Shakil Auj

Hafiz Muhammad Shakil Auj TI was a Pakistani Islamic scholar and author. He also served as the professor and dean at Karachi University's faculty of Islamic Studies. During his career, Auj taught at the Karachi University for 19 years, including heading the Islamic Studies department between February 1, 2012 until his assassination on 18 September 2014 by Al-Qaeda. During this time, Auj authored 15 books on Islamic studies.^[1] Auj had had received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan for his contributions to the field of Islamic education.^[2] Auj was noted as an Islamic reformist for his liberal interpretation of Islam.^[3]

Auj held a Ph.D in Islamic jurisprudence from the University of Karachi.^[4][5] Prior to his assassination, Auj had been accused of blasphemy.^[6]

Career

Auj was the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at the University of Karachi. He also was director of Seerat Chair at the University of Karachi,^[7] ex-director of Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre,^[8][9] and Member of the Senate of Federal Urdu University.^[10] He was a disciple of Hazrat Allama Shah Ahmad Noorani.

Auj published 15 books and more than 100 research articles on issues pertaining to immediate needs of the society, in accordance with Quranic interpretation.^[11] He was part of numerous religious and social awareness programs on different television channels.^[12]

Auj was a strong advocate of women's rights. He wrote his book Nisaiyaat; meaning "Issues pertaining to women"; which was labelled by the New York Times as the first feminist book in the context of Quran.^[13] In the book, he argued that Muslim women are allowed to marry non-Muslim men and that girls should be both mentally and physically mature before they are married. He received threats from religious fanatics and was stopped from launching the book.^[14] He was criticized badly by the orthodox clergy for this book.

Auj's book Tabeerat relates to the Islamic Principles in the contemporary world. In one chapter, he elaborates on the way that non-Muslims may be accepted by God if they remain committed to universal human values. He also explains the way the Quran encourages a moderate society based on universal human values, and how Islam can very easily connect to the modern world. His book Sahib E Quran is about the honor and attributes of the Prophet Muhammad. He started the book with the Na`at. In one chapter, he expresses the view that there is only defensive holy war in Islam.

Auj was founder and editor-in-chief of HEC’s research journal Al-Tafseer.^[15] He was a member of the Editorial Board of journals;^[16] JIHAR; IJTIHAD; FIKR-O-NAZR; Peace and Peshawar Islamics. He was a member of the Committee on Development of Social Sciences and Humanities (CDSSHR),^[17] Pakistan and the Board of Trustees, International Islamic University, Islamabad, the sub-committee of Islamic Studies & Arabic, HEC, Islamabad, and chair of the Tahqeeq-o-Tafseer Welfare Association.^[18] He was a member of the Institute of Education and Research, Islamabad.^[19]

Auj was honoured with the honorary degree of Ijaza in Hadith by Shaik-ul-uHadiths Mufti Anwar Ullah of Aleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies, Karachi. He was awarded “Tamgha-e-Imtiaz” by the President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain.^[20][21]

Controversy

Auj had been a moderate in the context of the Quran and established Sunnah. He suffered a backlash from the orthodox majority in his department and in Pakistan.^[22] By assuming power as the Dean of Faculty of Islamic studies,^[23] he had stopped the plagiarism-based papers, this being the basis of his merit. He had launched complaints against many faculty members ^[24] involved in academic and moral corruption. He was reluctant to let Dr. Jalal Uddin Ahmed Noori rejoin as the faculty member, after his suspension on the basis of plagiarised Ph. D. thesis and papers.^[25] HEC declared him blacklisted as well.^[26] However, the Karachi University Syndicate had to surrender to the pressures of the clergy to let him rejoin on the pressure of a particular sect.^[27] He had also restrained seminary students from enrolling in MS programs without a proper channel. Director Sheikh Zayed of the Islamic Centre and Dr. Noor Ahmed Shahtaz were declared ineligible by the inquiry committee on the basis of forged degrees. Auj took charge as Director on June 28, 2012^[9] but had to retreat because of the stay order.^[28] These professional rivalries resulted in them hatching a conspiracy to declare him an infidel, which started through an sms propaganda campaign and later to fatwa's circulation by the fake signature of Muhammad Rafi Usmani of Darul 'Uloom Karachi.

Death

Auj was killed on 18 September 2014^[29] by al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)^[30] while going to an event at Iranian cultural centre^[31] organized in his honor for his contribution and services towards Islam.

Selected bibliography

• Quran majeed k 8 muntakhib tarajim ka taqabuli jaaiza
• Nisaiyaat (Urdu, Arabic )^[32]
• Sahib-e-Quran
• Tabiraat
• Khawaja Ghulam Fareed kay Mazhabi Afkaar
• Afkaar e shagufta
• Usool e Hadith and Tareekh e Hadith
• Usool e Tafseer and Tareekh e Tafseer etc ^[33]

References