His doctoral thesis was titled Muslims in India: a political analysis (from 1885–1906).
He was called to the bar from Lincoln's Inn in England.
Zakaria practised law in Mumbai, where he was appointed Chief Public Prosecutor.
He spent over 25 years in public service, including some time as a cabinet minister in state government of Maharashtra and later as a Member of the Indian parliament.
He served as deputy to Indira Gandhi, the leader of the Congress Party, in the Lok Sabha.
1920
Rafiq Zakaria (5 April 1920 – 9 July 2005) was an Indian politician and Islamic religious cleric.
He was closely associated with the Indian independence movement and Indian National Congress party.
He was known for his advocacy of traditional Islam.
Zakaria, a Konkani Muslim from Maharashtra, was an alumnus of Ismail Yusuf College, Mumbai.
1948
He won the Chancellor's Gold Medal in the MA examination of University of Mumbai and in 1948 received a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
1962
Zakaria contested the first election of the newly created Maharashtra state in 1962, from Aurangabad, and was elected to Maharashtra assembly.
He was made Minister for Urban Development in the new ministry.
It was under his guidance that planning for New Aurangabad was initiated.
1965
Zakaria represented India abroad, including at the United Nations in 1965, 1990 and 1996.
He was Chancellor of the Jamia Urdu, Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), and President of Maharashtra College in Mumbai.
1970
The responsibility for the new city was given to CIDCO which started development in the 1970s.
He founded a number of schools and colleges in his constituency.
These included a women's college of arts and sciences and the Indian Institute of Hotel Management, which is now known as the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad (IHM-A).
The Maulana Azad Education Trust Aurangabad operates multiple educational institutions.
His many books include A Study of Nehru (ed.), The Struggle Within Islam, Muhammed and the Quran, The Price of Partition, and Communal Rage in Secular India.
Zakaria mostly wrote on Indian affairs, Islam and British imperialism.
His works include:
He had earlier worked for the News Chronicle and The Observer in London, United Kingdom.
Zakaria also penned a bi-weekly column for the Times of India newspaper.
Zakaria was married twice.
He was the father of four children by his two wives:
