Mazhar Mahmood Qurashi ( Urdu: مظهر محمود قريشى; b. 8 October 1925 – 21 November 2011; SI), best known as M. M. Qureshi was a Pakistani

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

and an

Islamic scholar In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

who was educated in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

and

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. He earned prestige and notability after authoring important publication on

Islam and science Muslim scholars have developed a spectrum of viewpoints on science within the context of Islam.Seyyed Hossein Nasr. "Islam and Modern Science" Scientists of Islamic Golden Age, medieval Muslim civilization (e.g. Ibn al-Haytham) contributed to the ...

and abstract

theories A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

to explain the religious phenomenon and events, explained in

Koran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

— a

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

. Previously, he laid the foundation of Desto and served as senior scientist at the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

(MoD), as well as also served as director of

Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research The Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR) () is a government-owned science and industrialisation research organisation which mainly focuses on the development of industrial research. History Initially established as Pakist ...

. He served as professor of physics at the

Quaid-i-Azam University Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), founded as the University of Islamabad, is a public research university in Islamabad, Pakistan. Founded as the University of Islamabad in 1967, it was initially dedicated to postgraduate study, but later expande ...

. He was an eminent

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

administrator and

researcher Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

in the field of

classical physics Classical physics refers to physics theories that are non-quantum or both non-quantum and non-relativistic, depending on the context. In historical discussions, ''classical physics'' refers to pre-1900 physics, while '' modern physics'' refers to ...

. Qurashi served as secretary general of the

Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences () (Abbreviations and Acronyms, abbreviated as: PAS), is a learned society of sciences, which described itself as "a repository of the highest scientific talent available in the country." Established in 1953 in ...

and the past

director general A director general, general director or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''general directors'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'') is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer ...

(PCSIR) laboratories in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

as well as being a former director of the National Science Council of Pakistan. He has played pivotal role in establishing

Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

Lunar Calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based on the solar year, and lunisolar calendars, whose lunar months are br ...

and remained member of Central Moon sighting Committee of Pakistan for about three decades. He remained heavily engaged in the History and Philosophy of Science where he highlighted the role of Islam and Muslims in development of Science and inter-relationship between Islamic and Scientific principles. He remained part of the editorial board of Pakistan Journal of History and Philosophy of Science.

Biography

Education

Qureshi completed his

matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...

at an early age and also received an early admission to the

University of the Punjab The University of the Punjab (UoP) is a public university, public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1882, its international influence has made it one of the most prestigious universities in South As ...

with an awarded

scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...

. In 1942, he graduated and received BSc with Honors in

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

. In 1944, he completed his

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

. He served as an

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

of physics at his

alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

for a from 1944 till 1947, then and flew to United Kingdom to pursue his doctorate in physics. He was awarded PhD in physics under the supervision of Dr.

Albert Beaumont Wood Albert Beaumont Wood DSc (1890 – 19 July 1964), better known as A B Wood, was a British physicist, known for his pioneering work in the field of underwater acoustics and sonar. Wood is known for his work on developing sonar (known at that tim ...

from

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

in 1949; also awarded D.Sc. in physics in 1962, on the basis of 50 published papers.

Academic career

He has been associated with

University of Islamabad Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), founded as the University of Islamabad, is a public research university in Islamabad, Pakistan. Founded as the University of Islamabad in 1967, it was initially dedicated to postgraduate study, but later expande ...

(now ''

'') since its establishment. In the past, he has served as the chairman of the physics department at the Quaid-i-Azam University. He has also served as a

research scientist A scientist is a person who researches to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophical study of nature ...

at the

Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based not-for-profit learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, physics research, research and applied physics, application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide ...

and published numerous papers in physics. In July 1988, Qureshi founded the first new ''Crystallographic Society of Pakistan'' in which he also served as its new president. Prof. Qurashi authored over one hundred and ninety research papers on various topics such as

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...

and

Scientometrics Scientometrics is a subfield of informetrics that studies quantitative aspects of scholarly literature. Major research issues include the measurement of the impact of research papers and academic journals, the understanding of scientific citati ...

, of which more than thirty were published in British, Canadian and International Journals. He has published 14

Monographs A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...

in areas of physics, scientific and technological research in Pakistan as well as on History and Philosophy of Science. From the period of 1988 to 1992, he has served as the administrator of a research project on "''Science and Technology in The Muslim Ummah''", the research project that was financed and coordinated by Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He has also worked at the Ministry of Defence of Pakistan as a chief

where he carried out his research in physics. He has been engaged in the research in physics with emphasis on study of atomic and moleculary arrangements in

alloys An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described. Metallic alloys often have properties ...

and

minerals In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): M ...

. Prof. Qurashi is a former member of the

, Technological and Research Committee on Cotton as well as being a member of Pakistan team at the Defence Exercise UNISON in 1965. In 1981, dr. Qureshi was listed in the Biography in Who's Who in the World, Biography in Men of Achievement (1982), Who's Who of Intellectuals (1983), and 5,000 Personalities of the World, 1985. He joined the

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) () is a federally funded independent governmental agency, concerned with research and development of nuclear power, promotion of nuclear science, energy conservation and the peaceful use of nuclear techn ...

in 2006. In 2007, the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

conferred dr. Mazhar Mehmood the ''President’s Medal for Technology'' for his work on corrosion-resistant nano-crystalline alloys.

Research papers

*Dependence of publication-rate on size of some university groups and departments in U. K. and Greece in comparison with N. C. I., USA . M.M. Qureshi (2005) *Groundrules for Gainful Interaction Between Science and Religion for the Future of Humanity by Prof. Mazhar Mahmood Qurashi FIAS, Pakistan Academy of Sciences. *Evaluation of Water Bodies from Different Sources of Water (2005) *Islamic lunar calendar – a critical review of forecasts for Pakistan based on the ILDL concept, Part II, by M. M. Qurashi *Science, Islam and Education by S. M. Jafar and M. M. Qurashi (2005). *History and Philosophy of Muslim Contributions to Science & Technology, by M. M. Qurashi and S. S. H. Rizvi (1996). * Introduction to Muslim Contributions to science & Technology, by Mazhar Qureshi, printed by Adam Publishers. * Research & Development in Pakistan: Review (1947–89) & Future Perspectives. M. M. Qurashi and A. Q. Kazi (1992). * Food & Nutrition Problems of the Muslim Ummah. S. M. Ali, M.H. Qazi, M.M. Qurashi, M.A. Rahim, F.H. Shah (1989). * Science and Technology Profiles of Muslim Countries. S.M. Jafar & M. M. Qurashi (1986) *Renewable Sources of Energy in Pakistan. M. M. Qurashi & A. H. Chotani (1986). *Energy and Its Development (with special reference to Pakistan). Karimullah, M. M. Qurashi, M.S.H. Siddiqi, M. K. Bhatty, A.H.Chotani (1982) *Appropriate Technology & Development (with special reference to Pakistan) by M. M. Qurashi, Karimullah, M. Aslam, A. H. Chotani, S. M. Moghni (1981) (Edited in collaboration with PAS & Pakistan Banking Council). * The Mechanics of R&D and Technology Transfer. Mazhar M. Qurashi (1978).

Awards

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and Civil decorations of Pakistan, civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially me ...

(1991) * PCSIR Award (2002) *

Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

from

(1972)

Fellowships

*Fellow of

(1961) * Fellow of Islamic Academy of Sciences (1988) * President, of the Scientific Society of Pakistan, (1968–1969) * President, Section of Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Astronomy and Meteorology.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qurashi, Mazhar Mahmood 1925 births Pakistani physicists Alumni of the University of Manchester University of the Punjab alumni Pakistani Muslims Pakistan Army civilians Fellows of the Institute of Physics Academic staff of Quaid-i-Azam University Fellows of Pakistan Academy of Sciences 2011 deaths Writers about religion and science