GOn the occasion of the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony for Dr. Shehzad Saleem.
iven the personality and the work of Dr. Shehzad Saleem, he undoubtedly deserves this award. The awards of this world are one thing, but—by God’s grace—I firmly believe he will be deserving of reward in the Hereafter as well.
His scholarly contributions are significant in at least two ways:
First, he has translated much of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s literature into English. For people like us—who may not be comfortable with highly sophisticated Urdu, or who grasp ideas more easily in English—this has made understanding religion much more accessible. This alone is a great service: he has rendered the work of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi into simple English, thereby opening it up to a much wider audience.
Second, beyond translation, he has also played a crucial role in disseminating this body of work and making sure it reaches people far and wide.
Third, his style of communication and explanation is a blessing for common people like us. He has the gift of taking complex religious knowledge and presenting it in a simple, clear, and well-summarized way.
Even as a non-scholarly student, I had a very special experience with him. He gave my book personal attention and spent time with me one-on-one, teaching me much. This, I believe, speaks volumes about his character. Whoever comes to him to learn about faith—whether a scholar or an ordinary person like myself—he listens with full attention, sincerity, and seriousness, and responds with care.