Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF HAZRAT ALLAMA PROFESSOR DR. MUHAMMAD MASOOD AHMED

KHAN RIZVI r.a.

When the pure light of Islamic literacy and knowledge shadowed bythe darkness of so called self-constructed and personal oriented Islam- when the heart and soul of Muslim Ummah became confused - he, oneof the most qualified, learned and spiritually strengthened personality- acted like a guiding star and became the centre for those who havethirst for right knowledge of Islam and for those who want to follow theSirat-i-Mustaqeem. He removed the thick layer of sand and mask ofmisconception from the pure and real knowledge of Islam.No doubt he is Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed. He is respectableand brightly excellent towards the approaches and true interpretation ofIslam. He is the son of Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad MazharUllah Rahmatullah Alayh, the great Mufti, Khatib and Saint of India(d.1966 c.e.).

Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed born in Delhi in 1930 and acquiredhis education from his father Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah MuhammadMazhar Ullah Rahmatullah Alayh and in Madarsa Alia, Delhi and inOriental College, Delhi. He migrated from India to Pakistan in 1948.Here in Pakistan he continued his education in different institutionsand Colleges, Punjab University (Lahore) and Sindh University, Jamshoro(Hyderabad). Educational and academic career of Prof.Dr. Muhammad MasoodAhmed set an example of great achievements. He topped in all examinationsof M.A. & M.Ed. at Sindh University and got silver and gold medals.

He completed his Ph.D. Programme in 1971 on the topic of "URDU MAIN QURANI TARAJIM-O- TAFASIR" and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Sindh University, Jamshoro, Hyderabad. Prof. Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Khan, who was the guide of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed in his Ph.D. research work, writes: -

"It is my proud privilege to say that he is one of the top-most Research Scholarsof the country." (Hyderabad, dated Feb. 1971)

The Govt. of Pakistan awarded "IZAZ-I-FAZILAT" award in 1992. He alsoreceived awards from Imam Ahmed Raza Research Institute, Karachi in 1991and from Pakistan Intellectual Forum in 1992.Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed worked as Lecturer, Professor,and Principal in Govt. Cadre and Additional Secretary (Academic) Govt.of Sindh (Pakistan). He acted as paper setter, examiner and member ofboard of studies at Sindh University, Jamshoro; Khairpur University,Khairpur; Punjab University, Lahore etc. He was also a paper setter inPublic Service Commission (Sindh). He is Guide and Director of Ph.D.students at the University of Karachi and the Khairpur University,Khairpur Mirs (Sindh). He retired as Principal Govt. Degree College andPost-Graduate Studies Center, Sukkur, Sindh (in Grade 20.) in 1992.Performance of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed (as his ACRS shows)remained excellent throughout his service career.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed started writing Research Papersin 1958, which were published in the leading journals of theSub-continent, thus up to 1966 he was the famous scholar in theSub-Continent in the academic circle as confessed by Khawja Hassan SaniNizami of Delhi (Monthly Munadi, Delhi, Dec.1966). Afterwards he startedhis research on Imam Ahmed Raza - a neglected Genius of the East. Nodoubt he is Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed who removed the thick sand of misconceptions and misunderstandings from the great personality of ImamAhmed Raza. He started his work on Imam Ahmed Raza since 1970 on purelyresearch basis and contributed nearly 30 books on Imam Ahmed Raza, aswell as 120 articles, 50 prefaces and introduction of Imam Ahmed Raza upto 1992.

Some important books of Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed on Imam Ahmed Raza are as follows: -

Fazal-i-Bareilwi Aur Tark-i-Mawalat. (Lahore , 1971)

Fazal-i-Bareilwi U'lma-i-Hijaz ki Nazar Main (Lahore, 1973 )

Neglected Genius of the East (Karachi, Lahore, SouthAfrica, 1978)

Hayaat-i-Maulana Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Bareilwi(Sialkot, 1981) (English translation - The Reformer ofthe Muslim World) (Tamil Nado, India, 1995)

Hayaat-i-Imam Ahl-i-Sunnat (Lahore,Karachi,1981)

Ikram-i-Imam Ahmed Raza (Lahore, 1981)

Da'ira Ma'ariff-i-Imam Ahmed Raza (Karachi, 1982)

Imam Ahmed Raza Aur 'Alam-i-Islam (Karachi, 1983)

Rahber-o-Rehnuma (Lahore,Karachi,1986) (English translation - The Saviniar guide and Guidance) (Durban, 1969)

Tanqidat-o-Ta'aqubat Imam Ahmed Raza (Lahore, 1988)

A'ena-i-Rizviyat (three volumes) (Karachi, 1989, 1993, 1996)

Imam Ahmed Raza Awr 'Alam-i-Jami'at (Sadiqabad, 1990)

Imam Ahmed Raza Awr Uloom-i-Jadida-o-Qadima (Lahore, 1990)

Muhadis-i-Bareilwi (Karachi,Lahore,1993)

Intakhab-i-Hada'iq-I-Bakhshish (Karachi, 1995)

Khulafa-i-'Ala Hazrat (Lahore, 1996)

These and lots of other marvelous books on Imam Ahmed Raza byProf. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed brought the personality of Imam Ahmed Raza in the lime light. A doctoral dissertation may be composed on hisresearch work on Imam Ahmed Raza Muhadis-I-Bareilwi. Prof.Dr.MuhammadMasood Ahmed is known as specialist in Rizviyat throughout Sunni world.He guided the scholars who were doing research work on Imam Ahmed Raza,such as Dr. Usha Sanyal [Columbia University (U.S.A.)], Dr. Barbara Metcalf[Berkeley University (U.S.A.)], Prof. Ghayas-uddin [BirminghamUniversity (U.K.)], Prof. Dr. Majeedullah Qaadri [Karachi University(Pakistan)] and Dr. J.M.S. Baljon [Liedin University (Holland), etc.

As it was mentioned before, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmedenlightened the way of Sirat-i-Mustaqim, he satisfied the confused mindof Muslim Ummah and it is not wrong to say as the Saint of Qadriyyaorder Dr. Ali Ahmed Qureshi declared in 1991: -

"Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed is the Revivalist of the Fifteenth Century Hijra".

The following books (A new International Series) of Prof. Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed are proof of his marvelous achievements especially for modern Muslim youths: -

Knowledge of Unseen (Karachi, Delhi, South Africa, 1994 ) Respect and Reverence (Karachi, Delhi, South Africa, 1994) Spiritual Significance of Affinity (Karachi, Delhi, South

Africa, 1994) Supreme Festival (Karachi, Bareilly, America, Marshes,1995) The Novelties (Karachi, Delhi, South Africa, 1995) Women and the Veil (Karachi, 1996) Salutation and Adoration (Karachi, 1996) Facial Focus (Karachi, 1996) Sirat-i-Mustaqim (Karachi, 1996) The Prophet Ibrahim's Prayer (Karachi, 1997) Islamic Economic System (Karachi, 1997) Following (Karachi, 1997, 1998) Tolerance (Karachi,1999)

The literary works of Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed are beingpresented in different languages such as Arabic, Persian, French, Dutch,

English, Sindhi, Hindi, Gujrati, and Bangali etc. These translatedbooks are being circulated throughout the world.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed has Ijaza in Naqshbandiyya aswell as Qadriyya orders. His caliphs are twenty in number and his Mureedin are spreading in the subcontinent, Arabia,Canada, U.S.A, U.K, U.A.E. etc. Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmedspiritually blessed by two late great figures of Naqshbandiyya order,his father Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar Ullah Rahmatullah Alayh (Delhi, India) and Hazrat Muhammad Mahmood Alwari Rahmatullah Alayh (Hyderabad, Pakistan) and in Qadriyya order from Hazrat Syed Zain Ul-Abidin Shah Qadri (Nurai Shareef, Sindh, Pakistan).Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar Ullah RahmatullahAlayh was Shahi Khateeb of Fatehpuri Mosque, Delhi, India.Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed worked a lot on his father and thefollowing books on Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar UllahRahmatullah Alayh have been compiled: -

Mawa'iz-i-Mazhari (Karachi, 1969) Fatawa-i-Mazhari (Karachi, 1970) Hayat-i-Mazhari (Karachi, 1974) Makateeb-i-Mazhari (Vol.1, Karachi,1969 - Vol.1&2, Karachi,1999)

Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed also wrote on great Saint ofNaqshbandiyya order Shaykh Ahmed Sirhindi Mujaddid Alf-i-ThaniRahmatullah Alayh: -

Seerat-i-Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani (Karachi, 1976) Hazrat Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani Haalat-o-Afkar-o-Khidmat

(Karachi, 1995) The Influence of Shaykh Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani on Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (Karachi, 1996) Mujaddid Hazara-i-Doam (Karachi, 1997)

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed also works on different topics ofIslamic ideology, some of his great work is given below: -

Hazrat Shah Muhammad Ghaus Gawaliyari (Mirpurkhas,1964)

Mauj-i-Khayal (Karachi, Bombay, 1977) Tahrik-i- Azadi-i-Hind Aur Al-Sawad Al-Azam (Lahore, 1979) Muhabat Ki Nishani (Karachi, Elahbad, 1980) Adab-o-Bay Adabi (Karachi, Lahore, 1984) Aakhari Paygham (Karachi, Peshawar, 1986) Jashan-i-Baharan (Karachi, Lahore, 1988) Jan-i-Janan (Karachi, 1989) Jan-i-Iman (Lahore, 1989) Murad-i-Rasool (Lahore, 1992) Qayamat (Karachi, 1992) Jan-i-Jaan (Karachi, 1993) Maktubat-i-Qazi Ahmed (Karachi, 1997) Tasawwar-i-Pakistan (Karachi, 1999)

Many scholars of international fame have paid homage to Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed and expressed excellent views about his academic and spiritual career. Yes! He is the personality on which separateresearch work is required. Al-Hamd-u-Lillah Dr.Ijaz.Anjum Latifi ofManzer-i-Islam, Bareilly has completed his doctoral thesis onProf.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed from Bihar University (India) and awarded Ph.D. degree. Also Prof. Nabila Ishaq choudry (Dept. of Urdu languages and translations of Al-Azhar University, Cairo) wrote an article on Prof.Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed, which was published from Cairo in 1999. Prof. Dr. Hazim Muhammad Ahmed Al-Mahfooz Al-Misery (Dept. of Urdu languages and translations of Al-Azhar University, Cairo) has started a series of four books on the life and achievements of Prof.Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed in the memory of the completion of seventy years of his age.

Following scholars and writers has written more than tenbiographies of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed, which have beenpublished: -

Prof.Dr. Syed Muhammad Arif (Tazkar-i-Mas'ud,Appendix of

Seerat-i-Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani,Karachi, 1976,p.429-472)

R.B. Mazhari (Jahan-i-Mas'ud, Karachi, 1985) Muhammad Abdul Sattar Tahir. (Manzil-ba-Manzil Hyderabad,

1991) Prof. Nabila Ishaque chowdhry (Mas'ud -i- Millat Aur

Rizwiyyat, Cairo, Egypt, 1999) Dr. Abdul Naeem Azizi. (Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed Ki Urdu

Nasri Khidmat, Karachi, 2000) Dr. I'jaz Anjum Latifi. (Dr. Mas'ud Ahmed Hayyat awr Nasri Kidmat, Bihar University, Muzafarpur, India, 1997)

[May Allah s.w.t. accept the great works of Professor Dr Muhammad Masood Ahmad and also bless his soul, Ameen]