Eminent Scholar and Educator Dr Abidullah Ansari Ghazi Passes away
By Dr A. Khan
Chicago, IL
Dr Abidullah Ansari Ghazi, eminent scholar and educator, passed away on April 11, 2021, in Chicago. He was born on July 6, 1936, in Ambehta Saharanpur District (UP, British India). He was the eldest son of Maulana Hamidul Ansari Ghazi, a freedom fighter and a renowned Urdu journalist who covered the era of freedom struggle.
Maulana Ansari was the grandson of Maulana Muhammad Miyan aka Mansoor Ansari, who was the organizing force for the Reshmi Rumaal Tahreek (Silk Letters Movement), known as the first independence movement after the Ghadar (uprising) of 1857.
Abidullah Ghazi received his BTh and Master’s (political science) degrees in 1950s from the Aligarh Muslim University, MSc (Economics, 1967) from the London School of Economics, and PhD degree (1973) from Harvard University. In 1983, he obtained his American citizenship.
During his stay in India he actively participated in student politics: he served as an advisor to Jawahar Lal Nehru (Prime Minister of India, 1947–64), Rajendra Prasad (President of India, 1950–62), and Zakir Hussain (President of India 1967–69).
He also rendered services in social and educational sectors by serving as Chairman Board of Trustees (2005–06), The Federation of Aligarh Alumni Associations, President, National Council of University Students of India (1959), President, Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union (1959), and Honorary Secretary, AMU Students Union, 1954.
Government of Pakistan awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence, 1983) for Seeratun-Nabi Program, and Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence, 1988) for the Development of Educational Curriculum.
In 1983, Dr Abidullah Ghazi and his wife Dr Tasneema Ghazi founded ‘Iqra' International Educational Foundation, in Skokie, Illinois, to educate American Muslim children about their faith. Since the establishment of Iqra Foundation, the husband-and-wife team has authored and edited more than 100 textbooks and supplementary teaching and learning materials. Their books have been translated into many languages and are part of the curriculum of Islamic schools in more than 40 countries. Dr Ghazi was named by the Jordanian Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center as one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World." He also authored two Urdu books - Sareer-e-Khama (an anthology of his personal articles) and Maulana Abdullah Ansari – Ahwaal, Khidmat aur Ilmi Asaar.
Dr Abidullah Ghazi is survived by his wife Dr Tasneema Ghazi, a prominent educator, and five children, Bushra Yasmin Ghazi, Rashid Mansoor Ghazi, Saba Ghazi-Amin, Suhaib Ghazi, and Dr Usama Ghazi.
May Allah SWT bless Dr Ghazi’s soul and shower His infinite mercy on him for his dedicated services to the Muslim community in North America.
Some words of solace & wisdom by Rumi:
The shop of Oneness,
The Ocean that has many harbors,
Yet where there is no division
Between man and man, or woman,
But only a unity of souls
In the process of return to their Creator,
Whose breath lives inside each one
And helps to guide us home
--- Rumi
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