Muhammad Karam Shah was born on 1 July 1918 at Bhera, Sargodha District, British India. He finished his basic education in his hometown Bhera in 1936. Then he learned Persian and Arabic languages. Then on the advice of Khwaja Qamar ul Din Sialvi (1906 – 1981), he went to Muradabad, in 1942 for the study of Hadith. He graduated from the University of the Punjab in 1945 and then went on to Egypt for higher religious education at Al-Azhar University. He received his masters degree in Islamic Law.

Muhammmad Karam Shah al-Azhari is well-known and notable for being the author of the book "Zia un Nabi", a 1995 Urdu biography of prophet Muhammad. The book contains 7 Volumes. Later, it was translated into English language also having 7 Volumes by Muhammad Qayyum Awan. He is also recognised for writing Tafsir Zia ul Quran, an Urdu interpretation of Quran in 5 volumes

He reorganized the Islamic institution Dar al Ulum Muhammadiyyah Ghausiyyah established by his father in Bhera and brought major changes in the syllabi of religious education. He was of the view that modern education also should be learned along with religious education

Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari was an active participant in the Pakistan movement and vigorously campaigned in the Indian provincial elections, 1946 for All India Muslim League

Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari also served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan until his death in 1998 and had served on its Shariat Bench.^[1] He became a justice of the Federal Shariat Court, when it was first established in 1981