Dr. Arafat Zafar, presently working as Associate Professor in the department, has obtained his M. A., M. Phil. and Ph. D. degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has completed his B. A. ( Hons)  course in Arabic from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi with English Literature, Political Science and Indian Religions & culture. He has earned the degree of Diploma in Modern Arabic and Advance Diploma in Modern Arabic Language & Translation from the JMI itself. He has received " Shah Waliullah Dehlavi Gold Medal for securing 1st position with distinction in B. A. (H) Arabic examination. He has qualified NET and selected for JRF awarded by UGC, GOI. He has attained his basic education from Madrasa Al-Islah, a famous Islamic seminary situated in Azamgarh, UP. 

Dr Arafat has worked as Translator cum Interpreter in the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in New Delhi. He has taught as Guest Faculty at the centre of Arabic & African studies  JNU, New Delhi. Before joining AMU, Aligarh, he served the University of Lucknow as Assistant Professor from the year 2007 to 2019.

His area of interest includes Saudi Literature, Indo-Arab Literature, Arabic grammar and Translation. He has six published books in Arabic and has written more than seventy articles and research papers in Arabic, English and Urdu languages, published in the reputed journals of India and abroad on various aspects of Arabic literature, culture and history. He has contributed several chapters in different volumes of Arts and literature. Apart from this, he has participated and presented papers in more than forty five national and international seminars and conferences in India and abroad. So far six students have successfully completed their research work under his supervision. He has delivered lectures on different topics of Arabic literature and on various issues of social and national relevance in colleges and institutions. 

He is member of the editorial board of several reputed research and literary journals including Journal of the Indian Academy of Arabic, AMU Aligarh , Bi-Annual Journal of Quranic Sciences , Institute of Quranic Sciences, Aligarh and online Arabic Journal Naqeebul Hind . Likewise he is member & joint secretary of the Institute of Quranic Sciences, Aligarh India. Recently he was bestowed upon the membership of the World Union of Arabic Teachers and Scholars, based in Beirut Lebanon. He has visited Saudi Arabia and Malaysia for academic purposes. 

Besides, he has been engaged as examiner and papers setter in major Indian universities. Furthermore he actively participates in the academic activities of the department and contributes to the corporate life of the university .