malaysian language.
I knew him since his days as a student at Dar al-Uloom Nadwatul Ulama. He was diligent, fluent in the Arabic language and proficient in the sciences. He followed the Shafi’i school in fiqh with moderation, as is the approach of the scholars of Nadwa, but added the title of al-Maliki to his name, out of love and loyalty for his Shaykh Muhammad bin Alawi al-Maliki.
He was the true representative of Dar al-Uloom Nadwatul Ulama to Indonesia and Malaysia and he made the people of knowledge from Nadwa proud. After we parted ways, communication between us continued. When I visited Malaysia about ten years ago, I wanted to visit him but he was in Indonesia at that time. As it was not possible, we spoke on the phone regretting the missed opportunity.
Al-Salam Institute in London had intended to hold a training course for students in Kuala Lumpur in April of 2020 so Sheikh Fahmy Zamzam called and expressed his great pleasure and desire to spend time with me; however, the program was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. We kept in touch and when he learned of the publication of my book (Introduction to Sahih Al-Bukhari) he congratulated me on it and stated his eagerness to acquire a copy.
He has done much good work in Indonesia and Malaysia and many students have benefitted from him. He gave them his full attention and was described as having good morals, gentleness, nobility of soul, humility and as someone who provided sincere advice. I knew only good about him.
With his passing, a void has appeared which will not be filled anytime soon. Nadwatul Ulama is heavy with sadness due to this great loss. The greatest calamity is the death of one who leaves none like him behind.
