Sharif al Mujahid (1 July 1926 – 27 January 2020) was a Pakistani journalist, historian, author, and professor.

Education and career

Al Mujahid was born on 1 July 1926 in

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

(modern day

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

). After finishing his BA degree in 1949, he went on to complete a master's degree in Islamic History at

Madras University The University of Madras is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and most prominent universities in India, incorporated by an ...

in 1951. He completed additional MA degrees in journalism in 1952 from

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

, and in Islamic Studies from

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

in 1959. Al Mujahid joined

Karachi University The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...

as a lecturer in 1955 and later became a professor on 3 July 1972. He was a founding member of the journalism department (now the department of mass communications) at the same university where he mentored a lot of students in journalism including the noted journalist Muhammad Ali Siddiqui. In 1976, he established the

Quaid-i-Azam Academy The Quaid-i-Azam Academy () is an institution of the Pakistan Government to promote the study and understanding of the personality and work of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, his associates, the Pakistan Movement and of the various aspects of Paki ...

, where he was the founding director. He served as director at the Quaid-i-Azam Academy until 1989. As a journalist, before the

independence of Pakistan The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation th ...

in 1947, Sharif al Mujahid participated as an active journalist, starting in 1945, in favor of

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation the ...

and frequently wrote newspaper articles expressing his views on the topic. In Pakistan, he contributed his newspaper columns to Dawn newspaper for about six decades. Mujahid won a Fulbright-Hays scholarship at

, was a Research Fellow at

Mcgill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

and a Fellow at the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

Awards and recognition

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 ...

(Star of Excellence) Award by 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.

in 2007. *

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

for research work done on the life and achievements of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...

, the founder of Pakistan by the Jinnah Society in 2018. * ''Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah: Studies in Interpretation'' by Sharif al Mujahid was awarded the President's Award on Best Books on the Quaid-i-Azam in 1981.

Death and legacy

Al Mujahid died of old age on 27 January 2020 at age 93 at his home in

North Nazimabad North Nazimabad () is a suburb of Karachi, Pakistan. North Nazimabad was developed in the late 1950s as a residential area for the employees of the federal government of Pakistan, and was named after Khawaja Nazimuddin who was the second Governor- ...

, Karachi and was later buried ay

Graveyard. Among his survivors are his four daughters. His collected papers are held by the

Sindh Archives The Sindh Archives are the main repository for the provincial government of Sindh, Pakistan. They are located in Karachi. History Sindh was annexed to British rule in the year 1843 and integrated with Bombay Presidency in 1847. Considering th ...

Books

Al Mujahid wrote several books. *''Quaid-i-Azam and His Times'' * ''Quotes of the Quaid'' * ''In Quest of Jinnah'' * ''The Jinnah Anthology'' * ''A Compendium of Muslim League Documents'' * ''Indian Secularism: A Case Study of the Muslim Minority'' * ''Ideological Foundations of Pakistan'' * ''Ideological Orientation of Pakistan'' * ''Ideology of Pakistan''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mujahid, Sharif al Academic staff of the University of Karachi Muhajir people 1926 births 2020 deaths University of Madras alumni Stanford University alumni McGill University Institute of Islamic Studies alumni 20th-century Pakistani historians Pakistan Movement activists Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Writers from Chennai Scholars from Chennai