Vice Chancellor Prof Naima Khatoon appeals to AMU fraternity to extend cooperation in carrying forward the mission and vision of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

3 Volumes of Maqalat-e-Sir Syed released

Aligarh : Prof Naima Khatoon, Vice Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) called on the AMU fraternity, including the students, faculty members and alumni to extend cooperation in carrying forward the mission and vision of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the revered founder of the institution and eminent social reformer of the 19th century India.

Releasing three edited volumes of Maqalat-e-Sir Syed, and a book on the history of Sir Syed Academy, today in a function at the Academy, Prof Khatoon said, “If all of us work together as a team, the University will definitely progress and reach new heights”.

Notably, the Sir Syed Academy has brought out 11 edited volumes of Maqalat-e-Sir Syed, which are available at the Sales Counters of AMU’s Publications Division and online at Amazon.in. 16 volumes compiled earlier by Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Panipati have been incorporated in 11 volumes by the Academy.

The Vice Chancellor said any academic, intellectual, religious, historical, educational, political, social and journalistic narrative of the Indian subcontinent covering two centuries cannot be complete without objectively analyzing and understanding the contributions of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

The most important step in paving the way for a critical appreciation of Sir Syed’s imaginative articles, objective style of writing and rational explanation, is to research his writings and publish them with integrity.

“Sir Syed spoke, wrote and commented upon the distinguishing elements of the new cultural, academic, literary and intellectual discourse emerging from the Western modernity and what should be the strategy of Muslim’s participation in it”, Prof Khatoon added.

Shed further stated that during 32 years from 1866 to 1898, Sir Syed expressed his views on the problems faced by India, world affairs, interfaith relations, and the specific issues of Muslims, in a concise and non-emotional manner, through the Aligarh Institute Gazette and Tahzeebul-ul-Akhlaq, the two journals he started and devised new patterns of logical expression.

The Vice Chancellor congratulated Sir Syed Academy for publishing authentic texts written by Sir Syed and assured all possible help in working on the insightful suggestions, pertaining to research and development and publications.

Earlier, the Sahitya Akademi awardee bilingual author and critic Prof M. Shafey Kidwai, Director, Sir Syed Academy and Professor, Department of Mass Communication, AMU, welcomed the guests and highlighted the features of the new editions of Maqalat-e-Sir Syed.

Delineating the globally accepted norms and standards of research and publications, Prof Kidwai stressed the importance of intellectually stimulating deliberations and bringing out publications with original references, in collaboration with reputed publishers.

Prof Kidwai advocated for carrying out research on dimensions of Sir Syed’s life, which are still unexplored.

Commenting on the 9th Volume of Maqalat-e-Sir Syed, Prof A.R. Kidwai, Director, K.A. Nizami Centre for Quranic Studies, AMU, shed light on the views of Sir Syed on global affairs, Turkey during the abolition of Caliphate, current affairs of British India, interfaith relations, and unity among the people of diverse faith.

“Sir Syed is misperceived as sympathetic to British rulers, though he very audaciously criticizes their atrocious policies in his articles”, Prof Kidwai pointed out. He advocated for starting courses on Sir Syed studies and making it one of the thrust areas of research in AMU.

Prof Mohammad Asim Siddiqui, Department of English said, Sir Syed has a vast canon, and it is good to see his writings being presented before the reading public. Talking about the challenge before the Sir Syed Academy, he said that it is important to save Sir Syed from Pakistani historiography which often misrepresents Sir Syed.

Discussing the contents of the 11th volume of Maqalat-e-Sir Syed, which consists of Sir Syed’s early writings, Prof Siddiqui raised some pertinent academic questions, adding that Sir Syed’s scholarship is praiseworthy as he was always open to change his views when new evidences emerged in favour of a different viewpoint. Thus initially believing earth to be stationary, he later adopted the modern scientific view about the revolution of earth.

Talking further about the volume 11, he informed that it contains Jam-e-Jam (Persian), Sir Syed’s preface to Tarikh-e Firozshahi, his little known book on the villages of India, his account of ten different kinds of people of Shahjahanbad, his book Seerat-e Faridia, and a collection of his writings, among others.

Prof Siddiqui also appreciated the hard work done by Dr. Mohammad Mukhtar Alam, the editor and researcher of the new editions of Maqalat.

Prof Saud Alam Qasmi, Faculty of Theology, AMU discussed the contents of the 10th Volume of Maqalat, which has at least 7 articles by Sir Syed on interfaith understanding, and Hindu-Muslim relations.

Prof Qasmi highlighted the socio-cultural reforms and religious rationality advocated by Sir Syed, quoting extensively from his writings.

Dr. Mohammad Shahid, Deputy Director, Sir Syed Academy highlighted the academic and developmental activities undertaken by Sir Syed Academy during the last six years, which is the focal point of the book entitled “History of Sir Syed Academy and Sir Syed Memorial Lectures [2018-2023]”.

Dr. Shahid also proposed a vote of thanks. The programme, attended by the faculty members, students and alumni in large numbers was conducted by Syed Hussain Haider.