Shah Ahmad Noorani

Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqi is a Pakistani Islamic scholar and politician who served as the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan from the 1970s until his death. He acted as the founder and first president of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) between 2002 and 2003. A prolific writer, he produced various theological works rooted in the Sunni-Hanafi tradition.

Early life and education

Ahmad Nurani was born on 31 March 1926 in Meerut, British India. He belonged to an Urdu-speaking Siddiqui Shaikh family. His father, Abdul Aleem Siddiqi, was an Islamic scholar who took him on missionary tours during his early youth. The boy became a hafiz-ul-Quran at the age of eight.

He pursued formal studies in both religious and secular disciplines. He earned a BA degree in Arabic language from Allahabad University and received certification from the Darul-Uloom in Meerut for Islamic jurisprudence. After the partition of India, his family moved to Karachi, Sindh. He eventually established himself as an Islamic scholar who worked to develop Islamic philosophy.

He was a notable polyglot. According to records, he was conversant with 17 languages and remained eloquent in six: Urdu, Arabic, English, Persian, French and Swahili.

Career

Nurani entered the political arena through the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan platform. He was elected as a member of the National Assembly from Constituency NW-134 (Karachi-VII) in 1970. In the 1977 Pakistani general election, he secured a second term as an MNA from Constituency NA-167 (Hyderabad-II). His political influence grew significantly during the 1980s when he became a Senator.

He actively campaigned against the military regime of General Zia-ul-Haq. His party helped found the Pakistan National Alliance on 10 January 1977 and the Pakistan Awami Ittihad in 1988. During the Zia era, he advocated for the restoration of judicial powers and the elimination of martial law. He also sought the rehabilitation of political parties and an announced election schedule.

In May 1999, he served as a guiding force for the formation of the Islami Jamhuri Mahaz. He later formed an alliance of six religious and political parties known as the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) in 2001. As the founding President of the MMA, he used tough rhetoric to oppose the policies of President Pervez Musharraf.

His scholarly career included the co-founding of the World Islamic Mission in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 1972. He wrote several theological books, such as Asmāʼ wa Ṣifāt and ʿAẓmat‑e‑Muṣṭafā. These works defended Barelvi positions regarding the divine attributes of Allah and the spiritual rank of the Prophet Muhammad.

Personal life

Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqi died on 11 December 2003 at the age of 78. He suffered a fatal cardiac seizure at his residence in Islamabad. At the time of his death, he was preparing to leave for the Parliament House to address a press conference. His assistants reported that the incident occurred while he was getting ready for the noon meeting.

The funeral prayer took place at Nishtar Park on a Friday. He was buried in the graveyard located within the premises of the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum in Karachi. He was laid to rest at the foot of his mother.

Awards and recognition

President Pervez Musharraf paid tribute to Nurani for his contributions to national politics. He described the scholar's services to Pakistan as great. Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, the MMA General Secretary, described him as a moderate, polite and kind person. He noted that these specific qualities led to Nurani being elected as the chief of the united religious front.