Muhammad Mohar Ali (); 1929–2007) was a

British Bangladeshi British Bangladeshis () are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots are from Bangladesh. Bengali Muslims have prominently been migrating to the UK since World War II. Migration reached its peak during the 1970s, with ...

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 ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

. He is the only

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

to have received the

King Faisal International Prize The King Faisal Prize (, formerly King Faisal International Prize), is an annual award sponsored by King Faisal Foundation presented to "dedicated men and women whose contributions make a positive difference". The foundation awards prizes in fiv ...

Academic career

Mohar Ali was born in 1929 in

Khulna Khulna (, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of the Khulna District and the Khulna Division. It is the divisional centre of 10 districts of the division. Khulna is also the seco ...

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

. Studying at

Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 ...

, he obtained a degree in history in 1952 and a master's degree in 1953. In 1963 he obtained a PhD from

SOAS, University of London The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public university, public research university in London, England, and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, ...

, and in 1964 studied bar-at-law at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Between 1954 and 1976 he worked as a university lecturer in Bengal, becoming a professor, and moved in 1976 to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

to teach Islamic history at

Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (), commonly known as Al-Imam University (IMAMU) (Arabic: إمامو), is a public university in the sub-municipality of Shemal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1950 as an Islamic semin ...

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

for 12 years, followed by 7 years of teaching at the

Islamic University of Madinah The Islamic University of Madinah () is a public Islamic university in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Established by King Saud bin Abdulaziz in 1961, Sayy’id Abul Ala Maududi had played a significant role of establishing and running of Islamic Univers ...

. He worked then as a researcher at King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur'an in years 1415–16 AH. He also worked at

in 1965–69, at the official Historical Document Centre in 1966–71, and the chief editor for the Historical Society magazine. He was detained after the Independence of Bangladesh and was released in 1974 following an amnesty declaration. His university teaching career lasted for more than 40 years. Mohar Ali died in London on 11 April 2007.

Author

Ali was a specialist in Islamic history – in particular the history of Bengal. His book, ''History of the Muslims of Bengal'', is considered an important reference in the history of the propagation of Islam in the region and its cultural and political effects. It also deals with the struggle of

Bengali Muslims Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work.are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest et ...

against the British colonial rule, and the Islamic influence on Bengali architecture and literature. His other books deal with the Islamic rule in India in the 19th century, Islam and the Modern world, the history of the Indian subcontinent, the Bengali reaction to Christian missionaries, in addition to articles in specialist magazines and conference participation in Bangladesh, Pakistan, the UK and the US. Ali won the

for Islamic Studies in 2000. While most of his books and essays are in English, he has translated ''Jawhart al-Bukhari'' from Arabic into Bengali and published a word for word English translation of the Qur'an in addition to Arabic essays such as ''Orientalists' Claims concerning the Glorious Qur'an''. He has also written books in response to the Orientalists' approach to the biography of Muhammad and their theories about the Qur'an: ''Sirat Al-Nabi and the Orientalists'' (1997) and ''The Qur'an and the Orientalists'' (2004).''The Qur'an and the Orientalists: An Examination of Their Main Theories and Assumptions''

Main works

* * * * * * * *

References

* The main reference used is a
Arabic article

External links

Commemoration Meeting on the Life and work of Dr Mohar Ali

Arabic links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Muhammad Mohar 1929 births 2007 deaths People from Khulna Bangladeshi Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Bengali writers University of Dhaka alumni Alumni of SOAS University of London Historians of Islam 20th-century Bangladeshi historians 21st-century Bangladeshi historians Muslim scholars of Islamic studies