Life and Works of an Eminent Scientist; Dr. M.I.H. Farooqi (Dr. Mohammed Iqtedar Hussain Farooqi)

By: Prof Sharib Rudaulvi, Professor JNU (Retrd)

Dr. Mohammed Iqtedar Husain Farooqi is an eminent Scientist who has done commendable researches on Plant Products of commercial and medicinal value. He retired from National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow (Govt. of India) as Deputy Director and Scientist In-Charge, Plant Chemistry Division. 

He has 37 seven years of Research experience in the field of Phytochemistry and Economic Botany at Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun and National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, two premier Institutes of India dealing in Plant Sciences.

He has widely travelled to Europe and Arab World on the invitations of Science Centers of respective countries.

Dr. Farooqi was born in Barabanki, a city of U.P., in 1936. He belongs to a well-known scholarly and respectable family of Oudh. He is a famous alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, where he studied from High School to M.Sc. and then received Ph.D. in Plant Chemistry.

Dr. Farooqi has authored 18 books in English and equal number in Urdu on Plant Sciences and Islamic Studies. Indian Plants of Commercial Value, Plants of Ayurvedic and Unani Medicine, Dictionary of Indian Plant Gums, Indian Legumes of Commercial Value are some of them.

His books entitled PLANTS OF THE QURAN and PLANTS OF PROPHETIC MECINE have been acclaimed as the first important work on the subject.

King of Oman, Sultan Qabus Bin Said honored Dr. Farooqi with an Award of 25 thousand dollars in appreciation of his books on Quranic and Prophetic Plants.

DR. M. ABDO YAMANI, Former Minister, Govt. of Saudi Arabia & Chairman, IQRA International Educational Foundation, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, stated that ‘‘-Plants of the Quran has really filled a gap that has been yawning for centuries-book shall remain and forever a unique attempt and a useful accomplishment.’’

MAULANA SYED ABUL HASAN ALI NADVI, Founder-Member, Rabita Al-Alam Al-Islami, Saudi Arabia also said “Dr. Mohammed Iqtedar Husain Farooqi has fulfilled the need for a detailed scientific study of the plants of Quran so that new ideas and understanding of the plants and related events could be obtained. His observations and identifications of certain plants unravel several knots and are of immense help in removing confusion… an important addition to Quranic literature.”

Another book authored by Dr. Farooqi entitled MUSLIM SOCIETIES-RISE AND DECLINE OF is also considered as an important Document on the subject of Islamic History. Saiyed Hamid, IAS, Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard & Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University wrote. Dr. Farooqi produced a very informative and scholarly volume on ‘Muslim Societies: Rise and Fall’.

It constitutes a marvel of selective brevity and analytical subtlety. In a book dealing with society based on religion there always lurks the risk of rhetoric overtaking scientific analysis. Dr. Farooqi, with the rigorous training of a scientist, steered clear of this danger.”

Dr. Farooqi is a scientist and, therefore, observes things from a scientific point of view. The great tragedy of our society is the intellectual backwardness and lack of scientific consciousness. A few days ago, I was reading Dr. Farooqi’s article “Society Needs a Scientific Temper”. The very title of this article shows that despite some worldly progress, the scientific temper among Muslims has not been awakened. Today, it can be easily said that the lack of knowledge is behind their backwardness.” 

He then writes…”Muslim Society which dominated the World for about eight hundred years in all respect of human activity, started declining in their intellectual vitality, and ultimately dominated by the Emerging Power of Europe. Now Muslims can only regain past glory, if they adopt renaissance similar to European renaissance, more vigorously and faster than done by Europe.”

Dr. Farooqi is trying his best to promote knowledge and scientific temper among Muslims by his writings and speeches. He always keeps trying to wake up the Muslims to observe the fast-changing world. He has written a very important article on this subject.

The title of the article is “Every Society needs science and scientific temper to prosper.” This subject is an essential part of his MISSION SCIENCE FOR MUSLIMS. Explaining his mission, he wrote: “The purpose and object of science and technology (R&D) is to remove poverty from the society. Communities and nations cannot develop and get rid of poverty without the help of science and technology (R & D)..Sadly we have failed on this count. Reason:  Many of our decisions are based on ancient traditions rather than scientific attitude.”

“The nations which set the milestones of scientific development quickly get a place of honor in the world. The nations that stay away from scientific pursuits become economically weak. The poverty, disease and slavery of nations are directly related to the advancement or otherwise of science and technology. In order to gain individual or collective honor in this world, Science is Key for it,” writes Dr. Farooqi.

Dr. Farooqi always emphasizes that acquisition of science and technology is essential for happy life and respect. He repeatedly made it clear that there is no conflict between religion and Science. Religion is not against the acquisition of modern sciences, and Science is no obstacle in practicing of religion.

Dr. Mohammed Iqtedar Husain Farooqi is a scientist whose heart breaks to know and see backwardness of a large section of Islamic world and also sectarian conflicts amongst themselves. He has lightened the burden of his sorrow by writing “The Rise and Fall of the Muslim Societies. If anyone is responsible for our present situation, it is our distance from scientific knowledge, observes Dr. Farooqi.

I have known Dr. Farooqi for at least two decades. I have attended his speeches and meetings, where he talked about the value education and need of science. We need to read his articles and books. I don’t know how many persons running Muslim institutions have read his books. We are fortunate that we have a scholar like Dr. Muhammad Iqtedar Husain Farooqi amongst us. If we pay attention to his writings, we can free ourselves from the grip of traditions and promote scientific and intellectual consciousness. This is the only way to regain past glory.

(Translated from Urdu by Prof. Javed Abrar Farooqi, Indra Gandhi Open University, Delhi)