Khurshid Ahmad

Khurshīd Ahmad (Urdu: خورشید احمد, also known as Professor Khurshid) (March 23, 1932 in Delhi - ) is a scholar, economist, writer, and Islamic activist. He holds Bachelors degrees in Law and Jurisprudence, Masters degrees in Economics and Islamic Studies, and an Honorary Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Education, and an Honorary Doctorate (Ph.D) in Islamic Economics conferred by the International Islamic University Malaysia IIUM.

Khurshid Ahmad is a prolific writer with numerous books, articles, seminar papers and translations to his name.

Public career

Khurshid Ahmad became a member of "Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba" (IJT) in 1949 and was elected as the "Nazim-e-A‘la" (President) of the same organization in 1953. He formally joined "Jama’at-e-Islami" Pakistan in 1956 and is at present Naib Ameer (Vice President) of the organization. Besides several other responsibilities, he is presently also the editor of the seminal Tarjuman al-Quran, a monthly publication launched by Sayyid Mawdudi in May 1933.

Literary contributions

Prof Ahmad has been editing a number of ideologically oriented magazines and periodicals. He has authored and edited about 70 books in English and Urdu combined and contributed to a large number of magazines. He has so far participated in over 100 international conferences and seminars in personal as well as representative capacities.

Portfolio

His in-depth comparative study of the oriental as well as occidental philosophies in religion, academics, economics, constitutional matters and commitment for Islam has led him to be entrusted with key positions in the national as well as international organizations on these socio-economic and other multi-dimensional disciplines. Throughout his life, he has held the following positions:

* Member of Senate of Pakistan (2003 to date).
* Vice President Jama'at e islami Pakistan.

* Federal Minister of Planning and Development and has been Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Govt of Pakistan (1978-79).

* Professor at the Karachi University (1955-68).

* Research scholar at the University of Leicester, UK.

* Chairman, International Institute of Islamic Economics, International Islamic University, Islamabad (1983-87).

* President, International Association of Islamic Economics, Leicester, UK (1984-92).

* Member, Supreme Advisory Council, International Center for Research and Islamic Economics, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah (1979-83).

* Vice President, Standing Conference on Jews, Christians and Muslims in Europe, Berlin and London (1974-78).

* Member, Advisory Council, Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham, UK (1976-78).

* Member, National Hijra Committee, Govt of Pakistan (1978-83).

* Member, Committee of Jurists to Evaluate Islamic Laws in Sudan (1986-87).

* Member, International Review Committee, Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah(1988-89).

* Member of Senate of Pakistan for two terms (1985-l997) and Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Affairs and Planning.

* Founder and Chairman of both the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad and The Islamic Foundation, Leicester (UK).

* Member, Boards of Trustees of Islamic Centre, Zaria (Nigeria); International Islamic University, Islamabad; Foundation Council, Royal Academy for Islamic Civilization, Amman (Jordan).

* Vice President of Islamic Research Academy, Karachi and Lahore.

Awards

In view of his pioneering work and contributions towards the development of Islamic Economics as an academic discipline, he was awarded the First Islamic Development Bank Award for Economics in 1988.

His contributions to the Islamic cause were also recognized in the form of King Faisal International Prize,1990, which is the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in the Muslim World.

In recognition of his services in Islamic Economics & Finance, he was given 5th Annual Prize of American Finance House, LaRiba, USA in July 1998.

He has given lectures and speeches at several renowned universities around the world like Warwick(UK), Harvard(USA), Washington St. Louis(UK), UofT(Canada), and IIUM(Malaysia).

References

See also

* Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba
* Jamaat-e-Islami
* Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
* Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi
* Mian Tufail Mohammad
* Politics of Pakistan
* Qazi Hussain Ahmad
* List of political parties in Pakistan

External links

* [http://www.jamaat.org Official Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan] website
* [http://www.jamaat.org/leadership/pka.html Official Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan] Biography of Professor Khurshid Ahmad