syed muhammad naqavi

Author: SMN

  • A Legacy of Faith, by Syeda Aaliya Abidi

    إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

    “𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝒕𝒐 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒉 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏.”

    (Al-Baqarah 2:156)

    Today, my beloved paternal uncle, 𝑺𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝑴𝒖𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒅 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 (1924–2026), has returned to his Creator, leaving our hearts heavy with grief and our souls humbled by the legacy he leaves behind.

    With his passing, we have not merely lost an elder of the family; we have lost a rare gem a man whose life, spanning more than a century, stood as a living symbol of virtue, steadfast determination, complete submission to Allah’s will, and an unwavering courage to spread His message to whoever he could, wherever he could.

    Allah says in the Qur’an:

    وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

    “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒉, 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔, ‘𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒔.”

    (Surah Fussilat 41:33)

    This ayah reflected his life.

    In an era where challenging cultural norms often feels like waging a lonely battle, he chose courage over comfort. He dedicated his life to redirecting attention toward what truly matters: Our Connection with Allah and our Service to humanity.

    As beautifully captured in the timeless word

    خَيْرُ النَّاسِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ

    “The best of people are those most beneficial to people.”

    This was not merely something he believed; it was something he embodied.

    His endurance was extraordinary. When he was informed of his daughter’s passing, he responded not with despair, but with praise for Allah – level of submission that few can truly comprehend. Even as age rendered his body fragile and his bones weak, his spirit remained unconquered. He challenged biological decline with remarkable resilience and remained independent for as long as he could.

    He constantly reminded us to hold firmly to the Qur’an and gifted us treasures of wisdom through works such as “Wisdom Inherent in the Establishment of Daily Prayer,” where he explored the profound depths of 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒉 beyond its ritual form, and “𝑯𝒖𝒎 𝑨𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒂𝒑 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒏?”, a deeply reflective work that challenges us to ask whether we are truly raising our children to become sincere believers and devoted servants of Allah.

    Though my personal interactions with him were limited, the lessons he left behind have profoundly shaped my life.

    It is because of him that I chose a book over a concert.

    It is because of him that I chose the stories of our Islamic heroes over fictional superheroes.

    It is because of him that I continue to question and refine my parenting.

    It is because of him that I no longer find joy in gatherings devoid of purpose.

    It is because of him that I learned to create my own wave, even when it meant standing apart from the crowd.

    And it is because of him that we remain connected to the noble legacy of our forefathers from Qazi Saray a legacy of faith, scholarship, and conviction.

    Dear Baray Abu,

    It is time for you to rest now.

    We bear witness to your faith, to the nobility of your character, and to the quiet greatness of your life. In a world intoxicated by material pursuits, you invited people toward self-reflection, sincerity, and the eternal pursuit of Allah’s pleasure.

    Your life was proof that true richness is not in what one possesses, but in what one gives.

    You gave us perspective.

    You gave us courage.

    You gave us a legacy worth carrying forward.

    May Allah grant you the highest مقام in Jannat-ul-Firdous, reunite you with Bajo in the gardens of eternity, accept every act of your عبادت and service, and make your life’s work a source of endless صدقہ جاریہ.

    Amen.

    You have returned to Allah but your light remains with us.

  • A tribute to Syed Muhammad Musanna’s life

    A Century of Faith, Service, and Reflection

    سید محمد مثنىٰ جعفری

    (1923–2026)

    Syed Muhammad Musanna Jafri — سيد محمد مثنىٰ جعفری — passed away on 9 May 2026 in New Jersey, USA, after living for more than a century. His life was not only remarkable for its length, but for the extraordinary age through which he lived and the legacy he left behind through his work, writings, family, and values.

    Born in Saray Qazi, Faizabad, U.P., India, around November 1923, he belonged to the Jafri Syed family of Saray Qazi. Over the course of more than one hundred years, he witnessed colonial India, Partition, migration to Pakistan, the making of a new nation, the rise of modern infrastructure and technology, revolutionary Iran, and eventually life in the United States. His life became a bridge between worlds, generations, and eras.

    Professionally trained in civil engineering at Hewett Engineering School, Lucknow, from 1944 to 1947, he migrated to Pakistan in 1949 and dedicated decades of his life to engineering and infrastructure development. Various important projects in Karachi and other regions of Pakistan were completed under his supervision, including works connected with Karachi Deep Port, Malir Cantt, the Karachi–Hub Highway, Sukkur Airport, and numerous roads and public infrastructure projects.

    From 1983 until 1999, he lived and worked in Iran, serving as Chief Engineer and Project Manager on two major dam projects: Shohada-e-Maroon Dam in Behbahan, Khuzestan, and Pishin Dam in Sistan and Baluchestan. Alongside his professional career, he immersed himself deeply in Islamic studies, philosophy, Qur’anic reflection, and intellectual inquiry.

    After retirement, he devoted himself almost entirely to reading, writing, teaching, and social and moral reform. He authored several books and numerous articles and booklets addressing subjects such as family responsibility, education, simplicity, prayer, social ethics, equality, and practical religious life. Among his well-known works are:

    The central theme of his thought was devotion to Allah through understanding the Qur’an and applying faith meaningfully in daily life. He consistently emphasized that religion should not merely be inherited or ritualized, but understood, reflected upon, and lived with sincerity and purpose.

    Among the lasting contributions of Syed Muhammad Musanna Jafri was his deep commitment to education at the grassroots level. Alongside his brother, Syed Ahmed Musanna, and with the support and cooperation of family members, he played an important role in the establishment and development of Mumtaz High School in his ancestral village of Saray Qazi, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

    The school emerged from a shared family vision that education was essential not only for personal advancement, but also for the moral, intellectual, and social uplift of the community. At a time when access to quality education in rural areas remained limited, the effort to establish an educational institution in the village reflected both foresight and a strong sense of social responsibility.

    For Syed Muhammad Musanna Jafri, education was never merely the acquisition of degrees or technical skills. He believed that learning should produce thoughtful, ethical, disciplined, and socially responsible individuals. The establishment of Mumtaz High School therefore represented more than a local educational project; it embodied a broader intellectual and moral vision rooted in service, self-improvement, and community development.

    Over the years, the institution became part of the educational life of the region, benefiting generations of students and families. Its foundation remains connected to the collective efforts, sacrifices, and ideals of the family, and stands as one of the enduring social contributions associated with his legacy.

    He remained intellectually active until the final days of his life. Only days before his passing, he had completed another article and was preparing to begin a new one. His passion for learning never diminished. He read in Urdu, English, Persian, and Arabic, and was always surrounded by books — reading, writing, questioning, and encouraging others to think.

    To his family, he was far more than an engineer, writer, or elder. He was a teacher, mentor, guide, and source of strength. He believed deeply in education, independent thinking, discipline, and perseverance. He constantly encouraged younger generations to ask questions, seek knowledge, and connect faith with practical life.

    He often repeated the saying:

    “Himmat-e-Mardan, Madad-e-Khuda.”

    And he truly embodied the spirit of:

    أطلبوا العلم من المهد إلى اللحد
    “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”

    To many, he was a baghban — a gardener of minds, souls, and generations. His influence lives on not only through his descendants and writings, but also through the countless lives he shaped with his advice, conversations, kindness, and example.

    His was not merely a long life.
    It was a life lived with purpose.

    رحمة الله عليه

    Leave Your Memories & Reflections

    If you knew Syed Muhammad Musanna Jafri personally, studied with him, worked with him, spoke with him, read his writings, or were inspired by him in any way, we warmly invite you to share your memories, reflections, prayers, photographs, or messages in the comments section below.

    Your words will help preserve and celebrate the memory of a life devoted to knowledge, service, faith, and humanity.

  • An unexpected book in Karachi

    Karachi is a very surprising city. You can find different kinds of surprises on every step, be it a mudhole, a crack on the road, or a book. The last one happened to me a week ago, when I was wandering around in a very famous chain bookstore in Karachi.

    Usually, bookstores in Pakistan have strict selection rules; you can’t find all types of books here. Some years ago, I asked the same bookstore for a book from Oxford, but it was denied because of its content. That’s why it surprised me to find this book on the shelf. Despite its high price, I bought the book.

    Written by Mohammad Salama, God’s Other Book: The Qur’an between History and Ideology, published by the University of California Press, carries a title that is quite self-explanatory. What surprised me even more was that it stands in continuity with the broader revisionist trend in Qurʾanic and early Islamic studies — a trend generally not very welcomed, discussed, or easily accessible in Pakistan as a Muslim-majority country.

    The book does not merely discuss the Qurʾan as a religious text; rather, it questions the intellectual frameworks through which the Qurʾan has been studied in modern academia. Salama critically engages with modern Qurʾanic scholarship, especially approaches that heavily place the Qurʾan within the framework of late antiquity, Biblical traditions, and comparative religious studies, sometimes at the expense of the Qurʾan’s own Arabic linguistic and cultural environment.

    One of the most interesting aspects of the book is that it is not written in the sensationalist style often associated with popular revisionist literature. Instead, it is deeply academic, theoretical, and intellectual in tone. Salama appears less interested in attacking religion itself and more interested in critiquing the ideological assumptions behind both Western academic scholarship and modern Arab intellectual responses to Islam and the Qurʾan.

    At the heart of the work lies an argument that modern scholarship has often failed to appreciate the independent literary and intellectual universe of Arabic culture before and during the rise of Islam. According to Salama, the Qurʾan should not be understood merely as a text reacting to Biblical traditions or borrowing from neighboring civilizations, but also as a text deeply rooted in the Arabic poetic, rhetorical, and cultural imagination of its own environment.

    For readers familiar with the history of Orientalism and revisionist Islamic studies — names such as John Wansbrough, Patricia Crone, Michael Cook, Christoph Luxenberg, Fred Donner, or Gabriel Reynolds — the broader intellectual context of the book becomes immediately recognizable. Yet Salama’s approach differs from many earlier revisionists because he attempts to reposition Arabic literary tradition itself back into the center of the discussion.

    Whether one agrees with the book or not, it remains an important reminder of how the study of the Qurʾan has evolved in modern academia. In many Muslim societies, discussions around Qurʾanic history are often reduced to apologetics versus attacks on faith. This book, however, belongs more to the world of intellectual history, literary criticism, and the politics of knowledge production.

    What struck me most was not necessarily the arguments themselves, but the fact that such a book was sitting quietly on a shelf in Karachi, waiting for readers in a city where serious academic discussions on Qurʾanic studies rarely enter the public sphere. Perhaps that is the real surprise of Karachi: amid the chaos, contradictions, noise, and decay, one occasionally still encounters ideas.