Akhtarul Wasey


Akhtarul Wasey was a professor of Islamic studies who taught at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. Currently he is president of Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur, India, and professor emeritus in the Department of Islamic Studies in Jamia Millia Islamia. As a versatile personality he assumed many formal and informal designations. Apart from his academic achievements he regularly appears on TV, debating on issues related to Islam and Muslims, and has delivered over 400 radio and 300 TV talks along with extensive and frequent writings in different news papers and magazines. He is considered to be a Muslim spokesperson among academicians.

Early life and education

Wasey was born on 1 September 1951, at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, as the first child of six, to Hairat bin Wahid and Shahida Hairat, and married to Mrs. Sabiha Wasey in 1975, having three daughters Mrs. Iram Alvi, Mrs. Sana Saad Khan and Mrs. Anam Shahab and a son Mr. Kamran Wasey. His early education was at Primary School No. 16 which was run and managed by the local municipal board. For secondary education, he was admitted to the City High School of Aligarh Muslim University then he went on to attend Aligarh Muslim University and earn the degrees of BA Islamic studies, Bachelor of Theology, Master of Theology and MA from Aligarh Muslim University in 1971, 1975, 1976 and 1977 respectively. He also completed a short termcourse in the Turkish language from Istanbul University in 1983.

Career

Wasey began serving as lecturer in Jamia Milia Islamia since 1978 and also worked as the director of Zakir Husain Institute of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and later became Head of the Department of Islamic Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Languages, Jamia Millia Islamia.
Prof. Akhtarul Wasey has been appointed by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee as the 12th Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India w.e.f 4 March 2014 for the tenure of three years. Since 1957, he is the first Commissioner from Urdu speaking community. This is a constitutional authority under Article 350B of the Constitution of India to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under this Constitution and report to the President upon those matters at such intervals as the President may direct, and the President shall cause all such reports to be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to the Governments of the States concerned.

Honorary member of boards

Wasey was vice-chairman of the Urdu Academy Delhi and a member of the Executive Board of National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language and was also, vice-president of Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature, India Interfaith Coalition on HIV/AIDS etc. Previously he was also the President of Dargah Committee of the world-famous Chishti Sufi Shrine at Ajmer, Treasurer of Maulana Azad Education Foundation, President, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Academy, General Secretary of South Asia Inter-religious Council on HIV/AIDS, a body created by UNICEF. Wasey has been invited to 70 academic and semi-academic tours abroad including programmes organized/sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, UNAIDS, UNFP, UNHRC and Organization of Islamic Conference.

Editor of journals

Wasey is on the editorial board of Journal of the Henry Martyn Institute and Journal of Khuda Baksh Library and was previously associated with the following journals of Islamic studies,
In 2013 Wasey received a Padma Shri award from President Pranab Mukherjee, honouring him as a distinguished academician, specializing in the multidisciplinary study of Islam and Indian Muslims. Wasey is the recipient of the first Sir Syed Ahmad Khan Award for Interfaith Understanding, Aligarh Alumni Association, New York Tristate, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Award in 1996, Award from Urdu Academy, Delhi and UP Urdu Academy on "Sir Syed Ki Taleemi Tehreek" in 1985. He also received a Fulbright Fellowship in 2008, the first ever to a member of the Jamia academic fraternity and the first in the field of Islamic Studies in India.
Prof. Wasey was conferred with Nawab Faizullah Khan Award 2017-18 the highest award for his contribution in the field of Islamic Studies by Rampur Raza Library, Rampur. Ghalib Award 2018 by Ghalib Institute, New Delhi. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan Award 2017 by American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin. Prof. Wasey also conferred Makhdoom Quli Medal by the President of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat on 15th May, 2014 for his contribution in the field of Islamic Studies and Urdu language and literature. He is also been conferred with the highest award of Daktur-e-Adab by Jamia Urdu, Aligarh on 20th May, 2014 in recognition of his remarkable services for the promotion of Urdu language, he is also been conferred with the Degree of Divinity by Henry Martyn Institute, Hyderabad and D. Lit. By Integral University, Lucknow for his outstanding work in the academic field over the years. He is the first in his field of Islamic Studies to receive these honors.. He was also awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Institute of Objective Studies in 2014. Prof. Wasey was conferred with Allama Maikash Award in recognition of his contribution to Urdu language and Composite culture. He was also conferred with the 5th Motahari award by the office of Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran, New Delhi in 2012. He was also affiliated to Temple University, Philadelphia, Xavier’s University, Cincinnati, Denver University, and Catholic University, Washington D.C. Earlier to this in the year 2000 he has also visited USA under International Visitor’s Program on the theme of Peace and Conflict Resolution.

He has many firsts to his credit