Noor-ud-din Qureshi
Encyclopedia
Mian Noor ud-din Qureshi was a leader within the Muslim community in North-West Frontier Province
in the early 20th Century, which was then part of British India. He was involved in the All India Muslim League. as well as the Khilafat Movement
, which contributed to the greater Indian Independence Movement
.
during the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
. He was born in Abbottabad
, British India
but now part of Pakistan
. He was born in Mohallah Munshian - a neighbourhood named after his father Munshi Mian Nizam ud din Qureshi (called munshi
as he was scholar of Arabic and Persian).
After completing his education, Qureshi joined the Public Works Department. In 1914, in response to World War I
, Muslim leaders issued a fatwa
that working under British government was haram
(forbidden), so Qureshi resigned from his government job and started his own business. He started taking part in politics, joining the Freedom Movement.
in Hazara, Pakistan and was leading many welfare organizations there, and serving as an honorary magistrate. He was elected member of local municipal committee in 1920 and remained senior vice president of M.C Abbottabad
consecutively from 1920-1943 till his death on 24 August 1943. In recognition of his services, the local government named the central bazaar and central neighborhood of the city after his name. In Abbottabad there were many Hindu organizations at that time, so Muslims formed many organizations under his leadership. He was an honorary magistrate also and people came to him for their problems. His residence, DARUL QURAISH was central head quarter for muslims.In 1935 hindus decided to replace Muslim Eidgah with Ram Mandir. Mian Noor uddin Qureshi along with Maulana Mohd Ishaq (Khateeb e Hazara) opposed Ram Mandir scheme. Under his leadership, a big procession was held, and finally Ram Mandir scheme came to an end.
In 1937, he founded All India Muslim League in Hazara District. He invited all leading members of All India Muslim League including Maulana Shaukat Ali (Ali bradaran), Maulana Abdul Hameed Badauni,Nawab Bahadur Yar Jung, Pir Maanki Sharif, Sardar Aurangzeb, for a meeting which was held at his home. Other leaders attending this meeting included Qazi Essa, Nawab Mohd Ismail, Bakht Jamal Khan, Agha syed Lal Badshah,etc.
After this meeting a successful Muslim Conference was held in Abbottabad and Jinnah wrote a letter of congratulations to Mian Noor uddin Qureshi and his son Mian Basir uddin Qureshi. This led to rapid succession of Muslim League in NWFP and it won the referendum in 1947 which was not possible without the great efforts of Mian Noor ud din Qureshi in Hazara.
Letter regardig award of Goldmedal to Noor ud din Qureshi by Chair Man Dr Javid Iqbal Tehrik-e-Pakistan Workers Trust dated,11th sep 1999 for his services in Freedom Movement)
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
in the early 20th Century, which was then part of British India. He was involved in the All India Muslim League. as well as the Khilafat Movement
Khilafat Movement
The Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
, which contributed to the greater Indian Independence Movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
.
Early life
Qureshi's ancestors migrated from MeccaMecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
during the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) (Full title: His Imperial Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan...
. He was born in Abbottabad
Abbottabad
Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, northeast of the capital Islamabad and east of Peshawar at an altitude of and is the capital of the Abbottabad District...
, British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
but now part of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He was born in Mohallah Munshian - a neighbourhood named after his father Munshi Mian Nizam ud din Qureshi (called munshi
Munshi
Munshi was the Hindi-Urdu name of a contractor, writer or secretary, used in Mughal Empire and later British India of the native language teachers or secretaries employed by Europeans....
as he was scholar of Arabic and Persian).
After completing his education, Qureshi joined the Public Works Department. In 1914, in response to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Muslim leaders issued a fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
that working under British government was haram
Haraam
Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
(forbidden), so Qureshi resigned from his government job and started his own business. He started taking part in politics, joining the Freedom Movement.
Political career
He started his carrier as a president of the Khilafat MovementKhilafat Movement
The Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
in Hazara, Pakistan and was leading many welfare organizations there, and serving as an honorary magistrate. He was elected member of local municipal committee in 1920 and remained senior vice president of M.C Abbottabad
Abbottabad
Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, northeast of the capital Islamabad and east of Peshawar at an altitude of and is the capital of the Abbottabad District...
consecutively from 1920-1943 till his death on 24 August 1943. In recognition of his services, the local government named the central bazaar and central neighborhood of the city after his name. In Abbottabad there were many Hindu organizations at that time, so Muslims formed many organizations under his leadership. He was an honorary magistrate also and people came to him for their problems. His residence, DARUL QURAISH was central head quarter for muslims.In 1935 hindus decided to replace Muslim Eidgah with Ram Mandir. Mian Noor uddin Qureshi along with Maulana Mohd Ishaq (Khateeb e Hazara) opposed Ram Mandir scheme. Under his leadership, a big procession was held, and finally Ram Mandir scheme came to an end.
In 1937, he founded All India Muslim League in Hazara District. He invited all leading members of All India Muslim League including Maulana Shaukat Ali (Ali bradaran), Maulana Abdul Hameed Badauni,Nawab Bahadur Yar Jung, Pir Maanki Sharif, Sardar Aurangzeb, for a meeting which was held at his home. Other leaders attending this meeting included Qazi Essa, Nawab Mohd Ismail, Bakht Jamal Khan, Agha syed Lal Badshah,etc.
After this meeting a successful Muslim Conference was held in Abbottabad and Jinnah wrote a letter of congratulations to Mian Noor uddin Qureshi and his son Mian Basir uddin Qureshi. This led to rapid succession of Muslim League in NWFP and it won the referendum in 1947 which was not possible without the great efforts of Mian Noor ud din Qureshi in Hazara.
Sources
- Daily Khabrein(Rawalpindi,7Th aug 1993)
- Daily Masriq (Peshawar 14th aug)
- Daily Nawa-e-Waqt(Rawalpindi,dated,23rd dec 1996)
- Daily Inkishaf (Abbottabad dated,11th sep1943)
- 'Book name Azadi ka safir ar Hazara ki loug by author Dr.M.A.Soofi pages no 22,23,24,25)
- Book nameAzmat-e-Rafta by author Syed Al-Ahmad Rizvi(tamga-e-imtiaz)pages no341,342,343,344)
Letter regardig award of Goldmedal to Noor ud din Qureshi by Chair Man Dr Javid Iqbal Tehrik-e-Pakistan Workers Trust dated,11th sep 1999 for his services in Freedom Movement)