IOn the occasion of the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony for Dr. Shehzad Saleem.
t is a great honour for me to be invited to speak at this gathering held in recognition of my elder brother and very dear friend, Dr. Shehzad Saleem. My close association with him spans nearly twenty years, though our acquaintance goes back even further. Our first meeting was, I believe, in 1991, when I had the privilege of visiting our esteemed teacher for the first time. On that occasion, Dr. Shehzad was also present.
The scholarly contributions of his, which have been mentioned here and which are well known to academics, to members of the institution, and to readers at large, are in themselves remarkable. Yet, in my own companionship with him, I have had the opportunity to witness closely his human and personal qualities, to benefit from them, and to take delight in them. In my estimation, these qualities are an even more valuable asset. The body of intellectual work that exists is, after all, a result; what is more important to emphasize are the personal and scholarly attributes within him that produced these results.
In a brief note I wrote recently, I stated that the most precious quality of Dr. Shehzad, which deserves the highest appreciation, is his relationship with his teacher. Beyond the personal bond, what is truly unique is the scholarly connection through which he bound himself to his teacher. We can say, without exaggeration, that throughout his journey he never once let go of his teacher’s guiding hand. In constant connection and correspondence with him, learning from him in every matter, in every detail, he completed his intellectual journey. This unwavering commitment, this deep trust in his teacher, and this passion for learning from him—these, in my view, are the most admirable qualities. I believe that among the circle of our teacher’s disciples, this degree of devotion and fidelity is unparalleled.
The second trait I observed while working with him is his extraordinary commitment to his work, his ability to lose himself completely in it, and to devote his entire being to it. To set aside rest and even health for the sake of work, to pursue it with such relentless determination—this quality in him is truly exceptional. Very few people display such commitment, giving themselves wholly to their vocation and labouring with such intensity. In our days together at Al-Mawrid, I had frequent opportunities to learn about the projects he was working on, the sources he was studying, and the materials he was preparing. God Almighty has granted him both extraordinary capacity for work and an equally extraordinary spirit of dedication.
As for his personal character, it is nothing short of exemplary. He embodies humility and deep modesty—not only in his personal interactions but also in his intellectual life: in learning from others, in listening to criticism, and in refining his work in light of it. To combine high scholarly competence with genuine humility is a rare quality, and one that is integral to his character. These two or three aspects, in my view, greatly elevate his stature and endear him all the more to my heart.
The significance of his scholarly contributions is evident to all. In furthering the thought of our teacher, and in fulfilling the intellectual tasks required in light of that thought, he has consistently and on a very large scale made his share of contributions. In this respect, the institution’s decision is entirely appropriate. Indeed, I must first congratulate the institution itself for making arrangements to fulfill this duty of acknowledgment, and then extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Shehzad Saleem for this well-deserved recognition.