AMU Alumni Association Qatar (Amuaaq) has released the Complete Writings of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (October 17, 1817 – March 27, 1898), the founder of Aligarh Muslim University on the occasion of Sir Syed Day in Doha, marking the legend's 208th birth celebrations.
Amuaaq chairman Jawed Ahmad informed that this year's Sir Syed Day is special as it coincides with the 150th year celebration of Madarsat-ul Uloom, founded on May 24, 1875. This was the mother institution which was later elevated as MAO College on Jan 8, 1877 and finally AMU on December 1, 1920.
Indian Parliament member Iqra Hasan Chaudhry was the chief guest at the function presided by Indian ambassador Vipul. Indian author Atif Hanif, AMU's Maulana Azad Library's assistant librarian Dr Ata Khursheed and Feroz Khan of Paragon Events, UAE, were guests of honour. Ghazala Yasmeen welcomed the audience and introduced the master of ceremonies, Dr Ashna Nusrat and Dr Nayeem Aman.
The programme started with a recitation of Holy Qur'an by Abdul Rahman Shamsi. Hanif’s book, ‘Prophet Muhammad (SAW) – Timeless Role Model of Humanity, Leadership and Peace : Global Insights from Non-Muslim Sources’ was released on the occasion.
The compilation of Sir Syed's works, pending for more than a century of the university's existence, was accomplished by Dr Khursheed and published by Hanif. ‘Majmu’a-e Nasr-e Sir Syed’, the ‘Complete Writings of Sir Syed’ features 1,439 articles of Sir Syed compiled in 20 volumes. The collection includes all of Sir Syed’s letters and lectures, printed for the first time.
Arif Ansari from the US has translated complete lectures from Urdu to English. He is now translating the letters into English. Aligarh Muslim Tarana Tarana has been recomposed by ghazal singer Farrukh Baig and given a new look in a video. The concept, screenplay and direction have been done by Feroz Khan of Paragon Events, UAE, .
Ambassador Vipul paid rich tributes to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, acknowledging his visionary role in education and social reform. He praised the AMU alumni in Qatar for their professional and community contributions that continue to strengthen Qatar–India relations.
Iqra Hasan Chaudhry urged AMU alumni to adopt underprivileged children from their hometowns and support them through their education. Imtiyaz Anwer Siddiqui (UAE) praised Amuaaq for its impactful work in supporting the university and community.
Amuaaq also unveiled its first annual souvenir, 'Abr-e-Aligarh', chronicling its activities over the past few years. Mamnoon Ahmad Bangash, chief editor, shared insights into the publication’s development.
Waseem Choudhari, Nilanshu Dey, K S Prasad, Anu Sharma, Alar Mangai, Rajeev Sharma and Nadim Asrar were special guests.
Amuaaq officials M Faisal Naseem, Dr Ashna Nusrat, M Farman Khan, Ghazala Yasmeen, Farrukh Farooqui, Dr Intekhab Alam, Saima Rafat, Dr M Nayeem, Dr Imran Mumtaz, Imaduddin Ahmad, Tanveer Ahmad, Altaf Gauhar, Dr Hasan Rizvi, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Yawer Hussain, Faisal Abdullah, Irfan Ansari, Farhat Ali Khan, Imam Hussain, Ahmad Azim Khan, Hassan Arshad, Arshad Siddiqui, Sitwat Siddiqui, Amanuddin Ashraf, Anzar Haque, Dr Mosharraf Shamim, Dr Habiba, Dr Sikandar, Dr Sajid, Majid Ali, Moamin Alvi, Vaqas Ahmad, Tanweer Ahmad, Najmul Hassan Khan, were present.
The association also presented its annual excellence awards in five categories: Media Personality of the Year - Anu Sharma; Aligarian of the Year - Atif Hanif; Lifetime Achievement Award - Prof Anwar Rizvi (education); Sharaf P Hameed (social work, community service); Best Parenting Award: Ghazala Yasmeen and Dr Nadeem Jilani.
Amuaaq vice president Faisal Naseem proposed a vote of thanks.
An interactive Kahoot Quiz, sponsored by Malabar Gold and Diamonds, was topped by Inayah Zaib, followed by Mohammed Soyeb, and Tanveer Ahmad.
The event concluded with the national anthems of Qatar and India, followed by a rendition of the AMU Tarana. A poetic evening (Mahfil-e-Sukhan) added to the cultural charm of the celebration, featuring Doha’s renowned poets - Ateeq Anzar, Ahmad Ashfaq, Shama Perveen Siddiqui, Ashfaq Deshmukh, Nadeem Jilani Danish, and Mamnoon Ahmad Bangash.
