Tributes pour in for the scholar and founder of Islamic Foundation in Britain’s Leicester, celebrated for shaping modern Islamic thought
Team Clarion
LONDON – Prof Khurshid Ahmad, a towering figure in Islamic scholarship and a pioneer of Islamic economics, passed away in Leicester on Sunday. He was 93.
His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the globe, with leaders and scholars hailing his lifelong dedication to education, faith, and community.
Born in Delhi in 1932, Prof Ahmad grew up during a time of immense change. After the partition of India in 1947, his family settled in the Pakistani city of Lahore. He excelled academically, earning degrees in economics and Islamic studies before pursuing a PhD at the University of Leicester. It was in Leicester, in 1973, that he co-founded the Islamic Foundation alongside Khurram Murad, an institution that would become a cornerstone of Islamic thought in the West.
“Prof Khurshid Ahmad was not only a leader in Islamic economics but also a moral voice of clarity and conviction,” said Dr Wajid Akhter, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain. “His founding of the Islamic Foundation laid the groundwork for a generation of British Muslim scholarship and civic engagement. We owe a profound debt to his contributions.”
The Islamic Foundation, under Prof Ahmad’s leadership, became a hub for research, publishing, and interfaith dialogue, shaping the identity of British Muslims during a pivotal era. Its work fostered an understanding of Islam and supported the growing Muslim community in navigating life in the United Kingdom.
Prof Ahmad’s influence extended far beyond Britain. A former senator and federal minister in Pakistan, he authored over 70 books and received prestigious honours, including the King Faisal International Prize in 1990 and Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 2011. His groundbreaking work in Islamic economics helped establish it as a recognised academic discipline.
In Pakistan, he was a close associate of Jamaat-e-Islami founder Syed Abul A’la Maududi and served as deputy chief of the organisation. “His departure is an irreparable loss to the intellectual world and Islamic movement,” said Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, chief of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Syed Sadatullah Husaini, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, added: “Prof Khurshid Ahmad was a beacon of knowledge and wisdom for the Muslim community. His steadfast commitment to justice and moral clarity will be remembered for generations to come.”
Despite his global stature, Prof Ahmad remained a mentor and guide to many. He continued to engage with young scholars and contribute to discussions on faith and governance until his final days. His passing marks the end of an era, but his legacy endures through the institutions he built and the countless lives he touched.
The Muslim Council of Britain said: “We sit in the shade of trees planted by him and his contemporaries. May Allah grant Prof Khurshid Ahmad Jannat al-Firdaus and his family patience during this difficult time.”
