“Guzrā huā Zamānā” by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817 – 1898)
Translated by Junaid Shah Shabir
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11407379
Abstract:
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (17 October 1817 – 27 March 1898) was a 19th-century Islamic pragmatist, reformer, and philosopher from British India. His work focused on bringing about reform in Indian Muslim society, through promoting scientific and Western educational thought among the masses. One of his most significant contributions was the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University, which began as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. The curriculum offered at this institution included scientific and Western subjects alongside traditional Oriental ones and religious thought. Sir Syed aimed to create an institution that could compete with Oxford and Cambridge, where both secular values and modern scientific and religious education would be provided to students of all religions and sects. Despite opposition from Orthodox religious sects, who saw Western education as corrupt and irreligious, Sir Syed remained committed to promoting a scientific mindset and encouraging rational and liberal interpretations of Islamic scriptures. He saw education as a means of uplifting the Muslim community and remained steadfast in his pursuit of this goal.
Works cited
Sir Syed’s “Guzrā Huā Zamānā” has been translated as “Time Bygone: A Nightmare”. It has been translated from Maqalāt-e Sir Syed compiled by Muhammad Ismail Panpati in 12 volumes Vol 5 (Lahore: Majlis Taraqqi-e Adab, 1962). This is the first English translation of the piece.
“Guzrā huā Zamānā” by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817 – 1898) by Junaid Shah Shabir is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
