Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF HAZRAT ALLAMA

PROFESSOR DR. MUHAMMAD MASOOD AHMED
KHAN RIZVI r.a.

When the pure light of Islamic literacy and knowledge shadowed by

the darkness of so called self-constructed and personal oriented Islam
- when the heart and soul of Muslim Ummah became confused - he, one
of the most qualified, learned and spiritually strengthened personality
- acted like a guiding star and became the centre for those who have
thirst for right knowledge of Islam and for those who want to follow the
Sirat-i-Mustaqeem. He removed the thick layer of sand and mask of
misconception from the pure and real knowledge of Islam.
No doubt he is Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed. He is respectable
and brightly excellent towards the approaches and true interpretation of
Islam. He is the son of Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar
Ullah Rahmatullah Alayh, the great Mufti, Khatib and Saint of India
(d.1966 c.e.).

Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed born in Delhi in 1930 and acquired

his education from his father Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad
Mazhar Ullah Rahmatullah Alayh and in Madarsa Alia, Delhi and in
Oriental College, Delhi. He migrated from India to Pakistan in 1948.
Here in Pakistan he continued his education in different institutions
and Colleges, Punjab University (Lahore) and Sindh University, Jamshoro
(Hyderabad). Educational and academic career of Prof.Dr. Muhammad Masood
Ahmed set an example of great achievements. He topped in all examinations
of M.A. & M.Ed. at Sindh University and got silver and gold medals.
He completed his Ph.D. Programme in 1971 on the topic of "URDU MAIN
QURANI TARAJIM-O- TAFASIR" and was awarded the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy from Sindh University, Jamshoro, Hyderabad. Prof. Dr. Ghulam
Mustafa Khan, who was the guide of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed in
his Ph.D. research work, writes: -

"It is my proud privilege to say that he is one of the top-most Research Scholars
of the country." (Hyderabad, dated Feb. 1971)

The Govt. of Pakistan awarded "IZAZ-I-FAZILAT" award in 1992. He also

received awards from Imam Ahmed Raza Research Institute, Karachi in 1991
and from Pakistan Intellectual Forum in 1992.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed worked as Lecturer, Professor,
and Principal in Govt. Cadre and Additional Secretary (Academic) Govt.
of Sindh (Pakistan). He acted as paper setter, examiner and member of
board of studies at Sindh University, Jamshoro; Khairpur University,
Khairpur; Punjab University, Lahore etc. He was also a paper setter in
Public Service Commission (Sindh). He is Guide and Director of Ph.D.
students at the University of Karachi and the Khairpur University,
Khairpur Mirs (Sindh). He retired as Principal Govt. Degree College and
Post-Graduate Studies Center, Sukkur, Sindh (in Grade 20.) in 1992.
Performance of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed (as his ACRS shows)
remained excellent throughout his service career.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed started writing Research Papers

in 1958, which were published in the leading journals of the
Sub-continent, thus up to 1966 he was the famous scholar in the
Sub-Continent in the academic circle as confessed by Khawja Hassan Sani
Nizami of Delhi (Monthly Munadi, Delhi, Dec.1966). Afterwards he started
his research on Imam Ahmed Raza - a neglected Genius of the East. No
doubt he is Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed who removed the thick sand of
misconceptions and misunderstandings from the great personality of Imam
Ahmed Raza. He started his work on Imam Ahmed Raza since 1970 on purely
research basis and contributed nearly 30 books on Imam Ahmed Raza, as
well as 120 articles, 50 prefaces and introduction of Imam Ahmed Raza up
to 1992.
Some important books of Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed on Imam
Ahmed Raza are as follows: -
• Fazal-i-Bareilwi Aur Tark-i-Mawalat. (Lahore , 1971)

• Fazal-i-Bareilwi U'lma-i-Hijaz ki Nazar Main (Lahore, 1973 )

• Neglected Genius of the East (Karachi, Lahore, South

Africa, 1978)

• Hayaat-i-Maulana Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Bareilwi

(Sialkot, 1981) (English translation - The Reformer of
the Muslim World) (Tamil Nado, India, 1995)

• Hayaat-i-Imam Ahl-i-Sunnat (Lahore,Karachi,1981)

• Ikram-i-Imam Ahmed Raza (Lahore, 1981)

• Da'ira Ma'ariff-i-Imam Ahmed Raza (Karachi, 1982)

• Imam Ahmed Raza Aur 'Alam-i-Islam (Karachi, 1983)

• Rahber-o-Rehnuma (Lahore,Karachi,1986) (English translation - The

Saviniar guide and Guidance) (Durban, 1969)

• Tanqidat-o-Ta'aqubat Imam Ahmed Raza (Lahore, 1988)

• A'ena-i-Rizviyat (three volumes) (Karachi, 1989, 1993, 1996)

• Imam Ahmed Raza Awr 'Alam-i-Jami'at (Sadiqabad, 1990)

• Imam Ahmed Raza Awr Uloom-i-Jadida-o-Qadima (Lahore, 1990)

• Muhadis-i-Bareilwi (Karachi,Lahore,1993)

• Intakhab-i-Hada'iq-I-Bakhshish (Karachi, 1995)

• Khulafa-i-'Ala Hazrat (Lahore, 1996)

These and lots of other marvelous books on Imam Ahmed Raza by
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed brought the personality of Imam Ahmed
Raza in the lime light. A doctoral dissertation may be composed on his
research work on Imam Ahmed Raza Muhadis-I-Bareilwi. Prof.Dr.Muhammad
Masood Ahmed is known as specialist in Rizviyat throughout Sunni world.
He guided the scholars who were doing research work on Imam Ahmed Raza,
such as Dr. Usha Sanyal [Columbia University (U.S.A.)], Dr. Barbara Metcalf
[Berkeley University (U.S.A.)], Prof. Ghayas-uddin [Birmingham
University (U.K.)], Prof. Dr. Majeedullah Qaadri [Karachi University
(Pakistan)] and Dr. J.M.S. Baljon [Liedin University (Holland), etc.

As it was mentioned before, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed

enlightened the way of Sirat-i-Mustaqim, he satisfied the confused mind
of Muslim Ummah and it is not wrong to say as the Saint of Qadriyya
order Dr. Ali Ahmed Qureshi declared in 1991: -

"Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed is the Revivalist of the Fifteenth Century

Hijra".

The following books (A new International Series) of Prof. Dr.

Muhammad Masood Ahmed are proof of his marvelous achievements
especially for modern Muslim youths: -

• Knowledge of Unseen (Karachi, Delhi, South Africa, 1994 )

• Respect and Reverence (Karachi, Delhi, South Africa, 1994)
• Spiritual Significance of Affinity (Karachi, Delhi, South
Africa, 1994)
• Supreme Festival (Karachi, Bareilly, America, Marshes,1995)
• The Novelties (Karachi, Delhi, South Africa, 1995)
• Women and the Veil (Karachi, 1996)
• Salutation and Adoration (Karachi, 1996)
• Facial Focus (Karachi, 1996)
• Sirat-i-Mustaqim (Karachi, 1996)
• The Prophet Ibrahim's Prayer (Karachi, 1997)
• Islamic Economic System (Karachi, 1997)
• Following (Karachi, 1997, 1998)
• Tolerance (Karachi,1999)
The literary works of Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed are being
presented in different languages such as Arabic, Persian, French, Dutch,
English, Sindhi, Hindi, Gujrati, and Bangali etc. These translated
books are being circulated throughout the world.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed has Ijaza in Naqshbandiyya as

well as Qadriyya orders. His caliphs are twenty in number and his Mureedin are
spreading in the subcontinent, Arabia,
Canada, U.S.A, U.K, U.A.E. etc. Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed
spiritually blessed by two late great figures of Naqshbandiyya order,
his father Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar Ullah
Rahmatullah Alayh (Delhi, India) and Hazrat Muhammad Mahmood Alwari
Rahmatullah Alayh (Hyderabad, Pakistan) and in Qadriyya order from Hazrat
Syed Zain Ul-Abidin Shah Qadri (Nurai Shareef, Sindh, Pakistan).
Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar Ullah Rahmatullah
Alayh was Shahi Khateeb of Fatehpuri Mosque, Delhi, India.
Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed worked a lot on his father and the
following books on Mufti Azam Hind Hazrat Shah Muhammad Mazhar Ullah
Rahmatullah Alayh have been compiled: -

• Mawa'iz-i-Mazhari (Karachi, 1969)

• Fatawa-i-Mazhari (Karachi, 1970)
• Hayat-i-Mazhari (Karachi, 1974)
• Makateeb-i-Mazhari (Vol.1, Karachi,1969 - Vol.1&2, Karachi,1999)

Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed also wrote on great Saint of

Naqshbandiyya order Shaykh Ahmed Sirhindi Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani
Rahmatullah Alayh: -

• Seerat-i-Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani (Karachi, 1976)

• Hazrat Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani Haalat-o-Afkar-o-Khidmat
(Karachi, 1995)
• The Influence of Shaykh Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani on Dr. Muhammad Iqbal
(Karachi, 1996)
• Mujaddid Hazara-i-Doam (Karachi, 1997)
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed also works on different topics of
Islamic ideology, some of his great work is given below: -

• Hazrat Shah Muhammad Ghaus Gawaliyari (Mirpurkhas,

1964)
• Mauj-i-Khayal (Karachi, Bombay, 1977)
• Tahrik-i- Azadi-i-Hind Aur Al-Sawad Al-Azam (Lahore, 1979)
• Muhabat Ki Nishani (Karachi, Elahbad, 1980)
• Adab-o-Bay Adabi (Karachi, Lahore, 1984)
• Aakhari Paygham (Karachi, Peshawar, 1986)
• Jashan-i-Baharan (Karachi, Lahore, 1988)
• Jan-i-Janan (Karachi, 1989)
• Jan-i-Iman (Lahore, 1989)
• Murad-i-Rasool (Lahore, 1992)
• Qayamat (Karachi, 1992)
• Jan-i-Jaan (Karachi, 1993)
• Maktubat-i-Qazi Ahmed (Karachi, 1997)
• Tasawwar-i-Pakistan (Karachi, 1999)

Many scholars of international fame have paid homage to Prof.Dr.

Muhammad Masood Ahmed and expressed excellent views about his
academic and spiritual career. Yes! He is the personality on which separate
research work is required. Al-Hamd-u-Lillah Dr.Ijaz.Anjum Latifi of
Manzer-i-Islam, Bareilly has completed his doctoral thesis on
Prof.Dr.Muhammad Masood Ahmed from Bihar University (India) and
awarded Ph.D. degree. Also Prof. Nabila Ishaq choudry (Dept. of Urdu
languages and translations of Al-Azhar University, Cairo) wrote an article
on Prof.Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed, which was published from Cairo
in 1999. Prof. Dr. Hazim Muhammad Ahmed Al-Mahfooz Al-Misery (Dept.
of Urdu languages and translations of Al-Azhar University, Cairo) has
started a series of four books on the life and achievements of Prof.Dr.
Muhammad Masood Ahmed in the memory of the completion of seventy
years of his age.
 Following scholars and writers has written more than ten
biographies of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed, which have been
published: -

• Prof.Dr. Syed Muhammad Arif (Tazkar-i-Mas'ud,Appendix of

Seerat-i-Mujaddid Alf-i-Thani,Karachi, 1976,p.429-472)

• R.B. Mazhari (Jahan-i-Mas'ud, Karachi, 1985)

• Muhammad Abdul Sattar Tahir. (Manzil-ba-Manzil Hyderabad, 1991)
• Prof. Nabila Ishaque chowdhry (Mas'ud -i- Millat Aur
Rizwiyyat, Cairo, Egypt, 1999)
• Dr. Abdul Naeem Azizi. (Dr. Muhammad Masood Ahmed Ki Urdu
Nasri Khidmat, Karachi, 2000)
• Dr. I'jaz Anjum Latifi. (Dr. Mas'ud Ahmed Hayyat awr Nasri
Kidmat, Bihar University, Muzafarpur, India, 1997)

[May Allah s.w.t. accept the great works of Professor Dr Muhammad Masood
Ahmad and also bless his soul, Ameen]