Professor Khurshid Ahmad: Life in pursuit of Islamic renaissance

As tributes pour in, MNTV captures Professor Khurshid’s vision in his words and legacy he leaves behind as visionary economist and intellectual

LONDON (MNTV) – Professor Khurshid Ahmad, a pioneering Islamic economist, thinker, and leading advocate for an Islamic socio-political order, has passed away at the age of 93. As tributes pour in, it is his own words and vision that best capture the legacy he leaves behind.

Born in Delhi in 1932 into a distinguished Qureshi family, Ahmad’s early life is marked by a deep exposure to Islamic values, political activism, and intellectual pursuit.

His father, Nazir Ahmad Qureshi, a businessman with a strong academic inclination, was actively involved in the Khilafat Movement and the Muslim League.

His mother, Sarwar Jahan Begum, represented the educated generation of Indian Muslims, having been schooled at Queen Mary School in Delhi.

Professor Ahmad recalls in an interview published by the Kyoto Bulletin of Islamic Area Studies that politics, scholarship, and public service were integral parts of his family’s life, shaping his character from an early age.

“We were a Muslim-oriented, anti-imperialist household,” he said, reflecting on how political leaders and scholars frequently visited their home, exposing him to the currents of thought and activism that defined his generation.

The trauma of Partition interrupted his education, and the family migrated to Pakistan in early 1948. “We left everything behind, including thousands of books and hundreds of letters exchanged with leaders like Maulana Maududi,” he recalled with sorrow.

Despite the disruption, Ahmad completed his education in Pakistan, earning top positions in university examinations, and later pursued advanced studies in economics in England.

Deeply influenced by the works of Allama Iqbal, Abul Kalam Azad, Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss), and Maulana Maududi, Ahmad’s intellectual development was rooted in Islamic thought from a young age.

He credits Iqbal’s poetry for awakening his spirit, Asad’s critique of the West for sharpening his worldview, and Maududi’s writings for providing a coherent ideological framework.

“Iqbal and Asad gave me the vision; Maududi the framework; and the Qur’an and Sunnah the eternal foundation,” he said.

Professor Ahmad’s association with Maulana Maududi was not merely intellectual but also personal. His father’s long friendship with Maududi meant that from a young age, Ahmad was exposed to Maududi’s ideas and activism.

Later, he formally joined Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, eventually rising to the position of Nazim-e-Aala (President), and later became a senior member of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Central to Ahmad’s life work is his pioneering contribution to Islamic economics.

He views Islamic banking and finance as a natural outgrowth of Islamic economics but insists it is only a small part of a much larger civilizational vision.

“Islamic banking and finance is only one twig of Islamic economics, which itself is a branch of the Islamic tree,” he explained. He argued that without a revival of Islamic moral, social, and political structures, financial reforms alone would be insufficient.

Ahmad places Islamic economics within the broader context of Islamic resurgence (Tajdeed and Ahya).

He traced the intellectual roots of this movement to the work of earlier scholars like Shah Waliullah and Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, and emphasized the comprehensive nature of Islamic revival, involving education, law, governance, economy, and culture.

He remained critical of both conservative retreats into tradition and uncritical Westernization among Muslims. The Islamic movement, he insisted, must embrace modernity critically.

“We accept the challenge of modernity. What is consistent with our values we integrate; what contradicts them, we reject — but through critical engagement, not blind reaction,” he said.

Ahmad pointed out that secularism in Europe arose because Christianity withdrew from the worldly realm, whereas Islam addresses the entirety of human existence. “Islam’s rise owes itself to the application of moral principles to the secular realm,” he argued, maintaining that Islam is fully equipped to address the challenges of modern governance, science, and economics without abandoning its core values.

Throughout his career, Ahmad played a crucial role in asserting the Islamic identity of Pakistan. He recalled how, after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s death, secular elements tried to steer Pakistan toward a liberal model. Jamaat-e-Islami, under Maududi’s leadership, campaigned for the adoption of the Objectives Resolution in 1949, affirming Pakistan’s Islamic character.

Ahmad himself faced persecution, including imprisonment and a death sentence in 1953, later commuted after massive public and international pressure. “The liberals tried to hijack Pakistan’s identity, but the people resisted,” he said.

Beyond Pakistan, Professor Ahmad was a global ambassador of Islamic thought. He was instrumental in founding the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in Islamabad and served as an adviser during Pakistan’s Islamization efforts in the 1980s. He consistently called for global Muslim unity, rejecting sectarianism.

“We have differences, but over 90 percent of our beliefs are common. Let us work together on this vast common ground,” he urged.

His later years were devoted to developing intellectual critiques of both Western materialism and internal stagnation within the Muslim world. He advocated for engaging with global civilizations, appreciating the contributions of other cultures while maintaining Islamic identity.

Throughout his life, Ahmad emphasised that political power was not an end in itself but a means to establish justice and fulfil Islam’s mission of mercy to humanity.

“O my Lord, make my exit an exit with truth and my entry an entry with truth and make political power my helper,” he often quoted from the Qur’an, underlining that governance in Islam must serve divine ends.

Recognized for his services to Islamic thought, Professor Ahmad received numerous awards, including Pakistan’s highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, and the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam.

Even as health challenges limited his public engagements in his later years, his commitment to Islamic resurgence remained undiminished.

“Our mission is not to dominate but to serve; not to seek power for its own sake, but to bear witness to the truth,” he reminded.

Professor Khurshid Ahmad’s passing closes a remarkable chapter of Islamic intellectual history. Yet his ideas — of critical engagement with modernity, revival of Islamic civilization, and the integration of faith into all aspects of life — continue to inspire Muslims across the world. His life’s work stands as a testament to the enduring relevance of Islam’s holistic message in a changing world.

Funeral prayers were held in Leicester, attended by a large number of mourners. Memorial services are being planned in Islamabad, London, and Kuala Lumpur to honour his enduring legacy.

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Key quotes from Professor Khurshid Ahmad

On Islam as a Way of Life:

“Islam is Divine Guidance. It covers all parts of life. It is eternal, comprehensive, and the basis for a new intellectual, social, political, economic, and cultural civilizational change.”

On Islamic Economics:

“Islamic banking and finance is only one twig of Islamic economics, which itself is a branch of the Islamic tree.”

On Engaging with Modernity:

“The Islamic movement accepts the challenge of modernity. Whatever is valid and goes with our value framework, we embrace and integrate. Whatever is repugnant, we critically reject — not blindly, but through engagement.”

On the Islamic Movement’s Vision:

“Islamic resurgence is spiritual, moral, intellectual, societal, legal, and global. It is not a mere political movement, but a civilisational rebirth.”

On the Mission of Muslims:

“Our mission is not to dominate but to serve; not to seek power for its own sake, but to bear witness to the truth.”

On Moral Leadership:

“Islam’s rise owes itself to the application of moral principles to the secular realm. It has always been a civilisational mission — not merely a political project.”

On Sectarianism:

“We have differences, but over 90 percent of our beliefs are common. Let us work together on this vast common ground.”

On Political Power:

“Political power in Islam is not an objective in itself; it is an instrument to fulfil the Divine Mission of justice, mercy, and good governance.”