Tag Archives: Ghalib Institute

Zafarul-Islam Khan Honoured with Shah Waliullah Award

August 23, 2026Books - Holy Quran, Koran / Translations, Commentaries / by Indian Muslims (wef. February 11th, 2025), Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), LeadersBook - Hujjatullah al-Balighah, Dargah Shah Waliullah Madrasa, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan - Awarded -06th Imam Shah Waliullah Award, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan - Chairman - Delhi Minorities Commission, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Epistles of Shah Waliullah, Ghalib Institute, Hujjatullah al-Balighah, Imam Shah Waliullah Award, Indian Muslims, Iqbal Ahmad Ansari, Iqbal Ahmad Ansari - Chief Justice - Patna High Court, Justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari, Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari, Khwaja Muhammad Shahid, Maulana Abdul Karim Parekh, Maulana Akhlaq Hussain Qasmi, Maulana Faqihud-Din, Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasimi, Maulana Qamaruz Zaman Illahabadi, Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasimi, Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Muhammad Adeeb, Muhammad Adeeb - MP, Muslims of India, Muslims of India - Positive News, Positive News of Indian Muslims, Positive News of Muslims of India, Positive Stories of Indian Muslims, Positive Stories of Muslims of India, Prof Khalid Mahmood, Prof Siddiqur Rahman Kidwai, Prof Siddiqur Rahman Qidwai, Shah Waliullah Institute, Siraj Hussain, Siraj Hussain- Vice Chancellor - Jamia Hamdard University, Suhail Anjum, Zillur Rahman Haider, Zillur-Rahman Haidermpositiveone@gmail.com

NEW DELHI :

It is a great privilege for me to accept this honour from the Shah Waliullah Institute. Honestly, I was reluctant at first and had declined this recognition multiple times.

New Delhi :

In a momentous event, renowned Islamic scholar, author, senior journalist, and former Chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, was awarded the prestigious Sixth Imam Shah Waliullah Award here on Monday. The ceremony took place amidst a distinguished seminar on the theme of ‘Epistles of Shah Waliullah’ at the Ghalib Institute here.

Jointly organized by the Shah Waliullah Institute and the Ghalib Institute, the seminar sought to celebrate and highlight the scholarly and intellectual legacy of Imam Shah Waliullah. A special highlight of the event was the launch of the tenth volume of his acclaimed series of epistles, offering attendees an intimate glimpse into his teachings and enduring contributions to Islamic sciences.

A diverse assembly of eminent scholars, intellectuals, and thinkers from across the country participated in the event, engaging in profound discussions about the contemporary relevance of Shah Waliullah’s message, writings and teachings.

Senior journalist Suhail Anjum introduced the Shah Waliullah Institute and provided an overview of the newly launched the tenth volume of Shah Waliullah’s epistles, sharing insights into the publication process, ongoing scholarly discussions and past and future programmes of the Shah Waliullah Institute.

Anjum also felicitated Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi highlighting his unwavering dedication to research and publish the scholarly legacy of Shah Waliullah. He highlighted Mufti Saheb’s long-standing scholarly pursuits, first as a teacher for fourteen years at the Dargah Shah Waliullah madrasah near Shah Waliullah’s shrine in Delhi’s Mehdiyan area.

During this period, Mufti Saheb developed a deep spiritual and intellectual bond with the great scholar, gaining profound insights into his contributions to Quranic sciences and other fields. Inspired by this connection, Mufti Saheb established the institute to make Shah Waliullah’s invaluable legacy accessible to all. Some of these writings were published long ago or still lie as manuscripts in libraries. Under this initiative, Mufti saheb has already published ten volumes of Shah Waliullah’s writings. The tenth volume of this series was released during the event.

Expressing humility and honour, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan said, “It is a great privilege for me to accept this honour from the Shah Waliullah Institute. Honestly, I was reluctant at first and had declined this recognition multiple times. However, I succumbed in the face of Mufti saheb’s insistence for a number of reasons. Paramount among these is my nearly forty-year-long association with Mufti Saheb, dating back to 1984 when I returned from abroad.

At that time I visited Mehdiyan and made a spiritual bond with Shah Waliullah and with Mufti saheb who at the time taught at the madrasah there. He said that another reason is that this award is associated with Shah Waliullah, the greatest Islamic scholar produced by India. In fact, he may be regarded as the greatest non-Arab Islamic scholar of all ages. He said that long ago he wrote a modest book in Arabic on Shah Waliullah trying to attract people’s attention to the ocean of knowledge which he was and remains till this day. He said that Shah Waliullah’s monumental work Hujjatullah al-Balighah stands out as an unparalleled masterpiece in the Islamic literature. It is printed, reprinted and studied in the Arab World till this day. Dr. Khan underscored the importance of Hujjatullah al-Balighah as a treasure trove that provides a deep, balanced and comprehensive understanding of Islamic sciences.

Dr Khan commended Mufti Saheb’s tireless efforts in unearthing and publishing many of Shah Waliullah’s manuscripts and texts that were hidden and forgotten. The current tenth volume stands as a testament to this scholarly dedication. He stated that his personal and scholarly bonds with Mufti Saheb and Shah Waliullah motivated him to accept this award. He added that there is a third reason for accepting the award and that is the fact that the award is given in recognition of the Glorious Quran, his translation of the Islamic holy text which tries to offer an authentic version of the Quran based on most authentic Arabic sources.

Dr Khan said there is a great responsibility on our shoulders: to try to understand and disseminate Shah Waliullah’s teachings and present them in modern language and style. Reflecting on Shah Waliullah’s revolutionary impact, Dr. Khan highlighted his translation of the Quran into Persian—a daring act at the time, which many scholars at the time considered a blasphemy. Even today, some argue that the Quran cannot be translated into any language. But if that was true, how would the 85% of Muslims outside the Arab world understand the divine message? Therefore, it is imperative that the Quran be translated into all languages—be it Assamese, Burmese, Chinese, or any other so that the common Muslim and non-Muslim could read and understand Allah’s last message to humanity. He pointed out that Western scholars, despite their scholarly rigour, often distorted the meanings of the Quran in their translations. Therefore, it is the duty of Islamic scholars to offer correct and accurate rendering of the divine text. Dr. Khan said he dedicated eleven years to accomplish his translation of the holy Islamic text. He said he fully devoted the three years during the COVID19 pandemic to complete this work. He regarded the award as a motivation to himself and all scholars to continue scholarly pursuits.

Mufti Ataur Rahman, chairman of the Shah Waliullah Institute, addressed the gathering sharing insights into how the idea of an institute dedicated to Shah Waliullah was conceived and narrated the journey since founding the institute. He took a moment to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Shah Waliullah Award: the first was given to Maulana Abdul Karim Parekh from Nagpur in 2007; the second and third to Maulana Akhlaq Hussain Qasmi and Maulana Faqihud-Din in 2010; the fourth to Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi in 2013; and the fifth to Maulana Qamaruz-Zaman Ilahabadi in 2014.

The event was enriched by the presence of distinguished speakers including Muhammad Adeeb, former Member of Parliament, Mr. Siraj Hussain, former vice chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, Justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Prof. Khalid Mahmood and Khwaja Muhammad Shahid among others.

The proceedings were presided over by the chairman of the Ghalib Institute Prof. Siddiqur Rahman Kidwai who lauded Mufti Ataur-Rahman’s exemplary work and extended warm felicitations to Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan for his well-earned recognition.

source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Community News / by Zillur-Rahman Haider / June 30th, 2026

View from the other side

November 14, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 )Abubakkar Abbad, Abul Qalam Qasimi, Ali Ahmad Fatimi, Anis Ashfaq, Book 'Urdu Adab Mein Ghair Ka Tasavur' by Khalid Javed, Ghalib Institute, Ghazanfar, Javed Danish, Khalid Javed, Khalid Jawed - Urdu Fiction Writer, Khalid Qadri, Mushraff Alam Zauqi, New Delhi, Novel 'Maut Kid Kitab' by Khalid Javed, Novel 'Naimat Khana' by Khalid Javed, Professor Siiddiqur Rehman Kidwai, Qazi Afzal Hussain, Qazi Afzal Hussain - Urdu Critic, Qazi Jamal, Sarwarul Huda, Shafey Kidwai, Zakia Mashadi, Ziauddin Shakibmpositiveone@gmail.com

NEW DELHI :

“Urdu Adab Mein Ghair Ka Tasawwur” explores the concept of the other in Urdu literature

The biggest ‘other’ is not the one whose religious beliefs, cultural practices and social convictions and the mode of expression – language – stand poles apart but it is the one who is deeply revered and worshipped and people seek his blessing all the time. It refers to the almighty who remains inaccessible to all those who adore Him. Man cannot reach to Him though he feels His presence everywhere. The multiple and contradictory referents of the term “other” constitute literary texts which set people free from the humdrum of life. These poignant and pithy observations are offered by a widely- acclaimed fiction writer of Urdu, Khalid Javed in his article “Lafz-e-Ghair – Falsafiyana Tanazur Mein” (the Other in Philosophical Perspective) which is carried by an astutely produced anthology, “Urdu Adab Mein Ghair Ka Tasawwur” (The concept of the other in Urdu Literature) published by the Ghalib Institute, New Delhi recently.

The book, carrying 18 articles, presented in an international seminar on the concept of the other and aptly edited by Professor Siddiqur Rehman Kidwai, explains how the much-debated and hatred filled notion of the other is perceived and presented in various genres of Urdu literature. The articles also discuss how this concept is creatively depicted by prominent Urdu authors and poets such as Meer, Ghalib, Daagh, Momin, Manto, Premchand, Qurratulain Hyder, NM Rashid, Meeraji, Akhtarul Iman and Shahryar, etc.

Delineating invisible power

Khalid Javed, whose two novels – “Maut Ki Kitab” and “Naimat Khana” created waves in Urdu literature, asserts that every invisible power is essentially the other, no matter it is God or Devil. Invisible but all-pervasive power conjures up ecstasy and fear simultaneously and it gives birth to “Myth” and “Faith”. According to the ancient Indian philosophy, ‘ego’ is the other as Atma is the essence of existence and Khalid Javed rightly asserts that people completely unaware of their inner self or Atma, take the body, sensory organs and intellect for their existence. When one attains enlightenment, he realises that a marked sense of distance exists between the inner self and its ill-conceived outer manifestations.

Describing the term as the most commonly used tool of political subjugation, Siddiqur Rehman Kidwai points out that the process of othering is conveniently adopted by the people who consider themselves rescuers who assert that they are committed to empowering all those who are at the receiving end.

In his brilliantly structured address, “Formation of the Other – Strategy and Kinds”, noted Urdu critic Qazi Afzal Hussain says that the concept of other portrayed in literature hardly endorses what is being projected by the social scientists.

The collective other created by the power that – be is not acceptable as it unfailingly produces hate literature. In literature, the other is a foil for creativity that refuses to divide men into caste, colour, linguistic and religious categories and in the creative world, political affiliations and ideologies hardly have any significance. Qazi Afzal brilliantly concludes by saying that if a literature does not respect the sensibilities of others , it loses value and it fails to ensure the transcendence of life.

A well- author known fiction writer Zakia Mashadi points out that uneasy co-existence, no matter how old it is, sets in motion the process of subjugation which in the final reckoning perpetuates an intense feeling of impotent rage among people who are being marginalised – unconditional emulations is the most lethal form of othering as it wipes out every trace of self -identity

Dalit novel in Urdu

Can a religious text that espouses the cause of equality can be used as a formidable tool for not granting the right to worship to the subalterns? Yes it is being used for administering severe punishment to those belonging to the downtrodden class and who have been denied and this sums up the poignant narrative produced by a prominent Urdu Novelist Ghazanfar in his novel “Divya Vani” which is perhaps first full-length Dalit novel in Urdu

Lucid writings

Many prominent authors such as Anis Ashfaq, Qazi Jamal, Ziauddin Shakaib, Ali Ahmad Fatimi, Abul Kalam Qasmi, Khalid Qadri, Deepak Budiki, Sarwarul Huda, Mushraff Alam Zauqi, Abubakar Abbad and Javed Danish took pains in delineating various manifestation of the other in easy to understand the idiom.

The articles covering across a huge sweep of the time attempt to understand various shades of vexation of the pain of those whose sufferings remains unheard. It is the book that acquaints the readers with varying and enticing perspectives on the dominant discourse of our times.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Authors / by Shafey Kidwai / August 17th, 2018