Khurshid Rizvi

Professor Dr Khurshid Rizvi (ڈاکٹرخورشید رضوی) is a multifaceted scholar of oriental languages who possesses equal dexterity in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and English and is well-versed in Punjabi. Dr. Rizvi also ranks highly amongst the Urdu poets, researchers & men of letters in Pakistan. In recognition of his literary services, Dr. Khurshid Rizvi was decorated with one of the highest civilian awards; Sitara-e-Imtiaz ستارہ امتیاز by the Government of Pakistan in 2008. These days he is largely associated with the prestigious Government College University, Lahore as a Professor Emeritus/ Distinguished Professor. Dr. Rizvi has also been a member of the esteemed Arabic Language Authority (مجمع اللغة العربية بالقاهرة) Cairo, Egypt ; an honour previously bestowed on Allama Aabdul Aziz Memon from Pakistan. The list of the notable awards given to Dr. Rizvi includes: • Sitara-e-Imtiaz 2008 • Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi Award 2005 • Ahmad Faraz Literary Award 2012 • Khalid Ahmad Award 2013 • U.B.L Literary Excellence Award (Urdu Poetry) 2013 • Majlis-e- Farogh-e-Urdu Adab, Doha, Qatar’s Award 2015.

Early life

Born on December 8, 1940 in Amroha, Muradabad (India) in a Sunni Sadaat family ( اہل سنت سادات رضویہ ), Dr. Rizvi, as a young child, migrated with his family to Montgomery in 1948 (now Sahiwal), Punjab (Pakistan). Here he studied at Islamia High School, Government High School & finally graduated from Government College, Montgomery in 1959 with distinction topping the university in Arabic Hons and winning a merit scholarship. He moved to the University Oriental College Lahore for higher studies and earned his MA in Arabic in 1961, standing first in the University of the Punjab and winning a gold medal and a silver medal. Later, he got his Ph.D. in Arabic from the same university in 1981. Dr. Khurshid Rizvi considers his college and university teacher Sufi Zia-ul-Haq as the biggest influence on his academic career.

Publications

Dr. Khurshid Rizvi has authored and edited books in many languages on a range of subjects including seven poetry collections to date. He has also done substantial translation work which includes his translation of Federal Shariat Court Judgement on Bank Interest (Riba) for Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Khurshid Rizvi’s most celebrated research work so far has been his book entitled: Arabi Adab Qabl az Islam عربی ادب قبل از اسلام (Pre-Islamic Arabic Literature) . This is the first detailed critical review of pre-Islamic literature in Urdu language. His publications include: 1. Shakh-e-Tanha (poetry) شاخ تنہا 2. Sarabon ke Sadaf (poetry) سرابوں کے صدف 3. Rayegan (poetry) رایگاں 4. Imkan (poetry) امکان 5. Yakja (poetry) یکجا 6. Deryaab (poetry) دیریاب 7. Nisbatain (poetry) نسبتیں 8. Taleef (essays) تالیف 9. Atraaf (essays) اطراف 10. Tareekh-e-uloom mein Tehzeeb-e-Islaami ka Muqam (Urdu translation from Arabic) تاریخ علوم میں تہذیب اسلامی کامقام 11. Hukm al-Mahkamat-al-Shar’iyyah…… (translation from English into Arabic of the judgment of the Federal Shari’at Court of Pakistan on bank interest) "حكم المحكمة الشرعية الاتحادية الباكستانية بشأن الفائدة (الربا)" 12. Qala’id al-Juman (critical editing of a 13th-century Arabic manuscript) "قلائد الجمان في فرائد شعراء هذا الزمان" 13. Arabi Adab Qabl az Islam- Part I (a detailed history of pre-Islamic Arabic literature) عربی ادب قبل از اسلام - حصہ اول

Career

Dr. Rizvi has adhered almost entirely to teaching as profession which he considers his true passion. He turned to teaching at the tender age of 19 as Lecturer in Arabic at Government College Bahawalpur, from where he moved to Government College Sargodha and continued there up to 1984 when he became the principal of Government Ambala Muslim College Sargodha. In 1985 he proceeded on deputation to the Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad where he served as Chief Bureau of Translation for six years. In 1991 he became Head of the Department of Arabic at Government College Lahore (now a university), opting for a pre-mature retirement in 1995 in order to focus on his personal research pursuits. He continued in the Government College Lahore, though, as a visiting professor later to be honored as Distinguished Professor – a lifetime posting. Dr. Rizvi has been on the visiting faculty of many educational institutions including University of the Punjab, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), FAST-NU etc. He also sits on the board of numerous literary and educational bodies. Dr. Khurshid Rizvi is considered an authority on ancient Arabic literature & manuscript editing within Pakistan as well as in the Arab world. He has performed the monumental task of singlehandedly editing a rare piece of Arabic literary history that was lost in Baghdad during Hulagu’s attack on the city in 1258. The work, comprising over 800 pages, was later published by Sheikh Zaid Islamic Center. These days, Dr. Rizvi is busy in compiling the second volume of his book on the Pre-Islamic Arabic Literature. This work shall help introduce classical Arabic literature in Pakistan and around, in an absorbing way, critics maintain.

References

External

Presidential Award Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plfxatmHNP4 Qatar Award: http://archive.qatar-tribune.com/viewnews.aspx?d=20150421&cat=chillout1&pge=2 http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/that-moment-of-epiphany/article7819247.ece

http://www.gulf-times.com/story/461286/One-on-one-with-a-decorated-scholar

Ahmad Faraz Award: http://www.dawn.com/news/785452

Distinguished Professor GC: http://www.gcu.edu.pk/BioPersian_KR.htm

Interviews/ Book Reviews etc.: http://forum.mohaddis.com/threads/تاریخ-علوم-میں-تہذیب-اسلامی-کا-مقام.16058

https://www.express.com.pk/epaper/index.aspx?Issue=NP_LHE&Page=Magazine_Page016&Date=20121129&Pageno=16&View=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAaZRueR6M8&t=1s https://www.express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1101158962&Issue=NP_LHE&Date=20110131 http://dunya.com.pk/index.php/author/haroon-ur-rahid/2015-07-03/11830/22896924#.WMPBPTuGPb1 http://www.urducolumnsonline.com/dr.-hussain-ahmed-paracha-columns/104894/qeht-ul-kitaab-kay-dor-mein-aik-shandaar-kitaab%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D https://web.archive.org/web/20130801072522/http://www.urducolumnsonline.com/zafar-iqbal-columns/105144/arabi-adab-par-qabil-e-sataaish-kavish https://rekhta.org/poets/khursheed-rizvi/profile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMLlPagMQvI&t=13s http://www.sauress.com/en/saudigazette/251921

Website: http://khurshidrizvi.com/