Obituary: The Late Iqbal Ahmad

by Nasir Ahmad

Al-Ahmadiyya, January 1979 Issue (Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 17)

Iqbal Ahmad was born in Assam, India, on 19^th August 1930, and breathed his last at 8.30 a.m. on 2^nd October 1978. He was the eldest son of the late Maulana Aftab-ud-Din Ahmad, former Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque, Woking.

During his forty-eight years on earth, he enriched the lives of many men and women who came into contact with him.

His career was varied but the man never changed, bringing to everything he did both energy and dedication. After his early education in England, he returned to India, graduating from the Government Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Lahore, in 1950. He edited the English section of the college journal, Al-Iqtisad, and became secretary of the College Union. Then in 1953 he returned once more to England to qualify as a chartered accountant.

However, his special interest in Islam and Muslim history prompted him to join the staff of the renowned Muslim monthly, The Islamic Review, published from Woking. He became acting editor of the magazine in 1958. For some time, he also worked as assistant Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque and represented Islam at many interfaith conferences.

He entered the teaching profession in the late sixties and made Manchester his home. In 1971, the local authorities approached him to help BBC Radio Manchester with its programmes covering the activities of ethnic minority groups and he became actively involved in the presentation of two programmes, The Link, and Eastwards Northwestwards, for a number of years. In spite of his teaching and broadcasting commitments, he still found time to attend many conferences and seminars. He also helped in the beginning the publication and editing of the Mancurian Indian, Manchester. Again, he was secretary of Scribblers’ Club, Manchester, for several years. He translated into English Taudih Maram by the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement [Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian] and had plans to complete the unfinished translation of Al-Bukhari, which his father had started [three parts have been printed by the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam Lahore, 7 Pakistan], but God willed it otherwise.

A man of high literary taste, Iqbal Ahmad earned the respect and affection of many people of many races, cultures and religions. He devoted his time and energy to the welfare of those who could benefit from his help and guidance. It was in recognition of his services to the people of Manchester in general and to the Asian community in particular that he was made a Justice of Peace in April 1976. He was a person any man would be proud to call him brother.

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