Commentary

Book & Author
Rizwan Ahmed: A Biographer-Historian Par Excellence
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL

“All history is biography.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

September 11, 2012 marked the 64th anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam’s death. On the same day, one of Quaid-i-Azam’s ( December 25, 1876 - September 11, 1948) most prolific and prominent biographers, Rizwan Ahmed passed away quietly in Karachi.

Rizwan Ahmed was 88 years old. He received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Allahabad. After migrating to Pakistan, he wrote prolifically on Quad-i-Azam (the great leader) and the Pakistan Movement.

Rizwan Ahmed had written the most readable and vivid accounts of the character and career of the Quaid-i-Azam. In his writings, he practiced triangulation of facts; he took great care to check the facts and validate the accounts of Quaid-i-Azam’s contemporaries. He wrote more than ,1000 columns on Quaid-i-Azam in English, Urdu, Guajarati, and Sindhi newspapers. His articles on Quaid-i-Azam and Pakistan Movement were also published in a number of national and international publications. He authored/edited more than twenty-five books on Quaid-i-Azam, which include:

Teachings of Quaid-i-Azam (1968)
Early Thirty Years (also published in Urdu as Ibtadai Tees Saal, 1976)
Quaid-i-Azam and the Islamic World – 1981 (published on the occasion of Islamic Summit, Makkah)
Quaid-i-Azam and the Islamic World (Arabic)
Quaid-i-Azam’s Life: Facts and Fictions (1975) [serialized in DAWN 1976]
Jinnah Poonjah (Father of Quaid-i-Azam) [Urdu]
The Quaid-i-Azam Papers 1940 (Volume I, 1976)
The Quaid-i-Azam Papers 1941-42 (Volume II, 1977)
Quaid-i-Azam Papers 1928-39, 1943-48 (Volume III)
Letters to Quaid-i-Azam, 1936-1941 (1998)
Letters to Quaid-i-Azam, 1937-1947 (2004)
Letters to Quaid-i-Azam, 1942-1943 (2001)
Letters to Quaid-i-Azam, 1944-1947 (2003)
Quaid kay Saathi (Urdu, Associates of Quaid-i-Azam)
Jung-e-Azadi Key Jhalkian (Urdu, collection of columns published in daily Jang)
Meray Quaid (Urdu)
My Quaid
Moohnjo Quaid (Sindhi)
Maro Quaid (Guajarati)
Rare Papers of Quaid-i-Azam
Pakistan Key Kahaney (Urdu)
Tributes to Jinnah (Founder of Pakistan)
Muslim India and the Islamic World
Young Jinnah (Volume I)
Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah (Volume II)
Gandhiji – Facts and Fictions
Gandhiji – Jinnah, an Appraisal

Rizwan Ahmed conducted most of his scholarly activities through Pakistan Movement Research Center. Commenting on the need for establishing such as center, in the preface of his book “ Sayings of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” he observed: “The need for an organization or a center to conduct studies and research into the Pakistan Movement and disseminate knowledge about its motivating factors and ideals has been felt for a long time. We have made a humble beginning in this direction by establishing a Pakistan Movement Research Center…The Pakistan Movement is a continuing process. The shackles of foreign rule have been broken, but the effort to evolve in Pakistan a social order based on ‘Islamic Social Justice’ continues. It is a demanding but rewarding task. It calls for sincere, dedicated, and sustained efforts. As time passes the ranks of the generation which was directly involved in the historic struggle for Pakistan is getting depleted. The surviving workers of the Pakistan Movement owe it to the present and future generations to spread the message of the Quaid-i-Azam and correct knowledge about the facts and motivations of the Movement.”

Commenting on the importance of scholarship on Quaid-i-Azam and Pakistan Movement, and reflecting on the scholarly efforts of Mr Rizwan Ahmed in this regard, Mr M.H. Saiyid, secretary of Quaid-i-Azam, has observed: “As current events pass into history, the responsibility of their placement in their proper perspective devolves upon those who have lived through the times. This is a matter of duty towards the future generations which must be discharged as studiously and faithfully as the gravity of the subject demands. Students of history know that as time passes, these events begin to cast their shadows or throw light on the future pattern of life. Mr Rizwan Ahmed and other friends including Mr Jamiluddin Ahmed of the Pakistan Movement Research Center have collaborated to collect some of the more important quotations from the speeches and statements of Quaid-i-Azam…his views and the ideals and values he stood for are of perennial interest to the present and future generations of Pakistan. Most of them represent the principles and aphorisms propounded by him from time to time. But they will have a bearing on the current events, and as such. I hope they will have a stimulating effect in encouraging the study of our current history” (Foreword, Sayings of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, edited by Rizwan Ahmed, Karachi, 1970).

In one of his major biographies of Quaid-i-Azam, titled “Quaid-i-Azam kay Ibtadai Tees Saal (Quaid-i-Azam’s early thirty years),” Rizwan Ahmed chronicles early part of the life of Quaid-i-Azam based on research and interviews he conducted with Quaid-i-Azam’s sisters, especially with Ms Shereen Jinnah. He has included historical documents and rare photos of Quad-i-Azam and his family. The book was published on December 25, 1976, on the occasion of celebrating the Centennial of Quaid-i-Azam’s birthday. In the introduction, Shereen Jinnah (1877-1980) Quaid-i-Azam’s youngest sister, writes, “Many books dealing with Quaid-i-Azam’s political and national issues have been written in English and Urdu, and many more will be written, but not much has been written about his early life, no one has dedicated efforts towards this topic. This work has been done by Mr Rizwan Ahmed. His research has led to the discovery of many aspects of Quaid-i-Azam’s early life. His work has not only shed light on my Bhai Jan’s life but also collected facts and details about my father and family, covering my father’s early life, business, marriage, marital life, educational and business issues, trade and financial matters, trials, genealogy from parental and maternal sides, in short, he has researched a lot, even covering the historical accounts of Kathiawar and Karachi….most of the facts and narratives presented are backed by documentary evidence which negates many non-factual stories that somehow have gotten into the print form. Mr Rizwan asked me about lots of issues, many of which he was trying to research for years; there were so many things which I was able to remember on his asking; now it appears that I am witnessing all events of the past through my own eyes. I express my sincere gratitude to him and pray for his long life so that he can continue his research to educate the nation…Publication of “Quaid-i-Azam’s Ibtadai Tees Saal” on the occasion of celebrating 100 th anniversary of Quaid’s birthday, provides us with a historical account in our hands, and this is a great gift for this year. Shireen Jinnah, Qasr-e-Fatima Jinnah, Clifton, Karachi.”

In the foreword, Rizwan Ahmed writes, “In 1906, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah stepped into the political domain. For the first time he appeared on the public platform, and during the 1906-1947 period he struggled continuously. These 40 years are full of struggles, restlessness, challenges, and trials for Muslims…collaboration of domestic and foreign adversaries, tactics of British government, methodologies of Hindu Congress, riots and rebellions, attacks, and objections; Quaid-i-Azam struggled against all this. His visionary and extraordinary leadership enabled suffering Muslims to get united to defeat the adversaries and win political confrontations…eventually he enabled his nation to reach its desired destination; On August 14, 1947, Pakistan was created. On the map of the world, a new Islamic country’s green color appeared, he served as its first governor general for about thirteen months, and tried his best, working day and night, to strengthen his country, until passing away on September 11, 1948, after completing his mission. The British were thinking to mold the Indian subcontinent according to their designs…the manner in which they declared Muslims a minority and were trying to entangle this minority with the chains of majority; considering their designs no one thought that Muslims would rise under those circumstances. But Quaid-i-Azam’s wisdom, vision, patience, and legal expertise defeated the British at their own game and designs. Creation of a country for Muslims was a great achievement of Quaid-i-Azam, that was acknowledged by Muslims and non-Muslims, domestic and international friends, and foes alike…Quaid-i-Azam emerged as an exemplary and admired leader not only by Muslims but also by all suppressed and oppressed people of the world…”

Commenting on his approach and efforts for writing this narrative, the author observes, “National biographers have tried hard to put together circumstances and incidents in the form of books but most of their narratives were based on oral stories and lacked research-based effort. Moreover, information and content about Quaid-i-Azam’s early life was almost non-existent. So, I decided that I will strive to do research myself. I was living in Karachi where Quaid-i-Azam was born. In this city some people were still alive who could be a source for obtaining information and documents about Quaid-i-Azam’s early life, his family affairs and business, his childhood and education. Had someone paid attention to this aspect of Quaid-i-Azam’s early life right after the creation of Pakistan, a lot of documents could have been saved from getting lost. Anyway, on my own I did research that spanned over years; I visited the city’s old educational institutions; I explored Karachi Municipal Corporation and city survey’s records…I consulted people who were active in the Pakistan movement, especially visited Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, and later when Ms Shereen Jinnah came to Karachi, I used her as a resource for getting information, and I kept on researching and compiling information, and thus I was able to put together “Quaid-i-Azam Kay Ibtadai Tees Saal, and present it to the nation on the occasion of celebrating the Centennial of Quaid-i-Azam’s Birthday…For the preparation and publication of this book, first, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Ms Shereen Jinnah whose affectionate cooperation enabled me to gather so much information about Quaid-i-Azam’s family background and early life….Rizwan Ahmed, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, 25 December, 1976.”

Rizwan Ahmed had the utmost respect and ardor for Quaid-i-Azam; he dedicated his whole life for promoting and propagating many facets of Quaid-i-Azam’s personality, career, and accomplishments. Indeed, he was rightly called the Aashiq-Quaid-i-Azam. It was his lifelong desire to depart this world on September 11, the date the Quaid-i-Azam left this world. Indeed, God granted his wish and he passed away on September 11, 2012 – the 64th death anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam. Rizwan Ahmed’s scholarship will continue to educate the present and future generations about Quaid-i-Azam and the Pakistan Movement. Au revoir, Rizwan Ahmed, indeed you were a prolific scholar; may God bless your soul.

(Dr Ahmed S. Khan --- dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org --- is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar -2017-2022).