380. Noornisa Beegum

Noornisa Beegum, Headmistress of the Rehuma Beevi Memorial Upper Primary School at Karyara in the district, has been selected for the National Award for Teachers 2011.

The award carries a certificate of merit, a sliver medal, and a cash prize of Rs.25,000. In a communication to Ms. Beegum from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development earlier this month, it was informed that the award would be presented to her by the President at a function to be held in New Delhi on the occasion of Teachers Day on September 5.

The award is in recognition of her outstanding contributions as Headmistress of the school since the past 33 years. She is also a known social worker of the area.

Some of her initiatives at the school included conducting free extra classes for students weak in studies, special thrust for extra curricular activities, provision of uniform and books to 50 students coming from economically weak families every year, and conducting free spoken English classes for students.

Source : thehindu.com

379. Humayun Kabir

Humayun Zahiruddin Amir-i Kabir or Humayun Kabir (Bengali: হুমায়ুন কবির; 22 February 1898 – 18 August 1969) was an Indian educationist, politician, writer and philosopher.

Ancestry and early life

Kabir was born on 22 February 1898 in Komarpur village near nangta para district town of Faridpur, currently in Bangladesh. His father, Khan Bahadur Kabiruddin Ahmed, was a Deputy Magistrate in Bengal and a forward looking man. His grandfather was earlier awarded the title of Khan Bahadur by the British government.

 Education

He came first, with star marks, in his matriculation examination in 1922. He was educated at Presidency College, Calcutta, completing his Intermediate in Arts (I.A.) in English with first class third, and Calcutta University, where he completed his B.A. (Honours) and M.A. in English with first class first. He won a scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford where he completed his degree in 'Modern Greats', i.e. Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics with a first class in 1931.

 Career

In 1932, he was invited by Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan to join as a lecturer at the newly established Andhra University. Later, he was a Joint Education Adviser, Education Secretary and then Chairman of the University Grants Commission in Delhi. He was the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Education Minister of India twice, under the Prime Ministerships of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri. He was also Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs Minister. In 1965, Indira Gandhi offered him the Madras Governor's post, which he declined. From 1956-62, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha and from 1962-69 he was a member of the Lok Sabha, representing Basirhat constituency in West Bengal. He was instrumental in dislodging the Congress government in West Bengal and forming the United Front government in 1969.
Kabir was the editor of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's biography India Wins Freedom. Maulana Azad dictated his biography to him in Urdu, which Kabir translated in English.
He was one of the co-drafter of the UNESCO 1950 statement titled The Race Question.
His daughter Leila Kabir was married to Indian politician George Fernandes. His nephew Altamas Kabir is presently a Judge of the Supreme Court of India and his niece Shukla Kabir Sinha is a judge of the Calcutta High Court.

 Major works

• Imanuel Kant (1936)
• Sharat Sahityer Multattva (The main theory of the literature of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay) (1942)
• Banglar Kavya (The poetry of Bengal) (1945)
• Marxbad (Marxism) (1951)
• Mirza Abu Talib Khan (1961)
• Poetry, Monads and Society (1941)
• Muslim Politics in Bengal (1943)
• Rabindranath Tagore (1945)
• Men and Rivers
• Svapnasadh
• Sathi
• Ashtadashi
• Nadi O Nari

Source : Wikipedia

378. Maulana Kalbe Sadiq

Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, a leading Shia Muslim scholar, is the Vice-President of the All-India Muslim Personal law Board (AIMPLB). He has a Ph.D. in Arabic from Lucknow University and runs a chain of schools and colleges in Uttar Pradesh.







Maulana Dr. Syed Kalbe Sadiq: A reformer with a difference
Maulana Dr. Syed Kalbe Sadiq is an internationally renowned Islamic scholar, thinker, reformer, educationist and man of principles. He belongs to a reputed religious family of the subcontinent “Khandan-e-Ijtihad”. He was born in 1939 in the culturally rich city of Lucknow. His father late Maulana Kalbe Husain was a prominent Islamic scholar and an excellent orator and his brother late Maulana Kalbe Abid was also a reputed Islamic scholar and pious Alim.
Maulana Dr. Kalbe Sadiq received his early education from the famous madrasa of Sultan ul Madaris. He then moved to Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh and obtained the degree of Ph.D. in Arabic Literature.
Beside Arabic, Dr. Kalbe Sadiq has mastery over Urdu, Persian, English and Hindi languages. He is an orator par excellence and has traveled across the globe to deliver speeches and lectures on Islamic theology. Among his admirers are the followers of all religions. Although he belongs to the Shia sect of Islam but is equally respected among all Islamic sects and holds the post of Vice-President of India’s biggest socio-religious organization All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
Today, Maulana Dr. Kalbe Sadiq is seen as a big exponent of communal harmony between Hindu and Muslims and also Shias and Sunnis. Peaceful coexistence has been one of his basic principles of life. Earlier Lucknow was known for the sectarian violence between Shias and Sunnis particularly in the days of Muharram. But with the initiative and consistent efforts of Dr. Sadiq, several confidence building measures have been taken up between the two communities and by the grace of God condition is changing rapidly.
When Maulana Dr. Kalbe Sadiq stepped into the religious and social leadership of Muslim masses in mid 70s, he was moved by the pathetic condition of the community. The Muslim community was backward in all fields and deeply sunk into the darkness of illiteracy, poverty and ignorance. He, after much deliberation, concluded that the root cause of the backwardness of Muslims lies in its distance from education and knowledge.
From thereafter Dr. Kalbe Sadiq resolved to spread education and knowledge on modern lines and waged a community wide war against illiteracy and ignorance. This became the aim of his life. He started an educational movement in the community and left no stone unturned to remove the darkness of ignorance.
On 18th April 1984, he established Tauheedul Muslimeen Trust (T.M.T) to give educational assistance and scholarships to needy and poor students. Within the period of 27 years the Trust now is running many schools, colleges, technical institutes, charitable hospitals, free education programmes and providing scholarships to around 5000 students all over India. The amount of scholarship varies from thousands to lacs of rupees. The thousands of the beneficiaries of T.M.T’s scholarships, over the period of these years, are now leading a successful life and bringing name and fame to their family and off course the community all over the world.
Maulana Dr. Kalbe Sadiq is especially attached to a project “T.M.T’s free education programme” which provides quality education, transportation, uniforms, stationery, books, etc. absolutely free to the most deserving and underprivileged students of our society. Under this programme, around 4000 students are receiving quality education in various cities of India like Lucknow, Allahabad, Jaunpur, Aligarh, Moradabad, Jalalpur, Barabanki, etc.
In the same programme, Dr. Kalbe Sadiq has established a completely free education school in Lucknow known as “Unity Mission School”, where 1800 students are studying and all their expenses including books, copies and uniforms are borne by TMT. The result is for everyone to see. The students from this programme are changing the mindset of their parents and thus bringing about a big difference in the overall condition of our society.
It can be safely said that after Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, no Muslim leader has made as much efforts to spread modern education and scientific temperament in Muslim society as Dr. Kalbe Sadiq did. It is for the same reason that people are now rightly calling him to be a ‘second Sir Syed’.
The educational, charitable and constructive projects running under his able guidance and supervision include:
(1) Tauheedul Muslimeen Trust, Lucknow
(2) Unity College, Lucknow
(3) Unity Mission School, Lucknow
(4) Unity Technical School, Lucknow
(5) Unity Public School, Allahabad
(6) M.U. College, Aligarh
(7) Unity Computer Centre, Lucknow
(8) Unity Free Education Programme in Lucknow, Jaunpur, Jalalpur, Allahabad, Barabanki, Moradabad and Aligarh etc.
(9) Hiza Charitable Hospital, Lucknow
(10) T.M.T Medical Centre, Shikarpur, U.P.
(11) T.M.T’s Widow’s Pension Scheme
(12) T.M.T’s Orphan’s Educational Sponsorship Scheme
(13) Reconstruction and Expansion of the World Famous Imam Bargah of Ghufran Maab, Lucknow
(14) Reconstruction and Renovation of the Tomb of World Famous Elegy Writer and Marsia Khwan Hazrat Meer Anees, Lucknow
He is also the President of Lucknow’s famous Era’s Medical College & Hospital. This medical college is known for its excellent medical facilities at very nominal rates.


His views about Islam :
Maulana Dr. Syed Kalbe Sadiq views Islam to be a complete and final version of the same truth which revealed in different partial versions in earlier times. It is a comprehensive and practical way of life encompassing all aspects of human life be it spiritual, social or ethical. Dr. Sadiq also holds that Islam is a religion of rationality and reason and therefore leaves no scope for blind ritualism. He has been one of the bitterest opponents of the ritualistic version of Islam and has warned the masses on countless occasions not to perform acts and rituals without understanding its significance because this will result in false feeling of religious arrogance and superiority complex. He has always emphasized that religion is a means to reform and beautify human character. If the character of a Muslim is not attractive he should not be called a true Muslim. Likewise he has also made it clear in many speeches that Islam is the religion of knowledge and thus it encourages research and debate. The realities and doctrines of Islam are open for every human being to testify first and then accept.
Maulana Dr. Kalbe Sadiq also portrayed Islam many times to be a religion of ease. Islam, according to him, has come to make human life easy, not difficult. It does not create problems rather it solves them. If a person tries to serve God and humanity and pray with purity, his little worship will be more valuable in the sight of Allah than hard spiritual exercises of other people. And lastly, Dr. Sadiq also termed Islam, on several times, to be the religion of justice. The goal of religion is to end all kinds of injustice, oppression and tyranny from the face of the earth. According to him, the real and ideal Islamic society is a society where no person may be discriminated on racial, linguistic or economic grounds. In this context, he also condemns the injustice against women. The fact is that this half population of human civilization has always been a victim of worst kind of injustice and exploitation. Dr. Kalbe Sadiq has always raised his voice in support of the rights of women and has taken concrete steps to safeguard them. He has paid special attention towards the education of girls which he deems to be the best way to empower them.
Maulana Dr. Kalbe Sadiq is also known for his radical opposition of those so called Mullas whom he often calls “Kathmullas”, whose activities are confined in creating hatred, disputes, differences and confusions. These so called religious leaders, according to him, are giving to the community the slow poison of blind ritualism and stagnation and ultimately leading the community backwards. They have never come forward to fight against social evils like poverty, ignorance, superstitions, extravagances, costly marriages, dowry and unjustified divorces etc. They, according to him, are serving none but themselves and also are scared to loose their power, influence, authority and above all, livelihood in case of the awakening and resurgence of the community.
Besides, like all great personalities Dr. Sadiq is known for his simplicity, politeness, morals and above all his punctuality. His all programmes including functions, speeches and lectures always began on accurate scheduled time.
It is because of these enlightening and liberal views regarding religion and society, Dr. Kalbe Sadiq has always been the target of criticism and objections from some extremists and ritualistic groups of the community but he never replies in words, he replies with action and results


















Source : twocircles.net, facebook.com

377. Professor Dr. Syed Abdul Wahab Ashrafi

Professor Dr. Syed Abdul Wahab Ashrafi, Ph.D. (Urdu), MA in Urdu (Gold Medalist), M.A in Persian (Gold Medalist), M.A (English), LLB.

Received Sahitya Academy Award for Urdu in 2007 [highest award for literature in India

The highest honours came for his book Tareekh-e-Adab-e-Urdu (Criticism), a masterpiece literary work recognized as such, the world over.

Dr. Syed Abdul Wahab Ashrafi hails from Bibipur (Kako), Jehanabad, Bihar and was born on 2nd June 1936.

He was chairman of University Service Commission in 1992-1997 and then Chairman of Intermediate council 1999-2004.

Dr. Syed Abdul Wahab Ashrafi's books have been included, for long time, in University Post-Graduate courses, viz., Gujrat University [Tafhimul Balaghat], Banares Hindu University [Qutub Mushtari ka Tanqeedi Mutalia and Ma Bad-e-Jadidiyat Muzmarat-o-mumkinat], Mysore University [Teesri Aankh], and many more.

He added chapters of new entries & introduction in Ganga Ram Garg’s International Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature. He was one of the editor of Birla Foundation’s “Encyclopaedia Indiana ”. K.M.Garg’s famous “Comparative Indian Literature” also include his 2 full length research papers. He was also co-editor of literary magazine “Commitment” published from London .

He was president of Progressive Writer Association in year 2001. He attended and chaired many international seminars as a delegate of the Govt of India. He visited London , Qatar and Mauritius recently for attending seminars and presenting papers.

In urdu he wrote and published about 3 dozen books, some ran to five to ten editions. One of his major literary achievements is “History of world literature” in 8 volumes, which is already published.

Presently he is busy in writing his biography of which 800 pages are already written. He has prepared biographical sketches of about ten thousand poets and writers for the Bureau for promotion of Urdu, Govt. of India, New Delhi . He acted as literary expert for the Bureau for promotion of Urdu on the panel for preparation of terminologies.

He received many prestigious awards such as (a) Ghalib Award in 2001, (b) Bharatiya Bhasha Samman – the first and only recipient from Urdu so far, (c) President award for the promotion of Urdu language, (c) Urdu academy awards, etc.

His education started from Madarsa in Kako, Graduated and obtained Masters Degree in English from Bengal University and later he post graduated in Urdu & Persian from Bihar University , Muzaffarpur. He was placed first class first in the university exams in M.A. for English, Urdu as well as for Persian. He has done Bachelor of Law also.

Synopsis

Currently a resident of Patna, he has widely travelled all over the world
Ex-Prof. & HOD, Dept of Urdu, Ranchi University
Ex-Professor in Dept of Linguistic, Jawahar Lal Nehru
University (JNU), New Delhi.
Ex- Chairman, Bihar University Service Commission
Ex-Chairman, Bihar Intermediate Council, Patna
Vice – President of progressive writer association, World.
Writer of more than 2 dozens books including
History of world Literature in 8 volumes
Presently Chief Editor of Urdu literature Bi-Monthly magazine “Mobahsa”, Publishing from Patna.
A prominent regular writer of Afsana (Short Story) of sixties

Source : biharanjuman.org

376. Farhat Basir Khan

Farhat Basir Khan is an Indian Photographer, Media Activist Academician, Media Professional & theoretician. A senior most faculty member at the Mass Communication and Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia where he holds the prestigious Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Chair, Khan has also served as the Professor of Media & Communication at the same the Centre. He has also founded the Academy for Photographic Excellence - a Jindal Photo Initiative with which he was associated in the capacity of Director.
He uses new media formats like walk in multimedia installation for symposium and is considered to be the father of modern Photography and Mass education in India. He has been instrumental in the vocationalization of media education in India by designing syllabi for the University Grants Commission (India) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training.
Khan has completed several national and international media projects and consultancies and distinguished himself as a visiting faculty and jury member both in India and abroad. His contribution to photography and media studies in India, both as an academician as well as a industry professional, has been widely acknowledged.
Khan produced the 50-year commemorative audio-visual for UNICEF India as well as WHO SEAR. and contributes regularly to several Electronic, print and Web media.

Biography

Farhat Basir Khan was born on 2 August 1957 in Aligarh and completed his Post Graduate Degree from Aligarh Muslim University in 1978. He started his career as a photojournalist, but soon distinguished himself also as an industrial and advertising photographer and Audio Visual producer. Interest in academics led him to become a teacher of Photography at Aligarh Muslim University. Following widespread Industry exposure, he joined the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, where he heads the Photography, Multimedia & Audio Visual sections and holds the prestigious Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Chair. He further served as the founder Director of the Academy for Photographic Excellence- a Jindal Photo Initiative with which he was associated in the capacity of Director.

Work

 Academic Work

Farhat Basir Khan is the senior most faculty member of AJ Kidwai Mass Communication and Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. During his career as an academician he has taught several prominent names of the industry such as Shah Rukh Khan, Roshan Abbas, Barkha Dutt, Kabir Khan, Loveleen Tandan, Aseem Mishra and Saurabh Narang. He has been rigorously involved in designing new Media Courses & setting up facilities at Educational Institutes and universities throughout the country. He also contributed under the National education policy in 1993, and was the first to design & develop a three year undergraduate degree programme in Still-Photography and audio video production which was adopted by the UGC for nation-wise assistance. He also assisted the Department of Vocationalisation of Education for NCERT for their first photography vocational course at senior school level in the mid-eighties. He is credited with the invention of several new formats like walk-thorough symposiums and multimedia installations. His curatorial project Votography integrates street theatre, installation, graphics and photography.
He has served as a member of many prestigious juries such as International CMS Vatavaran Film Festival, Delhi; Fuji Film Super Six, Film Photography and Animation Festivals at IIT Kanpur and Delhi; and most recently for the last three years at the International Broadcast Convention for Content Creation, Management & Delivery in Netherlands, Amsterdam.

 Commercial Work

An active commercial photographer, Khan has earned much fame as an industrial and advertising photographer. He is famous for his campaigns for Grey, Lintas, Leo Burnett, Atlas, Oberoi Maidens, Avis, Grasim and Delhi Police. He has contributed to various international projects such as the One World programme for UNICEF delegates on Unspooling the Documentary Process and for institutes such as MIT, Russian Film School and Harvard Business School. Prof. Khan was chosen to make an Audio Visual for Commemoration of 50 years for both UNICEF and WHO from amongst all the Professional Photographers around the world.

Sony World Photography Awards, Cannes

His most recent international achievement has been to bring to India, the prestigious World Photography Award – Student Focus at the Palais des Festival in Cannes, defeating finalists from all the other continents. It was won by the team he was leading, consisting of two of his students at AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia in 2009. In 2010, the team led by him were the Asia finalists. The award brought the focus of World Photography on India and AJK Mass Communication and Research Centre.

Source : Wikipedia

375. T O Abdullah

Abdullah was the chief of KFA twice, from 1973 to 1978 and 1986 to 1994.

He was also former vice-president of All India Football Federation, former chairman of the AIFF referees board, chief selector of the senior national team and Kerala Sports Council vice president. Kerala won Santosh Trophy in 1973, 1993 and 1994 when he was in the helm of KFA.

Other than sports, Abdullah has served in various capacities at Kerala and Calicut universities, CUSAT, Rubber Board, Kerala State Industries Development Corporation, Indira Gandhi Co-operative Medical College, MES, SBI and All-Kerala Private Management College Association, among other bodies.



An engineering graduate from the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University, Abdullah was the chief of KFA twice, from 1973 to 1978 and 1986 to 1994.
He was also the former vice-president of All India Football Federation, former chairman of the AIFF referees board, chief selector of the senior national team, and Kerala Sports Council vice president. Kerala won Santosh Trophy in 1973, 1993 and 1994 when he was at the helm of KFA.


He was died on Jul 24, 2012 at the age of 84.


Source : mathrubhumi.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com

374. Dr. Rehana Sultana

Dr. Rehana Sultana at present is the Director, Center for Women’s Studies at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Chairperson, Deccan Education Society, and President of Civil liberties Monitoring Committee.



Dr. Sultana has done graduation several times in different subjects like linguistics, political science, history, sociology, and anthropology. She has also done M.Phil and Ph.D. in linguistics. She has also studied law. It will be interesting to know that this woman who is believed by many to be the most educated Muslim woman in Hyderabad had got married at the age of 15 without even completing her matriculation.
On Women’s Day today, she opened some pages of her life before TwoCircles.net.
She was born in a traditional Hyderabadi family and as the norms of that time she got married at the age of 15 when she was in 9th grade. But after the marriage she did not surrender to the barriers to her education and freedom. She got separated from her husband and started living with her parents. “From my childhood I was very fond of education, in those disturbed days of my life I decided to dedicate my life towards education and for utilizing it”, tells Dr. Sultana. She was living in a Muslim dominated area of old city of Hyderabad and observed that there were many women like her who are not getting fair opportunities for education, so in that scenario she with the help of other elders of the community in that locality started a tuition center for women with just five kids and slowly it developed into Deccan Education Society.


 
Dr Rehana being awarded by late AP CM YS Rajshekhara Reddy

“My sole aim was education for women but slowly many men also started insisting in joining the institution. I thought it is as important for men to get education as women, if women have to get a good place in the society, so I also allowed men to join but encouraged mainly women,” she says. She started first oriental education in old city area and soon attracted lots of people from every walk of life. She said even the rowdy sheeters also started coming to her institution in the evening classes to learn basic Urdu and English and she even being woman never hesitated in teaching them. Then she took a bold step and got her institution recognized with Aligarh Muslim University. “I find a need for the higher education among Muslim women as at that time Aligarh Muslim University was the only main university which was providing correspondence courses in higher education. I got my students enrolled for the graduation courses. Sometimes I used to take them all to Aligarh for the university practical exams,” says Dr. Sultana.
She did not restrict herself to the education field but she also started working for reforms in the very society which had restricted her. She said: “We use to educate women on their rights in property and whatever rights given to her in Islam. In Hyderabad Muslim households there is a perception that if a woman asks for her ‘Mehar’ it means she wants a divorce, so no woman dares to ask her right which is totally against the principles of Islam. So I started educating women about their rights in Islam and even persuaded religious scholars to give Fatwas against evils like dowry and triple Talaq”.
She adds: “In the beginning I was looked down by many even in my locality because they thought I was making their women folks rebel against them; even some tried to get fatwa against me for my campaign against triple talaq, but soon with the cooperation with many other like minded Muslim women from the locality we continued our work and the opposition soon died down.”





 While she was working as a reformist in the old city she got the attention of other human rights groups and NGOs. Many of them persuaded her to join them and she in fact joined many of them but was disillusioned by their outlook towards Muslim community. She says, “Majority of those groups used to work mainly on Dalits but what about those who are more depressed than Dalits, whenever there was a time to raise the voice for Muslims they showed their back. So I started observing that there was a need for a Muslim centric human rights group.”
When Gujarat 2002 occurred she along with many other Muslim human rights activists visited riot prone areas in Gujarat and spoke to many of the victims. She said “After coming back from Gujarat, I and other Muslim human rights activist had a discussion and then we started civil liberties monitoring committee in 2002, to dedicate our energy and time in resolving Muslim issues rather than relying on some other organizations.”
She was elected president of the organization and since 2002, Dr Rehana Sultana has been working tirelessly to resolve the issues of human rights violations of Muslims. She was in the forefront to criticize the state government for targeting Muslims after the Mecca Masjid blast and played an important role through her organization to get justice to the victims of the blast and police terror.
Sadly she is now having serious health problems. Her both kidneys have failed; she has to get dialysis two times a week, but still her determination to work for her community and especially its women keeps her busy. Now on the eve of Women’s Day, as a director for women’s studies in MANUU she is planning to form a separate wing of studies to educate men about the rights of their opposite sex.


Source : twocircles.net

373. Ustad Sabri Khan

Ustad Sabri Khan (Hindi: उस्ताद साबरी खान,(Urdu: استاد صابری خان), born 1927 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh) is an Indian sarangi player, who is descended on both sides of his family from a line of distinguished musicians.

Family

Khan has 4 sons- Sarwar Sabri (Musician - Tabla; living in Birmingham), Jamal Sarwar Sabri (Chartered Accountant ; living in Dubai), Kamal Sabri (Musician - Sarangi ; living in Delhi) and the youngest Gulfam Sabri (Singer ; living in Delhi) and 5 Daughters.He has many Grandsons either learning to or playing musial instruments: Sohail (Sarangi),Faisal (Tabla),Sharig (Tabla),Junaid (Guitar) and Nabeel (Sarangi).

 Gharana and the music training

Khan belongs to the Sainia Gharana. This Gharana traces the tradition of its music back to Mian Tansen, the great vocalist in the court of Moghul Emperor Akbar. Khan was initiated into Sarangi – playing by his grandfather, Ustad Haji Mohammed Khan and later continued his training under his father Ustad Chajju Khan, both accomplished Sarangi exponents of their time. Khan also learned some important and rare techniques of playing this ancient and difficult instrument from his uncle Ustad Laddan Khan of Rampur.
Khan has a prodigious command over the Sarangi – bowed instrument, which is considered to be a difficult instrument to master in Indian instrumental music. In playing Sarangi he has generated his own style where the purity of raga, variety of tans, layakari, (rhythmic oscillations) alaap-jor are obvious and of course of the traditional form of sarangi-playing in its total originality.

 Music career

Khan, has toured extensively across the world and performed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Japan, USSR, Russia, USA, Canada, England, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Czechia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Mexico.. The credit of introducing the Sarangi to American and European audiences goes to Khan. He has also played a duet with the renowned Yehudi Menuhin and was invited as a visiting professor by the University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
In appreciation of his contribution to the Classical Music of India Ustad Sabri Khan has received numerous honours and awards, including the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, UP Sangeet Natak Academy Award, National Sangeet Natak Academy Award and the prestigious Padma Shree Award (1992) and Padma Bhushan Award (2006) by the President of India – Government of India.
He has his seventh and eighth generation of the family playing Sarangi in the form of his son Kamal Sabri and grandson Sohail Khan.

 Awards and honour

• Sahitya Kala Parishad Award
• Shobhna Kala Sangam Award – 1985
• Begum Akhtar Award
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - 1986
• Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Luchnow, UP – 1990
• Padma Shree Award by the President of India, Government of India – 1992
• Ustad Chand Khan Award – 2002
• Sangeet Bhushan Award – 2002
• Lifetime Achievement Award – LEGENDS OF INDIA - DMA – Delhi – 2003
• National Artist Award – All India Radio Prasar Bharti Award – 2004
• Padma Bhushan Award by the President of India, Government of India - 2006
• Tagore Ratna Award by Governor of Bengal-2012

Khan received several national awards, including the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Padma Bhushan in 2006.


Source : Wikipedia

372. Ustad Allarakha Khan

Ustad Allarakha Khan was born on April 29, 1919, at Phagwal village of Jammu, 80 kms from Lahore. He was fascinated with the sound of tabla since the age of 12, when he was staying with his uncle at Gurdaspur.

The determined young lad ran away from house and became a disciple of Mian Qader Baksh of the Punjab Gharana, who initiated him into the world of music. He learnt 'Raag Vidya' (melody aspect) from Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan of Patiala Gharana. His regimen of practice and dedication were the stuff of legend: hours upon hours of hard, disciplined practice cultivating his skills would eventually pay off.





He started his musical career as an accompanist in Lahore and then as an All India Radio staffer in Mumbai in 1940. Soon after he would compose music for a couple of Hindi films from 1943-48.






The venerable master would later achieve world reknown as Pandit Ravi Shankar's chief accompanist during his apex in the 1960s, delighting audiences in the West with his percussive wizardry, both as an uncanny accompanist with flawless timing and sensitivity as well as a soloist where he was a master of improvisation, a prolific composer and an electric showman.



The Ustad popularized the art of tabla playing all over the globe, elevating the status and respect of his instrument. Abbaji (as he was affectionately known) also bridged the gap between Carnatic music and Hindustani music by performing with both reknowned Carnatic musicians as well as other Hindustani stalwarts.
In a message of condolence to Mr Khan's family, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said he was a colossus of Indian classical music. "The country has lost an accomplished maestro whose mastery over the tabla created waves all over the world," Mr Vajpayee said. President K R Narayanan said with Mr Khan's demise "an uncommon pulsation has been stilled. His wrists, palms and fingers produced from the tabla a percussion of magical quality which maintained the tenor and tempo of India's uniquely assimilative musical culture."
He once said in an interview that when he played outside India, his aim was to teach the Western world about the beauty of Indian music. When asked to say a few words at his 80th birthday celebrations last year, he played the tabla instead. "This is the language I know," he told the audience. He is survived by his wife Bavi Bengum, three sons, Zakir Hussain, Fazal Qureshi and Taufiq Qureshi, his daughter Khurshida Qureshi, and nine grandchildren.

Source : allarakhafoundation.org

371. Allauddin Khan

Allauddin Khan (Urdu: علا الدین خان Bengali: ওস্তাদ আলাউদ্দীন খ়ান, also known as Baba Allauddin Khan) (ca. 1862 – 6 September 1972) was a Bengali sarodiya and multi-instrumentalist, composer and one of the most renowned music teachers of the 20th century in Indian classical music.
In 1935, he toured Europe, along with Uday Shankar's ballet troupe, and later also worked at his institute, 'Uday Shankar India Culture Centre' at Almora for a while. During his lifetime, he composed several ragas and laid the foundation of a modern Maihar gharana. Amongst his recording which are rare, the most important ones are those he recorded with the All India Radio in 1959-60.
He was the father of sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan and Annapurna Devi, and the uncle of Raja Hossain Khan, as well as the guru of Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Vasant Rai, Pannalal Ghosh, Bahadur Khan, Sharan Rani and other influential musicians. He himself was a disciple of many great musicians, including Gopal Chandra Banerjee, Lobo, Munne Khan, and most importantly after a lot of struggle managed to become a shagird of the legendary Veena player, Wazir Khan of Rampur.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour in 1971, and prior to that in 1954, the Sangeet Natak Akademi awarded him with its highest honour, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to Indian music.

Early life and background

Allauddin Khan was born in Shibpur village in Brahmanbaria District (now in Bangladesh), the son of Sabdar Hossain Khan, also known as Sadhu Khan. Allauddin's elder brother, Fakir Aftabuddin, first taught him the basics of music at home.
At the age of ten, Allauddin ran away from home to join a jatra band, a traditional Bengali form of theater. This experience exposed him to the rich folk tradition of Bengal. After some time, he went to Kolkata, and was accepted as a student by singer Gopal Krishna Bhattacharya, alias Nulo Gopal. Allauddin committed to a 12-year practice program; However, Nulo Gopal died of plague after the seventh year. Khan then became a disciple of Amritalal Dutt, a close relative of Swami Vivekananda and music director at Kolkata's Star Theatre, with the goal of becoming an instrumentalist. At this time, he also took lessons in European classical violin from Lobo, a bandmaster from Goa.

 Sarod career

Khan got interested in sarod after a concert at Jagat Kishore Acharya's, zamindar of Muktagachha, where he listened to Ahmed Ali Khan, a student of Asghar Ali Khan (Amjad Ali Khan's granduncle). Alauddin became his student, and studied the sarod under him for five years. His next step was to go to Rampur for lessons from Wazir Khan Beenkar, court musician of the Nawab there, and one of the last direct descendants of the legendary Tansen. Through him, Alauddin was given access to the Senia gharana (Tansen school of music). He later became the court musician of Brijnath Singh Maharaja of Maihar Estate in Central Province.

 Maihar Gharana

During his time as a court musician, Khan completely reshaped the Maihar gharana of Indian classical music. The Maihar gharana was established in the 19th Century, but Khan's contribution was so fundamental that he is often thought to be its creator. This was a period of rapid change for Hindustani instrumental music, thanks not least to Khan, who infused the beenbaj and dhrupad ang, previously known from the been, surbahar (bass sitar) and sur-sringar (bass sarod), into the playing of many classical instruments.

For though he gave concerts on the sarod, Allauddin played many instruments, something that shaped his pedagogy. He put together an orchestra with Indian instruments, the String Band now known as Maihar Band, and while his son, Ali Akbar Khan, was taught the sarod, his daughter Annapurna Devi (Roshanara Khan) learned the surbahar, students such as Ravi Shankar and Nikhil Banerjee played the Sitar, Rabin Ghosh played on violin and Baijnath Singh and Pannalal Ghosh the bansuri bamboo flute. Baijnath Singh was first and Vasant Rai was Allauddin Khans last student. Of course Ravi and Ali Akbar Khan were to be very famous and spread this gharana over the world – something that Allauddin himself had started when, in 1935–1936, he went on an international tour with Uday Shankar's dance troupe.
Allauddin stayed at Maihar from 1918 to his death. In 1955, he established a Maihar College of Music. He was given the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1952, and the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan – India's third and second highest civilian decorations – in 1958 and 1971, respectively.

Personal life

Anecdotes about Khan range from throwing a Tabla tuning hammer at the Maharaja himself to taking care of disabled beggars. (Nikhil Banerjee said that the tough image was "deliberately projected in order not to allow any liberty to the disciple. He always had the tension that soft treatment on his part would only spoil them".)
A few years before the turn of the century, he married Madanmanjari Devi (1888–?). He had one son and sarod heir, Ali Akbar Khan, and three daughters, Sharija, Jehanara and Annapurna who grew up as Roshanara Khan. Sharija died an early death suffering from diseases in her childhood and when Jahanara got married and a jealous mother-in-law burnt her Tanpura, a shocked Alauddin Khan decided not to train his only remaining daughter. One day, however, he came home to discover Annapurna teaching her brother Ali Akbar Khan, and her talent made the emotional father change his mind. Annapurna learned classical vocal music, Sitar, and Surbahar from her father. She later married and divorced Ravi Shankar.

 Ragas created by Allauddin Khan

Khan was fond of sankeerna (compound) ragas, and created many ragas of his own, including Arjun, Bhagabati, Bhim, Bhuvaneshvari, Chandika, Dhabalashri, Dhankosh, Dipika, Durgeshvari, Gandhi, Gandhi Bilawal, Haimanti, Hem-Behag, Hemant, Hemant Bhairav, Imni Manjh, Jaunpuri Todi, Kedar Manjh, Komal Bhimpalasi, Komal Marwa, Madanmanjari, Madhabsri, Madhavgiri, Malaya, Manjh Khamaj, Meghbahar, Muhammed, Nat-Khamaj, Prabhakali, Raj Bijoy, Rajeshri, Shobhavati, Subhabati, Sugandha and Surasati. Many of these have not become common Maihar repertoire; Manjh Khamaj is perhaps the best known. Some of Allauddin's recordings have been released on CD, on the Great Garanas: Maihar compilation in RPG/EMI's Chairman's Choice series.

 Films

Raga (1971). Directed by Howard Worth. 

Source : Wikipedia

370. Ghulam Mustafa Khan

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan (born March 3, 1931) is an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani classical music tradition. He belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana and he is the son of Waris Hussain Khan and grandson of Inayat Hussain Khan of Sahaswan Gharana. He has been associated with Hindi film industry and as teacher his has trained several noted playback and classical singers.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of India in 2006. In 2003 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.

Early life

He was born on March 3, 1931 in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh.

 Personal life

He is married to Amina Begum who is grand daughter of Mushtaq Hussain Khan. They have 4 sons who are Murtaza Khan, Qadir Mustafa, Rabbani Khan, Hasan Khan. Murtaza Khan and Qadir Khan are well known classical vocalists and singers of Hindi Film Industry who have worked with the legendary music director A. R. Rahman Amit Trivedi and others. He is also the uncle and guru of classical vocalist Rashid Khan.
He currently lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra along with his family.

 Disciples

Some of his students are singers in the field of Indian playback singing: Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Geeta Dutt, Hariharan, Shaan Sonu Nigam Sagarika, Shilpa Rao,A. R. Rahman(Alisha Chinnoy) etc.

 Discography

He has been involved as playback singer and music director of award winning feature films like :

• Bhuwan Shome
• Badnam Basti
• Umrao Jaan (1981)
• Chhand Pretticha (Marathi)
• Drut (Bengali)
• Aarkali(Telgu)
• Aagman (Music Director also)
• Shreeman Aashiq

 Awards and achievements

• Padma Shri(1991)
• Padma Bhushan (2006)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2003)
• He is among the few artists to perform at the conference held by Dr. Rajendra Prasad (Former President of India) in 1952.
• Named as Junior Tansen in 1969 by Haridas Sangeet Sabha, Mangalore.
• Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan award and Ustad Chand Khan award
• He performed at Baltimore University and was conferred an Honorary Citizenship of Baltimore City.
• Honorary Citizenship for outstanding contribution to the field of Indian Classical Music in 1986 (by Governor of Maryland)
• He performed at Golden Jubilee in the presence of the honorable Queen of United Kingdom
• He performed at Festival de Lille in the presence of Lady Diana in France.

Source : Wikipedia

369. Dr. Hafiz Saleh Muhammad Alladin

Famous astronomer

Educational adviser of former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam.


He was born in Hyderabad (India) in 1931

Mr. Hafiz finished his PhD in the year 1963 from Chicago University, was ultimately joined as the director of the Osmania University at Hyderabad’s Center of Advanced Astronomy. His most famous research was on the solar and lunar eclipses, which he did in the year 1894.





Dr. Alladin’s famous research was on the Solar / Lunar Eclipse of 1894 and has remained in different famous Committees like International Astronomical Union, Astronomical Society of India, Plasma Science Society of India, and Indian Association for General Relativity and Gravitation, Indian Association of Physics Teachers.

He was among the famous 100 Astronomers of the world and served as the educational advisor to former President APJ Abdul Kalam of India.

He wrote many books, penned hundreds of articles and published more than 50 research papers.

Dr. Alladin’s famous research was on the Solar / Lunar Eclipse of 1894 and has remained in different famous Committees like International Astronomical Union, Astronomical Society of India, Plasma Science Society of India, and Indian Association for General Relativity and Gravitation, Indian Association of Physics Teachers.

Dr. Alladin was awarded with Meghnad Saha Award 1981 from UGC New Delhi, Man of the Year 2000 American Biographical Institute USA, 2000 Outstanding People Medal, International Biographical Centre Cambridge UK 2003, Bharat Excellence Award, Friendship Forum of India, 2006, 500 Great Leaders Diploma, American Biographical Institute USA 2008.

He was the President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community India chapter.







Dr. Alladin visited Los Angeles in 1994 where he presented his scholastic speech on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the great Celestial sign of Sun and Moon Eclipse of 1894.

Source : 24hearsay.com, ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.in

368. Mohammed Shihabuddin Nadvi

Sheikh Mohammed Shihabuddin Nadvi (1931–2002) was one of the greatest original Islamic thinkers, scholastic philosopher, religious reformer and a prolific writer from India. He was born in the Indian city of Bangalore on 12 November 1931. He authored more than 100 books on various topics pertaining to Qur'an, Hadith and modern science. He founded a research academy by name Furqania Academy in Bangalore in 1970 as a center for research on Qur'anic sciences. Some prominent ulamas have regarded him as Mujaddid, a religious revivalist. He died on 18 April 2002.

 Major works

Besides writing hundreds of research articles in Urdu and Arabic, he wrote more than 100 books on different topics relating to Qur'an and modern sciences which includes:

1. Evolution or Creation?
2. The Holy Qur'an and Biology
3. The Holy Qur'an Natural World
4. Cloning Testifies Resurrection
5. Qur'anic Code of Argumentation
6. Qur'anic Concept of Knowledge
7. Death of the Sun and the Doomsday
8. Qur'an, Science and the Muslims
9. Moon Sighting and Astronomical Calculations
10. Rise and Fall of Muslims in Science
11. Need to Institutionalize Zakat
12. قرآن حکيم اور علم نباتات (Qur'an Hakeem aur Ilm-e-Nabatat: Qur'an and Botanical World)
13. تخليق آدم اور نظريہ ارتقاء (Takhleeq-e-Adam aur Nazria Irtiqa: Creation of Adam and the Theory of Evolution)
14. قرآن مجيد اور دنيائے حيات (Qur'an-e-Majeed aur Duniya-e-Hayat: Holy Qur'an and Biological World)
15. اسلام اور عصر حاضر (Islam aur Asr-e-Hazir: Islam and Modern World)
16. چاند کى تسخير قرآن کى نظر ميں (Chand ki Taskhir Qur'an ki Nazar Mein: Conquest of the Moon in the Light of Holy Qur'an)
17. قرآن، سائنس اور مسلمان (Qur'an, Science aur Musalmaan: Qur'an, Sciece and the Muslims)
18. اسلام اور جديد سائنس (Islam aur Jadeed Science: Islam and Modern Science)
19. جديد علم کلام (Jadeed Ilm-e-Kalam: Modern Scholastic Philosophy)
20. میری علمی زندگی کی داستان عبرت (Meri Ilmi Zindagi ki Dastan-e-Ibrat: Exemplary Moments of My Literary Life)
21. تفسیر سورہ تکویر: اور اس کے اسرار وعجائب (Tafseer Surah-e-Takveer aur Uske Asrar-o-Aja'ib: Chater Takveer of the Qur'an and its Mysteries)
22. فطرت وشریعت میں مشابہت (Fitrat-o-Shariat mein Mushabahat: Concurrence between Nature and Shariah)
23. ماہیت بارئ تعالی پر ایک نظر قدیم وجدید نظریات کی روشنی میں (Mahiat-e-Bari-e-Ta'ala par Eik Nazar Qadeem-o-Jadeed Nazariyat ki Raushani Mein: A Glance at the Divine Being in the Light of the Ancient and Modern Thought)
24. قرآن عظیم کے دلائل ربوبیت اور جدید علم کلام کی اہمیت (Qur'an-e-Azeem ke Dala'il-e-Ruboobiat aur Jadeed Ilm-e-Kalam ki Ahmiat: The Glorious Qur'an and the Arguments of Providence and Importance of the New Scholastic Philosophy of Islam)
25. قرآن کی حجت عالم انسانی پر (Qur'an ki Hujjat Alam-e-Insani par:
26. قرآن اور نظام فطرت (Qur'an and Nizam-e-Fitrat: Qur'an and Natural World)
27. قرآن کا پیغام (Qur'an ka Paigham: The Message of Qur'an)
28. اسرار نبوت (Asrar-e-Nubuwat: Mysteries of the Prophethood)
29. سائنسی میدان میں مسلمانوں کا عروج وزوال (Scienci Maidan Mein Musalmanoon ka Urooj wa Zawal: Rise and Fall of Muslims in Science)
30. قرآن عظیم کا نیا معجزہ اور علماء کی ذمہ داریاں (Qur'an-e-Azeem ka Naya Mojiza aur Ulama ki Zimmadarian: The New Miracle of the Glorious Qur'an and the Duties of the Islamic Scholars)
31. سورج کی موت اور قیامت (Suraj ki Mouth aur Qiyamat: Death of the Sun and the Doomsday)
32. قرآن عظیم کا نظام دلائل (Qur'an-e-Azeem ka Nizam-e-Dalail: Qur'anic Code of Argumentation)
33. قرآن کا نظریہء علم (Qur'an ka Nazari-e-Ilm: Islamic Concept of Knowledge)
34. قرآن کا فلسفہء کائنات اور اس کی ابدی سچائیاں (Qur'an ka Falsafa-e-Kainat aur us ki Abadi Sachchaian: Qur'anic Philosophy of the Universe and its Eternal Truths)
35. عالم ربوبیت میں توحید شھودی کے جلوے (Alam-e-Ruboobiat main Tauheed-e-Shuhoodi ke Jalway: Manifestations of Monotheism in the Realm of Providence)
36. زکاہ اور مصالح عامہ (Zakat aur Masalaeh-e-Amma: Zakat and the General Expediencies)
37. اسلام کا قانون نکاح (Islam ka Qanoon-e-Nikah: Islamic Code of Marriage)
38. اسلام کا قانون طلاق (Islam ka Qanoon-e-Talaq: Islamic Code of Divorce)
39. اسلامی شریعت علم وعقل کی میزان میں (Islami Shariath Ilm-o-Aql ki Meezan Mein: Islamic Shariah: An Intellectual and Argumentative Critique)
40. تعدد ازدواج پر ایک نظر (Ta'addud-d-Izdiwaj par Aik Nazar: Polygamy: An Outlook)
41. ہمارے تعلیمی مسائل (Hamare Taleemi Masa'il: Educational Problems of the Muslims)
42. زکاہ کے مستحق کون ہیں؟ (Zakat ke Mustahiq Kaun Hain?: Who Deserves Zakath?) - Two parts
43. اسلام اور جدید عالمی نظام (Islam aur Jadeed Aalami Nizam: Islam and the New World Order)
44. بين علم آدم وعلم حديث (Baina Ilmi Adam wa al-Ilm al-Hadees: Between the Knowledge of Adam and the Knowledge of the Day)
45. نظرة على ذات البارئ تعالى (Nazara Ala Zat al-Bari Ta'ala: A Glance at the Divine Being)
46. التجليات الربانية في عالم الطبيعة (Al-Tajalliat al-Rabbaniah fi Alam al-Tabe'eah: Divine Manifestations in the Natural World)
47. نهضة العالم الإسلامي في ظلال القرآن الكريم (Nahza al-Aalam al-Islami fi Zilal al-Qur'an al-Kareem: Reawakening of the Muslim World in the Light of the Qur'an)
48. الاستنساخ الجيني يصدق على المعاد الجسدي (Al-Istinsaq al-Jeeni Usaddiqu ala al-Ma'ad al-Jasadi: Cloning Testifies Resurrection)
49. مشاهد الربوبية في دنيا النبات (Mashahid al-Rububiat fi Dunya al-Nabat: Glimpses of Divine Providence in the Plant World)
50. أهميت علم الكيمياء والفيزياء (Ahmiatu Ilm al-Kimia wa al-Fezia: Importance of Chemistry and Physics)
51. خلق آدم ونظرية التطور والارتقاء (Qalqu Adam wa Nazaria al-Tatawwur wa al-Irtiqa: Creation of Adam and the Theory of Evolution)
52. أهميت الجهاد لنهضة العالم الإسلامي (Ahmia al-Jihad li Nahza al-Alam al-Islami: Importance of Jihad in the Reawakening of the Muslim World)
53. القرآن الكريم وعلم الكلام الحديث (Al-Qur'an al-Kareem wa Ilm al-Kalam al-Hadees: The Glorious Qur'an and the New Scholastic Philosophy of Islam
54. نظام الأدلة القرآنية ونهضة الأمة الإسلامية (Nizam al-Adilla Qur'ania wa Nahza al-Ummah al-Islamiah: Code of Argumentation of the Qur'an and the Reawakening of the Ummah
55. موت الشمس ويوم القيامة (Mout al-Shams wa Youm al-Qiyamah (Death of the Sun and the Doomsday)

For the first time he presented before the world some of the most astounding and amazing marvels of the Glorious Qur'an in the light of the modern sciences and framed the guiding principles for the renaissance of the Muslim Ummah.
Has received numerous awards in recognition of his literary endeavors.
His noble endeavors for the cause of Islam have been acknowledged by the great Sheikh Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi in the words: "The work which is done by a full academy in Europe is being done by a single person here."


Source : Wikipedia,  openlibrary.org

367. Dr Mir Aneesuddin

Dr Mir Aneesuddin was born in 1934 and expired in 2006 in Hyderabad. May Allah shower His Blessings on him. He was son of Mir Hasanuddin. He did his Msc and PhD in geology from Osmania University. Worked as senior scientist with Indian institute of Technology and retired in 1996. .

Dr. Aneesuddin was the the founder and President of The Islamic Academy of Science. For the past 23 years, Dr Aneesuddin has been lecturing on the Quran. These lectures of the Quran are compressed and available for download.

Dr Aneesuddin has the unique distinction of writing several books on the subject of interpretations of Quran in terms of modern science. He was considered the first individual ever to publish these translations with scientific interpretations in simple English language. His publication titled "The Quran, Science and the Universe" has seen 5 editions in Canada and three editions in Hyderabad to date. Dr. Aneesuddin was a brilliant Interpreter of scientific phenomena in the Quran and an expert at explaining scientific facts in the Quran.


Books

• The Quran, Science and the Universe

• Attributes of Allah – Explained Exclusively through Quran
• Explanatory Dictionary of the Holy Quran
• Synonyms of the Holy Quran
• Success Predestined or Achieved?
• Elements of Namaz
• Elementary Grammar and Dictionary of The Holy Quran

Source : qurantranslations.org

366. Jamshed Akhtar

Born	(1947-05-04) May 4, 1947 Faizabad, India
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Aligarh Muslim University
Occupation	Author, researcher
Religion	Islam

Jamshed Akhtar (born 1947, Faizabad, India) is an Indian writer and researcher. He graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, India, in 1969, with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He is involved in the scientific study of religion and has written two books on this topic.

Books

His first book The Ultimate Revelations, published in 1996, is probably the only Science fiction in the world with Quran as the central topic. The book outlines his research related to the possibility of coded information in Quran. It was well covered by almost all the major newspapers of India and UAE (Times of India - Feb 23rd, 1997, The Sunday Observer - May 18 - 24, 1997, The Hindu - July 7, 1997, Islamic Voice - Feb 23rd, 1997, Khaleej Times - May 2, 1998, Gulf News - May 1, 1998). In UAE, the book was presented at 'The Book Mall' by Shaikha Azza, daughter of HH Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah (Gulf News).
In 2010, his second book, a non-fiction, In Search of Our Origins has been published. This book presents his research on the origins of life and man in the light of revelations from Quran.

 Talk on Noah

In 1998, Akhtar presented a talk on the time, place and source of Noah’s Flood, and a possible location of Noah’s Ark, combining pointers from Quran with scientific findings. This paper was presented in a workshop jointly organized by Muslim Association for Advancement of Science (MAAS) and Centre for Studies on Sciences (CSOS) at Khandala.

Institute of Revealed Knowledge

Akhtar has established an online Institute of Reveald Knowledge  to colloborate with other researchers of different faiths and to initiate collective investigation of the information in revelations through a panel of linguists, science historians and scientists of various disciplines.

Literacy Drive

Apart from the study on Quran, he is also involved in promoting literacy among rural children of Faizabad, India. He is the Founder Trustee of 'Foundation for Social Care', and President of Faiz-e-Aam Muslim Educational Society. Faiz-e-Aam in association with AFMI was responsible for Faizabad Literacy Project, which has been hailed as a model educational scheme.

 Project IMDAAD

In 2002, in coloboration with Institute of Objective Studies (IOS), Jamshed Akhtar had also designed and initiated Project IMDAAD to connect Muslim Primary Schools and mosques all over India with the Internet. It’s objective was to disseminate information on education, health, business and awareness, and to collect feedback from the masses.

 Bibliography

• The Ultimate Revelations (1996) - Science Fiction
• In Search of Our Origins (2010), revised and updated (April 2012) - Non Fiction
• Faizabad Literacy Project (2004) - Documentary by Jamshed Akhtar
• Project IMDAAD (2002)

Source : Wikipedia