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

Shah Abbas I

Birth:1571

Death:1629

The fifth sovereign of the Saffavid dynasty of Iran. Iran's brilliant ruler Shah Abbas 1, whose magnum opus urban planning integrated the political, economic, religious and social elements out of which he built a nation. He built a magnificent Court in Isfahan that stunned at the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah

Birth:1905

Death:1982

The lion of Kashmir. A champion of Kashmir's struggle for freedom against the repressive Dogra raj, Sheikh Abdullah, in the 1930s and 1940s, thundered at a doomed social order and an economic system resting on inequity, injustice and exploitation. Without being a firebrand revolutionary, he ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas

Birth:595

Death:664

The lion's claws! Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas was one of the oldest companions of the Prophet (PBUH) and one of the ten who were promised paradise. Sa'd who was considered to be one of the most courageous Arabs and horsemen took part in the battles ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sadruddin Aga Khan

Birth:1933

Death:2003

The Prince who believed it was the duty of elites to improve the lot of humanity. Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan was widely respected for his close association with the cultural, humanitarian and human rights work of the UN for almost four decades lastly as United ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Alauddin Khilji

Birth:1296

Death:1316

He was the nephew and son-in-law of Jalaluddin Khilji, whom he murdered in 1296 and ascended to the throne in Delhi. He proved himself to be an able administrator and though uneducated, he patronised poets like Khusru, Hasan Sajzi and learned persons and Sufis like Maulana ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Imdad Imam Asar Nawab

Birth:1849

Death:1934

An Urdu poet born at Neura, Patna, India.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sheikh Bahauddin Zakaria Multani

Birth:1182

Death:1262

An Indian Sufi saint. Born in Multan, went to Baghdad, became a disciple of Shaikh Shahabuddin Saharwardy and came back to Multan to establish the Suhawardia order. He was a cousin of Baba Ganj Shakar Farid; the ruler of Sind and Multan, Nasiruddin Qabacha, was ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salah Al Din Al Bitar

Birth:1912

Death:1980

A Syrian leader. He co-founded the Ba'ath (Arab Renaissance) Party with Aflaq during the early 1940s. After the Bath coup in Syria in 1963 he headed five governments before being ousted in a coup in 1966. An unidentified gunman assassinated him in Paris.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salahuddin Choudhury

Birth:1941

Death:

He along with his wife circumnavigated the globe in a car in a record time of 39 days 20 hours and 15 minutes in 1991, covering six continents and 25 countries and thus earned an entry in the Guinness book of world record as the fastest man to circumnavigate the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sid Ahmad Ghozali

Birth:1937

Death:

The prime minister of Algeria in 1991. Minister of finance from 1988 to 1989.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sadeq Hedayat

Birth:1903

Death:1951

The foremost short story writer of Iran. Sadeq studied in Europe during 1920s and was influenced by Satre with whom he studied in Paris, Maupassant, Kafka, Chekov and others and translated their works into Persian. In Europe, he studied the works of Rainer Maria Rilke ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sayyid Muhammad Abd Allah Al Hasan

Birth:1864

Death:1920

A nationalist Somali leader who fought against the Italians, British and Ethiopian colonial forces in Somali land. During a pilgrimage to Makkah, he joined the Salihyiah order and after returning to Somalia, he urged for the expulsion of the English colonists and in 1899 declared Jihad ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Hasan-i-buzurg

Birth:

Death:1358

The founder of the Jalayirid dynasty of Iran. The name Jalayir was derived from an important Mongol tribe. Shaikh Hasan Buzurg seized power in 1340 and became the ruler of Baghdad. His grandfather was a general of Halaku Khan and his sons likewise attained to high ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sulaiman Ibn Muhammad Mustain

Birth:1037

Death:1046

The ruler of Sargasso, Spain in the 11th century. After the murder of the Tujibid king in 1039, Hud seized Sargasso and established the Hadid dynasty. He took control of most of the northeast Iberian Peninsula. The Huddi dynasty came to an end in 1146.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sayyid Hussein Bin Ali

Birth:1856

Death:1931

King of Hejaz (1916 - 1924). Hussain Sharif was the founder of the modern Hashmite dynasty of Arab, great-grand-father of king Hussain of Jordan and father of King Faisal I. Hussain was the Sharif of Makkah (1908 - 16) and on the advice of T E Lawrence came over ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Idris Ibn Raja Iskander

Birth:1849

Death:1916

Sultan of Perak, Malaya. Idris succeeded to the throne in 1887 and ruled till 1916, only 13 years after the British had declared Malaya as a protectorate. Idris was an enlightened monarch who established Malay College to provide English education and Sultan Idris Training College for educating the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Junaid

Birth:c1430

Death:1460

Fourth head of the Safavid order of mystics and the first safavid Shaikh to whom the title of Sultan was given. Junaid confronted Jahan Shah, the ruler of Azerbaijan, with his armed followers, which alarmed Jahan Shah. He was expelled along with his followers from ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Kamaluddin Khujandi

Birth:

Death:1390

The Persian poet and a contemporary of Hafiz, who considered him and Salman Sawji as amongst the finest poets of their time. The Imperial Library at Vienna possesses a manuscript of the Diwan of Kamaluddin.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sheikh Abeid Karume

Birth:1905

Death:1972

A political and labour leader of Zanzibar/Tanzania. Following Zanzibar's independence from Britain in 1963, Karume became president of Zanzibar's People Republic in 1969. He was assassinated in 1972.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Seyyid Khatemi

Birth:1943

Death:

An Iranian politician. Hojjat ol-Islam Seyyid Khatemi was elected to the presidency of Iran in a landslide victory in 1997. He immediately made it clear that he wanted to build a more positive relationship with the West. Khatemi's election signalled the strong desire of a large ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sadiq Al Mahdi

Birth:1936

Death:

The Sudanese leader. Mahdi became Sudan's Prime minister first in 1966 but was defeated in election in 1968. He again became prime minister in 1986-89. Britain, the colonial power, compounded the division, first by reinforcing the inequalities of development between the centre and outlying regions, and then ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sheikh Mansur

Birth:1732

Death:1794

Chechnya's first Mujahid. Mansur defeated the Russian army in 1786 and 1788. But he was captured in 1790 and brought to St. Petersburg, where he died.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saadat Hussain Manto

Birth:1912

Death:1955

A sardonic short-story writer of Urdu. Manto apparently loved challenges and to shock his readers. People either loved him or despised him, but there was hardly a soul who could ignore him. He did try to jolt his readers into social consciousness, and was considered ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi

Birth:1914

Death:1999

One of the foremost scholars in the contemporary Islamic world. Maulana Nadwi's numerous essays, lectures and books have been published extensively in Arabic, Urdu and English languages including his popular works, 'Islam and The World' and 'Saviour of the Islamic Spirit' - a biographical account ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Dr. Mohammed Asif Chaudry

Syed Imauddin Nasimi

Birth:

Death:c1418

One of the greatest mystic poets of Syria. Nasimi was greatly influenced by the Iranian mystic, Fazl Allah, and the latter was executed for his heretic beliefs in 1401. He also met the same fate in about 1418 after being accused of heresy. Nasimi wrote Diwan in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Birth:1933

Death:

An Iranian theologian, philosopher and traditionalist who received his higher education in Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. He is opponent of western modernisation, secularism and materialism and advocates principles of traditional Islam.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saparmurat Niyazov

Birth:1940

Death:2006

Turkmenistan's 'iron ruler' Turkmenistan's authoritarian president Saparmurat Niyazov ruled his country for 21 years. In 1999, he was made president-for-life of the Central Asian country where he was the centre of a personality cult. Head of Communist Party in Turkmenistan, then a Soviet republic, in 1985, Saparmurat styled ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shibli Numani

Birth:1857

Death:1914

An Indian scholar, theologian, historian and poet. When teaching Arabic at the Aligarh College in 1883, Maulana Shibli had access to Sir Syed Ahmad's rich collections of Arabic works published abroad. Maulana's Al Mamun was published in 1887. After that came a biography of Imam Abu Hanifa ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sheikh Fazlollah Noori

Birth:1843

Death:1909

An Iranian scholar. Nuri who was educated in Najaf, was the author of Tazkirat al ghafil wa irshad al jahil. Nuri Fazlullah was executed for his anti-constitutional activities.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Nursi

Birth:1873

Death:1960

A Turkish religious leader also known as Bediuzzaman (the Wonder of the Age). Nurculuk, the modern Turkish religious movement takes its name from him. His collection of writings was called Risale-i-nur. His Nurculuck (Nuren in Turkish means men of Nursi) order was spread to big ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Nusret Tumay

Saad Zaglol Pasha

Birth:1860

Death:1927

An Egyptian political leader. Saad Zaglol was educated at al Azhar University Cairo. Jamaluddin Afghani, the famous Muslim religious teacher, had a great influence on him. Zaglol founded an important political party, the WAFD. Saad was the editor of Al-Waqaih-Al-Misriya and also used to write ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shikari Pasha

Birth:1854

Death:1916

One of the bravest Turkish Generals. In 1904 the Bulgarians had revolted against the Turks. Shikari Pasha suppressed the revolt completely. In the Balkan Wars he re-conquered Adirnapole.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Safi Qureshey

Birth:1951

Death:

A Pakistani-American entrepreneur and engineer. Shafi was educated in Karachi and Austin in Texas, his AST Research, an electronic design consulting outfit, established in 1980 is now a multi-million dollar company in turnover.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sayyid Qutb

Birth:1906

Death:1966

An Egyptian thinker, poet, writer and activist. Sayyid Qutb, the doyen of the Ikhwan al-Muslimun, had a very profound impact on the Muslim Arab youth coming of age since late 60s. Western writers in recent years have focused on him as one of the two ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Ahmed El-Kadi, MD

Saifuddin Muzaffar Al Qutuz

Birth:

Death:1260

The Mamluk General who repulsed the Tartar army of Halaku at the battle field of Aynjalut in 1260. He was the regent of Al Mansur Ali who was Aybak's son, the Mamluk Sultan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sadr Ud Din Raju Qattal

Birth:

Death:1403

A Sufi saint of Chistiya-Nizamiya tariqa (order). He authored Tuhfatun - Nasauyeh. Raju Qattal, brother of Makhdum Jahanian Jahan Gasht, Sheikh Jalal, is buried in Multan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saadat Khan Burhanul Mulk

Birth:1680

Death:1739

Formerly Muhammad Amin, he was from Khurasan. He was governor of Oudh in 1724 with the title of Sa'adat Khan. His only child was his daughter who was married to his nephew Abul Mansur Khan Safdarjang, who succeeded him after his death.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sabah Al Salam Al Sabah

Birth:1913

Death:1977

Amir of Kuwait from 1965 to 1977.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sabiha Al Dabbag

Birth:1922

Death:1998

Iraq's female doctor and a campaigner for women's health in the Middle East. In 1973, Sabiha moved with her family to Oxford, England. She wrote prolifically on medical issues in the popular Arabic press, and in 1980s became a regular contributor to health programmes on the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sabiha Gokcen

Birth:1913

Death:2001

One of the world's first female fighter pilots and a symbol for Turkey of the women's liberation. Ataturk had adopted Sabiha when she was orphaned at an early age. Sabiha was born in Bursa and died in Ankara. Turkey named Istanbul's second international airport after ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sabu Dastagir

Birth:1924

Death:1963

An Indian actor, migrated to USA and famous for his film The Thief of Baghdad.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sad Al Din Aljibawi

Birth:

Death:1036

The founder of the Sa'diya order. He was born at Jiba, which lies between Harwan and Damascus. It was said that Sa'dia order was a branch of Rifaiya. Jami, however, suggested in his Nafhat al Uns that one Sad al Din Hamawi (died 650 A.H.) ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sa'd Bin Ubaida Al Khazraji

Birth:

Death:637

One of the few people in Arabia who could write at that time. After the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) the Aws and Khazraj clans wanted him to be the Caliph as he was the head of the Khazrajis tribe. But due to the pressure ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sa'd Uddin

Birth:1536

Death:1599

A Turkish historian. Author of Taj ul Tawarikh, a work held in high estimation by scholars, gave an account of the Ottoman empire from its commencement in 1299 till 1520.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sa'duddin Hamwia

Birth:

Death:1252

He was called Shaikh-ul-Mashaikh, and was the author of several works including Kitab ul Mahbub.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sadallah Wannus

Birth:1941

Death:1997

Playwright and dramatist. Sa'dallah's finest works - The Elephant, Oh Lord of Ages and An Evening Party for the Sake of 5 June, written after the Arab defeat in the June 1967 six-day war with Israel, that established his reputation He was known throughout the Arab world ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saddam Hussein

Birth:1937

Death:2006

An Iraqi leader who made catastrophic miscalculation from the conflict with Iran to the invasion of Kuwait. In 1959, Saddam Hussein participated in an attempted assassination of Abdul-Karim Qaseem, then president of Iraq. Being injured Saddam fled to Egypt where he studied law. However, Saddam returned ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Muslihuddin Saadi

Birth:1184

Death:1291

The greatest ethical and worldly-wise poet of Iran. Shaikh Sadi came to Baghdad from Shiraz and studied and lived there till 1226. While in Baghdad, there lived a well-known Sufi Shaikh Shihabuddin Suharwardi, of whose unselfish piety, Sadi made mention in his first major work Bostan. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sadiq Bey

Birth:1832

Death:1902

The military engineer. Sadiq took a set of the first photographs of Makkah and Madinah in 1881. The pictures won a gold medal at the Venice exhibition of 1881. The photographs were sold in auction for £1.3 million, in London, in 1998. Sadiq Bey was born in Egypt.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saeb Salam

Birth:1905

Death:2000

Politician. Saeb was involved in Lebanon's independence struggle with France and his six premierships dominated much of his country's history. Throughout the civil war in Lebanon, Salam was an advocate of Muslim-Christian coexistence. Saeb became a prominent member of the Arab nationalist faction after the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saeed Jaffrey

Birth:1929

Death:2015

Engaging actor with a raffish charm Saeed made a mark in international cinema, theatre, television and radio. The turning point in Jaffrey's life came in The Man Who Would Be King (1975). He acted along with several well-known Hollywood's film stars. In his 180 film and television ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saeeda Bano

Birth:1914

Death:2001

The first woman newsreader on the All India Radio. Saeeda joined the service in 1945 as an announcer at the Lucknow station. Her book Dager say hut kar, which won Delhi Urdu Academy Award in 1994, described the innovations she made in the style of broadcasting. Saeeda ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shah Safi

Birth:1611

Death:1642

Shah of Iran. When Shah Abbas 1 died in 1629, none of his brothers and sons was able to take on the succession, because he had them all killed or blinded. In spite of the western historians calling him 'The Great' Shah Abbas was a very cruel ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Safia Sultan

Birth:

Death:1619

The wife of the Ottoman Sultan Murad and the mother of his son Mahmad 111 (reigned 1595-1603), who had a strong influence on Ottoman affairs during the reigns of the husband and son. Among those who enjoyed her favour was Ibrahim Pasha, grand Vizier for three ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sahir Ludhianvi

Birth:1922

Death:1980

Renowned Urdu lyricist of Bollywood fame. Arguably the most accomplished Urdu poet of the sub-continent, Sahir Ludhianvi was a legend among poets who wrote some of the most memorable songs, many of which have figured in Bollywood films. He had extraordinary ability to capture a ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saib Tabrizi

Birth:c1601

Death:1677

One of the greatest master of Persian poetry. Saib went to India in 1626 and joined the court of the Mogul king, Shah Jahan. After staying in India for several years he returned to Iran. Saib had a divan to his credit consisting of 300,000 couplets. He ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Pasha

Birth:1822

Death:1863

Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt during 1854-63. Sa'id was the son of the famous Viceroy Muhammad Ali Pasha, who was educated in Paris and was influenced by Western thoughts. He made some law reforms in 1855. He tried innovations in other areas too. Sa'id's his most notable ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Aouita

Birth:1959

Death:

A Moroccan athlete. World record holder in 2,000 and 5,000 meter race.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Bin Taimur

Birth:1910

Death:1972

Sultan of Muscat Oman (1932-1970). His son Qabus bin Said who become Sultan in 1970 deposed him.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Bin Zaid

Birth:

Death:671

One of the Companions of the Prophet , peace be upon him, who had a positive promise of paradise, Ashratul Mubbash shara.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Halim Pasha

Birth:1864

Death:1921

Islamic reformer. Said Halim Pasha was concerned about the decline of the Muslims and he joined 'Young Turks' by supporting them financially. He became the leader of the Islamist faction of the committee of Union and Progress. In 1908, he was appointed to the Turkish Senate ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Ibn Misjah

Birth:

Death:714

The first Meccan musician and perhaps the greatest of the Ummayad period. Said was the first to put Persian songs into Arabic and is believed to have systematised Arabian musical theory and practice of classical times.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Said Syed

Birth:1790

Death:1856

Sultan of Oman who ascended the throne in 1806. Said Syed the Sultan of Oman who transferred his capital from Arabia to Zanzibar, where he initiated clove production and greatly expanded the trade. Owing to economic reasons he moved from Masqat to Zanzibar in 1840 and by 1841 ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saith Ebrahim Sulaiman

Birth:1922

Death:2005

President Indian Muslim League, (since 1973), Secretary, All India Majlis-e-Mussawasat and Member of Indian Parliament during (1960-66). Saith Ebrahim Sulaiman was born at Bangalore.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sajjad Haider Yildrem

Birth:1880

Death:1943

First to write short stories in Urdu.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salamat Ali Khan

Birth:1935

Death:2001

Distinguished Pakistani singer whose voice united the Indian subcontinent and earned the highest accolades from India's music pundits. Salamat was an outstanding exponent of khayal, the imaginative and colourful style of music evolved under the influence of Sufi saints. He hailed from the professional musician ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salbi Ahmad Bin Muhammad Nishapuri

Birth:1035

Death:

An exegesist and theologian and known for his tafsir Al Kashf wa al Biyan un Tafsir ul Qur'an.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salih Al Tayyab

Birth:1929

Death:

Arabic novelist and short story writer. Salih studied at Khartoum and London and joined BBC as head of drama for the Arabic service. Salih authored Season of Migration to the North (English translation 1969) about the conflict in Africa, Wedding of Zein and other stories in 1969. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salim

Birth:

Death:909

Salimiyah School of Muslim theologians was named after Muhammad Ibn Salim. They believed that God created man after his own image and, therefore, every man had an element of divinity. He was a disciple of Sahl at Tustari.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Selim II

Birth:1522

Death:1574

Sultan of Turkey. Salim II succeeded his father Sulaiman 1, The Magnificent in 1566. Cyprus, Tunis and Algeria were annexed during his regime. His son Murad 111 succeeded him

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Selim III

Birth:1761

Death:1807

Ottoman Sultan who attempted a Westernising reform of the empire. Salim III who was enthroned in 1789 began his reign with a war with Catherine II of Russia, which ended with a peace agreement between the two. Ottoman Empire was getting in a critical state. Trade ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salim Chisti

Birth:1478

Death:1572

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

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salman Al Farsi

Birth:568

Death:644

The seeker after Truth. Salman al-Faarisi, a long-legged man with flowing hair, left his home, in Iran, in search of the Prophet (PBUH) who, he was told, would revive the religion of Abraham and came to Madinah where he met Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). The most ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salman Sawji

Birth:

Death:1377

A celebrated Persian poet. Salman who was surnamed Jalaluddin Muhammad was a native of Sawa, Iran. He authored Jamshed-wa-Khurshied, Firaq-Nama, and other works including a Diwan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Muhammad Saman

Birth:1717

Death:1775

The founder of the Sammaniya order which was an offshoot of the Khalwatiya tariqa. The order spread mainly in Sudan and Ethiopia. The most remarkable product of this order's revivalism was the Sudanese Mahdiya. Muhammad Ahmad (1840-45) who was a follower of the Samimaniya order, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sami Al Munayyes

Birth:1932

Death:2000

Journalist. Sami was a veteran Kuwaiti journalist, politician and articulate moderniser and a leading critic of the government, a parliamentarian, and a champion of women's rights. Sami fought for the restoration, with amendments, of the 1962 constitution, which the emir had suspended in 1986. Sami edited several ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Samori Ture

Birth:1830

Death:1900

The founder of a Muslim State in West Africa Samori fought several battles with the French including one in 1882 when his armies were besieged in Kenyeran. He resisted French colonial expansion from 1882 until his capture in 1898. Samori conquered the Bure' gold mining district (now on ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sanaullah Noori

Birth:1928

Death:2001

Journalist, editor, literateur and novelist. Sanaullah took an active role in the Bengali language movement in 1952 in Bangladesh. Sanaullah authored over 50 works in fiction, poetry and translation. Sanaullah Noori died of cardiac arrest at his hometown Dhaka.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Sanjar

Birth:1084

Death:1157

The son of Sultan Malik Shah Saljauqi and governor of Khurasan at the time of his father's death in 1092. He had extended his kingdom to Ghazni and Ghor and had forced Bahram Shah whose capital was at Lahore to pay tribute to him. The Saljuq ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sarajoglu Shukri

Birth:1890

Death:1953

A Turkish jurist, statesman and economist. Shukri was a friend of Kamal Attaturk whose influence on Turkish policies was considerable. He negotiated the Anglo-Turkish alliance in 1939 as the foreign minister of Turkey during 1938-42. He was prime minister from 1942 to 1946.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sardar Shaukat Hyat Khan

Birth:1915

Death:1998

Soldier and politician. Sardar Shaukat was a leader of the Pakistan movement and a close associate of Jinnah. In 1947, being one of the founders of Pakistan, he assumed his seat in the Cabinet, but later on he distanced himself from active politics. Sardar Shaukat published ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sufyan Al Thawri

Birth:715

Death:778

A jurist and traditionalists. Sauri was among the contemporary juri-consults, who was specialist on Halal-wa-Haram and authored Al Jamai-Ul-Kabir and Al Jamai-ul-Saghir.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sayfuddaulah Abul Hassan Ibn Hamdan

Birth:916

Death:967

The founder of the Hamdanid dynasty of Aleppo, Syria. Having captured Aleppo in 946 and Damascus in 947, Sayfuddaulah marched towards Egypt and took Ramla. From 950 till his death, he had military encounters with the Byzantine Empire almost every year. He was successful in most of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sayyid Makkawai

Birth:1928

Death:1997

Singer and composer. Makkawai an Egyptian singer and composer, blind from birth, whose rasping voice and traditionally styled songs endeared him to a wide audience in the Arab world. He wrote a stirring patriotic song whose title meant 'The earth speaks Arabic' referring to the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sahab Mansoreh Samadizadeh

Birth:1946

Death:1998

Novelist, photographer, film critic and political activist. Sahab, also known as Manny Shirazi, had passions of feminism and the third world. Her father's anti-imperialism profoundly influenced her. Manny Shirazi's novel Javady Alley (1984) was a story of a working-class girl's childhood in 1950s Tehran and Siege ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Seljuqi Malik Shah

Birth:1055

Death:1092

The most renowned of the Seljuqi Sultans. Seljuqi Malik Shah's reign (1072-92) and that of his father Alp Arslan (1063-72) covered the most brilliant period of Seljuq dynasty. He subdued the whole of Syria and Egypt, conquered Bukhara, Samarqand and Khrarizm. The caliph of Baghdad, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sinan Seyhi

Birth:1370

Death:1428

Ottoman poet. Seyhi Sinan was a disciple of the famous Turkish mystic Haji Bayram, founder of the Bayrami order of Sufis. His Masnavi Khusrow wa Shirin was considered his masterpiece. Other works included his Divan and Harname (Kharnamc). He was the first one to introduce ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Seyyid Muhammad Sadeq Rohani

Birth:1919

Death:1997

The Iranian Grand Ayatollah. Muhammad Rouhani returned to Qum following the invasion of Iran by Iraq in 1980. He was one of a small group of senior clerics who stood firm in their view that Islam dictates a separation between politics and religion, and that the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sa'ad Uddin Mahmud Shabestari

Birth:c1250

Death:1320

An Iranian mystic writer. Shabestari's Gulshan-Riaz written in 1311, was translated into German in 1821, and is regarded as a classic work on Sufism. Sa'ad Uddin Mahmud was born in Shabestar, near Tabriz, Iran hence called Shabestari, and spent most of his life in Tabriz.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shafiq Al Wazzan

Birth:1925

Death:1999

Lawyer and politician. Shafiq was a man of reconciliation and sagacity who patiently sought peace between Lebanon's factions and Israeli invaders. He was appointed premier in 1980 at the height of the cruel civil war in Lebanon. He also became chairman of the supreme Islamic Council ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shafkat Mohmud

Birth:1857

Death:1913

A Turkish politician and soldier. Shafkat was the commander of the Turks in 1907 at Salonica. Here he joined the young Turks and marched on Constantinople with his army when revolution broke out in 1909. The young Turks deposed Sultan Abdul Hamid. He was minister of war ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Abdul Aziz

Birth:1746

Death:1823

The most celebrated theologian of 19th century India. Shah Abdul Aziz was the eldest son of Shah Waliullah, and he devoted fifty years of a dedicated life to give spiritual guidance to Muslim India. His disciple Syed Ahmad Brelvi, nephew Shah Ismail Shaheed and son-in-law ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Abdul Qadir

Birth:1758

Death:1814

His elder brother's translation of Qur'an in Urdu was literal. He improved upon it and translated the Qur'an in colloquial Urdu in 1790.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Alam

Birth:1728

Death:1806

King of Delhi. Shah Alam who who was the son of Alamgir II was enthroned in 1759. After the defeat of Shuja-uddaula, his prime Minster, at Buxar in 1764, he was forced by the British to grant them the diwani of Bengal in 1765, on the promise of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Jahan

Birth:1593

Death:1666

Emperor of India whose reign saw the height of Moghul refinement and sophistication. Shah Jahan was famous for commissioning the Taj-Mahal (mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal) - the height of architecture, Lal Qila (Red Fort) Jama Masjid of Delhi and his famous Peacock throne. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Jalal Tabrezi

Birth:

Death:1244

The man who brought the gift of Islam to Bangladesh. Shah Jalal Tabrezi was a saint and a missionary who came to Delhi at the time of Sultan Altamsh. He moved to Badayun where his piety helped even robbers to embrace Islam. Finally, Shah Jalal ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Mir

Birth:

Death:c1344

The title of Sultan Shamsuddin, the first Muslim king of Kashmir. He was the prime minister of Raja Ranjan, and when the Raja died his son retained his position. But during the course of time Raja became jealous of his power and forbade him to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Muhammad Rafiuddin

Birth:1750

Death:1818

Son of Shah Waliullah. First translator of Qur'an in Urdu in 1785 c.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Rukh Mirza

Birth:1377

Death:1447

At Timur's death in 1405, a struggle broke out between the brothers in whom he was able to take control of Iran and Turkisan, which he retained till his death.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Shuja

Birth:1786

Death:1842

A puppet king of Afghanistan. He rose to power after his elder brother was captured by his enemies in 1800. Escaping arrest Shah Shuja wandered the mountains until returning to seize power in Kabul in 1803. His rule lasted until his defeat at the Battle of Nimla ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Sujaa

Birth:

Death:1384

King of Shiraz. He ascended the throne in 1359. Hafiz the great Persian poet had eulogised him in his poetry.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori

Birth:

Death:1206

The founder of Muslim Empire in India. Ghiyas Uddin Muhammad, the Sultan of Ghor and Ghazni and his elder brother, had appointed him the governor of Ghazni in 1174. Surnamed Muiz Uddin Muhammad Sam, he had defeated Khusro Malik, the Ghazni prince in 1186, subdued Khurasan and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaharyar

Birth:

Death:1627

The youngest son of Jahangir. On the death of Jahangir in 1627, Nurjahan wanted him to become king, but Khuram defeated him and was crowned with the title of Shahjahan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shahid Muhammad

Birth:1960

Death:

A Hockey player of international repute. Muhammad Shahid represented India in World Cup Hockey (1980), Moscow Olympics (1980), Holland (1982) and Los Angeles (1984). He was given the Best Player award in Kuala Lumpur (1980).

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Jahan Begum

Birth:1838

Death:1901

A ruler of Bhopal, India. Shahjahan Begum was the daughter of Nawab Sikandar Begum, who married to Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan, (the author of about 300 books in Urdu, Persian and Arabic). She was enthroned in 1869. She had a Diwan to her credit.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shahnaz Hussain

Birth:1940

Death:

Herbal beauty products queen of India. Princess Shahnaz is a beauty therapist par excellence, whose herbal beauty products grace the bathrooms of film starts, presidents' wives and the British royal family. She started with a meagre loan from her father, and made it into an ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abdulah Bin Baz

Birth:1912

Death:1999

Arabia's Islamic cleric. Shaikh bin Baz had been a judge, a university rector, the head of the prestigious Council of Ulema and finally grand mufti. He was a lifeline between the ruling family and its most important constituency, in Nejd, the conservative heartland of Arabia. ...

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

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

Birth:1938

Death:2004

The spiritual leader of Hamas and a figurehead of Palestinian resistance to Israel. Shaikh Yassin offered more than the PLO ever could: a struggle of moral purity, social action and the promise of divine grace - redemption of the homeland and salvation of the troubled ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Ali Al Tantawi

Birth:1908

Death:1999

Judge, broadcaster, author, editor, teacher and orator. Shaikh al-Tantawi was involved in the independence of Syria, and while in Iraq, he inspired Iraqi students for Jihad against British rule in Iraq. In early 1950s, he was in the forefront mobilising support for the struggle of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Ameen Bukhari

Birth:1910

Death:2000

The chief calligrapher and designer of Kiswah, the cover of the Ka'aba.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Ameen Yagan

Birth:1936

Death:1999

A leading activist of the Syrian Islamic movement, al-Ikhwan al-Muslimoon. Shakh Ameen self-exiled in Lebanon in 1973 but later returned to Syria on the request of President Asad. Ameen was assassinated while driving on his way home to Aleppo.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Azizur Rahman

Birth:1917

Death:1998

A popular literary and cultural figure of Bangladesh, also known as Shaukat Osman. Shaikh Rahman's life was spent in fighting against religious obscurantism, military authoritarianism and political corruption. He wrote and published many books on fiction, plays, verse, autobiography, etc., but his first novel, Janani (1944...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Hamad Bin Muhammad Al Jasir

Birth:1910

Death:2000

Saudi Arabia's noted man of letters and an authority on the history, geography, cultures, and peoples of the Arabian Peninsula. Shaikh Hamad's literary and scholarly contributions earned him few Awards including the 1996 King Faisal International Prize.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Ibrahim Ad Dabbagh

Birth:

Death:1945

A Palestinian poet. His posthumous works were published under the title of Fi Zalal al Hurriyat (in the shade of liberty). He was called shair al isaniya (poet of humanity). He was a revolutionary poet who yearned for liberty. He composed many qasida in which ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-khalifa

Birth:1933

Death:1999

Emir of Bahrain. Shaikh Isa succeeded his father as ruler in 1961, and declared himself Emir when Bahrain became independent in 1971. During Majlis, the open court he held fortnightly, anyone could attend and speak to him. Shaikh Isa was ahead of time and helped develop Bahrain's ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Jalal

Birth:1308

Death:1348

Surnamed Makhdum Jahanian Jahangsht a celebrated saint of Multan. Shaikh Jalal was the disciple of Shaikh Rukundin son of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria. Shaikh Jalal was said to have travelled all over the world and hence his title Jahangasht. He was buried at Uchcha in Multan. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Kadhim Al Raysan

Birth:1928

Death:2000

Tribal leader of the mad'an, the marsh-dwelling Arabs of Southern Iraq. In 1991 Raysan was in the vanguard of the Intifada the rebellion, which took place in southern Iraq. In 1994, after a stroke, Raysan went to Holland, where he lived out his lonely days and died ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Kamal Ibrahim Adham

Birth:1929

Death:1999

Advisor to King Faisal and King Khalid of Saudi Arabia. Shaikh Adham spent his life seeking to establish better understanding not only between Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, particularly Egypt, but between Arabs and the West. From 1979 he devoted his time to his varied ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-thani

Birth:1932

Death:

He succeeded his cousin to the throne of Qattar in 1972.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Mahmud Muhammad Shakir

Birth:1909

Death:1997

The celebrated Egyptian and encyclopaedic authority. Shaikh Shakir was the man who achieved enviable fame and recognition as the foremost litterateur of the Arab world, who showed his grit and determination early in life as an undergraduate, when he challenged Taha Hussain (d 1973), the doyen ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Mubarak Nagori

Birth:1505

Death:1593

Father of Faizi and Abul-Fazal, the celebrated Wazir of Akbar. He was the author of a commentary on the Qur'an.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Muhammad Bin Salih Ibn 'Uthaymin

Birth:1928

Death:2000

One of Saudi Arabia's honoured personalities, khatib and professor of Shari'ah. He was born in 'Unayzah and died in Jeddah.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Muhammad Hadi Hashemi Kurdistani

Birth:1931

Death:1998

The leader of Quadri tariqah of tasawwuf (order of Sufism) in Iranian Kurdistan. Shaikh Kurdistani was one of the prominent scholars of Iran. He believed religion as a way of life and, therefore, politics and government could not be detached from Islam. He built more ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Muhammad Ikram

Birth:1908

Death:1971

Pakistan's bureaucrat and educationalist. Having started his career in the civil service of British India in 1933 in Bombay Sheikh Muhammad Ikram was also an educationalist and writer. He also served as a high level bureaucrat in Pakistan after India's partition in 1947. Sheikh Ikram's magnum opus ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Muhammad Lazhar Noaman

Birth:1954

Death:2000

An active member of the An-Nahdha movement in 1970s, he rapidly rose to prominence in Nafzaoua and Kebili region of southern Tunisia. In his struggle he endured his ordeals until he was diagnosed of cancer. He was born in Kebili.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Muhammad Salahuddine Kabbarah

Birth:1921

Death:1999

Lebanon's famous 'Shaikh al-Qurra', doyen of the reciters of the Qur'an.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Mujibur Rahman

Birth:1920

Death:1975

A passionate political leader of Bangladesh formerly known as East Pakistan. A guerrilla war against Pakistan, which was geographically divided in two wings, West and East, and India in between, led to the creation of an independent country named Bangladesh in 19971. Shaikh Mujibur Rahman became ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Rukunuddin

Birth:

Death:1334

The Sufi saint of Multan, then India, and grandson of Bahauddin Zakariya Multani, was highly respected by Delhi Sultans.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Sa'id Sha'ban

Birth:1928

Death:1998

A cleric. Shaikh Sha'ban studied at Al-Azhar University. He later taught in Algeria and Iraq, and helped Moroccans convert their educational system from French to Arabic. A striking figure, Shaikh Sha'ban galvanised Lebanon's Muslims, forged alliances with Palestinians and others into Islamic Unity Movement, Harakat ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Sayyid Sabiq

Birth:1915

Death:2000

Egypt's Islamic scholar. Shaikh Sabiq authored several books but widely recognised for his Fiqh as-Sunnah a complete manual of Fiqh that earned him in 1994 the coveted King Faisal Prize for Islamic Studies.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh 'Uthman Abdul Aziz

Birth:1922

Death:1999

Iraqi scholar and leader of the Kurdish Islamic movement. Shaikh 'Uthman was actively involved in the spread of Islamic education by establishing schools in Iraq and Iran. Shaikh Uthman authored a 17-volume tasfir (Kurdish translation and explanation of the meaning of The Qur'an). Shaikh 'Uthman ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaista Akhtar Banu Ikramullah

Birth:1915

Death:2000

Politician, diplomat and writer. Shaista Ikramullah was a bold activist in the Pakistan movement, an eminent parliamentarian, an accomplished diplomat, a prolific writer and a freelance journalist. Shaista Ikramullah fought for economic and political empowerment of Muslim women during British Raj. She helped preserve the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shajrir Sultan

Birth:1909

Death:1966

Indonesian prime minister. Shajrir Sultan studied at the University of Leiden, Netherlands, and returned to his country in 1931 and founded a rival party to the Nationalist party founded by Sukarno. In 1934 Shajrir was exiled along with Muhammad Hatta by the Dutch authorities. During the second ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shakoor Rana

Birth:1936

Death:2001

Cricketer and umpire known for clashing with touring teams where Pakistan's honour was at stake. Tall and robust, but jovial and authoritative, Shakoor was born in Amritsar and died of a heart attack in Lahore.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaltat Mahmud

Birth:1893

Death:1963

Shaikh of Al Azhar (1958-1963). He was one of the few intellectuals selected as members of the newly founded Majma al lughah al Arabia in 1946. The formation of al majlis al a'la lil-shu'un al Islamiyah, which brought together for the first time, representative of eight ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shami Ahmad

Birth:1963

Death:

Businessman. Shami joined his family business at the age of 14. He is the founder of Joe Bloggs jeans and estimated to be worth more than £50m due to the success of his Manchester-based clothing empire. Shami Ahmad was born in Pakistan, and migrated to Britain ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shams Tabrez

Birth:

Death:1356

The first Ismaili missionary who came to India. Many miracles were attributed to him. His great grandson Sadruddin converted many Hindus in Sindh and Gujrat who later on became known as Khojas. He came from Sabzawar (Iran), and was buried in Multan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shams Tabrezi

Birth:1164

Death:1248

Maulana 'Rum' was his disciple.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shamsad Din

Birth:

Death:1630

Spiritual teacher. Shamsad was the disciple of Hamzah Fansuri who was responsible for spreading the Mujudiyah order in Atjeh, northwestern Island of Sumatra. Shamsaddin was the spiritual teacher of king Iskandar Mud (1636) under whose rule Ajteh became a flourishing Muslim state. When Marco Polo visited ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shamsuddin Abul Sana Ahmad Bin Abul Barkat Muhammad

Birth:

Death:1601

The Turkish founder of Shamsiya order of Dervishes. Shamsuddin authored Manzil al arafin and Gulshanabad, a copy is preserved in the British Museum and in the Vienna library respectively.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shavani Ash Abdul Wahab Ibn Ahmad

Birth:1492

Death:1565

The founder of Sufi order which advocated the synthesis between different orders and a unified approach to the law, using the best elements of each school. He believed that most of the Sufi orders were corrupt and their practices were contrary to the shariah. Shavani ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shazli Banhadid

Birth:1925

Death:

President of Algeria in 1978 after the death of Houari Boumedienne. He was elected again in 1979, in 1984 and 1988.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shehu Ahmadu

Birth:1775

Death:1844

Leader Shehu Ahmadu led a holy war between 1810 and 1815 on the upper Niger against Pagan Bambara and created the Islamic state of Masina, reaching down the river to Timbuktu. His achievement was a part of the Fulani religious wars which first broke out in Bondu ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sher Ali Khan

Birth:1825

Death:1879

Amir of Afghanistan. Sher Ali was the son of Dost Muhammad and he was enthroned in 1863. His refusal to receive a British mission (1878) led to war and he had to leave his country for Turkistan where he died.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sher Shah Suri

Birth:1488

Death:1545

King Sher Shah Suri was in the service of Muhammad Lohani the ruler of Bihar (India) and on killing a tiger received the title of Sher Khan. Sher Shah Suri's original name was Farid, and he belonged to an Afghan tribe and was a native ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shirali Muslimov

Birth:1805

Death:1973

"The oldest inhabitant of the planet", was born in the Lerik district of Azerbaijan and was listed by the Guinness Book of Records.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shirin Tahir Kheli

Birth:1944

Death:

Dipomat. Shirin after teaching at Temple University became Director of Near-East and South Asian affairs (1986-89) and became the first Asian and Muslim ambassador and US representative for special political affairs to the United Nations (1990-93). Shirin Tahir Kheli a Pakistani-American diplomat was born in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shoghi Effendi Rabbani

Birth:1897

Death:1957

A leader of the Bahais. Rabbani was designated as successor to his grandfather, Abdul Baha, when he died in 1921. He married, in 1937, Mary Sutherland Maxwell, the daughter of May Maxwell, founder of the Bahai communities in France and Canada. Rabbani spent his early years in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shouaa Ghaddi

Birth:1973

Death:

A Syrian heptahlon champion. She became the best all round woman athlete in the 1996 Olympic, the first ever gold medal woman-winner from Syria.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shrafuddin Ali Yazdi

Birth:

Death:1454

An Iranian historian. Shrafuddin formerly a teacher in his native Yazd became adviser to the governor of Iraq in 1442. Shrafuddin Ali Yazdi was best known for his work zafernamah, a history of the world conqueror Timur (Tamer Lane)

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sibawah Abu Bashr 'Amir Ibn Usman

Birth:c760

Death:793

Born in Iran, he was famous for his Arabic grammar book, Al Kitab fi an Nahw.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Siddik Muhammad Yahya

Birth:1939

Death:1998

An Indian educationalist. Siddik was president of All India Muslim Educational Society and was associated with several educational institutions and institutes that he helped to establish in his own state Karnatka.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sikandar Shah Lodi

Birth:1489

Death:1517

The son of Sultan Bahlol Lodi, whom he succeeded in 1489. It was in his reign in India that the Hindus were encouraged to learn Persian. He reigned for about twenty-one years and was succeeded by his son Ibrahim Lodi.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sikandar Shah Suri

Birth:

Death:1559

A nephew of Sher Shah Suri. Sikandar enthroned after defeating Ibrahim Shah Suri in 1555. However he had to flee to Swalik Mountains, the same year, because Humayun had returned from Iran and was advancing to recover his dominions.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sikandar Sultan

Birth:

Death:1416

King of Kashmir. Sikandar Sultan who introduced Islam in Kashmir was surnamed But Shikan. He succeeded his father in 1393, and proved one of the most powerful Kings of Kashmir. He reigned for about twenty-two years.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sinan Ibn Thabit Ibn Qurrah

Birth:

Death:943

A Chief of the Baghdad Hospital. In 931 Sinan was ordered by the Caliph al Muqtadir to examine all physicians and grant certificates only to those who satisfied him. Only 860 passed the test in Baghdad. The hospital in Baghdad was the first in the Muslim world ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sinan Kwhaja Mimar

Birth:1489

Death:1578

The greatest Muslim architect. Sinan Pasha's many buildings, mosques and monuments were some of the most famous landmarks of the Turkish Empire - Suleymaniye mosque in Istanbul and the Selimye mosque in Edirne. Sinan Pasha distinguished himself in the military service as janissary. Following the 1521...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Soaad Husni

Birth:1943

Death:2001

Actress. One of the foremost Egyptian actresses of romance from the Sixties to early Eighties became a star before her 17th birthday was the epitome of beauty, charm and seductive softness. She acted in many roles and was also blessed with a beautiful voice. Several ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Soce Usman

Birth:1911

Death:1974

A Senegalese writer and politician. Soce Usman was one of the first African students to study at a French University. He wrote his novel Karim in 1935 and Mirages de Paris in 1937 and authored Contes et Legends D'afrique Noire and Africa at the Time of Independence ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sofyan Al Sauri

Birth:715

Death:778

Born at Kufa. Founded a school of Jurisprudence, which survived for two centuries.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Soheir El Qalamawy

Birth:1911

Death:1997

Scholar, writer and politician of Egypt. Dr El-Qalamawi was member of the parliament (1958-64), (1979-84); Professor of Arabic Literature, Cairo University (1956-67); Head of the National Film Organisation (1967); Head of the General Book Organisation; President of the Board of Censorship (1982-85). Dr El-Qalamawi helped shape ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Adel Darwish

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha

Birth:1505

Death:1579

Ottoman Grand Vizier under Suleyman the magnificent and Salim II from 1565 to 1574. He was governor of Rumalia in 1546 and commander of Salim's forces during the conflict (1559-61) between Salim and Bayezid, sons of Suleyman for succession to the throne. After Salim's death he was out ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Soraya Esfandiari Bakhtiari

Birth:1932

Death:2001

An ex-queen of Iran. Soraya was born in Isphahan of Iranian-German parents, and she was married to the Shah of Iran in 1951, but the marriage dissolved in 1958.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Suleiman II

Birth:1642

Death:1691

Ottoman Sultan Suleiman II was Ottoman Sultan from 1687 to 1691. His brother Mahmud IV was deposed in an army mutiny and he was enthroned. Fortunately, he had a Vizier, in 1689, from the famous Korpulu family, which earlier had given Turkey two outstanding grand Viziers. Fasil Musfafa ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Suleyman Celebi

Birth:1377

Death:1411

A Turkish poet. Suleyman Celebi's only surviving work is Mevlud-I-Nabi (English translation 1943). It was the story of the birth, life and death of the Prophet Muhammd (PBUH) and is recited at the celebration of the Prophet's (PBUH) birthday or even at funeral in the present ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Suleyman Demirel

Birth:1925

Death:2015

An astute politician in Turkey's rough game of politics. In a career that spanned nearly half a century, Suleyman Demirel, became Turkey's president after his many reprises as prime minister, and was the nation's most remarkable political survivor. He became the youngest prime minister in 1965 ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Suliman Olayan

Birth:1920

Death:2002

A Saudi who rose from his humble origins of being orphan to owning one of the world's largest private financial empires. Suliman Olayan was driven by an intellectual challenge to prove that he can be as savvy and professional as any investment guru. He was ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Abdul Majid I

Birth:1832

Death:1861

Sultan of Turkey. He succeeded to the throne in 1839 after the defeat of his father Mahmud II by Muhammad Ali the viceroy of Egypt.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Abdul Majid II

Birth:1868

Death:1944

The last `elected' Caliph of Turkey. When Mehmud VI took the throne in 1918, he was declared the crown prince. After the young Turks abolished the Sultanate in 1922, the opponents of Mustafa Kamal rallied around him and the Grand National Assembly elected him Caliph on 18 November 1922. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Ali Mashadi

Birth:1453

Death:1519

A calligrapher and poet from Mashhad. In calligraphy Sultan Ali was a pupil of Maulana Azhar, (who was a pupil of Jafar and Jafar was a pupil of Mir Ali, the inventor of the Nastaliq). Mashadi was the most famous calligraphist of Nastaliq style. He ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Azlam Shah

Birth:1928

Death:

Sultan of Malaysia.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Bahu

Birth:1629

Death:1690

A Punjabi Sufi poet, famous for his Abyiat Baho.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Hasain Mirza

Birth:1438

Death:1506

A descendant of Amir Taimur. Sultan enthroned Harat in 1469. The Court of this prince boasted of many eminent men, amongst them were Behzad the painter, Jami the poet, the celebrated historian Khandamir and Amir Ali Sher, his wazier. He reigned for about thirty-eight years.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Iltutmish Shamsuddin

Birth:

Death:1236

King of India. Qutbuddin Aibak, who afterwards made Shamsuddin his son-in-law, bought him as a slave. After the death of Aibak Shamsuddin declared himself as a King in 1210. Shamsuddin deposed Aram Shah, the son of Qutbuddin Aibak, defeated his rivals Nasiruddin Qabacha and Tajuddin Ilduz ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Muhammad V

Birth:1844

Death:1918

Penultimate Ottoman Sultan. Sultan Muhammad V whose name was Muhammad Resad reigned from 1909 to 1918. He was elected as Sultan when his brother Abdul Hamid II was forced to abdicate. It was in Sultan Muhammad reign that Turkey lost all their European possessions and in a ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Muhammad VI

Birth:1861

Death:1926

Last Ottoman Sultan. Sultan Muhammad VI whose real name was Muhammad Wahiuddin was the younger brother of Sultan Adbul Hamid who was deposed by the Young Turks in 1909. When he took the throne in 1918 after the death of Mohammd V, he undertook to crush the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Suratgar Mirza Muhammad Khan Qazwini

Birth:1874

Death:1948

He was known as the second Albiruni for his brilliant contributions to Persian learning.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Suyti As Abu Al Fazl Abdur Rahman Ibn Ali Bakr Jallauddin

Birth:1445

Death:1505

An Egyptian author and theologian. Suyti was a teacher in Baybars mosque in Cairo in 1486. In 1501, he tried to reduce the stipends of some scholars at the mosque. A revolt broke out and after his trial he was put under house arrest. Suyti was the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Ali Amir Bilgrami

Birth:1851

Death:1911

He was the famous author of two books Tamadun-e-Arab and Tamadun-e-Hind.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Ali Imam

Birth:1869

Death:1932

Judge and politician. Syed Ali Imam returned to Patna in 1890 after getting his Bar-at-Law from England and became a Judge of Patna High Court (1917). He also served as chief minister of Hyderabad (1919), a princely state of British India and was a law member in the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Habibul-haq Nadvi

Birth:

Death:1998

A distinguished scholar, author, teacher and da'iyyah. Syed Habibul-Haq Nadvi migrated to Pakistan in 1956 from India. In 1964 he won the Fullbright-Hays scholarship for higher studies at Harvard where he also took a Master's degree with distinction at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Literature. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Hasan Imam

Birth:1871

Death:1931

An Indian nationalist leader. Syed Hasan Imam took a leading part in Khilafat movement. He was included as a member of the Congress delegation (to represent the Muslim point of view) that was sent to England. Syed Hasan Imam was President of Board of Trustees ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Hassan Jamalullai

Birth:1920

Death:2000

Malay ruler known as Raja of Perlis. He was enthroned in 1945. Like all the Malay rulers he too was involved in his country's constitutional crisis of 1982 and 1993.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Hussain Bilgrami

Birth:1842

Death:1926

Eminent Indian Muslim. Syed Bilgrami served Hyderabad the princely state of British India in various positions including Director of Public Instruction and was closely involved in the setting up of Osmania University. He was known as Imadul Mulk and he also taught the seventh Nizam ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Syed Abid Hussain Bilgrami

Syed Khalifa

Birth:1928

Death:2001

Sudanese singer who sang in classical Arabic and standard Sudanese dialect thus reached both the elite and the common people. Syed Khalifa was famous for his song, Izzayakum Keifinnakum. He made his name at the time of his country's independence in 1956, singing patriotic songs. Syed ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Muhammad Taqi

Birth:1917

Death:1999

Journalist and writer. He authored several books on literature and philosophy and translated 'Das Kapital' and Darwin's 'Origin of Species' into Urdu. Taqi, the first editor of Jang, was born in Amroha in India and died of cancer in Karachi, Pakistan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Sulaiman Nadvi

Birth:1884

Death:1953

Syed Sulaiman Nadvi was the editor of Al Nadwa from 1906, and was a member of the Muslim delegation to UK and other European countries in 1920. He migrated to Pakistan in 1950. Syed Sulaiman Nadvi authored Sirat-un-Nabi, Arz-ul-Qur'an, Arab wa Hind Ke Ta'Aluqat, Naqoosh Sulaimani, Hiat-e-Shible, Rahmat-e-Alam, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sylayman Bin Abdul Malik

Birth:680

Death:717

The son of Abdul Malik, the Ummayad Caliph and Wallada (the celebrated poetess). Before his death Abdul Malik had designated his sons Al Walid and Suleyman as heir apparent. But towards the end of his regime Al Walid wished to appoint his son Abdul Aziz ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Zia Uddin Tabatabai

Birth:c1888

Death:1969

Iranian prime minister. During the World War I Syed Zia Uddin Tabatabai was the editor of Ra'd (thunder) He created a coalition of anti-Communists politicians and led a coup in 1921 and became prime minister. His quarrel with the coup's military leader Raza Khan (who became ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sad Uddin Masud Bin Umar Taftazani

Birth:1322

Death:1389

He excelled in Fiqah, logic, metaphysic and theology. Taftazani's first book was Sharh al Tasrif about Arabic grammar. He also authored Al Matlawal, Mukhtasar-ul-Ma'ni, Al-Talwih, Al-Miftah and many others. Sad Uddin Masud Bin Umar was born in Taftazan, Khurasan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syedna Tahir Saifuddin

Birth:1888

Death:1965

The Dai-e-Mutlaq. Syedna Tahir Saifuddin was well versed in Arabic and Persian and an authority on Islamic studies. He became the 51st Dai-e-Mutlaq and assumed the responsibilities of the office at the young age of 27. Syedna also served as a Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Taqdir Alisjahbana

Birth:1908

Death:1994

Writer. Taqdir was a writer and founding editor of Pudjangga Baru a most influential literary magazine in 1933. He was the author of many books on history, literature, language and culture. From 1988 onwards Taqdir travelled to many countries including Germany and United States. As he was ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaykh Khalifa Ibn Hamad Al Thani

Birth:1921

Death:

Amir of Qattar. Before ruler of Qattar in 1972, he held various posts including Minister of Finance and Petroleum Affairs in the 1950s and 1960s. He became Amir by deposing his cousin Shaykh Ahmad whose spending habits had aroused popular opposition. He tried to diversify the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sheikh Sharafuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri

Birth:1263

Death:1379

A celebrated saint of India. One of India's most prominent Sufi saints, Sheikh Sharafuddin Ahmad Yahya Maneri, is called Makhdoom-e-Jahan for his spiritual status. An overpowering urge to shun material comforts drove Sheikh Yahya into the forest of Behea (about 15 miles west of Maner). After ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin / Prof. Suhail

Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani

Birth:1930

Death:

A Saudi diplomat. Sheikh Yamani was in charge of Saudi Arabia's oil affairs for 24 years, and became perhaps the best-known Arab personality in the world. Sheikh Yamani was educated in Egypt and the US, and while he was a practising lawyer Faisal made him legal ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shamsuddin Zahbi

Birth:1274

Death:1348

Sufi Shamsuddin Zahbi was an exegesist, traditionalist and historian. His most famous books were Tazkirat-ul-Hufaz, Mizan wa al Aitadal fi Naqdil-Rijal and Tarikh-ul-Islam (20 volumes). Shasuddin Zahbi was born at Damascus

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sati Al-Nisa

Birth:1616

Death:1646

A lady physician in the court of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. She was the native of Amul, a city in the province of Mazandaran of Iran. She was the sister of Talib Amuli, the poet laureate of the court and sister-in-law of Hakim Rukna. She ...

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Compiled by:M A Sherif

Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr

Birth:1936

Death:1980

Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr was born in 1936 in Kadimiya -Iraq. He enrolled in Najaf Academy in 1948 and joined Da'wa in 1958. Wrote Our Philosophy in 1959, and Our Economics in 1961. He announced his marja'iyyah in 1971. He was arrested in the aftermath of 1977 Safr Uprising as its inspirational ...

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Compiled by:Haidar Hadi

Saleem Al-Hassani

Birth:

Death:

Iraqi-born Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. He served as an expert witness in the Piper Alpha oil rig disaster of 1988. He is a world expert on the responses of materials, structures and systems to impact and ...

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Compiled by:M A Sherif

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Birth:1817

Death:1898

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, an educational, political and religious reformer was the major formulator of the concept of the "Two-Nation Theory" among Muslims of India in the latter half of the 19th century. As founder of the Muhammdan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh and leader of ...

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Compiled by:M N Khan/Ghulam Mohiuddin/Funeela

Syed Naquib Al-Attas

Birth:1931

Death:-

A Contemporary Malaysian Philosopher/Theologian Al-Attas is the only scholar in Malaysia who has occupied distinguished Chairs of different academic disciplines. In his person he resembles the universal character of scholars of the past in the mastery of many branches of learning: religion, metaphysics, theology, ...

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Compiled by:Azmi Mohammed Nor

Salah Mustafa Shehadeh

Birth:1952

Death:2002

A radical guerrilla leader who widened popular support for Hamas. Salah was one of the original founders of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in the early 1980s. He also set up, with others, the military wing of Hamas, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. Salah was born ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saleh Selim

Birth:1930

Death:2002

National football hero. Saleh started, in 1948, with Egypt's famous Al-Ahly Football Club and went on to lead Egyptian national team to numerous domestic and African trophies. He also played internationally with Sturm Graz of Austria in the 1960s. He was elected five times President of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Tarek El-Nady

Shukri Harir Ismael

Birth:1962

Death:

A radio agony aunt and soap opera producer. She works from her studio making a series of programmes with phone-ins, interviews, studio discussions and soap operas. She has produced radical women's programme about domestic violence, reproductive health and female genital mutilation. Shukri is also a ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sindbad the Sailor

Birth:9th century

Death:

The adventures of Sindbad was first mentioned in the great Arabian fable 'Alif Laila' popularly known as The Thousand and one Nights as a very rich sailor who lived an opulent life in Baghdad at the time of Caliph Haroun al Rashid. Sindbad had gathered ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddinn / Syed Basheeruddin

Sadequain Naqqash

Birth:1930

Death:1983

Artist who bridged the gap between tradition and modernity. Sadequain's work won recognition at the 1961 Paris Biennial when he was only 31 years of age. The contents of his work addressed social evils and later on, he unified spirit of calligraphy to appeal the masses. His ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Syed Sharfuddin

Shehu Musa Yar'Adua

Birth:1943

Death:1997

Businessman, Soldier, Politician …It is the sacrifice that some of us must make for our country to be free - Shehu Musa Yar'adua, Kirikiri Prison, March 1995 Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, born in Katsina, was turbaned, in 1987, as Tafidan Katsina, a traditional title he inherited from his ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Jubril Alao

Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal

Birth:1861

Death:1930

The last Begum of a major princely state in British India. Sultan Jahan, the last Begum of Bhopal stamped her rule with her own powerful image that combined Muslim piety with ardent reform and thus became an international figure. She became the first president of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Syed Basheeruddin

Shaikh Muhammad Rashid

Birth:1915

Death:2002

Politician Rashid symbolised the socialist conscience in Pakistan's political landscape. He grew disillusioned with the landlord-dominated politics, after the establishment of a new country, Pakistan, in 1947 and whose political ethos clashed with his radical and pro-peasant views. Rashid's finest hour came when he joined the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shawkat Al Kelani

Birth:1929

Death:2002

Doctor Shawkat belief in Palestinian's need for education inspired him to co-found and later become president of An Najah University in his hometown of Nablus. Shawkat, after completing his degree in Europe, returned to northern Palestine in 1964 and joined UN relief and works agency (UNWRA) ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Starlin Abdi Arush

Birth:1957

Death:2002

Peace activist and aid worker. Starlin was always active in negotiating with warlords, setting up hospitals or chairing her Somalian homeland's Olympic committee. In 1991 when Somalia erupted into war she along with her sister, Halima, organised food deliveries. This led to her involvement with the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salman Rushdie

Birth:1947

Death:

Indian born British writer. Salman has become even better known as an international issue than as a novelist, due to the storm of protest, which erupted in the Muslim world over his novel The Satanic Verses (1988). The Satanic Verses is devoted to examining issues of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salman Raduyev

Birth:1967

Death:2002

Chechen guerrilla leader. Salman was a Chechen freedom fighter noted chiefly for a spectacular operation in 1996 that propelled him on to television screen and the front pages of newspapers across the world when he led a band of 300 of his 'Lone Wolf' guerrilla fighters in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Sheikh Ahmad Al Hadi

Birth:1867

Death:1934

A Malayan Islamic writer. Hadi made important contributions to Malay nationalism. He started a journal, Al Imam (1906-08) modelled on Al Manar of Muhammad Abduh the Egyptian reformer. He ran several madarsahs in Singapore, Malaca and Penang and also founded a Press in Penang to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Hatim

Birth:1699

Death:1791

Poetical name of Shaikh Zahuruddin of Delhi. A contemporary of Wali. In 1720 the Diwan of Wali was introduced to Delhi which induced Hatim, Naji, Mazmun and Abru to write in Urdu. Up to this time they all wrote in Persian. His Diwan appeared in 1750.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Mirza Ali Al Gharawi Al Tabrizi

Birth:1930

Death:1998

A religious scholar and jurist. Grand Ayatollah al-Gharawi was a prominent marja (source of emulation) for Imami-Twelver Shia. He took a traditional route to religious education to become an alim. Amongst many of his prominent teachers he undoubtedly owed the most and the one he ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khann

Saadia Bint Haris

Birth:

Death:

Her name was Hazaf but was known by the name of Shima al Sadia. Her mother Sadia breast-fed the Prophet (PBUH) and hence she was the foster sister of the Prophet (PBUH).

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh

Birth:

Death:627

The chief of the tribe of Aws and one of the early converts to Islam.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sahabuddin

Birth:17th century

Death:

An Indian painter of the Rajasthani School of painting who dominated in the first half of the 17th century. Though a Muslim Sahabuddin painted illustrating Hindu religious themes. His Ragmala series painted in 1628, Bhagavata Purna painted in 1648 are in Indian Museums and Ramayan painted in 1652 ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sahifa Bano

Birth:1605

Death:1658

A painter. Sahifa Bano's portrait of Shah Tahmasp, the king of Iran, who gave protection and help to Humayoun, is preserved in Victoria and Albert Museum, London. This is the only Mughal miniature signed by a woman.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saifi Nishapuri

Birth:

Death:

The author of Uruz Saifi, about the art of writing poetry written in 1491 and translated into English by A Blockmann in 1872.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salah Ad Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub

Birth:1137

Death:1193

A Kurdish ruler of Egypt and Syria and a hero of the Crusade wars against the Christian and conqueror of Jerusalem. Salahuddin known to the West as Saladin, served with Nuruddin who had undertaken a holy war to unify Syria. After the death of Nuruddin ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salim Ali

Birth:1896

Death:1987

Known as the 'bird man of India'. Dr Salim Ali was an ornithologist of International repute. His magnum opus was 'Hand Book' of the birds of India and Pakistan, (10 volumes).

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Salim Kemal

Birth:1948

Death:1999

Philosopher. Prof Salim was the most widely curious aesthetician of his time whose interest ranged from the philosophy of the Arab and Persian scholars of the 9th to 11th centuries to contemporary theory. Prof Salim taught in American University in Beirut, Pennsylvania State University, USA ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saman

Birth:9th century

Death:

A great grandfather of Ismail Saman, the first King of the Samanides. His grandson Nasar Ahmad was governor of Bukhara in 874. The Samani Kings reigned over Transoxiana, Khawarizm Jurjan, Sistan and Ghazni for about 125 years.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Saman Khoda

Birth:9th century

Death:

The founder of the Samanid dynasty in Iran. The most important contribution of the Samanid dynasty to Islamic art was the pottery produced at Nishapur and Samarqand. The Mamluks (Turkish Qarakhanids) assassinated the last Samanid, Ismail II, in 1005.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Samani

Birth:6th century

Death:

An Arab author of 6th century who wrote Fil Ansab, a dictionary of the name of Arab authors.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sani Abacha

Birth:1943

Death:1998

A soldier and politician. Sani Abacha, after his initial education, joined his country's military and later attended Defence Cadet College in the UK. In 1993 Sani Abacha announced the coup d'etat and eventually he took over the power. Gen Abacha was firm in his administration and, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi

Birth:1786

Death:1831

A passionate Muslim reformer of India. Sayyid Ahmad realised from an early age the urgency of religious reforms and the need for building up an organisation and collecting a band of dedicated followers who could bear arms too, if necessary. His idea was a strong ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Selim I

Birth:1470

Death:1520

Ottoman Sultan Selim I, son of Bayezid II, ruled from 1512 to 1520 and extended his empire to Syria, Hejaz and Egypt and eliminated all his rivals. He then turned towards Iran, where Ismail I, founder of the Saffavi dynasty, was ruling. Selim subdued the revolt in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shabana Azmi

Birth:1950

Death:

India's Bollywood star and a parliamentarian. She excels in cinema and has equal credentials in the field of social activism. For over three decades now, Shabana Azmi has worked relentlessly to effect social change. She's slept on the pavement, braved lathis and fasted to bring ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shah Abdul Rahim Bin Kabiruddin Hasan

Birth:15th century

Death:

He converted a large number of Hindus to Islam in Gujrat. He died in Pirana, 10 miles from Ahmadabad, where he had settled. The followers of his son Nur Muhammad are called Satpanthis.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shah Muhammad

Birth:16th century

Death:

A calligraphist from Mashad who migrated to India. His Haft orang, which was a manuscript of seven Mansnawis of Jami, was written in 908 A.H. and is now available at Khuda Baksh library, Patna, India. His illustrated Shah Nama can also be found at the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan

Birth:1920

Death:2016

Pakistan's public face in international affairs for three decades A former military leader, foreign minister and diplomat, Sahabzada Yaqub Khan was Pakistan's public face in international affairs for three decades. He had helped facilitate President Richard Nixon's overture to China in 1972. In the late 1980s, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Abdul Hai Qurban Ali

Birth:20th century

Death:

The greatest religious and political leader of the Tartars. Shaikh Abdul Hai was the founder of a Chinese Journal in 1930 in which he used to give information regarding the Tartars, the world of Islam and also about Japan.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Chilli

Birth:951

Death:1012

Contrary to popular belief he was not a mythical or fictitious character. Shaikh Chilli, his real name Shaikh Abul Fateh's great grandfather had come from Transoxiana to India and settled in a suburb of Badiyon, called Chilla. Mulla Abdul Qadir Badiyoni had introduced him to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Shaikh Murtadha Al Burujerdi

Birth:1931

Death:1998

A scholar and jurist. Ayatollah Murtadha was one of the most renowned scholars that Najaf, where he was born, has produced this century. It was to Burujerdi that Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Abualqasim al-Musawi al-Khoei entrusted his works to be researched, analysed and interpreted, including the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shajratud Dur

Birth:13th century

Death:

The wife of Ali Shah (1240-49), King of Egypt. After the death of her husband she was made regent (1249-50). She sat on the throne of Egypt in 1259 and offered Gilaf-i-Ka'bah to Makkah every year.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sidi Barakat

Birth:16th century

Death:

Sufi Sidi Barakat legitimated the Sadi family of Sharifs as leaders of the Jihad that expelled the Portuguese and established an Islamic state in Sudan (1511-1603). When the Sadi family was ruling in Morocco, a number of other Muslim states emerged in the Sudanic region: ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sonni Ali

Birth:1464

Death:1492

A West African monarch of Songhal, Sudan. Sonni Ali was enthroned in 1464. In 1468 the Muslims of Timbuktu, which was the chief city of Mali, asked his assistance in overthrowing the Berbers who were in control of the city. He conquered the city and the city ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sulejman Masovic

Birth:1918

Death:1998

One of the great Muslim personalities in the Balkans. Dr Masovic was a Lecturer and professor who served as an adviser to the 'Ulama Mejlis' in Skopje (1941-1943) and he also served in the ministry of education in Sarajevo and ministry of social security (1953-1963) ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Ahmed

Birth:1880

Death:1963

A lawyer and politician. Sir Sultan Ahmed vice-chancellor of Patna University (1923-30) was included as a delegate, from British India, to Round Table Conference (1930-31) in London. He joined the Viceroy's Executive Council (1941-43) and took up his residence at 6 King Edward Road (the residence ...

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

Sultan Ali Khorasani

Birth:14th century

Death:

The author of the Persian book on medicine called Dastur-ul-Ilaj, which he wrote in 1334.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Muhammad

Birth:16th century

Death:

One of the greatest Iranian painters of the Saffavid dynasty. Sultan Muhammad was the leading exponent of the Turkman School of painting and was influenced, after 1522, by the greatest of all Iranian painters, Behzad of Herat. His patron was Shah Tahmasp I, son of Ismail ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah

Birth:1926

Death:2001

The 11th constitutional monarch of Malaysia who took the ceremonial throne in 1999 under a five-year rotation system when he was elected by secret ballot among the Sultans of Malaysia's nine states. He was also the hereditary ruler of Selangor state. He was an avid golfer ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Yahya Ibn Ar Rassi

Birth:10th century

Death:

The founder of the Zaidi rule in Yemen in 898. The Rassi dynasty had ruled there from the 10th century till 1962, when Col Abdullah as Sallal overthrew it.

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Syed Ali Ashraf

Birth:1925

Death:1998

Islamic scholar of Bangladesh. Prof Ashraf made an international impact as the organising secretary of the First World Conference on Muslim Education held in Makkah in 1977. In 1980 he was appointed the first Director-general of the World Centre for Islamic Education. In the 1970s Prof Ashraf ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Hussain Bahr Al Ulum

Birth:1927

Death:2001

Jurist and poet. Syed Hussain Bahr al-Ulum was a grand ayatollah who, hailed from one of the most prominent families, the founder of the Movement for Islamic Revival, which paved the way for the 1920 revolt against the British occupation of Iraq. By 1975 Syed Hussain had ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Mutawalli Ad Darsh

Birth:1930

Death:1997

A scholar and broadcaster. Syed Mutawalli entered Al-Azhar University and later on appointed an Imam and lecturer in the university's faculty of theology. Then, he went on teaching and missionary work in Lagos, Nigeria and Imam at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Regent's Park Mosque, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saad Eddin Ibrahim

Birth:1939

Death:

Egyptian activist. One of Egypt's leading human rights and democracy activists Saad Eddin Ibrahim has been a strong critic of President Hosni Mubarak, and his slow pace of electoral reforms. On August 2, 2008 an Egyptian court convicted Saad Ibrahim in absentia and sentenced him to two ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khann

Suleiman I

Birth:1494

Death:1566

Ottoman Sultan who crafted the distinctive institutions of the empire, which reached the fullest extent of its power during his reign. Suleiman's first military moves were against Belgrade, which he captured in 1521. Rhodes was his second target. In 1526 he took Hungary and launched the famous ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Souad Massi

Birth:1972

Death:

An Algerian singer-songwriter whose melancholy but powerful songs tell stories of war, pain and exile. Massi's first album Raoui (Storyteller) has been a critical and commercial success in France, some tracks are in Arabic and others in French, and has won her admirers across Europe ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salif Keita

Birth:1949

Death:

The Golden Voice of Africa. Salif who started his singing career playing in nightclubs and at Railway stations got his breakthrough when he joined Les Ambassadeurs group and that extended his reputation, by 1977, beyond Mali. To see him perform it concert is an occasion one ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Surur Hoda

Birth:1928

Death:2003

An activist with a great charm. Surur who for 25 years was international secretary of the civil aviation section of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITWF) in London was involved in several other activities such as London-based India Development Group and was the founder of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salamat Hashim

Birth:1942

Death:2003

Scholar, visionary and mujahid. Salamat was amir of Bangsamoro Mujahideen and chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and spent all his life fighting one of the most brutal and devious colonial regime in Asia. Salamat proceeded on Hajj where he attended study circles ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shirin Ebadi

Birth:1947

Death:

First Muslim woman to win the Noble peace prize. Shirin Ebadi a lawyer in Tehran since 1984 has taken up a variety of cases, driven by tough determination and a belief that equal rights for women and children are compatible with Islam. She has worked closely ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui

Birth:1926

Death:2003

Politician who was widely known as opposition leader in Pakistan Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani was known for his integrity and unwillingness to cut political deals. He was a pious and powerful cleric who was so articulate and widely-travelled. Maulana Noorani was a fiery orator and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Suraiya

Birth:1929

Death:2004

One of the original singing stars and legend of Bollywood. Suraiya, a favourite of Naushad the music maestro, debuted as a child star with Taj Mahal (1941), and subsequently went on to play many memorable roles in films such as Anmol Ghadi, Badi Bahen and Dillagi ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaikh Shamil

Birth:1796

Death:1871

Shaikh Shamil is a legendry Caucasian Muslim, born in the town of Gimry which is in current-day Daghestan. While still a young man, he was drawn to a great contemporary Daghistani leader and Naqshabandi activist, Ghazi Muhammad, who challenged the Tsarist Russian rule and died ...

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Compiled by:M A Sherif

Sakip Sabanci

Birth:1933

Death:2004

Turkey's richest man, with a flair for business and philanthropy. Sakip Sabanci whose personal fortune estimated in billions ran the conglomerate in Turkey with interest in tourism, textile, food, cars, tobacco, chemicals and banking. He ranks among the world's largest family-owned businesses. Sabanci took on ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sami Abdul Rahman

Birth:1932

Death:2004

Kurdish leader in Iraq who campaigned to restructure intercine conflict among his people. Sami's military and political career stretched over four decades from 1963, when he joined the Kurdistan Democratic Party under its leader General Mustafa Barzani. He was an able diplomat for the Kurdish cause ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Samira Makhmalbaf

Birth:1980

Death:

Iranian film-maker. Samira's reputation is prodigious - her film, At Five In The Afternoon that opened in London, in 2004, had already won prizes at Cannes and the International Film Festival of India - a cinematic genius. At Five In The Afternoon is the story of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shohreh Aghdashloo

Birth:1953

Death:

Iranian actress recognised after a long time. Shohreh Aghdasloo was nominated, in 2004, for House of Sand and Fog, movie based on Andre Dubus's book, for an Academy Award, as best supporting actress. The remarkable book is based on for their deeply sympathetic portrait of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Mazhar Ali

Birth:1935

Death:2004

Former Pakistani Senator Mazhar Ali packed many careers and interests into a single life-time: civil engineer, entrepreneur, politician, educationalist and above all philanthropist. He died on 2nd May 2004 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident near his home in Karachi. Syed Mazhar ...

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Compiled by:M A Sherif

Sikander Hyat Khan

Birth:1892

Death:1942

An aristocrat politician. Sikander Hyat Khan struggled to achieve dominion status for post-British India in order to drive a balance of communal interest in the province of Punjab inhabited by Muslims by a small majority and minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs and others. His leading ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Dr. Ghulam Nayyar

Sahab Qizilbash

Birth:1930

Death:2004

Urdu poetess of lofty ideas, simple words. Sahab Qizilbash's reputation emerged from broadcasting and literature in the 1950s and most part of 1960s from Radio Pakistan's Karachi station with her melodious voice. Her house in Delhi was the haunt of eminent poets of the time ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Samira Bellil

Birth:1972

Death:2004

Algerian born writer who forced France to confront sexual violence to campaign for Muslim women's rights in France. Samira's powerfully and movingly book, Dans L'Enfer Des Tournantes (In The Hell Of Tournantes) published in 2002 made her immediately infamous, because it was the first time a ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shad Azimabadi

Birth:1846

Death:1927

One of the acknowledged masters of Urdu ghazal. To his credit a number of oft-quoted couplets speaks of the popularity of Shad Azimabadi's ghazals, such as: I've been entangled in desires/what toys to keep me calm! The story of life we heard from the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Birth:1949

Death:

Indonesia's first directly elected President. Yudhoyono who was inaugurated as Indonesia's sixth President, in October 2004, after the outgoing President Megawati Sukarnoputri, displays a degree of firmness that he has acquired during 29 years of military career. His cautious and consensual style has served Indonesia well. Susilo's ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Samir Rantissi

Birth:1962

Death:2005

Palestinian peace campaigner and writer. Samir, a most dedicated Palestinian peace activist, was a key figure behind the Israeli-Palestinian Geneva Accords, a joint initiative launched in December 2003, to posit solutions to the vexed issues of Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and borders. A journalist turned official spokesman ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaima Rezayee

Birth:1981

Death:2005

Television presenter who briefly became an icon for many Afghan youth. Shaima was part of a generation in transition who was caught between the Taliban's medieval politics and the media revolution that engulfed Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Her enthusiasm and youthful ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Adh Dhahir Baybrus

Birth:1223

Death:1277

The Mamluk Sultan who defeated the Mongol hordes at Ain Jalut in northern Palestine, and eliminated most of the last Crusader strongholds on the Syrian coast. Born in Qippchaqe, territory near Black Sea, Rukn Uddin Baybrus was sold as a slave by the Mongol invaders ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Shahid Hussain Muhammad

Syed Mushtaq Ali

Birth:1914

Death:2005

Grand old man of cricket, once the darling of the Indian Mushtaq, a brilliant and artistic right-hand batsman who scored India's maiden Test century abroad, in England, in 1936, was dashing and flamboyant. His popularity, especially in Calcutta after he smashed a century against Lord Tennyson's ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salem Khamis

Birth:1919

Death:2005

Statistician who formulated purchasing power parities. Salem was a mathematical statistician whose name is immortalised in the method of computing purchasing power parities (PPPs) of currencies, for conversion of national currency-denominated economic aggregates, like gross domestic product, into a common, comparable currency unit. His career ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sarah Joseph

Birth:1971

Death:

She put gloss on the Muslim lifestyle. Sarah launched, funded from her savings, a Muslim lifestyle magazine, titled emel (the Arabic word for hope) that targets non-Muslims readers in London - the first Muslim magazine to go mainstream. Its circulation now covers 30 countries. The glossy ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sania Mirza

Birth:1987

Death:

India's tennis star. She is the first female Indian tennis player to be ranked in the world's top 40; indeed, she is the first significant female athlete of any kind, in India. Sania has the discipline, the tenacity, the flamboyance and, above all, the talent to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shanul Haq Haqqee

Birth:1917

Death:2005

Noted Urdu poet and man of letters. In his two anthologies of poems, Taar-e-Pairahan (1957) and Harf-e-Dilras (1979) Haqee established his refined taste in poetry. Dil Ki Zubaan is a selection of his hundred of ghazals. He also wrote musicals for Radio Pakistan in the early 1950s. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sajjad Zaheer

Birth:1905

Death:1973

India's left-wing writer and activist There were several dimensions to Zaheer's personality but they were not in conflict with one another. Coming from an upper class family his early days promised a bright and secure life for him, far away from the miseries of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Said Muhammad Djohar

Birth:1919

Death:2006

The first democratically elected president of the Comoros. Said was elected president of the Comoros, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, in 1990 but was ousted by a band of mercenaries in September 1995. French troops ended the coup and reinstalled Said under bilateral accords with Comoros, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shah Husayn

Birth:1538

Death:1599

Punjab's Sufi poet. Growing as a religious scholar, his devotion and piety attracted a large number of followers. His infatuation with a Brahmin boy, Madhu Laal, and singing and dancing in ecstasy with the boy in Lahore's streets with poetry flowing smoothly from his lips ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sayeda Imam Begum

Birth:c1785

Death:1866

A female mystic and poetess from Gujarat Better known as Bibi Tahira, she was the last known member of the Kadiwala family of Ismaili Khoja community in India and a ginan composer. With her first public appearance in 1829, Bibi Tahira organised the gathering of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Dr Intaj Malek

Shah Vajih Uddin Alawi

Birth:1504

Death:1592

Scholar, teacher, mystic, saint, humanitarian and educationist Legend has it that 80,000 students and 1,400 Caliphs are said to have had studied under or taken advantage of the knowledge of Shah Alawi. Having authored around 200 books on fiqah, tasawwuf and other areas of religious subjects, with his ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Dr Intaj Malek

Subhani Bayunus

Birth:1931

Death:2006

Pakistan's veteran artiste His portrayal of Mirza Ghalib in a Pakistan television play in the 1960s catapulted Subhani to fame and a household name. Subhani performed in a large number of radio, theatre and TV plays and also appeared in a handful of films. He ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shakeel Badayuni

Birth:1916

Death:

An Urdu lyricist of Bollywood fame. Cinematic successes hit Shakeel's literary stature after he arrived in Bombay in 1946. He penned many hits include 'O Duniya Ke Rakwale' and other songs of 'Baiju Bawra' sung by Muhammad Rafi. Shakeel Badayuni won three Film Fare awards - ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shamsur Rahman

Birth:1929

Death:2006

Bangladeshi poet, journalist and human rights advocate. The unofficial poet laureate of Bangladesh, Shamsur Rahman was among the country's most important political poets during its independence movement. He wrote in Bengali and helped adapt the language to modern poetic forms. Some of his most famous ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Mahmud

Birth:1879

Death:1971

India's political activist. He went to London in 1908 and after obtaining his bar at law Dr Syed Mahmud returned to India and started his practice, in 1912, in Patna. He, however, got engaged in the nascent Indian movement for independence. Dr Mahmud represented All India Congress, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Safia Amajan

Birth:1943

Death:2006

Afghani teacher and public servant Respected among Afghans, Safia Amajan, though her family name was Warasta, was a leader of Pashtun women's emancipation. She was the inspector of all girls' school in Kandahar province. In 2001, Safia volunteered to work for the new Afghan government, and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Said Abdullo Nuri

Birth:1947

Death:2006

Tajikistan's activist and politician Nuri was first arrested in 1973 for his religious activities - travelled widely promoting Islam. He spurned the official Islam tolerated by the Soviet authorities and preached illegally, establishing makeshift mosques and calling for pristine Islamic studies in Tajikistan. He was again ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Ghulam Mustapha Budruddin

Birth:1918

Death:2006

Pakistan's veteran journalist An icon of economic journalism Budruddin remained associated with a number of newspapers in Pakistan. He was on the editorial board of Morning News, Karachi and was transferred to Dhaka where he became its resident editor and served in that position during ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shaukat Siddiqui

Birth:1923

Death:2006

Writer of Urdu fiction Immensely popular in present-day Urdu fiction, Shaukat Siddiqui 'wrote about people for the people and was among the few writers who reached out to the common man.' His forte, however, was the portrayal of the life of a section of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sahar Hussein Al Haideri

Birth:1962

Death:2007

Fearless Iraqi journalist An exemplar of the new generation of journalists, Sahar, a print and radio journalist, had written for the Aswat al-Iraq (Voices of Iraq) as well as contributed pieces to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). Forthright in her coverage and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Altaf Ali Barelvi

Birth:1905

Death:1986

Pakistan's literary figure and reformer In his goal to promote educational and literary traditions of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Syed Altaf Ali Barelvi contributed to the community of writers by encouraging them expressing ideas in writing. Having graduated from Aligarh University, in 1927, his extensive activities ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sami Yusuf

Birth:1980

Death:

Holy rock star One of the biggest names in Muslim music Sami Yusuf, a bearded man wearing a tailored business suit, who sells his album by the million strides as a rock star in the world of music. British singer-song-writer, Sami Yusuf whose second album ...

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Compiled by:M Nauman Khan

Sayyid Dheya Al Musawi

Birth:

Death:

Bahraini cleric and newspaper columinst A leading Bahraini cleric and rising political figure, Sheikh Sayed Dheya al-Mosawi has stood out as an advocate for religious tolerance, gender equality, poverty in Bahrain and ending extermism. His regular columns in Bahrain's leading al-Watan newspaper have made Sheikh ...

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Compiled by:M Nauman Khan

Serigne Saliou Mbacke

Birth:1916

Death:2008

Spiritual leader of Senegal A leader of the Mouride Islamic brotherhood, the biggest and most powerful centre of religious and political influence in Senegal, Serigne Saliou Mbacke had followers in millions. Among his achievements was the transformation of Touba, the holy city about 125 miles east ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shusha Guppy

Birth:1935

Death:2008

Iranian singer, writer and composer. A talented lady of her generation, Shusha Guppy - a writer, singer and composer of songs - shared her father's love of Persian classical literature and, like him, drawn to Sufism. Having gone to Paris, in 1950, at a tender age, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah

Birth:1930

Death:2008

The Sheikh who was cast aside as emir after only nine days. The emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah will largely be remembered for being moved aside as 14th emir, after only nine days, in January 2006. But he was called 'the hero of the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Abul Khair Kashfi

Birth:1932

Death:2008

Pakistan's research scholar Erudite critic, research scholar and former chairman of Karachi University's Urdu department Prof. Dr Syed Abul Khair Kashfi was known for his extensive reading and sharp wit. Having obtained degrees in linguistics from Columbia University Kashfi who had vast experience of teaching ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shah Rukh Khan

Birth:1965

Death:

King of Bollywood. The most recognisable face of Indian cinema and the most watched film star in the world Shah Rukh Khan is lauded for his celebrity performances. His performances in tragedy and romance throb hearts of his fans within the country and Indian diasporas ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Muhammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Birth:1950

Death:

Dubai's visionary who wishes Arab minds to reach for skies. With the Burj Dubai - the 160-plus-story spire of offices and luxury apartments - the latest jewel in the impressive crown, Sheikh al-Maktoum aspires to take the Arab minds to reach for skies. Working first ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Jamaluddien Cunningham

Birth:

Death:2008

Pope's envoy that embraced Islam. When an Englishman was sent by the then Pope as his envoy to South Africa he was warned about meeting Ahmad Hoosen Deedat. Deedat (1918-2005) was South Africa's Islamic propagator and debater. The Englishman after many meetings and discussions with ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi

Birth:1936

Death:2008

Indian politician. Among the very few who have been elected six consecutive terms as Member of the Indian Parliament, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, who served from the city of Hyderabad, stepped down in 2004. Also known as 'Salar-e-Millat' (commander of the community) Sultan was the president of ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Said Muhammad Siam

Birth:1957

Death:2009

A senior leader of Hamas. Having joined the Gaza Hamas collective leadership in 2004 Said Siam contested Palestine's 2006 legislative council elections polling the highest number of votes cast for any candidate. Hamas won the elections in Gaza. He was appointed interior minister. He helped mastermind the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Haider Raza

Birth:1922

Death:

Indian artist Indian artist, Syed Haider Raza, who has been living in Paris since 1950 keeps deep ties with India. Raza's works are mainly abstracts in oil or acrylic, with a very rich use of colour, replete with icons from Indian cosmology as well as its ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salim Sarang

Birth:1959

Death:2009

A life devoted to communities. Caring for people and as a result bringing smiles to the faces of orphans in far-flung corners of the world was the hallmark of Salim Sarang. He helped clean up the streets in his hometown, and helped bring water to ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shafiq Al Hout

Birth:1932

Death:2009

Founder member of Palestine Liberation Organisation Founder member of PLO and staunch defender of Palestinian right, Shafiq al-Hout was a larger-than-life figure. He championed the Palestinians' right of return to their homeland and a unified, democratic state there for Muslims, Jews and Christians. Born and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saif Gaddafi

Birth:1972

Death:

Libya's main interlocutor With no official position and no overt plans for succession, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has emerged over the past decade as Libya's main interlocutor with the West, feeding speculation that he will take over his father. He is reported to have coaxed his ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Babar Ali

Birth:1926

Death:

Pakistani businessman and philanthropist. Being an institution in Pakistan, Syed Babar Ali who started some of the country's most successful companies is known for his important contribution in creating the Lahore University of Management and Science (LUMS). LUMS, a business school founded in 1986 encourages its ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Ayaz

Birth:1923

Death:1997

Sindhi poet The renowned poet of Sindhi language Sheikh Ayaz authored nearly seventy-five books, of which more than fifty have been published so far. He composed fiery mystic and humanistic poetry and wrote unique prose for almost half a century. Saving life on earth and ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawani

Birth:1928

Death:2010

Grand Imam of al-Azhar who championed the rights of women and advocated dialogue between civilisations. One of Islam's leading spirituals authorities to champion moderation worldwide Sheikh Tantawani was Grand Imam of the al-Azhar mosque and head of the al-Azhar University, pre-eminent centre of learning, from 1996 ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shamsur Rahman Faruqui

Birth:1935

Death:

Urdu critic, poet and theorist. Regarded as the founder of the new movement in Urdu literature, Shamsur Rahman Faruqui has formulated fresh models of literary appreciation. Formerly a civil servant in the Indian Postal Department, Faruqui has been adjunct professor at the South Asia Regional ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ash'ar Najmi

Shaikha Lubna Al Qassimi

Birth:1962

Death:

One of the most powerful women in the world. Considered to be the most powerful Arab woman and the 70th most powerful woman in the world by US-based Forbes Magazine in its 2010 World's 100 Most Powerful Women, Shaikha Lubna al-Qassimi holds a cabinet position in the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Selma Al Radi

Birth:1939

Death:2010

She restored historic Madrasa A historical figure, Sultan Amir Ibn Abd al-Wahab, was the last ruler of the Tahirid dynasty, which flourished in Yemen from the mid-15th to early 16th centuries. The ornate palace complex he had commissioned at Rada, in southern Yemen, for ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Saqr Bin Muhammad Al Qassimi

Birth:1920

Death:2010

World's oldest and longest serving monarch Mounting a palace coup that saw the forced abdication of his uncle, Sheikh Saqr assumed the throne of Ras al-Khaimah in 1948. In the pre-oil era the country struggled with the collapse of the pearling industry and tough economic conditions ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salman Taseer

Birth:1944

Death:2011

Pakistani politician An active supporter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, former prime minister and his Pakistan People's Party Salman Taseer remained a fierce PPP and Bhutto family loyalist. When Bhutto was toppled in a 1977 military coup led by General Zia-ul-Haq, the young Taseer was arrested. After ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Nawazish Tanweer Bokhari

Birth:1937

Death:2011

Inspirational teacher and campaigner Inspirational head-teacher and campaigner Syed Nawazish Tanweer Bokhari was the first British Muslim to run a UK secondary school, the culmination of a career devoted to improving educational standards. He was the head of Ernest Bevin College in Tooting, South London. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Kosen

Birth:1982

Death:

Tallest living male. Holder of the Guinness World Record for tallest living male at 2.51m (8 ft 3 in) Sultan Kösen is one of only thirteen individuals in medical history to be confirmed at a height of eight feet or more. His three brothers and sister ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor

Birth:1972

Death:

One of the astronauts of planet earth. An orthopaedic surgeon, restaurant co-owner and part-time model Malaysian, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor blasted in 2007. He was launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-11 with the Expedition 16 crew on 10 October 2007. Sheikh Muszaphar flew under an agreement with ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud

Birth:1956

Death:

One of the astronauts of planet earth. A former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot Sultan bin Salman bin Abdel-Aziz Al Saud flew, from 17 to 24 June 1985, aboard the STS-51-G Discovery Space Shuttle mission as one of a seven-member international crew. Prince Sultan currently heads the ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Birth:1930

Death:2011

Crown prince The heir apparent to Saudi throne, Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud, one of the kingdom's most powerful princes, served as defence minister. Prince Sultan was the second son of the elite 'Sudairi seven' — seven full brothers by the favourite wife of King Abdul ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Aziz Pasha

Birth:1930

Death:2011

He laid the foundation of a central stage for diverse British Muslims. The founder and Secretary General of the oldest British federal body in the UK, the Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO) Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha was one of the most respected Muslim leaders in ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shamim Ahmed Khan

Birth:1938

Death:2012

Sitar player One of the most eloquent sitar players of India Shamim Ahmed Khan was scion of a family of classical musicians of Agra gharana. At the age of 29 Shamim Ahmed with his sweet, full-throated voice on the sitar, made his US solo recording debut, ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Simin Daneshvar

Birth:1921

Death:2012

Iranian's writer whose work was a beacon Modern Iranian novelist Simin Daneshvar made her way in a literary scene in her best-known work, Savushun (1969) that provided an account of life under occupation that enjoyed international success. It still resonates with her compatriots. The novel is ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Birth:1978

Death:

Activist and filmmaker In her effort to raise awareness of the plight of acid attack victims, winning an Oscar, in 2012, for her short subject documentary film, Saving Face, boosted up Pakistani-Canadian journalist and documentary filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Her film chronicles the struggles of acid-attack survivors ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salman Khan

Birth:1977

Death:

YouTube professor to millions around the world. An American educator and the founder of the Khan Academy, a free online education platform Salman Khan is a world-class tutor and pioneer for the digital age. His video-driven teaching method has produced over 3000 videos elucidating a wide ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Said Khalil Aburish

Birth:1935

Death:2012

Writer and historian A Palestinian journalist, Said Khalil Aburish wrote several books on the region, including a portrait of three generations of his sprawling family. His writing notably blunt accused Arab leaders of being 'stooges' of Western powers and indifferent to the wellbeing of their ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sayeeda Warsi

Birth:1971

Death:

British politician Created life peer, in 2007, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi was shadow minister from 2007 to 2010. Chairman of the Conservative party (2010 - 2012) Baroness Warsi, in 2012, became minister of state for faith and communities and foreign and commonwealth affairs. Lady Warsi who championed David Cameron's bid to lead ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Siraj Ul Haq Memon

Birth:1933

Death:2013

Acclaimed Sindhi language novelist A renowned novelist, writer, scholar, journalist, historian and literary researcher and linguist of Sindhi language Siraj Memon wrote several novels and books. Starting his career as a lawyer Siraj Memon after passing the Pakistan Public Service Commission examinations in the early 1960...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shamshad Begum

Birth:1919

Death:2013

Singer extraordinaire Leading singer and reigning queen of Bollywood, Shamshad Begum was known for her distinctive nasal twang in the 1940s and 1950s. She was a versatile singer. Her golden voice immortalised songs such as Saiyyan Dil Mein Aana Re (Bahar: 1951) and Leke Pahla Pehla ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Samina Baig

Birth:1990

Death:

Scaled Mount Everest The youngest women, Samina Baig, reached the 8,850-meter peak of Mount Everest on 19 May 2013. She joined a small but growing list of Muslim women to climb the world's highest mountain. In 2010, she became the first person to reach the summit of the 6,400...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sakar Khan

Birth:1938

Death:2013

Folk musician A master of kamancha or kamaicha, a bowed stringed instrument, Sakar Khan excelled in learning, performing and collecting a huge amount of music dating back generations, perhaps centuries, handed down from father to son. Learning from his father, at an early age, Sakar ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui

Birth:1897

Death:1994

A leading Pakistani scientist in Natural Product Chemistry Called the last Renaissance man, Dr Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, a leading Pakistani scientist in Natural Product Chemistry, is credited for pioneering the isolation of unique chemical components from the Neem, Rauwolfia and various other flora. He was a ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syedna Muhammad Burhanuddin

Birth:1915

Death:2014

The spiritual leader of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims. The 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq (Summoner with comprehensive authority) of the Shia Fatimi Ismaili Tayyibi Muslims, commonly known as Dawoodi Bohras, Syedna Muhammad Burhanuddin 'played a dynamic role in bringing his flock into the 21st century while maintaining their ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shah Waliullah

Birth:1703

Death:1761

A reformer in India who was one of the first Muslim thinkers to see the threat that Western modernity posed to Islam. Shah Waliullah was the most celebrated theologian, scholar, translator and expounder of the Qur'an in Muslim India. His greatest contribution to India was ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan / Ghulam Mohiuddin

Sajid Javid

Birth:1969

Death:

British politician A British Conservative Party politician, Sajid Javid has been the Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove since 2010 and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Equalities since 2014. His glittering career in international finance to the British cabinet is extra-ordinary. ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sheikh Nazim

Birth:1922

Death:2014

One of the world's foremost scholars One of the world's great scholars and a spiritual leader Mehmet Nâzım Adil, formally referred to as Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani, often called Sheikh Nazim, was a Turkish Cypriot Sufi Sheikh and leader of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Simin Behbahani

Birth:1927

Death:2014

A prominent Iranian poet and activist National poet and an icon of the Iranian intelligentsia and literati Simin Behbahani was affectionately referred to as the 'lioness of Iran'. She came from a generation that rediscovered the freedom of critical thinking in Iranian society controlled by ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shakil Auj

Birth:1960

Death:2014

Islamic scholar A distinguished scholar of Islamic studies Professor Shakil Auj having, relatively liberal views, was struck by assassins while he was on his way to a reception at the Iranian Cultural Centre in Karachi. Dean of Islamic Studies at Karachi University Professor Shakil Auj ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Sadiq Khan

Birth:1970

Death:

British politician Elected as the first Muslim mayor of London, a Western capital city, Sadiq Khan won with more than 1.3 million votes, in what was called the biggest mandate in the history of British politics. And the Labour candidate managed his landslide, in 2016, even after ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Birth:1936

Death:

Saudi Arabia's ruler King Salman carries with him the best traditions of leadership and stands uniquely qualified to lead the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia toward the future. He has worked, since an early age, alongside most of the Kings of Saudi Arabia in building his ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Saud Bin Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Birth:1940

Death:2015

Saudi diplomat The most familiar face and voice of Saudi Arabia in western capitals for four decades was Prince Saud al-Faisal as foreign minister. One of the most influential members of the Saudi government, Prince Saud al-Faisal became the world's longest serving foreign minister, navigating ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Shahid Hussain

Birth:1932

Death:2015

Economist An economist and senior vice president of the World Bank Syed Shahid Husain played a key role in economic assistance to countries in Latin America, Africa and East Asia, in his 33-year career at the international financial institutions. He joined the Pakistani civil service ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Syed Shahabuddin

Birth:1935

Death:2017

Diplomat turned politician An Indian who worked as a diplomat for the Indian Foreign Service, Syed Shahabuddin later became a politician and served three terms from 1979-1996 as a member of the Parliament of India. He was known for his involvement in the Shah Bano ...

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Compiled by:M. Nauman Khan

Shahid Raza

Birth:1950

Death:2022


Compiled by:Jamil Sherif

skye corno

Birth:1992

Death:2006


Compiled by:haha

saisai

Birth:2020

Death:2020


Compiled by:

hacked by odroma team