A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z

Hashim Al Atasi

Birth:1875

Death:1960

Syrian president for three times. Atasi was a member of the Syrian Congress in 1919 and the Head of a Syrian delegation to Paris that negotiated for Syria's independence in 1936. On his return he was elected president of Syria. Faced with French Government's refusal to ratify ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haider Ali Aatish

Birth:1778

Death:1846

An Urdu poet. His father came to Faizabad during the reign of Shuja ud daula from Delhi.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haider Abu Bakr Al Attas

Birth:1939

Death:

The prime minister of United Yemen since 1990. President of South Yemen from 1986 to 1990.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hassan Al Bolkiah

Birth:1946

Death:

The Sultan of Brunei, the son of Sultan Sir Umar Ali Saifuddin. Bolkiah Hassan was made crown prince in 1961 and Sultan on his father's abdication in 1967. Bolkiah is known to be the richest man of the world and is estimated to be worth more than 25 ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Houari Muhammad Boumedienne

Birth:1972

Death:1978

An Algerian politician. He supported Ben Bella for his Presidency of Algeria in 1963, but in a coup in 1965, deposed Ben Bella and himself become President. He died in office in 1978.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Habib Ben Ali Bourguiba

Birth:1903

Death:2000

Political architect of modern Tunisia. Ben Ali dedicated to ending French colonial rule. He brought social reforms on a secular western mould after Tunisia's national independence in 1956. His 31-year reign tended to be authoritarian: he was a man of fierce independence of character and deep ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Habba Khatoon

Birth:1554

Death:1609

A Kashmiri poetess. Habba Khatoon whose real name was Zun (the moon) was well versed in Arabic and Persian. Her married life did not last long and she was finally divorced. Prince Yusuf Shah of Kashmir married her later on. In 1586 the Mughal Emperor Akbar ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Habes Al Majali

Birth:c1913

Death:2001

Soldier. The Jordanian Field Marshal who was the only Arab commander to administer military defeat on Israelis in 1948 and restored a modicum of pride to Arabs. He represented somehow nobler, if not gentler, past and remained loyal to Hashemite rulers.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Habibullah Khan

Birth:1871

Death:1919

King of Afghanistan. Habibullah Khan son of Abdur Rahman succeeded his father in 1901. He was loyal to the British and held out against German emissaries during the first World War. He insisted that his courtiers should wear European dress and tried to introduce western customs ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hafez Al Assad

Birth:1930

Death:2000

Long-serving President and dictator of Syria. He is the butcher of Hama, the town in Syria in which 25,000 Muslims were slaughtered by his security forces in 1984. As a student, he joined the Ba'th Party to protest against social conditions in Syria. In 1955, he graduated from ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin/M A Sherif

Hafez Ali Abdul Qadir

Birth:1907

Death:1988

Saudi Arabia's most influential publisher and journalist. He was the founder of Al-Madinah in 1937 and English language Arab News: His company is the biggest Arab publishing company in the west.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hafeez Jalandhari

Birth:1900

Death:1982

An Urdu poet. Hafeez Jalandhari is also known as Firdausi of Islam because of his magnum opus Shah Nama Islam in four volumes. His first collection of poems Nagma-e-Zar was published in 1935. Hafeez is the creator of the national anthem of Pakistan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hafiz Abru Abdullah Ibn Lut Fallah Ibn Abdul Rashid

Birth:

Death:1430

An Iranian historian of the Timurrid period (1370-1506). He went with Timur on many expeditions and after Timur's death he joined his son Shah Rukh (1405-46) as a court historian. Majmua was a collection of three well known works, collected by him. His Majmual Tavarikh ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hafiz Ibn Hajr Asqalani

Birth:1372

Death:1449

A traditionalist. Asqalani was born in Egypt, and was the author of more than one hundred fifty works including Fath ul Bari fi Sharhul Bukhari and Al Isaba fi Tamizul Sahaba.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hafiz Ibahim Muhammad

Birth:1872

Death:1932

An Egyptian poet. Hafiz denounced imperialism in his poems. His real talent was, however, in prose writing, which can be seen in his works Al Bu Asa and Layali Sath. His collection of poems were edited by Ahmad Amir and was published in two volumes. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haider Ali

Birth:1728

Death:1782

The ruler of Mysore and father of Tipu Sultan. Haider Ali conquered Calicutt, Bednore, and Cannanors and by 1766 his dominions included more than 84,000 sq. miles. He defeated the British in 1767 and routed them in Carnatic and Madras but was ultimately defeated by Sir Eyre Cooto.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haider Mirza

Birth:

Death:1551

In 1540 he was deputised by Humayoon, the Mughal King, to conquer Kashmir, which he did with great ease. But as Sher Shah expelled that Emperor from India, Haider became the king of Kashmir. In 1548 he also took Tibet, Rajara and Pagala and reigned there for ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haider Mummai Mir

Birth:

Death:1577

A contemporary of Shah Ismail II, king of Iran. Haider was distinguished for writing chronograms and enigmas. Haider visited India during Akbar's time.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haji Bairam

Birth:

Death:1430

Born at Anqara, he was the founder of the Biramiya order of Dervishes, which was a branch of the Naqshbandiya order.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haji Raja

Birth:1808

Death:1784

A Malayan statesman. Haji Raja seized the capital of north Malay State of Kedhan. He Inherited the powerful office under the Johore king in 1777 and developed a port south of Singapore as a major trade centre which undermined the position of Dutch controlled Malacca post. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hajib Al Mansur

Birth:c938

Death:1002

After the death of al Hakam, he rose to the post of royal chamberlain (Hajib) and Vizier under the patronage of the Queen Subh. Hajib built for himself in 978 a magnificent city called al Madinah al Zahrah and took the title of Mansur bi-Allah (Victorious ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hajjaj Bin Yusuf Al Saqafi

Birth:661

Death:714

Abdul Malik the fifth Caplih of the Ommayads made him Governor of Arabia and Arabian Iraq, after he had defeated and killed Abdullah bin Zubair, who had declared himself caliph of Hajaz. In 693 Hajjaj destroyed Ka'bah, which Abdullah bin Zubair had repaired. It was said ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hakeem Abdul Hameed

Birth:1908

Death:1999

Manufacturer of Unani medicine. After he took over Hamdard Dawakhana, which was founded at Delhi in 1922 by his father who died three months earlier, Hameed nourished it into the premier manufacturer of Unani medicine with modern methods. He standardised Unani Pharmacoepia and its publication and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hakeem Muhammad Saeed

Birth:1920

Death:1998

Humanitarian, educationist, philanthropist and scholar. In Pakistan Hakeem Saeed established a pharmaceutical manufacturing company and later on pioneered the Hamdard University, a centre of excellence. Hamdard a full-fledged pharmaceutical organisation got the Hamdard Foundation incorporated in 1953 to sponsor scientific conferences, lectures, publish scholarly books, encourage ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Hamdard Foundation

Hakeem Abdul Majid

Birth:

Death:1922

The founder of Hamdard, Delhi, in 1906. His Hamdard followed the Unani system of treating illness. When India was divided in 1947, his younger son, Hakim Muhammad Said, migrated to Karachi, Pakistan. Hamdard a full-fledged pharmaceutical organisation got the Hamdard Foundation incorporated in 1953 to sponsor scientific conferences, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamd Allah Al Amasi

Birth:1436

Death:1520

An Ottoman calligrapher. Hamd Allah adapted six scripts, cannonised by Yaqut al Mustasimi and refined the 'Dewani' script used for documents in Ottoman chancelleries. Sultan Bayzid II the ruler valued his works so highly that he held the inkpot as Hamd Allah wrote.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamd Ullah Mustoufi Bin Abu Bakr Al Qazwini

Birth:

Death:1349

Author of Tarikh Guzida in 1329 and Nuzhat ul Qulub the celebrated work on geography, which earned him the title of Le Geographe Persan. His grandfather was an accountant (Mustoufi) in Iraq, and hence he was called Mustoufi.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamdan Qaramat Bin Al Ashash

Birth:

Death:c890

The founder of the Karamatian sect. His nickname karamitia meant, 'man with fiery eyes'. He built near Kufa an official residence called Dar al Hijra, place of refuge. This became his centre where his followers settled. Later he went to Syria where he died.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamdani Al Badiuzzaman Abu Al Fazal

Birth:969

Death:1008

The Persian author of Arabic work (Maqamah) a kind of dramatic anecdote in rhymed prose, translated into English by W J Prendergast in 1915. His work served as a model for Hariri's Maqamat.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamdani Al Ali Ibn Shihab

Birth:1314

Death:1385

Born at Hamdan, he was the propagator of the Kubrawiyah sect in Kashmir. He visited Kashmir in 1372, 1378 and 1385 and spread Islam in Kashmir. Authored Dhakirat al Muluk a study of political ethics.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamdi Hamd Allah Chelebi

Birth:1448

Death:1509

His fame was based on his Masnavis of which he had written five in imitation of Nizami's Khamsa. Between the 13th and 18th century, men of letters in Turkey used to get the title Chelebi or Celebi.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamid Ali Khan

Birth:1922

Death:1998

Bollywood film actor. Hamid's dream of becoming the czar of celluloid became true when he played the role of villain in India's film industry under the film-name of Ajit. Acting in over 200 films, he will be remembered in the magnum opus Mughal-e-Azam. Hamid had a ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hamid Falakuddin Dundar

Birth:

Death:1324

The founder of the Hamid dynasty of Turkmen. He ruled with his brother Yunus but was killed by Demerits, the Governor of Anatolia.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hammad Ar Rawiyah

Birth:694

Death:c772

Born at Kufa he collected the seven famous odes of Arabic known as Al Muallaqat. He was a favourite of caliph al Walid II, for his knowledge of Arabic ancient poetry folklore and genealogy.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hazrat Hamza

Birth:

Death:625

The son of Abdul Muttalib and uncle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who gave him the title of Asadullah and put into his hand the first standard of Islam called Raet-ul-Islam. He was killed in the battle of Uhad. Hinda, the wife of Abu Sufian pulled ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hassan Hanafi

Birth:1935

Death:

An Egyptian reformer educated at the University of Cairo and Sorrbone, France. Hanafi authored Al-turath wa al tajdid (Heritage and renewal); Min al agidah ila al thawrah (From doctrine to revolution); Mugaddimah fi ilm al istighrab (Introduction to the science of occidentalism)

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Handal Mirza

Birth:1518

Death:1551

Son of Babar and Humayon's brother.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hanif Muhammad

Birth:1934

Death:2016

A Pakistani cricket star who played the longest innings in Test history. Hanif Muhammad was a builder of monumental innings, both in terms of number of runs he scored and the time he spent at the crease. For more than three decades he held the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hanif Kureishi

Birth:1954

Death:

Writer. Hanif won London's Thames Television Playwright Award in 1980 for his first full-length play 'The Mother Country'. His first film (commissioned by London's Channel 4), 'My Beautiful Laundrette' was released in London in 1986 and won London's the Evening Standard Award for Best Film, and on its ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hariri Al Abu Muhammad Al Qasim Ibn Ali

Birth:1054

Death:1122

Born near Basra, he was known for his Maqamat e Hariri, translated in English as `The Assemblies of al-Hariri (1867 and 1898). His Durrat al Ghawwas fi Awham al Khwass was a grammar book of Arabic and pointed out the errors of expression. His Maqamat was a ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haroon Shamsher

Birth:1965

Death:1999

Musician, disc jockey, songwriter and producer. Haroon was born in Britain whose family originally came from Bengal and died in London of a heart attack.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Harun Al Rashid

Birth:763

Death:809

The most famous Abbasid Caliph whose reign coincided with the zenith of caliphal absolute power, and who presided over a magnificent cultural florescence. Harun al-Rashid succeeded to the Caliphate in 786 and ruled like an absolute monarch with elaborate pomp. Courtiers kissed the ground when they ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasan Al Banna

Birth:1906

Death:1949

An Egyptian reformer and founder of the society of Muslim Brothers. Hasan al-Banna knew that Muslims needed Western science and technology, and that they must reform their political and social institutions. But he was also convinced that this must go hand in hand with spiritual ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasan Al Basri

Birth:642

Death:728

A celebrated preacher in Basra and a leader of a religious reform. Hasan al-Basri who was brought in Madinah in circles close to the Prophet, peace be upon him, later moved to Basra where he developed a spirituality based on contempt for worldly goods. His ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasan Aziz Hasan

Birth:1924

Death:2000

Painter and memoirist. A family member of Egypt's last ruling monarch was born in San Remo, Italy, and died in Cairo.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hasan Bin Muhammad

Birth:1929

Death:1999

King of Morocco. Hasan came from the Alawite dynasty and enthroned in 1961. For nearly forty years, he retained control of his country with a combination of firmness and skilful policies; his reign faced violent and turbulent period. The most serious threat came in 1971 when he ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin/M A Sherif

Hasan Ebrahim Mall

Birth:1922

Death:2000

Judge. Hasan was nominated as the first black acting judge in 1988, in the twilight days of the Apartheid regime. Chancellor of the University of Durban-Westville, South Africa, since 1994, he also became Chairman of the Amnesty Committee of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation commission in 1995. Hasan ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hasan Ibn Sabit

Birth:c563

Death:674

An Arabian poet. Hasan accepted Islam at the age of about 60. He became known for his defence of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) in his poems. His writings in defence of Islam contained references to contemporary events, which later proved useful for documenting of that period.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasan Mir

Birth:

Death:1790

The author of Masnawi Mir Hasan describing the love story of Badr i Maner and Benazir in Urdu which was dedicated to Nawab Asaf-uddaula of Oudh in 1785. It was also called Sehrul Bayan. Hasan Mir's ancestors came from Herat to Delhi where he was born.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasan Sabah

Birth:1050s

Death:1124

The founder of the Ismaili dynasty in Iran. Hasan Sabah was the mace-bearer of Sultan Alp Arsalan, but after a dispute with Nezam-ul-Mulk the minister of Arsalan, he came to Ray, his native country. From there he went to Syria into the service of Ismail ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hashim Khan

Birth:1913

Death:2014

One of the greatest squash players of all time. The patriarch of Pakistan's squash supremacy Hashim Khan won seven British Open titles, three United States and Canadian titles. Hashim broke the monopoly of the Egyptians at squash and went to become the father of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasrat Mohani

Birth:1875

Death:1951

An Urdu poet and politician. Maulana Hasrat Mohani occupies a unique place in the history of the sub-continent. With his multi-dimensional personality - a deeply religious man, fearless politicians, accomplished writer, renowned critic, distinguished journalist, and the pioneer of modern Urdu ghazal - he excelled ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hayat Ullah Ansari

Birth:1907

Death:1999

Indian journalist, parliamentarian and founder-editor of Urdu daily Quami Awaz. He died in Lucknow.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hesham Reda

Birth:1952

Death:2000

Muslim activist and humanitarian in the USA. Hesham helped develop the 'Islam Roundtable' at the US state department and the American Muslim Council and was also an active member of a host of organisations. Hesham Reda was born in Cairo and died of lung cancer ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hidaya Sultan Al Salem

Birth:1936

Death:2001

Campaigner, journalist and writer. Hidaya campaigned against corruption and the police force and for full suffrage for women in Kuwait. Hidaya authored books and articles and criticised the tribal traditions that oppressed women contrary to Islamic directives. Hidaya was born in Shuwaikh and was shot ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hijab Imtiaz Ali Taj

Birth:1908

Death:1999

The first Muslim pilot in 1936. Hijab was also a prominent Urdu short story writer. Hijab was born in Hyderabad, India and died in Lahore, Pakistan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hijri

Birth:

Death:c1766

A Persian poet of Bengal, famous for a Qasida composition. If you have read the first letter of every misra, you have a Qita in praise of Nawab Syed Raza Khan Muzaffarjang. Some letters in the Qasida were written in red, if you have read ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hisham I

Birth:788

Death:796

The son of Abdur Rahman, the founder of the Ummayad dynasty in Spain. The famous mosque of Codova was founded by his father but completed by Hisham.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hisham II

Birth:965

Death:1013

The Caliph of Spain during 976-1013.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hisham III

Birth:975

Death:1036

The last Ummayed Caliph of Cordoba (1027-31).

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hisham Ibn Al Kalbi

Birth:747

Death:821

The Arab scholar who was also known as Al Mundhir. Hisham authored on early battles, customs and literature, Jamharat an Nasab Al Khayl (on famous horses), Kitab ul Asnam on pre-Islamic idolatry.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hoshang Golshiri

Birth:1936

Death:2000

Iranian writer. Hoshang was a dissident all his life and a champion on the right to freedom of expression. Hoshang was a 'master of short novel' known for his works: Prince Ehtejab, published in 1986, brought him international acclaim. His novels' theme was about the difficulties ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hosni Mubarak

Birth:1928

Death:

The Egyptian leader ignominiously ousted by a popular revolution. As president of his country Hosni Mubarak, in 1981, inherited a difficult hand. Saadat bequeathed him an Egypt ostracised by its Arab neighbours for its signing of the 1979 Camp David accords with Israel. Mubarak's most important task ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hossam Eddin Mustafa

Birth:1936

Death:2000

Film director. Mustafa who was acclaimed and best known for his screen adaptations of novels by Mehfuz Nagib. Hossam made over hundred films and created over dozens of popular Egyptian historical soap operas, died in Cairo.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Humayun

Birth:1508

Death:1556

An emperor of Hindustan. The 'Hero of Panipath', 'The Mujahid' of the battle of Khanwa against Rana Sanga, the Emperor of Hindustan Humayoon was defeated by Sher Shah in a battle fought at the banks of the Chausa in Bihar in 1539 and was forced to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Farooq Saleem

Humayun Rasheed Choudhury

Birth:1928

Death:2001

Diplomat. Humayun was the Speaker of Bangladesh National assembly since 1996, and held a number of diplomatic positions in his career including a membership of the OIC mediation mission during Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Humayun was recipient of the UN Peace Medal in 1987 and Mahatma ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hunayn Ibn Ishaq

Birth:808

Death:873

Known in the west as Johan-nistus. Hunayn translated the works of Plato, Aristotle, Galen and neo-Platonist into Arabic.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hussain I

Birth:1668

Death:1726

The last independent ruler of the Saffarid dynasty of Iran. Hussain reign lasted from 1694 to 1722. The Western powers took advantage of this weak king and Mahmud of Afghanistan forced him to surrender his kingdom to him in 1722.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hussain Ahmad Madani

Birth:1878

Death:1957

A religious and political leader of India.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Husayn Bayqara

Birth:1438

Death:1506

A Timurid ruler of Iran. In the thirty-seven years from 1470 to 1506 of his rule in Herat Baiqara gave the Timuried empire fairly peaceful conditions in spite of rebellions by his sons. Hussain Baiqara was an enlightened monarch who patronised poets like Ali Sher Navai and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hussein Bin Dato Onn

Birth:1922

Death:1990

Politician. Hussain was educated in a military college in Dehra Dun, India. In 1942 he joined the Indian Army and the British forces to liberate Malaya from the Japanese in 1945. Hussain became Secretary General U.M.N.O. In 1969 he was elected to the Parliament and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hussein Chalayan

Birth:1970

Death:

Fashion designer. Known for his avant-garde collections Hussein Chalayan has worked as creative director at Asprey and TSE New York, and has designed capsule collections for Topshop, Marks and Spencer and J Brand Jeans. International markets were quick to appreciate Chalayan. In February 2008, he was ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hussein Ibn Talal

Birth:1935

Death:1999

A Jordanian monarch. Hussain was educated in Britain and ascended the throne in 1953. He walked the tightrope of Middle East politics with greater skill than any of his contemporaries. His survival at the head of a population well over half of whom considered themselves Palestinians, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hussein Ibrahim Issa

Birth:1947

Death:2000

Peace campaigner. Hussain was the founder and principal of the Hope Flowers school for underprivileged Palestinian children. Education for Issa covered all aspects of life and attitude to other people.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hussain Nizam Shah I

Birth:

Death:1565

He ascended the throne of Ahmad Nagar in Deccan in 1554. Hussain Nizam Shah formed an alliance with Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur, Ibrahim Qutb Shah of Golkanda and Amir Barid of Ahmadabad against Ram Raj, the Raja of Vijaynagar, who had become a menace to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Huseyin Rahmi Gurpinar

Birth:1864

Death:1944

A Turkish novelist. Gurpinar authored Iffet (1897), Muttalaka (1898), and Son Arzu (1918). He translated French novels into Turkish.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hussain Shah Sharqi

Birth:

Death:1499

He ascended the throne of Jaunpur in 1452. Sharqi fought several battles with Sultan Bahlol Lodi and was defeated by him in 1489. Hussain Shah Sharqi was a great patron of art and music and was himself a good musician.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hussain Waiz Kashifi

Birth:

Death:1505

Scholar and writer. Kashifi was the author of a commentary on Qur'an called Tafsir Husaini, Jawahir ul Tafsir Rouzatush Shuhada, Akhlaq Muhsini, Anwar Suheli. The last named was a translation of Pilpay's Fables in Persian, dedicated to Amir Shaikh Ahmad Suheli. Anwar Suheli till recent ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Humayoon Kabir

Birth:1906

Death:1969

An Indian politician. Humayoon was educated at Calcutta and Oxford, and was minister of civil aviation in 1957 and minister for petroleum and chemicals during 1963-66. Humayoon was the author of many books including the translation of Maulana Azad's India wins freedom.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hujatul Islam Ali Khamenei

Birth:1940

Death:

An Iranian religious leader. Khameni was personal representative of Ayatollah Khomeini, Secretary General Islamic Republic Party 1980-1987 and President of Iran 1981-89.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hazrat Khudyja

Birth:c555

Death:619

The first wife of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had three daughters by her, one of them was Fatima who was married to Hazrat Ali. After her marriage to the Prophet (PBUH) she lived twenty-two years and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not marry ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hazrat Maimuna

Birth:

Death:681

The wife of the Prophet , peace be upon him. She was the last wife of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and also the last to die. She survived about fifty years after the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haji Muhammad Mohsin

Birth:1730

Death:1812

A philanthropist. Haji Mohsin inherited a vast property, which he registered as a Waqf in 1806 for the education of Muslims in Bengal. Hoogly College was founded in 1836 out of the Haji Mohsin Trust fund. Mohsin's grandfather came to India from Iran and settled in Hoogly, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hilmi Pasha

Birth:1874

Death:1944

A Turkish nationalist and twice the president of Turkey. When Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan was deposed in 1909, he was the president of Turkey.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haji Qawamuddin Hasan

Birth:

Death:1353

The Wazir to Shah Shaikh Abu Ishaq, ruler of Shiraz and one of the patrons of the great Persian poet Khwaja Hafiz, who praised him in some of his odes.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hashemi Rafsanjani

Birth:1934

Death:2017

An Iranian politician and religious leader who played a key role in the Islamic revolution of 1979. When Khomeini was exiled in 1963, he worked with the underground revolutionaries and was imprisoned several times during the 1960s and '70s for his political activities. He helped to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hazrat Ruqaiya

Birth:603

Death:624

The second daughter of the Prophet, peace be upon him, by Hazrat Khadija. She was three years younger than her sister, Hazrat Zainab. She married to Atba, son of Abu Lahab, but this marriage was dissolved and she was re-married to Hazrat Usman. After her ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haji Hadi Sabzevari

Birth:1797

Death:1878

An Iranian scholar and philosopher of the Hikma School of philosophy. After completing his studies, Hadi returned to Sabzevar and founded a Madarasa, which attracted students from as far as India. His doctrines were an exposition of the philosophical concepts of Mullah Sadra. He wrote ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hoca Sadeddin

Birth:1536

Death:1599

A Turkish historian. Sadeddin was the tutor of Prince Murad, and was given the title of Shaykh al-Islam (1598). His book of Tarikh covered the period from the beginning of the Ottoman Empire to the end of the reign of Salim 1 (1520).

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamiduddin Nagori

Birth:c1192

Death:1276

A celebrated Sufi saint. Khawaja Hamiduddin Nagori was one of the most famous Sufi saints of India and was a disciple of Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti (1141 - 1236), one of the most outstanding figures in the annals of Islamic mysticism and founder of the Chistiyya order in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hoda Shaarawi

Birth:1879

Death:1947

An Egyptian feminist. Sha'rawi was involved in active movement for national independence from 1919 to 1922. She was the President of the Women's Central Committee of the nationalist Wafd party and founded L'Egyptian a monthly journal, serving the feminist cause in 1925. She also organised boycotts of British ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq

Birth:572

Death:634

The first Caliph of Islam. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq's self-sacrificing friendship with the Prophet (PBUH) was rewarded by his name being immortalised in the Qur'an as 'the second of the two'. Hazrat Abu Bakr's short caliphate (632-634) was mostly occupied with Riddah (secession) wars. He ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasan Abdullah Al Turabi

Birth:1932

Death:2016

Sudanese ideologue, intellectual, scholar, politician and revolutionary. Al-Tubari was no stranger to prison - two stints during the Nimeiri regime and two under the National Salvation regime, which he himself brought into power. The third detention happened in 1989. The fourth came about in February 2001 until ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hazrat Umm Habiba

Birth:

Death:664

One of the wives of Hazrat Muhammad , peace be upon him, She was the daughter of Abu Safiyan, the father of Muawia.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Halid Ziya Usakligil

Birth:1866

Death:1945

A Turkish novelist. Ziya was educated at a French School in Izmir and wrote Bir Olunun Deftri (1889) and Ferdi ve Suvekast (1894). His novel Mai ve Siyah (1897) and Ishqi-Memnu (1900) was considered his masterpiece. Ziya, along with some other modern writers of the time, founded a journal ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hazrat Usman

Birth:583

Death:665

The third Caliph. Hazrat Usman believed in the centralisation of power. He also set about producing a single definitive version of the Qur'an. His programme of centralisation of power aroused opposition. The question of whether surplus revenue from the provinces should be forwarded to Madinah ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hazrat Zainab Bint Khuzaima

Birth:

Death:626

Hazrat Muhammad's, peace be upon him, sixth wife. She was the widow of the Prophet's, peace be upon him, cousin, Ubaidah who was killed at the battle of Badre. Hazrat Zainab was also known as 'Umul Masakin' ('Mother of the Poor').

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haroon Ahmed

Birth:

Death:

Professor Haroon Ahmed is the first Muslim master of an Oxbridge College. He is a distinguished electrical and electronics engineer. His text books have been used to teach many generations of students. In August 2000 he became the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He is ...

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Compiled by:M A Sherif

Hamid Dawood Habib

Birth:1926

Death:2000

Hamid Dawood Habib was a prominent Pakistani banker and philanthropist. His father and uncles founded the Indian sub-continent's first Muslim-owned bank, Habib Bank, in 1941. Mohamed Ali Jinnah requested the Habib Brothers to relocate the bank from Bombay to Karachi when Pakistan was founded in 1947. Hamid ...

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Compiled by:M A Sherif

Hatim Tai

Birth:c570

Death:

A famous Arabian chief, known for his generosity, wisdom and courage. Hatim Tai was the King of the Tai tribe who lived in Najd province in the central part of the Arabian Peninsula. His legendary hospitality acquired fame as a great hero of Arabia and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Syed Basheeruddid

Hazrat Fatima

Birth:603

Death:632

The daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Hazrat Khudija. Married to Hazrat Ali and was the mother of Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Hussain. She was also known by the title Zahra, Batul, Tahira etc.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Habash Al Hasib Al Marwazi

Birth:9th century

Death:

He was the first to determine time by an altitude and the first to compose a table of shadows, the equivalent of tangent.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Haji Shari Atallah

Birth:1781

Death:1840

The founder of the Faraiziya sect. He went on a pilgrimage to Makkah and returned to India in 1802 after about twenty years. He founded Faraiziya movement that stressed the importance of the obligatory duties, Farz, of the Muslims. Furthermore, seeing the exploitation of the Muslim ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hkim Bawah Khan Madan Al Shifa I Sikandarshahi

Birth:

Death:

The first Persian text on Unani and Ayurbedic systems on medicine was produced by Hakim Bawah Khan, son of Khawas Khan, a courtier of Sultan Sikandar Lodi in 1512-13 AD. It was printed in November 1877 for the first time from the single available manuscript.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Halide Edip

Birth:1883

Death:1964

Halida or Khalida Edib was a Turkish writer. While she was still 16 years old she wrote a controversial book against the Purdah, which made her well known in the whole of Turkey. She organised a women brigade in 1921. She became actively involved in Turkish literacy, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamka

Birth:1908

Death:1981

Writer. Hamka or Haji Abdul Malik Karim Abdullah was the most prolific of Indonesian writers. He founded the first Muhammadiyah journal in 1925. His involvement in the Muhammadiyah organisation brought him to Makasar, where he published a book on Islamic history and wrote some novels. Hamka ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / M. Ali Tajid

Hasan Al Din

Birth:17 century

Death:

His empire stretched from Borneo to New Guinea and from Lombok to southern Philippines. Hasan reigned from 1631 to 1670 only after long and bitter fighting did he in 1667 accept Dutch terms, which ultimately proved disastrous, and which destroyed Macassar's dominance in trade and politics of that ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hasan Ali

Birth:18 century

Death:

The poet Laureate of Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Hasan authored Kok Shashtar, an obscene satire on women paraphrased from the Sanskrit to Urdu verse. There was another translation of the same work called Lazzat-un-Nissa by Ziauddin Nakhshabi.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hisham Ibn Abd Al Malik

Birth:724

Death:743

Tenth Caliph of the house of Ummaya succeeded his brother in 724. In his time lived the celebrated Majnun, the lover of Laila. It was said that 600 camels used to be in his attendance to carry his splendid wardrobe. After Muswiyah and Abdul Malik, he was ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hazrat Muhammad , Peace be Upon Him.

Birth:570

Death:632

The Prophet, peace be upon him. His full name was Abul Qasim Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn al Muttalib ibn Hashim. The founder of Islam was born in Makkah. He was the posthumous son of Abdullah who was from a prominent Quraish clan. His mother Amna ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamid Bin Juma Bin Rajab Al Murjabi

Birth:c1840

Death:1905

A Zanzibar trader who extended his influence into the Congo region and much of East Africa. In 1870, al-Murjabi also known as Tippu Tib built a formidable empire centred in the Maniema region and established his supremacy over a number of African chiefs and over rival ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hossein Ali Montazeri

Birth:1922

Death:2009

Iran's Grand Ayatollah The plain-spoken senior cleric, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri (Grand Ayatollah from 1984) who helped forge Iran's system of religious government went on to become a fierce critic of its hard-liners. Grand Ayatollah Montazeri was a potent force in Iranian politics for his revolutionary ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hazrat Saudah

Birth:

Death:

She had married as the second wife of Hazrat Muhammad, peace be upon him, two months after the death of Hazrat Khadija.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hamza Alavi

Birth:1921

Death:2003

Pakistani sociologist and activist. Hamza Alavi was a political activist in Britain in the early 1960s who co-founded, with David (later Lord) Pitt, a key pressure group of that era, the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination. Hamza studied at Aligarh University, and did his PhD at ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Harun Yahya

Birth:1956

Death:

A prominent Turkish intellectual. Harun Yahya is a pen name used by Adnan Oktar who is devoted to moral values and dedicated to communicating the sacred values he cherishes to other people. His detailed research into the prevalent materialistic philosophies and ideologies has helped in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hassan Khalifa

Birth:1943

Death:2003

Administrator at the British Council in Cairo. Hassan Khalifa was a scholar with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Egypt. He started his career as librarian in British Council in Cairo in mid-1960. He set up, in 1977, his own Cairo Trade Centre, dealing with publishing, bookshop and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Heydar Aliyev

Birth:1923

Death:2003

President of post-Soviet Azerbaijan who guided his nation through its first decade of independence. Heydar Aliyev was a political survivor who shed his old Soviet skin to assume a new one of free-marketeer and would-be democrat. He rose to the pinnacle of the Soviet establishment, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hamza Yusuf

Birth:1960

Death:

American Islamic scholar. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf travelled to Muslim world and studied for ten years in the United Arab Emirate, Saudi Arabia as well as North and West Africa. He received teaching licenses in various Islamic subjects from several well-known scholars in various countries. Shaykh ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani

Birth:1951

Death:

The Emir of Qatar who is the beating heart of 21st century Araby. Led by a bold, reformist emir, Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar has been transformed from a sleepy backwater into the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Part of that windfall is ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hadi Saleh

Birth:1949

Death:2005

A leading Iraqi trade unionist apposed to the US-led war against his country. Hadi Saleh, trade unionist and communist, was international secretary of Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU). He started his career as a printer when his professional life was interrupted at the age ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hasan Abidi

Birth:1929

Death:2005

Pakistan's journalist, writer, poet and political activist. Hasan Abidi was an ardent believer in progressive thought that he advocated both in his writing and in his career as a political worker and trade unionist. After a long association with Dawn Group of Newspapers, he had ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hamza Danny Thompson

Birth:1939

Death:

A widely known British Jazz musician who converted to Islam. He has a long musical career playing with a large variety of musicians. Since 1987, he has recorded four solo albums. Hamza who embraced Islam in 1990 was born in Devon, son of a miner.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hamza El Din

Birth:1929

Death:2006

Egyptian musician and composer Hamza, an oud or 'ud', a short-necked lute with six courses of paired strings traditionally plucked with an eagle-feather quill, played and composed, re-invented the musical culture of Nubia and carried his own style of music worldwide. In his hypnotic music, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Huda Sultan

Birth:1925

Death:2006

Egyptian actress and singer Actress and singer Huda Sultan whose career spanned over half a century started as a singer in Egyptian radio and became a superstar in the late 1940s. In 1950, she appeared in her first movie, alongside superstar Farid Shawqi, in 'Sit al-Husn' (...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hassan Nasrallah

Birth:1960

Death:

Hypnotic leader of Lebanon's Hizbollah A captivating figure who inspires fear as much as admiration and comfortably switches from funny, sarcastic comments to fiery speeches, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is the leader of Lebanon's paramilitary organisation, the Hizbollah. Though he entered politics at 15, when he joined ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hassan Gouled Aptidon

Birth:1916

Death:2006

The first president of Djibouti. The first president Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who led Djibouti after the country's independence from France in 1977, and who stepped down in 1999, elected in the country's first multiparty presidential elections that year and was re-elected in 2005. When he entered politics in 1947, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hasan Ziya Ozbekhan

Birth:1921

Death:2007

Economist who helped found Global Group. Turkish-born economist and management expert, Hasan Ziya Ozbekhan who helped found the Club of Rome, a group of thinkers who came together to examine unwieldy global problems like food shortages and overpopulation was a forward looking person. He wrote ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Habibullah Mukhtar

Birth:

Death:1941

Author and poet. The author of 'Tazakirat-us-Swalehin', 'Anwar-ul-Aulia', 'Tahqiq-ul-Kalam fill molad val Qyam', 'Elaj-ul-Imraz' and a few others, Habibullah Mukhtar, was born in Patna, India.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Syed Nematullah

Hasan Said Karmi

Birth:1905

Death:2007

Palestinian intellectual and broadcaster One of exile, dispossession, oppression and separation Hasan Sa'id Karmi was a hallmark of Palestinian Arabs who endured sense of loss. Hasan Karmi lived in Britain for 41 years, working for BBC Arabic Service. As the creator and writer-presenter of a weekly ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hisham Kabbani

Birth:1945

Death:

A promoter of Islam To promote better understanding of classical Islam, Shaykh Kabbani has hosted two international conferences in the US, both of which drew scholars from around the Muslim world. He is one of those whose intellect is sought after by journalists, academics and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Mateen Siddiqui

Husein Shaheed Suhrawardy

Birth:1892

Death:1963

H. S. Suhrawardy was the fifth Prime Minister of Pakistan, appointed in September 12, 1956. He was born in Midnapore, West Bengal, graduating with honors in Science from St. Caviares College. In 1913, he obtained his Masters degree in Arabic from Calcutta University. He received a B. C. ...

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Compiled by:M A Sherif

Haidar Abdel Shafi

Birth:1919

Death:2007

Palestinian nationalist leader A rare Palestinian leader, physician and founder of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza Haidar Abdel Shafi also helped establish Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). A soft-spoken but a fiercely independent politician. A man of principles who often went against the Palestinian ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Habib Ali Jifri

Birth:1971

Death:

A Sufi Sheikh of Yemen The founder of the Tabah Foundation for Islamic Studies and Research in the United Arab Emirates, an institution to promote the study of traditional Islamic sciences, Sheikh al-Jifri has also penned a treatise on the nature of Islam's relationship with ...

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Compiled by:M Nauman Khan

Humera Khan

Birth:

Death:

Britain's activist. A British of Pakistani descent, Humera Khan has long served as a leading activist and educator for the Muslim community in Britain. Co-founder of the An-Nisa Society, a family association operating in Britain, Humera has worked on issues ranging from race relations to ...

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Compiled by:M Nauman Khan

Hany Abdel Gawad El Banna

Birth:1950

Death:

The founder of Islamic Relief. The founder and president of the largest Western-based international Muslim relief development, Islamic Relief, Dr El-Banna's mission is to help people in need. Islamic Relief was established in 1984 in Birmingham, England, after Dr. El-Banna, a pathologist by education, visited refugee ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hassan Sheikh Mumin

Birth:1931

Death:2008

Somali poet and playwright. One of the major forces behind the golden age of Somali theatre - mid-1960s to mid-1970s - was the poet and playwright Hassan Sheikh Mumin. Hassan joined the political movement of independence in the early 1950s and composed his ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hanan Tork

Birth:1975

Death:

Actress cum worldwide ambassador for international charity. Although a veteran of countless hit films and an object of admiration for millions of fans stretching from North Africa to the Gulf peninsula Hanan Tork (also known El Turk) Egyptian film star of Turkish descent also devotes ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Habiba Sarabi

Birth:1956

Death:

Afghanistan's heroine of the environment. Laying down the environment law, Habiba Sarabi, the Governor of the province of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, is determined to reverse the damage suffered by the province and to turn the place into Afghanistan's icon of environmental oasis. Trying to preserve the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Habib Tanvir

Birth:1923

Death:2009

India's noted playwright and theatre director Eminent playwright and theatre director Habib Tanvir who drew inspiration from varied sources including classical Sanskrit and the folk theatre of India's villages was a theatre legend in India. He founded the 'Naya Theatre Company' in 1959. Tanvir mixed indigenous ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hazrat Mahal

Birth:1820 -

Death:

A dancing girl who became a queen. A dancing girl, who caught the eye of Wajid Ali Shah, entered the royal harem and became a queen. Wajid Ali Shah was the king of Awadh, which was then a large part of the current state of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hasan Di Tiro

Birth:1925

Death:2010

The founder of the Indonesian rebel group. The founder of rebel group the Free Aceh Movement, Hasan di Tiro fought Jakarta a three-decade war of independence until he eventually disbanded the faction under a peace accord in 2005. A major figure in the establishment of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hawa Abdi Dhiblawe

Birth:1947

Death:

A courageous lady inspiring hope and prosperity. The founder of healthcare establishment in Somalia and running and operating a private hospital, Dr. Hawa Abdi is a living hero. Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation is a vast 1,300-acre complex where her generosity spread and the needy people ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hadia Tajik

Birth:1983

Death:

Norwegian politician of Pakistani origin The youngest and the first ever-Muslim minister in the Norwegian Cabinet is Hadia Tajik of Pakistani origin, heading Norway's culture portfolio. She announced that her programme would focus on cultural diversity as part of the Norwegian people's daily lives and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hassan Rouhani

Birth:1948

Death:

An Iranian politician, Shia Mujtahid, lawyer, academic and diplomat, who is currently the president of Iran. A senior cleric with impeccable revolutionary credentials Hassan Rouhani, who won his election as President of Iran, in 2013, has been an advisor to the Iran's supreme leader and held ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Haifaa Al Mansour

Birth:1974

Death:

A film director from Saudi Arabia One of the country's best-known and most controversial film director, Haifaa al-Monsour is the first female Saudi filmmaker. Hailed as trailblazer for the Saudi women her film Wadjda was submitted in the best foreign language category of the 2014 Oscars ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Harun Farocki

Birth:1944

Death:2014

A German filmmaker An avant-garde German filmmaker and video artiste Harun Farocki's work examined the ways images are used to inform, instruct, persuade and propagandise. He made more than 100 films, many of them short experimental documentaries that explored contemporary life, and what he saw as ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hamid Gul

Birth:1936

Death:2015

Pakistan's former spy chief. An influential three-star general Hamid Gul served as the head of Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's spy agency, from 1987 to 1989. The General was deeply involved in his country's policy towards neighbouring Afghanistan when Soviet troops were withdrawing from that country. He was sincerely ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Hocine Aït-Ahmed

Birth:1926

Death:2015

Acclaimed Algerian leader A leader of the Algerian war of independence against France that began in 1954, and a major opponent of the Algerian governments dominated by the military since then Hocine Aït-Ahmed spent decades in exile in Switzerland. He was a founder of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Hafez Muhammad Patel

Birth:1926

Death:2016

A persona of piety. The former head of the Tablighi Jamaat movement in Britain Hafez Muhammad Patel was a pioneer and a visionary in terms of Islamic identity and of the Muslim community in the UK. He came to Dewsbury, England, in 1960 and established Dewsbury ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan