IOn the occasion of the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony for Dr. Shehzad Saleem.
n the contemporary era, alongside the traditional curricula of Dars-e-Nizami, Nadwat al-Ulama, and Salafi seminaries, Muslims have experimented with another model of religious education at different times and in diverse settings. Although these efforts have been attempted on varying scales, the outcomes have been strikingly positive. The model was this: to provide modern education to bright and capable students first, and thereafter impart to them advanced religious training—foundational instruction in the Arabic language, and in-depth study of the Quran, Hadith, and Islamic jurisprudence. At times, certain institutions and groups undertook this initiative, and at times, individual students pursued it on their own accord.
Those who, after undergoing this experiment, chose service of religion as their life’s objective proved to be far more effective than conventional seminary graduates. In view of the demands of the present age, they were able to serve religion with greater relevance and efficacy. This experiment produced outstanding men of learning, and examples of such figures can be found across various Muslim intellectual traditions. Among them one may cite: Maulana Syed Abul A‘la Maududi, Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi, Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, Maulana Tariq Jamil, Dr. Israr Ahmad, the late Mr. Khalid Masood, and others. Our esteemed honoree, Dr. Shehzad Saleem, also belongs to this modern cadre.
Among the scholars and researchers of Al-Mawrid, the Institute of Islamic Research, with whom the present writer has had interaction, Dr. Shehzad Saleem occupies a distinctive place. Due to his humility and reticence, as well as the limitations of available sources, little is known about his personal and family background. Nevertheless, the information gathered about his scholarly contributions may be presented here in brief.
Dr. Shehzad Saleem was born in 1966. He is an Islamic scholar and researcher. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, and later completed his doctorate in the history of the Quran at the University of Wales, UK. He pursued his religious training under the supervision of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi. From 1992 to 2008, he served as an Associate Fellow at Al-Mawrid, a unique institute of Islamic research and education in Pakistan, and since 2008 has been serving there as a Fellow.
Academic Milestones
Doctorate
Dr. Shehzad Saleem earned his PhD from the University of Wales on the subject of the “History of the Quran.” His dissertation dealt with the compilation and arrangement of the Quran, variant readings, scribal errors, and the study of different manuscripts. This project, completed over eight years, is in English. There is a pressing need for its translation into Urdu and Arabic. In view of this need, selected chapters have recently been rendered into Arabic and published in Ishraq.
Major Translations
Dr. Shehzad Saleem is a master of translation. He translated and abridged volumes IV–VIII of Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi’s Quranic commentary Tadabbur-e-Quran, the magnum opus of the Farahi school. In addition, he translated Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s Quranic exegesis Al-Bayan, his seminal work on Islamic thought Meezan, as well as his concise introduction to Islam, Al-Islam, into English.
Research and Teaching
He also prepared a modular syllabus on Quranic studies, which was taught to graduate students between 1999 and 2001. Furthermore, he delivers lessons on Al-Bayan in English and lectures regularly on a wide range of formative and training-related topics.
To reach the pinnacle of Quranic research at the University of Wales is itself no small feat. Employing modern methods of historical criticism, he has not only given new dimensions to the study of Quranic history, but also presented to the English-speaking world the magnificent scholarly heritage of Islam on the Quran.
His training and personality-development lectures typically cover themes such as:
Charity, humility and the repudiation of arrogance, remembrance of God, civic responsibility, kindness to parents, gratitude, forgiveness, moral courage, honesty, avoidance of ostentation, humility, empathy, refraining from sinful speech, integrity, justice, loyalty, and the like.
English Works
Dr. Shehzad Saleem has authored extensively in English on a broad range of subjects, including: the Quran, Hadith, the Prophet’s life, Islamic beliefs and practices, responses to criticisms of Islam, the Quran’s textual history, Islamic guidance on family life, Islamic political and social teachings, misconceptions about jihad and divorce, interfaith dialogue, intellectual freedom, critical thinking, parenting, youth challenges, and the psychology of militancy. His writings, often published as booklets or monographs, include:
1. Critical History of the Quran 2. Misconceptions about Women in Islam 3. Interfaith Dialogue 4. Selected Biblical Verses 5. Questions on the Quran by Serious Students 6. Misconceptions about Islam 7. Muhammad (PBUH): The Misunderstood Prophet of Islam 8. Marriage and Married Life 9. Basic Morality 10. Islam and the Islamic Welfare State 11. Misconceptions about Divorce in Islam
12. Misconceptions regarding Jihad of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) 13. Imbalanced Religious Attitudes 14. Intellectual Freedom and Critical Thinking 15. Parenting 16. Challenges Faced by the Youth of Today 17. The Mind of a Muslim Militant
Style of Speaking
Dr. Shehzad Saleem is a gentle orator and an excellent teacher. He speaks every language with the accent of its native speakers: his Persian resembles that of Iranians, while in English he is fluent and polished. Besides teaching Al-Bayan in English, he also addresses practical life issues, personal growth, and parenting in his lectures.
Online Lectures and Courses
In 2003, he established a pioneering email-based Islamic query service (IQAS), which by that year had already responded to over 3,000 questions. Earlier, in 1998, he had launched a distance-learning program for Al- Mawrid—an innovative step when online religious education was still rare. In 2003, he founded the website www.studying-islam.org, which offers online courses in English and Urdu on Islam. Today, it has more than 15,000 registered students worldwide and hosts nearly 50 courses.
He also developed dedicated websites on the lives and works of Quranic scholars: • www.hamid-uddin-farahi.org • www.amin-ahsan-islahi.org • www.tadabbur-i-quran.org, launched in 2013 on Islahi’s Tadabbur-e-Quran • www.abdus-sattar-ghauri.org, launched in 2014 on the Biblical scholar Abdus Sattar Ghuri
Renaissance
Dr. Shehzad Saleem is the founding editor of the Islamic monthly Renaissance, launched in 1991. Its website was initiated in 1999 (www.monthly-renaissance.com). In addition to its regular issues, special editions have appeared on such themes as “Islam and Non-Muslims: A New Perspective,” “Islam and Women,” “Islamic Political Guidance,” “Islamic Economic Directives,” “Understanding Islamic Punishments,” and “The Teachings of the Quran.” For over three decades, Renaissance has been published continuously under his editorship. Each issue typically includes an editorial, Quranic lessons, commentary, and one or two scholarly articles, written in a highly accessible yet refined style.
Distinctive Contributions
Dr. Shehzad Saleem’s specialization in English has enabled him to bring the light of Islam—particularly in the vision of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi—to a global readership, especially the younger generation. His service to the Quran is complemented by a deep engagement with Hadith studies. Not only has he studied the classical tradition, but he has also benefited from the works of non-conventional Hadith scholars whose research was often neglected by mainstream religious circles—for example, Maulana Tamanna Imadi, Mufti Abdul Latif Rahmani, and Allama Shabbir Ahmad Azhar Merathi. His discourse is reasoned, well-supported, and intellectually appealing to the youth.
His command of English is such that he even composes poetry in it—poetry of a refined and constructive nature. The publication of translations and summaries of major Quranic exegesis in English is itself a monumental achievement, for English is the global lingua franca. To publish in English is to be read and benefitted from worldwide.
In sum, Dr. Shehzad Saleem has single-handedly accomplished what large academies and institutions often aspire to do.
Javed Ahmed Ghamidi has, in the prefaces of some of his works, expressed gratitude to his close companions and students, and among them he has mentioned Dr. Shehzad Saleem with special appreciation. The invaluable services Dr. Saleem has rendered to Ghamidi’s thought, and to Islamic scholarship more broadly, merit due recognition. It is therefore most fitting and timely that Al-Mawrid US has resolved to honor him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In the same spirit, Ishraq America has dedicated a special issue in his name, thus setting a worthy precedent.