KARACHI: A literary reference was held in memory of Dr. Hameedullah, a teacher and researcher who had a perfect knowledge of at least 20 languages and who authored around 170 books, apart from his research papers in the manuscript form.

Born in 1908, Dr Hameedullah spent almost seven decades of his life in teaching and research. He is acknowledged in the West for his translation of the Holy Qura’an in French and two volumes on Seerat (the life of the Holy Prophet) (PBUH) also in the French, apart from other scholarly work.

Jointly hosted by the Hamdard Foundation Pakistan and the Pakistan Historical society, the literary sitting was addressed by Prof Mahmood Hussain Siddiqui, Prof. Dr Mohammad Sabir, Dr. Affan Saljoq, Dr. Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, M. H. Askari and Masood Ahmad Barkati. The last to address was Dr. Pirzada Qasim, vice chancellor, Urdu University, who chaired the meeting.

The death of the German scholar, Dr. Annemarie Schimmel, so close to Dr. Hameedullah’s demise, termed by a speaker as the “fall of twin towers”, was also lamented and homage was paid to Dr. Annemarie Schimmel, and her scholarly war in Soofisim and Sindhi language poetry Shah Jo Risalo was recalled.

Most of the speeches were of routine nature, remembering Dr Hameedullah from Hyderabad Deccan, later an international citizen, staying in Paris as a teacher, translator and a guide to post-doctoral students, each speaker recalling his association with the saga. Mr Barkati’s paper was based on his brief meeting with Dr Hameedullah in Paris in the company of Hakeem Mohammad Saeed.

M. H. Askari’s meeting with Dr Hameedullah when the former was posted in the Pakistan embassy at Paris was quite eventful.

Gen. Ziaul Haq wanted Askari to constantly work as a liaison between the President and the scholar while the later had no telephone at the fourth floor of his poorly-equipped apartment. Further adding to Askari’s agony, Prof Hameedullah in line with the sages of early Islam refused to entertain any official favour, hated to ride in the official car and declined to sip even a cup of tea in the embassy or elsewhere. Askari narrated his experience in a lively detail.

Dr. Mohammad Ali Siddiqui remembered his brief meeting with Prof Hameedullah in 1992.

Referring to his Khutbaat-e-Bahawalpur, a highly intellectual discourse in Islamic studies, Siddiqui recalled the learned Professor’s comment on Shia-Sunni controversy, as “both were blessed by God — a part of Sunnat bestowed to one and the rest bestowed to the other.”

In the present milieu torn in sectarian divide, this message of Dr Hameedullah should remain in the four corners of the country, Siddiqui said.

Dr. Pirzada Qasim congratulated the organisers of the assembly and also the audience for their respect to the great scholars and their teachings in “an anti-culture” society.

He recalled the common gifted qualities between the great people i.e. Ali Mian, Hakeem Mohammad Saeed and Dr. Hameedullah, never wasting a moment in any thing unproductive, especially Dr. Hameedullah lived like a saint, disliked all the worldly comforts and lived for a cause — the promotion of Islamic faith and values.—Hasan Abidi