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Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi’s profile
Saturday, June 13, 2009
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE
DR Sarfraz Hussain Naeemi was born in
1948 in Lahore. He was the third child and second son among four
sons and six daughters of Mufti Mohammad Hussain Naeemi, the founder
of Jamia Naeemia Lahore.
His ancestors migrated to Pakistan
from Muradabad (UP) in India. Dr Naeemi learnt Holy Quran by heart (HIfz)
before completing his schooling and later passed Dars-e-Nizami and
did M.A. (Islamiat). He went on to pass LLB and Ph.D. (Islamic
Studies) from Punjab University. He also passed an Arabic teaching
course from Al-Azhar University, Cairo. He was awarded a gold medal
for his Arabic degree by Punjab University.
Well versed in Urdu, Arabic and
Persian languages, he had been writing columns in newspapers on
religious issues and remained editor of Monthly Arafat, Lahore.
He was a soft spoken and humble man
who was loved equally by friends and foes, especially by a large
number of his students. He had a dynamic personality leading a
number of organizations and platforms like Tahaffuz Namoos-e-Rislat
Mahaz (TNRM), a group of over 20 Sunni parties working for the cause
of Shariah enforcement, Ittehad Tanzimat Madaris Deeniya (ITMD), an
association of seminaries boards affiliated with different schools
of thought, Naeemian Association. He was secretary of Tanzimul
Madaris Pakistan, the seminary board governing all seminaries
affiliated with Barelvi School of thought. He remained member of
Council of Islamic Ideology, Ittehad Bainul Muslimeen Committee
Punjab, Muttahida Ulema Board and others.
He was known for a bold stance on
global Muslim issues like victimization and suppression of Muslim
movements and invasions on Muslim countries. He raised voice against
Gen Musharraf’s decision to provide logistic support to US-led
coalition in the war on terror for which he was first removed from
his job as Khateeb in Auqaf Department and then arrested briefly. He
was again arrested for protesting against the blasphemous
caricatures by European press and served few months in prison.
Dr Sarfraz Neemi assumed the position
of principal of Jamia Naeemia in 1998 after the death of his father
Mufti Mohammad Hussain Naeemi. He has been survived by four
daughters and one son, Raghib Hussain Naeemi, who will succeed him
as principal of Jamia Naeemia. His funeral will be held on Saturday
(today) at Nasir Bagh at 5 pm. He will be buried beside his father’s
shrine inside Jamia Naeemia. |
