Professor Mujeeb joined Jamia in 1926 along with Dr. Zakir Husain and Dr. Abid Husain. He followed Dr. Zakir Husain as the Vice Chancellor in 1948. He remained Jamia’s Vice Chancellor for the next quarter of a century, till he retired in 1973, and was one of the longest serving vice chancellors.
Son of a rich Lucknow barrister, Dr. Mujeeb studied History at Oxford and went to Germany to study printing, when he met Dr. Zakir Husain who deeply impressed him, with his commitment to the cause of Jamia. Mujeeb became passionately involved with Jamia, ever since he came to know of its history and struggle.
Professor Mujeeb gives a touching account of the circumstances under which he took the decision to join Jamia his decision to join Jamia:
"But one day, early in 1925, there was a serious talk between him (Dr. Zakir Husain) and Dr. Abid Husain, with me listening in. Dr. Zakir Husain said that he had decided to work in Jamia Millia Islamia, come what may. Dr. Abid Husain offered to join him. I said I too would join Jamia Millia Islamia. Dr. Zakir Husain looked doubtfully at me and said, 'No, you should not.' I wanted to know why. He replied that Jamia Millia Islamia was not a proper place for me.
I still wanted to know why; if it was the proper place for him, why not for me? He said his case was different; he was already committed.
When I persisted in saying that I would also join, he said with some sharpness in his tone, 'Look, If I put you in a carriage at Delhi station and take you to an open space, and tell you ‘this is Jamia Millia Islamia’, what would you do?' I replied that if he called this open space Jamia Millia Islamia, I would also say it was the Jamia Millia.
We had all the while been standing in the middle of the room. In reply to my last remark, he hugged me and affectionately said, 'Very well, you also join us.'
Soon after, we met Hakim Ajmal Khan and Dr. Ansari and a telegram was sent to say that the three of us would also serve the Jamia Millia and that our return should be awaited before any decision was taken.
Early in February 1926, we sailed back by the Norddeutscher Lloyd steamer, SS Derfflinger and landed at Colombo. From there we came by train."
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