Ibne Safi
Birth:1928
Death:1979
A heart-throbbing and the most popular mystery- writer in the history of Urdu literature of the Indian sub-continent.
Asrar Ahmad or Ibne Safi, well known by his penname, in the genre of Urdu detective novel, created a character of Col. Faridi in his writing, Jasoosi ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Syed Sharfuddin
Ismail Al Azhari
Birth:1900
Death:1969
Politician.
In 1943 he organised his own party called Ashigga (Brothers). His opposition to the British resulted in his arrest in 1948. In 1953 he won the elections and was made prime minister in 1954. Soon after Sudan gained independence in 1956, a military Government took control in 1958. In 1964 he ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Imamu Amiri Baraka
Birth:1934
Death:
American poet and playwright.
In 1967 he taught poetry at the new school of Social Research, drama at Columbia University, and served as a visiting professor at San Francisco State College. He founded the Black Community Development and Defence organisation in 1968, was Chairman, Congress of African ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Raji Al Faruqi
Birth:1921
Death:1986
The Palestinian scholar, educated at the American university of Beirut, Harvard and Al-Azhar.
Faruqi taught at the Central Institute of Islamic Research in Karachi, the university of Chicago and was a visiting professor at more than twenty universities in Europe, Africa and Asia.
Faruqi was ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Bey Gasprinski
Birth:1851
Death:1914
The Russian journalist, educator and reformer who was an architect of modernism among Muslim Turkish subjects of the Russian empire.
He founded a newspaper Tercuman in 1883. His ideas inspired a movement called Jadidism (modernism) and he propagated his ideas through publications, such as Alim Sibyan ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Abad Abul Qasim Ismail Kafi
Birth:
Death:995
The wazir of Fakhru-Ddaula of the race of Boya.
He left a library consisting of 112,000 volumes.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Abbad Aba Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Abi Ishaq Ibrahim An Wafzi Ar Rundi
Birth:1333
Death:1390
He is considered as the leading theologian of the 14th century Islamic world.
Ibn Abbad came to Morocco and settled in the town of Sale and joined the Shadhiliyah sect. In 1375 ibn Abbad was appointed Imam by the king of Morocco.
Ibn Abbad was the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Abi Ar Rijal Ahmad
Birth:1620
Death:1681
A Yemeni theologian.
He joined the court of Zaidi, spiritual leader and ruler of Yemen al Muttawakil and wrote Matla al Budur wa Majma al Bahur about the Zaidis of Yemen.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Abu Usaiba, Muwaffiquddin Abul Abbas Ahmad
Birth:1203
Death:1269
A physician and biographer of his peer professionalists.
His famous Arabic work 'Uyun al-anba fi tabaqat al-atibba' gives an overview on the lives of physicians and philosophers from antiquities to his lifetime including scholars from all religious groups not confined to Muslims. He was the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Gerhard Wedel
Ibn Al Abbar Abu Abdullah Muhammad
Birth:1199
Death:1260
Historian and theologian.
Ibn Al Abbar who was famous in Spain as a historian and theologian authored Tuhfat al Qadin, an account of the Arabic poets of Spain, Kitabul Takmila and many other books.
Ibn Al Abbar was born in Valencia, Spain.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Adim Kamaluddin
Birth:1192
Death:1262
Author.
Ibn Al Adim was the author of Buqyat al Talab Fitarikh Halab which began with a geographical introduction and continued with the biographies of the famous people of Syria. His Zubdat al Halab gave the outline history of the City of Halab from the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Arabi
Birth:1165
Death:1240
A celebrated Spanish philosopher and mystic who travelled extensively in the Muslim empire.
Ibn Arabi studied at Seville for about thirty years and travelled a great deal in search of the Sufi path. He urged Muslims to discover the alam al-mithal within them, and taught ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Ash' Ath Abdur Rahman Ibn Muhammad
Birth:
Death:704
He belonged to the Kindi tribe.
Ibn Al Ash was famous for his revolt against the Governor of Iraq, al Hajjaj in 699 - 701. He was, however, defeated in a final battle in 701 by the superior army of caliph Abd-al-Malik Ibn Marwan, who had initially offered ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Bawwab Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Hilal
Birth:
Death:c1022
Calligrapher.
Ibn Al Bawwab invented the Rayhani and Muhaqqaq script. He improved upon Ibn Muqlah, who had invented Naskhi and tawqi scripts about a century earlier.
Ibn Al Bawwab came from a poor family, which was evident from his name, which meant the son of ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Farid Sharfuddin Abu Hafs Umar
Birth:1181
Death:1235
Poet.
Ibn Al Farid studied law and settled near Cairo for a solitary religious life. He met the famous Sufi, as Suhrawardi of Baghdad, who left a profound influence on him. A.J. Arberry and R.A.Hicholson translated his nazm, as-Suuluk and Khamriyah into ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Jawzi Abdur Rahman Ibn Ali
Birth:1126
Death:1200
Theologian, jurist, historian and a spokesman of traditionalist Islam.
Ibn Al Jawzi was an ardent Hanbali and supported the religious policies of the Baghdad caliphs. He was critical of the Sufi and Shias. He became very powerful during 1170-80, but the arrest of Ibn Yunus, ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Muqqafa
Birth:
Death:757
Author.
Ibn Al Muqqafa is regarded as the inaugurator of what is called 'secretarial literature', produced by secretaries in the official chancelleries.
Ibn Al Muqqafa was the author of Siyar Muluk al-Ajam which was a translation in Arabic of Khuday Namah in Pahlawi. This was ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Aqil Abu Al Wafa Ali Ibn Aqil
Birth:1040
Death:1119
Scholar.
Ibn Aqil was born at Baghdad, a Hanbali scholar, and at the young age of 26, he was professor at al Mausul, after the death of his patron Abu.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Asakir
Birth:1106
Death:1175
His Tarikh Madinaht Dimashq, perhaps the vastest biographical dictionary of eighty volumes, and it is hardly surprising that historians have barely used it.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Asir Al Shaibani Majduddin
Birth:
Death:1209
A most celebrated Arab author of Jama ul Usul, Kamil ul Tawarikh and others.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn A'tham Al Kufi
Birth:
Death:926
The author of Kitab ul Futuh.
Despite the similarity of title between his works and the Futuh al Buldan of Blazari, their forms were different. Blazari arranged his topics by regions while ibn A'tham arranged it chronologically.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Atta Ullah Ahmad Bin Muhammad Abdul Fazl Al Shadhili
Birth:
Death:1309
The Arab mystic who was bitterly opposed to ibn Taimiya.
He was the author of AL Hikam al Alaiya, a collection of mystical saying.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Babawayh Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Abu Al Hasan
Birth:923
Death:991
Author.
Ibn Babawayh was the author of one of the four books that were the basic authorities for the Ithna Ashari Shias. He contributed to many works, but only a few were extant, among them is Risalat al Itiqadat.
Ibn Babawayh was born in Kharasan ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Bashkuwal
Birth:1101
Death:1183
Author.
Ibn Bashkuwal supplemented al-Farazi's work Tarikh Ulma-al Andalus (which is now extant) in 1339 and named it Al Silah fi Tarikh Aimmat al-Andalus. This is one of the two surviving works of Ibn-Bashkuwal, who was credited with some fifty works.
Ibn Bashkuwal was born at ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Battutah
Birth:1304
Death:1369
World wanderer
The world wanderer, Ibn Battutah, chronicled medieval era's great pioneer of globalisation.
'Histories and biographies there are in quantity, but the historians for all their picturesque details, seldom show the ability to select the essential and to give their figures that touch of ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Buwayh Ahmad
Birth:
Death:967
The founder of the Buwayhid dynasty.
Ibn Buwayh's father was in the service of Samanids. His three sons including Ahmad occupied Isphahan, al Ahwaz, Karman, Shiraz and finally Baghdad in 946 and was given the title of Muizz al Dawlah by Caliph al Mustakfi.
As the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Durayd Abu Baker Muhammad Ibn Al Hasan
Birth:837
Death:933
Philologist and poet.
Ibn Durayd compiled an Arabic dictionary, Jam Harat al Lughah and wrote Kitab al Ishtiqaq on the etymology and AL Malahim.
Ibn Durayd was born in Basra, and lived in Baghdad under the patronage of Caliph al Maqtadir.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Hanbal Muhammad Bin Ibrahim
Birth:
Death:1563
The author of Uddat ul Hasib wa Umdat Ul Masahib, a book of arithmetic in Arabic.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Hajr Al Haitami Ahmad Bin Muhammad
Birth:1504
Death:1567
An Arabic jurist of the Shafiete school.
Ibn Hajr's commentary on the Minhaj al Talibin of al Nawai became next to Nihaya of al Ramli, the authoritative code of law of the Shafis.
Ibn Hajr was born at Haitam in the Gharbiya province of Egypt, ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Hani
Birth:
Death:973
Hani of Seville, Spain has been praised as the Western counterpart of Al-Mutanabbi, for his eulogies of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Hazm
Birth:994
Death:1064
Spanish historian, jurist, theologian and scholar of the court of Cordova.
Ibn Hazam developed a simpler piety, which relied solely on ahadith, and jettisoned complex fiqh and metaphysical philosophy. He had many antagonists because of his uncompromising convictions and it was commonly said, at that ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Jouzi Abul Faraj Shamsuddin
Birth:
Death:1201
The tutor of Shaikh Saadi and author of Talbis Iblis.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Jubayr Abul Hussain Muhammad
Birth:1145
Death:1219
Writer.
Ibn Jubayr was the best-known travelogue writer of Spain. He took a journey between 1183 and 1185 from Granada to Makkah and back, visiting parts of Iraq, Egypt and Syria. His Rihlah and account of that journey was one of the most important works of its ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Kaladah Al Haris
Birth:
Death:c634
The first trained doctor who studied in Iran. He was given the title of the doctor of the Arabians.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Khaldun
Birth:1332
Death:1406
A philosopher who applied the principles of philosophy to the study of history and sought the universal laws operating behind the flux of events.
Ibn Khaldun's most celebrated work is the Muqad ma e Ibn Khuldon and Tarikh Ibn Khuldon, which was a history of ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Khalikan Shamsuddin Abul Abbas Ibn Muhammad
Birth:1211
Death:1282
A scholar of high calibre, a poet, a compiler and a historian.
He came from a family of Balkh and was born at Arbela but raised in Damascus. He studied in Mossul, Aleppo and Damascus where he was appointed the Chief Qazi till 1281. His celebrated ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Gerhard Wedel
Ibn Maja Abu Abdullah Al Qazwini
Birth:824
Death:886
The author of a collection of traditions called Sunan Ibn Maja. It was considered one of the six correct Sahah sita books of traditions and esteemed in high regard by the Sunnis.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Malik Abu Abdullah
Birth:
Death:1273
The author of the Sharh Sahih Bukhari.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Manzur
Birth:1230
Death:1311
The author of the most comprehensive dictionary of Arabic called Lisan ul Arab, in twenty volumes.
Jamaluddin Muhamad Bin Mukkaram Ibn Manzur (his full name) was born in Tunis and died in Cairo.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Kat
Ibn Miskawayh Abu Ali Ahmad Ibn Muhammad
Birth:c930
Death:1030
An Iranian scientist, scholar, historian and philosopher.
Ibn Miskawayh's Tahzib al Akhlaq was considered one of the best books on Islamic ethics. His Kitab Tajarib al Umam wa Ta' Aqub al Himam in seven volumes was translated by D S Margoliouth with the title, The ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Muqlah Abu Ali Muhammad Ibn Ali
Birth:886
Death:940
Calligrapher.
One of the most celebrated calligrapher of the Abbasid age during 950-1258. He replaced the angular Kufi style by inventing Naskhi - script that is rounded and curved. This style was mostly used for copying the Qur'an.
Ibn Muqlah was born in Baghdad. He ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Muyassar Muhammad
Birth:
Death:1258
The historian of the later Fatimid Caliphate (1047-1158).
Al Maqrizi was highly indebted to him for this period in his book, Itti'az al Hunfa.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Qim Al Jauzi Shamshuddin Muhammad Bin Abu Baker
Birth:1292
Death:1350
A famous jurist and a disciple of ibn Taimya.
His works included Kitabul Fawaid, Kitabul Ruh, Zadul Maad and Iqsam ul Qur'an.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Qutaybah Abu Muhammad Abdullah Ibn Muslim Al Dinawri
Birth:828
Death:889
He wrote on philosophy, theology and literary criticism. His works Kitab Adab al Katib, Kitab al Maarif, Kitab as Shir Wa Ash Shura, Kitab Uyum al Akhbar, Kitab al Arad are on a variety of subjects.
Ibn Qutaybah was born at Kufa. He held the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Rushd
Birth:1128
Death:1198
One of the greatest Muslim philosophers whose rationalistic philosophy was more influential in the West than it was in the Muslim world.
Ibn Rush, Spain's one of the intellectual stars, whose rationalistic thought was hailed in the West (who is known in the West as ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Sahl Al Fazal
Birth:
Death:817
The Vazir of Al Mamum who persuaded him to fight against Al-Amin since both of them had a common interest in opposing control from Baghdad.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Surayj
Birth:c634
Death:726
He was regarded as one of the four great singers of Islam.
He was the son of a Turk and enjoyed the patronage of Sakina, daughter of Hazrat Hussain.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Tufail Muhammad Ibn Abd Al Malik
Birth:1109
Death:1186
He was known for his Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, a philosophical treatise, translated in Latin in 1671 entitled 'Philosophus Autodidactus' and in English by L E Goodman.
Ibn Tufail also wrote on medicine and served as the court physician during the reign of Yaqub Yasuf, the ruler ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Tumart Abu Abdullah Muhammad
Birth:c1080
Death:1130
The Berber leader who founded the al Muwahhidun dynasty in north Africa.
Ibn Tumart, as a religious leader, taught the belief of the unity of God and reliance on the Qur'an and tradition.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Wahshiyah
Birth:
Death:c900
The Arab author of Al Fillahah An Nabatiyah, a treatise dealing with plants agricultural products weather conditions, water sources irrigation, soil and other related topics.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Yunus
Birth:950
Death:1009
The astronomer to the caliph of Egypt, who observed the eclipses of the moon with such care that by their means we are able to determine the quantity of moon's acceleration since that time.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Zaydun
Birth:1003
Death:1071
The greatest Arabic poet of Spain.
Ibn Zaydun's love for Walladah, the talented and beautiful daughter of the Caliph al Mustakfi, caused his downfall. After several years in prison and exile finally fortune and fame again smiled on him. Al Mutadid the Abbadid Caliph appointed ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Ziyan Muhammad Bin Abdul Rahman
Birth:
Death:1733
The founder of the Ziyaniyia order, which was a branch of the Shadhili, order.
Ibn Ziyan was expelled from Fez by the Sultan and went to Tafilatt, where he was admitted to the Shadilya or Shazilya order. From there he went to Makkah for pilgrimage ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Zuhr
Birth:1091
Death:1161
Great physician.
Ibn Zuhr was one of the greatest physicians, clinicians and parapsychologist of the Middle Ages. He confined his work only in Medicine and by focussing in one field he made many original and long-lasting contributions. He emphasised observation and experiment in his work.
...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Zulaq Al Laysi
Birth:
Death:997
The historian of the Fatimid Caliphs of Egypt.
The main source of the history of the Egypt were the works of Yusuf al Kindi. The now entirely lost chronicles of Ibn Zulaq covered the period from the end of al Kindi's chronicle to the death ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim I
Birth:1615
Death:1648
The Ottoman Sultan.
Ibrahim's reign (1640-48) was marked by war and rebellions, a long war during 1645-69 with the Venetian, when he invaded Crete.
Ibrahim was deposed by a Janissary uprising in 1648 and killed.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Abu Lughod
Birth:1929
Death:2001
Scholar and campaigner.
One of Palestine's leading academics and intellectuals who campaigned for his people around the world.
Ibrahim was forced to leave Jaffa in 1948 with the establishment of Israel and came to the USA as a refugee. He did his PhD in Middle East ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibrahim Adil Shah I
Birth:1534
Death:1558
Sultan of Bijapur.
Ibrahim succeeded the throne of Bijapur in 1535 and married the daughter of Alauddin Imad Shah in 1543. He reigned for about 25 years.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Adil Shah II
Birth:1556
Death:1626
Sultan of Bijapur came to the throne of Bijapur in 1580.
Chand Bibi Sultan was entrusted to take care of the minor monarch who was her nephew. His Rauza, elaborately ornamented, the walls being covered with inscriptions from the Qur'an, was one of the most elegant ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Ahmad
Birth:1914
Death:2000
Kurdish poet and leader.
Activist Ibrahim known as Bila was born in Sulaimaniyah and died in London.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibrahim Al Mawsili
Birth:742
Death:804
The greatest Arab singer from a noble Iranian family.
Harun Rashid assigned him a monthly salary of 10,000 dirhams. He was a pupil of Siyat of Makkah, "whose song warmed the chilled more than a hot bath". After his master he became the patriarch of classical ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Al Rashid
Birth:
Death:1784
His pupil and nephew Muhammad ibn Salih founded the salihiya in Makkah whose most notable product was the Somali leader Muhammad Abdullah Hasan (1864-1920) who was dubbed as the "Mad Mullah" by his British opponents.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Babangida
Birth:1941
Death:
President and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in 1985.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Bare Mainassara
Birth:1949
Death:1999
Soldier, diplomat and politician.
Ibrahim called 'democratic disorder', breakdown of rule by civilian politicians, and took power in a coup d'etat in 1996. He held senior positions in the past in Niger that got independence in 1960.
Ibrahim was assassinated while in office as president of Niger. ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibrahim Bayu Malik
Birth:
Death:1353
Governor of Bihar.
In the province of Bihar, India, there is a tomb on the top of the hill called Pir Pahari, with inscriptions in Persians which say that he was a brave General.
Ibrahim Bayu had come from Afghanistan to India and was appointed ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Bin Abdullah
Birth:715
Death:763
The great grandson of Hazrat Hasan.
Ibrahim along with his brother Muhammad was a contender for the caliphate. When Muhammad went to Madinah he came to Basra to plead their cause. He seized al Aswaz, Faris and Wasit, but soon the news of his brother ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Bin Muhammd
Birth:702
Death:742
The elder brother of al Saffah who was the first Abbasid caliph.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Bin Walid II
Birth:
Death:744
The Ummayad caliph who succeeded his brother in 744.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Hussain Khawaja
Birth:
Death:1593
A celebrated calligrapher that wrote a beautiful Nastaliq hand during the reign of Akbar.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Hussain Lodi
Birth:
Death:1526
He ascended the throne of Agra in 1510 after the death of his father Sikandar Shah Lodi. He was defeated and slain by Baber in the battle of Panipat.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Muteferika
Birth:1670
Death:1745
A Hungarian who converted to Islam and entered the Ottoman diplomatic service.
Ibrahim took active post in the Ottoman French alliance in 1737-39 against Austria and Russia.
Ibrahim introduced printing press in Turkey in 1727. He was also a writer.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Pasha
Birth:1789
Death:1848
An Egyptian statesman, general and Viceroy. His conquest of Syria was a notable achievement of his career.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Pasha
Birth:c1493
Death:1536
Ottoman grand Vizier from 1523 to 1536 during the reign of Sulayman I (1520-66).
Ibrahim re-established Ottoman authority in Egypt in 1524 and was appointed Commander in chief during the siege of Vienna in 1526, 1529 and 1532. In 1533 he negotiated with Charles V over the Hungarian issue and as a ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Qutb Shah
Birth:1530
Death:1581
The son of Quli Qutb Shah I, King of Golconda. Crowned in 1550.
Ibrahim along with other Muslim rulers of Deccan, India, marched against the cruel Raja of Vijanagar, Ram Raj, and defeated him in 1565. In 1571, his general occupied the fort of Raja Mundri.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Rugova
Birth:1944
Death:2006
President of Kosovo who embodied his people's struggle for the independence from Serbia with peaceful resistance.
He symbolised peaceful resistance to repression under the former Serbian leader and many ethnic Albanians hailed Rugova as the 'father of the nation'. The ethnic Albanians who represent 90 per ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibrahim Shah Sharqi
Birth:
Death:1440
Ascended the throne of Jaunpur in 1402.
Ibrahim was famous for the encouragement he gave to artists and men of learning. Jaunpur became a centre of learning during his reign. Even as late as the beginning of 20th century it was a seat of Islamic education ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Sultan
Birth:
Death:1649
Sultan of Turkey. Succeeded in 1640 and spent a great part of his life in the war of Crete against the venetian.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Sultan
Birth:1022
Death:1098
The son of Sultan Masud of Ghazna succeeded the throne in 1059, he concluded a peace treaty with Sultan Sanjer Saljuki and got his sister married to his son. He reigned for 40 years.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Idi Amin
Birth:1925
Death:2003
A Ugandan politician.
A dictator whose bloody eight-year rule of Uganda revolted the world. He joined the British commanded African Rifles and was the army heavyweight boxing champion. After independence of Uganda, in 1962, he rose to head the army having quelled dissent for president Milton ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Idris I
Birth:1890
Death:1983
King of Libya from 1950 to 1969.
Idris was chosen the leader of the Senusiya in 1917, succeeding his uncle but due to conflict with Italy he had to spend 21 years in exile in Egypt. He returned to Libya in 1943. Col. Ghadafi overthrew him in 1969 in a coup.
...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ihsan Bey Toptani
Birth:1908
Death:2001
Journalist and political activist.
Ihsan was the last direct male descendant of the great Toptani family who dominated the Albanian capital for 150 years, and the last living man to hold the rank of Ottoman bey.
Ihsan who was born in Tirana had a prominent role ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ihsan Dogramaci
Birth:1914
Death:2010
Philanthropist, paediatrician by profession.
Ihsan established big business empire in Turkey for the sole purpose of servicing good causes. He is also the founder of Turkey's two universities. Ihsan received dozens of international awards particularly for his work to improve children's healthcare.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ildiguz Atabak
Birth:
Death:1172
A Turkish slave sold to Sultan Masud, one of the Saljuqi princes.
Ildiguz was given the charge of educating the young princess and was thus given the title of Atabak. He was married to the widow of Tughral II (the brother of Masud and nephew ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Imadad Dawlah Ali Ibn Buyeh
Birth:892
Death:949
The founder of Buyid dynasty.
In 934, Imadad along with his brother conquered Fars province of southern Iran revolting against the Zeyarid rulers. He established control over Baghdad in 946, made Shiraz his capital and assumed title of Imad Adu Dawlah.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Imam Bondjol Muhammad Shaheb
Birth:1772
Death:1864
A religious leader of Sumatra.
Imam Bondjol was inspired by the ideas of the puritan Wahabi sect and revolted against the foreign control. He was also to wrest control from the Dutch after they were involved in the Java War during 1825-30.
The Dutch, the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Imam Shah
Birth:
Death:1512
Imam Shah converted a large number of Hindus in Gujarat, India, at the end of the 15th century.
Imam Shah settled in Pirana (Gujarat), about ten miles from Ahmadabad, in the reign of Mahmud Shah Begra (1458-1511).
Imam Shah was a descendant of Pir Sadruddin, ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Imran Khan
Birth:1952
Death:
Former Pakistani Cricketer.
Imran made his international Test debut in England in 1971 aged 18, then read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford. He was appointed captain of Pakistan in 1982, and led the team through one of their greatest decades. The peak of his career came in ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Inaayat Khan
Birth:
Death:1666
The author of Shahjhan Nama, a history of emperor Shahjahan.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Inamul Haq
Birth:1921
Death:2000
Air Commodore.
Inamul Haq helped set up Quaid-e-Azam Library in Lahore apart from several other Public libraries including mobile and Children's, after he retired as Air Commodore in the Pakistan Air Force.
Inamul Haq who was a great educationalist and perseverist was born in Delhi ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Inamullah Khan
Birth:1912
Death:1997
Muslim activist.
Inamullah Khan symbolised the World Muslim Congress, Al-Motamar al-Alam al-Islami, for almost four and half decades. He set up the All-Burma Muslim League in Karachi and was elected its president. Inamullah was hardworking and driven solely by the desire to promote Islamic unity ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismat Inonu
Birth:1884
Death:1973
Politician.
Ismat Inonu was Turkey's Prime Minister from 1923 to 1937 and from 1961 to 1965 and President from 1938 to 1950.
Ismat joined the Turkish Army in 1904. He fought at Gallipoli and commanded forces in Syria in 1916. He joined Attatuurk's forces in 1920 and became commander in chief of the army ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Insha Allah Khan Insha
Birth:1756
Death:1818
Urdu poet.
He authored Darya-e-Latafat, the first grammar of Urdu language.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Iqbal
Birth:1877
Death:1938
Iqbal was an heir to a very rich literary, mystic, philosophical and religious tradition. He imbibed and assimilated all that was best in the past and present Islamic and Oriental thought and culture. His range covered Religion, Philosophy, Art, Politics, Economics, and the revival of ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin/Funeela
Iqbal Fakhruddin Ibrahim
Birth:1121
Death:1289
Poet.
Iqbal was an outstanding poet of Iran. He came to India and after studying for twenty years under Bahauddin Zakaria of Multan, went to Qonya (Anatolia) and wrote his greatest work Kitab al Lamaat.
Iqbal had a Diwan to his credit. A.J. Abberry ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Iqbal Zafar
Birth:1956
Death:
Hockey player.
Iqbal was accredited Hockey player who played World Cup Argentina (1978), Asian Games Bangkok (1978), Moscow Olympics (1980), Captain Asian games Delhi (1982) and Los Angeles Olympics (1984). He was also Flag bearer Los Angeles Olympics.
Iqbal Zafar was born in Bihar, India.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Isa Ibn Musa
Birth:
Death:784
The Abbasid caliph as Saffah had nominated his brother al Mansur and after him Isa (nephew) as heirs. When al Mansur inherited the throne, he was the Governor of Kufa. Mansur forced him to renounce his rights of succession in favour of his own son ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Isfahani Al Hamza
Birth:
Death:961
The author of Tarikh sini Muluk al Arz Wa al Anbiya, translated into Latin by Gottwaldt (Leipzig 1848).
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ishaq Haji Muhammad
Birth:1901
Death:
A Malay writer and political activist.
Ishaq was the editor of Warta Malaya (Malaya News) in 1937. The British arrested him in 1941, and again an 1948, for his political activities. He was imprisoned until 1953.
Ishaq in his short stories, poems and novels had attacked colonialism and had ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Iskandar Mirza
Birth:1899
Death:1969
First President of Pakistan during 1956-1958.
Iskandar Mirza was awarded the rank of honorary Major General in the Pakistan Army before he finally became President of Pakistan.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Khwaja Aftab Ali
Iskandar Muda
Birth:1590
Death:1636
Sultan of Sumatra.
Iskandar ascended the throne in 1607 and because of his naval superiority, took control of the northwest Indonesia. He seriously threatened the Portuguese hold of Malaca but was defeated in 1629, by an alliance of Portuguese, Johore and Patoni (now part of Thailand) fleet, ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Islam Karimov
Birth:1938
Death:2016
One of the longest-serving dictators.
One of the longest-serving world leaders having ruled Uzbekistan with an iron fist since before its independence.
Karimov rose through the Soviet bureaucracy before being appointed the first secretary of Uzbekistan's Communist party - the republic's top position - in 1989.
...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Adil Shah
Birth:1498
Death:1534
Sultan of Bijapur who succeeded the throne in 1510 and ruled for twenty-five years.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Bak Naski
Birth:
Death:1914
The founder of the first newspaper in Tartary language called Tarjuman.
Ismail was also the first person to call for a meeting of Motamir e Islami. His newspaper also contained one page in the Russian language to cater to the Russian Muslims of that region.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Bin Abbad
Birth:
Death:995
The famous Vizier of the Buyids who was known as Al Sahib (master) and served them as Vizier from 970 to 995.
His fame rested as a patron of Arabic culture. Abdul Farah Isphani whose Kitab al Aghani was the most important record of classical Arabic poetry ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Fahmi
Birth:1922
Death:1997
An Egyptian diplomat.
Ismail Fahmi was a career diplomat on whom great events conferred an international prominence, which ended as arbitrarily and abruptly as it began. It was his professional instincts, the diplomat's natural concern for order, balance and harmony in his country's international affairs ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismail Fattah
Birth:1934
Death:2004
Iraqi artiste who conceived the Martyr's Monument in Baghdad, a giant turquoise dome, split into two halves commemorating the dead from the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988) that won him international recognition.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail I Safavi Shah
Birth:1487
Death:1524
The first king of the Safavi dynasty of Iran.
Safvis took their name from Shaikh Safiuddin whose son Sadruddin Musa was a holy man. It was said that Amir Taimur who had brought many prisoners from Turkistan came for blessings to this holy man, he ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Ibn Sharif
Birth:1645
Death:1727
The ruler of Morocco from 1672 to 1727.
After the death of his half-brother ar-Rashid who was the founder of the Alawi dynasty, Ismail proclaimed himself the ruler. After the death of his nephew in 1686, he became the absolute ruler.
Ismail had his army trained by European ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Kadare
Birth:1936
Death:
Novelist.
Ismail has for long been the best-known Albanian writer of his generation, perhaps of all time, and is one of the most remarkable European novelists of the 20th century. He has written numerous novels, books of poetry, essays and memoirs.
In 1970, his novel The ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismail Muhammad
Birth:1931
Death:2000
Barrister and Judge.
Ismail was a lifelong champion of the fight against white rule and the first person of colour to preside over South Africa's highest Common-law court. He was one of the country's leading authorities on law and one of the bar's sharpest minds ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismail Pasha
Birth:1803
Death:1895
Khedive (great prince) of Egypt.
Ismail Pasha became the governor of Egypt (1863 - 79) and was given the title of Khedive. His ambitious modernising programme bankrupted the country and led ultimately to the British occupation of Egypt.
Ismail Pasha paid for the construction of the Suez ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Samani Amir
Birth:
Death:907
The first king of the race of Saman.
Samanis claimed their descent from Bahram Chobin, who fought Khusro Parvez for the Crown of Iran. His father was appointed governor of Mawaraun Nahr by Caliph Mo'tamid in 875. He succeeded his father after his death and in 900 ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismat Chughtai
Birth:1915
Death:1991
Indian sub-continent's progressive and creative Urdu writer.
In the writing of Ismat Chughtai wit and humour reached new heights. She had a felicity with the language and was master of the colloquial phrase and of precision.
She brought into the ambit of Urdu fiction the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismat Kittani
Birth:1929
Death:2001
Diplomat.
Ismat was elected President of the UN General Assembly from 1981 to 1982.
Iraq's chief delegate to the UN from 1985 to 1989, Ismat defended his country's invasion of Iran.
Ismat, of Kurdish origin, was a smooth diplomat who was loaned to the UN from 1965 to 1979 and who ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Itamad Uddaula Khwaja Ghayas
Birth:
Death:1621
Father of Nurjehan Begam, the favourite queen of emperor Jahangir.
Itamad came from Iran to India during Akbar's reign. His daughter Nurjhan in Agra built a splendid mausoleum in his memory where he was buried. His daughter, his son's daughter and the daughter of his ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Iyaz Bin Ghanam
Birth:
Death:641
A Muslim general who conquered Raqqa, Edessa, (Heraclius's head quarters) and other Byzantine towns including Homs and of which he was a governor and where he died. He accompanied Khalid bin Walid on his early Iraqi campaigns and fought at the battle of Yarmuk.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Izz Uddaula Bakhtyar
Birth:942
Death:978
The son of Muizzuddiula Ibn Boya. He succeeded his father in 967 and was married to the daughter of the caliph of Baghdad in 974.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Dimar Malik
Birth:
Death:748
A disciple of Hasan Basri and a noted calligrapher of the Qur'an.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Merchant
Birth:1936
Death:2005
India's prominent filmmaker abroad.
Ismail Merchant formed Merchant Ivory Production, along with James Ivory in 1961 and made 47 films. He produced and directed his first film based on Ruth Jhabvala's novel The Householder in 1963, and then on to Shakespeare Wallah (1965), The Guru (1969), Mahatma and the Mad ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi
Birth:1919
Death:1952
Indian aristocratic Cricketer.
Nawab Pataudi made his first Century against Australia in 1932-33 on his first Test appearance from the England side. He Captained India on their visit to England in 1946.
He died while playing polo in Delhi on his son's 11th birthday.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Abd Rabbih
Birth:860
Death:940
The Cordoban laureate of Abdur Rahman III. His Al Iqd al Farid (the unique necklace) occupied the first place after al Aghani among the works on the literary history of the Arabs.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Sa'ad
Birth:764
Death:845
The historian, who was also the secretary of Al-Waqqidi.
Sa'ad's full name, Abu Abdullah Mahammad Bin Sa'ad, was the author of Tabqat the first book of classified biographies, containing sketches of the lives of the Prophet (PBUH), the Companions and their successors (al tabiun) down ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Sina
Birth:981
Death:1037
Persian physician known as 'Prince of Physicians' who became the most famous and influential of all the Islamic philosopher-scientists.
Ibn Sina known in the West by the Latin name, Avicenna was the most illustrious name in Arabic medical annals after Al-Razi. Ibn Sina earned royal ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Zaiton Naim
Ibrahim Sinasi
Birth:1826
Death:1870
The Turkish journalist.
Sinasi was known as the founding father of Turkish journalism. His major contribution to Turkish intellectual life was the journal Tasvir-i-efkar founded by him in 1862, the first newspaper to criticise the government, a trend that proved as an example to the 'young ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Irene Zubaida Khan
Birth:1957
Death:
Former Secretary-General of Amnesty International.
Irene Khan is the first woman, Asian and Muslim to head Amnesty International, the human rights organisation that has more than 2.2 million members in 140 countries. Since starting in August 2001, she had to respond to a series of crisis from September 11 ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibn Al Khattab
Birth:1970
Death:2002
Freedom fighter.
In 1987, Ibn Al Khattab followed the example of other Saudis and went to join the liberation struggle against Soviet Union in Afghanistan. He became one of the most prominent Arab mujahedin fighters in the war.
Khattab, after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Idrees Dawud Ibn Sulieman
Birth:1923
Death:2002
Jazz trumpeter.
Idrees, a gifted soloist was also notable as one of the first trumpeters to master circular breathing, a method of playing the instrument that theoretically means that a note can be held indefinitely. He evolved an eloquent and fast-flowing style of his own.
...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibn Bajjah
Birth:c1095
Death:1138
He was the earliest known representative in Spain of the Arabic Aristotation Neoplatonic philosophical tradition.
Ibn Bajjah's most important work was Tadbir al Mutawahhid. He also wrote a treatise on botany and was well known for his knowledge of astronomy, medicine and mathematics. His summaries ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Athir Abu Al Hasan Ibn Al Athir
Birth:1160
Death:1233
Historian.
Ibn Al Athir authored Al Kamil fi Attarikh, a history from the creation of Adam till his time, al Bahir and compiled biographical and genealogical material of other authors.
Ibn Al Athir was in Salahuudin's army in Syria for some time.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Awwam
Birth:12 century
Death:
Author.
Ibn Al Awwam's book on agriculture Kitab al Fillaha was written in Seville. It dealt with agronomy, cattle and poultry farming and had many interesting observations on manure, soils, and plant grafting and plant diseases.
The book was translated in Spanish in early 1800s.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Hasham
Birth:
Death:834
He was the author of the biography of the Prophet (PBUH) called Sirat ul Rasul in Arabic. This was one of the first books to give a comprehensive account of Prophet's (PBUH) life and had served as a source book for other writers of Sirat-e- ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Houkal
Birth:10th century
Death:
The Arab author of ashkal-ul-Bilad, which contained maps, and geographical descriptions of several countries he wrote in 977.
Ibn Houkal was also known for his al Masalik wa al Mamalik.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibrahim Efendi Halilovic
Birth:1946
Death:1998
Mufti.
Mufti Ibrahim became a senior Imam of the 16th-century UNESCO-listed Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka. After having gained a degree in Arabic language and literature at Belgrade University he became Mufti of the Bosanska Krajina in 1988 with supervision over more than 200 Imams in the ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Idris Deby
Birth:1952
Death:
President of Chad in 1990 after he overthrew President Hassan Habre in oup
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Isa Ibn Ali
Birth:11th century
Death:
The most famous oculist of the Arabs, of the medieval Arabic works on opthamology.
Isa's Tazkirat al Kahhalin that had survived in its original form was one of the best. It described one hundreds and thirty eye diseases. It was translated into Hebrew and Latin ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ihsan Babakhan Abdul Majid Khan
Birth:20th century
Death:
A scholar from Turkishtan, who was exiled before the Second World War.
Ihsan was Head of the Department of religious affairs of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. His son Zia al Din succeeded him after his death as the Mufti.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ishaq Bin Hunain
Birth:
Death:
An Arab who translated the Almagest of ptolemy from the Greek into Arabic and called it Tahreer al Majasati. This book is available in the French National Library.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Syed Bin Hussain Jurjani
Birth:
Death:
Author.
Ismail authored two medicine books in Persian, Aghraz-ut-tib and Khiff-i-Alai and dedicated to Alp Arsalan the Sultan of Khwarizm.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Itimad
Birth:11th century
Death:
The wife of Al-Mutamid the ruler of Seville, Spain 1068-91.
Many anecdotes were told about her talent and beauty by Dozy, the famous historian of Muslim Spain. She went to prison along with her husband when Yusuf Ibn Tafshin (1061-1106) the ruler of Morocco annexed ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Izz Uddin Hussain
Birth:12th Century
Death:
He was in the service of Sultan Ibrahim of Ghazni, in which he conducted himself so well that the Sultan gave him a princess of the house of Gazni in marriage.
By the princess he had seven sons. One of them Fakhruddin Masud, became king ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Al Khatib
Birth:1313
Death:1374
Author, poet and statesman
Of the sixty works that Khatib wrote on history, medicine, philosophy and geography, only one third survived. The most important was Al Ihatah fi Akhbar Garnata an exclusive history of Granada.
Khatib was vizier at the Nasirid Court, and hence his ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Qudamah
Birth:1147
Death:1223
He was born a Christian but later adopted Islam in 928.
Qudamah's book al Kharaj discussed the divisions of the caliphate into provinces and the taxation of each district. He worked as an accountant in Baghdad.
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Abu Shanab
Birth:1950
Death:2003
One of the most important members of the central leadership of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Abu Shanab at one time deputised for the Hamas's overall leader, Shaikh Ahmad Yassin, and was responsible for political and military strategy in the Gaza Strip. He also acted ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibu Alijah Gordon
Birth:1929
Death:2003
Academic, activist, traveller and adventurer, the unquiet American was a lifelong advocate of cultural diversity and pluralism.
Leaving her home country, America, after her studies - her father paid for a single ticket and told her that she would have to find her own way ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Iyad Allawi
Birth:1945
Death:
Leadership courage shown for the least enviable job in Iraq.
Iyad Allawi formally took over as un-elected prime minister of Iraq on 28 June 2004. He is charged with bringing order to the chaos after the US-led occupation of Iraq since April 2004.
Allawi's success gives him a ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibn Taymiah
Birth:1263
Death:1328
A reformer who tried to counter the influence of Sufism and to return to the fundamental principles of the Qura'an and sunnah.
Ibn Taymiah as a true reformer attacked Islamic development that had occurred after Hazrat Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the rashidun as ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ibn Qurrah
Birth:836
Death:901
Known for his work on mechanics, astronomy, pure mathematics and geometry.
Ibn Qurrah was a pioneer in extending the concept of traditional geometry to geometrical algebra and proposed theories that led to the development of non-Euclidean geometry, spherical trigonometry, integral calculus and real numbers. He ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Iqbal Sacranie
Birth:1952
Death:
Advocate for British Muslim community.
He has been actively involved in a voluntary capacity with community and charitable work for the last 35 years in Britain and at an international level. He was the founding secretary general when MCB (Muslim Council of Britain) was established in 1997 ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibrahim Jalees
Birth:1924
Death:1977
Satirist of Urdu writing
He started his literary career by writing short stories and was a popular genre in Urdu prose. Finally, Jalees took up journalism that he called 'commercial area' of literature.
Jalees began his literary career in 1938 and like most writers of that ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Iftikhar Arif
Birth:1943
Death:
Pakistan's well-known Urdu poet.
His scholarship and love for learning has earned him great admiration and esteem in the world of Urdu literature and is currently Chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters in Islamabad.
In his powerful diction and an expression of clarity and ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Iqbal Bano
Birth:1935
Death:2009
A Pakistani singer of ghazals
Acclaimed for singing ghazals and classical music, particularly in thumri and dadra, to her audiences' rapturous applause Iqbal Bano's singing in Urdu and Farsi is widely heard in South Asia, Iran and Afghanistan. She took vocal artistry to new heights ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Idris Muhammad
Birth:1939
Death:2014
A jazz drummer
Known for his funky playing style, Idris started playing the drums at age 8. Being innovative drummers in soul music in the 1960s, he has released a numbers of albums as leader and has played with some jazz legends.
Born Leo Morris in ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismail Cem
Birth:1940
Death:2007
Turkish politician who turned a page of history
The most successful foreign minister Turkey had seen for years, and one of the longest-serving one, serving three governments from 1997 to 2003, Ismail Cem was a driving force behind the thaw in relations between archrivals Turkey and Greece ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ismail Sulaiman Vanya
Birth:1910
Death:2007
Ismail Vanya was an important leader of the Burmese Muslim community. His long-standing friend U Raschid (died 1978) described him as "remarkable both for his dedication and for the totally selfless and self-effacing manner in which he worked, without the slightest trace of personal egotism or ...
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Compiled by:Tin Tin Sann & members of the Vanya family
Israr Ahmad
Birth:1932
Death:2010
Renowned Scholar
A renowned scholar Dr. Israr Ahmad spent his last four decades in reviving Qur'an-centred Islamic philosophy and staunchly believed in the establishment of an Islamic political system in his country.
The founder of several organisations including Anjuman-i-Khuddamul Qur'an, in 1972, Tanzeem-i-Islami, in 1975 and Tehrik-i-Khilafat, ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismail Gulgee
Birth:1926
Death:2007
Pakistani artist
A self-taught painter-cum-sculptor Ismail Gulgee started painting since his days of studying engineering in two of the most prestigious American universities, first at Columbia and then in Harvard.
Starting his career as portraitist Gulgee impressed King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan. The king commissioned ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismail Babatunde Jose
Birth:1925
Death:2008
Doyen of Nigerian journalism
Being the editor of The Daily Times, Ismail Babatunde Jose, from the late 1950s, dominated journalism in Nigeria for three decades.
He craved professional excellence. The one-year attachment at London's Fleet Street in 1951 had enormous influence on Jose. Under Jose, The ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Imam Gassan Solomon
Birth:1941
Death:2009
An inspirational figure
A former and prominent African National Congress MP, since 1994, Imam Gassan Solomon who served three administrations was a highly principled and inspirational personality of South Africa.
Imam of Cape Town's Claremont Main Road Masjid, since 1979, the cleric was active during the formation ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibn-E-Insha
Birth:1927
Death:1978
Noted Pakistani Urdu poet
Noted poet, eminent satirist, columnist and writer of travelogues of exceptional literary merit Ibn-e-Insha had distinctive diction.
Urdu has produced great humorists, both in prose and poetry. But none wrote with facility like Insha. In the grab of humour he highlighted ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ibn Al Arabi
Birth:1165
Death:1240
One of the most controversial Sufi, Philosopher and intellectual of his time
In 1194, he embarked on a long journey to the East including Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Anatolia etc. He visited Mecca for pilgrimage and stayed there for a long time. The stay in Mecca seems ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Abul Farooque
Ibrahim Tatlises
Birth:1952
Death:
Turkish singer
Famous at home and across the Middle East, Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises, known as Emperor is one of Turkey's biggest stars.
Ibrahim Tatlises, who is of Kurdish origin and from the South-Eastern city of Sanliurfa, has recorded more than 30 albums and has acted ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ismail Haniyeh
Birth:1963
Death:
Head of the Gaza Strip.
The Prime Minister of Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, recognised by the Palestinian Legislative Council though Europe and the US refuse to recognise his government. Gaza is left without an official voice with which to address the outside world. The country ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ishrat Lakhnavi
Birth:1868
Death:1940
Poet
Poet, prose writer, prosodist, lexicographer and philologist Ishrat lakhnavi's domain was also literary historiography and criticism.
Some of his works, such as Usool-i-Urdu, Zaban Dani and Islah-i-Zaban-i-Urdu, deal with the grammar and correct usage of language. In four slim parts he wrote a series ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Ikram Ben Said
Birth:1973
Death:
Women's rights activist
The activist, Ikram Ben Said helped Tunisian women to find their voices when she stood firm among a crowd of thousands of protestors, on 14 January 2011, the day President Zine el-Abedin Ben Ali fled into exile and the Arab Spring had begun.
The ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Idries Shah
Birth:1924
Death:1996
An author and teacher of the Sufi tradition
Idries Shah, also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi and by the pen name Arkon Daraul, was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen books on topics ranging from ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
Intizar Hussain
Birth:1923
Death:2016
Writer
Already a celebrated Urdu writer in Pakistan Intizar Hussain was propelled to international attention in his 80s after the translation of one of his novels into English. Written in the 1970s, Basti explored the bloodshed and dislocation of the partition of India and Pakistan ...
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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan
