Ninth IOS Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Maulana Hakim Mohammad Abdullah Mughesi

Ninth IOS Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Maulana Hakim Mohammad Abdullah Mughesi

New Delhi: The ninth IOS Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred upon Maulana Hakim Mohammad Abdullah Mughesi, Chancellor, Jamia Arabia Gulzar Husainia, Ajrarah, Meerut, and President, All India Milli Council, for his enormous contribution for promoting education in society as well as social services, in a function organised by the Institute of Objective Studies here on December 24, 2021.

The function commenced with the recitation of a Quranic verse by Hafiz Mohammad Athar Husain Nadwi.

In-charge of the Urdu section, IOS, Maulana Shah Ajmal Farooq Nadwi traced the history and purpose of the award. He said that the award was instituted to honour and recognize the contribution of those who made their name known in different fields. The shortlisted names were processed by a screening committee that took a final decision on the name, he added. 

In his welcome address, the Secretary General, IOS, Prof. Z.M. Khan, said that he knew Maulana Mughesi personally and saw his work in the field of education in the Meerut district. Since he belonged to the area, he knew of his work. Referring to the selection process of the nominee for the award, he noted that it was a tedious task as the shortlisted names were considered by various committees. Thus it was not based on one person’s choice. He observed that it was a matter of satisfaction that the acceptance of the work of IOS was growing. Letters of recommendations for various projects and other things were being regularly received. The Institute had signed MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with several foreign universities. This ostensibly meant that the area of its activities was expanding. He stressed that the issue of national integration needed to be taken up for further study and analysis.

On this occasion, the scroll of honour for Maulana Mughesi was read out by the ex-All India Radio presenter, S.M. Shafique. This was followed by the presentation of the scroll of honour to Maulana Mughesi by Amir-i-Jamiat, Ahle Hadith Hind, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salafi. 

A cheque for Rs. 1 lakh as the amount of the award was presented to Maulana Mughesi by the Chairman of the IOS, Dr. M. Manzoor Alam. General Secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani presented a memento to Maulana Mughesi. 

Speaking as the chief guest, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salafi congratulated the IOS for conferring the award on Maulana Mughesi. It was a happy augury that his services to the community in the field of education had been recognized.  He also praised the IOS for honouring those who carved out a niche for themselves. Maulana Mughesi was such an alim who made ceaseless efforts to spread Islamic education coupled with modern education, he added. 

As the guest of honour, Prof. Emeritus, Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, thanked Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam for taking an apt decision to honour Maulana Mughesi with the prestigious award. Referring to Maulana Mughesi’s services, he said that he (Maulana Mughesi) did everything to hold the head of the Muslim Community high. In his educational institution, he imparted Islamic education with modern education, keeping in view the needs of the time. This was aimed at making the students self-reliant after completing their education. He said that he had been visiting his madrasa and saw for himself the work being done there. He was all praise for the IOS, which was the only think-tank in the country in its own right. Owing to its pioneering work in research and dissemination of ideas, the IOS received both praise and brickbats. But its sincerity was never in doubt, and the caravan of the Institute waded its way smoothly. He lauded Dr. Alam for instituting an award in the name of the great Islamic scholar like Shah Waliullah and the IOS Lifetime Achievement Award. He used the occasion to congratulate Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani for being formally nominated as the General Secretary of AIMPLB. He said that Allah eased the difficulties and opened doors of success to those who remembered their benefactors. He prayed to Allah to enable the Muslim community to remember its benefactors. He held that under the stewardship of Ml. Mughesi, Jamia Arabia Gulzar Husainia was flourishing. 

The Vice-Chairman, IOS, Prof. M. Afzal Wani, said that he was a part of the committee that finalized his name. He involved himself in a campaign to spread education as ordained by Allah. Maulana Mughesi was being rewarded for his services to the community. His services were worthy of emulation. He suggested that the profiles like the one written on the Maulana should become a part of the syllabus in schools. 

Addressing the function, Maulana Mohammad Abdullah Mughesi expressed his gratefulness to the IOS for choosing him for the award. He said that one’s basic purpose was to please his Creator by his good deeds, and he used his entire life for the sake of it. He maintained that he was gladly accepting the award and thanking God for the honour. He announced to distribute the amount of the award in four parts. This included Rs. 25,000 each to the AIMPLB and the Islamic Fiqh Academy (IFA). Praying for the good health and longevity of Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam, he said that the latter promoted the thought of national and international understanding. He raised the status of the IOS among scholars by honouring several famed personalities. He also congratulated Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani for being nominated as the full-fledged General Secretary of the AIMPLB and expressed confidence that he would continue to raise the issues that confronted Indian Muslims. 

Dr. M. Manzoor Alam, in his speech, pointed out that the Muslim community could not face challenges without knowledge, and it could not be acquired without education. When it comes to knowledge, it should be acquired without going into its classification. Knowledge might be religious or fundamental. He asked the young generation to realize the importance of knowledge. He renewed the pledge of the IOS to continue its pursuits to knowledge and its dissemination for the benefit of humanity.

In his presidential remarks, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani observed that it was the duty of the community to perpetuate the memory of its forefathers. But today, instead of remembering them, they were being made targets of criticism. This was caused by social media. Praising the services of Maulana Mughesi, he said that Maulana Mughesi initiated the process of providing modern education to madrasa students along with religious education at a time when only a few could think of it. This was one of his major contributions to the field of education. His work deserved appreciation due to its beginning in the most backward rural areas. He said that the beginning in any field should be made at the grass-root level. Before moving forward, one should make a beginning at the ground. He called for investing the Muslim community with Deen and Islam because they enunciated moderation. The Maulana pursued this course and earned the respect of every section of society. He praised Dr. M. Alam for identifying people who could play an active role in the promotion of knowledge and created an institution like IOS to provide a platform for them. Referring to Islamic knowledge and philosophy, he said that it was Shah Waliullah who first recognized machinations of anti-Islam forces. Following this, he wrote books on Islamic knowledge. He urged the Muslims to adopt a moderate approach to Islam and work for the unity of the Ummah. He said that the IOS was working on the foundations of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). IOS was the only think-tank of its kind that worked in the field of research on a variety of subjects, he concluded. 

The function ended with a vote of thanks proposed by the Assistant Secretary General, IOS, Prof. Haseena Hashia. 

 A view of audience.