OBITUARY OF SAYYID GHULAM RAZA  SAEEDI

On 18th December, 1988 a renowned Iqbal Scholar of Iran Sayyid Ghulam Raza Saeedi had died at the ripe age of about 95 years. He was a great admirer of Allama Iqbal's thoughts and loved Pakistan as well. His momentous work Iqbal Shanasi was first published about 30 years back in 1959. When the quarterly Iqbal Review of the Iqbal Academy Pakistan was published in 1960, this journal contained a series of detailed articles on the philosophy and educational thoughts of Allama Iqbal. These articles were contributed by the Director of the Academy Dr. Mohammad Rafi-ud-Din and then the Assistant Editor of the journal Professor Khurshid Ahmad, Sayyid Ghulam Raza Saeedi had translated all these articles in Persian which were published in several issues of official organ of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Iran Aamoozush-o-Parvarish. It was but natural for this late scholar to quote Allama Iqbal in his speeches and writings. His conversation with the Iranian news correspondents and editors was published in Qumm entitled Musahibeh. This booklet contain Sayyid Ghulam Raza Saeedi's views about the great modern personalities of the Muslim Ummah like Sayyid Jamal-ud-Din, Abdur Rehman Alkawakabi and Allama Iqbal, etc., Musahibeh narrates the late Scholar's views about the great personality and ideas. Late Saeedi was devoted to education and he loved translating the important works into Persian. He had translated and got published several Arabic and English works into Persian and among his translated works from Arabic a few works are from Late Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi (originally written in Urdu) concerning ethical teachings of the Holy Quran, aspects of Islamic civilisation and the meanings of Islamic devotions. Late Sayyid Ghulam Raza Saeedi deserves special admirations from Scholars. He had visited Pakistan twice; his last visit in, December, 1977 when he participated in the Iqbal's Century celebration.

May his soul rest in peace;

Amen.

Dr. Mohammad Riaz