The name of Dr. A. L. Tibawi is well known. He contributed over the years a number of learned articles to the leading journals in the field of Islamic Studies and also contributed monographs on various topics, the most recent of which was the “English Speaking Orientalists”. Dr. Tibawi was born in the village of Teibah in Palestine in 1910. He was one of the earliest graduates, perhaps the first, of the Arabic College established in Jerusalem.
He was inducted into the Palestine Education Service and rose to be a Senior Education Officer in Jerusalem. When the catastrophe of 1948 descended upon the people of Palestine, Dr. Tibawi was one of those Palestinians fortunate enough to be in this country. He became a refugee and was given compensation and after finishing his studies, was given the post of Lecturer of Comparative Education at the Institute of Education. London, a position which he held until 1977 when he retired completely from teaching. Dr. Tibawi was a prolific writer in both Arabic and English. A historian by training, he wrote extensively on the history of the Middle East and with particular reference to Palestine and Syria. His work was distinguished not so much by its broad outlook as by the meticulous care that he took in attending to details. Very few contemporary writers could rival him in his painstaking work and in looking into the most minute aspects of the topic, which he studied. He was an exacting teacher as well as a meticulous author. Many of his students found his demands for excellence unrivalled. By temperament he was a lone worker.
Few others could have put the amount of hard work and dedication so characteristic of Tibawi into their work. He was not afraid of argument and was not troubled by the biceties of relationships. He expressed himself with little regard for anything other than what he saw as the truth, but his forceful language and the highly emotional expressions he used sometimes detracted from the substance of his case. He immersed himself intensely in his battles to the exclusion of any other consideration.
Many are those who felt injured by his treatment and who preferred not to cross swords with him nevertheless he occupies a unique position in the history of Muslim education since he alone amongst those of his generation took an interest in writing about Islamic education and no self-respecting Library in the world which deals with Muslim society could ignore his valuable works on this topic.
The academic world will miss his learned articles, his perceptive reviews and his pugnacious style.
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Prof. Syed Karar Hussain former Vice-Chancellor, Professor of English Literature and an eminent intellectual left for his heavenly abode. Born at Meerut (Bharat), he completed his education from Ilahabad University and started his carrier as a Lecturer in English in the Meerut College. He had a political affiliation with the Khaksar Movement and had been associated with this organization through out his whole life. He migrated to Pakistan in 1948. In Pakistan, he taught at the Islamia College, Karachi, Government College, Karachi, Government College Khairpur and Government College Mirpur Khas, Sindh. He also taught at Jamia Millia, Karachi. He was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Baluchistan University Quetta in 1976. After his retirement, he joined the Islamic Centre Karachi. His lectures on the teachings of the Holy Quran were brought out under the title “Study of the Quran”. His famous book is Quran Aur Zindagi. He had deep insight in Iqbal Studies and some of his articles on Iqbal are of great importance.
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Prof. Muhammad Yunus Hasrat died on 13th September 1999. He was born in 1933 in former state of Patila. He had been a Professor of Urdu at Government Gurunank College, Nankana. He was a writer of about 100 books on different topics. He was famous as a writer for children and suspense stories. He wrote several textbooks. He also prepared indexes of Urdu and Persian poetry of Allama Iqbal, which were published by the Iqbal Academy Pakistan under the title Kalīd-i-Iqbal Urdu. Kalīd-i-Iqbal Persian and Ḥikāyāt-i-Iqbāl are yet to be published. His book Ḥikāyāt-i-Iqbal, was written in an easy and lucid prose style for children.
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Dr. Abū Sa‘īd Nūr-ud-Dīn an eminent Iqbal Scholar and writer of Bangladesh passed away in the year 2000. He was born in February 1929 in District Memun Singh. He did his Masters from Dhakka University in 1952. He was appointed as Research Fellow in Iqbal Academy in 1953. He was given the assignment to work on Islamic Mysticism and Iqbal (Islāmsī Taṣawwaf Aur Iqbāl). He was awarded Doctorate Degree on his thesis by the Dhaka University. His PhD thesis was published by the Iqbal Academy Pakistan. He worked for long in the Dhaka Steel Mills. He attended a number of International Conferences on Allama Iqbal. Besides his book on Iqbal Studies, he also wrote the book titled History of Urdu Literature (Urdu).
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Prof. Muḥammad Munawwar, a prominent Iqbal Scholar, historian, writer and intellectual passed away on 7th February 2000. Born in 1923, Professor Munawwar did his Masters in Urdu, Arabic and Philosophy from the University of the Punjab. He started his illustrious teaching career in 1953, which continued, to his Government Collage years till his retirement in 1980. He was appointed the Chairman, Department of Iqbal Studies, University Oriental College, Lahore from 1981 to 1985. He was appointed Director Iqbal Academy Pakistan from 1985 to 1988 and then from 1991 to 1993. He was a Member and office holder of many Committees and formations. Prof. Muḥammad Munawwar wrote a large number of books relating to Iqbal Studies, Pakistan Movement, Islamic Studies, Literature and other topics. He contributed hundreds of articles on various topics, which were published in journals of International repute. He also translated a number of books from Arabic and English to Urdu. He attended a large number of National and International Conferences held in Pakistan and abroad. His book relating to the Iqbal Studies entitled Iqbal and Quranic Wisdom won the National Presidential Iqbal Award in 1986. As an acknowledgment and token of appreciation of his contributions, Prof. Muḥammad Munawwar was awarded Sitāra-i-Imtiāz by the Government of Pakistan.
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Prof. Dr. Iftikhār Aḥmad Ṣiddīqī, a former Professor, writer and an eminent Iqbal Scholar passed away on 8th June 2000. Born at District Sultanpur U.P., (late) Professor Iftikhār Aḥmad Ṣiddīqī did his Master in Persian from Ilahabad. He was appointed as Lecturer in Urdu and Persian at 36-Garh College Raipur. In the year 1950, he migrated to Pakistan and associated with Islamia College, Lahore. He was appointed in the University Oriental College in 1963. He was awarded Ph.D. Degree on his thesis on Deputy Nazir Ahmad Delhvi in 1966. Prof. Ṣiddīqī wrote a number of books on various topics. The Government of Pakistan awarded Presidential Iqbal Award to his book ‘Urūj-i-Iqbal being the best book in Urdu.
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Mr. ñāhir Shādānī, an educationist, teacher and poet passed away. He had a deep interest with the Persian language and literature. He had been a teacher at Government Central Model School, Lahore. Then, he joined the Crescent Public School. He worked on the project of the Academy Tashīl-i-Kalām-i-Iqbāl. He wrote the Tashīl of Armaghān-i-Ḥijāz, which was published by the Academy.
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Dewān Muḥammad Aẓraf, President, Allama Iqbal Sangsad (Society) Dhaka passed away on November 2, 1999. (Late) Dewān Muḥammad Aẓraf was a renowned philosopher and a highly respected religious personality known for his contributions towards Islamic causes. He remained associated with Allama Iqbal Sangsad since its inception in 1986 till his passing away.